TheatreWorld

contentsTWTheatreWorld

This issue of TW has two sets of page numbers - International

pages TW-1 to TW-56 for TW, and India pages TM-1 to

TM-28 for TM. TM is inserted between pages TW-46 and

TW-47 of TW.

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ECIA

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entertainworld

F U T U R ER E L E S E SA

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TW-18

Review - CineAsiaPreview - ShoWestTW-41

TW-47

TW-50

TECHNOLOGY

Oculus3D Arrives, on Film!

World’s First Imax Dome Sounds BigRebirth of a Seminal Theater

Kinoton Initiative180-Degree Screen at Fraunhofer

TW-24TW-26

TW-28

CINEMA SYSTEMS

Digital Design-age

Projection Series - XXVIII

Health and Safety at Work

TW-36

TW-38

SPECIAL FEATURE

World’s Second Largest CinemaCinema Feast in Middle EastTW-32

Whither Movie Entertainment?

A New ‘Avatar’ of Cinema...!

TW-29

Sandeep Mittal

Editor / Publisher

The Game Changer

MINDSHARET W E D I T O R I A L

I broached about the‘game changer’ in

these columns 12 weeks ago and I see it

happening already. Global cinema has

got a new spec - 3D. The spec, impressive

though, is quickly in for speculation.

Intriguing it might be, considering the

fact that even as the digital 3D is taking

the global show business in its stride, the

industry’s hitherto-mainstay – film – also

came up with similar, yet, cheaper

option.

Now, the global cinema stage has

practically become one for both, digital and

film 3D, for a possible show of strength.

One is seeking to redefine the very

perspective of entertainment with new age

technology while the other is trying to relive

the tradition with a blend of technology-

more or less to the same effect. It is

interestingly, a mind game now rather

than technology. A game of gauging the

business viability and prospects.

While each of them have their own

strengths, it appears at this moment in

time that digital 3D has an edge since it

has already proved its strength, and with

what results! US$2.5 billion revenues in

ten weeks and still counting! Plus a huge

buzz around!

I’m hoping it will find a good match in

its ‘film’ competitor. And television too

is not far behind!

The next few months will be interesting.

I inferred one game changer, and here is

two-in-one. 3D in digital and film (with

tv in tow)!

Value - INR 150 (US$ 15)

TEAM SANDY(in alphabetical order)

Bhavanashi Ramakrishna

Bobby Chetia

Mohanraj P

Raghavendra T

Yashodhara S

Issue # 45 / April-June 2010

PrintingRamya Reprographic, Bengaluru

TWTheatreWorld

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfulcommitted people can change the world.Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Theatre World is a quarterly publication, on the motion picture exhibition industry,for private circulation. It reaches out to subscribers, mainly theatre owners and tradeprofessionals in India, also subscribers in select Asian cities. Additional copies arebeing promoted at major international industry events. Theatre World seeks thehealthy promotion of the theatre industry through dissemination of usefulinformation. Some of the information is compiled from industry sources, tradejournals, company brochures for the benefit of readers, especially, theatre owners.Theatre World acknowledges with thanks the authors and publishers of these printedmaterials. Views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and not necessarilyof Theatre World. Theatre World is a trademark under registration. The contents ofTheatre World are under copyright registration. All rights reserved. Reproductionby any means in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Unsolicitedprinted material is welcome but no responsibility is undertaken for the same andwill not be returned. Theatre World does not take responsibility for the absoluteaccuracy of information published.

Layout & Graphic DesignRaghavendra T

It’s been eleven years now since TW (TheatreWorld), began showcasingthe Show Business in its own inimitable style. Evidently, it’s been akaleidoscope of the global motion picture exhibition industry, as well as aneffective interactive platform between the industry and the wide spectrumof professionals associated with it: architects, acousticians, interiordesigners, technocrats of sound and projection, ticketing, concessionsconsultants, and, of course, the cinema builders! Due to the kind of contentit has been churning out issue after issue, there had been a persistentdemand from discerning readers that the magazine should have a letterscolumn through which they could express their views and share information.Admittedly, we did not realise that our effort would be valued so high, whichwas why we did not contemplate having a letters column so far. It’s been afulfilling factor too for us. On completion of a decade of striving existence,we are pleased to commence a Cinemascope column under which ourdiscerning readers can share their views. We invite all our readers to sendtheir opinions as well as suggestions relating to the industry and our effortin making it better. It may kindly be noted that for convenience of lucidity,the letters may be edited suitably, and Cinemascope retains the right toaccept or reject any letter depending on the merit of the subject discussed.So, please do send in your views to Cinemascope.

Mail your feedback to [email protected]

CINEMASCOPE

CONTACT DETAILS

RNI # KARENG02795/10/1/2002-TC

POSTAL ADDRESS231, 7th Cross, Indiranagar 1st Stage,

Bengaluru 560 038, India

COMMUNICATIONSPhone +9180 2521 5107 / 2527 2812 Fax +9180 2520 5094

EDITORIALBhavanashi Ramakrishna (Ram)

[email protected] Mobile +9198 4587 2794

ADVERTISINGBobby Chetia

[email protected] Mobile +9198 9250 4871

CIRCULATIONYashodhara [email protected]

Published by Sandeep Mittalon behalf of

Sandy Media231, 7th Cross,

Indiranagar 1st Stage,Bengaluru 560 038, IndiaPhone +9180 2527 2812

Fax +9180 2521 [email protected] www.sandy.in

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April-June 2010TW-6

A Box Office 'Avatar' in China

James Cameron's epic sci-fi making

Avatar made waves in an

unexpected market too, in Asia.

Despite several 'systemic' hassles like

the Chinese administrations

stringent guidelines as well as

natural hassles like snowfall and

bitter cold, Avatar burned up

China's boxoffice, earning about

400 million Yuan ($50 million) and

appears set to break the box office

record set by 2012. In the process, it

confirmed China as the 21st

century's second-highest-grossing

territory for Hollywood blockbusters

outside the U.S.

The hype around the Avatar release

was so high that nearly a foot of snow

blanketed the Chinese capital on the

movie's release day, and it didn't

premiere until midnight that night,

moviegoers still lined up in near-zero

temperatures for half-price 40 Yuan

tickets ($5.85) and sold out the show

at the Sanlitun Megabox theater.

The Avatar excitement peaked in the

run-up to Christmas and yearend

holiday when Cameron visited Beijing

on December 23.

China Renames 'Avatar' MountainA Chinese mountain has reportedly

been renamed in honour of the sci-

fi film Avatar, after claims it had

inspired scenery in the fantasy

blockbuster. The SouthernSky

Column in Zhangjiajie, Hunan

province, will now be known as the

Avatar Hallelujah Mountain.

Local officials said photographs of the

mountain had been used as the basis

for Avatar's fictional world of

Pandora. Avatar has become the most

popular film ever in China, making

$80m (£50m) at the box office so far.

Xiaoxiang Morning News said the

mountain was officially renamed at

a ceremony recently.

The director is well-known to Chinese

for Titanic, which grossed 360 million

Yuan ($52.7 million) here in 1998, a

record that was only broken last July,

by the Transformers.. The

Transformers…sequel earned 400

million Yuan ($59 million), making

China its No. two territory outside

the U.S. Its China box office record

was topped in December by 2012,

which made 460 million Yuan ($67

million).

The paper said a photographer from

Hollywood had visited the

Wulingyuan Scenic Area, the location

of the mountain, in 2008.

"Many pictures he took then become

prototypes for various elements in the

Avatar movie, including the

'Hallelujah Mountains'," Reuters

quoted the website as saying.

Avatar tours: The renaming of the

mountain is one of the several

attempts by Zhangjiajie to capitalise

on the success of Avatar. According to

agency reports, the tourists are being

offered special tours to the locations

that reportedly inspired the movie.

Avatar was estimated to have netted

four million Yuan ($586,000) came in

from the midnight showings- 3.5

million Yuan ($513,000) more than

that earned off midnight premieres

of Transformers: Revenge of the

Fallen.

In a very short time, China has

become the world's second-largest

market for Hollywood

blockbusters, attracting a growing

number of the nation's swelling

middle class.

A 3D China: As in the West, 3D is

helping to boost the Chinese box

office earnings. According to China

Film - the sole authorised body to

distribute foreign movies in China -

in two months to the Avatar run-up,

China experienced a 20 per cent rise

in the number of 3D screens totalling

to an estimated 700 screens

nationwide. That as much as 54 per

cent of Avatar prints in China were

3D goes to prove the growing

fascination for 3D digital format in

the country.

The municipal government website

has also adopted the slogan

"Pandora is far but Zhangjiajie is

near," which is said to be taken with

much excitement, and churning out

significant returns.

April-June 2010TW-8

Christie, FTT Deal for300 Solaria Series Projectors

Christie and German integration and

service provider Film Ton Technik

Hannsdieter Rüttgers GmbH (FTT) have

struck a major deal for a framework of

300 Christie Solaria series projectors to

be deployed across European cinemas.

The Christie Solaria series consists of

three new 2K DLP Cinema models

upgradable to 4K and two 4K models.

They feature different brightness and

resolution levels offering the ideal

solution for different cinema sizes and

needs. Hence the reason the contract

only stipulates the overall number of

projectors but does not specify the

models in order to allow a flexible

adaptation to the specifics of each

environment.

"Our customers had the best experiences

with Christie projectors and we ourselves,

a long term partner, are pleased with the

quality and technical support Christie

offers," says Thomas Rüttgers, Managing

Director of FTT. "Since many customers

went for Christie products, entering into

this agreement was simply a logical step

for us."

The cooperation with Christie dates

back to 2004, when the first small D-

Cinema rollout started. Since then, FTT

installed numerous 2K DLP Cinema

projectors of Christie's CP Series in

Christie Leads the Show With Series-2 DLP Projectors

Christie, the leader in digital cinema

projection technologies, announced

full production, shipping and

installation of its latest generation of

4K-ready DLP Cinema projectors, the

Christie Solaria series, beginning with

the Christie CP2220. The Christie

CP2220 digital cinema projector

features Texas Instruments' next

generation Series 2 DLP Cinema

technology. Shipments began early

January to North and South America,

Europe and Asia and are now installed

and showing feature films worldwide,

including Australia, Canada, Korea

and the United States. With orders

arriving daily, Christie continues its

lead in digital cinema deployment

resulting in 70 per cent of all digital

cinema installations worldwide since

the introduction of DLP Cinema

projectors - which Christie was also the

first to market.

Designed to meet all DCI

specifications, the Christie Solaria is

fully upgradeable to 4K digital cinema

and features Christie Brilliant3D

technology, providing the ultimate,

most realistic 3D experience with the

lowest cost of operation.

"Our manufacturing facilities are in

full production ensuring that we keep

pace with this overwhelming demand

for the new Christie Series 2

projectors," said Craig Sholder, vice-

president of Entertainment Solutions

at Christie. "With the spectacular

success of 3D movies like Avatar,

exhibitors realize that digital cinema is

no longer an option, it is a strategic

imperative. The Solaria Series is the

most practical, cost-effective solution

today, based on time-tested, highly

reliable DLP Cinema technology."

Manager Vince Butler of CLACO

Equipment and Service Inc., a specialist

in new cinema installations, upgrades,

and maintenance of both the

projection booth and auditoriums,

observed, "in order to remain

competitive, exhibitors have to be

proactive when deciding which

projector to buy today, and

upgradeability to the right 4K

technology is important. The main

advantage of Christie DLP 4K vs. LCOS

4K is its light output capabilities. The

DLP chip can handle the heat build-up

better. LCOS technology does not

allow for extreme heat to be

dissipated, and this can affect the light

output in larger venues."

Integrity Entertainment Systems, LLC,

an authorized digital-cinema reseller

for Christie, placed hundreds of orders

for the new Solaria Series 2 projector,

which it will install throughout the

United States. Integrity president Gary

Engvold wanted to provide his

customers with the largest selection of

2K and 4K cinema projectors on the

market. He also wanted to ensure that

his customers' technology investment

is future-proof.

"Some of our customers specifically

requested Christie's next generation of

cinema projectors because they offer a

4K upgrade option," remarked

Engvold. "It's inevitable that 4K is the

future of cinema, but I truly believe

that Christie DLP Cinema projectors are

the best choice for our industry

because they produce more light with

less energy. In fact, the energy and

lamp savings from using Christie versus

the LCOS technology over a ten year

period is huge. It's almost enough to

pay for the projector itself."

In addition to the Christie CP2220, the

new Solaria Series of 4K-ready digital

cinema projectors also includes the

Christie CP2210 and the Christie

CP2230.

many different cinema environments as

well as in studios or post production

facilities.

Stefan Müller, Business Development

Manager Cinema for Christie EMEA,

welcomed the continuation of this

intense cooperation with FTT: "We are,

of course, very happy that FTT is

showing such confidence and counting

on us for the next conversion phase.”

These 300 Christie projectors are

primarily going to be installed in

German cinemas of various operators

but also in other countries in Central

and Eastern Europe where FTT

operates. They will be used in ongoing

projects like the digitalisation that

already started in 2009, but also in new

upcoming projects. All Solaria Series

projectors are planned to be in use by

mid 2011, a third of them for 3D

screenings.

April-June 2010TW-10

‘Academy’ Awards to DLP Cinema Team

The Academy Board of Governors

bestowed the 2009 Scientific and

Engineering Award (Academy Plaque)

to four individuals responsible for the

color accuracy of Texas Instruments

DLP Cinema projectors.

Acknowledged during a private award

ceremony, D. Scott Dewald, Greg

Pettitt, Brad Walker and Bill Werner

were recognized for their

contributions furthering the design

and refinement of the TI's DLP Cinema

projector, achieving a level of

performance which enables color-

accurate, digital intermediate previews

of motion pictures.

"As the technology leader in

producing precise DCI compliant

colors, superior contrast ratios and the

light output necessary to illuminate

the largest auditoriums, the Academy

of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is

proud to recognize DLP Cinema for

this achievement," said Richard

Edlund, Academy Governor and chair

of the Scientific and Technical Awards

Committee. "Texas Instruments, DLP

Cinema has redefined the movie

going experience with an incredible

picture."

"For the first time in the over 100 year-

old cinema history, filmmakers and

audiences around the world are

ensured they will see colors the way

the moviemaker intended every

showing when enjoying a movie or

content projected with DLP Cinema

technology," said Nancy Fares,

business manager for Texas

Instruments, DLP Cinema Products.

The technology awarded the 2009

Academy Scientific and Engineering

Award for achievement in Color

Accuracy is exclusive to DLP Cinema

products; however, Texas Instruments

works with the world's leading

manufacturers to deliver top-quality

and related technology to a variety of

front projectors, pico projectors, HDTV

models and more. The highly reliable

and full-color imagery in all DLP

products is achieved by the fast

switching speed of the mirrors on the

DLP Chip.

"Leveraging the Cinema technology

offers our customers the ability to

manufacturer world class projectors for

home, business and classroom use with

high reliability and superb color

accuracy," said Roger Carver, business

manager for Texas Instruments, DLP

Products.

