IMAX Signs Theatre Deal With Cinema City International

http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=200387&topic=8

 

Largest IMAX Operator in Central and Eastern Europe Adds Locations in Israel

 

Exhibitor Also Upgrades Its Existing IMAX Locations With IMAX's Digital Projection Technology

 

NEW YORK, Aug. 31, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IMAX Corporation (Nasdaq:IMAX) (TSX:IMX) today announced an agreement with Cinema City International, the largest exhibitor in Eastern Europe and long-standing operator of IMAX® theatres in the region, to install two new digital IMAX theatre systems in Israel, which are currently anticipated to open in 2011. As part of the deal, Cinema City also committed to upgrading all eight of its existing film-based IMAX locations with IMAX's digital projection technology, following the success of its first IMAX digital upgrade in Lodz, Poland earlier this year. Five of these locations are scheduled to be upgraded this year, and the remaining three upgrades are to be completed in 2011. The deal brings the total number of digital IMAX theatre systems operated by Cinema City to 11 and the total number of IMAX theatres expected to be in operation in Europe and Israel by 2012 to more than 80. The Company's announced number of theatre systems signings year-to-date has increased to 128 worldwide, which compares to 35 system signings in all of 2009.

 

"We have been operating IMAX theatres for many years and have seen first-hand how the IMAX business drives incremental revenue for an entire theatre complex and improves the overall perception of going to the movies for consumers," said Moshe (Mooky) Greidinger, Chief Executive Officer of Cinema City International. "Earlier this year we upgraded our film-based IMAX system in Lodz with IMAX's digital system and have already recorded significantly improved operating results. The elimination of high film print costs and added program flexibility has made our decision to add new locations and upgrade all of our existing IMAX locations an easy one to make. We're very excited about our future with IMAX and look forward to offering more consumers in Eastern Europe and Israel awe-inspiring entertainment experiences."

 

"Cinema City's significant endorsement of our digital projection system and extensive experience with marketing the IMAX brand in the region makes them an ideal partner to have as we continue to focus on growth in Europe and surrounding markets," said IMAX Chief Executive Officer Richard L. Gelfond. "Theatre system signings are continuing to build momentum this year in the wake of several recent strong box office performances and in anticipation of our continuously growing slate of event Hollywood films."

 

"Cinema City has done a fantastic job of introducing millions of consumers in Central and Eastern Europe to The IMAX Experience® and we look forward to working with them now in Israel to expand the IMAX audience base even further," added Larry T. O'Reilly, IMAX's Executive Vice President, Theatre Development.

 

IMAX's digital projection system delivers The IMAX Experience and helps drive profitability for studios, exhibitors and IMAX theatres by eliminating the need for film prints, increasing program flexibility and ultimately increasing the number of movies shown on IMAX screens. The system can run both IMAX and IMAX® 3D presentations.

 

About Cinema City

Cinema City International is the largest multiplex cinema operator in Central & Eastern Europe and in Israel. The Company operates 69 multiplexes with 677 screens, in 6 countries (Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Israel). There are 41 more multiplexes under development, which will offer 411 new screens, out of which 6 will be opened already this year. In addition, Cinema City is actively involved in cinema related advertising and film distribution. In 2009, Cinema City sold 27.5 million tickets in six countries, 23.8% more compared to 2008. The Cinema City group employs over 3,000 people in 6 countries.         

James Cameron 3D Backlash

http://www.today3d.com/2010/08/james-cameron-3d-backlash-avatar.html

 

There's been a bit of a backlash against 3D. I'm curious what you make of it.

 

There are two aspects of this. One is they're ignoring the fact that all the 3D movies are still making a lot of money. It's sort of leveling off‚ instead of making three times multiple, they're now making a two times multiple of 2D. But I do agree that there's a consumer backlash and I actually think it's a good thing, because what they're lashing back against is some pretty crappy stuff. The consumer position is that if I'm going to pay premium for this ticket, you better show me the money, you know? You better show me the goods. I think that's completely valid. I want the studios to get spanked for making bad decisions because I actually think they're compromising the overall 3D market if they continue this way. I don't think any long term damage has been done‚ as long as they take heed of these lessons, and don't do slap dash six week conversions that look like crappy pop-up cards.

But the thing that everybody has got to remember here is that all of the films that have come out after Avatar were made before Avatar came out. Or at least were mostly through their production cycle before Avatar came out. So any lessons learned about how to do it, in terms of how to use thecameras, how to use the stereo spaces and so on, that might be learned by other live action film makers from Avatar‚ we haven't seen those films yet. It takes a year to make a decent film.

 

That's an interesting point.

 

Well, I haven't seen that one in print yet. Nobody has really thought it through. They think that these movies just get whistled up out of nowhere. Avatar took four and half years to make and they're been working on Tron: Legacy for a couple of years. They used our cameras for that so I'm hopeful. It looks great so far from what I've seen.

The other thing that people need to keep in mind is that 3D doesn't make a good movie. Good movies are made by good scripts, great acting and a lot of other things besides just being in 3D. 3D can only make a great movie a little bit better. The funny thing about Avatar is that [people were saying] you had to see it in 3D, that you had to see it on the big screen and people were booking their IMAX tickets weeks in advance and all that. That was great and so everybody kind of concluded from that that the movie was going to be a complete bust in the home video market, and it wasn't. It was one of the highest home video sellers of all time because, frankly, the story, the characters, and the emotions all worked even on the small screen. You know what I mean? The 3D wasn't a requirement. It was only additive. That's the way 3D should be thought of.

It's just all a learning curve for the consumer and I think the media and the critics can help with this as well and just warn people, "This is a crap movie. The 3D's good, but it's a crap movie," or "It's a good movie, but the 3D's crap." I think that distinction needs to be made too and I think a good example of that is Clash of the Titans. Pretty good movie. I actually really enjoyed it, and, of course, I was there to root for it because of Sam, but the 3D sucked.

 

In some scenes it didn't even look like it was 3D.

 

Well, it was sort of like 2.5 D and sometimes it was like, you know, 1.8 D. It was actually going backwards! (Laughs) Well, you know, sometimes these conversions if they're not done right, they just look like pop-up cards. You know those Valentine's Day cards that you get, where you kind of stand them up and they've got all these different depth planes, but they're all cutouts? That's what it looks like. [You have to consider] every single depth plane and object within every single frame. It's a hideously complicated process. It's much simpler to just shoot it in 3D and hopefully that's the thing that Hollywood is going to wake up to, I'm praying.

You know, having said all that, we're doing Titanic as a 3D conversion, but instead of spending six weeks on it, we're spending a year on it and the right amount of money and the right amount of creative input to make sure that it's done properly.

 

Do you think you'll have a hand in tweaking the conversion technology?

