Taking the Film Out of Movies

This MC101 is getting a time-out, Old West style, at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage.
Q: Why was the MC101 student behind bars at the Autry Museum?
A: Because he wanted to use his cell phone.

One by one, it seems, the physical aspect of mass media is falling by the wayside. Newspapers are not always read off of paper any more. Music often isn't on records, tapes, or CDs. And now, maybe you will be going off to the movies and will not see anything on film.

According to an article in the Business Section of the Los Angeles Times on July 8, three of the nation's largest movie theater chains have approached investment banker JPMorgan about raising $1 billion for the large-scale conversion of film theaters to digital theaters. The studios have long been in favor of this changeover, but the exhibitors have found the cost too great to bear by themselves. The plan discussed in the Times article envisions the debt being paid off over a number of years through savings in the fees that theaters pay to the studios.

***GOOD TIME AT THE AUTRY We had an excellent turnout yesterday afternoon at the Autry National Center. This was the seventh and final field trip in the class. And I must say, this has been a very fun, enthusiastic and bright group of students.