The DLP Cinema solution provides the

capability to light up theatre screens as

big as 100 feet and 3D screens as big as

75 feet, which has been a challenge

for competing technologies. As the

technology provider offering solutions

with low operating costs, DLP Cinema

remains dedicated to providing the

cinema industry with the widest

variety of technology offerings to fit

their growing needs.

DLP Cinema projection technology is

installed in over 17,000 screens

worldwide. Today there are nearly

10,000 worldwide screens that offer

DLP Cinema digital 3D technology

which uses every pixel array in the

frame for the brightest picture unlike

other technologies in the industry.

Since last year's introduction, IMAX

digital projection systems powered by

DLP Cinema have reached a total of

155 locations worldwide.

Strong Expandsinto Taiwan;Plans Office

Ballantyne Strong, Inc., a provider of

digital cinema projection equipment

and services, cinema screens and other

cinema products reported that it has

expanded its Asian distribution rights

into Taiwan for the NEC Line of digital

cinema projectors.

The company has already begun

active sales and marketing efforts in

Taiwan. Ballantyne plans to open an

office in Taiwan in the first half of

2010 to provide sales training, service

and support for all digital cinema

products sold in the territory.

Ballantyne's Asian distribution

territory now includes Indonesia,

Hong Kong, Malaysia, the People's

Republic of China, Singapore and

Taiwan.

Ballantyne president and CEO, John P.

Wilmers, commented, "Taiwan is an

important extension of our digital

projector footprint in Asia that also

provides cross-selling opportunities for

other products and services. Taiwan

has approximately 500-screens,

roughly 90% of which have yet to be

converted to digital technology. We

look forward to working with leading

exhibition companies in the region

and serving their digital cinema

needs."

ISO 9001:2008: Ballantyne also

announced that its cinema screen

subsidiary, Strong/MDI Screen Systems,

Inc., has earned International

Organization for Standardization ISO

9001:2008 certification for its quality

management standards and

procedures. The certification

encompasses all key business processes

tied to quality control and product

traceability, including record keeping,

monitoring, regular review and

evaluation of procedures as well as

methods to facilitate continual

improvement. The ISO certification

complements the Company's

significant recent capital investment in

cutting-edge technology, plant

infrastructure and staff development.

The ISO is a network of the national

standards institutes of 162 countries

with a Central Secretariat in Geneva,

Switzerland.

Wilmers, added, "we are proud to

announce our cinema screen division's

ISO 9001 certification. Strong/MDI has

been working toward this quality

standard for the past 12 months. The

certification is an important milestone

that provides a globally respected

acknowledgement of Strong/MDI's

quality standards, which should

further support its worldwide sales and

marketing efforts."


Dolby Plays Red Bull’s First 3D Movie

Dolby Laboratories, Inc. provided digital

cinema mastering and technical support

for the screening of Red Bull’s first 3D

movie at the recently held 70th annual

Hahnenkamm World Cup Alpine ski

event in Kitzbühel in Austria. Filmed in

the days leading up to the celebrated

World Cup race, the new movie features

spectacular views of the famous Streif

downhill course, including 3D point-of-

view footage shot by a downhill skier,

giving a unique perspective on what it’s

like to tackle one of the world’s

toughest ski pistes.

The movie, produced by Red Bull

Media House GmbH, was shown for the

first time to invited guests in Dolby 3D

at the Red Bull Next Generation Media

event, which is designed to showcase

innovation, and celebrate Red Bull’s

participation in the Hahnenkamm

event – the sporting and social

highlight of the year in Kitzbühel.

“We were very excited to be able to

give our guests this stunning 3D view of

what is recognized as the Alpine skiing

world’s most difficult competition piste,”

said Andreas Gall, Chief Technical Officer

of Red Bull Media House. “Red Bull

gives wiiings to innovations, so when

we needed support to help us realize

the presentation of this technically

challenging project we turned to Dolby,

who we consider to be the most

innovative brand in audio and cinema.”

With only a few days to capture, edit

and prepare the footage before the

start of the Hahnenkamm event,

Dolby Production Services Group

provided digital cinema mastering of

the 3D footage captured by the Red

Bull media house team. Working on-

site in Kitzbühel, the Dolby team used

the Dolby SCC2000 Secure Content

Creator JPEG 2000 encoder to produce

a 3D Digital Cinema Package (DCP) of

the exciting action. They then

facilitated pristine digital screening of

the movie via a Dolby 3D digital

cinema system for the invited guests at

the Next Generation Media event.

“The Dolby technical team is used to

providing technical support to world

premiere screenings all over the globe,”

said Julian Pinn, Director Distribution

Services, Production Services Group,

Dolby Laboratories, “but we were all

very excited to work with Red Bull

Media House to assist with such an

unusual project. Working on location

presented a few challenges, but we

were delighted to help Red Bull ensure

everyone enjoyed an outstanding 3D

cinematic presentation of what is some

truly spectacular action.”

Invited guests were also treated to a

showing in Dolby Digital Cinema 2D

of the dramatic and awe-inspiring

feature documentary Mount St. Elias,

which follows three ski mountaineers

to the imposing Alaskan mountain in

their attempt to realize the longest ski

descent of the world.

New Silver ScreenOption from Sonic

Sonic Equipment Company took the

exclusive distributorship for the Etoniq

Silver Screen in the United States and

Canada. The Etoniq screen, made in

Asia, has been approved for use with

the RealD Cinema System.

“With the recent success of 3D movies

and our new arrangements with

Cinedigm and CBG for the Phase II

rollout, the opportunity to have a

complete one-stop package for the

independent exhibitor that includes

the silver screen is exciting”, says

Sonic’s Director of Operations Eric

Olson.

The Etoniq screen meets all codes

required for installation in North

America and comes in a steel tube that

helps insure safe delivery anywhere.

“As the demand for 3D continues to

rise we will work hard to give our

customers fast, professional service and

provide accurate delivery dates and

shipment tracking” say Olson.

Sonic Equipment Company, located in

Iola, Kansas, has become a leader in

the cinema industry’s conversion to

digital. Sonic has been servicing

independent exhibitors for over 30

years and as built a complete package

for converting 35mm booths to

digital, including PM Service,

installation, equipment choices and

financing options. Sonic Equipment

Company has also worked with

independent theatre owners from

consultation to Grand Opening on

their new theatre projects.

Sonic Equipment Company has till

now installed over 80 digital systems,

dozens of silver screens for 3D

presentations and is an experienced

installer of the RealD Cinema System.

UGC, Ymagis inPact for MassiveDigitisation

European exhibition major UGC

Group has signed an agreement with

another European service provider

Ymagis for one of the largest digital

roll-outs in recent times, outside the

US. Ymagis will act as a third-party

investor and a third-party VPF

collector. The agreement will allow

UGC's 600 screens to switch to digital

exhibition within 24 to 36 months. The

rollout calendar initially will focus on

digital projection in 3D, and

subsequently expand to complete

conversion of all theatres.

UGC is one of the leading European

cinema groups, active in France,

Belgium, Spain and Italy. It is also one

of the major players in European

cinema production and distribution.

Ymagis, on the other hand, is one of

the main third-party facilitators for

digital projection in Europe. The

company occupies a leading position

in France and is already the partner of

operators in Spain, Belgium,

Luxembourg and Germany.

The agreement will enable the

implementation of this technological

breakthrough without hindering

UGC's investment and innovation

capacities. The group's transition to

digital will thus be compatible with

the investments required to expand

and upgrade the circuit.

In view of various initiatives

emanating from the supervisory

authority and competitors, and of the

adoption by the public of 3D

projection, which requires digital

projection, the group believes this is

the right moment to optimise the

conditions of this conversion.


yet in the IMAX business. This expanded

relationship with Rising Star Media, one

of the top exhibitors in the region, fuels

that interest and reinforces our cache

with Russian consumers."

Shaw Brothers’$200M DigitalUpgrade

Legendary Film company Shaw

Brothers, founders of Hong Kong’s

movie industry and shareholders of the

Shaw Studios Project – a state-of-the-

art audio post production facility –

chose Digital Projection International

for all their projector needs.

After extensive global research on the

highest-performing projectors available

today, Shaw chose the Award -Winning

TITAN series projectors. The TITAN series

has a full spectrum of light output

units, capable of producing from 1600

lumens to 11,000 lumens, while also

offering the most lumens produced

from the lowest wattage consumed of

any projector range today. From the

compact TITAN 1080p-250 to the CEDIA

Expo award-winning TITAN 1080p-Dual

3D, the TITAN line is fully HD and offers

numerous Active 3D capable displays.

Eric Stark, Chief Technical Officer, Shaw

Studios said, “we spent a great deal of

time researching all projectors on the

market and finally chose Digital

Projection’s TITAN displays based on the

compact form factor and low noise

which lends itself perfectly to the

studio environment where space is a

premium and noise levels are critical.”

Stark continued, ‘the advanced

ColorMax’ colour processing gives the

user full control over primary and

secondary colors, plus white point

control. This advanced color control

allows us to color match every

projection system in house in order to

attain a complete color science solution

at Shaw Studios. Another deciding

factor for us is the ability to use the

projector in 2D or 3D modes which

enable us to take on a wider range of

projects, as more 3D movies are

produced.”

The studios boast one of the largest,

fully sound and vibration-insulated

soundstages in Asia. They offer a full-

service color lab and digital imaging

facility with over 20 sound and editing

suites. Additional amenities in the

production facility include a 400-seat

dubbing and screening theatre,

executive and production office space,

plus workstations for visual effects and

animation design. In all, the Shaw

Studios space offers over a million

square feet of digitally-wired and

secure facilities dedicated solely to film

production and post-production.

Founded in 1989, Digital Projection

International (DPI) has been

instrumental in the development and

application of Digital Light Processing

technology by Texas Instruments for

projection systems. DPI introduced the

world’s first 3-chip DLP projector in

1997, and has since delivered expert

system engineering and world-class

customer services, thus maintaining its

position as a digital imaging pioneer.

DPI’s groundbreaking projection

research and development has garnered

the admiration of industry professionals

around the world. This has earned the

company many awards, including two

Emmy® Awards for Outstanding

Achievement in Engineering

Development by the Academy of

Television Arts and Sciences. DPI remains

the first and only projector

manufacturer to win the coveted award.

Today, DPI manufactures and distributes

an extensive line of ultra high-

performance 3-chip and single-chip DLP

projection systems. These projectors are

the reference standard for demanding

applications such as large-venue, live-

event staging, fortune 5000, education,

medical and scientific research,

command and control, digital cinema,

commercial entertainment, worship and

elite home cinema.

IMAX Expands in RussiaIMAX Corporation, and Rising Star

Media, one of Russia's leading

international exhibitors, announced an

agreement to expand their relationship

by installing two more digital IMAX

theatre systems by spring 2010. The

deal follows a highly successful run of

IMAX titles at the exhibitor's two

existing IMAX locations. Under terms of

the deal, Rising Star will add a new

digital IMAX location in Moscow, and

upgrade its existing film-based IMAX

location in St. Petersburg with an IMAX

digital projection system.

During the current run of Avatar in

Russia, IMAX theatres generated 5 per

cent of the movie's total Russian box

office on 0.3 per cent of the screens.

The two Kinostar IMAX screens, which

are operated by Rising Star Media,

have both passed the $1 million box

office mark. On other recent 3D

releases, including Sony Animation's

Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs

and Disney's A Christmas Carol,

Kinostar enjoyed similar market

leading box office success.

"We have a long and successful history

with IMAX and it is great to see our

relationship grow to new heights in

Russia," said Shari E. Redstone,

Chairwoman of Rising Star Media. "The

incremental box office returns from our

Kinostar venues with IMAX, combined

with the growing number of Hollywood

blockbusters released in IMAX's unique

format makes the decision to expand

our relationship an easy one."

"Through our experience with a range

of 3D technologies we have learned that

IMAX 3D resonates with Russian

moviegoers, and they are seeking out

the premium IMAX experience at our

theatres," said Paul B. Heth, Chief

Executive Office of Rising Star Media.

"Our partnership with IMAX has become

very important to us as we continue to

strive to offer the best movie going

experience in our industry."

"Russia remains a key part of our

European expansion strategy," said IMAX

CEO Richard L. Gelfond. "Our strong film

slate and digital projection system

continues to drive interest from existing

partners as well as exhibitors who are not


Historic ‘Beacon’ Light Beckons Cinemagoers

Moon” on all six screens. Their opening

celebrations with the 3D showing of “A

Christmas Carol” also attracted full

houses, even though the movie had

premiered several weeks before at

competitive theatres, which drew only

a fraction of the audience when it was

shown in 2D. Integrity Entertainment

Systems, LLC, an authorized digital

cinema reseller for Christie, handled the

sales and installations. Gary Engvold,

president of Integrity Entertainment

Systems, explained that his

organization supplied all the

components necessary for the complete

installation. “We recommended

Christie CP2000-ZX digital cinema

projection systems for all six

auditoriums. Two screens are equipped

for 3D presentations and, since 3D is

driving market momentum, there is an

option for a third 3D projector,” he

said. “Christie’s proven digital expertise,

along with the brightest, highest

performance projectors and the lowest

cost of ownership, make it the

projector of choice.”

Pittsfield’s Mayor James M. Ruberto

participated in the ribbon cutting

ceremony, which used 35mm film in

place of ribbon to signify the theatre’s

“cutting of the cord” with old

technology and embracing digital

cinema. He remarked, “The Beacon

Cinema complex will become the

cultural hub and entertainment center

of Berkshire County once again.

Pittsfield’s downtown is now open for

fun, families, and tourists.”

“Independent theatres serve an

important niche in the cinema

industry, since they cater to local

audiences and provide a connection

to their communities,” observed Craig

Sholder, vice-president, Entertainment

Solutions, Christie. “By working closely

with certified Christie dealers who sell,

install and service the independent

theatres, Christie can offer a broad

range of support and the most

advanced and cost-effective digital

projection solutions available.”

Georgia Theatre Selects ChristieChristie announced that its CP2000-ZX

DLP Cinema projectors will be installed

across the entire circuit of Georgia

Theatre Company, a cinema chain with

over 270 screens in 27 locations,

including Georgia, Florida, South

Carolina and Virginia. Part of

Cinedigm’s Phase 2 digital cinema

deployment programme, Georgia

Theatres plans to install over 250

Christie projection systems throughout

its circuit. Having done a significant

digital roll-out during the Year End

holiday theatrical releases in December,

and during the run up to the 3D

magnum opus Avatar, the Georgia-

based exhibitor intends to continue its

digital roll-out through out 2010.

“Service and experience with digital

equipment installations are two major

factors in our selection of Christie

digital projectors and Christie

Managed Services,” noted Aubrey

Stone, president of Georgia Theatre

Company. “We tested their units for a

year and we were very impressed. The

picture on the screen was excellent.

Along with their technology and

lowest cost of operation, Christie’s

track record of installing thousands of

screens worldwide was also an

important consideration in our

decision.”

Stone added, “Christie is the

undisputed leader in digital cinema

because they fully understand the

Christie, the world’s leader in digital

cinema projection installations, was a

star attraction at the recently

inaugurated, all-digital Beacon Cinema

complex located in downtown

Pittsfield, Massachusetts. One of the

most highly anticipated events in

Pittsfield, the new $23-million complex,

whose six screens are powered

exclusively by Christie CP2000-ZX DLP

Cinema projectors, is reviving the city’s

core. Built within a restored century-

old historic building, The Beacon

Cinema brought the excitement of the

movies back to the downtown area

after a 15-year absence.

