Keio Research Institute at SFC

* This laboratory has been completed.

Background

The goal of research and commercialization of digital cinema as currently promoted worldwide is to strengthen the business of long-length movies for the theater by applying digital technology to the business model for film media. At SFC, research activities on digital cinema have been conducted up to the previous year since the establishment of the Digital Cinema Research Consortium in 2001 as the first digital cinema research organization in Japan.

The consortium has been presenting movie viewing possibilities for the near-future, such as models using cellular phones and home television monitors, and models where communication is also possible while viewing movies at a movie theater, among others. A major contribution by the Consortium is not in long films for movie theaters, but in the advancement of research specialized for short films (called digital short movie) with a focus on the following 3 major issues: system, contents and market development. The results from these activities have been highly acknowledged both within and outside of Japan. Even now, it shows unparalleled level of activity as a digital cinema research organization. Moreover, it is conducting research in the production environment of movie contents, where research on production structure focusing on network-based online collaboration is increasing in its importance in the field of film production. Thus, the organization��s research goals and its achievements have begun to prove useful in the industry.

Furthermore, this is the first research organization in the world that focuses on ubiquitous cinema. While movie viewing functions are being added to cellular phones today, movie contents for cell phones called cell cinema or micro cinema are gaining attention, becoming an important field of research.

Research Issues

• Research regarding network-type film contents collaboration and its distribution
• Research on environments for viewing film contents that are dependent on real space
• Research on contents that utilize the five senses and the physical aspects
• Research on film contents that utilize multi-displays

Research Plan

For this current year, we will create research teams and promote research based on the above themes. On the operation side, we will conduct monthly research operation meetings, mid-term report meetings, and final report meetings. Information is also scheduled to be distributed and shared through the web.

Projected Results

In addition to viewing movies at the theaters, we aim to make it a common practice to view movies using apparatus that are more closely related to our everyday life, as our research proposes. Thus, we aim to contribute to the creation of a new film culture, as well as to becoming the information source for a new business model.

Researchers, managers and professors