Friday, April 30, 2010

All different, all digital

http://www.mediasalles.it/dgt_online/index.htm

by Elisabetta Brunella

This column hosts portraits of cinemas in Europe and the rest of the world which are quite different from one another but have in common the fact that they have all adopted digital projection.

Country
Site
Town
Company
Number of projectors
Projector
Resolution
Server
No. of
3D screens
  Supplier of 3D technology
UK
Electric Cinema Theatre
London
Electric Cinema Theatre
1
Christie
2K
Dolby
1
XpanD

Electric Cinema

Take London on a Saturday afternoon and a classic tourist destination: Portobello Road. Take the easily imaginable rain which, after a while, will discourage even the keenest market-goer and shopper. Why not let oneself be drawn to the blue sign and elegant, classical-style façade of the Electric? What's more, even the most expert guides and important websites from visitlondon.com to yelp.co.uk, will tell you that this cinema – a single screen, a hundred years old in February 2011, seating for 102 – is an objective of tourists from every continent and one of the British capital's real 'musts'.
Starting from the packaging: a Regency building with sober stuccoes and gilding, built as a cinema – which makes it the oldest surviving "purpose-built" cinema in Great Britain, with the advantage of great olden-day charm (there are even the fire-precaution buckets full of sand hanging on the walls) and with the practical disadvantage of it being impossible to install air-conditioning. But the most interesting feature is the formula chosen by its latest owner to breathe new life into a cinema that had suffered the crisis of the '80s and which is the exact opposite of the multiplex model: an exclusive cinema-going site distinguished by its luxury. Very British luxury, reminiscent of the style and atmosphere of the London clubs: the seats are in burgundy-coloured leather, comfortable but simple, accompanied by a cube-shaped footrest zipped to the carpeting. Taking into account the fact that after sinking into his seat and stretching his feet out on the footrest, the spectator also has room to place his overcoat and shopping before the next row, we have another essential ingredient of this discreet luxury: the space.
Between the seats are little built-in wooden tables, fitted with wine coolers.An indispensable facility is the bar, situated in the theatre itself, which is a distinctive feature of the Electric and not only offers a list of international labels and spirits but also boasts one of the City's best barmen. His version of the Bellini is a bestseller, especially during the summer months.
A bar but also a restaurant: the Electric offers its clients "real" food, cooked in the adjacent restaurant. Half an hour before screening the waiters pass by with the dishes on show at the bar: the choice ranges from sausage rolls or a selection of British cheeses to more exotic tastes, from guacamole to hummus. And if this should not suffice, no problem: by giving your seat number, an efficient and equally discreet waiter will have a piping-hot plate of food brought for you.
Considering that these delicacies are prepared by the same chef who cooks for the happy few at the exclusive Soho House club, of which the Electric is a part – it can be agreed that in the end the five pounds are well spent.
It is true that by adding the cost of the ticket (from 12.50 to 14.50 pounds) and a glass of wine (4 pounds) your visit to the Electric is not exactly cheap but you can always boast of having been in a special place for many reasons. Last but not least the fact that when Notting Hill was being shot, the cinema – which was not then in operation – was rented as a place for the cast to relax in.
After having enjoyed the architectural quality of the building – protected by Her Majesty's Government – and the thought of having trod the same ground trodden by Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, the spectator will be offered one of the most successful films of the moment.
John Nathan, both actor and director of the cinema – clear proof of the fact that at the Electric they like their staff creative and original – tells us: "At present programming at the Electric tends to be mainstream, after a launch devoted more to art-house cinema". Since February a digital projector has not been lacking with the main objective of screening films in 3D. "But here at the Electric, we have more specific offers," continues Nathan. "The early afternoons on Saturdays are devoted to children, whilst on Sunday there are the previews reserved for members of the Soho House."
With a view to the celebrations for the Electric's centenary, the "Vintage Screenings" have begun, with themost significant titles in a century of film, including screenings from the age of silent cinema accompanied by an orchestra.
That the formula, supported by clever marketing strategy – there are 40,000 addresses in the Electric's mailing list - is successful is demonstrated by the "sold-out" screenings.
Given that you have managed to acquire the much sought-after burgundy-coloured armchair seat and escape from the rainy afternoon, prepare for another of the Electric's marvels: thanks to an efficient mechanical device, the cinema screen will appear before you from behind a red velvet curtain. Sit back and relax!

This article was published in Italian in the "Giornale dello Spettacolo" no. 8, 23 April 2010

 

News on the development of digitalisation in the world


News on the development of digitalisation in the world
by Alessia Grandi
  1. USA: Starplex Cinemas to install 99 Barco projectors with GDC servers
  2. Odeon signs a new contract with NEC
  3. Italy: Ligabue Day launches Nexo Live in the alternative content sector
  4. Kieft signs a VPF agreement with XDC

USA: Starplex Cinemas to install 99 Barco projectors with GDC servers
The US chain Starplex Cinemas, based in Dallas, Texas, 21 theatres for a total of 208 screens, has announced a shift to digital in 99 screens to be fitted with Barco Series 2 projectors and GDC servers.
The installation, which comes after an extensive period of technical trials with the equipment, will begin in Q2 of this year and affect 9 venues. Starplex has placed the transition in the hands of Cinedigm, a company operating in collaboration with several Hollywood studios and independent distributors for the supply of services, technology and digital content, with the objective of transforming the cinemas into entertainment centres inter-connected with one another thanks to the new technology.
On announcing the decision, Steve Holmes, CEO of Starplex Cinemas, emphasized the fact that this is part of the company's plan for facing the challenges of the future that also foresees the opening of new complexes.With two venues in Texas, Starplex will in fact increase its screens to 236 by the end of 2010.
Man-Nang Chong, founder and CEO of GDC Technology - the main supplier of servers in Asia's cinemas - stated: "The agreement with Starplex Cinemas represents an extremely important step for boosting GDC's presence on the American market."
 
 
Odeon signs a new contract with NEC
At the end of March, following an initial agreement stipulated in 2009 for the supply of NEC digital projectors in Odeon's cinemas, the partnership between the two companies has been renewed with a view to developing the offer of 3D.The contract provides for the installation of NC2000S and NC3200S projectors.
The need to increase the number of digital screens arises in the wake of the success achieved by Avatar, to satisfy a visibly increasing demand for entertainment in 3D.
Drew Kaza, Vice President for Digital Development at Odeon, states: "We are already obtaining a large return on our initial investments in 3D technology. Our present development plans are based on the expectation of greater benefits in terms both of box-office and audiences, since even more 3D productions are expected in 2010."
The Odeon group is at present the largest cinema chain outside the United States. With its 202 cinemas in Europe, for a total of 1,802 screens, it is the leading operator in the sector in the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain, the second most important in Ireland and the third in Germany, Austria and Portugal.
 
