Finland's FS Film Goes Digital

Finland's FS Film is going digital. With a system called SmartJog, which has been used already by TV channels, digital prints of a movie from a distributor or film studio can be sent straight to the server of the projector room without the need of a traditional print - or a physical hard drive.

"FS Film is pioneering the system for movie theaters in Finland," says Timo Räisänen, head of theatrical distribution at movie distributor FS Film Oy, which is working with the theater change Bio Rex Cinemas on the digitalization. "The system uses so-called broadband gateways to deliver the feature films. And after my first experiences with using it, I must admit that it's easy and simple, quick and trustworthy. I can't see any reason why it - or a similar system - couldn't be the major delivery system in the near future. Our local major studio partner, 20^th Century Fox, has been using the system already in other regions."

There are a number of major benefits to the system, first and foremost in terms of saving money - and time. "We have more time and it's easier to localize the films, since our delivery isn't dependent on third party logistic schedules. Not to mention warehouse issues, which don't exist anymore. And the delivery chain is free of force majeur threats, like the ash clouds from a few months ago."

Räisänen says that while FS Film has just started using the system, he expects that more theaters will be making the change in the near future. "Hopefully SmartJog will be implemented automatically," he says. "Then theatrical digitalization will conquer Finland city by city."