The Digital Nitrate Prize is a cash award that will be given to the first individual or group to demonstrate a practical digital projection system that will exactly duplicate the appearance in all respects of classic nitrate motion picture film.

Purpose

In 2006, the inevitability of digital storage and digital projection as a replacement for the vast majority of motion picture films is apparent.

However, the push for low cost and expediency may cause the loss of the special qualities and claimed beauties of motion picture film.

The classic example of motion picture film at its peak is nitrate film, especially black and white nitrate film: it exhibits clarity, richness, detail, an extraordinary range of gamma and grey scale, and other qualities that make the viewing of an extraordinary original nitrate black and white print from before 1950 a unique experience.

Technical forces and limitations make the preservation of these special qualities difficult and, some argue, impossible.

Because motion picture film is impermanent, it becomes ever more pressing to find ways to preserve it through digital means.

Rationale of the Digital Nitrate Prize

Based upon the X-Prize, the Digital Nitrate Prize proposes to use a cash award as an incentive to devolopers to find a solution to the problem of preserving motion picture film with all of its qualities intact.

Whoever solves the problem of digitization and digital projection which reproduces exactly or better the qualities of nitrate motion picture film projection stands to reap substantial commercial rewards from duplicating and/or making such a system widely available. There are tens of thousands of historically important motion picture films that need to be properly and thoroughly preserved in a manner that preserves all of their innate qualities. The winning individual, group or corporation will become the commercial leader in this field as well as providing a service to the history of art.

Formation of the Prize

The Digital Nitrate Prize was proposed by Edward Summer in 2005. Originally offered as an activity of AMIA (Association of Moving Image Archivists, that organization was not prepared to administer such a prize, so the prize became a separate entity.

Current Status

2006 - A group is forming to determine the rules of the competition and to raise money for the prize.