Italy: Ligabue Day launches Nexo Live in the alternative content sector
On 15 April Nexo Digital launched Nexo Live, the first of its new editorial initiatives, with the Ligabue Day: 108 movie theatres connected by satellite for the first-ever viewing ofthe "Live from the Olympic Stadium 2008" concert, the penultimate in the 2008 tour by the rockstar from Emilia-Romagna.
Presented live by Luciano Ligabue himself and preceded by the previously unpublished song "Un colpo all'anima", the evening set up a record in terms of the number of cinemas taking part in a satellite event in a single country within European borders.
Audience response was considerable and tickets were sold out in over 90 cinemas.
With this initiative, Nexo Digital made its appearance on the scenario of suppliers of alternative content with a series of offers:as well as Nexo Live, focusing on great events, a second line, Nexo Legend, offers the greatest films of all times, digitized in 2K with the aim ofallowing the cinema to be experienced in a new key: according to the programme the spectators will enter a movie theatre or a stadium, a sports hall or an opera house. The cinema-going experience can be enjoyed according to the classical rules of the cinema - silence and composure in the theatre - but also according to the language of great live music events in which the audience, too, is a protagonist.
 
 
Kieft signs a VPF agreement with XDC
According to a VPF agreement signed with XDC, 150 digital systems are to be installed in Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic in cinemas belonging to the Kieft & Kieft + Partner circuit.
Installation will be handled by the German company FTT, which has already fitted several digital screens, also equipped with 3D, in various venues belonging to the group from Lubeck. Heiner Kieft, CEO of the Kieft company, declared: "The success obtained in the trial phase and positive cooperation with FTT were decisive for our choice of FTT/XDC."
Installation will begin in the last quarter of 2010 and include Christie projectors from the new Solaria series with XDC Solo G3 servers.

The European cinema experts meet in Barcelona to discuss the challenge of digitalisation

http://www.mediasalles.it/dgt_online/index.htm

The European cinema experts meet in Barcelona to discuss the challenge of digitalisation

At the course organized by MEDIA Salles in Helsinki last February, Michael Karagosian – the expert who assisted the U.S. exhibitors' association (NATO) in their approach to digital – chose the following title for his talk: "Year 11 and Still Talking about the Roll-out." In fact what is considered the first commercial digital screening dates back to 1999: a decade later the screens that have adopted the new technology have grown to around 9,000*. We might ask whether this is a lot or a little but what is quite undeniable is that today the digital transition is the burning issue for the cinema industry. It is the subject of the conference decided by the Spanish Government, at present at its term of office in the EU Presidency.

Spain invites Europe to a reflection on the new technologies and the independence of the cinemas
For two days digitization was discussed in Barcelona, from a specific perspective: the impact that it may have on the sector of independent exhibition. The approximately 200 guests – officials from public organizations responsible for the cinema and experts from the professional sphere – dealt mainly with questions regarding economic models – those that have already been experimented or those that are being studied – which might finance the transition, overcoming the paradox behind this revolution: the promise of savings on the distribution front, the need for investment by the exhibitor.
 
Will VPF be sufficient to finance digitization in Europe's cinemas?
VPF in the limelight then, considered as it is in the preparatory document, drawn up by the "Think Tank on European Film and Film Policy", the only feasible mechanism from a purely commercial point of view for transferring resources from distribution to exhibition, unless the exhibitors opt for converting the equipment at their own cost. What is more, it is a mechanism that is not without "harmful side effects", particularly in a context like Europe, characterized by a multitude of exhibition companies, many of which small or small-medium sized, that are sometimes unwilling to accept a third party in the traditional dynamics between distributor/exhibitor in the form of a financial intermediary who, on the one hand, anticipates the funds for buying the equipment and, on the other, recovers it through VPF, i.e. the contribution of the distributors.
Yet even if objections to the intermediary should be overcome – and this is figure that has become necessary since the studios, whilst ready to co-finance the transition, have laid down the condition that this contribution, for special purposes and for a fixed duration, should not be confused with or superimposed in any way on the rental fee - another crucial issue remains open in Europe: how many screens would be excluded from the "classic" VPF? The Think Tank estimates a fairly large slice of them: from 6,000 to 14,000 screens (out of a total of around 30,000). Calculating, moreover, that the VPF model, the extent of which is reckoned on the basis of the established distribution dynamics of 35mm films, would perpetrate the market logics of film, denying or at least delaying considerably the benefits that digitization promises. On the one hand, the distributors will not see any savings until they have finished paying the VPF, and on the other the exhibitors will not gain the full benefits of programming flexibility until they have become owners of their equipment (which, for the duration of the VPF agreement, belongs to the financing organism).
 
The intermediaries operating in Europe claim they can digitize over 80% of screens
The validity of VPF is – obviously – sustained by the companies that have put themselves forward as intermediaries in Europe: XDC (which has, up to now, signed agreements for the digitization of over 700 screens), AAM (a little over 500), Ymagis (almost 200). Jean Mizrahi, CEO of Ymagis, believes that with VPF 80% or even 90% of the Old Continent's screens can be digitized.
"Consequently," he stated, "there is no need for the State to substitute private players. I hope that the European Union will make this situation clear."
For the intermediaries to play their part, it is, in fact, essential that credit from the banks should be accessible. In the present financial crisis, it seems that the European Investment Bank is willing to lend a hand: "We can assist those who come to us with an economic plan. But it's not our job to identify the models," stated Patrick Vanhoudt.

What are the prospects from the public sector?
That the mere transposition of VPF, particularly if applied "American style", is not a feasible solution – and not even to be hoped for – is an opinion shared by many in Europe. For objective reasons on the one hand: just as exhibition is fragmented, so – perhaps to an even greater extent – is European distribution. And the more screens and content VPF includes, the better it works. It is no coincidence that standard agreements in the USA require that all the screens in a complex be digitized and regard films by the majors, which control over 90% of the market.
What is more, there is widespread concern that the more oriented cinemas are towards Hollywood movies, the more compatible they are with VPF, to the detriment of domestic and European productions.
If we add that in Europe cinemas are considered important not only because of their economic weight but also because of the social and cultural role they play in society and on their territory, it can be seen why there are many institutions that declare that digital projection, instead of being an added opportunity for the world of the cinema, becomes a technological divide that will separate those who can afford the new technology from those who cannot.
 