“It took us several years to complete

the project, including the planning,

design, gutting and rehabilitation of

the existing structure. Early on, I saw

the direction in which cinema was

moving, with studios releasing

everything in digital and alternative

content emerging. I decided to take

the wider view, and go ‘all digital’

with Christie DLP Cinema projection

systems,” said Richard Stanley,

managing partner of The Beacon

Cinema. “Along with sporting events,

live concerts and special events, as well

as corporate and business activities

increasingly taking place in a theatre

environment, I see myself not only in

the cinema business but in the

entertainment industry.”

The mixed-use facility incorporates

offices, retail space and the 850-seat

Beacon Cinema, which resides over

three floors, with auditoriums on the

first and third floors and projection

booths on the first and third floor

mezzanines. It features all-stadium

rocking seats, a state-of- the-art data

network that includes security, phone,

Internet, and digital cinema distribution

from two data control rooms. There are

two concession areas, which also serve

wine and beer. They also boast all digital

concession menu boards, digital poster

cases and digital box office signage.

Stanley noted that Beacon’s opening

night was sold out, with the midnight

showing of “The Twilight Saga: New


needs of the exhibitors and know how

to deliver quality products in the

fastest timetable. One of the things

that impressed me most is dealing with

the people at Christie. Not only are

they professional, but also they are a

pleasure to work with. The speed with

which we’ve been able to bring the

systems online is a tribute to Christie’s

commitment to first-rate customer

service and support.”

Third-generation family-owned

Georgia Theatre Company has

specialized in motion picture

exhibition for over 80 years. According

to Chairman and CEO, Bill Stembler,

“From our early roots to becoming

one of the top 20 circuits today, we

pride ourselves on providing our

patrons with the finest facilities,

including state-of-the-art digital

projection, stadium seating and the

best sound systems available.”

Craig Sholder, vice-president of

Entertainment Solutions at Christie

commented, “we look forward to

working with Georgia Theatre

Company as it continues to upgrade

to the world’s most preferred, and

proven, line of digital projectors.

When ‘the show must go on,’ no other

projection system meets the standards

of reliability set by Christie. We have

the right solution for every size screen

and the trained staff to resolve every

installation challenge because we

bring our own 80 years of experience

working with exhibitors, anticipating

and meeting their needs around the

world.”

Movie Palace Wyoming Chooses ChristieChristie announced that it has been

selected by Movie Palace, Inc., as the

exclusive digital cinema provider for

its new all-digital Studio City Stadium

10, a 10-screen classic multiplex theatre

in Casper, Wyoming. It is the second

Movie Palace theatre in Casper to use

Christie digital projectors. The

company has also installed the Christie

CP2000 series projectors – the world’s

most popular digital cinema projector

– in its other locations in Cheyenne

and Rock Springs, Wyoming.

“We chose Christie based on three key

criteria: reliability, brightness and

customer service. Since we built our

reputation on presenting high quality

images on the screen and providing

the best service in the community, we

depend on the flawless performance

and customer care that Christie

products and their staff provide us,”

remarked Randy Pryde, president of

Movie Palace.

Pryde noted that Movie Palace plans

to equip all their locations with

Christie DLP Cinema projectors.

“Offering the brightest and most

reliable products in the industry,

Christie greatly enhances our

customers’ movie viewing

experience,” he observed.

According to Pryde, Movie Palace

conducted extensive research on the

older, classic theatres, and then

merged the glamour and architecture

of these legendary movie theatres

with the ultimate in digital projection

technology and state-of-the-art sound

systems.

Andrew Houck, the manager of the

new Studio City Stadium 10, noted:

“We installed six Christie CP2000-ZX

projectors, three Christie CP2000-M

projectors and one Christie CP2000-SB

projector in our multiplex because

they not only project stunning images

on the screen, they also deliver the

most cost-effective digital solutions in

the industry. As well, Christie

continues to set the standards for 3D,

in both resolution and brightness. We

anticipate that we will be utilizing

these digital projectors in the future

for concerts, sporting events and

corporate activities.”

CLACO Equipment and Services, Inc.,

one of the region’s leading cinema

dealers, was responsible for the

installation. According to Vince Butler,

digital technician and installations

manager at CLACO, Christie’s strong

reputation for superior service before

and after the sale and the lowest cost of

ownership were important factors in

their decision to install Christie projectors.

“In addition to its world-class customer

support, Christie equipment is both

top notch and among the most

reliable in the industry, making our

job much easier,” said Butler. “Movie

Palace has had excellent experience in

the past using other Christie

equipment, such as Christie consoles,

automations and 35mm lamp houses,

and have found them extremely

reliable. Digital cinema is the next

frontier, and we look forward to

working with Christie to deliver the

most visually exciting movie

presentations in the industry. “

April-June 2010 TW-19

SFG Chooses Christie for SecondPhase Roll-out

Christie announced that Shanghai-

based United Circuit – a subsidiary of

the Shanghai Film Group (SFG)

Corporation – has purchased an

additional 100 Christie DLP Cinema

projectors for its second phase roll-out.

The CP2000 Series projectors are

expected to be installed in the circuit’s

theaters in China within the year. The

success of SFG’s first phase installment

of Christie projectors re-enforced its

decision to continue exclusively with

the company.

After conducting a comprehensive

and an in-depth industry analysis,

United Circuit selected the Christie

CP2000 Series cinema projectors to

kick-start its digitalization plan. Over

the last year, the Christie projectors

have been performing superbly and

delivering excellent picture quality,

while maintaining a low cost of

operation. These factors prompted

the group to continue with them for

their second roll-out. As the world’s

most popular digital cinema projector,

the Christie CP2000 Series is industry-

renowned for its sheer brightness,

resolution, color reproduction and

quality. There are currently more than

7,000 digital cinema projectors

installed worldwide, serving more

than 70% of the global digital cinema

industry.

Xu Xiaoping, general manager for

United Circuit, said: “Christie has

fulfilled its promise by delivering

reliable projectors that provide

superior picture quality. This goes

hand-in-hand with Christie’s

outstanding technical support and

services. The company’s technical team

is always responsive, ensuring that all

its digital cinema projectors operate

smoothly in our theaters. We’re very

pleased with our collaboration with

Christie and look forward to

continuing our work with them. Our

partnership with Christie continues to

ensure the quality of China’s digital

films.”

“United Circuit plays an important role

in China’s cinema market,” said Lin Yu,

vice-president, Christie, Asia Pacific.

“The second phase of SFG’s digital

cinema plan will enhance the quality

of China’s digital films. We’re very

honoured to be chosen again by SFG

to work with United Circuit. Christie

will continue providing

comprehensive support to United

Circuit and its other Chinese

customers, ensuring their smooth

transition to digital cinema.”

Barco, KerasotesPartner on LuxuryMultiplexes

Digital projection leader Barco

announces that Kerasotes ShowPlace

Theatres LLC has purchased 48 digital

cinema projectors to be distributed

throughout multiple markets. Locations

include three new multiplexes in

Secaucus, New Jersey, Minneapolis in

Minnesota and Chicago in Illinois, plus

standalone 3D installations in Denver,

Colorado and Illinois.

Kerasotes, once a large player only in

the Midwest, is now truly a coast-to-

coast exhibitor with a national

footprint. With the opening of the

new 16-screen multiplex in Chicago’s

‘Roosevelt Collection’ and a new 14-

screen multiplex in Minneapolis,

Kerasotes unveils their innovative

ShowPlace ICON Theatre design, a

multi-sensory experience of lounge,

dining and digital widescreen picture

and sound. The Chicago multiplex

opened in December 2009.

True to their name, each ICON

multiplex offers unprecedented levels

of amenities and design. In a

glamorous atmosphere reminiscent of

Hollywood, guests 21 years and older

can enjoy food and beverages in the

lounge or VIP Premium seating areas.

Additional amenities include reserved

seating, specialty foods at the

concession stand, stadium seating for

perfect viewing, and the brightest

presentations in the market with Barco

projection.

”Kerasotes’ new ICON multiplexes have

a beautiful and sophisticated urban

vibe,” said Scott Freidberg, Vice

President of Sales for Barco’s Digital

Cinema business, “and they’ve become

destination locations that encompass

movies and so much more.”

Each new Barco-equipped Kerasotes

multiplex offers both 2D and 3D

capability, using the industry’s most

sophisticated and advanced projection

equipment. Barco provides a full line of

digital cinema projectors, purpose-built

for screen sizes ranging from 12m (40

feet) wide up to 30m (98 feet).

Customers such as Kerasotes select Barco

projectors not only for their superior

image quality, but also for their efficient

power consumption, ease of use,

modular design, sealed optics, high

reliability and low cost of ownership.

”When it comes to projection and

audio, I always buy state-of-the-art

technology” said Fred Walraven,

Kerasotes’ Technical Director. “That’s

the driving force in each of these

installations, from the Barco projectors

to the QSC audio amplifiers and the

Dolby servers. The important factor is

that our customers get the best

performance and I get the best

product reliability,” continued

Walraven. “Whether it’s 2D or 3D, our

customers have a theatre experience

that’s unbeatable.”

”We are very pleased that Kerasotes

has selected Barco as their digital

cinema technology provider for these

remarkable premiere theatres,” said

Todd Hoddick, Vice President of Digital

Cinema, for Barco N.A. “Kerasotes has

a reputation for providing a customer

experience that’s beyond compare,

and now, we’re honored to provide

Kerasotes with our own expertise —

the brightest images, the highest

reliability, and the most

comprehensive levels of service and

support in the industry.”


Barco, Cinema West Partner inCA’s Largest 3D Cinema

Cinema West, an independent

California exhibitor, chooses Barco DP-

2000 digital cinema projectors for

every screen in their new Palladio 16

multiplex in Folsom, California. With a

total seating capacity of 3000, built

around an efficient “green” energy

concept, the all-digital venue includes

six 3D-capable theaters.

Barco Digital Cinema announced

that California-based independent

multiplexer Cinema West has

selected Barco DP-2000 projectors

for their new Palladio 16 Cinemas

site located in Folsom, California.

Six DP-2000s are 3D-equipped, using

3D technology from RealD making

the Palladio 16 the largest single-site

3D installation in California, if not

the West Coast. The digital servers

and theatre management systems

were supplied and installed by

Dolby while the 5.1 surround-sound

digital audio system was supplied

and installed by both QSC and

Dolby.

With a current chain of 12 theatre

locations throughout northern and

central California, Cinema West has

a long history of innovation — and

the new Palladio 16 is no exception.

Each theatre in the complex offers

sports stadium seating and wall-to-

wall screens, with individual

capacities ranging from 140 to 300

seats. Installation was provided by

Theatre Equipment Construction

and Service (TECS), based in Santa

Rosa, California. “Cinema West has a

great policy of wall-to-wall screens,

wherever possible, and these screens

are enormous” said Robert

Hawthorne, Senior Technician for

TECS. “To install a 53-foot screen in

a room that’s 55 feet wide was a

challenge, but the installation went

very well and the DP-2000s certainly

fill the screens. I’m a big fan of the

Barco projectors,” continued

Hawthorne, “and the Cinema West

team has been just thrilled with

what they’ve seen. From my

standpoint, the picture is better,

they’re easier to work with, and

much easier to use.”

Nate Alchesky, General Manager for

the Palladio 16 Cinemas, commented

on the selection of Barco projectors.

“It was the quality and the ease of

use,” said Alchesky. “Once we saw the

pictures on screen, we realized that

this was the best way to go. The

picture quality is amazing, and the

install couldn’t have been simpler.

They were almost plug and play.”

Continuing with the spirit of

innovation, Cinema West is positioned

at the cutting edge of “green” theater

installations. Once final

implementation is complete in

January, the Palladio 16 Cinemas will

be able to boast the largest solar

system on the roof of any movie

theatre in the world. “Presently, our

theater in Livermore, California has

the largest solar installation of any

theater,” said Dave Corkill, Owner of

Cinema West, “but once our rooftop

installation is complete, this site will be

the largest. All the lighting products

used in the theater are LED-based.

Even the poster cases are backlit with

LED lighting, and what appears to be

neon is actually LED rope lighting. It

uses about 10% of the power. The

savings are significant,” continued

Corkill, “and our goal to be energy

efficient extends to the Barco products

as well. Barco projectors use far less

power than standard 35mm projectors,

so it all adds up, and it makes good

business sense.”

”We’re honored to have been selected

by Cinema West for their new

installation, which is noteworthy on

many levels,” explained Terri

Westhafer, Director of Business

Development for Barco Digital

Cinema. “Not only are we part of the

largest 3D installation in California,

but we also play a part in the

company’s high regard for ‘green’

energy use. This all-digital complex in

Folsom is a showplace for customers

who are visiting our Sacramento

offices. Cinema West’s high

presentation standards align with our

own, and Barco is proud to partner

with such an innovator in digital

technology.”

Barco Chosen for60th AnniversaryBerlinale

Barco Digital Cinema announced that ithas once again been chosen as theexclusive digital cinema projectorsupplier for the Berlinale’s 60thanniversary edition. The BerlinInternational Film Festival was launchedon 6 June 1951. Over the years, it hasbecome one of the most important filmfestivals in the world, with almost300,000 visitors. For this prestigious filmfestival, Barco supplies six digital cinemaprojectors from its renowned DP seriesplatform to ensure the audience seesthe highest quality movie image onscreen, exactly as the director intended.

”We are glad to be working withBarco’s digital cinema projectors for ouranniversary edition,” says BerlinaleDirector Dieter Kosslick. “We haveworked with them on the four previouseditions and know we can trust theprojectors to perform flawlessly for thefestival’s entire duration.”

”Barco is proud to have been chosenonce again as the exclusive digitalcinema projector supplier for theBerlinale,” comments Tim Sinnaeve,Market Director Barco Digital Cinema.“Barco’s digital cinema projectors offeran unparalleled image quality both in 2Dand 3D projection and the technology isrevolutionizing the cinema industry. Wefind it important to support film festivalslike the Berlinale, which make such animportant contribution to our industry asa whole.”

All of Barco’s 2K digital cinemaprojectors are based on the pioneering


Texas Digital, Sign-A-Ramain Digital Signage Pact

Texas Digital Systems Inc., and Sign-A-

Rama, the world’s largest sign

franchise, announced a partnership

naming Texas Digital as the exclusive

preferred provider of Dynamic Digital

Signage for Sign-A-Rama. Under this

partnership, Sign-A-Rama’s nearly

1,000 franchisees will greatly expand

the scope of their signage offerings to

customers by complementing their

existing line of static signage solutions

with the addition of a versatile and

engaging digital signage solution.

Texas Digital’s VitalCAST digital signage

software features an easy-to-use,

scalable platform that allows users at an

organization to manage displays at

multiple locations – from across town

to the other side of the world – either

from one central workstation or from

scattered locations across the globe.

