Digital cinema advertising in South Africa

Cinemas with digital capability allow the screening of movies that have been encoded as digital-data files and have a range of advantages including clearer, high definition picture quality and a longer life span for the digital print as there is no degradation of quality over time.

Jenni Critchfield, CEO of Cinemark comments, "We foresee that over the next five years, 90% of the world's commercial advertising screens will be converted to Digital D-Cinema. We have increased our screens from 61 to 93 and have committed to continue this increase until critical mass is reached.”

Advantages to advertisers

According to Cinemark, digital offers the following...

• Production and distribution costs are cut - advertisers no longer have to duplicate prints
  
• Electronic distribution - reels do not need to be physically shipped, stored or returned - lowering costs of distribution
  
• Screening of anything entered digitally, from music concerts to webcasts
  
• National footprint with lowered costs
  
• Consistent high definition quality
  
• Extensive broadcast flexibility based on satellite distribution
  
• Better viewing experience to a movie audience
  
• Constant and consistent commercial quality
  
• Shorter lead times - take advantage of last minute opportunities
  
• Major reduction in production costs
  
• Opportunities - local and regional advertising & alternative content screening
  
• Greater creative flexibility
  
• Strategic advertising and point of purchase retail advertising opportunities
  
• Strategic link from on-screen to foyer
  
• Lower entry costs
  
• Quicker turnaround times in terms of advertising material
  
• More flexibility
  
• Superior audio
  
• Consistently higher visual quality

For more information go to www.cinemark.co.za.