 

I don't know about changing the technology so much as I'll be monitoring the shots as they're converted and making sure that the interocular‚ because, you know, you have control of the convergence and the interocular in conversion. And just making sure that the characters look rounded and the stereo space is managed properly and it all cuts beautifully. And the first thing we're doing is a complete upres remastering from the original negative. We're taking it up to a 4K master, so we're taking out all the grain and sharpening the whole thing up, so it should look quite spectacular. And then we're going to the stereo conversion. So it should look gorgeous

 

Arts Alliance Media Continues to Expand Worldwide Footprint of Digital Cinema Services, Partnering with Hoyts Cinemas

http://dcinematoday.com/dc/pr.aspx?newsID=2007

 

London—Aug 23, 2010

Arts Alliance Media (AAM), Europe’s leading digital cinema company, has announced that it has partnered with Hoyts Cinemas, Australia’s leading cinema chain, to rollout AAM’s Theatre Management System (TMS) across the entire Hoyts circuit in both Australia and New Zealand.
 
Hoyts Cinemas, which has over 400 screens across the two countries, will equip all digital screens with AAM’s proprietary software, custom designed to manage digital cinema operations. Hoyts is rolling out digital cinema across its entire circuit as part of the Digital Cinema Implementation Partners Australia (DCIPA) group.
 
AAM will be working closely in partnership with Hoyts to further develop its software, calling on Hoyts’ experience in cinema advertising services (via its sister company Val Morgan) and its skills and knowledge in cinema operations. In true partnership form, Hoyts will provide ongoing input and feedback to ensure that AAM’s TMS continues to best meet the needs of all exhibitors.
 
The partnership follows AAM’s announcement in March this year of a deal with Broadmedia to licence its TMS in Japan, and further demonstrates AAM’s multi-tiered approach to the digital cinema business. The agreement is the first that Arts Alliance Media has completed for a cinema outside those it has equipped as part of its own digital cinema rollout.  Furthermore, this is the first deal of its kind where a major exhibitor has committed to a TMS solution that is independent from the equipment selection and the integration company involved.
 
Adam Wrightson, Group Technology Director, Hoyts, said “For an exhibitor, choosing the right TMS is an important decision. It will become the foundation for workflow and management of our entire digital cinema network. An effective TMS will enable us to achieve the operational efficiencies and real revenue opportunities that digital conversion promises. After reviewing all the products in the marketplace we found the AAM TMS to be the most flexible and the most suited to our needs. As we continue to expand our digital cinema platform, we see AAM as a strategic partner to achieving our goals moving forward.”
 
Fiona Deans, Chief Operating Officer of AAM, added “Although our rollout business is focused in Europe, our content and software businesses are worldwide. We see Hoyts Cinemas as a key customer adding to our worldwide portfolio. Their operational and technical expertise is second to none around the globe making Hoyts a very welcomed client.”
 
AAM’s Vice-President, Technical Development, Matt Sullivan, said “We have been working with Adam and his team for over six months gathering their input on our TMS, which has been invaluable in improving our product. Our relationship is a true partnership and we look forward to continuing to work with them.”
 
Arts Alliance Media’s TMS is part of a software suite designed to manage all aspects of digital cinema content and playback in a cinema from a single location. The entire digital cinema workflow, from creating shows and scheduling playback through to moving content between screens and managing security keys (KDMs), can be managed from an easy to use, secure web interface. The AAM TMS is currently being rolled out across AAM’s VPF-signed screens with Cineworld and Yelmo, a total of over 1,100 screens. More information on TMS can be seen at http://tms.artsalliancemedia.com.

 

Sony and TOHO Cinemas in Agreement for Total Digital Cinema System Solution

http://dcinematoday.com/dc/prList.aspx?prf=2,123

 

Tokyo—Aug 20, 2010

Sony Corporation and TOHO Cinemas Inc., the largest theater chain in Japan, have reached an agreement to install a total digital cinema system solution. Through this agreement, Sony 4K Digital Cinema projection systems will be installed in all TOHO Cinemas sites for each of the exhibitor’s 545 screens, not including co-operated theaters.

 

The installation is planned to be completed by December 2012.

 

Sony will provide TOHO Cinemas with a total digital cinema system solution, which mainly consists of Sony 4K digital cinema projectors and projection servers. Specifically, a theater projection system is connected through a network and is composed of a Theater Management System (TMS), which centrally controls content, and a central server system.

 

Sony will also provide TOHO Cinemas with designated maintenance and service including a customer call center, remote hardware and system monitoring, and periodic maintenance.

 

TOHO Cinemas can also utilize Sony’s comprehensive hardware, system, and service while reducing initial startup and maintenance costs.

 

"We value Sony's accomplishments in the digitalization of theaters, which it has achieved through cooperation with major Hollywood studios, domestic/overseas studios and distribution companies,” said TOHO Cinemas. “Sony is also the only company which can provide the high-resolution 4K projector as well as a complete and future-proof projection system.”

 

Recently, digitalization in the movie industry has been rapidly accelerating, and the number of screens with digital projection systems has been quickly expanding. According to estimates by the research firm Screen Digest, the number of digital screens will increase globally from 16,000 in 2009 to 25,000 in 2010, while the number of digital screens in Japan will double from 400 to almost 800.

 

Through digitalization of theaters, content can be maintained in master quality without deterioration from scratches or dust. Also, theaters have the flexibility to show alternative content such as live theater, concerts, and sporting events, thus creating additional revenue streams and increased programming options for customers.

.

Since Sony introduced its “Digital Cinema Solution Service” in October 2009, there have been an increasing number of movie studios and distribution companies which have supplied digital film content as well as alternative content to theaters. Digitalization in the movie industry is expected to further accelerate, as a result of TOHO Cinemas efforts to digitize its theaters.

Sony will continue to promote its “Digital Cinema Solution Service” to domestic movie studios, distribution companies, and entertainment companies, and drive digitalization of theaters worldwide.

 

Doremi Equips Empire Theatres throughout Canada

http://dcinematoday.com/dc/pr.aspx?newsID=2003

 

Burbank, CA—Aug 19, 2010

Canada's Second Largest Exhibitor Chooses Doremi's Cinema Servers for Nationwide Deployment

Doremi Cinema, the leader in digital cinema technology, today announced an exclusive agreement with Empire Theatres Limited of Canada to install Doremi Cinema Servers on more than 300 Empire screens. The installations will include Doremi's DCP-2000 and Integrated Media Block (IMB) with Doremi's ShowVault. Burbank California based Doremi manufactures the industry's most popular digital cinema servers with more than 15,570 units shipped worldwide. 

 

Empire Theatres is Canada’s second largest exhibition company with headquarters in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. Empire Theatres operates 50 theatres throughout Canada, with 380 screens, and employing more than 2,500 employees.

"We began our relationship with Doremi last year when we installed 63 screens with Doremi's DCP-2000 cinema servers," commented Valerie Ryan, VP Real Estate & Development for Empire Theatres. "Given that initial success, and the additional field testing we conducted in conjunction with Series II projectors, Doremi servers were the clear choice for going forward."

