Opera in D-Cinema: Does it Whet the Appetite?

I thought this was a really interesting piece in yesterday's Boston Globe, focusing on the success of live opera distributed to digital cinemas.

Jeremy Eichler writes:

Two years ago, opera simulcasts in movie theaters did not exist; today they are wildly popular. What only recently seemed like a novel, vaguely exotic cultural activity has for many become a familiar ritual on the local musical calendar.

Yet beyond the excitement it has generated, this new wave of high-tech cultural populism is also transforming the ecology of opera in Boston, where the two main companies offering live performances - Boston Lyric Opera and Opera Boston - must now grapple with what it means to have the Met juggernaut landing right next door.

There is no mistaking its momentum. Back in December 2006, only one local theater - in Framingham - screened the first Met simulcast. Last year, the number of greater Boston theaters carrying the broadcasts was up to seven, with 21,000 tickets sold. (By comparison, the combined attendance for all 18 of the Boston Lyric Opera's mainstage performances last season was about 24,000.)

This season, three new theaters in Boston have decided to begin playing opera. Eichler asks how all this is affecting the city's opera companies... and whether it is creating new fans.

Sony Will Distrib Live Perfs to Digital Cinemas ... Pogue Really Likes New Roku Box

- Sony Pictures is creating a new business unit to send live performances (pre-recorded live performances, that is) to digital cinemas, according to the NY Times, Variety, and Wall Street Journal. They're starting with a Cirque du Soleil show, 'Delirium,' and then moving on to the final Broadway performance of 'Rent.' The Times observes: "Sony is the first big studio to dip its toe into the arena, which until now has been left to niche players like Colorado-based Fathom Events, which simulcasts from the Metropolitan Opera." Some events will be offered in 4K digital projection...which should look super-sharp.

- Tech reviewer David Pogue really likes the new $99 Roku set-top box, which streams movies from Netflix. (Though he does have some qualms about the video quality.) Pogue writes:

In the game of Internet movies, the Netflix Player is revolutionary. It’s the first Internet service that delivers movies to your TV without a per-movie fee — an incredibly strange, liberating feeling. It’s also the first that doesn’t require you to download or store your movie collection.

Finally, it’s the first without a 24-hour time limit. If you feel like watching a movie again, you can watch it next week or next year, without paying a penny more.

Roku also says that this box is wired for the future. When Instant Watching goes to high definition, the Player will be ready. Roku also says mysteriously that its deal with Netflix is not exclusive; technically, the box is equipped for future rivals.

Mavs in 3-D ... Other Alternative Digital Content ... HD DVD Credits

- Tomorrow night's Mavs/Clippers game will be broadcast live in 3-D to one Landmark Theater in Dallas. They're using the Fusion 3-D camera system developed by Sony, James Cameron, and Vince Pace.

- The NY Times wrote yesterday about non-movie content in movie theaters. There's apparently a boomlet happening. From the story:

Chains in Tennessee and New Jersey sell $25 tickets to performances of La Scala operas. AMC and Regal, two of North America’s biggest chains, have promoted concerts (Celine Dion), marathons of classic TV shows (“Star Trek”) and seasonal events (the St. Olaf Christmas Festival). On April 24, hundreds of theaters are scheduled to show highlights from the Drum Corps International World Championships.

Few think nonmovie content will supplant movies as the primary reason people trek to the multiplex. Rather, the hope is that all the niche offerings will add up to steady supplemental income.

This is the kind of stuff that wasn't possible before digital cinema...

- People who bought HD DVD players from Best Buy and Circuit City can return them for store credits or gift cards, the Times' Bits blog reports.

Alternative programming in d cinemas ... Unbox for indies ... BAVC Innovation Salons

- The Washington Times has a smart piece about alternative programming being shown in digital cinemas, focusing mainly on concerts and director Q&As.

- Variety's Anne Thompson writes about how indie filmmakers are using sites like Unbox and inDplay to wring money from their features. Still, seems like a tough slog to try to earn a profit on a $100,000 film through digital distribution only.

- The Bay Area Video Coalition is starting a cool series called the Innovation Salon; the first one is coming up soon, on April 26th. Speakers include animator M dot Strange, Orphanage co-founder Stu Maschwitz, the CEO of the Independent Online Distribution Alliance, and Electronic Arts executive Lincoln Dean Hershberger. It's free to attend -- just RSVP. Here's the description:

From visual effects to game design, to animators to programmers, the Bay Area has proven that artists and geeks can rule the world. Is it talent, tolerance and technology?* From the ecosystem now dubbed “Digital Hollywood” come award-winning movies and games like Sin City, The Incredibles, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Matrix, Battlefield, and The Sims--new ways to tell stories, get music, watch video, play games and build community. Science + creativity = Revenge of the Nerds. Welcome to the future.