The joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment, Universal Pictures and Digital Cinema Implementation Partners (DCIP), has now officially been named the Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition and has hired industry veteran Steven B. Cohen as a consultant to manage the project.
 
The venture, which was originally announced on 6 March, 2007, represents the first ever collaboration between studios and exhibitors to develop the most cost-effective form of digital content delivery through technologies such as satellite or digital terrestrial distribution. The Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition delivery system would be open and available to any content provider, vendor and exhibitor, including the owners, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Universal Pictures and DCIP, which is owned by Regal Entertainment, AMC Entertainment and Cinemark USA and represents 14,000 screens domestically.
 
Under the current distribution system, individual prints of each movie are physically shipped to theaters in cans—or hard drives in the case of existing digital cinema. As technology has evolved, exhibitors have led the charge for finding new digital methods of direct delivery, which could include satellite or broadband components. A digital distribution system, which streamlines the delivery process and limits the number of people who handle the product, is expected to increase security and support the fight against film piracy.
 
Cohen has over twenty years of experience in digital distribution, digital post production and digital cinema. He is currently the head of Cohen Communications, where he serves as a consultant and engineer to various studio and production companies for calibrated display systems for digital dailies, digital cinema preview, press and premiere screenings, remote collaboration systems and high definition screening rooms. He co-developed the first hard disk-based HD Dailies system and pioneered HD preview screenings for theatrical films.
 
He was Vice President, Feature Services for the Ascent Media Group, where he developed new services that integrated production and post production technology for feature film clients. These services included random access HD Dailies systems, audience reaction capture systems, digital preview and screening systems. These clients included Disney, Fox, DreamWorks, Paramount, Universal and Lakeshore Entertainment. While at Ascent he worked on Weatherman, Pirates 2 and 3, Invincible, National Treasure 2, Domino, Déjà Vu, Transformers, DreamGirls, The Island and Freedom Writers.
 
From 1992 through 1999, he worked for Sony Pictures Studios, most recently as Vice President, Sales and Development for Sony Pictures, where he helped to develop the digital infrastructure for the Post Production Facilities. Cohen developed the first studio nonlinear editing department: digital picture editorial as well as production and post production technologies for theatrical films. He was also Director of business development for Sony’s Advanced Digital Systems Group, where he introduced the Sony DADR-1000 digital audio recorder for post production and developed strategic business relationships with hardware manufacturers and software developers. Steven was part of the original team that developed and marketed Sony Dynamic Digital Sound, first as a consultant and then as VP of Studio Relations.