Coming soon, the first scheme by the MEDIA Programme for the financing of digital equipment
In Barcelona the European Commission, co-promoters of the Conference, confirmed that the MEDIA Programme will be intervening in support of digitization as a means of safeguarding cultural diversity and in defence of theatres that would be "at risk" from a purely commercial perspective. This was announced by Odile Quentin, on behalf of the European Commission's Directorate General for Culture, under whose wing the MEDIA Programme has just returned after a lengthy period with the Information Society. It was confirmed by Aviva Silver, Head of the MEDIA Programme, who illustrated the results of the public consultation launched on 16 October 2009, and explained by Hughes Becquart who outlined the time-frame of community action. A study will shortly be initiated making it possible to establish the lump sums that the theatres will be able to obtain from Brussels if they are selected on the basis of a call for proposals, the launch of which is foreseen for summer 2010. Four million euros are allotted for the first year: some may find this too little if we consider that the cost of digitizing a screen is estimated at around 70,000/100,000 euros, but it should be noted that it should be noted that for the first time the MEDIA Programme's support for the circulation of European films also includes financing for equipment, with the aim of ensuring the presence of films produced by the Old Continent on digital screens, too.

At national level a variety of situations and intervention policies
The Barcelona Conference provided a place for exchanging views on the initiatives adopted in different European countries on the issue of digitizing cinemas.
After the pioneering intervention of the United Kingdom, where the money from the National Lottery and the project by the UK Film Council, aiming at increasing the offer of "non-mainstream" products throughout British territory, led to the digitization of 240 screens – well differentiated in terms of type and position - known as the Digital Screen Network, the Norwegian plan proves to be the most organic, though less apt for transfer to other territories. Norway – where the vast majority of theatres are municipally owned – has chosen a route to digital that includes all of its screens. For this reason an original formula of mixed VPF has been elaborated, which sees participation not only by the distributors (negotiations have been carried out directly with the majors) and exhibitors, but also by a public institution, largely based on the levy applied to the area of the cinema.
"Not one less" was the principle inspiring Finland, too, where the intervention of the Ministry of Culture was directed to digitizing both screens (around fifty, or about 15% of the country's total, in the initial phase already completed) and the whole of the cinema chain. Practically all the country's domestic productions are regularly available in digital format in a country that sees the combination of culture and technology as an engine of economic and social growth.
An overall plan – based on the concept of mutual aid – was conceived by the CNC in France. Turned down by the National Authority on competition, the programme will probably be converted into a selective scheme, targeting the cinemas that would find it more difficult to gain access to purely commercial models. "It is obvious that rapid action must be taken at this point. After sitting on the wall, everyone has been in a rush since the release of Avatar," said Lionel Bertinet of the CNC, "We, too, will try to act quickly in two ways: one with direct aid to the cinemas and also through legislation. The objective is to involve distribution in the financing of digital conversion, as well as to guarantee transparency in the sector and free access to products."
In Barcelona particular interest was aroused by the plan created in Italy – one of the European countries with the largest total of cinemas – in order to facilitate the digitization of screens through tax credit measures.

The dynamism of the regions can take advantage of community aid
A happy example of regional intervention was brought to the Conference by Marta Materska-Samek who presented the network of digital cinemas in Małopolska, the area stretching from Cracovia south towards Slovakia. This project won the support of the European Regional Development Fund, a decidedly rich source of savings, to which an extremely wide variety of projects aspire. As explained by Pierre Godin, on behalf of the European Commission's Directorate General of Regional Policy, the Fund cannot simply finance the purchase of digital projectors.However, it can support projects for area development – for example urban regeneration – which revolve around the cinema.

Information and formation to accompany the digital transition
Faced with the complexity of the challenges posed by digitization – emerging both from the talks given and from the questions and observations that participants made on PCs, thus enabling a "virtual" debate – the need for training initiatives is particularly strongly perceived. In fact, if there is one thing that is clear to everyone, it is that digitization is a far more complex phenomenon than the mere substitution of equipment. Rather than purely technical competences, a new mentality is needed and a new way of making and offering cinema.

Elisabetta Brunella

* MEDIA Salles statistics as at 1.01.2009 report 8,728 screens fitted with DLP Cinema or SXRD technology worldwide.

This article was published in Italian in the "Giornale dello Spettacolo" no. 8, 23 April 2010

(Per leggere il testo in italiano cliccare

 

Apollo Cinemas UK

http://www.mediasalles.it/dgt_online/index.htm

WOMEN IN DIGITAL CINEMA
Cara Jones, Apollo Cinemas Ltd, UK

My name is Cara Jones and I work for Apollo Cinemas Ltd, based in the UK.

It is a very exciting time to be part of the Apollo group as we are in the process of converting the whole of our thirteen existing sites with a total of seventy-seven screens to Sony 4k projectors and Real-D 3D technology.
At the moment we are about midway through the conversion process and for the sites that have already received their projectors the results have been staggering. Admissions to these cinemas have risen substantially, dramatically improving their market share in their specific catchment area, and the market share performance of the company as a whole, across the UK territory.

My role in the Apollo organisation is as an assistant manager at their cinema in Rhyl on the North Wales coast. We are a small site with five screens and a total seating capacity of seven hundred and forty-three. My site is one of those still waiting for its digital make-over.

My main role within the management team (which incidentally is all female) is in the development of marketing strategies which will increase our customer base. With the rise of digital and in particular the increased popularity of 3D films the focus has shifted from increasing the flow of customers to purely trying to maintain current admission levels and persuade the local population that we are still relevant at a time when patrons are becoming more sophisticated and increasingly expect more from their cinema experience.

Rather than paint a gloomy picture of how we are struggling to compete with our competitors whilst waiting for our shiny new Sony 4k and Real-D equipment, I thought it would be more interesting to focus on the plans that we have for development so that when the changeover takes place, we can begin life as a fully digital cinema with a bang, living up to the expectations that have been placed on us by the company and by our local population.

So my current project is to prepare for the installation by developing a programming policy, rather than spending the time twiddling our thumbs, waiting for the digital projectors to be installed. We are therefore taking a pro-active approach to the digital conversion, planning and researching within the local community in order to ensure that, when we are digital, our programming policy will be attractive to the local population.

To do this effectively we have surveyed our current customers and, more importantly, potential customers as to what they would like to see showing at their new and improved local cinema. The results from the surveys were very enlightening, we saw that customers are most anxious for the installation of 3D so that they don't have to travel to see the latest blockbusters that are showing in 3D and can return to using their local cinema again.

There is a great deal of excitement regarding the variety of films that we will be able to show and we have had requests for Bollywood nights as well as independent films and foreign language films.

The ability to show classic movies has also created a stir within some sectors of the local community.

