Empire Leicester Square First to Use Dolby's New 3D System

http://www.digitalcinemareport.com/node/997

 

London Calling

Submitted by Nick Dager on Wed, 05/27/2009 - 15:18.

 

London’s Empire Leicester Square has become Europe’s first auditorium to utilize the new Dolby 3D Digital Cinema large screen system. The Empire installed the Dolby 3D system in time for the United Kingdom premiere of Walt Disney Pictures’ Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience. The movie premiered in front of an invited audience of more than 1,300 guests. With its 20-meter screen, the Empire boasts one of the largest screens in the country.

 

“We are delighted to be working with Dolby in what is a European first. We share the commitment to bring the finest image quality to the screen in ways that continue to add value to the cinema experience. When it came to hosting the Jonas Brothers 3D premiere, the new Dolby 3D large screen solution seemed the ideal choice,” says Justin Ribbons, chief executive officer, Empire Cinemas Limited. “With the Dolby 3D large screen solution, we can now show 3D to audiences in our largest auditorium at Leicester Square – Empire One—and provide a stunning experience for everyone in the audience."

 

The new Dolby 3D large screen system combined with Barco’s digital cinema twin-projector allows exhibitors to project Dolby 3D onto standard, non-silver screens ranging from 12.5 to 21 meters, surpassing the previous size limit of 12 meters. The Empire Leicester Square, one of the UK’s oldest and largest cinema venues, regularly hosts movie premieres.

 

Empire Cinemas operates 144 screens at 16 locations across the UK. Its flagship, the Empire Leicester Square, first opened its doors as a theatre in 1884, and from the earliest days of the moving image, it played host to the technological advances of cinema. In March 1896, Louis and Auguste Lumiere gave the first theatrical performances of a projected film to a paying UK audience at the Empire, assuring it a unique place in cinema history. The current six-screen theatre configuration has a seating capacity ranging from 26 to 1,330 seats.

 

With a growing number of 3D movies scheduled for release in the next 12 months, it is increasingly important that exhibitors have the flexibility to provide 3D in their largest auditoriums, as well as on their other digitally equipped screens. The Dolby 3D Digital Cinema system also supports both 3D and 2D presentations without the need for a dedicated 3D auditorium, providing even greater flexibility for exhibitors.

 

"Exhibitors have told us they want 3D without compromise and our new large screen solution provides the right amount of light and striking images for screen sizes reaching all the way up to 21 meters,” says Guy Hawley, director, international cinema sales, Dolby Laboratories. “This allows venues like Empire Leicester Square to show 3D in their largest auditoriums to maximize revenues on 3D presentations."

 

Without requiring a special silver screen, Dolby’s color filter technology and lightweight passive Dolby 3D glasses give every member of the audience a memorable and mesmerizing 3D experience. The Dolby 3D system provides realistic, full-spectrum color reproduction and extremely sharp images, while the environmentally friendly glasses—designed for repeated use—significantly reduce the cost per viewing for exhibitors.