Adlab Films digitizing theatres

Entertainment company Adlab Films, an integ-rated business enterprise with
interests in produc-tion, processing, distribu-tion and exhibition of motion
pictures, is attem-pting a unique project to ensure that film prints reach out
to smaller cities in time.

A single copy of a film is priced at Rs 60,000. Therefore, it is too
expen-sive to release a film simultaneously in all of India's 12,000 odd
thea-tres. Most distributors make an average of 200 prints for any film. These
films are first shown in metros for six to eight weeks before they are sent to
smaller towns. Thanks to the late entry in these towns, pirated DVDs, video
parlors and cable piracy eat into the potential revenues for B and C class
cities. So if a small town theatre is capable of doing Rs 1.5 lakh per show at
full capacity, it ends up with just 20 percent of that.

According to Man-mohan Shetty, Owner and Chairman, Adlab Films this is where
Adlabs medium to low-end digi-tal cinema equipment-consisting of a server and
project-priced at Rs 9.5 lakh or so comes in. Each digital print costs Rs
2,000, so, the cost for exhibiting the film works out to be much lower and the
release is simultan-eous across the country. The prints can be sent two ways-either
cut a CD, which is encrypted until the release date, or the film is uplinked
from the server and can be downloaded at the theatre.

"At a price of Rs 2,000 per copy, a film can target an all India market
from day of release to soak up all revenues coming to it. It is a win-win
situation for all-producers, distribu-tors and theatre own-ers. Adlabs has
tied up with Mukta Arts to digitize theatres," Shetty added.

Adlabs has installed the digital equipment in 70 odd theatres in the coun-try.
Of these, 36 in are in Maharashtra alone. Adlabs has invested Rs 10 crore for
the project. Theatres where the digital equip-ment has been installed have
reported better revenues. "They have begun getting audiences that went to
video parlors earlier," he informed.

"We are in the process of working out invest-ments for the project in
April this year. We also have plans to look at the Gujarat and Delhi
markets," Shetty added.

Nanda Kasabe

Pune