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150 (US$ 15)
MINDSHARE THEATREWORLD EDITORIAL
Here comes Dolby Cinema! Can you think of anything beyond? At least not for the moment! A short period into its launch and Dolby Cinema is already making waves. Combining captivating image and sound technologies, this cinema concept by Dolby Laboratories is rapidly expanding with sizeable collaborations world over.
Issue # 70 July-August 2015
As AMC Theatres, the second largest theatre chain in the US, acquired the Dallas-based Starplex Cinemas, it crossed the 5,000-screen landmark. In another acquisition move in India, PVR Cinemas bought DT Cinemas to cross the 500-screen mark and retained its top position in screen count nationally. Motion seating takes cinema entertainment to a whole new level. Available only in amusement parks until recently, motion seating now makes its way into multiplex screens. CJ 4DX and D-box have witnessed booming installations of motion seating in the market; CJ alone opened six 4DX Screens in just one month in Japan. This year, my visit to CineEurope was a unique experience of its kind. I had a first-hand feel of the new products at the tradeshow and an opportunity to attend brainstorming seminars and product presentations by major studios (read CineEurope Review in this issue). The lineup of exhibitors and gathering was highly impressive. Packed to its capacity, the CCIB auditorium hosted the presentations and screenings at the conference. Harkness Screen and Dolby Atmos sound made the auditorium an absolute delight, so did the helpings of Coke and popcorns! For the film fraternity and movie-goers in India, it can’t get bigger than Bahubali The Beginning. Directed by SS Rajamouli, Bahubali is the most expensive production in the history of Indian cinema to date. With rich technical attributes and much-talked about casting, the film crossed Rs 500 crore mark, making it one of the biggest box office collections of Indian cinema. The movie released in 4,000+ screens worldwide in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam. In fact, some of the theatres had run benefit shows at 6 am to cater to the over pouring demand in the first few weeks. The second part, Bahubali – Conclusion will be released in 2016. Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan, the critically acclaimed and commercially successful, inched closer to become another big blockbuster this quarter. World’s Cheapest Movie Ticket? It happens only in India! Walk into any multiplex in Chennai and you can buy a movie ticket for Rs 10 for any seat in the first three rows (10% of the seats in any theatre are sold for Rs 10). For any other ticket, the price ceiling is Rs 120 (US$ 1.87). What’s more, the ticket price remains the same even on weekends. But with the cap on ticket fare taking a toll on revenues, many theatre owners and film distributors are hoping the state government would re-evaluate its policy of regulating ticket prices. It does leave one wondering how theatres are managing their revenues? Even in these times of price regulation, SPI Cinemas (Sathyam Cinemas) in Chennai has been keeping its standards high, offering quality, luxury and better consumer experience. Now audiences in the state can only dream of IMAX at this pricing! Another edition of KinoExpo is about to begin in Russia and TheatreWorld is the official media partner. KinoExpo 2015 will focus on markets in Russia and neighboring CIS countries (former USSR). Raghavendra T Editor-Publisher
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Raghavendra T Editor-Publisher +91 9980 208 208 raghav@network208.com
Sandeep Mittal Founder Editor Publisher
Authors & Writers Asra Shaheen Heti Dave James Braver Michael Karagosian Peter DiDomenica Savita V Jayaram Tom Coughlin
Clancy D’souza Sales & Marketing +91 78753 29282 clancy@network208.com
M Naga Bhanu Online & Social Media
Manikandan TJ Cover Design Printing Ramya Reprographic, Bengaluru Published by Raghavendra T on behalf of NETWORK208 013, Skylark Enclave, 5th Main, Jagadish Nagar, New Thippasandra Post, Bengaluru 560 075, India info@network208.com / www.network208.com
RNI # KARENG02795/10/1/2002-TC TheatreWorld is a bi-monthly publication, on the motion picture exhibition industry, for private circulation. It reaches out to subscribers, mainly theatre owners and trade professionals around the world. Additional copies are being promoted at major international industry tradeshows. TheatreWorld seeks the healthy promotion of the theatre industry through dissemination of useful information. Some of the information is compiled from industry sources, trade journals, company brochures for the benefit of readers, especially, theatre owners. TheatreWorld acknowledges with thanks the authors and publishers of these printed materials. Views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and not necessarily of TheatreWorld. TheatreWorld is a trademark under registration. The contents of TheatreWorld are under copyright registration. All rights reserved. Reproduction by any means in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Unsolicited printed material is welcome but no responsibility is undertaken for the same and will not be returned. TheatreWorld does not take responsibility for the absolute accuracy of information published.
contents
This issue of TW has two sets of page numbers - International pages TW-1 to TW-60 for TW, and India pages TM-1 to TM-20 for TM. TM is inserted between pages TW-54 and TW-55 of TW.