“We selected both the Doremi DCP-2000 and IMB with ShowVault because we wanted to future proof our circuit for 4K," commented Ryan. "Both models provide outstanding 2K playback for 2D and 3D, but knowing that Doremi’s IMB is the only 4K IMB readily available today which can easily be upgraded to 4K playback with a simple firmware upgrade gives us the flexibility to control how we roll out our 4K screens."

Empire Theatres' choice of Doremi exemplifies their commitment to providing movie audiences throughout Canada with the most advanced technology in support of Hollywood's 2D and 3D blockbusters. "Empire Theatres is a truly innovative exhibitor with an outstanding reputation for quality and guest satisfaction." Michael Archer, VP of Doremi Cinema comments. "Their selection of Doremi as their exclusive digital cinema server provider illustrates their in-depth understanding of digital cinema technology and where the future of exhibition is headed. We are thrilled to undertake this long-term partnership and look forward to supporting Empire Theatres as they take their theaters to the next level."

 

`Avatar' returns to 3-D theaters worldwide Friday

http://www.today3d.com/2010/08/avatar-returns-to-3-d-theaters.html

 

Before he takes moviegoers deep beneath the Pandoran sea, James Cameron hopes they'll go for an extended tour of the fictional planet he introduced in "Avatar."

"Avatar: Special Edition," which includes 9 minutes of new footage, opens in 3-D theaters worldwide Friday.

"I'm trying to use the technology to keep people interested and enthused about the `Avatar' universe, because it's going to be a long time before we get another `Avatar' movie done," the filmmaker said in a recent interview.

 

Cameron, 56, already has plans for the "Avatar" sequels.

 

He's also got a submarine to build, cameras for the Mars rover to design, an underwater 3-D camera to upgrade and maybe even an ocean-related feature to make.

But first, he had to select and perfect new "Avatar" footage and persuade distributor 20th Century Fox to rerelease the film theatrically in 3-D.

 

Cameron said there are "hundreds of thousands, if not millions" of people who wanted to see the movie in 3-D but didn't get the chance because "Avatar" was edged out of 3-D theaters by other scheduled 3-D releases. Since then, the number of available 3-D screens has doubled internationally, he said.

 

Fox executives said in a statement that they have been "inundated with requests to rerelease the film in theaters in 3-D" since it wrapped its original run in March.

"Avatar" boasts the biggest box-office take in history, collecting $2.7 billion worldwide.

 

Bringing the movie back to the big screen is an experiment inspired by initial fan response to the movie, Cameron said.

 

"It was the most pirated film in history at the same time it was the most attended film in movie theaters," he said, adding that some who saw the movie on DVD or on their computer screens may want to enjoy it in all its big-screen, 3-D glory.

 

The new footage is sprinkled throughout the movie. One bit focuses on the death of one of the planet's native humanoids, the tailed, blue Na'vi. His death is hinted at in the original film, but in the extended version, "We actually see him die," Cameron said.

 

"Not like he splats to the ground, but how they gather around him afterwards," he said. "It's this big emotional scene and it's actually the best CG we did in the whole movie."

 

Another scene follows a hunt for one of Pandora's bizarre creatures in a "rousing action-adventure, pulse-pounding kind of scene," he said.

 

The extended version will appear on a special-edition DVD to be released in November. It will also include a more expanded, "alternate reality version" of the film that is 16 minutes longer than the original, Cameron said.

 

He has already begun technical development on an "Avatar" sequel that will focus on the planet's ocean environment.

 

"I love diving," he said, "and if I'm making this movie, I'm not going to be diving as much as I'd like, so I'm going to give myself a kind of methadone fix by doing fantasy ocean."

 

He will also get a dose of underwater fun in the submarine he's building in Australia. Cameron plans to explore the Pacific's Mariana Trench in a two-seater sub that can go 36,000 feet below the surface.

He's working on upgrading his 3-D underwater camera and is helping build a space-age 3-D camera for the new Mars rover, Curiosity.

 

"You'll be able to see Mars going by, in 3-D," he said.

 

He's also working on a 3-D conversion of "Titanic," which he hopes to release in April 2012, the 100-year anniversary of its sailing and sinking.

 

Cameron is excited by the promise of 3-D and a future in which every screen is dimensionalized — which he thinks is just a few years away.

 

"You'll still need glasses in the movie theater, but you'll have video, you'll have laptops, all your small devices, the iPads and all that stuff will be without glasses," he said. "We're basically revolutionizing how people watch stuff.

"We're rewriting the contract between humans and screens. The whole world is defined by humans watching screens — we watch screens at work, we watch screens for entertainment — and we're changing it."

 

One Pair of 3-D Glasses to Bind Them All

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/08/3-d-glasses-standard#ixzz0xPau97um

 

By Priya Ganapati

August 19, 2010  | 

6:40 pm  | 

 

If highways worked like 3-D TVs, you wouldn’t be able to drive Fords on GM roads and vice-versa.

It sounds crazy, but that’s the state of affairs with 3-D active shutter glasses. The glasses that work with your Sony television, for instance, won’t work for watching Monday night football at a friend’s place on his Panasonic 3-D TV.

 

Blame the proprietary communication protocols that TV makers use to synchronize the glasses and TV sets. The result is that 3-D glasses are engineered so they will work only with the brand of TV with which they’re shipped.

 

“There is a lot of confusion about 3-D glasses,” says David Chechelashvili, who heads global retail and distribution at XpanD. “3-D TVs are an event-oriented social experience. You can’t have that if everyone has different glasses that won’t work together.”

 

The good news is that the consumer electronics companies are finding a way to fix it. Companies such as XpanD and Monster are offering “universal” 3-D glasses — a single pair of glasses that they promise will work with most 3-D TV set.

 

Meanwhile, the Consumer Electronics Association, an industry group, is finalizing standards for the emitters on 3-D TVs so all sets can use a common signal protocol. The hope is that it will lead to a standardization of the technology on the 3-D glasses and make the glasses interchangeable.

“Right now we hear from retailers and consumers that interoperability among glasses are a problem,” says Brian Markwalter, vice-president of research and standards at CEA. “We need it to not get worse than it is.”

 

Markwalter says CEA hopes to have the standards in place by November so consumers could see interchangeable 3-D glasses in stores by end of next year.

With movies like Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, Hollywood has helped 3-D technology make a comeback.

 

Though Nintendo and Fuji have announced 3-D gadgets that don’t require glasses, the technology is effective only for small screens. The Nintendo 3DS has a 3.5-inch screen as does Fuji’s newly introduced 3-D camera.

 

Larger 3-D displays still require viewers to wear special glasses. It goes to the heart of how 3-D displays work. 3-D screens flash two sets of images, one for each eye. 3-D glasses separate the images for the left and right eye so our brain can combine the two and perceive depth.