To cope with the variety of local interest we are planning to form film societies where the members can decide the programming by voting for the film selection that they want to see. This will work for us on two levels, by providing art-house films for a currently under-represented group of film fans and by guaranteeing that we have an audience for these movies. If the pilot film society works well then we can form other genre clubs, increasing our admissions and further widening our range of film programming.

Alternative content also seems to have captured the imagination of the local population and the prospect of live opera, theatre and ballet again appeal to customers who currently have to travel out of town to experience these productions on the big screen. For our alternative content customers we are planning to make it a night to remember, as close to the real thing as possible, with an opening reception, wine and canapés. I am currently speaking to local luxury food producers to try to secure their support and sponsorship of these events.

Digital will also enable us to show amateur films and we are lucky enough to have an extremely creative community with local groups who make films that highlight local issues and some that make films purely for enjoyment and to develop creative talent. We are excitedly talking to these groups and when we are fully digital one of the first things we want to do is to host a local film festival where these groups can showcase their talents and we can have our very own awards ceremony. This will then become an annual event and one that we hope will be an important part of the local community calendar.

As a town we are also trying to redefine tourism in the area and one of the ways we are looking to do this is by developing international links and holding cultural exchanges and festivals. Here again we are looking to play our part by hosting film festivals that coincide with these tourism initiatives and also provide our regular cinema-goers with the opportunity to see something a little different. I would like to use this opportunity to make a request both to the new friends that I met while in Helsinki and indeed anyone else reading this column; please can you take some time out to recommend films from your respective countries that could feature in possible film festivals.
I can be contacted by email at the following address:
rhyl@apollocinemas.com Please mark all correspondence for the attention of Cara Jones. May I thank you in advance, for your suggestions.

My belief is that if we strongly involve the local community, they will reward us with their continued patronage and bring friends, because we can employ all the marketing tricks in the book but word of mouth is still perhaps one of the most effective marketing tools there is.

I would like to thank you for taking the time out to read this column and hope to see you next year at DigiTraining Plus to discuss how successful these strategies were for us and how we are coping in the brave new world of digital cinema

 

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Avatar's Cameron calls for 3-D watchdog

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/article/799551--cameron-to-hollywood-we-need-3-d-watchdog

But Avatar creator is fearful of making Hiroshima movie in third dimension

Published On Thu Apr 22 2010

 

By Peter Howell Movies Columnist

 

Avatar creator James Cameron wants to create a voluntary movie industry watchdog group to maintain 3-D movie momentum and to avoid “stupid stuff” like the recent Clash of the Titans makeover.

Having set a new benchmark for 3-D realism with techniques his team developed for Avatar, Cameron told The Star he wants to encourage other filmmakers to make the best possible use of the third dimension. He perceives fears about the current 3-D revival that he’d like to address.

 

“What I’d love to do is put together some kind of a forum with the DGA (Directors Guild of America), let’s say, and maybe the ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) and we’d have to do it in Canada, too,” the Ontario-born Cameron said from Los Angeles.

 

“And let’s just have a dialogue with the creative community. On the one hand, to allay their fears, because a lot of people are stepping back from 3-D and they’re afraid of it. They think it’s complex or they think you have to have a budget like Avatar to be able to do it. That’s not the case.

 

“And on the other hand, I think some quality standards do need to be discussed. I think the studios and big distribution companies need to be included in that dialogue. Let’s not do stupid stuff that’s going to hurt this burgeoning marketplace.”

 

As an example of “stupid stuff,” he pointed to Warner Bros.’ after-the-fact transformation of its current Clash of the Titans remake from a 2-D release to a 3-D one, using a controversial post-production process that took just seven weeks but which failed to impress either critics or moviegoers.

 

“They worked against themselves with that film,” Cameron said.

 

“I’ve heard people say that they couldn’t watch (Clash of the Titans) in 3-D and thought it looked better in 2-D and they enjoyed the film more. I haven’t seen the film, so I don’t want to say too much, but I heard from enough sources that it was borderline unwatchable.

 

“And I have to say, I predicted that. When they said they were going to try to convert it to 3-D in seven weeks, I said it’s not possible. You can’t do it. You can slap a 3-D label on it and call it 3-D, but there’s no possible way that it can be done up to a standard that anybody would consider high enough.”

 

Cameron said he anticipates a day in the not-too-distant future when 3-D films will be “more the rule than the exception.” Ironically, one of the films he’s planning to make in the next few years would probably be in 2-D, but for a very specific reason.

 

He wants to make a movie out of Last Train From Hiroshima, author Charles Pellegrino’s recent best-seller about the U.S. nuclear assault on Japan during World War II. The horrific images of burn victims described in the book may just be too visceral for the public to stand in 3-D, Cameron said.

 

“That’s a big question. I think it’s one of the creative decisions that need to be made.

 

I made a promise to myself that I was going to make all of my future films in 3-D, but that one might want to be an exception simply because the 3-D might make it a little too visceral. It’s such a horrifying event, it might artistically not benefit from 3-D.”

 

Stephen Colbert Grills Katzenberg on 3D, Disses 'Monsters vs. Aliens'?

Filed under: Animation, Exhibition, Dreamworks

"What's better, a great 2D movie, or the worst 3D movie?"

That question was posed by Stephen Colbert to DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg on last night's Colbert Report, and while it is a joke, it is also a very fair thing to ask a Hollywood exec right now. Especially the exec who's been promoting 3D like crazy for many years, before it was even trendy, let alone an industry standard, and who early on ordered all his studio's movies to be made and released in 3D forever. Even in this interview he spouts the usual claim that 3D is "probably the greatest innovation that's happened for the movie theaters and for moviegoers since color" (by the way, color movies have technically existed since the beginning of cinema, but you know what he means).

When Colbert brings up Clash of the Titans ("the lowest end of 3D technology," he notes), Katzenberg acknowledges that it's been very successful in worldwide ticket sales, so even if he wishes to recognize its poor quality he has to first respect its worth in a business sense. Plus, the guy is retro-fitting the first three Shrek movies, so he can't completely dismiss the idea of upgrading for the sake of exploiting the format and the market.

Another jab at the DWA head is aimed at the studio's latest, How to Train Your Dragon (which is only referred to as "Dragons"). Colbert references the somewhat reaching comparisons to Avatar by asking if the movie includes ponytail sex. Far more vital is the next question regarding the minority of moviegoers who can't physically appreciate or enjoy 3D. Unfortunately Katzenberg is cut off before being able to address the common complaint from the visually challenged.

Coming back to the issue of releasing "terrible stuff" that's easily justified by the 3D spectacle, we're having a bit of uncertainty at the Cinematical office over whether or not Colbert is dissing DWA's Monsters vs. Aliens -- for which Colbert voiced a character -- in the statement "you would never do that, 'cause you're the maker of Monsters vs. Aliens." Is he genuinely tipping his hat in order to celebrate his personal involvement or is he playfully biting the hand that fed?