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SPECIAL STORY TW-24 Tim Richards A Compassionate Entrepreneur
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Shooting at Lafayette Theatre
A Wakeup Call
TECHNOLOGY TW-38 Theatre Security Cost Effective and Minimally Intrusive
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Volfoni
An Avant-Garde 3D Technology Brand
SPECIAL STORY
TW-35 Heritage Cinemas World Over
Eden Theatre:
World's First Cinema
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TW-42 Michael's Green Paper TW-47
Part 2
Storage Options for Digital Cinema
TECHNOLOGY
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TRADESHOWS TW-49 Review -
TW-53 Review -
GDC Raises Bar for
Digital Cinemas Worldwide TW-54 Preview -
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F
U T U R E
R E L E A S E S
TM-3
TM-9
PVR Makes India's
Biggest Atmos Deal!
INDIA PLEXING TM-12
CinĂŠpolis:
Offering Largest Legroom
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TM-15 INDIA PLEXING
BUSINESS TREND
INOX Extends its
Presence in Pune & Vadodara
Christie Wins 6 Industry Awards at InfoComm 2015 Christie added to its extensive trophy collection at InfoComm 2015, earning six awards ranging from two 'Best of Show' awards to 'Most Innovative Emerging Technologies.' Showcasing a wide range of integrated visual display solutions, Christie's recognition by the industry's most respected professionals testifies to its ongoing commitment to giving its customers the right light for the application, which lets its customers imagine, create and share their visions. "Christie is honoured to be recognized by leading industry professionals and to accept these awards," said Kathryn Cress, vice president, Global and Corporate Marketing, Christie. "As the integrated visual systems leader, Christie continues to provide its customers with the world's best shared experiences while setting new boundaries for what is possible." Christie Velvet LED earned a Readers Choice award from rAVe magazine for 'Favorite Video Wall Product,' which was voted on by over 54,000 readers. The Christie Velvet LED Apex Series also captured a Best of Show award for 'New and outstanding products exhibited at InfoComm' from Digital Signage magazine. Christie laser phosphor technology continues to shine brightly in the market, capturing two honours. The Christie GS Series won the prize for 'Most Innovative Emerging Technologies' from NewBay Media while the new Christie Captiva
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DUW350S Ultra Short Throw lens projector - which previewed at InfoComm - collected a 'Best of Show' award from Government Video magazine. A global hit since debuting earlier this year, Christie Boxer captured yet another trophy. NewBay Media named it the 'Best Video Projection Product - High Lumen.' The award recognizes the undisputed performance and high brightness of the Christie Boxer. Weighing less than 150 pounds, the Christie Boxer 4K30 features Christie TruLife Electronics and supports high bit depth, high frame rate and native 4K signals. Also making its global preview at InfoComm was the Christie FHQ981-L 98-inch LCD flat panel, which won a Sound & Video Contractor award for 'Innovation; performance against category standard; richness/relevance of feature sets; ease of installation/ maintenance; and value/ROI.' Sound & Video Contractor editors said the Christie 98-inch flat panel "brings affordable 120Hz quad HD resolution, built-in 10-watt speakers to smaller digital signage applications."
Volfoni for Brighter 3D in Russia The Russian cinema integrator Merlin and Volfoni, the 3D cinema specialist, announced that again, three more cinema exhibitors have chosen the SmartCrystal Diamond as their passive 3D system of choice. They join growing number (T) of Diamond users in Russia, following the footsteps of the joint showroom from Disney and Sony in Moscow. The decision to choose the SmartCrystal Diamond for KinoMost (Samara), Tripingvina (Cheboksary) and Aerohall (Tolyatti) is explained by Anatoly Chernikov (Commercial Director) from Merlin saying: "if you want to be the best cinema, you need to have the brightest 3D. And [...] customers wanted to get rid of heavy active glasses. Thus, the Diamond was the perfect decision. In this matter we relied on the Volfoni brand, as one of the most famous companies, and did not lose. We have a happy audience and happy customers now!" Volfoni's Managing Director EMEA Russia and CIS, Alain Chamaillard adds: "We thank our partners in Russia for the good and trustful relationship. We value the cooperation with them, giving us continuous feedback to make even better 3D systems". The SmartCrystal Diamond is today, the most successful triple-beam system in the Cinema industry, with over 500 units actually sold. It provides high brightness with nearly 30% LEF, improving the 3D experience and reducing the operating costs of 3D.