 

3-D glasses are currently available as active shutter–where a battery-powered glass has shutters that open and close rapidly alternating between the two eyes. That movement is synchronized to transmit the wanted image and block out the unwanted one. There are also passive glasses where polarized filters help direct the images to each eye.

 

In North America, movie theaters use passive polarized glasses but, for consumers at home, companies such as Sony, Vizio, Samsung, LG, Sharp and Panasonic are betting on active shutter glasses. The problem lies in the synchronization between the glasses and the TV set, which each manufacturer handles through a different set of signals.

 

“It’s like a language and everyone uses their own,” says Chechelashvili.

 

Retailers are also complaining about the lack of compatibility among glasses. As more 3-D TVs arrive on store shelves, retailers will be forced to carry multiple lines of accessories, each exclusive to a product. Imagine stepping into a Best Buy and trying to find the right pair of 3-D glasses to watch the demo of a 3-D TV.

 

To solve these problems, companies such as XpanD and Monster have created their version of the Babel fish: a pair of universal 3-D glasses that promises to work with any 3-D TV set. These glasses sense the infra-red pulses emitted by the TVs and time the shutters on the glass to sync with that.

 

But it is a trick more than a complete solution. In addition to signal synchronization, there are also color incompatibilities: TV makers have specific color characteristics and the glasses that come with each 3-D set are tinted to be compatible.

 

For instance, Samsung’s and Mitsubishi’s 3D glasses have a greenish tint, while Panasonic and Sony skew amber in color, explains HD Guru.

It means universal glasses won’t offer the same quality of image as the 3-D glass handed out by the TV maker.

 

That’s why industry group CEA hopes to step in with a fix.

 

CEA would focus on emitter standards, the source of the signals in 3-D TVs, says Markwalter.

 

“In an ideal world, emitters would migrate to this common specification, which would make for simpler glasses,” he says. “We would then let the legacy stuff phase out of the market.”

 

 

 

 

Wolff Cinema Groep now with Sony Digital Cinema 4K

http://www.digitalcinemainfo.com/FTT-Film-Ton-Technik_08_17_10.php

August 17, 2010

Source: Film Ton Technik (FTT)

The group equipped three sites with Sony Digital Cinema 4K systems

The digital rollout continues gaining ground in the Netherlands. After Jogchem’s Theaters B.V., another large cinema circuit in Holland, announced to install digital cinema systems at its 60 cinemas together with FTT Filmtronics B.V., the Dutch FTT branch, last month, Wolff Cinema Groep decided to equip four sites with 4K systems of Sony.

Mustsee Euroborg in Groningen was equipped with two Sony SRX-R320 projectors and LMT-300 media blocks, the sites Cinema de Graaf in Huizen close to Amsterdam and CineStar Enschede close to the German border each received another unit.

The complete installation was carried out by FTT Filmtronics who was also in charge of the test installations at several Mustsee locations for the groups Minerva and Wolff and has actively launched Sony 4K systems onto the Dutch market for more than one year already. Two Sony systems had already been installed at Cinecity in Vlissingen in the Southwest of the Netherlands.

All installations also include the possibility to play out “3D on 4K” content.

Jordi Wientjes, member of the board of management of Wolff Cinema Groep, said: “We have addressed the topic of digital cinema at a very early stage already and now opted for Sony 4K as we are simply convinced with the technology. We think that this was the right time to deploy some of our core locations in order to be well prepared for the upcoming blockbusters.”

Thomas Rüttgers, Chairman of the board of management of FTT group added: “From the very beginning, we have already been co-operating with Wolff Cinemas in the field of digital cinema and have also installed 35mm equipment at many sites as e.g. at Mustsee in Groningen. For us, this step is another important benchmark for the digital rollout in the Netherlands and we are very happy that we are able to continue our excellent co-operation with Wolff Cinemas.”

 

Technicolor 3D Surpasses 250 Screens in North America

http://www.digitalcinemainfo.com/technicolordigitalcinema_08_17_10.php

August 17, 2010

Source: Technicolor Digital Cinema

Technicolor announced it has installed its Technicolor 3D system on more than 250 screens in North America just four months after its initial debut in theatres.

This milestone demonstrates the continued industry demand for 3D and exhibitor confidence in the Technicolor 3D format as a high-quality, affordable 3D solution.

Technicolor 3D was launched in theatres on March 26 (read story) with How to Train Your Dragon, followed by Clash of the Titans, Shrek Forever After, The Last Airbender, Despicable Me, and Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. Next up for the format will be Piranha 3D from The Weinstein Company on August 20.

“We’re thrilled to have surpassed 250 screens in just a few months,” said Joe Berchtold, president of Technicolor’s Creative Services division. “Exhibitor feedback has been great from both a theatre operations and audience satisfaction perspective. We’re glad to be able to provide a technology solution that helps to bridge the gap to solve the current shortage of digital 3D screens, and bring 3D to audiences in markets of all sizes.”

“Technicolor 3D allows us to deliver high quality 3D to a greater number of theatres and a wider audience,” said Clyde Cornell, chief operating officer for Portland-based Hollywood Theaters. “The technology gives our patrons the opportunity to view motion pictures as never before, combining the highest levels of resolution, contrast and image quality to produce precise, life-like images in vibrant colors.”

"We have installed Technicolor 3D on 14 screens to date, and plan to add another six," said Tom Hutchinson, president of Edmonton, Alberta-based Magic Lantern Theatres. "Operation has been trouble-free, our customers are happy, and since the first picture, every installation has made money for us."

"Technicolor 3D has provided us with an excellent, cost-effective 3D solution, allowing us to remain competitive in our markets while we wait for an accessible digital plan to develop," said Bill Banowsky, owner of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Carolina Cinemas. "We now have at least one Technicolor 3D system at each of our locations, and will likely add more before the end of the year.”

"We are pleased with our decision to utilize Technicolor 3D," said Paul Wenger, vice president, Flagship Cinemas. ”It’s is a high quality, cost-effective product, which provides a superior 3D presentation for our audiences. Its affordability allows us the power to enhance the movie-going experience at our theatres and remain competitive in this digital age".

Technicolor 3D recently launched in international territories with Shrek Forever After from DreamWorks Animation. Other studios indicating support for the format internationally include: Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures,

The Weinstein Company and Warner Bros. Countries included in the international launch are the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and Germany and Japan.

 

Ensuring high-quality 3D in cinemas

http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/content_display/columns-and-blogs/in-focus/e3i831a0b575c6cd1c6be9d49e6bb7eaf50  

 

Aug 6, 2010

There is lots of discussion within the industry regarding good-quality 3D and what the public mandates when paying a premium price to see a 3D movie. The debates increase in frequency when it comes to shooting a movie in 3D or planning a conversion from 2D to 3D.

The editorial staff of FJI thought it would be helpful to seek out a qualified technician in the 3D field to discuss some of the things that can be done to ensure as perfect a presentation as possible. Paul Panabaker, chief technology officer at MasterImage 3D, accepted our invitation and offers some useful suggestions in our September issue that will help you guarantee 3D excellence in your theatres.