 

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Amazon.com Unveils "3D 101" Customer Education Center

http://today3d.blogspot.com/2010/04/amazoncom-unveils-3d-101-customer.html

 

today unveiled a new customer education center, Amazon 3D 101 (www.amazon.com/3d), a one-stop information and shopping destination for all things 3D. Amazon 3D 101 provides customers with centralized, easy-to-understand information and offers a lineup of 3D-related products, including 3D capable HDTVs, projectors, monitors, Blu-ray players and movies, gaming consoles and games, laptops and accessories.

 

"While 3D is on the minds of a lot of customers, many are confused about this new technology and what they need to do in order to watch full HD 3D TV or movies, play 3D video games or use 3D on their computers," said Ben Hartman, director of Home Electronics at Amazon.com. "Our goal with the Amazon 3D 101 customer education center is to provide our customers with easy-to-understand information that will help demystify this new technology. We also provide product details to help customers figure out which 3D products best fit their individual needs. We will continue to expand and evolve this customer education center as new 3D products and content are released."

 

Amazon 3D 101 provides a comprehensive destination where anyone can get the information they need about 3D. Key features of the Amazon 3D 101 customer education center include:

-- Educational videos that help customers easily understand what 3D is and how it works

-- Buying guides aimed at helping customers find everything they need to create the best 3D experience at home

-- Interactions with the Amazon 3D team and other customers through Amazon discussions boards

-- Frequently asked questions updated on a regular basis

-- An interactive, intuitive layout that allows customers to easily access and find information

 

The Amazon 3D 101 education center currently features a free 3D Starter Kit from Samsung, when customers purchase a qualifying Samsung 3D HDTV and a Samsung 3D Blu-ray disc player. The starter kit includes the Blu-ray 3D movie "Monsters vs. Aliens" and two pairs of Samsung 3D active shutter glasses that, combined with the Samsung 3D HDTV and 3D Blu-ray disc player, will enable customers to experience full HD 3D from the comfort of their own living rooms.

Customers can find the Amazon 3D 101 education center at www.amazon.com/3d.

 

 

3-D: Hollywood's latest hot trend

http://today3d.blogspot.com/2010/04/3-d-hollywoods-latest-hot-trend.html

On a recent afternoon, a dozen cinematographers, directors and camera assistants huddled inside a sound stage on the Sony Pictures lot in Culver City, wearing black plastic glasses as they watched a monitor.

 

The object of their gaze: the body movements of a USC acting student sitting at a kitchen table on a set a few yards away.

 

"Hold up one finger,'' bellowed the instructor, cinematographer David Drzewiecki.

 

The student obliged as a technician several yards away used a remote-control device to adjust the position and angle of the left and right lenses (one for each eye) of a 3-D camera rig on rollers. The finger gradually protruded from the monitor screen while the kitchen background faded into a blur.

 

This is Hollywood's 3-D frenzy, from ground level.

 

Directors and cinematographers are mastering new skills and equipment. Studio executives are scouring their movie slates and their libraries for films with the potential to be released in 3-D. Technology companies that provide 3-D equipment and services are hiring new workers. Theater operators are taking out loans to convert projection rooms to the digital technology.

 

All this to give filmgoers a "new" experience — and collect an extra $3 to $5 per ticket.

 

As with every hot trend in Hollywood, it's uncertain whether the 3-D onslaught is simply a flash, like the push in the 1980s to colorize black-and-white films, or a fundamental transformation akin to the advent of sound in the 1920s.

 

"The real question now is: ‘How many movies per year does the audience want to put on glasses and pay a premium for?' " said Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount Pictures.

 

Hollywood rarely does anything unless it overdoes it. Warner Bros. President Alan Horn recently said that 3-D will be standard for its big-event movies. In all, 19 films will be released in 3-D this year, up from five in 2008.

 

"If you're pitching event movies to a studio and you're not at least prepared to discuss the possibility of shooting in 3-D, you're going to be severely handicapped," said Marty Bowen, producer of the "Twilight" films.

 

Cinematographer Irek Hartowicz had no intention of taking a class on how to shoot in 3-D until producers of his next project, a "comedy" set against the French invasion of Russia in 1812, changed plans. "Our production was in 2-D and suddenly, after the whole boom of ‘Avatar,' producers strongly began to think about shooting in 3-D because the market is so huge,'' said Hartowicz, who attended the three-day Sony class.

 

"We're not allowed to train on the job, so we have to get it right the first time," said Mark Weingartner, chair of the national training committee for the International Cinematographers Guild, which helped Sony develop the class at the studio's new 3-D training center. "We're trying to prepare our members for this 3-D tsunami."

 

The goal is to train a "community of experts" and build a better understanding of the new technology. "We're trying to cure the fear of the unknown,'' said the center's senior vice president, Buzz Hays.

 

For directors, the new medium can be a challenge. They need to imagine scenes in three dimensions and create longer, slower shots, because the technology isn't suited to rapid cutting. "I felt like I was making my first movie again,'' said Paul W.S. Anderson, a veteran horror film director and producer who recently shot "Resident Evil: Afterlife" in 3-D. "Suddenly, you have this whole new palette."

 

This isn't the first time Hollywood has tried to persuade moviegoers to don glasses, of course. Stereoscopic cinema first became popular in the 1950s with such horror flicks as "Creature From the Black Lagoon." High costs and technology problems — or perhaps just campy filmmaking — curbed its appeal, until a brief resurgence in the 1980s.

 

Then "Avatar" took the nation by storm, running up grosses of $2.7 billion worldwide, so far. A staggering 83% of "Avatar's" domestic ticket sales revenue came from theaters where moviegoers paid extra to put on 3-D glasses.

 

"I don't think that the mainstream adult audience was buying into live-action 3-D before ‘Avatar,' " said Donna Langley, co-chair of Universal Pictures.

 

Avatar opened Dec. 18, a Friday, and by the following Monday, Bobby Jaffe's phone was ringing off the hook.

 

Jaffe is a senior executive of Legend 3D, a San Diego company that specializes in converting conventional movies to digital 3-D. The process takes eight to 16 weeks and costs between $3 million and $20 million, depending on the timetable, type of film and number of scenes involved.

 

" ‘Avatar' came out and all of a sudden people saw a $1-billion business in 17 days,'' Jaffe said. "We went from a lot of people kicking our tires to a lot of people kicking down our door."

