Masterton people could be wearing 3D glasses by Christmas, says the town's sole cinema owner - even if he still thinks 3D films are a Hollywood gimmick.
Brent Goodwin, owner of Masterton's Regent 3 Cinema, is in the midst of negotiations with film distributors to scrap his analogue projector and replace
it with a $500,000 set of digital projectors and consoles.
Mr Goodwin said going digital meant he could screen 3D films and, because there were no more film reels, he didn't have to wait behind the big cities to screen the latest films.
"When the release is scheduled for New Zealand I can have the same release date as Queen St, Auckland," he said.
Digital distribution also meant he could get hold not just of movies but, for instance, metropolitan opera or 3D sport.
Videophiles would notice the buffed-up visuals but he said the big advantage for him was there would be no more scratches or deterioration as the reel wore down. "I can screen a picture six months, four times a day, and it will still look as good the last time as it did the first."
Mr Goodwin said he expected details about the rollout of digital systems to independent exhibitors, like himself, to be sorted out by April.
Key to the negotiations was how exhibitors would be compensated for upgrading to expensive digital equipment.
A mass change to digital was in the interests of Hollywood because it eliminates 35mm film reels, which cost $3000 each to produce.
Mr Goodwin said once installed it would cost $50,000 for a projector attachment to screen 3D films.
He said there was mixed demand for 3D in Masterton, with some people asking when it would arrive and other theatre-goers deeply sceptical.
While he would meet the demand of audiences he is in the latter camp, because "content was king" and Hollywood had peddled 3D every decade for the past 70 years.
"If you take The King's Speech for instance, I don't think it would make a hell of a lot of difference if it was in 3D."
This year Hollywood is releasing 30 films in 3D.