Attentiongrabbing, professional

content can be created within the

software or easily imported into the

system and deployed in a matter of

minutes to one or more indoor and/or

outdoor LCD or LED displays. Sign-

ARama will work closely with Texas

Digital to offer its franchisees creative

design services and expertise in

managing graphics and content.

“Sign-A-Rama believes this is a great

partnership to bring the latest

technology to our store’s customers.

This partnership will insure Sign-A-

Rama’s position in the digital signage

market for the foreseeable future,”

said Dan Bonner, Sign-A-Rama Vendor

Relation Manager.

RealD SupportsKinoton’s DCPs

RealD, the 3D cinema technology

leader, is supporting DCP Digital Cinema

Projectors by offering a designated

holder for the RealD XL Cinema System.

Now RealD’s XL larger-screen

technology can be mounted fast and

easily in the front of DCP projectors. The

optical array of the 3D system is on a

rail, making it simple to slide it off the

lens to project 2D content.

With their extraordinary brightness,

Kinoton DCP projectors are perfectly

suited for brilliant 3D cinema even on

large screens. And the RealD XL

Cinema System delivers the most light

of any 3D projection technology,

enabling a 3D experience on screens

up to 24 meters (80’) in width with a

single high-performance DCP Digital

Cinema Projector – while using the

same lamp and lamp power as for 2D

presentation. A silver screen is needed

to maintain the polarization of the

right-eye and left-eye pictures.

DLP Cinema® technology from TexasInstruments, guaranteeing perfect re-production of film, time and timeagain, and ensure movie goers enjoythe highest quality film experiencewith consistent picture brightness,contrast and vibrant colors. Thanks to arevolutionary modular design, theprojectors deliver the lowest total costof ownership for a maximal ease of use.

The Berlin International Film Festivalwas organized from 11 to 21 Februaryin various venues throughout Berlin.The important venues include cinemasin Urania, Berlinale-Palast, CinemaxX 7,Delphi Filmpalast, Friedrichstadspalastand Kino im MGB.

Sigma Designs Integrates SENSIOSENSIO Technologies Inc. announced

that Sigma Designs has selected the

SENSIO 3D format decoder for

integration into its next generation of

media processors. A leading provider

of highly integrated, high-

performance system-on-chip (SoC)

solutions for entertainment and

control throughout the home, Sigma

is licensing SENSIO 3D technology to

allow set-top box, AV receiver, HDTV,

and Blu-ray player manufacturers to

provide their customers with an

optimal 3D viewing experience.

“The SENSIO 3D format is widely

known and respected for its image

quality and for its broad compatibility

with existing technologies and

infrastructures,” said Ken Lowe, vice-

president of strategic marketing for

Sigma Designs. “In developing our

new line of 3D-video capable chips,

we are incorporating many different

technologies and formats, so it makes

sense that SENSIO would be one of

the first considerations.”

SENSIO 3D is a distribution

technology that enables the

broadcast and storage of stereoscopic

(3D) content for home viewing,

transforming the conventional home

theater experience into a rich,

immersive stereoscopic experience.

Delivering true 1080p HD picture

quality, the SENSIO 3D format meets

the exacting demands of high-

performance 3D systems including the

latest HDTVs, receivers, and set-top

boxes.

“Sigma’s licensing of the SENSIO 3D

format will make it widely available

to the market in an integrated chip,

in turn enabling any manufacturer to

take advantage of our advanced

video processing algorithms,” said

SENSIO’s president and CEO Nicholas

Routhier. “We’re very proud to be

working with a leader in SoC design

and manufacture, and we look

forward to the first deployment of

the new Sigma Designs media

processor.”


The partnership is claimed to be

timely, as the Digital Out-of-Home

market is strong, with the size of the

market projected to have grown 33

percent in 2009 alone, according to a

study conducted by ABI Research.

Sign-A-Rama will now be able to

better address customers’ needs for

realtime, easily modified signage

applications.

“We’ve been forerunners in the

digital signage arena for the past few

years. Many of our locations have

already been offering solutions to

their customers and now have a

complete and solid partner to

expand their offering and services

Cobb Choose Barco for Luxury TheatreBarco Digital Cinema announced that

Cobb Theatres of Birmingham chose

and installed Barco digital projectors

into its first three ‘CineBistro’ theatres

located in the Tampa and Miami,

Florida regions. For Cobb Theatres,

CineBistro is a new entertainment

concept that combines premium

dining services with luxury movie-

going and reserved seating. While

enjoying gourmet cuisine and

premium wines and cocktails,

customers can view first-run or

independent movies in their own

luxurious leather rocking chair.

Cobb Theatres, based in Birmingham,

Alabama, is a progressive motion

picture exhibitor operating 193 screens

at 14 locations throughout the

southeastern United States.

The new concept cinema chain is now

being created by Cobb Theatres across

the USA. A CineBistro consists of an

intimate lounge and restaurant area in a

boutique setting, surrounded by

multiple theatres — each seating

switcher was also installed. This

specialized switcher effectively

expands the theatre’s display

capabilities beyond movies, with the

ability to input and scale “alternative

content” formats (such as DVDs or

satellite feeds) directly into the

projector. With this addition, the

CineBistro venue becomes an

attractive option for private corporate

events and screening of live telecasts

such as boxing bouts and concerts.

According to Jeremy Welman, Chief

Operating Officer for Cobb Theatres,

Barco is Cobb’s preferred partner as his

company advances their digital

projection deployment. “Barco has

been our choice for digital cinema

projectors for several reasons,” Welman

explained. “The superior image quality,

energy efficiency, and Barco’s desire to

work closely with us and to stand

behind their products — these are the

important factors. In the CineBistro,

where we’re selling a premium dining

and viewing experience, we naturally

had to provide our patrons with the

very best image quality, just as we do in

each of our theatres. All in all, it was a

pretty easy decision for us to continue

using Barco in the CineBistros.”

Welman’s comments were amplified by

Joe DeMeo, Director of Sales for Barco’s

Digital Cinema business. “Cobb Theatres’

preference for Barco is a testament to our

quality and reliability” noted DeMeo.

“These first three CineBistros are just the

start of a very popular trend in digital

cinema and family entertainment, and

we’re honored that Barco is a part of it.”

Currently CinéBistro has locations in

Miami and Tampa and is under

construction in Colorado and two sites

in Virginia.

through our alliance with Texas

Digital,” said Sign-A-Rama President

Jim Tatem.

“Texas Digital is delighted to partner

with Sign-A-Rama to bring a digital

signage solution that will help their

customers communicate more

effectively,” said Dennis Davidson,

Texas Digital president and COO.

“Through VitalCAST, our partnerships

with hardware vendors such as NEC,

Samsung, LG and Dell, and our

installation and support capabilities,

Texas Digital offers Sign-A-Rama

franchisees a turnkey solution that

greatly complements their static

signage solutions.”

between 80-100 customers. After dining,

the tables are rolled back and patrons

enjoy a movie in what Cobb Theatres

describes as a true ‘private Hollywood

movie screening experience.’

When designing the CineBistro concept,

Cobb Theatres chose to go ‘premium’ in

every way possible, with digital

projection and sound as a key

component. After carefully evaluating

their projector options, Cobb Theatres

selected Barco as their CineBistro

projector provider. As a long time Barco

customer, Cobb Theatres was familiar

with the superb quality, high efficiency

and proven reliability of Barco digital

cinema projection systems.

With Texas Instrument’s DLP Cinema

technology at the core, Barco DP-1500

and DP-2000 projectors were installed

in the first three CineBistro venues,

enabling Cobb Theatres to offer

customers both 2D and 3D movies

with ease. In addition, for the Hyde

Park in Tampa, Florida, CineBistro, a

Barco ACS-2048 alternative content


Oculus3D, a company focused on film-

based 3D projection technology,

announced its first product, the OculR

system, a low-cost 3D lens and print

format for the installed base of 35mm

movie projectors. The OculR system

eliminates the need for exhibitors to

purchase a new digital system to play

3D films. The OculRsystem also does

not require exhibitors to pay per-seat

or per-show royalty fees. The OculR

lens provides exhibitors with a 3D

solution that works with all standard

35mm projectors, delivering superb

quality film-based 3D presentations

that are equal to or better than more

costly digital options. The OculR 3D

system consists of the OculR lens for

the theater’s 35mm projector, a “silver”

movie screen and low-cost plastic

frame linear polarizer eyewear,

delivering the finest 3D image at an

affordable price. The OculR lens can

be installed rapidly, eliminating

theater downtime and providing a

minimum brightness of 6 foot

lamberts, which equals or exceeds the

brightness of most digital and single-

Oculus3D Arrives,on Film!

The expected has finally happened. Even as a significant section of the movie exhibition

industry, particularly in Hollywood, had been looking at Thomson-Technicolor for its much-

touted film-based 3D projection systems, the other stakeholder – who was playing it rather

low but steady – came to the fore recently. Oculus3D, who made the first wave at ShowEast

2009, recently announced its first offering. Know what it is:

projector film systems to ensure

flawless 3D performance for exhibitors.

”The team at Oculus3D has created a

cost-competitive and projectionist-

friendly 3D film-based delivery system

that bypasses the problems of the

resurrected, discredited, and obsolete

‘over/under’ film-based approach of the

80’s that plays inside-out images much of

the time,” said Lenny Lipton, president

and chief science officer, Oculus3D.

Economic Benefits to TheaterOwners and Studios: Exhibitors and

studios will benefit equally from the

OculR system because the industry is

unable to meet current audience

demands for 3D presentations as the

number of 3D feature releases will

continue to grow in 2010. The motion

picture industry is missing out on

millions of dollars of revenue because

of a shortage of 3D screens.

”We see a substantial worldwide market

for the OculR 3D system and estimate

some exhibitors could save $150K per

screen in equipment, 3D software

conversion and installation costs while

the studios could add a meaningful

number of new 3D screens in 2010,” said

James Marsh, analyst, Piper Jaffray & Co.

“Exhibitors who have been concerned

about the cost of switching over to a

digital cinema system now have an

interesting new option to consider.”

Oculus3D estimates that it can get

theater owners up and running with the

OculR system (the lens and upgraded

movie screen) for approximately

$20,000 - $25,000 per screen. This is 85 –

90% less than investing in a digital

projector approach.The OculR attachment

TECHNOLOGY


The OculR print format is created by applying an

algorithm to the final digital intermediate file to produce

a master negative. Release prints are then made using

standard lab techniques and costs are identical to making

a standard print, making conversion from 2D to 3D a

seamless process for the labs, exhibitors, and studios.

”Our product stops the forced marriage between digital

and 3D as many exhibitors are being pushed into replacing

workhorse film projectors to take advantage of the boom

in 3D movie releases,” said Marty Shindler, founder and

CEO, Oculus3D. “OculR will help meet movie patron

demands for 3D while saving an estimated $150,000 to

$175,000 in per screen set up costs and eliminate hardware

and software ongoing maintenance expenses.”

”There is a pressing need for 3D film systems on a global

basis for two key reasons including a higher volume of

3D theatrical releases as well as the high import duty

costs associated with digital projectors in many parts of

the world,” said Albert Mayer Jr., executive vice-

president and chief technology officer, Oculus3D. “With

OculR, exhibitors can help meet movie patron demand

for 3D.”

Oculus Mission: Low Cost, High Value

The mission of Oculus3D is to offer quality 3D

projection at lower cost with higher profits for

exhibitors and studios. The principals, Lenny Lipton,

Al Mayer, Jr. and Marty Shindler bring to the company

and to the market a combined experience of a good

100 years in the movie business. This should spell good

for the company, its business model and the exhibition

community worldwide.

Lenny Lipton is a Fellow of the Society of Motion Picture

and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and holder of 41

granted and over 50 pending patents that are central to

the 3D projection system. Lipton is the inventor of the

ZScreen, a polarization modulator that enables a single

DLP projector to show 3D movies. The ZScreen is the

device that is at heart of the most widely used 3D digital

projection system, the Real D system.

Albert Mayer, Jr. is a veteran camera designer and

Academy Award and Prime Time Emmy Award recipient,

each for Scientific and Technical Achievement. His

industry leading cameras include the Panaflex

Millennium XL camera system, Panavision’s current

flagship film product and the Genesis, the first full

chipped digital camera system.

Marty Shindler, a 30-year film industry veteran, has held

key executive positions at 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm’s

Industrial Light & Magic, Kodak, MGM and the

entertainment practice at the erstwhile Coopers &

Lybrand (now PriceWaterhouseCoopers). For over 14

years, The Shindler Perspective, Inc. consulting practice

has provided a range of advisory and analytical services

to companies in the entertainment and entertainment

technology industries regarding visual effects, camera

technology and 3D stereoscopic presentation.

The Fleet Center often runs six

different films per day, requiring very

different audio settings for each

performance. Program material varies

widely, from the Center’s primary focus

on educational material to pure

entertainment IMAX presentations

such as The Rolling Stones - At The

Max, Chronos, and Stomp Odyssey.

With the new design, levels and other

settings can now be programmed well

ahead of time, ensuring both

smoother operations and spontaneous

elements including announcements,

inserts and customized for walk in/

walk out music via iTunes.

Two benefits of using the film industry’s

standard audio production system for

automated playback are giving film

mixers the ability to use the facility as a

sort of ultimate real time surround mix

facility, and, for composers and

producers, a more efficient way to

transfer tracks and stem mixes directly

to the theater for test screenings. In

the typically crazed, last minute

environment caused by a director’s

need for music and soundtrack

changes, this theater-as-mix-stage

capability removes an important level

of uncertainty for film producers.

World’s First Imax Dome Sounds Big

Rebirth of a Seminal Theater

Cinema is growing really big- visually and aurally. Driven by a passion to better the best and powered

by technology that continues to push the frontiers of innovation to fascinating levels. In tune with

this cinematic order, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, home to the world’s first, and San Diego’s

only, IMAX Dome Theater, is celebrating the completion of its state-of-the-art renovation. Featuring a

unique 6.1 surround sound system designed by QSC plus ProTools HD 3 Accel playback, the audio

system design may presage a new era in theater sound systems. TW reports:

Equally crucial to delivering an audience

experience unerringly faithful to the

director’s vision is the 6.1 surround audio

delivered by the world class audio system

designed by San Diego-based Michael

Krewitsky of Pro Sound, Inc., solely

around QSC Audio components.

Interestingly, the “6” in this unique

surround setup has earned the

nickname ‘The Voice of God’ and refers

to speakers placed at the very top of the

dome. What drives it all? Four Basis

Controllers (922AZ and 914),

commanding six DCA 1644 amplifiers

and two DCA 3422 sub amplifiers that

drive six SC-424-8F 4-way dual 15-inch

full range speakers and four SB-7218

dual 18 subwoofers. According to the

designer, the combination renders

whisper quiet to thunderous dynamics

and exceptionally accurate audio

playback.