According to Panabaker, when 3D is exhibited correctly, the picture is bright and sharp; the colors are accurate; eyes are not strained; and there is little or no apparent ghosting. A middle ground does not exist. There is no such thing as “kind of good.” Bad 3D is not good for the business.

Some of the things to consider include hiring a local professional experienced in 3D digital-cinema installation and maintenance; purchasing glasses only through the original system supplier; careful monitoring of lamp performance and life to assure adequate brightness; and maintaining cleanliness across the entire optical chain—filters and lenses, port windows, the 3D screen and, of course, the glasses. These steps will ensure that your customers keep coming back for today’s 3D movie marvels.

The 3D Experience Debuts
Those interested in continuing their education in 3D entertainment should look to The 3D Experience, which runs Sept. 24-26 in New York City’s Times Square. The event is geared to attract top innovators, industry leaders and filmmakers to showcase the latest advances in 3D. It will stage at the AMC Empire theatre complex on 42nd Street, NASDAQ Market Sites and Discovery TSX Special Event Space.

For the first time, the public will be able to be fully immersed in 3D movies, 3D TVs, electronics and games. The Executive Forum at the AMC Empire will allow participants the opportunity to actually present in 3D rather than just talk about it. The consumer showroom will feature 3D products for home viewing as well as other electronic innovations and games. And all press will emanate from the NASDAQ Market Sites.

The three-day event is poised to attract thousands of 3D fans to the consumer showroom to get a hands-on look at many of the new consumer 3D products that are being offered to the public. The Executive Forum will focus on a myriad of topics including 3D in the cinema; 3D products in the home; a research survey on the elusive consumer and 3D’s future; and conversion of 2D to 3D. For additional information, go to www.the3Dexperience.org.

Exhibitors Speak Out on Digital
Digital projection has been around for nearly ten years. But 2010 will be remembered as a watershed year for d-cinema with the record-setting grosses of Avatar and the continuing success of digital 3D releases. In the September edition of Film Journal International, some of the early adopters of d-cinema discuss the impact of the technology on their business.

The participants in our survey are from Carmike Cinemas, Cineplex Entertainment, MJR Theatres, Rave Motion Pictures and Celebration! Cinema. Their overall responses are extremely positive and the quotes that follow are indicative of how digital is helping to reshape an industry that has existed for more than 100 years:

“Digital has made us the ultimate entertainment destination.”

“Digital has had a very positive impact on our business, including increased programming flexibility, ease of operation and a much more user-friendly technology than traditional 35mm projection.”

“Alternative programming makes our multiplexes more full-fledged entertainment centers with opera, World Cup in 3D and other popular programs.”

“Alternative programming has brought people back to the theatres that left us many years ago.”

The respondents also cite such benefits as easier staff training, payroll savings, improved picture quality, and the ability to add more 3D auditoriums and show movies on multiple screens.

These comments highlight the extraordinary changes that digital has enabled this past decade. Not only is it being accepted by exhibition for the reasons above, but patrons are also commenting on the picture quality and their new experiences with 3D. It truly is the start of a new era.

Looking at the Big Picture
What do AMC ETX, Regal RPX, Carmike’s BigD, Cinemark XD, Cineplex UltraAVX and Marcus UltraScreen all have in common? They are all current examples of branding a bigger and better theatrical experience. And they are being done predominantly with large-screen formats.

Although this development is nothing new for the motion picture industry, as it has witnessed different technologies including VistaVision, CinemaScope, Todd-AO, D-150 and Cinerama over the years, this industry-defining trend is helping theatres present a film in an event mode and bringing back some of the lost showmanship of past decades.

These new formats are more than just large screens. They are also about creating a complete entertainment environment that engages your senses and pulls you into the film. They typically encompass wall-to-wall screens, plush and comfortable seats, state-of-the-art projection and sound, and excellent sightlines. The larger exhibitors are all working to brand their theatres anew, and their initiatives are attracting patrons all over North America.

We have talked about the need to create experiences in the theatre that cannot be duplicated in the home, and digital projection has made this possible. The September issue of Film Journal International looks at CinemarkXD and Marcus UltraScreen, and the series continues in the next two editions.

 

Digital advocates: Early adopters discuss their d-cinema journey

http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/content_display/news-and-features/features/cinemas/e3i829ad7a89f41e3374822e7729dc1fad1  

 

Aug 9, 2010

 

Jeremy Devine, Steve VanWagoner and Ellis Jacob

With the record-setting grosses for Avatar and the continuing success of digital 3D releases, there’s no doubt that 2010 has been a watershed year for digital cinema. After a decade of gradual transition, d-cinema has finally become the standard in many theatre locations. Film Journal International surveyed five early adopters of digital projection to learn how this revolutionary technology has impacted their business. The participants are Dale Hurst, director of marketing at Carmike Cinemas; Steve VanWagoner, VP of marketing at Celebration! Cinema; Ellis Jacob, president and CEO of Cineplex Entertainment; Mike Mihalich, president of MJR Theatres; and Jeremy Devine, VP of marketing at Rave Motion Pictures. We thank them for sharing their experiences.

When did you first install digital projection equipment?
Hurst: March 2006.
VanWagoner: May 2007.
Mihalich: October 2007.
Devine: We began in late 2005. By August 2007 we were the largest circuit in the country to be 100% digital. In December 2009, we purchased 32 theatres from National Amusements and are in the process of further digital conversion.

Jacob: Our entrée into the digital projector world goes back ten years to the year 2000, when Christie approached us to install one of their engineering prototype DCP-H Mark 7 version projectors in our Galaxy Cinemas in Waterloo, Ontario. They didn’t even have a name for it at the time. Christie’s Canadian offices are located not far away in neighboring Kitchener, Ontario, which made this location ideal.

That initial installation began a long-term, close working relationship with Christie as they used our Waterloo theatre as a test lab for their digital projectors. Over the years, the original prototype “1.3K” digital projector they installed was replaced with a new 2K CP2000H model when that became available. Today, that theatre and our circuit overall have a variety of CP2000 models depending on the location, and our new UltraAVX™ auditoriums use their Solaria 2230 DLP Cinema projectors. It has been a great working relationship with Christie and we take pride in our small contribution to the evolution of digital projection.

In 2000, we had one digital projector in our circuit. In 2002, we had two digital projectors, with the second unit located in our theatre in Cambridge, Ontario. Fast-forward to 2008, our digital projection count had grown to 84, and as of June 30, 2010, our circuit has 280 digital projection systems and it continues to grow weekly.

