Aesthetics
9 - 10:30am

1. What do you see as the most significant works of digital cinema to date? Why? What is it about these films which have captured the public interest or which have helped to demonstrate the potentials of this medium?

2. Is digital cinema still at a novelty stage or has it started to produce works of real substance, aesthetic quality, and lasting value? If you think so, what constitutes “real substance”? In other words, what about digital cinema tells us that we are dealing with an actual medium that is distinct from others? How are digital films different from regular films?

3. One of the strengths of digital cinema seems to be its immediacy. Digital films respond quickly to current events and cultural trends. Digital films often seek a feel of spontaneity and immediacy and, in some cases, of informality and intimacy. Do you agree with this observation? If so, do you think such tendencies suggest a different status and function for digital cinema than for traditional film production?

4. Are there distinctive genres that have emerged in digital cinema? If so, what factors contribute to the popularity of these new modes of film practice?

5. Should critics review these films in newspapers?

Speakers:

Lev Manovich, University of California-San Diego, The Language of New Media
Sean Schur, The Moving Picture Company



Economics
10:45am - 12:15pm

1. What can you tell us about the business models shaping the current distribution of digital cinema? Given the stock market fluctuations associated with the various dot coms, many still contend that it is hard to see how one makes money out of distributing content on the web. How would you respond to such naysayers?

2. Do you think the entry of commercial interests will alter digital cinema? Is it possible for amateur and commercial film production to co-exist?

3. What factors shape your decisions about which films to distribute on your sites? Are there some kinds of content you will not distribute because it is controversial or because it might violate copyright law in some fashion?

4. What kinds of digital films have attracted the greatest interest on your site? What does your research suggest about the people who are consuming digital cinema and their interests in the medium? Some have suggested that digital cinema is most often consumed in the work environment during lunch or coffee breaks. Does your market research support this claim? If so, how does this shape the kinds of films we are likely to see?

5. What kinds of arrangements do you make with digital filmmakers? Do you provide them with funds to support the production of films or only provide them a means of distribution for films funded by other sources?

Speakers:

Dion Algeri, iCAST
James Root, Windows Media



The Future
1:15 - 2:45pm

1. What do you see as the long-range implications of the digital cinema movement? How might we see its relationship to the current discussions of media convergence? If all media content flows through digital distribution channels, will there be a distinctive place for digital cinema or will it simply be absorbed back into mainstream media production?

2. Will digital cinema prove to be an important training ground for commercial filmmakers and/or an incubator site for new forms of popular culture that will eventually be pulled back into the mainstream media?

3. What aspects of the current digital film scene do you think will change most significantly over the next five years?

4. Some of the limitations (size, resolution) are due to technical compromises inherent in the reliance on generic PCs as presentation devices. Can the use of specialized devices shift some of these limitations? If so, will the alternative spirit of digital cinema become lost within commercial cablecasting?

5. Rock videos initially exhibited a great variety of experimentation with aesthetics and forms. This variety gradually became much more formulaic and codified. Will digital film follow the same pattern?

6. What effect will television broadcasts have on these films as stations begin to air them (currently the Sci-Fi channel airs many of its internet cinema on their show, Exposure)?

7. What effect will fiber optic connections have on Internet cinema? We are in what appears to be an ongoing process of rapid improvements in connectivity, bandwidth, processing power, and video compression software/hardware. These improvements may be further amplified through the development of dedicated home-entertainment networked devices. What effects (aesthetic, social, economic) will these trends have on Internet Cinema and on the communities of Digital Filmmakers?

Speakers:

Anthony Soohoo, ALWAYSi.com
Todd Rosenberg, Atom Films
Jason Wishnow, Wishnow.com, Tattooine or Bust