Pvt initiative to invest Tk 1.2b to digitise 400 cinema halls
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Ismail Hossain
When movie theatre owners across the country have been shutting their business down and building high-rise commercial structures instead one after another, Jaaz Multimedia came like a messiah in the industry with a move to invest around Tk 1.2 billion for digitisation of some 400 cinema halls.
On October 5, Jaaz released its first digital film -- Bhalobasar Rong -- in 28 existing cinema halls which they transformed digitally to exhibit the cinema keeping the previous 35 mm projection system in place as well.
"Initially we signed agreements with 50 cinema halls to set up digital mechanism where Bhalobashar Rong was supposed to be exhibited but before release we could not complete digital transformation work in all of those," Manwar Ehttasham, chief executive officer (CEO) of Jaaz Communication told FE Monday.
"Until October 8, 32 theatres have been equipped with digital mechanism and gradually our plan is to fortify 400 halls across the country."
Manwar Ehttasham said each hall costs Tk 3,000,000 for digitisation including high resolution computer server, projector, sound system, AC and back-up IPS-UPS and thus Jaaz will invest around Tk 1.2 billion.
Being asked, he said, "Yes, it is risky investment. But is there any business without risk?"
"We are sure if we can provide good quality entertainment to the recoiled cinema-goers, they will return to the movie theatres like the country's golden days of the cinema," he said with confidence.
According to the agreement, no owner of the movie theatre has to pay anything to the Jaaz Multimedia for the digitisation. They will pay only Tk 3 for each ticket to Jaaz Multimedia.
Any other cinema producer/director can use Jaaz's solution by paying minimal fee called a virtual print fee (VPF) for transforming their cinemas for each copy with Jaaz Extreme Digital's own technology which is unique, not copiable and secure.
The movies will be played locally, for now, which within a few years will be relayed centrally through broadband internet, Manwar Ehattasham said.
According to the information ministry nearly two-thirds of the movie houses across the country have pulled down their shutters permanently.
In the capital Dhaka and major cities, most owners of cinema houses have handed over their property located at prime locations to real estate developers to build commercial complexes.
However, go-digital of the movie theatres of the country is a much-talked-about issue among film buffs but there was no visible effective attempt from the government side to meet the movie-lovers demand.
In the budget speech of fiscal year 2012-13, Finance Minister AMA Muhith announced that the government decided to provide incentives for building cineplexes to overcome this deplorable state.
"The prospective entrepreneurs will also be given tax concessions and we are determined to bring qualitative change in this connection by rationalising tax rates," Mr Muhith said.
Contacted, Information Secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamun welcomed the private initiative.
But the information ministry, under whose purview the film industry is, is yet to develop a policy how the budget declaration will be implemented.
A committee headed by the additional secretary of the information ministry is working to formulate a policy how to provide incentives for the entrepreneurs and tax concession.
Industries Minister Dilip Barua also welcomed the private sector's move of digitalisation though he said his ministry has nothing to do but declaring the sector as an industry.
In February this year, Dilip Barua declared the film production sector as an industry.
However, Manwar Ehttasham did not care about incentives and tax concessions as he said, "I am sure the entertainment industry has enormous potentials in the country and we will be able to bag profit from our investment."
"We have already invested around Tk 2.0 million without any government support," he said adding, "certainly government incentives and tax concessions will encourage Jaaz to invest more."
Digital cinema is not new at all in the country. In 2010 and 2011, a number of digital cinemas were made. A number of initiatives were also seen on introducing digital projection systems in the increasingly disappearing movie theatres of the country.
But many of those digital cinemas ended up at television screening or screened only in Star Cineplex due to absence of digital movie theatres in the country.
Jaaz Multimedia digitally shot and edited Bhalobasar Rong which is directed by Shaheen-Sumon duo. Mantazur Rahman Akbar's Chhotto Ekta Valobasha and another production by Shaheen-Sumon, Onnorokom Bhalobasha, among others, will soon join the row.
One of the directors, Sumon, told the FE that they have received immense response from the cine-goers.
He also said the cinema witnessed a record sale on the first day by earning around Tk 2.5 million.
Manwar Ehttasham said the Jaaz server is enabled with a locally developed software that can play only a dedicated Jaaz format, Jaaz Xtreme Digital (jxd), binding the filmmakers to convert their videos into jxd.
Its features include inability to copy disk data and to be switched on only during the show times. Moreover, the visuals will bear a special watermark that will not be seen in the open eye but be spotted when it is recorded, making the scope of tracking the source of piracy. To make the larger-than-life screens more lively, Barco projection systems from Belgium will be used.
Before finally deciding to the technologies, Manwar had visited world renowned studios including those of India, Thailand and USA. As the system was not complicated, Jaaz decided to install it themselves by importing 'state-of-the-art equipment'.