The 6.1 surround system install

comprised:

• Two Basis 922az controllers

• Two Basis 914 controllers

• Six DCA 1644 amplifiers

• Two DCA 3422 sub amplifiers

• Six SC-424-8F 4-way dual 15-inch

full range speakers with custom

horn pattern

• Four stock SB-7218 dual 18-inch subs

• Pro Tools HD 3 Accel for Mac

Barry Ferrell, QSC’s Senior Director of

Cinema Solutions, explains the theater’s

hallmark level of accuracy with the

reason why the company viewed the

achievement as mission-critical: “QSC

Audio has long been the mainstay in

movie theater power amplification

because of our reputation for reliability

and, to some extent, transparent

sound. But some of our more

demanding customers have become

increasingly unhappy with their older

speaker systems because film producers

have been raising the bar for what

needs to be reproduced accurately in

theatrical releases. That pushed us not

just to enter the theater speaker market

but to do so with a very high bar in

mind.”

TECHNOLOGY


That forward leaning strategy, and a reputation for

exceptionally close working relationships with

consultants, gave QSC Audio the edge to provide the

amplifier, processing, and speaker solution for the

“flagship dome of its type on planet earth,” states

Michael Krewitsky.

“QSC was the place to go because the products, first of

all, sounded the best, and they were the most responsive

company as far as coming back and saying ‘yes, we’ll

build you what you want,’” John Young, A/V specialist

for the Center.

Although there were significant cost efficiencies in the

purchase, John adds, “cost savings wasn’t the first thing

on our list. We wanted the best thing we could possibly

get. QSC Audio has rock solid gear.”

The decision to go with QSC wasn’t a spur of the

moment choice for the renovation team. Over the

course of two years, John and Mike carefully compared

audio systems and capability from every major player in

the industry.

Krewitsky explains: “This is another reason why QSC got

it, is because the company has really been focusing on

the cinema speaker business - speakers for actual movie

theaters. And these are a specialized version of their

cinema line. This is theater stuff that’s adapted especially

for surround and IMAX. QSC has been really pushing

the envelope on this kind of new technology.”

How did the job turn out for Pro Sound? “We’ve

become aware that several people who have heard this

newest IMAX have stated it’s easily the best sounding

IMAX theater in the world.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that, paired with the fact the

finished audio installation cost the facility owners 15

percent less than some other IMAX theaters, is the good

news you might think it would be,” Krewitsky remarked.

QSC Cinema Sales Director Francois Godfrey adds

another dimension of the dilemma his customers face:

“Industry observers point out that if theater owners

don’t exceed the level of quality people experience in

their own home theaters it’s a recipe for declining

theater attendance. Since there’s every reason to believe

the audio challenges from the film community won’t get

any easier, we saw establishing a clear lead in accurate

reproduction as a strategic necessity.”

Ferrell adds, “If you’re marketing to owners competing

on exceptional theater experiences, there’s really no

point offering prosaic ‘me too’ solutions.”

Continuing on the business need at the core of QSC’s

cinema speaker vision, Ferrell admits not every theater

owner now believes better-than-prosaic audio quality is

a business necessity. “But there’s substantial agreement

among theater industry analysts that it’s just a matter of

time before the combined hammer of slimming margins

and attendance declines force a change,” he asserts with

concern.

The highly acclaimed German film and

media research institutions Fraunhofer

Heinrich Hertz Institute (FHHI), and

Institute of Digital Media Technology

(IDMT) opened their new ‘Tomorrow’s

Cinema’ with the premiere of

Germany’s first 180-degree short film

‘Orlac reloaded.’ Tomorrow’s Cinema is

a showroom created on the premises

of FHHI with high-resolution digital

180-degree panoramic projection. The

core of this innovative technology is a

180-degree screen installed by

Kinoton, and an IOSONO 3D sound

system from the IDMT itself.

The Heinrich Hertz Institute pursues

information technology research and

development. The core competencies

of HHI are in the areas of Photonic

Networks and Systems, Mobile

Broadband Systems, Photonic

Components and Electronic Imaging. In

the field of Image Processing, HHI was

significantly involved in the

development and standardization of

the H.264/AVC video coding method

and its usage for mobile services. HHI’s

video codecs and crypting solutions for

DVB-H are in use all over the world.

Ilumenau-based IDMT, on the other

hand, conducts applied research in the

field of digital media and works on

leading projects and topics in the field

of audio visual applications. Besides

sound solutions for home and

professional users, software

technologies for analysis and

characterization of multimedia content

as well as audiovisual applications for

medical engineering are being

developed. Furthermore interactive AV

Kinoton Initiative

180-Degree Screenat FraunhoferTechnology Cinema is going places. Two of the biggest and potential players in global

(cinema) technology domain – Kinoton and Fraunhofer Institute – have come together for yet

another technology exploit. Having done with digital cinema install some time back, the two

German technology referral majors have this time done the 180-degree screen IOSONO 3D

sound system at the institute.

applications for entertainment and

knowledge management and the

design of architectures for digital

online distribution are in the institute’s

research focus.

The special screen consists of a glass

fiber fabric specifically designed to

support high-resolution digital

projection of up to 6K. In addition, the

material is characterized by a high

acoustic transparency that brings the

IOSONO surround sound system to

bear. The installation of a 180-degree

screen is always a challenge since the

vertical and horizontal tension of the

screen must be very carefully attuned

to each other in order to achieve an

immaculate semi-circular curve. Any

deviation from the correct curve may

awfully disturb the image geometry.

Given their long experience, though,

the Kinoton service technicians

achieved a flawless result even with this

unusual and demanding screen

installation. The 180-degree images are

projected by six high-resolution video

projectors, each reproducing a 30-

degree section of the complete picture.

The images overlap in a small area,

creating a seamless panoramic image.

‘Orlac reloaded,’ an adaptation of the

movie classic ‘Orlac hands’ from 1925,

is the first 180° short film produced in

Germany. The panoramic shooting,

utilizing a special camera rig with six

HD cameras, took place within the

scope of the PRIME research project in

which eight leading companies and

research facilities develop future

technologies and viable business

models for the introduction of 3D

media consumption in cinema, TV and

video games. PRIME is an abbreviation

of Production and Projection

Techniques for Immersive Media. Apart

from the Fraunhofer Institutes HHI and

IIS and the Academy of Film and

Television (HFF) ‘Konrad Wolf’ in

Berlin, Kinoton GmbH is among others

also part of this project funded by the

German Federal Ministry of Economics

and Technology BMWi.

TECHNOLOGY


Hollywood is suddenly finding itself in

a 3D frenzy- caught in the pre- and

post-Avataric ballyhoo that is likened

by some to the filmy scenario ushered

in by The Wizard of OZ during late

1930s-early 1940s - so much so that the

Titanic director’s magnum opus movie

is called the seminal movie for the new

digital 3D genre. The trend,

dominantly seen at the moment in the

heartland of global cinema, has

actually been impacting the very

manner Hollywood churns out movies.

• One- it is throwing off-track

subsequent new movie releases,

relegating them to a number two

spot on their opening weekend

itself. The best case to prove this

was Mel Gibson’s Edge of Darkness

whose collections were $13 million

lower than Avatar’s $30 million.

The movie was slated as The Patriot

hero’s celebrated return to the big

screen but it ended up netting

much lower than expectations at

$17 million.

• Two- Big time moviemakers are

actively contemplating conversion

of their 2D releases into 3D digital.

This is best exemplified by Warner

Whither Movie Entertainment?

A New ‘Avatar’ of Cinema...!

The 3D cinema, per se, is nothing new to the world. It’s

rather a century old tryst with human passion for

entertainment. What began with the Power of Love in the

1920s – the earliest confirmed 3D movie –now appears to

be the ‘power of passion’ for the format, albeit in the

digital model, that is seeking to change the specs of

modern movie exhibition business. With moviemakers in

Hollywood changing their gear and guard for an

energised journey into 3D realm, the global cinema is

taking a new Avatar, or so it appears. A TW perspective.

Avatar sinks Titanic record scaling all-

time high collections...

Avatar shatters all box-office records;

grosses over $2.55 billion and still

counting...

Avatar bags top honours at the

Golden Goble Awards – ‘Best Motion

Picture’ and ‘Best Director’ awards...

Avatar sweeps honours at the International

3D Society Awards ceremony...

Avatar awarded the first Lumiere

Award as the ‘Live Action 3D Feature

of the Year’ by the International

3D Society...

Avatar glows in Oscar glory...bags

three awards – Best Visual Effects;

Best Art Direction and

Best Cinematography awards...

There may be more such exclamations

before this piece is read in print.

– By Bhavanashi Ramakrishna

S P E C I A L F E AT U R E


Bros.’ decision to convert their

remake of Clash of Titans from 2D

to 3D digital, and push its release

by one more week from its

originally scheduled March last

week. The 3D digital version of the

remake is now slated for April 2.

• Three- There is an apparent digital

congestion that- despite the

increased rapidity of 3D digital

roll-outs by exhibition chains,

there are more 3D digital movies

than the cinemas can take. A

situation which can actually undo

the box office effect so ambitiously

sought after by the studios!

Disney’s Alice in Wonderland is

scheduled to hit the big screen on

March 5, followed by Dream Works

Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon

for March 26 release, and Warner Bros.’

Clash of Titans for April 2 release. That

these movies are stacked up for almost

back to back releases with fewer than

4000 screens in the US and few more

outside, and the North American screen

count – let alone the other global

markets – is very unlikely to go up

drastically in time for these release, one

or more of these movies are bound to

struggle for adequate screen space,

indicate reports from Hollywood.

“With movies in 3D digital suddenly

becoming big money spinners

Hollywood studios are cramming them

into the theatres despite knowing there

aren’t enough screens available to give

those movies fullest possible run,” says

a media agency report. The American

movie exhibition apex body National

Association of Theatre Owners (NATO)

itself admitted to the intriguing

situation explains the scenario. The

year 2010 is already slated for as many

as 19 three-D digital movies that

include Disney’s Toy Story 3, and Dream

Works’ Shrek Forever After and

Megamind. Peaking the crescendo of

3D excitement would be the 17

December outing of Tron Legacy and

Yogi Bear 3D digital movies by which

time the Americas are likely to have

around 5000 3D screens, with another

800 to 900 3D screens outside.

To beat the apparent shortage of 3D

screens, Hollywood, particularly the

studio-trio in question now, is releasing

2D versions of its latest ventures so that

their revenues wouldn’t fall short.

On the tangent, the studios and their

3D champions are ebullient about the

current 3D growth graph from what it

was a couple of years ago. Clash of the

Titans is billed to get at least 50 per

cent more 3D screens than the 800

screens Warner Bros. got for its earlier

3D flick ‘Journey to the Centre of the

Earth,’ two years ago. Similarly Dream

Works’ How to Train Your Dragon, will

get double the number of screens from

that of its earlier 3D outing Monsters vs.

Aliens. The excitement is that the

‘Monsters’ netted $198 million from

about 1000 screens, and the ‘Dragon’ is

getting twice that number, so its box

office would swell that big, if not more.

That the moviegoers had been found

to be willing to shell extra bucks for a

3D digital movie, studios are more than

enthused on making 3D digital movies.

Probably, the hitherto-forgotten, if

not ignored, fact is that increased

pace of 3D roll-out also leads to

cluttering of digital screens, and most

often adjacent one another- in which

case two 3D digital movies would be

released in two adjacent screens and

they end up cutting into each other’s

pie. This is exactly the NATO

spokesperson, and many other

observers infer. Regal Entertainment

CEO Amy Miles recently told his

company investors that most Regal

multiplexes (will) have two or more

3D screens. The world’s largest movie

exhibition company with around 500

3D screens now, expects to have

about 1000 more by the end of this

year which clearly means

juxtaposition of 3D auditoria. So,

competition against one another –

often on the same premises – is pretty

much in the offing. So, getting back

to square one?

That Avatar collected around $700

million till now in the Americas and

more than double that figure –

around $1.8 billion – internationally,

both the studios and equipment

manufactures had been pushing for

increased roll out of 3D digital,

exactly the way they did for DCI-

compliant 2K digital deployment

worldwide. Strengthened by some

sound financing and comfortable

payback business models in place,

this might seem a very profitable

proposition in the immediate term,

but how long would be this joy

party?



The Asian Scenario

It may not be grossly different in most

parts of the world, though each of

those have their local ‘rules of the

game’ helping somehow balance the

show. China – billed as the single

largest cinema market outside the

Americas – is reported to have around

700 3D digital screens (another

unconfirmed report put this count to

be 900) out of the total supposed

digital screen figure of over 2500. It is

closely followed by Japan with over

150 3D screens; Singapore and South

Korea with about half the figure each;

India with about 60 3D screens; and

Hong Kong some 10 screens lesser than

India. The other mature movie markets

like Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines

where 3D and animation account for

big time entertainment have been

reported to have seen significant jump

in the number of 3D screens.

Except Singapore, which is largely

Hollywood-driven market, all other

Asian markets have their own domestic

content which is predominantly either

in film or 2D format.

A case in a point is the controversy

around the Chinese’ reported

curtailing of the very Avatar’s

screening to facilitate nationwide-

release of a biopic on the great

Chinese philosopher Confucius. That

the Chinese government denied the

reports and clarified that the movie

was taken out of only the 2D cinemas

and the 3D version was not disturbed

obviates the forces and factors that

influence cinema entertainment in the

region. In about six weeks of running

before the controversy, the movie had

grossed about 400 million Yuan

(around $50 million), a record of sorts

for Chinese box office.

Singapore had been methodically

ushered into the 3D revolution with

some bigger stakes in their docks. The

State-owned Media Development

Authority (MDA), as part of its policy-

driven-mission to convert the country

into a holistic digital entertainment

hub, took the country’s exhibition

industry by its stride and pushed in the

3D. Thanks to the MDA efforts- that

the country’s largest exhibitor and the

hitherto-defiant Golden Village Group

got convinced with the 3D digital,

meant that the city-state’s industry as a

whole endrosed the 3D cinema

domain.

India, on its part, responded well to the

3D digital call and rolled out as many

as 60 screens in time for the Avatar

outing. Though still largely

fragmented, the Indian exhibition

industry - led by the multiplex circuits

and some aggressive independent

exhibitors - is forging ahead with a

high degree of enthusiasm. However, it

is the domination of domestic content

vis-a-vis that of Hollywood, and the

seemingly high conversion costs that

are apparently hampering the pace of

installs. (Read separate story in TM:

Indian Cinema in New Avatar)

The global movie exhibition industry,

overall, appears once again in for an

intriguing situation. For the last decade

or so – since the birth of digital cinema

phenomenon in 1999 – the industry

had been through the rigours of

transformation and defiance for digital

(including the DCI-compliant) model.

Now, it’s the 3D digital. On the tangent,

that the film-based exhibition

champions – led by Thomson-

Technicolor – have come back with

their own 3D exhibition model as a

‘cheaper alternative’ to digital 3D, it’s

indeed getting intriguing.

Whither movie entertainment?

IMAX Corporation and TwentiethCentury Fox announced thatAvatar, crossed the $35 millionmark in gross box office receipts atIMAX theatres throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The IMAX releasegenerated $35.2 million from 37IMAX screens in 10 countries duringthe movie’s Asia-Pacific run tillFebruary 10. Most IMAX screens inthe Asia-Pacific region which isclaimed to be the company’s fastestgrowing market have grossed over$1 million each. To date, the IMAXrelease of Avatar has generated anestimated global total of over $170million from 262 IMAX screens.

