The Digital Dilemma

So you’ve got the movie in the can, all cut and ready to go. Where to next? Likelihood, if you’re a digital filmmaker in Malaysia, distribution hell, unless you’re lucky enough to be linked up with one of the big ones. If not, prep for the biggest fight of your life.

The reality of Malaysian cinema is that it is fast becoming a digital movement. Yes, the big guys still shoot of film, but the rest of us are either on DV or moving into HDV and HD. But where do we really stand in terms of getting a digital film out in the country, digitally?

I should make it clear that this is just my take on things, and should not at any point be taken at face value. I will attempt to voice my opinions in 2 sections: Technology & Attitude.

TECHNOLOGY

Let me begin by tackling the issue of the technology needed to show a digital film locally. The first answer that comes to people’s lips is “You can screen digitally at GSC can’ t you?” Well, technically what one is getting at GSC is not actually digital projection.

What they do is to hook up a DVD player or digibeta machine to the projector and screen it that way. That is the definition of “digital projection” in Malaysia at the moment. It means that digital filmmakers are not getting to show their movies in the way it is intended to be seen by an audience.

True digital projection, as it is being put into place not just in the West, but in countries just round the corner like Thailand, is when a hard drive containing the movie is plugged into a machine that streams the film via the projector. No fuss, no muss, no quality loss.

The main reason of course for the cinema chains not having this, is primarily monetary of course. It is not a cheap step to take. However that does not mean it is not a necessary step to take. Proper digital projection being put in place will spur the digital filmmaking movement in the country because it will mean producers knowing that the product can be shown, and will be shown in a truly digital fashion.

Also, if an exhibitor chooses to make the argument that the cost is not worth the return, in relation to the fact that having digital projection for local movies is not a viable investment since local films don’t do that well anyway, can it not be the case that Malaysians want to watch Hollywood films in HD as well? Wouldn’t we all have loved to have seen Star Wars, Superman and Miami Vice next month in the way it is meant to be seen? We know that the exhibitors make money on Hollywood movies, so if the digital halls are shared amongst local and Hollywood fare fairly would that not justify the expense?

The problem at the moment has many reasons, but another one I want to move on to is attitude.

ATTITUDE

“These kind of films won’t make money”.

“People will only go watch it on the first week and then come out and say oklah”.

“ We show these films at a loss.”

This is what I call a problem with attitude. Yes, the exhibitors have good reason to make these statements based on experience. However, if one begins from the outset with a defeatist attitude, it does feed in, no matter what one says, into the proceedings of distribution.

It lends itself to the lack of enthusiasm that comes from the exhibitor in regards to really making room for the film. Right now as it stands the exhibitors have 2 things in favour for not really having to make room for local digital movies:

1. The fact that the “wajib tayang” law has not been amended to include digital movies.

2. The argument of these movies being shown at a loss.


At this point in time, the one chain with 3 screens capable to show digital films, uses those halls to show international films as well. From what most of us know, and I will say now that I cannot quote figures on this, they run those international films at a loss as well.

The likelihood is, if they freed up those screens even more for local digital movies, the takings would be marginally better than what they are getting for the international movies. And marginally better, is still better.

The problem is, at the moment, we as the filmmakers do not hold any power or sway because we all function individually. Thus we get tied into bad deals, are forced to sign exclusively with one chain and are saddled with the fact that our films are not being seen in the fashion they are meant to be, thus further reinforcing the notion that local digital movies are of low or amateur quality.

What we do need is for all the filmmakers to slowly begin rallying together and “unionising”. That way we will all know how to deal with the exhibitors and also prove to them that we can be just as professional and market-savvy about how to push our movies.

In doing that, and establishing a mutual respect and confidence between the two parties we, as the filmmakers will then be in a better position to negotiate our distribution terms, on our own terms

The bottom-line is this. It is getting easier and easier to make a digital movie and Malaysia’s movie industry when it comes to young blood and new talent, lies in the digital realm. The only loose cog in the machine now is distribution and exhibition and unless you get a big distributor on board, the exhibitor is then taking on the role of both and that means we as the moviemaking community, need to make sure we know our rights, and put pressure on the chains to make sure that the industry thrives as it is in both parties interest.

Arivind Abraham