Cinemas must 'drastically improve' or lose audiences, says Christopher Nolan

I agree with some things in this article and disagree with others.

First, digital has opened up opportunities for hundreds if not thousands of film makers (whether they are amateurs or aspiring professionals). Now, filming in all its myriad forms is within reach of so many people - that's prety amazing and largely down to digital.

However, digital is only now beginning to catch-up with the high resolution possible with physical film. For example, 70mm film is over 50 years old and yet, if you've ever seen it projected on a giant screen (in letterbox format, not imax) you'll know it can show enormous, stunning images. I don't know if 4K digital can match 70mm film resolution, but I'm glad to see digital resolution increasing.

For me, going to the cinema has always been about seeing a film on the big screen. But plenty of cinemas don't have big screens. In fact, many multiplexes show their less popular movies on smaller screens. I always find it disappointing to walk into an auditorium with a small screen: you're paying the same price as those watching a film on a bigger screen in another auditorium, but you're getting a poorer experience.

If you look at the history of cinema-going, you can see there was a great deal of "showmanship" that's completely gone today. For example, how many cinemas have curtains? There's a simple pleasure in seeing the lights go down in the auditorium and the curtains drawing back. I can remember a time when a lot of cinemas would show pre-film trailers or shorts on a smaller-sized screen. Then the curtains would close - there would be a pause - and then they would open again to reveal the screen having grown to full ginormous size. Simple, but awesome!

I don't think moving back to actual film is whats required to save this industry. For years they've treated customers with contempt, with obscenely expensive tickets, even more expensive food, ridiculous policies regarding bringing in your own, over-crowded theatres, uncomfortable seats and at the end a mediocre viewing experience. For them to truly recover they will need a complete change of tactics regarding what they offer customers, starting with a better in-theatre experience.

Film may be more artsy, but that's not going to save cinemas in the age of everyone having a VR headset and making their own "cinemas" at home.