Asia-Pacific market honours for IMAXversion of Avatar are shared by:

• Hong Kong – $2.9 million fromtwo screens

• Taiwan – $2.3 million from twoscreens

• Japan – $4.3 million from fourscreens

Imax Avatar Shows up Big in Asia

• Australia/New Zealand - $6.3million from six screens

• Korea - $5.1 million from fivescreens

• China – $11.3 million on 13 screens

“This incredible box officeperformance represents the strongconsumer demand for The IMAXExperience in the Asia-Pacific market,which is very encouraging as wecontinue to focus on expanding theIMAX network and brandinternationally,” said IMAX CEORichard L. Gelfond. “This success has

triggered an increased level ofinterest in the IMAX theatrebusiness throughout the region.We believe the remaining run ofAvatar, as well as the rest of ourHollywood slate and mainstreamChinese films that are scheduled tobe digitally re-mastered for theIMAX network in the region, willcontinue to drive that interest.”

“The international distributionteam at Twentieth Century Fox hasdone an exceptional job ofincorporating the IMAX brand intoits marketing strategy, and it hasclearly resonated with Avatar fansin the region who are seeking thebest way to experience JamesCameron’s revolutionary film,”added Greg Foster, Chairman andPresident, IMAX FilmedEntertainment. “Many IMAXtheatres are still operating at ornear full capacity, and we’relooking forward to continuedsuccess during the weeks ahead.”



Reel Entertainment LLC – a joint

venture formed by Dubai-based realty

giant Emaar Retail LLC and Singapore-

based premier entertainment provider

Cathay Organisation Holdings Ltd –

unveiled recently in Dubai what is

obviously the second largest multiplex

in the world by screen count. A 22-

screen grandiose cinema multiplex,

World’s Second Largest Cinema

Cinema Feastin Middle East

Dubai – the nerve centre of property development in the Middle East, and the cynosure of

global property planners and abettors – now has yet another ostentatious statement.

Probably, the best of all, in cinematic parlance! World’s most ostentatious, and only seven-

star hotel, world’s tallest commercial tower, a cityscape of bizarre architectural models, and

now, one of the world’s most grandiose, and Asia’s biggest cinema multiplex! A very

unbecoming statement for the realty h(e)aven that it might seem in its own right, Dubai has

now joined the big cinematic league with a bang.

A 22-screen cinema multiplex, with an Imax large-format theatre! That itself is a big

statement. An exclusive boutique style Picturehouse meant for art movies, a luxurious

Platinum lounge, and world-class sound and projection- bringing them all is the coming

together of two major entertainment groups from two parts of the world. A TW essay.

with an aggregate seating capacity of

3000, and an exclusive art movie

house, besides a Platinum Class lounge

and cinema.

This, coming from and for a region that

had hardly seen the cinematic glitters

as comparable with that of the Western

or Eastern world! Just as Providence

would have it, the ‘Middle East medley’ The Dubai Mall night view: Colours & Dreams



is now ‘mid-way’ between the world’s

largest in the West and the hitherto

second largest in the East. The Spanish

exhibition major Kinepolis’ 33-screen

multiplex in Madrid continues to be

the world’s largest while the Golden

Screen Cinemas’ 18-screen Mid-Valley

multiplex in the Malaysian capital of

Kuala Lumpur was second largest, till

this Reel Cinemas emerged like a

phoenix from the dunes of the Middle

East desert.

It is not only the second rank screen

count that makes the Dubai Mall Reel

Cinemas stand out. There are features

more than one that makes it so. It

unveiled the first THX-certified

cinemas in the Gulf. It introduced to

the region the Cathay Cinemas’

signature model ‘The Picturehouse’ – a

dedicated moviehouse to screen

critically acclaimed art movies. It also

elevated the regions cinematic

grandeur by highlighting its

cinemafare with four ultra-luxurious

Platinum Movie Suites.

The Picturehouse has its own unique

identity which is epitomized in its logo

designed in a 16:9 ratio that

symbolizes the commonly used aspect

ratio between the height and width of

cinematic framing. The logo reflects a

sense of independence and

uniqueness which are often associated

with movies and thereby creates an

identity- the soul and essence of The

Picturehouse. It is also exclusive in the

sense that it seats just over 100 patrons

at a time and has its own dedicated

lounge which provides an ideal setting

for moviegoers confabulate the

moviefare over light refreshments.

The Platinum Movie Suites are draped

in ultimate cinematic luxury. The

experience begins in a private lounge

fitted with marble service counters,

signature designer furniture and

ambient lighting, providing the

perfect backdrop for a relaxed drink or

bite to eat before your movie. The VIP

treatment continues when the patrons

are ushered into suite and sink into a

supple reclining chair, conveniently

equipped with a side table and button

for personal butler service throughout

the movie.

The highlight of multiplex is the

introduction of Hollywood’s chic design

concept, which embodies a modern

cinema experience. The seats are

ergonomically designed with the widest

legroom for utmost comfort, while the

overall ambience is reminiscent of old

Hollywood glamour intelligently

blended into contemporary interiors

using modern materials. Extensive use

of mirrors and subtle patterns used to

Enthusiam all around: The patron-filled lobby during the first week(left); The waterfall attraction in the mall atrium

The Dubai Mall, turninig dreams intoreal(i)ty: A grand view at night (top);

a dream-like entertainment fare in themall atrium (above); the fancy-swathed

cinema lobby at level-one (right),Observe the desert symobolism manifested

by the digital singage board



create shimmering surfaces and

reflections while mood lighting adds a

touch of drama to the interiors, and in

the lobbies a starry sky effect

accentuates the ambience.

The lobby floors are clad in a

geometric pattern of toned grey

stone, and the columns form stars on

the floor to sweep up in an

interpretation of the theatre drape.

The lounge seating areas are

upholstered in rich fabrics and leather.

The Platinum Movie Suites and The

Picturehouse have special lounges

furnished with plush leather seating

and modern design.

The sound and projection system are

world-class with THX certification –

done by German projection major

Kinoton – and comprises all the

exhibition formats, i.e. film, digital 2D,

3D, and an Imax large format.

Probably, no other cinema venue in

the region, if not the world boasts

such distinction.

Reel Cinemas is spread over an area of

110,000 sq ft with direct access from

Grand designs with Classical Cinema fare: One of the multiplex auditorium (top); the box office on level three (top right);the hallway on level four (middle); and the Classic Picturehouse lounge (bottom)



the car park on both levels- that makes

it one of the most access-easy

entertainment venues.

Reel Cinemas is billed to become a

popular attraction that further adds to

the leisure components of the mall

including Dubai Aquarium,

Underwater Zoo, Dubai Ice Rink, The

Waterfall, and soon-to-open KidZania

and SEGA Republic.

With 12.1 million square feet, the

Dubai Mall is the world’s largest

shopping and entertainment

destination, and has widest spectrum of

retail and leisure choices for visitors. Of

the 1,200 retail outlets in the mall, over

900 are already open. There are a total

of 160 F&B outlets offering an array of

options for visitors and 14,000 parking

spaces. Besides the multiplex, the other

big entities include the now world

famous and world’s tallest tower Burj

Dubai. There would be one more

multiplex with eight screens – as part of

the Dubai Marina Mall – in the heart of

the city’s master-planned waterfront.

“Entertainment and leisure attractions

have become an integral part of mall

developments. The extensive leisure

portfolio of the mall has become a social

magnet for families, and the opening of

Reel Cinemas will further add to the

overall entertainment offerings,” Nasser

Rafi, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Malls

Group was quoted as saying.

‘Reel Entertainment will redefine the

big-cinema experience by employing

the latest digital audio-visual

technology and offering superior

service standards including on-line

ticket booking facilities, automated

kiosks and box-office counters,’ said

Emaar Malls CEO Rashid Zakaria Doleh.

For Cathay Cinemas, the venture is

doubly prestigious in that it is the first

Southeast Asian exhibitor to expand

beyond the region’s shores and get

into the world’s most hotly contested

realty space. More, it sought to make

its mark with its signature

Picturehouse, and add more glitters

with Platinum Class and 3D digital etc.

Sasy Suhaimi Rafdi, Chief Executive

Officer, Cathay Organisation: “When

we were developing the Reel Cinemas

brand, there was no doubt that we

would introduce The Picturehouse as

one of its key unique features in

Dubai. The Picturehouse was

Singapore’s first arthouse cinema. It

has been showcasing cutting edge and

critically acclaimed films since 1990

and has played an important role in

Singapore’s cinematic history.

“Boasting a multi-cultural population,

Dubai is the perfect fit for an arthouse

cinema with a wide audience of varied

nationalities and cinematic

sensibilities,” Rafdi said, adding, “we

hope it will play an important role in

the development of UAE cinemas.”

The Platinum Club Class: The ultimate movie suite (left), the luxurious lounge one (middle) and two (left)

Technology Entertainment at its best: The swanky lobby in level two (top- observe the digital signages);the grand atrium (above); and the giant acquarium in the mall (left)



It’s a digital age. Cinemas operating in this age are apparently driven by digital technologies.

Most cinemas today brace up digital technology to offer a compelling cinematic experience-

both inside and outside the auditorium. In a business where there are hardly any shortcuts,

an ingenious ways of capturing the patrons’ moviewatching imagination is to weave a

mesmerizing ambience. Digital Signage is one. Here are two cinemas that have done exactly

the same. A TW snapshot.

Digital Design-age

Bow Tie Cinemas recently completed

digital signage installations at three

of its theatre locations. Bow Tie

chose Texas Digital’s signage solution

and content management software,

VitalCAST, for its theatres at

Annapolis Mall 11 in Annapolis,

Maryland; Movieland 6 in

Schenectady, New York; and

Movieland at Boulevard Square in

Richmond, Virginia.

Each of the theatre locations

incorporated 40-inch Samsung flat-

panel LCD displays. The Annapolis

Mall 11 installation includes five

displays, while the installation at

Movieland 6 includes two and the

Movieland at Boulevard Square

includes five. Texas Digital’s

VitalCAST software runs on each

screen, allowing prices, imagery and

other features on the displays to be

updated automatically and

simultaneously from Bow Tie’s

corporate office with a few clicks of

the mouse. All the screens are in the

concessions areas of the theatres,

with static menu information

interspersed in between the LCD

displays. Bow Tie Cinemas is using

the displays with VitalCAST video

content to push nontraditional food

fare and upcoming events, activities

and promotions.

Bow Tie Cinemas founding partner

B.S. Moss opened the Centurion

Theater in Times Square in 1936,

which was the first motion picture

theatre built exclusively for the

exhibition of talking motion

pictures. Bow Tie Cinemas currently

owns and operates 145 screens in 18

locations in New York, Maryland,

Connecticut, Colorado and Virginia.

“We chose Texas Digital’s VitalCAST

due to the flexibility of its operation

and ease of updating. The interface

is very easy to use and update, and

can be changed at a moment’s notice

from our home office,” said Bow Tie

COO Joe Masher. “The industry is

trending toward digital signage; the

excitement that it creates with eye-

appealing graphics and animations

will hopefully allow us to see our

sales increase significantly at stands

where we’ve installed the signage.”

“This was an interesting project

because two of the theatres we were

installing did not have digital signage,

while our solution replaced another

company’s digital signage solution at

the third,” said Texas Digital COO

Dennis Davidson. “This posed a

unique challenge in ensuring that our

standards and Bow Tie’s expectations

were met for all three locations. We

are pleased the installations look great

and look forward to working with

Bow Tie again.”

Bow Tie Cinemas Glows in New Appeal

C I N E M A S Y S T E M S


Texas Digital has completed its

VitalCAST Digital Signage software

installation at Marcus Theatres’ new

Midtown Cinema in Omaha, Nebraska.

Marcus Midtown Cinema, which opened

in November, is a one-of-a-kind, four-

level, five-screen entertainment

destination located in Midtown Crossing

at Turner Park. Texas Digital is a

worldwide leader in digital signage

technology, and is Marcus Midtown

Cinema’s digital signage provider.

For the Marcus Midtown Cinema

installation, Texas Digital’s software is

installed on 26 LCD screens in a variety

of sizes as digital menu boards, box

office signage, promotional boards

and wayfinding signs near the

theatre’s escalators. Six of the displays

are LG’s new 38-inch stretch displays,

which are located at each auditorium

entrance. The concessions and box

office displays will all be updated

automatically via an interface between

VitalCAST and Marcus Theatres’

Radiant Systems point-of-sale (POS)

system. VitalCAST will give the theatre

more signage options than static

signage allows, such as dayparting and

announcing specials, and the ability to

adjust pricing and other features on

multiple screens simultaneously from

Milwaukee. Previously, Texas Digital

worked with Marcus Theatres on a

VitalCAST installation in their Majestic

Theatre just outside Milwaukee.

“The dynamic changes we can make

because of Texas Digital’s innovative

digital software are very exciting,” said

Bob Menefee, vice president of

advertising, marketing and food &

beverage. “Not only can we quickly

adjust menu prices, we can also create

and market dining specials quickly and

efficiently. Utilizing the other LCD

screens located at strategic positions

throughout Midtown Cinema, we can

easily communicate to customers the

amenities we feature on each floor

and highlight the unique services our

in-theatre dining concept, Cinedine,

offers our guests, which is available in

all five auditoriums.”

“We are pleased to have completed

another successful digital signage

Marcus Midtown Scores New Marks

installation for Marcus Theatres,”

said Dennis Davidson, president and

COO of Texas Digital. “We look

forward to continuing our

relationship with Marcus at their

other theatre locations and further

expanding their migration to digital

signage.”

A division of the Marcus Corporation,

Marcus Theatres is the seventh largest

theatre circuit in the United States.

With the opening of Marcus Midtown

Cinema, the company currently owns

or operates 668 screens at 54 locations

in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota,

Nebraska, North Dakota and Ohio.


Health and Safetyat Work

Projection Series - XXVIII

Since the beginning of this series of

technical features on film projection

in cinemas, health and safety issues

have been detailed many times

earlier as and when they arose

independently. Here is one more

focused effort - without unnecessary

duplication - on the principles which

underlie these specific instructions, in

the context of the responsibilities of

all projectionists.

General health and safety must

always be the projectionist's first

priority. It is largely a matter of

attitude - the projectionist should be

ever vigilant, spotting possible

hazards, rather than reacting to

accidents. Staff members are

expected to contribute to the health

and safety of the workingHealth and safety notices at work - how often do you need them?

In Part-II of Unit VII published in the last issue, we discussed various issues in the film

projection job that come with legal implications, and how projectionists need to handle

them, besides their actual job of movie projection. This time, in the third and concluding

part of this Unit, we delve into the various aspects of health and safety at the projection

workplace and elsewhere in the cinema premises involving the projectionist. Some of the

vital points are discussed here.



environment by assessing

risk, controlling risks and

implementing procedures to

deal with threats to health

and safety. They are also

expected to coordinate the

health and safety of the

working environment by

coordinating both the risk

assessment and the control of

risks.

Many theatres and cinemas

will have a 'Hazard List'

which details all unsafe areas

of the cinema and areas for

special attention. Examples of

such hazards could be unsafe

stairs that are awaiting repair

or loose tiles that require attention.

All members of staff including

projectionists must pay close

attention to this list and keep it

updated regularly.

