Do you remember going to the movies? Now that we have been in a pandemic, it may seem a thing in the past, but they are still there! Just close your eyes and envision that delicious, fresh popcorn smell, the sound of ice cracking under freshly dispensed soda, and those funky carpets that look like they came from a roller skating rink. We love the movies. Now here’s the “reel” question here...Have you ever attended a movie where there was an intermission?
Not in a while (or for some of you, ever) right?
Back in the day, movie theaters would have intermissions in the middle of the movie. Not so you can go buy candy, not to give you a bathroom break, but to swap out the film reels! That’s right - now you can take this fun fact and use it at your next trivia night. Theater attendants would work in the upper booth of a movie theatre and wait to change out the film reels since the movies were filmed on actual reels.
I’m sure you’re not missing the old days where a movie has to be stopped for a solid 10-15 minutes in order to swap out the reel. Don’t worry, it’s not making a huge trend back. But, when did movie reels stop? When did most production companies stop using film reels to record and release their movies? Well, let’s add more knowledge for your trivia nights!
You’ll be surprised…
When doing a little digging, I too was shocked to learn that the switch from film to digital for movie productions was only 8 years ago. Yep, 8 years ago. “Say what?!” Movies were filmed and shot on celluloid film, typically 35mm stock. Hollywood started to capture films digitally in the 2000s, but it wasn’t until 2013 that digitally shot films were more common than celluloid productions.
Sure, we have gradually made the transition from film to digital, but some large companies that dominated the film camera market back then are still major players. There are independent, short films that are still using reels because they are trying to make their short films on a budget (some digital cameras can be worth a pretty dime). Here is a chart showing the increase in digital movies vs. film movies in the US.
What about the movie theaters?
So, now that we know not many movie productions are using film, what are they doing in the movie theaters to show the movie? By 2009, movie theaters started replacing film projectors with digital projectors. In 2013, it was estimated that 92% of movietheaters in the United States had converted to digital, with 8% still playing film. Crazy right?
That said, there are a handful of directors and filmmakers who still fancy a good 35mm film movie. Quentin Tarantino and Christoper Nolan lobbied large studios to commit to purchase a minimum amount of 35mm film from Kodak. If you saw Tarantino’s Hateful Eight in theaters and wondered why you had an intermission...it was because someone had to be there to change out the film! That’s right, his movie has an intermission. I bet you’re thankful it was shot on film, considering it’s a 3 hour and 7 minute movie - anyone watching would need a quick break!
I hope this gives you a new found appreciation for those working in movietheaters. You have to have some serious skill and brains to connect the film reels, make sure the film is matching up to where the viewers left off, and how to operate the dang thing!
So, go watch Sound of Music or the Hateful Eight - find a movie with an intermission and realize, “This was shot on 35mm film.” And, if your local movie theatre has opened back up, go show them some love! Get some popcorn, that fresh soda and enjoy a good movie. Who knows, it might have an intermission!
FAQs
By 2009, movie theaters started replacing film projectors with digital projectors. In 2013, it was estimated that 92% of movie theaters in the United States had converted to digital, with 8% still playing film.
Do movie theaters use film anymore? ›
In most cases, movie theaters are no longer using the traditional film format for showing movies. Since the early 2000s, digital projectors have been the industry standard around the world. As movie projection technology advances, older methods such as film slowly become more and more obsolete.
When did movies stop getting shot on film? ›
Major films shot on digital video overtook those shot on film in 2013. Since 2016 over 90% of major films were shot on digital video.
When did film start being digital? ›
They started to do so in 1999 when “Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace” became the first film to be shot largely on digital cameras and released to theatres with digital projection. However, adoption was slow for two reasons: Digital cameras turned out to be much harder to work with at first than film cameras.
Which movies still use film? ›
Here's a look at the best modern movies shot on film.
- 1 La La Land (2016) Lionsgate.
- 2 Past Lives (2023) A24. ...
- 3 Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (2019) ...
- 4 Oppenheimer (2023) Universal Pictures. ...
- 5 Phantom Thread (2017) Focus Features. ...
- 6 Little Women (2019) ...
- 7 The Fabelmans (2022) ...
- 8 Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020) ...
Hollywood started to capture films digitally in the 2000s, but it wasn't until 2013 that digitally shot films were more common than celluloid productions. Sure, we have gradually made the transition from film to digital, but some large companies that dominated the film camera market back then are still major players.
How many cinemas still use film? ›
At the end of 2017, virtually all of the world's cinema screens were digital (98%).
Are movies not shot on film anymore? ›
A decade ago, the majority of directors still chose to shoot on film, but around 2012 more directors began to prefer digital. Some of these directors are film loyalists who never switched to digital. Christopher Nolan shot all of his movies on film, including his latest movie Dunkirk (2017).
Do TV shows still use film? ›
Most of the Best television programing is still shot on film. Included shows started in late 1990s or early 2000s to indicate that Film wasn't the only choice. Also, some shows use film and digital or started with Film and then sadly went to digital only. List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
When did movies become more violent? ›
A 2013 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that violence in films has more than doubled since 1950, and gun violence in PG-13-rated films has more than tripled since 1985. The Harvard School of Public Health warned that "ratings creep" has allowed more violent and sexually explicit content into films.
By the mid-2010s, most of the theaters across the world have been converted to digital projection, while others are still running 35 mm projectors. In spite of the uptake in digital projectors installed in global cinemas, 35 mm film remains in a niche market of enthusiasts and format lovers.
Do cinemas still use projectors? ›
A standard IMAX screen for a movie theater is 72.6*52.8 feet, imagine how much it would cost if a movie theater replaced it with LED. Cinemas use projectors AND screens. These are ALWAYS a pair.
When did digital outsell film? ›
Since 2003, digital cameras have outsold film cameras. Prices of 35 mm compact cameras have dropped with manufacturers further outsourcing to countries such as China. Kodak announced in January 2004 that they would no longer sell Kodak-branded film cameras in the developed world.
Does anyone use film anymore? ›
Fast forward almost 100 years later and compact film cameras are absolutely everywhere. From students to professional photographers, everyone and anyone is finding a reason to use film cameras, now better known as point & shoot cameras.
When did cinemas stop using reels? ›
When did film reels stop being used? - Quora. Digital projection began in movie theatres around the year 2000, was becoming more widespread (though still not the norm) by 2005, and took off dramatically around 2010. By the mid-to-late 2010s, digital projection had almost completely replaced film.
Was Barbie shot on film or digital? ›
The VFX supervisor on Greta Gerwig's hit film sheds light on the various ways the famed Mattel doll and her world came to life across 1,300 shots involving various digital filmmaking tools, including virtual production, previs, postvis, CG set augmentation, and more than 20 fully CG shots, produced by Framestore, ...
Are movies shot on film anymore? ›
Although there was a time when many thought that shooting on motion picture film stock would quickly die out after the launch of high quality digital cinema cameras like the Arri Alexa in 2010, film still persists. In fact in recent years it's seen a bit of a resurgence.
What has replaced film projectors today? ›
The systems became more compact over time. By 2009, movie theatres started replacing film projectors with digital projectors.
When did film reels stop being used? ›
It was only in 2013 that digital projection overtook reel projection across the world. In 2002, a few studios in Hollywood came together to set standards and specification for the move to digital projection. In 2005, the Digital Cinema Initiative's standards were released.