 

Two hours north, in the heart of Hollywood, the visual effects house Prime Focus recently hired 80 additional people to work on 3-D conversions, including the recent "Clash of the Titans." "We're trying to build a pipeline that can handle 20 to 30 projects a year,'' said the company's North American visual effects president, Chris Bond, anticipating a rush of converting both old and new 2-D films.

 

A mile to the west on Hollywood Boulevard, workers were recently testing a new $75,000 digital projector and 3-D adapter that was being installed at the historic Grauman's Chinese Theatre. "Over the next 12 months, we'll ship more than 6,000 projectors," said Jack Kline, president of Christie Digital Systems USA Inc., the Cypress-based firm that supplied the digital projector to Grauman's. "We can't meet the demand."

 

While the film industry scrambles, however, the future of 3-D lies in the hands of moviegoers who have embraced spectacles such as "Avatar" and "Alice in Wonderland," but may be less enthusiastic once the novelty wears off.

 

While walking out of a recent screening of "Avatar" at the ArcLight Hollywood, San Diego resident Shelley Streeby called the movie's 3-D effects "amazing" but questioned the need for its widespread adoption. "I don't think most new movies need to be in 3-D," she said. "Only if it's something amazing, like one out of a 100."

 

Monday, April 26, 2010

3-D movies: Are they worth the extra price?

http://today3d.blogspot.com/2010/04/3-d-movies-are-they-worth-extra-price.html

Did Mount Olympus forget to pay the power bill?

That was the question rippling through a recent screening of "Clash of the Titans" at Hollywood's Arclight Theater. Many in the audience periodically removed their 3-D glasses, some ditching them altogether, because the movie's picture quality was so dark and murky.

"Clash of the Titans" has performed well enough at the box office, earning more than $130 million domestically. But the movie, hastily converted to 3-D in postproduction to take advantage of the format's new-found popularity (and higher ticket prices), has been a public relations disaster for Warner Bros., prompting a level of torch-and-pitchfork outrage and candor rarely seen in Hollywood.

"You cannot do anything that is of a lower grade and a lower quality than what has just been done on ‘Clash of the Titans,'" Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, fumed to Variety. "It literally is ‘OK, congratulations! You just snookered the movie audience.'"

Business has been brisk for this year's 3-D movies in the wake of "Avatar's" record-breaking box-office success. And yet, there is already a slight sense of 3-D fatigue in the air, as well as a debate about the quality of movies converted to 3-D compared to those that were initially created and shot for the format. Katzenberg clearly senses it, which is why he has gone public with his contention that 3-D conversions like "Clash" will kill the format with the moviegoing public.

Nobody's suggesting that 3-D moviegoing has jumped the Kraken. But for a general audience, one question seems especially salient: Have this year's 3-D movies been worth a premium price? We decided to look at "Alice," "Clash" and "Dragon," both in 3-D and 2-D formats, to see what moviegoers are actually getting for the extra few dollars they're paying per ticket. According to interviews with randomly selected audience members, the films played just as well, if not better, without donning the glasses.

‘Clash of the Titans'
3-D pedigree:
Shot in 2-D, converted to 3-D in post production.
Added value:
Only to the bank accounts of Warner Bros. and movie exhibitors.
In the debit column:
It had been suggested that the Arclight's "Clash" screening was marred by a problem with the battery-powered 3-D glasses, so we decided to give the movie a second chance at the Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26. It was 90 minutes wasted. The film's color palette displayed six shades of gray, neutralizing the fiery oranges of the cosmos in a way that would make the gods weep. In 3-D, actor Sam Worthington's sunburned skin looks like ground beef left out all day on the kitchen counter. And good luck guessing what happens whenever the sun goes down.
Comments from customers:
Three teenagers at an opening-day screening of "Clash" in Long Beach couldn't have been more primed for a trip into the third dimension. After the film, their enthusiasm extinguished, the three offered some choice comments about the value of their $14 matinee experience, including Nicolas Grayson's opinion that "even the Kraken (stunk)."
‘Alice in Wonderland'
3-D pedigree:
Shot in 2-D, converted to 3-D in post-production. "I didn't see the benefit of shooting in 3-D," director Tim Burton says. "We were trying to do it faster, and at the end of the day I didn't see any difference in quality."
Added value:
Burton's disinterest in the 3-D format is evident in the unimaginative layering of the technology into Lewis Carroll's crazy-quilt world. Two exceptions: The moment after Alice finds her size fluctuating after taking a swig from the "Drink Me" bottle and munching on the "Eat Me" cake; and the grinning Cheshire Cat, whose floating presence and slow fades seem tailor-made for the 3-D format.

 

In the debit column:
The added screen depth doesn't do much to make the imagery any more interesting. If anything, it's a distraction.
Comments from customers:
Chris and Leslie Heuer took their daughter, Emily, her three siblings and five of Emily's friends to see "Alice" in 3-D for Emily's 10th birthday. The thinking: It'd be a less expensive alternative to a more elaborate party at home. "So we go to the matinee and for 10 people, it's $145," Chris says. "Seeing it in 2-D would have been just fine."
‘How to Train Your Dragon'
3-D pedigree:
Created in 3-D. DreamWorks also brought in celebrated cinematographer Roger Deakins as a consultant to pick his brain about camera work and lighting.
Added value:
Young protagonist Hiccup's vertigo-inducing first flight on Toothless, the black dragon, rivals the banshee aerial sequences in "Avatar."
In the debit column:
The Deakins-influenced naturalistic lighting works better in the 2-D version, particularly scenes featuring interiors warmly lit by torch or glowing candlelight. This is also true of the sections that take place in the canyon where Hiccup bonds with Toothless.
While not flat-out conceding this point, Katzenberg does say that the darkened imagery produced by wearing 3-D glasses is something DreamWorks continues to fine-tune with its films.
Comments from customers:
"It's perfectly fine in 2-D," says Nicole Jones, following a screening with her two kids at the Arclight in Sherman Oaks. Pointing at her 7-year-daughter and 5-year-old son, she adds: "They don't care. They're just happy to go to the movie theater."

 

3-D summer releases: What will pop out and what will fall flat

http://today3d.blogspot.com/2010/04/3-d-summer-releases-what-will-pop-out.html

The summer's most prominent names include Robert Downey Jr. (" Iron Man 2"), Russell Crowe ( " Robin Hood"), Angelina Jolie ("Salt"), Tom Cruise ("Knight and Day") and Julia Roberts ("Eat, Pray, Love"). But the season's biggest star might not be an actor, but a technique: 3-D.

The stereoscopic filmmaking process has been driving any number of box-office hits. Some 80% of "Avatar's" grosses came from multiplexes with 3-D screens, and those theaters accounted for about 70% of the "Alice in Wonderland" haul. The immersive technology has boosted the bottom lines of "How to Train Your Dragon" and "Clash of the Titans," which competed head-to-head for 3-D screens this spring.