How many digital installations do you have today?
Devine: Approximately 650 of our current 918 screens are digital.
Hurst: 223 locations with 2,121 screens.
Jacob: As of June 30, Cineplex Entertainment had 280 digital screens located in 113 Cineplex theatres across the country, with plans to install approximately 125 to 150 additional digital projectors by the end of the year. We also have 236 RealD 3D systems.
VanWagoner: Eight multiplex theatres are fully converted to digital. And one auditorium in our ninth theatre, which is a second-run location. (We like to put second-run digital 3D movies there!)

What percent of your circuit is digital?
Devine: 71%.
VanWagoner: Approximately 90%.
Mihalich: All 116 MJR screens are digital.
Hurst: 100% of our first-run screens.
Jacob: As of June 30, 21% of our total screens are digital and 86% of our locations have one or more digital projectors installed. A couple of years ago we also committed to making all of our new theatres 100% digital.

How would you describe the impact of digital cinema on your business?
Devine: It positively and profoundly affects all of our operations on a daily basis.
VanWagoner: Monumental. For example, midnight shows of Eclipse. We have 22,000 “sellable” seats in our circuit and we sold over 18,000 of them for the midnight show of Eclipse. That was not possible with film. Also, we advertise that we are not a movie theatre…we are so much more. We are the ultimate entertainment destination. We could not say that with film.
Jacob: Digital cinema has had a very positive impact on our business in a number of ways, including increased programming flexibility, ease of operation and much more user-friendly technology than traditional 35mm projection. The greatest impact has to be our ability to add RealD 3D technology to our digital projectors, which has enabled us to capitalize on the tremendous number of 3D movies that are available now. Digital projection also enables us to expand our entertainment offerings beyond movies by adding a variety of alternative-programming content such as concerts, sporting events, live theatre productions and the hugely popular Live in HD performances from The Met Opera in New York.
Mihalich: The impact has been positive. We are able to have great flexibility in scheduling and make last-minute changes to maximize grosses.
Hurst: We believe offering our guests the ultimate entertainment experience positions Carmike as their first choice for enjoying movies, sporting events, concerts and other big-event screenings in our theatres. Offering digital presentation and the new Big D digital experience with its giant wall-to-wall screen, exceptional 7.1 surround sound, state-of-the-art image presentation and large, comfortable seating gives our customers an incredible, center-of-the-action feeling.

What are the greatest advantages of digital cinema?
Devine: Operational and film-booking efficiency.
Jacob: As I mentioned, increased programming flexibility, easier staff training, and improved picture quality as every digital presentation looks the same, be it the first presentation or the 500th, as the image doesn’t deteriorate like it does with film.
Hurst: We can offer our patrons the best moviegoing experience by providing the highest-quality digital picture and sound.
VanWagoner: Virtual interlocks, digital 3D, alternative programming (sports, UFC fights, Met Opera, concerts, private watch parties like the finale of “Lost”), adding and changing content at the last minute for parties or groups. Our guests love the pristine images, and our projection employees are free to help in other areas of the operation.
Mihalich: Large payroll savings by eliminating projectionists. Better picture on the screen. Being able to increase the number of 3D auditoriums. And the ability to show movies on multiple screens.

Are there benefits to digital that took you by surprise?
VanWagoner: The ease of the transition and the ability to add auditoriums during sellout situations.
Devine: The quick learning curve and high reliability from day one, even as an early adopter.
Jacob: Our technical team said it has been much easier to install, operate and train employees than they originally anticipated, which is great news on all accounts.
Hurst: The most visible element of surprise is the level of excitement that our guests have shown for this new entertainment experience. We are bringing customers to the theatre more frequently to enjoy a variety of entertainment events… Customers are looking at us in a whole new way.

How has digital affected your scheduling of films?
Mihalich: It’s made scheduling much easier as well as far more efficient, and makes it possible to maximize grosses.
Devine: It allows us to totally maximize the building by realizing proper printing levels beyond standard 35mm procedures.
Jacob: Initially when we were first converting and had one or two auditoriums with digital projectors and the rest with 35mm, it was difficult to schedule as some distributors offered their movies in digital formats and others didn’t. We worked through that and now almost all movies are available to us in the format of our choice. Overall, digital allows us increased flexibility in programming our auditoriums, enabling us to better manage capacity utilization, which is good for exhibitors, distributors and, most importantly, our theatre guests. Once we complete our digital rollout, we will get maximum benefit from the technology and flexibility in programming.
VanWagoner: It has made scheduling easier—especially with the big blockbuster movies. We also have two IMAX theatres. One is digital. We can now bring blockbuster IMAX movies to that smaller market where we could not always count on the big movies with film.

How do your employees feel about the new digital technology?
Mihalich: They love it.
Jacob: Our staff loves digital projection and it has been very positively received by all. Youth today have grown up in a digital world, so their expectations of this part of our business are that we would naturally be all digital. Because digital operating systems are all PC-based, they are very user-friendly and these operating systems are well-known to today’s employees.
Devine: They are proud of our being on the cutting edge of the new technology; they appreciate, as does the consumer, the pristine picture that does not degenerate over usage. They find the hard drives a lot less heavy than lugging 50-pound cans! And they are part of a digital age and see this as a logical means of content delivery. So they are happy from a lot of perspectives!
VanWagoner: They love it. Even the film purists applaud now.
Hurst: Our employees are excited to be a part of offering cutting-edge/state-of-the-art technology to our guests. They are proud to be offering the ultimate entertainment experience and associated with a recognized leader in the entertainment business. There's a whole new level of energy in our theaters as we continue to expand the use of digital through the rollout of the Big D concept.

How important a role does alternative programming play at your circuit?
Mihalich: It’s practically a non-factor.
VanWagoner: It’s big, and getting bigger. We have a page on our website devoted to it called “Special Big Screen Events.”
Devine: It is very important, but does not, and will not, supplant the core programming of major film releases from traditional studio distributors. But it does make our modern multiplexes more full-fledged entertainment centers with opera, World Cup in 3D, and other popular cutting-edge programs.
Hurst: We want customers to realize that Carmike can offer more to enhance their moviegoing experience by offering a variety of content at our theatres. As the level of content rises, so will the level of importance.
Jacob: As a percentage of box-office revenue, it is a small but growing portion of our business, but one that I think is an integral component now and moving forward. When I look back 10 years, our alternative programming contained a concert once or twice a year, but the majority of our programming was World Wrestling Entertainment. Fast-forward to today, our guests can now choose from world-class opera and live theatre productions, numerous concerts, comedy festivals, sporting events and more! In fact, Cineplex was proud to showcase all 17 days of the 2010 Olympic Games in several of our theatres across Canada and we could only do this with the use of digital projection. This September will be our fifth season presenting Live in HD from The Met Opera in New York and if you would have told me then how successful it would be in our theatres now, I would have thought you were crazy. Cineplex audiences love the Met productions and have truly embraced the presentations. We have received more letters of compliments and appreciation from our guests for this series than any other presentation we have ever done. Also, it brought people back to our theatres that had left us 20 years ago and we weren’t able to attract them with our traditional Hollywood and Canadian movies. Now they are back and not only coming to see the opera but also movies and other alternative content, which is good news for all of us! Alternative programming and digital projection have really been a significant catalyst in positioning our theatres now more than ever as “entertainment destinations” rather than movie theatres alone.