Christie Partners with Shanghai International Film Festival for 7th Consecutive Year Christie, a world leader in advanced cinema technologies and visual displays, served as the exclusive digital projection partner for the 18th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) for the seventh consecutive year. The Christie Solaria CP4230 DLP 4K Digital Cinema Projector is once again bestowed with the honour of screening the opening and closing films at this prestigious event, which takes place from June 13-21, 2015. Known as China's only nonspecialized competitive international film festival accredited by the Parisbased FĂŠdĂŠration Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films (FIAPF), the festival kicked off in style with the screening of veteran Hong Kong director Derek Yee's new film, I Am Somebody, while China-Russian co-production Ballet in the Flames of War closed the event. Shot on location at Zhejiang Hengdian World Studios, I Am Somebody is a comedy about the lives of extras working at China's largest film studio. The film is selffinanced by Yee and stars unknowns but has numerous star cameos, including renowned celebrities Daniel Wu and Anita Yuen. On the other hand, closing film Ballet in the Flames of War is a romance set during the Second World War. Directed by China's Yachun Dong and Russia's Nikita Mikhalkov, the film opened the Chinese Film Festival in Moscow last month. Lin Yu, vice president, Christie Asia Pacific, said, "Christie is honoured to present this premium moviescreening experience to all the guests at this year's SIFF. With over 85 years of experience in the movie industry, Christie's digital cinema projectors have achieved illustrious success in the entertainment industry. Every year, the best film professionals around the world gather in Shanghai for this dazzling event and we are delighted to be associated with the
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SIFF, which is one of the most prominent film festivals in the world." Besides screening the spectacular opening and closing films, Christie completed the installation of Asia's first 6-Primary (6P) laser projection system in Hall 1 of the prestigious Shanghai Film Art Center for movie screenings during the film festival. Anchored by the Christie Freedom laser illumination system, audiences are able to get the best 3D movieviewing experience on the 23-meter Oriental Mega Screen with incredible
brightness, wider colour gamut and astounding contrast. Christie's 6P laser projectors provide industryleading brightness of up to 60,000 lumens per projector head, and offer vastly improved 3D light levels, image uniformity, viewing comfort, and an enhanced sense of immersion. Christie also participated in the China (Shanghai) International Cinema Facilities and Technology Exhibition, which takes place at the Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Center of International Sourcing from June 17-19, 2015. The live demonstrations during this event included Christie CP2215DLP digital cinema projector and the cutting-edge Christie Vive Audio™ cinema audio solution, which utilizes ribbon driver speakers and Class D amplifiers. The Christie Solaria Series is the only 4K DLP solution able to provide the world's most brilliant images, the highest level of content security, the easiest adaptability, operation and maintenance. Fully DCI compliant, and built on Christie's extensive cinema experience, the Christie Solaria Series is ready for the next evolution of digital cinema; capable of displaying premium 4K content or 2D/3D 2K High Frame Rate (HFR) feature films and alternative content in its original format.
AMC Theatres to Acquire Starplex Cinemas
Chairman of the Board at Cinemark. "Darcy's history with innovation and excellence in digital media, as well as her strong understanding of our industry with her background will bring valuable perspective to our Board of Directors." "Cinemark continues to be a leader in exhibition by incorporating new technologies to enhance the theatrical experience. I look forward to serving on its Board," stated Darcy Antonellis.
