Number of cinema sites in the U.S. 1995-2020
How cinema has changed
The practice of projecting movies onto a screen via 35mm film reels is no longer the norm, as digital methods prove simpler and more versatile. As a result, the number of analog movie screens in the U.S. has dwindled whilst digital screens (including 3D) take over the market. In fact, the number of 3D films released in North America has increased fivefold in ten years.Further, whilst between 2006 and 2008 there were no movies shot in digital only format in the U.S. with a budget of over 160 million U.S. dollars, between 2015 and 2017 more than 70 percent of digital only movies had a budget larger than that figure.
Old-school methods – 35mm film
The method of shooting movies on 35mm was invented by Thomas Edison in the early 20th century, and many age-old classics filmed using this method have made their way into academia around the world. Notable movies shot on 35mm film include ‘The Great Train Robbery’ directed by Edwin S. Porter in 1903, ‘Battleship Potemkin’ by Sergei Eisenstein and 1915 epic ‘The Birth of a Nation’, as well as the surrealist feature ‘Un Chien Andalou’ by Luis Bunuel and artist Salvador Dali.