On Location & Digital Episode II

I heard about the digital satellite broadcast of Episode I to select theaters. How did this trial run go, and will it be implemented on a larger scale for Episode II?

Answered by: Rick McCallum

For the digital projection of Episode I done in four theaters last year, the movie was physically delivered on disc as opposed to delivery via satellite.

We were pleased with the results, and clearly the audiences were as well. We're hopeful that we can increase the number of digital showings for Episode II because there are so many advantages. The main advantage is the quality of the presentation and the fact that, unlike physical film, the 100th showing will look every bit as good as the first showing. There are also other benefits, which include the cost of distribution and the cost of manufacturing thousands of reels of film. There's a huge positive environmental impact along with that, as well.

Whether the movie crosses over high-speed data lines, arrives via satellite, on physical disc media, or some combination of the three -- I think that's still up in the air. It will be interesting to see how it plays out while considering both cost and security factors.