AMC Theatres ("AMC") and privately held Starplex Cinemas ("Starplex") announced they have entered into a definitive purchase agreement for AMC to acquire Starplex for approximately $172 million in cash, subject to working capital and other adjustments. When completed, AMC will operate approximately 380 theatres with 5,300 screens. By broadening its footprint for delivering groundbreaking guest experience innovations -- such as plush power-recliners, enhanced food and beverage, premium sight and sound, greater guest engagement and targeted programming - the acquisition will expand AMC's proven ability to deliver an exceptional movie experience to more movie-goers. "This acquisition is expected to create immediate and long-term substantial value for guests and shareholders," said AMC CEO Gerry Lopez. "We will add 90 recliner re-seated screens to our portfolio and plan to add recliners to an additional 80 screens over the next five years, further transforming the movie-going experience for millions of guests. Our large market theatre portfolio will be complemented by new small and mid-size market theatres, which gives AMC broader movie genre appeal across a wider spectrum of guests." "Starplex and AMC have a shared vision to provide a quality guest experience, and even more of our guests will now benefit from recliner re-seats and other great amenities," said Starplex CEO Steve Holmes. "Today's transaction provides
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Starplex shareholders with meaningful and immediate value." AMC will acquire Starplex on a cashfree, debt-free basis. AMC plans to fund the acquisition using cash on its balance sheet and availability under its existing revolving credit facility, if necessary. Husch Blackwell LLP is serving as AMC's lead legal advisor. Peter J. Solomon Company is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Starplex and Andrews Kurth LLP is serving as Starplex's legal advisor. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions including receipt of anti-trust approval. The companies anticipate closing this transaction by the end of 2015.
Distinguished Digital Media Executive Joins Cinemark Board Cinemark Holdings, Inc., a leading motion picture exhibitor, announced that Darcy Antonellis, CEO, Vubiquity, has been elected to the Board of Cinemark Holdings, Inc., effective July 7, 2015. Ms Antonellis was elected to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Mr Vahe Dombalagian and shall serve the remainder of Mr Dombalagian's term as a member of the Class II directors. "Darcy's addition to our board is yet another step forward in our key strategy and commitment to technological and product innovation," stated Lee Roy Mitchell,
Ms Antonellis, 53, is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Vubiquity, Inc., the largest global provider of premium content services and technical solutions serving clients in 37 countries and reaching more than 100 million households. Prior to that, she held numerous positions at Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., (a Time Warner company) including President of Technical Operations and Chief Technology Officer. Under Ms Antonellis' leadership, Warner Bros. advanced their technology strategy and vision to leverage growth opportunities in media and entertainment-related products and services innovation. A multi-national patents recipient, Ms Antonellis also served as CBS Inc.'s Vice President of Technical and Olympic Operations where she won Emmy awards in Technical Production for CBS's coverage of the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics, and in 2012 as a member of the Warner Bros. Technical Operations team which received an Engineering Emmy in the area of large scale content digital distribution technology.
Barco Bringing Laser Projection Technology Beyond Cinema to Rental and Staging Barco represented at the NewBay Media Rental Staging Roadshow by Bill Beck "The Laser Guy," who discussed the role of laser-illuminated projection for large entertainment venues as part of a panel discussion on next-generation video projection. The show took place on July 29, 2015 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. Barco is a leading manufacturer of large-venue projectors and the leader in laser-illuminated projection. Leveraging its early experience in digital cinema laser projection - having developed the world's first integrated 6P laser cinema projector - it is now optimizing its laser illumination technology for live events, projection mapping, fixed installation, large venue, simulation, corporate AV and other applications and markets. "Based on our success with ultrabright laser projectors for big screen cinema, we are adapting our laser technology to create new solutions that better fit the rental and staging model," comments Patrick Lee, Vice President Entertainment and Corporate for Barco. "Our latest laser phosphor projector is just the first of many laser-illuminated ProAV projectors on the horizon, and part of an expanding product line soon to offer a laser projection solution for every application."
laser projector, targeted to modestly sized theatres. The NC1201L model is the latest in NEC's Digital Cinema Projector Series to have earned compliance on DCI Compliant Equipment. The test was completed by Aegisolve Cyber Security Laboratories, one of three entities licensed by Digital Cinema Initiatives, LLC to comply with the Digital Cinema System Specification Compliance Test Plan (CTP) Version 1.2.
"While lamps are still the preferred light source for rental and staging applications from a cost/ performance standpoint, Barco's laser technology platforms are being adapted for high performance, large venue applications," comments Beck. "As laser technology develops over the next few years, we will see significant reductions made in projector weight, size and cost, which will make laser the optimal illumination solution for all applications," continues Beck.
