ShoWest is billed as the largest motion picture convention and trade show in the world.  It brings together theater owners – represented by NATO, the National Association of Theater Owners – and the major international film distributors – represented by the MPAA, the Motion Picture Association of America.  Together they celebrate their past year’s achievements and talk about the big ideas for the future of the motion picture exhibition business.

There was plenty to celebrate at ShoWest 2010.  The global box office set another all-time record in 2009, reaching almost $30 billion.  North American box office increased for the fourth consecutive year, and was a full 10% higher than in 2008, finishing at a record $10.6 billion.  11% of the North American box office came from 3D showings.

There are many formats available for making a movie, starting with whether it is on film or digital video.  There are many different considerations when choosing a format, including image quality, cost, ease of use, workflow familiarity, aesthetics, archivability, and where you intend to share your story. 

But this story is not about how people are making their movies.  This is about how many people are making movies.