In many cinemas there are no strict

service rotas, rather it is more of a

case of tidying up along the way. For

example, brushing, vacuuming and

mopping up after spillages will

ensure a safe working environment

for all members of staff as well as the

general public.

Sometimes responsibility for safety can

extend to some less than obvious

areas, such as electrical appliances

(Kettles, portable heaters, microwaves,

cookers etc.). Theses are checked by

PAT (Portable Appliance Testing), but

you should keep an eye on the state

of such appliances all the time.

flammable, causing many fires and

subsequent deaths in the early days

of cinema. Today's film does not

support combustion but many of the

rules still apply, particularly in the

projection room.

If the projectionist takes a watchful

walk around the cinema or complex

where one works, it would be quite

obvious how much stress is put on

fire safety in the building. Every

room the projectionist enters would

normally have some type of fire

appliance visible.

The projectionist would make out

that these appliances are important

items in the cinema's license

conditions, and that any

interference with them is

tantamount to violating the

law. Most cinemas will have a

service contract with the firm

who supplied the

extinguishers, fire blankets,

hose reels, etc. but since

their representatives visit the

site once or twice a year it is

often up to the projectionist

to keep a watchful eye on

appliances meanwhile. Sadly,

members of the public are

often responsible for

interfering with fire fighting

equipment. Unfortunately,

the appliances cannot be

locked away until required as

they must be in ready to use all the

time, so it also becomes necessary

on part of the projectionist that he

must watch for any missing or

discharged units.

When were these last checked?

Cinemas are places where the public

are admitted, so they are covered by

some very stringent fire regulations.

Many of them go back to the days of

nitrate film which was highly

Extinguisher safety pin & pressure gauge

Use a guide like this to ensure that you use the right extinguisher


The power supply cabin cannot be adumpyard for waste material

The power supply cables need tocovered and protected


In time, the fire extinguishers fall

below specification, either by use or

by leaks. Many extinguishers will have

indicators which normally show green

while they are in specification, or red

when out of specification. Some have

locking pins which have to be

removed before operating them.

In the event of the projectionist

noticing an empty fire extinguisher or

any fire appliance that had been

tampered with, he must immediately

report it to his superior. He should not

assume that someone else will.

Understandably, it will be hard to

forgive oneself if there is an

emergency and someone is injured or

killed because the appliance

malfunctioned, and the projectionist

even after noticing it just ignored it.

If cinema carries spares for

faulty extinguishers, the

projectionist must ensure that

every replacement

extinguisher is of the correct

type for its situation.

Different types of

extinguisher are used for

different types of fire. He

must take time out to study

each type of extinguisher and

how to use it correctly. When

there is a fire there may not

always be time to read the

instructions, and if there is

smoke about, one may not be

able to see them at all.

The projectionist's job is not

always confined to mere projection

room alone. As a member of the cinema

operations, or even otherwise, it

becomes part of his duty to ensure that

no one panics in the event of an

eventuality. He should not run, shout fire

or do anything else which may cause

alarm. He should rather communicate

speedily with a senior member of staff

and use any prearranged 'code words' to

indicate the situation.

Every cinema must have an agreed

procedure to follow if there is a

outbreak of fire or some other event

requiring evacuation of the building.

The projectionist must be aware of the

procedure and ensure that he partakes

in any fire drill organised by the

management. There are of ten special

quickly as possible to shut down the

show and light the auditorium so the

audience can see the staff indicating

the correct exits.

Under no circumstances the

projectionist must attempt to tackle an

outbreak of fire on his own, without

informing others first. Only then

should he attempt to extinguish the

fire, if he feel safe in doing so. Failure

to follow these two rules may result in

nothing but overcome with fumes,

putting his life in danger and allowing

the fire to spread.

Conversely, the projectionist

should not panic and run

from the building - he has a

responsibility for the safety of

all the cinema patrons. The

most important rule is: to act

quickly and not to panic.

Threat every alarm as another

drill, and all should be well.

In every organization, and

particularly one where there

are members of the general

public visiting on a regular

basis, staff members including

projectionists must learn first

aid procedures. This includes

all aspects of first aid such as

resuscitation and treatment of

burns and spillages on the skin. To

assist the need for first aid treatment

for skin problems, projectionists must

be aware of all paints, white spirit and

sulphuric acid used within the

building and know how to treat a

victim who has come into contact with

liquid.

Above all, the projectionist should be

very familiar with the health and

safety policies in force at the cinema.

These policies must be posted in a

prominent place, but it is unwise just

to take them for granted. The

projectionist must be able to act

quickly and appropriately in an

emergency there is no time to read

notices or manuals.

(To be concluded)

extinguisher safety pin & pressure gauge

tasks that the duty projectionist has to

carry out over and above those of the

floor staff, such as playing a fire record

or announcement tape to alert all the

other members of staff that there is a

situation which requires a certain drill

to be brought into action. Any such

tape must be kept in special place and

be ready for immediate use. In a

multiplex, the auditoria are often not

all evacuated at the same time, to

prevent congestion in some areas of

the building, and strains on the staff.

It is common to evacuate first the

auditorium closest to the area of the

fire and under the greatest threat,

guiding the public to an exit which

steers them clear of any danger. The

projectionist on the job must follow

the duty manager's instructions as



REVIEW

8-10 December 2009Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong

CineAsia 2009 - the 17th edition of

Asia's premier convention and

tradeshow on motion picture

exhibition industry - was held from 8-

10 December at the Hong Kong

Convention and Exhibition Centre,

Hong Kong. Hoping to beat the

recessive pressures and be in tune with

wider participants' demand, the three-

day convention has moved back to

Hong Kong, after almost a decade.

Notwithstanding the global market

pressures, the event went into in-

depth deliberations on digital cinema

and 3D, besides other important

subjects- but with a prime focus on the

Chinese exhibition industry that had

been one of the biggest promises of

the global industry.

The three-day

convention

opened with a

focused seminar on

'A New Dimension

to China,' that had

as its panellists

Michael Archer,

vice-president-

Doremi Digital

Cinema; Yang

Buting, Chairman-

China Film Distribution and Exhibition

Association; Dr. Man-Nang Chong, CEO-

GDC Technology; Y.C. Chu, Deputy

General Manager, Media Asia Group;

and Dr. David Chung, Head of

Information Technology Operations-

Hong Kong Cyberport Management

Company Ltd.

The opening day had product

presentations from United

International, Paramount Pictures, and

Universal Pictures, followed by the

post-lunch opening of the tradeshow.

The evening had two movie screenings-

Walt Disney's 'The Princess and the

Frog,' followed later in the night by

Paramount Pictures' 'Up in the Air.'

Day two opened with a joint seminar

by CineAsia and ICTA (International

Cinema Theatres' Association). The

technical session titled 'A Digital

Update,' had the latest industry

updates brought to the forum by Tony

Adamson, manager-worldwide


customer marketing, DLP Cinema; Ray

M. C. Seok, general manager-Digital

Cinema of Korea; Ranjit Thakur, CEO,

Scrabble Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.,

India; and Naoshi Yoda, managing

director, T-Joy, Tokyo.

In the following ICTA session, Andrew

Robinson of Harkness Hall provided

'screen facts,' Bill Mead of DCinema

Today, and Jason Brenek of Disney

presented the 3D dynamics, while

Michael Archer of Doremi dwelt on

maintenance of digital cinema servers.

The day-two evening was marked by

trailer presentations from the footages

of the much anticipated Avatar,

besides Alice in Wonderland, How to

Train Your Dragon, and Shrek Forever

After on the Imax 3D digital format.

The much sought after programme of

the event of Awards Nite this time, like

the previous editions, had a distinct

profile. The CineAsia Exhibitor of the

Year Award for 2009 was conferred upon

the Golden Screen Cinemas. Irving Chee,

chief general manager of the Malaysian

cinema major received the award.

The most interesting award this time,

however, is the DLP Market

Achievement Award, given to

Sathyam Cinemas of India. The

Chennai-based cinema operator had

been making big waves in Indian

exhibition business for some time now,

and has ambitious expansion plans.

Besides, Sunder Kimatrai, of 20th Century

Fox has been chosen for the 'Distributor

of the Year' award, while Media Asia

Group Ltd. Chairman Peter Lam was

honoured with the Producer of the Year

award. The 'Asia-Pacific Copyright

Educator Award' was presented to noted

producer Raymond Wong.

Overall, CineAsia 2009 deliberated on

the issues facing the industry at large

and explored some directions to the

global and the Asian industry for a

recession-proof march ahead.

Christie Dolby GDC

Harkness Screens JBL - Crown Kinoton

Monee Osram Philips

Qube Cinema USL Vista


PREVIEW

March 15-18, 2010Paris & Bally’s • Las Vegas

The 36th edition ShoWest - themost coveted platform of globalmotion picture industry - will unfoldfrom March 15-18 at Paris andBally's in Las Vegas. The industry'sbiggest event, being held while theglobal motion picture industry isbreaking free of the recessivepressures, is also seeking to addressthe industry with what it calls a'truly global' approach.

According to the neilsen film group,the producers of the event, in thecurrent digital era of simultaneousmovie releases across the globe, theworld is getting smaller by the hour,and exhibition business, whether inthe Americas, Europe, or Asia, isfaced with more or less same set ofissues such as piracy, digitaldeployment and customerexperiences- which is why ShoWestis also changing in tune with thetimes to embrace the new era ofunified global industry.

More, given the pressures ofrecession, and challenges thathave been commonly impactingthe industry across the world, thisyear's ShoWest assumes moresignificance than its preceding

events in that it has new, biggerissues to address- so much so toattract industry leaders andaspiring entrepreneurs who havebeen seemingly cutting theirbusiness plans. The organizers

Bobby Chetia of TheatreWorldat ShoWest 2009


anticipate that participation atthe four-day event will increasefrom the currently represented63 countries to an even greaternumber, and will have sizeablenumber of delegates.

ShoWest normally attracts over5,000 motion picture industryprofessionals from across varioussegments of the industry as thishappens to be the biggestopportunity to preview majorstudio and independent featurefilms slated for summer 2009release; see exciting andentertaining product reels ofupcoming releases and mostimportantly network with topindustry executives at thesponsored events.

With the industry apparentlytransitioning towards digital, andthree-dimensional digital withalternative content regimes, issueslike digital cinema, 3D, and 3Ddigital are surely going to takecentrestage of debates anddeliberations during the four-day

convention. More, that the industrymovements are taken by therecession at a time when thetechnological norms and standardsgot almost fully defined, andbusiness lines are taking a clearershape, the convention assumes thefocal point of the global industry.

That the event also hosts one of thelargest trade shows of the cinemaindustry products, services andconcessions items from across theworld, ShoWest has a clear bearingon the industry movements throughthe year. Every year, it attractsaround 250 exhibitors to thetradeshow. However, in thechanged scenario, the number ofexhibitors and the productsshowcased is to only be seen.

This year's Awardees at ShoWestinclude:

• Bell Stembler, Georgia TheatreCompany -ShoWester of the Year

• Sam Worthington - ShoWestMale Star of the Year

• Katherine Heigl - ShoWestFemale Star of the Year

• Jerry Bruckheimer - ShoWestLifetime Achievement Award

"With billions earned worldwideat the box office, JerryBruckheimer has broughtoutstanding entertainment tomovie going audiences for fourdecades," said Robert Sunshine,managing director of ShoWest2010. "From the action-packedPirates of the Caribbean trilogy, tothis summer's Prince of Persia,Bruckheimer continues to bringaudiences into movie theaterseats and provides a movie goingexperience like no other. We arehonored to present JerryBruckheimer with the ShoWest2010 Lifetime AchievementAward."

Prince of Persia - a Bruckhemer-Walt Disney joint productionblockbuster would be one of themovie premieres at the ShoWest.

FLOOR PLAN


1better LLC .................................. 511

ACS Enterprises ......................... 1416

Adaptive Micro .......................... 1802

Advanced Graphics ..................... 707

Advanced SpecialtyLighting ...................... 1924/1934

AFP Advanced Food Products .... 121

American Cinema ..................... 1429

American International .............. 713

American Licorice ..................... 1206

American Paper Optics ............. 1834

Artech ........................................ 1527

Baer And Associates ................. 1825

Ballantyne Strong ........... 1205/1210

Barco-Digital Cinema ................ 1931

StudioSystems ........................... 2021

Bass Industries ........................... 1734

Big Sky Industries ...................... 1621

Blair Communications ................. 811

Boca Systems ............................... 507

Bright Star Systems .................. 1421

C Cretors & Co ........................... 1301

Caddy Products .......................... 1520

California Seating + Repair ...... 1535

Camatic Seating ........................ 1915

Changzhou Yuyu Electric LightAppliance ............................. 1327

Christie ....................................... 1705

Cinedigm Palace ............... PALACE 1

Cinema Concepts ......................... 409

Cinema Equipment & Supplies ... 1500

Cinema Hosting ........................... 612

Cinema Lighting Corp ................. 316

Cinema Scene Marketing ........... 814

Cinema Solutions ......................... 722

Cinema Source ........................... 1623

CinemaLive ................................ 1914

Cinemeccanica ................. 1505/1604

City Scape Service ....................... 909

Coast To Coast Cleaning ............. 732

Color Ad Packaging .................... 706

Component Engineering ............ 803

ConAgra Foods .......................... 1217

Connie's Pizza ............................ 1115

Continental Concession ............... 910

Crosspoint Fabrics ....................... 522

CRU-Dataport ............................ 2017

D-BOX Technologies ................. 1225

Data Display USA ...................... 1634

Datasat Digital ................. PALACE 4

DigitAll ......................................... 829

Dippin' Dots ................................. 533

Dolby ........................ 1605/PALACE 6

Dolphin Seating ........................... 735

Doremi Cinema ......................... 1921

Durkan Hospitality ..................... 824

DVA Architecture ....................... 832

Eisenberg Gourmet .................. 1316

Embedded Processor Designs .... 1627

Eomac ......................................... 1614

EyeCatcher Global .................... 1334

F'REAL! Foods .............................. 532

FBD Frozen BeverageDispensers .............................. 733

Filmack Studios ............................ 609

Fishbeck, Thompson,Carr & Huber ......................... 503

Fox Blocks ................................... 1722

Franklin Designs ........................ 1700

Funacho ........................................ 602

GDC Technology ........................ 1824

Gehl Foods ................................... 633

Gold Medal Products ................ 1821

Goldberg Brothers ...................... 807

Golden Link .................................. 620

Golterman & Sabo .................... 1317

Great Western Products ............ 702

Greystone International ............ 615

GS Alimentos De Mexico,S.A. de C.V ............................ 1010

Harkness Screens ...................... 1814

High Performance Stereo ........ 1702

Hollywood Movie Money ............ 734

Hurley Screen .............................. 413

E X H I B I T O R S @ SHOWEST 2010Hytex Industries ........................ 1813

Immerz ......................................... 506

Inorca Seating .............................. 514

International CinemaEquipment ........................... 1928

International CinemaTechnology ........................... 1228

International ElectricalWire & Cable .......................... 504

Iosono ........................................... 714

Irwin Seating Company ............. 903

Jack Roe USA ............................. 1507

JBL / CROWN .............................. 1601

JKR Partners .............................. 1200

Jolly Time Popcorn ...................... 724

Kernel Seasons ............................ 410

Kinoton America ............. 1613/1712

Kinoton GmbH ................ 1615/1716

Konica Minolta .......................... 1913

La Universal ImpresoraS.A. de C.V. ........................... 1008

Lancer Corporation ................... 1214

Lavazza Premium Coffees ....... 1426

LBI Boyd Wallcoverings ............. 1728

Lighting Images Technology ..... 1220

Little Giant Ladder Systems ..... 1121

Long Range Systems ................... 528

Look3D ....................................... 1021

MARS Snackfood US ................. 1521

Martek Contracts ...................... 1515

Menusoft Systems/Digital Dining ......................... 806

Meyer Sound ........... 1835/PALACE 7

Microvision Optical 3D ................ 515

Mobiliario SA de CV .................... 821

Modular Hardware ................... 1912

Molinos Morelia, S.A. de C.V. ... 1012

Moviead ..................................... 1635

Moving Image Technologies ..... 1729

Mundocolor Iluminacion ........... 2019

National Association OfConcessionaires ..................... 411

National Ticket Co ...................... 921


EVENT CALENDER

SPRING 2010

MARCH 15-18

SHOWEST,LAS VEGAS, USA

www.showest.com

MARCH 16-18

FRAMES,MUMBAI, INDIA

www.ficci-frames.com

SUMMER 2010

JUNE 21-24

CINEMA EXPOAMSTERDAM, HOLLAND

www.cinemaexpo.com

JULY 23-25

CINEMA TODAY,CHENNAI, INDIA

www.cinematoday.in

AUGUST 15-19

AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONALMOVIE CONVENTION

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIAwww.movieconvention.com.au