NEC Display NC1201L Digital Cinema Projector Achieves DCI Compliance NEC Display Solutions of America, a leading provider of commercial LCD display and projector solutions, announced Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) compliance for its NC1201L
The NC1201L projector provides 14-ft. L (using a 1.8 gain screen) on screens up to 39.4 ft./12m in DCI colour. "Achieving DCI compliance for the NC1201L digital cinema projector is just one way that NEC continues to help valued end customers, channel partners and others meet the demands of the 21st Century communications landscape," said Rich McPherson, Sr. Product Manager for Projectors at NEC Display. "The NC1201L takes advantage of a solid state light source to give exhibitors a lower total cost of ownership and a virtually maintenance free projector with 20,000 hours of lifetime."* "Aegisolve is pleased to report that the NEC NP-NC1201L-A and NP-NC1201L-A+ satisfy all of the applicable requirements of the DCI CTP 1.2," said Desiree Spann, Aegisolve, Inc. CEO. "Such compliance results in an enhanced movie-going experience."
Bill Beck, "The Laser Guy" for Barco, joins a panel discussion at the Rental Staging Roadshow to share insights on laser technology, large venue projection, and Barco's latest contributions to the rental and staging industry. During his presentation, Bill will explain the benefits and challenges of laser illumination in the context of several emerging large venue applications and what Barco is doing to address them.
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National Theatre Live's The Beaux' Stratagem and Hamlet to be broadcast in Sony 4K Two new National Theatre Live productions are to be captured in ultra-detailed Sony 4K and projected with the highest picture quality to audiences across Vue Cinemas' 84-site estate. The autumn shows mark the next step in a year-long three-way partnership between National Theatre Live, Vue Entertainment and Sony Digital Cinema 4K - bringing world-class theatrical experiences to Vue customers with unsurpassed 4K clarity. Simon Godwin directs George Farquhar's colourful 18th century comedy The Beaux' Stratagem. The production will be shot in 4K and then delivered for exclusive 'encore' screenings to Vue customers around the country as a 4K DCP (Digital Cinema Package). This will allow audiences to fully appreciate the expanded colour space captured by Sony's F55 4K camera - giving cinemagoers a breathtakingly lifelike experience with richer, more vibrant on-screen tones and textures than conventional HD transmission. "The Beaux' Strategem stood out as a perfect choice for capturing in 4K" notes National Theatre Live Producer, Emma Keith. "From the intricate multi-layered set to the voluptuously colourful costumes, there's a huge amount of on-stage detail that 4K can capture". Directed by Lyndsey Turner and produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, October's production of Hamlet sees Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch take the title role in Shakespeare's great tragedy. In a major event cinema breakthrough, the 15th October performance at the Barbican will be transmitted live in 4K for exclusive presentation in selected Vue cinemas around the UK. It's the first time that any theatrical production has been delivered live to multiple locations for simultaneous 4K projection. Transmitted with 4K resolution at 50 frames per second, the live
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these special 4K showings will bring both NT productions to life with unsurpassed detail, clarity and contrast. It's an ideal opportunity for theatre fans to enjoy the immersive spectacle of world-class drama at their local cinema.
broadcast will ensure that cinemagoers enjoy smooth, realistic reproduction of the action on stage. "This eagerly-awaited production has been the fastest-selling show in London theatre's history", says Emma Keith. "It's wonderful that we have the opportunity to future-proof Hamlet in 4K, giving the widest possible audience a chance to experience this landmark production - both live and after the event." The Beaux' Stratagem and Hamlet will both be captured using Sony F-Series 4K cameras. With four times the resolution of Full HD, the immersive clarity and detail of 4K will reveal the subtlest nuance of every performance as it's never been seen before. "It's great for National Theatre Live to be leading the field in capturing our productions in 4K" says Emma Keith. "The detail with which audiences can see the costumes and sets is outstanding, that's great news for cinema audiences. And these are set to be two spectacular productions". Audiences at Vue Cinemas around the country will exclusively be able to experience the on-stage action in 4K, as if they're right there in the auditorium. Screened with Vue's fleet of Sony Digital Cinema projectors,
This autumn's presentations build on the success in March of Behind the Beautiful Forevers - the first NT Live production covered by the agreement that was recorded and screened exclusively to Vue customers in Sony 4K. "Presented in Sony 4K, these two visually sumptuous productions push the rapidly-evolving boundaries of event cinema even further" says David McIntosh, Vice President, Sony Digital Cinema 4K Solutions for Europe and the Americas. "At Sony we understand the power of connecting viewers with wonderful emotional experiences. It's a great privilege to be closely involved with partners of the calibre of NT Live and Vue Entertainment in creating something very special for audiences. "October's live 4K transmission of Hamlet to multiple venues will be yet another world first in event cinema from Sony", notes McIntosh. "Building on our unique partnership, we're already looking at more innovations that will raise the bar further in terms of picture quality and the overall experience for more cinema-goers." Kevin Styles, Managing Director (UK & Ireland) of Vue Entertainment. "At Vue we place entertainment and digital innovation at the heart of our services and we are delighted to bring this exclusive world first realtime 4K transmission to our customers. Importantly, those customers who wouldn't normally be able to access such fantastic theatrical productions can now not only enjoy the thrill of live events but can do so in the most realistic and technically innovative way."