What kind of feedback, if any, are you getting from your customers regarding digital projection?
Devine: Uniformly positive. The image is rich and pristine and people think it looks really great. Frankly, we encounter next to no nostalgia over 35mm, a great format that deserves our gratitude for carrying exhibition for our first 80 years or so!
Mihalich: Not much. The public only complains when something is obviously wrong. In actuality I do believe very few really know or notice the difference.
Hurst: The guest reaction to our digital and especially our Big D, ultimate entertainment experience has been far beyond our expectations. Customers are commenting about the "center of the action" feeling they experience when attending an event and a whole new way of looking at movies and events in our theatres.
Jacob: Our guests do comment on the great picture quality that digital offers. Others assume that all of our theatres and the cinema industry is already 100% digital. The most obvious guest support for digital has to be their love of 3D technology which digital projectors enable us to offer to our guests.
VanWagoner: Early on they commented on the perfect picture. Now they take it for granted that the picture will be perfect and seats will be available for the really big shows. They also enjoy the alternative programming digital offers.

Is digital a marketing advantage for your circuit?
Jacob: Digital is a buzz word used to market many products today and this is no different for Cineplex. We do market “digital” and also “digital 3D projection technology” in many of our marketing and public-relations campaigns because we know that people understand and appreciate this means quality. In fact, when we launched our new UltraAVX™ auditoriums on June 30, we created a tagline for the UltraAVX brand—“The Next Level of Cinema Has Arrived—Wall to Wall Screen, Digital Projection, Immersive Surround Sound and Reserved Seating.” Each of these elements being important, easily understood and highly valued tactical messages.
Devine: It certainly was when we were an early adopter and it became the powerful enabling platform for modern 3D, providing a distinct advantage vis-à-vis the competition. But we knew all along that the overall digital rollout would take place and believe that is a good thing for the industry. We are happy to have a great deal of practical experience with it already, and it suits us well as an organization as we move forward to convert our recent acquisitions to this format as well.
VanWagoner: Yes! While we don’t flaunt our DLP digital programming much anymore, we do use the alternative programming as our competitive advantage in our marketing (The Ultimate Entertainment Destination).
Hurst: We believe offering state-of-the-art digital presentation and launching our Big D experience gives us an edge by becoming the first choice for customers’ entertainment experience. We make it easy to choose Carmike because customers know we offer the ultimate entertainment experience, unmatched by competitors.

 

James Cameron slams Hollywood for making inferior movies in 3D

http://www.today3d.com/2010/08/james-cameron-slams-hollywood-for.html

James Cameron has slammed Hollywood for making inferior movies in 3D.

Cameron's 3D movie Avatar was the world's highest grossing movie that earned around 3 billion dollars at the box office.

Movies like Clash of the Titans andThe Last Airbender were shot in traditional 2D and converted into 3D after seeing Avatar's success.

"I think it's horrible and absolutely the wrong way to go," Cameron said before the re-release of Avatar in 3D with added footage.

"I think it's a quick, knee-jerk reaction to seeing the gold rush happen and the studios just wanted to jump in on it and that's the only way they could do it. It's the studio making the decision and then handing it over to some company to process it through a sausage grinder and come up with some kind of faux 3D, or a 2 1/2D mess," he added.

Cameron has plans of releasing his 1997 hit Titanic, the second highest grossing film, in 3D.

"We are going to release it in 2012 in 3D, but we are going to take every care to ensure it's as indistinguishable from having been photographed in 3D as we can," he said.

"We won't succeed. It will wind up being 2.9D, but it will still be .9 better than the 2D we released before. These other slapdash conversions, where they are not spending the time and money and not involving the filmmaker, are like 2.2D,"

 

James Cameron slams Hollywood for making inferior movies in 3D

http://www.today3d.com/2010/08/james-cameron-slams-hollywood-for.html

 

James Cameron has slammed Hollywood for making inferior movies in 3D.

Cameron's 3D movie Avatar was the world's highest grossing movie that earned around 3 billion dollars at the box office.

Movies like Clash of the Titans andThe Last Airbender were shot in traditional 2D and converted into 3D after seeing Avatar's success.

"I think it's horrible and absolutely the wrong way to go," Cameron said before the re-release ofAvatar in 3D with added footage.

"I think it's a quick, knee-jerk reaction to seeing the gold rush happen and the studios just wanted to jump in on it and that's the only way they could do it. It's the studio making the decision and then handing it over to some company to process it through a sausage grinder and come up with some kind of faux 3D, or a 2 1/2D mess," he added.

Cameron has plans of releasing his 1997 hit Titanic, the second highest grossing film, in 3D.

"We are going to release it in 2012 in 3D, but we are going to take every care to ensure it's as indistinguishable from having been photographed in 3D as we can," he said.

"We won't succeed. It will wind up being 2.9D, but it will still be .9 better than the 2D we released before. These other slapdash conversions, where they are not spending the time and money and not involving the filmmaker, are like 2.2D,"

 

Quality Control - poor quality of some of the latest 3D movies

http://www.digitalcinemareport.com/node/1889

 

In recent weeks the creative community and the movie-going public have voiced growing concerns about the poor quality of some of the latest 3D movies. This is particularly true of movies that were shot in 2D and converted to 3D. An article in The New York Times, quoting an online joke currently making the rounds, said, “If you can’t make it good, make it 3D.”  Meanwhile, considering the studio’s perspective, The London Telegraph said, “Hollywood's faith in the power of 3D movies to deliver a bright future of packed cinemas and spectacle-wearing audiences has been jolted by figures that show the high-tech format may already be floundering.” If we are to see the full creative and economic potential of stereoscopic 3D, it’s time for executives at the Hollywood studios to exert serious quality control.

The reaction to two recent movies begins to tell the story. USA Today film critic Claudia Puig wrote this about Step Up 3D, which was shot in stereoscopic 3D:

“Nobody goes to a dance movie for an intricate plot or clever dialogue. It's all about the moves.
Rhythmically, athletically and energetically, Step Up 3D does not disappoint. Fans of the first two movies in this series should be more than satisfied.”

Meanwhile, Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips wrote this about the other movie, one of a growing number of features that was converted too quickly from 2D to 3D:

“According to The Last Airbender — the latest 3D offering in theatres, yet barely functional in 2- or even 1- — the world's separate kingdoms are built around fire, air, water, earth and impenetrable, rock-hard exposition. Bringing those first four to the screen no doubt intrigued writer-director M. Night Shyamalan. But the fifth keeps messing him up, as he struggles to find a rhythm for the quest involving a young leader's date with destiny.”

The result? Step Up 3D held its own and finished in third place its opening weekend and continues to generate decent box office in worldwide release. The Last Airbender, which cost an estimated $150 million to make has generated worldwide revenues of just over $180 million. 