Summer's 3-D titles will be more evenly spaced and their makers should continue to benefit from higher 3-D ticket prices (about 8% higher in some cities, compared to 2-D admissions) , particularly in giant Imax locations (where the 3-D surcharge can exceed 10%). Here's a look at the summer's 3-D releases, with a handicap of their prospects:

May 21: "Shrek Forever After" ( DreamWorks Animation). The fourth — and promised last — installment in the mammoth ogre franchise could well be one of summer's most popular releases. The first movie in 2001 grossed more than $267 million domestically, 2004's "Shrek 2" took in $441.2 million and 2007's "Shrek the Third" grossed $322.7 million. The series seems to have peaked, but is still in the stratosphere. The "Shrek" sequel pretty much has the weekend to itself; Universal's action movie spoof"MacGruber" is the only other movie premiering in wide release.

June 18: "Toy Story 3" (Pixar/Disney). Tom Hanks and Tim Allen's first talking plaything movie launched the computer animation revolution in 1995, and the third film in the series is the first in the franchise to be designed, made and exhibited with 3-D in mind (the previous two films were re-released in new 3-D versions in October). Pixar has an unparalleled critical and commercial track record (each of its 10 movies has grossed more than $350 million worldwide) and "Toy Story 3" should continue the streak. Only Fox's bounty hunter comic book adaptation "Jonah Hex" opens opposite the sequel, but it's the second weekend of Sony's strong-looking"The Karate Kid" remake.

July 9: "Despicable Me" (Universal). The first animated movie from the new alliance between Chris Meledandri's Illumination Entertainment and Universal Studios, it's among the very few original 3-D movies this summer. Steve Carell plays Gru, an accomplished thief whose plans to steal the moon are altered after he meets three orphan girls. At Fox, Meledandri worked on the "Ice Age" movies and "Alvin and the Chipmunks," and unlike the DreamWorks and Pixar films, Illumination's movies don't break the bank, costing about $100 million less than the competition — about $75 million. Fox's "Predators" revival comes out the same weekend, but will play much older.

July 30: "Cats & Dogs 3: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" (Warner Bros.). No studio has been more aggressive about 3-D than Warners, which is making an array of its live-action movies (" Harry Potter," "Green Lantern") in the format. A sequel to a 2001 movie about talking animals, the new "Cats & Dogs" combines the spy antics of "G-Force" with the preternaturally loquacious creatures of "Babe." But don't expect Pixar-level reviews. The CBS Films teen-girl romance "Beastly" is set for that same weekend, as is Universal's sci-fi thriller "The Adjustment Bureau."

Aug. 6: "Step-Up 3-D" (Disney). Although Disney's dance movie series (this is the third film in the franchise) doesn't deliver the returns of 3-D animated movies, the live-action films have been successful, with the last film grossing more than $58 million domestically. Disney has dabbled in 3-D live action, hitting a homer with "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" but whiffing with " Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience." If "Cats & Dogs" is a hit, Disney may scramble to find 3-D screens. Also opening that weekend: Sony's police comedy "The Other Guys,""Anchorman," "Talladega Nights") with Will Ferrell.

 

Friday, April 23, 2010

Lies, Errors and Myths About 3D .

 

The mainstream media reports an amazing amount of incorrect, misleading and false 3D information, almost every day, or so it seems. Here, in no particularly order, is our list of the most common reporting errors.

Note: Part 2 appears on our HDGURU.com website, to be followed by Part 3 later this week.

1-Samsung warns US Model 3D TVs may be hazardous to your health.

Explanation - This week hundreds of US websites and newspapers reported a disclaimer from a Samsung website regarding potential health risks of its 3D TVs (click here for the health warning).

No website disclosed that in reality, the disclaimer is just an almost verbatim copy of a 2006 Icuiti (pictured above) owner's manual for a totally different product: a stereo microdisplay (glasses with built tiny LCD screen for each eye).  Here's the link.

This is hardly a new warning or new information. A few of the many similarities between the two issued guidelines can be seen below.

Many reporters also failed to disclose the Samsung disclaimer appears on its Australian 3D TV website. Australian 3D TVs operate on a different TV system and frequency than US 3D models!

While for some individuals, 3D can cause eyestrain for a number of reasons including uncorrected vision problems, little research has been done to determine the physiological effects of 3D viewing. Thus at NAB Panasonic announced the funding of 3D research by the University of Southern California's Entertainment Technology Center.

According to its NAB press release "Panasonic's sponsorship will contribute significantly to the Center's 3D initiatives, including its Consumer 3D Experience Lab and a number of research and industry education efforts. Among these, Panasonic's participation will help ETC undertake research studies that further explore human factors issues related to viewing 3DTV and the impact of stereoscopic technologies as they relate to the human visual system. The results of this work will be shared with the content creation community to provide insights and guidelines as it continues to produce immersive and visually comfortable 3D content."

2- All 3D HDTVs work properly out of the box

Every model 2010 3D TV examined to date requires a firmware update. The Samsungs 3D HDTVs in particular are multiple updates behind when unpacked. We observed display models at two regional chains and at a Best Buy demo using the earliest firmware version. Updating the Samsungs frees up a number of user controls including contrast and gamma, which, when adjusted, can provide a brighter picture for higher ambient room lighting in stores or homes. You can update by Ethernet (internet connected) cable directly to the TV, by downloading the latest Samsung firmware to a USB drive or do it wirelessly from your home router by purchasing the Samsung wireless USB dongle. All Samsung 3D TV owners and retailers should immediately install the latest firmware to optimize the 3D picture to your viewing environment.

3- 3D Capable Blu-ray players work properly out of the box.

The two 3D Blu-ray players currently on the market need firmware updates to maximize performance. All "out of the box" Samsung BD-C6900s will not provide the 3D effect that one sees after an update. We performed viewing comparisons pre and post update and the results were quite dramatic, with in-front of the screen (called negative Z axis) content only present after the revisions. All BD-C6900 and/or Blu-ray theater HT-C6930 purchasers and demonstrating retailers should immediately install the latest firmware update to maximize the 3D image quality.

4-3D User Controls Are Set Automatically

Except for 3D Blu-ray content, you must tell the TV that you want to view in 3D and format the TV for Side-By-Side or Top-Bottom configuration. 3D cablecasts began this month and ESPN and other 3D channels launch this June. Currently all require manual 3D settings for viewing.