CJ 4DPLEX's New Partnership with Regal Cinemas Paves Way for 2 Manhattan Movie Theatres to Offer Immersive Experience CJ 4DPLEX, the world's first 4D cinema company, announced that it has entered into a new partnership with Regal Cinemas, the largest theatre circuit in the United States. The agreement will bring 4DX technology to two movie theatres in Manhattan, making New York the second major city in the United States to offer the immersive five-sense cinematic experience. The two Manhattan theatres are: Regal Union Square Stadium 14, one of Regal's top grossing theatres, located at 850 Broadway and Regal E-Walk 13 located at 247 West 42nd Street in Times Square. The 4DX technology from CJ 4DPLEX enhances the on-screen visuals of action-packed blockbusters, stimulating all five senses through special effects such as motion, wind, fog, rain, lighting, vibrations and scents to enable a completely immersive event that transcends the traditional cinema experience. The result is that 4DX, going far beyond 3D, offers a complete visual, aural, olfactory and tactile experience to the latest blockbusters, and lends itself perfectly to high-action movies. A sampling of blockbuster movies that have already screened in 4DX theatres range from Transformers: Age of Extinction, Furious 7 and Avengers: Age of Ultron, to Jurassic World, Dawn of the Apes and San Andreas. "As a theatre chain that prides itself on being cutting edge, we at Regal are very excited to continue our partnership with CJ 4DPLEX while growing the 4DX arena in the United States with these two launches," said Regal Cinemas Chief Technical & Theatre Operations Officer Rob Del Moro. "New York City moviegoers are going to be in for an incredible cinematic treat later this year." "We are very excited to be partnering with America's largest theatre chain to bring our state-of-
the-art immersive movie experience to the city that never sleeps," said Mark W. Shaw, CEO of CJ 4DPLEX America. "Based on our experience around the world introducing 4DX to the industry, we are confident that our launches in New York will mark the beginning of a long and prosperous relationship between our companies." CJ 4DPLEX's 4DX technology was first launched in America at AEG-owned Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14 in June 2014. During its first year, the 104-seat Regal LA Live's 4DX Auditorium has generated $1.7 million in revenue which is triple the total from the previous year and attendance has doubled during the same period since the conversion. Also, the theatre moved up nearly 40 spots in overall U.S. box office rankings. Since debuting with a 4D screening of Avatar in 2010, there are now more than 23,000 4DX seats operating in 182 theatres in 34 countries - opening on approximately one new screen every two weeks as theatres recognize the power of being able to offer a wider range of formats and experiences to moviegoers. To date 4DX has been introduced around the world in such countries as Mexico, China, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Guatemala, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Peru, Poland, Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela, among others.
