The new middlemen of the digital age: the case of cinema

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to enquire into various forms of innovation and observable configurations in films are observable and document the specific technological fields in cinema, and innovations brought by young IT and digital companies. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on desk research, a review of literature, review of the technical journals, analysis of annual reports and meeting with experts and industry participants. Findings – It identifies in most cases the presence of information and communication technologies (ICT) companies, new middlemen of the digital age, that integrate in one or another way the core activity of the cinema industry. These companies (“specialized technological companies” with edge R & D) are playing the rather recent role of “new middlemen” liaising between the different layers of a transformed industrial environment described as the “new ICT ecosystem”. Research limitations/implications – The size of the sample (case studies) as the paper relie...