The fallout from movie experiences like these has already begun to lead to at least two interesting developments. One seems positive at first but, in a classic example of the risks of unintended consequences, it may backfire.

The first development is that some talented filmmakers are on record saying they won’t consider shooting in 3D under current circumstances. This is troubling for those of us who champion 3D as a creative tool with amazing story telling potential. But it is also understandable. Many filmmakers are concerned about the fact that in some theatres movies in 3D are dramatically dimmer than are 2D movies. They’re also rightfully wary of the fairly steep learning curve that’s involved in making a good 3D movie.

Nick Allen wrote in The London Telegraph that “Christopher Nolan, the British-born director of The Dark Knight and Inception, refused to use the new technology in his latest film because he found the dimness ‘extremely alienating.’”

And this is how The New York Times’ Michael Cieply described a conversation among filmmakers in a panel discussion about 3D at this year’s Comic-Con:

“When you put the glasses on, everything gets dim,” said J.J. Abrams, whose two-dimensional Star Trek earned $385 million at the worldwide box office for Paramount Pictures last year. Joss Whedon, who was onstage with Abrams, said that as a viewer, ‘I’m totally into it. I love it.’ But Whedon then said he flatly opposed a plan by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to convert The Cabin in the Woods, a horror film he produced but that has not yet been released, into 3D. ‘What we’re hoping to do,’ Whedon said, ‘is to be the only horror movie coming out that is not in 3D.’ A spokesman for MGM declined to discuss The Cabin in the Woods. But one person who was briefed on the situation — and spoke on the condition of anonymity because the studio was in the middle of a difficult financial restructuring — said conversion remained an option.”

The last thing this industry in general – and stereoscopic 3D in particular – needs right now is for the major studios and prominent filmmakers to do public battle over the issue. But that now seems increasingly inevitable.

Recognizing the audience’s unhappiness with converted 3D movies, some exhibitors have begun to lower ticket prices across the board and are reducing the premium for 3D. This is the second development but while it sounds positive it carries ramifications along with it. 

It’s good for their patrons but it could lengthen the time it takes the exhibitors themselves to amortize the technology investment needed to present 3D. More troubling than that, if other 3D-enabled exhibitors follow suit it could have the effect of eliminating the premium altogether and force the exhibitors who haven’t yet converted to 3D to delay – or worse – defer that decision. That could harm everyone in the business.

Hollywood is beginning to take notice. I’ve already seen television commercials for movies touting the fact that they were shot in 3D and not converted. This seems likely to continue and is a promising step. It could ward off demands from some consumer groups calling for a labeling system. While I don’t immediately see any harm in a labeling system it would, at best, prove unwieldy to instigate and manage. In the meantime, with the Internet and other channels of word of mouth, consumers are already doing a pretty effective job by voting with their dollars for good 3D movies and against bad ones.

Exhibitors need to be made aware that unlike film projection or even 2D digital projection 3D requires a greater attention to details.  And studio executives in Hollywood need to recognize the limits of 2D conversion. History suggests the situation will get worse long before it gets better. Sadly, many of these are the same people who just a few years ago saw nothing wrong when, thanks to poorly maintained and manned projectors, audiences were forced to pay for the privilege of watching films that were smudged and scratched and torn.

 

Drive-Ins Enter the Digital Age

http://www.digitalcinemareport.com/node/1898

 

For more than half a century, the Spud Drive-In has been a local landmark in Diggs, Idaho. Last month, with screenings of Despicable Me and Robin Hood, it became America's first true digital drive-in. While other outdoor theatres have used digital projectors to show DVDs to large outdoor audiences, Spud is the only drive-in to date to actually employ digital cinema projection and surround sound audio. They plan to install 3D technology this month. 

When Spud made the decision to go digital, timing was of the essence. Since the drive-in movie season is relatively short in Idaho, it was important to get a projector online quickly for the July opening. Barco was able to provide a projector within a few weeks. 

"We looked at a lot of options, but the Barco projector was the ideal fit for the drive-in movie environment because of its low power requirements, liquid cooling, and of course, incredible image quality and reputation for reliability," says Spud's chief operating officer, Keith Zednik. "It's just amazing – like nothing I've ever seen before. With the Barco projector, we'll be able to continue for another 50 years, not only as a movie exhibitor, but as a total entertainment provider." Spud plans to offer alternative content packages to customers, including wedding receptions, non-profit, club and community functions, and even live simulcast sports events and concerts. 

John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, says, "Drive-ins are an important part of the theatre business. At NATO, we are pleased to see Barco providing a digital projector solution capable of illuminating drive-in screens. We are confident that drive-ins will continue to flourish in the digital age and congratulate the Spud on being the first of many drive-ins to offer their customers the digital experience."

United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association president Paul F. Geissinger says, "We congratulate the Spud Drive In and their digital partner Barco in providing their patrons and the motion picture industry with the first digital projection system at a traditional drive-in theatre. This is an historic event for drive-in theatres, a true icon of Americana, which we view as only the beginning of what will be a huge transition to the digital age by drive-in motion picture theatres." 

Spud Drive-In Theater is one of the last American drive-in theaters, and one heck of a roadside attraction. It is most famous for Old Murphy, a 1946 Chevy cab-over truck that carries a two-ton potato. Old Murphy sits in front of the screen and has been photographed by travelers from all over the world. 

The Spud was built in the spring of 1953 by Ace Wood and opened its doors that July. It was a state-of-the-art facility back then, using mono-speakers that hung in the windows to broadcast the audio and twin carbon ark real to real projectors. Today, the audio is transmitted through FM stereo. Some things have been updated at the drive-in, but the spirit remains the same.

The exhibitor launched its digital premiere with a double feature on Friday, July 9th, showing Despicable Me and Robin Hood. Attracting hundreds of moviegoers from around the county, Spud enjoyed its largest crowd of the season, breaking records for its Monday night "$15 Per Car" promotion. 

"The image quality was picture perfect, and it was so easy to use – no technical problems at all. The Barco has made my life a million times easier," says Zednik. 

Roger Bockert, owner of Heartland Theatre Services who installed the new system, says, "If anyone out there is still uncertain about putting digital in a drive-in, Spud's experience will put their mind at ease. The results have been even better than expected as far as picture quality, light output, and reliable image." 

In business for more than 20 years, Bockert has installed hundreds of digital projectors throughout the Midwest in traditional theatres, and looks forward to additional business in the drive-in market based on the success of Spud's deployment.

"We're honored to work with Spud Drive In to pioneer the first true digital cinema drive-in theatre. This opportunity demonstrates the power and versatility of Barco's products. We applaud Spud's entrepreneurial spirit and desire to extend their entertainment options with alternative content, which will showcase the Barco projector's features and delight patrons for years to come," says Todd Hoddick, vice president, digital cinema North America.