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May 29, 2007

That’s a Wrap

Our time at the Cannes Film Festival is coming to a close. Over the last week we’ve talked to all sorts of actors, directors and others trying to make a name for themselves in the entertainment business. Outside of the personalities (whew), one of the more fascinating aspects of these conversations has been the widely differing opinions on whether technology is changing film making.

Opinions are fairly polarized on the subject, with the folks bullish on the digital opportunities being slightly in the minority – this despite some of the biggest buzz at Cannes this year coming from the U2 3D movie and the general growth of 3D technology.

In general, the vast entertainment machine seems to be quite happy making movies and enjoying the South of France as it always has. It will be interesting to see how perceptions change in the near future.

In a happy coincidence, I happened to be walking outside the Palais on my way back to the apartment when I got caught up in a crowd at a side entrance to the theatre. Fifteen minutes later, the cast of Ocean’s Thirteen (Yes, Anita, including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia and Elliot Gould) came rolling out. It was a true paparazzi moment and one I was only too happy to participate in.

After the stars sped off in their cars, I looked around the 100+ people capturing the scene on their cameras and saw that probably none of them were actually shooting film – all of them were using digital cameras and camcorders. If that isn’t a sign of what’s to come, I don’t know what is.

Cannes Film Festival