Manwar said as per their estimation Jaaz will be able to return its investment in no fewer than five years.
When movie theatre owners across the country have been shutting their business down and building high-rise commercial structures instead one after another, Jaaz Multimedia came like a messiah in the industry with a move to invest around Tk 1.2 billion for digitisation of some 400 cinema halls.
On October 5, Jaaz released its first digital film -- Bhalobasar Rong -- in 28 existing cinema halls which they transformed digitally to exhibit the cinema keeping the previous 35 mm projection system in place as well.
"Initially we signed agreements with 50 cinema halls to set up digital mechanism where Bhalobashar Rong was supposed to be exhibited but before release we could not complete digital transformation work in all of those," Manwar Ehttasham, chief executive officer (CEO) of Jaaz Communication told FE Monday.
"Until October 8, 32 theatres have been equipped with digital mechanism and gradually our plan is to fortify 400 halls across the country."
Manwar Ehttasham said each hall costs Tk 3,000,000 for digitisation including high resolution computer server, projector, sound system, AC and back-up IPS-UPS and thus Jaaz will invest around Tk 1.2 billion.
Being asked, he said, "Yes, it is risky investment. But is there any business without risk?"
"We are sure if we can provide good quality entertainment to the recoiled cinema-goers, they will return to the movie theatres like the country's golden days of the cinema," he said with confidence.
According to the agreement, no owner of the movie theatre has to pay anything to the Jaaz Multimedia for the digitisation. They will pay only Tk 3 for each ticket to Jaaz Multimedia.
Any other cinema producer/director can use Jaaz's solution by paying minimal fee called a virtual print fee (VPF) for transforming their cinemas for each copy with Jaaz Extreme Digital's own technology which is unique, not copiable and secure.
The movies will be played locally, for now, which within a few years will be relayed centrally through broadband internet, Manwar Ehattasham said.
According to the information ministry nearly two-thirds of the movie houses across the country have pulled down their shutters permanently.
In the capital Dhaka and major cities, most owners of cinema houses have handed over their property located at prime locations to real estate developers to build commercial complexes.
However, go-digital of the movie theatres of the country is a much-talked-about issue among film buffs but there was no visible effective attempt from the government side to meet the movie-lovers demand.
In the budget speech of fiscal year 2012-13, Finance Minister AMA Muhith announced that the government decided to provide incentives for building cineplexes to overcome this deplorable state.
"The prospective entrepreneurs will also be given tax concessions and we are determined to bring qualitative change in this connection by rationalising tax rates," Mr Muhith said.
Contacted, Information Secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamun welcomed the private initiative.
But the information ministry, under whose purview the film industry is, is yet to develop a policy how the budget declaration will be implemented.
A committee headed by the additional secretary of the information ministry is working to formulate a policy how to provide incentives for the entrepreneurs and tax concession.
Industries Minister Dilip Barua also welcomed the private sector's move of digitalisation though he said his ministry has nothing to do but declaring the sector as an industry.
In February this year, Dilip Barua declared the film production sector as an industry.
However, Manwar Ehttasham did not care about incentives and tax concessions as he said, "I am sure the entertainment industry has enormous potentials in the country and we will be able to bag profit from our investment."
"We have already invested around Tk 2.0 million without any government support," he said adding, "certainly government incentives and tax concessions will encourage Jaaz to invest more."
Digital cinema is not new at all in the country. In 2010 and 2011, a number of digital cinemas were made. A number of initiatives were also seen on introducing digital projection systems in the increasingly disappearing movie theatres of the country.
But many of those digital cinemas ended up at television screening or screened only in Star Cineplex due to absence of digital movie theatres in the country.
Jaaz Multimedia digitally shot and edited Bhalobasar Rong which is directed by Shaheen-Sumon duo. Mantazur Rahman Akbar's Chhotto Ekta Valobasha and another production by Shaheen-Sumon, Onnorokom Bhalobasha, among others, will soon join the row.
One of the directors, Sumon, told the FE that they have received immense response from the cine-goers.
He also said the cinema witnessed a record sale on the first day by earning around Tk 2.5 million.
Manwar Ehttasham said the Jaaz server is enabled with a locally developed software that can play only a dedicated Jaaz format, Jaaz Xtreme Digital (jxd), binding the filmmakers to convert their videos into jxd.
Its features include inability to copy disk data and to be switched on only during the show times. Moreover, the visuals will bear a special watermark that will not be seen in the open eye but be spotted when it is recorded, making the scope of tracking the source of piracy. To make the larger-than-life screens more lively, Barco projection systems from Belgium will be used.
Before finally deciding to the technologies, Manwar had visited world renowned studios including those of India, Thailand and USA. As the system was not complicated, Jaaz decided to install it themselves by importing 'state-of-the-art equipment'.
Manwar said as per their estimation Jaaz will be able to return its investment in no fewer than five years.