At the NAB convention this week Motorola announced a firmware download to its legacy HD set top boxes to automate 3D set up. Motorola would not provide a firmware download delivery date. A Cisco (Scientific Atlanta) booth representative at NAB gave HD Guru a similar HD cable set top box update assurance.

Edited by Michael Fremer

Have a question for the HD Guru3D?

Digital Technology in the Filmpodium Zurich

http://www.digitalcinemainfo.com/europes-finest-reelport_04_21_10.php

April 21, 2010

Source: Europe's Finest Reelport

With CINEMA OF THE MONTH, Europe's Finest will present one European cinema every month which makes a particular contribution to the world of digital films.

Filmpodium Zurich is the first cinema to show film classics in digital quality. In 2009 it initiated its first Digital Cinema Festival.

Comparing performances of digital and analogue copies – among them films by Europe's Finest – sparked discussions about differences in quality and technical advancements.

Andreas Furler, one of the directors of Filmpodium, explains his cinema's thorough examination of digitalisation: "We had – and still have – our back to the wall: many films are available only as inferior copies or not at all; the effort of securing them has grown exponentially. In comparison to home cinemas, the cinemas have temporarily fallen behind due to digitisation, so we are forced to act. Audiences cannot understand why they can watch films in cinema-like quality on DVDs or on Blu-ray at home, and why, at the cinema, they have to settle for a worn-out copy, often without subtitles."

Filmpodium Zurich is a cultural initiative of the Zurich Presidential Department in collaboration with Cinémathèque suisse, Lausanne. Since 1983 it has been housed in the former cinema "Studio 4". The building,
designed by Roman Clemens in 1948/9, is one of Switzerland's most important historic buildings of classical post-war modernity. Its programme focuses on cycles and retrospectives of selected directors, actors, countries, topics and genres.

Homepage Filmpodium: www.filmpodium.ch

The full interview with Andreas Furler on the advantages and disadvantages of digital cinema can be found on the homepage of Europe's Finest:

http://www.finest-film.com/press

 

SENSIO Selected by Aruna Media AG as Technology Partner for Live 3D Delivery of 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa to Cinemas and Stadiums Worldwide

http://www.digitalcinemainfo.com/sensiotechnologies_04_21_10.php

April 21, 2010

Source: Sensio Technologies

SENSIO Technologies Inc. announced that Aruna Media AG has selected SENSIO as its main live 3D events technology partner.

The two companies have teamed up for Aruna's exclusive, live 3D distribution of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ games to cinemas and stadiums worldwide. Aruna, which owns the FIFA World Cup live broadcast rights for out-of-home 3D HD, will distribute 3D content in the high-quality SENSIO® 3D format worldwide.

Compatible with all 3D Cinema technologies


"The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the first-ever global live 3D event, and with its unique expertise and worldwide network, SENSIO is the ideal partner to help us deliver this historical and groundbreaking live 3D event to large venues," said Justin Ackerman, managing director and co-founder of Aruna Media AG. "The SENSIO 3D technology, with its stunning image quality and proven track record, is also unique in that it is agnostic with respect to 3D display systems."

"Being compatible across 3D cinema technologies and providing superior image quality is vital to Aruna's groundbreaking event in reaching viewers on all continents. We are pleased to be partnering with SENSIO to bring this historic sports event to fans worldwide through a remarkably rich and dynamic live 3D viewing experience," adds Markus Barmettler, managing director and co-founder of Aruna Media AG."

SENSIO 3D is a proprietary, frame-compatible format for high-quality professional stereoscopic signal processing. Developed and perfected by SENSIO over the last 10 years, this mature technology has been used in the vast majority of commercial and non-commercial live 3D events produced around the world.

For the 2010 World Cup, SENSIO will work with Aruna's technical staff to support local digital cinema integrators for the system design, testing, and implementation of the live 3D broadcast network.

"SENSIO has participated in many historical 3D firsts in our ten years of business, but the global delivery aspect of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is incredibly exciting," said SENSIO president and CEO Nicholas Routhier. "The worldwide broadcast of a live 3D event represents a unique technical and commercial opportunity, and we're thrilled to be working with Aruna to tackle this challenge and mark yet another important milestone in the evolution of 3D broadcasting."

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is expected to exceed the tournament's 2006 cumulative audience total, in-home and out-of-home, of 26.29 billion viewers.

Following the successful conclusion of this summer's matches, Aruna and SENSIO will continue their partnership, bringing other high-profile live sports events to cinemas worldwide in 3D.

 

Sonic Equipment Company signs Agreement with Christie Managed Services

http://www.digitalcinemainfo.com/christiedigitalcinema_04_21_10.php

April 21, 2010

Source: Christie Digital

Christie announced that the Sonic Equipment Company has signed a major agreement with Christie Managed Services that will provide Sonic s customers with a wide-ranging new tier of technical support and maintenance that includes end-to-end turnkey solutions and a la carte service.

Sonic s expanded technical resources will be available to current customers already at more than 400 screens as well as all future customers across the Midwest and beyond.

"Sonic is coming off one of its best years ever and, with hundreds of additional deals in the pipeline, we are already on pace to break our installation record again in 2010" remarked Eric L. Olson, Director of Operations for Sonic. "Our partnership with Christie Managed Services will assure our customers, not just the best choice of technology, but the best choice of service to meet their specific needs for every single system we install."

Christie Managed Services expertise is drawn from more than 80 years of experience working with the exhibition community. It runs the gamut from planning, procurement, logistics, and pre-staging, to integration and implementation of system rollouts.

It also offers a diverse menu of customizable predictive and preventative technical support and ongoing maintenance. At the heart of the service is a new, state-of-the art Network Operations Center (NOC) running 24/7. The NOC monitors, maintains, and services tens of thousands of digital devices across North America and is easily scalable to support tens of thousands more.

Our customers want to work with companies that will support them for the long-term, observed Olson. Our partnership with Christie Managed Services will further strengthen the level of trust that our customers have in the products and services we provide them.

Mike Covey, Digital Cinema Manager at Sonic, added, "Sonic's success is also a direct result of providing our customers with the latest technology, and that includes the new 4K-upgradable Christie Solaria Series DLP Cinema® projectors, which are ideal for showing 3D movies. Christie Managed Services will play an important role as Sonic launches new implementation programs as part of Cinedigm s Phase 2 digital cinema deployment plan."

"The ability to service and maintain their new, high tech digital cinema systems is an important factor for independent theaters seeking to go digital and reap the full benefit of 3D cinema," said Sean James, Vice President, Managed Services at Christie.

James added: "Sonic s remarkable industry success is a testament to the confidence their customers have in their digital cinema solutions. Now, their customers will have even greater reliability, greater performance and greater security for all digital devices a distinct competitive advantage."