Last Friday I collected the MO disk of the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix for the 35mm prints of Gone Fishing. I had a brief glimpse into the Dolby transfer bay, which was a surprisingly compact room, looking more like a machine room at a small post production company than an audio lab. But then I guess they are just converting digits from one format to another (in this facility).

This MO disk will now be sent to the labs and transferred to a high contrast negative, that will in due course, be married up wit the 35mm print when it has itself been transferred from the 2k scans at Midnight Transfer.

I can’t help but wonder how long 35mm will persist as the dominant exhibition format. It all seems so compromised and messy. It’s robust and can play anywhere in the world, that’s for sure, but it’s got inherent quality limitations and it’s darned expensive too. Personally, I can’t wait for the day when every theatre is digital and movies are delivered on disk, or pumped down the line. After seeing Gone Fishing presented digitally at BAFTA (in the full 4:4:4 colour space and uncompressed sound), a 35mm print with compressed Dolby Digital sound will seem quite a step down I am sure.

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
mail@livingspirit.com