Too Much Technology?

In yesterday's post, Seymour paid homage to the sciences and technology and how they 'push forward' the realism of movie viewing.  To that end, the science of film-making always leaps ahead of the day-to-day duty of film exhibition.

A perfect case is the latest movie from director, Ang Lee entitled 'Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk'. The film, about an American war hero, is being touted as a cinematic first because of the digitally radical way it was filmed.  Problem: few cinemas will be able to exhibit the film because the normal digital projection systems are not technologically advanced enough to screen the film as intended.

The movie will premiere on October 14th at the New York Film Festival, at an especially outfitted auditorium at the AMC Lincoln Square Theater.  The film will be exhibited in 3-D, 4K ultra-high definition at a speed of 120 frames per second.  No film has ever been exhibited to the public using this format. Movies are normally screened at 24 frames per second, although higher rates have been used and most digital projection systems in the field can handle higher rates, such as 48fps.

At a cost of $48 million, Sony Pictures isn't risking much but the vast majority of the audience will view the film in regular 3D or 2D and not as it was intended to be seen.  IMAX, for example, can exhibit 3D films at a maximum of 60fps.

Those lucky enough to view 'Billy Lynn' at the AMC Lincoln will see the sharpest, most vivid, most realistic on-screen image they have ever seen - at a cinema or at home. The 110 minute feature stars Joe Alwyn, Kristen Stewart, Van Diesel, Steve Martin, and Chris Tucker. It will open in wide release on November 16th.