AUGUST 23-26

BIRTV,BEIJING, CHINAwww.birtv.com

SEPTEMBER

KINO EXPO,ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

www.kinoexpo.ru

AUTUMN 2010

OCTOBER 11-14

SHOWEAST,FLORIDA, USA

www.showeast.com

WINTER 2010

DECEMBER 7-9

CINEASIA,HONG KONG

www.cineasia.com

Nebraska Popcorn ....................... 625

NEC Display Solutions ...... PALACE 5

Nestle USA .................................. 902

Nevada Film Office ................... 1202

Oculus3D Corporation ................ 611

Odell's ........................................ 1425

Omniterm Data Technology ...... 721

Oreck Vacuum ............................. 928

Osram Sylvania .......................... 1820

Packaging Concepts .................... 412

Paradigm Design ....................... 1501

Paragon International .............. 1626

Partner Tech ................................ 911

Pelican Productions ..................... 728

PepsiCo Foodservice ................. 1805

Philips Specialty Lighting .......... 1216

Photo Research ......................... 1827

Poblocki Sign .............................. 1226

Popcornopolis ............................ 1726

Posiflex ......................................... 715

Pot O' Gold .................................. 502

PowerDirect Marketing ............. 529

Preferred Popcorn ...................... 315

Premium Performance Sound .... 1204

Prime Ticket .............................. 1020

PrintTixUSA ................................. 923

Proctor Companies ................... 1715

Progressive - Flooring Services .. 828

Promotion In Motion Companies .... 720

ProSTAR Industries ...................... 521

Qsc Audio Products ................... 1509

Qube Cinema ............................. 1230

Radiant Systems .......................... 703

Rainbow Symphony ................... 1724

RCM Media .................................. 915

Ready Theatre Systems .............. 414

Retriever Software ..................... 726

Reward Wall Systems ................. 711

Reynolds & Reynolds ................... 709

RGS International ..................... 1015

Richardson Oilseed ...................... 725

Ricos Products Company ........... 1300

Roney International .................. 1720

Royal Paper Corporation ............ 604

Schneider Optics ........................ 1721

Schult Industries ........................ 1329

Schwan's Food Service .............. 1022

Seating Concepts ....................... 1321

Shaw Hospitality Group ............. 520

Simply Right ................................. 614

SinoCinetech .............................. 1324

SLS Audio ..................................... 415

Slush Puppie ................................. 623

Solo Cup Company ....................... 513

SolSource Logistics .................... 1735

Sony Electronics ............... 1129/1905

Soundfold ..................................... 508

Stadium Savers .......................... 1800

Stadium Seating Enterprises ... 1524

Stein Industries ............................ 603

Summit Food Enterprises ......... 1600

Superior Quartz Products ......... 1629

Surveillance Technologies ......... 1534

Taste Of Nature ...................... 1516

Taylor Company ........................... 421

Technicolor 3D ........................... 1725

Tempo Industries ......................... 321

Texas Digital .............................. 1417

Texas Titos ................................. 2012

The Cawley ................................ 1526

The Coca-Cola .................. 1305/1405

The Environmental Media ......... 510

The Hershey Company ............. 1328

The ICEE Company ...................... 621

Theatre Lighting Associates .... 2015

TW – TheatreWorld

Therma-Stor, ............................... 505

THX ........................................... 1829

TicketPro Systems ..................... 1434

Ticketsoft ................................... 1014

Titan Technology ......................... 626

Tivoli .................................. PALACE 2

TK Architects ............................. 1815

Tootsie Roll Industries ................. 712

Ultra Stereo Labs ...................... 1221

Universal Cinema Services ....... 1528

Vantage / Glassform ................... 608

Variety -The Children's Charity ofthe U.S.A .............................. 1625

Ventura Foods ........................... 306

VIP Cinema Seating .................. 1229

Vista.............................................. 815

Vistar ............................................ 627

Vivian Company......................... 632

Weaver Popcorn .......................... 729

Weldon Williams & Lick .............. 607

White Castle Food Products ....... 932

Will Rogers Institute ................... 114

Wulf Installations ........................ 813

XpanD ........................................ 1529

ZhetaPricing Chile S.A ................ 610


entertainworld

Germany, they say, where many an innovation germinate. While it is obvious when it relates to

engineering automobiles, it also appears pretty much veritable when it comes to

entertainment. For, many innovations in entertainment - both in audio and video - took seeding

in the rich industrial European nation. What's more, it is characterised by a boastful culture

that dominated and influenced human endeavours in diverse domains all through its history.

Cinema, in its own right, had been a big gig in Germany, as the country's cinematic genius

manifested both in development of innovative product systems and exhibition mechanisms

as well as the movie genre. Kinoton, Isco, Schneider, Ernemann…so on and so forth. Topping

the league, however, is Kinoton, the projection equipment manufacturer and innovator.

Recently, the projection major achieved yet another laurel, installing XL digital cinema install.

This, time, for a change, TW brings you, a brief photo essay of the cinemas and the install.

German XLlence!


entertainworld

Taking into the hoopla of run up

to the 'Avatar,' two German

cinemas have broken new

grounds in exhibition exploits

when they installed XL 3D

digital projection systems to

power up their giant screens

with the Avtar impact. The two

cinemas in the process set a 'big'

precedent for other German

cinemas for the big time

entertainment.

The Cineplex Marburg and the

Cinedom Koeln multiplexes are

the first German cinemas that

offer their audience large scale

digital 3D Cinema. In the run-

up for the theatrical release of

'Avatar,' both cinemas have

been equipped with Kinoton

3D2P systems, each operating

with two DCP Digital Cinema

Projectors that bring brilliant 3D

pictures even to large screens.

The first Dual 3D installation had

taken place in the Cineplex

theatre, a modern seven-screen

multiplex in the city of Marburg.

The Kinoton 3D2P system

features two coupled DCP 30 L D-

Cinema projectors with 6500

Watt Xenon bulbs and integrated

Dolby 3D color filter wheels

provide stereoscopic cinema with

an image size of impressive 17 x

7 meters (51 x 21ft.). A Dolby 3D

server does the content

streaming job to the projector to

beam the same on the mega

screen.

A second Dual 3D installation

featuring the same equipment


entertainworld

offers a great three-dimensional

cinema experience at the largest

auditorium of the Cinedom

Koeln, a renowned 14-screen

multiplex in Cologne. The screen

here measures an imposing 22 x

10 meters (66 x 30 ft.) - that's

more than four times the screen

size of the other 3D auditorium

at the Cinedom, the BlackBox,

which Kinoton had equipped

with an XPanD 3D system

featuring shutter glasses in 2007.

The audience was very

enthusiastic on the image quality

and 3D effect at the large screen

and spontaneously broke into

applause when the first pictures

of 'Avatar' were shown.

Cineplex CEO Gerhard Closmann

- who already had a positive

experience when he had the first

Kinoton / Dolby 3D cinema

system installed in another

auditorium four months ago, in

the run-up to Ice Age 3 release -

is all the more pleased with the

performance of the new dual

installs as well. Buoyed by the

audience response to his new

offerings, he complemented

Kinoton on the fine picture

quality. "Because for me, a silver

screen was completely out of

question, especially with so

large a screen," he said, adding,

"after all, we'll keep on

exhibiting 2D movies as well,

both in digital and 35mm, and I

set a high value on uniform

image illumination."

The Dolby 3D system works

perfectly well with normal

cinema screens, and the dual

version with two extra-bright D-

Cinema projectors guarantees

brilliant high-contrast 3D

pictures even in an XL format.


ProductionWarner Bros.

DirectorLouis Leterrier

StarringSam Worthington,Liam Neeson

GenreAction, Fantasy

Clash of the Titans

Production20th Century Fox

DirectorShawn Levy

StarringSteve Carell,Tina Fey

GenreComedy

Date Night

ProductionLionsgate

DirectorTyler Perry

StarringTyler Perry,Sharon Leal

GenreComedy, Drama

Tyler Perry’s Why Did I GetMarried Too?

ProductionScreen Gems

DirectorNeil LaBute

StarringLoretta Devine,Peter Dinklage

GenreComedy

Death at a Funeral

ProductionLionsgate

DirectorMatthew Vaughn

StarringNicolas Cage,Aaron Johnson

GenreAction, Adventure

Kick-Ass

Production20th Century Fox

DirectorOliver Stone

StarringMichael Douglas,Shia LaBeouf

GenreDrama

Wall Street: MoneyNever Sleeps

A glimpse of movies coming to Asia this summer or later…

F U T U R E R E L E S E SA


ProductionCBS Films

DirectorAlan Poul

StarringJennifer Lopez, AlexO’Loughlin

GenreComedy, Romance

The Back-up PlanProductionFocus Features

DirectorThomas Balmes

StarringPonijao, Bayar,Mari, Hattie

GenreDocumentary

Babies


DirectorSylvain White

StarringJeffrey Dean,Zoe Saldana

GenreAction, Thriller

The LosersProductionParamount Pic-tures

DirectorJon Favreau

StarringRobert Downey Jr.,Gwyneth Paltrow,


Iron Man 2

ProductionRogue Pictures

DirectorJorma Taccone

StarringWill Forte,Ryan Phillippe

GenreAction, Comedy

MacGruberProductionSummit

DirectorGary Winick

StarringAmanda Seyfried,Christopher Egan,

GenreRomance

Letters to Juliet

ProductionNew Line Cinema

DirectorSamuel Bayer

StarringJackie Earle Haley,Rooney Mara

GenreHorror

A Nightmare on Elm StreetProductionSony Pictures

DirectorJoe Thomas

StarringKenny Chesney

GenreDocumentary,Music

Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3D




Production Universal Pictures

DirectorRidley Scott

StarringRussell Crowe,Cate Blanchett,


Robin Hood

ProductionDreamWorks

DirectorMike Mitchell

StarringMike Myers,Cameron Diaz

GenreAnimation,Comedy, Fantasy

Shrek Forever After

ProductionNew Line Cinema

DirectorMichael Patrick King

StarringSarah JessicaParker, Kim Cattrall,

GenreComedy, Romance

Sex and the City 2

ProductionWalt Disney

DirectorMike Newell

StarringJake Gyllenhaal,Ben Kingsley

GenreAction, Fantasy,Adventure

Prince of Persia:The Sands of Time

ProductionUniversal Pictures

DirectorNicholas Stoller

StarringJonah Hill,Russell Brand

GenreComedy

Get Him to the Greek

ProductionColumbia Pictures

DirectorHarald Zwart

StarringJackie Chan,Jaden Smith

GenreAction

The Karate Kid


DirectorJimmy Hayward

StarringJosh Brolin,John Malkovich

GenreAction, Thriller

Jonah Hex

ProductionDisney Pixar

DirectorLee Unkrich

StarringTom Hanks,Tim Allen,

GenreAnimation, Comedy

Toy Story 3



A D V E R T I S E R S ’ I N D E XCompany Name Page no. Product Email / Website

ProductionFilmkraft

DirectorAnurag Basu

StarringHrithik Roshan,Kangna Ranaut,

GenreThriller / Romance

Kites

ProductionTips Music Films

DirectorKookie V Gulati

StarringVivek Oberoi,Aruna Shields

GenreAction / Thriller

PrinceProductionPercept Picture

DirectorPriyadarshan

StarringDarsheel Safary,Atul Kulkarni

GenreChildren / Drama

Bumm Bumm Bole

ProductionEros Entertainment

DirectorSajid Khan

StarringAkshay Kumar,Deepika Padukone

GenreComedy

Housefull

The next issue of TheatreWorld is our Summer Special. It will be promoted at CinemaExpo - Amsterdam.The last date for advertising orders is 20 May 2010. Email [email protected]

Amar AV TM-28 Screens [email protected] TW-54 Walls & Ceilings [email protected] / www.anutone.comBarco TM-3 Projectors [email protected] / www.barco.comBlue Star TM-5 Cooling Systems [email protected] /

www.bluestarindia.comChristie Digital TW-7 Projectors [email protected] / www.christiedigital.comCinema Today TM-27 Tradeshow [email protected] / www.cinematoday.inDatasat Digital TW-5 Audio Processor [email protected] /

www.datasatdigital.comDLP TW-13 Digital Cinema [email protected] / www.dlpcinema.comDolby TW-9 3D www.dolby.com/3dcinemaDoremi TW-3 Digital Cinema [email protected] / www.doremicinema.comGalalite TM-11 Screens [email protected] / www.galalitescreens.com

Harkness TW-25,27 Screens [email protected] /www.harkness-screens.com

HDIL TM-2 Cinema [email protected] / www.hdilbroadway.inHi Tech Audio TM-9 Sound [email protected] /

www.hitechaudiosystems.comKinoton TW-15 Projectors www.kinoton.com / [email protected] Sound TW-37 Sound www.meyersound.com/cinemaR&S (India) TM-7 Equipment [email protected] / www.rands-india.comScrabble TW-56 3D [email protected] /

www.scrabbleentertainment.comStrong TW-2 Projectors www.strong-cinema.comUSL TW-11 Sound [email protected] / www.uslinc.comVikas TM-13 Lamps [email protected] / vikascorporation.com


www.anutone.com

Anutone provides total interior finish solutions for walls and ceilings to all kinds of architecturalspaces. For cinemas Anutone provides black ceilings, special drywall partitions, fabricpanelling etc. Anutone interiors perform all the time - visually when the lights are onand aurally when the lights are off - so that audiences feel good forever!

Cinema interiors by Anutone Defined by the architect Engineered by the acoustician

Enjoyed by audiences forever!

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