Cinemark & Coca-Cola Bringing ESPN Gameday Experience to Columbus, Ohio Cinemark Holdings, Inc, one of the world's leading motion picture exhibitors, announced the next appearance of Cinemark's Coca-Cola CineStage will take place in Columbus, Ohio at Cinemark's Rave Polaris 18 and Xtreme multiplex located at 1071 Gemini Place, Columbus, OH. After making stops in Los Angeles, Dallas/Ft. Worth and the San Francisco Bay Area, this will be the fourth appearance of this high-profile promotional program that has generated a great deal of excitement among moviegoers the past few months. The Coca-Cola CineStage is a monthly event designed around a full-day of activities that engages July-August 2015
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Cinemark's customers by offering them unique opportunities to celebrate some of the things they love the most like movies, music and sports with an on-site #CokeCineStage promotion and surprises. Each month, a different city and Cinemark theatre location is selected. For August, the Coca-Cola CineStage tour will be visiting Cinemark's Rave Polaris 18 location in Columbus, Ohio where guests will have the opportunity to create photos on the Coca-Cola CineStage for a chance to win an ESPN College GameDay VIP experience that includes a trip to an ESPN College GameDay destination, talent meet and greet, backstage tour and access to a VIP viewing area during the show. Additionally, the theatre's event will be hosted by celebrity social influencer and television personality Chelsea Briggs and feature a special guest appearance by ESPN College GameDay's Sports Analyst David Pollack. The August 8 event kicks off a month-long, nationwide concession promotion running at many of Cinemark's theatres across the country, which also provides guests who text in a selfie with their ESPN College GameDay promotional cup available at Cinemark locations another chance to win a VIP ESPN College GameDay experience. "Cinemark is excited to expand the social experience at our theatres through these interactive CineStage events in collaboration with our partners at Coca-Cola," stated Robert Copple, Cinemark's President and COO. "This special ESPN College GameDay event will launch our promotional cup and enable our guests to share in the excitement as they prepare to cheer for their favorite college teams this upcoming season." Cinemark takes pride in creating the best entertainment experience in the industry. In order to make moviegoing as easy and enjoyable as possible, Cinemark focuses on offering more choices to their customers. Moviegoers can
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download the Cinemark app to view show times and purchase tickets onthe-go. Guests can also utilize CineMode, a feature within the Cinemark app, to earn rewards for being courteous to others during movies. Cinemark fans are invited to stay connected through Cinemark's social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Customers can also sign up online to receive free, weekly show time emailers that contain online coupons for discounts at the concession stand and other weekly special offers.
IMAX Signs First Agreement in Nigeria with Filmhouse Cinemas IMAX Corporation and Filmhouse Cinemas, Nigeria's largest chain of theatres, announced an agreement for an IMAX theatre to be located in a new construction project in Lagos, the nation's biggest city with a population of more than 20 million. The deal, announced at CineEurope, marks the first-ever IMAX agreement in Nigeria and West Africa. Nigeria now ranks as Africa's largest economy. The agreement also underscores the company's continued expansion in Africa,
where in the past year IMAX signed its first-ever deal in Angola and added four new theatres to its network in South Africa. "Our mission is to establish the best movie-going experience in Nigeria. IMAX will help us realise this goal by delivering an immersive and differentiated experience previously unavailable to Nigerian moviegoers," said Kene Mkparu, CEO, Filmhouse Cinemas. "As we continue our aggressive expansion plans, IMAX will serve as an anchor attraction in our multiplex in Lagos, redefining the premium cinema experience in Nigeria. We are proud to be the first to introduce IMAX in the country and look forward to broadening its reach." "We are delighted to join forces with Filmhouse Cinemas and enter Nigeria, which represents a key strategic move for our expansion in Africa. Recent reports project that Nigeria's entertainment and media revenues will reach an estimated $8.5 billion by 2018 - more than doubling from 2013," said Andrew Cripps, President, IMAX EMEA. "As the biggest economy on the continent and a market that is extremely under-screened, we believe that together with Filmhouse we can seize the mutual growth opportunities that exist in Nigeria and bring the world's most immersive cinematic experience to more audiences across the country."
IMAX Announces Appointment of Dana Settle to Board of Directors IMAX Corporation announced the appointment of Dana Settle to its Board of Directors. Settle is a Partner and Co-Founder at Greycroft, a venture capital fund based in New York City and Los Angeles focused on investments in the Internet and mobile markets. She fills a vacancy on the company's board. Throughout her career, Settle has played a key role in the success of many technology startups. Prior to Greycroft, where she heads the firm's West Coast arm in Los Angeles, Settle spent several years as a venture capitalist and adviser to startup companies in the Bay Area. During her six years at venture capital fund Mayfield, she focused on early-stage companies in the mobile communications and consumer Internet markets. Dana currently serves on the boards of Greycroft's investments in AppAnnie, EBTH.com, Steelhouse, TheRealReal, Clique, RocketJump, and WideOrbit. She also managed the firm's investments in Maker Studios (sold to Disney), Viddy (sold to FullScreen), AwesomenessTV (sold to Dreamworks), Digisynd (sold to Disney), ContentNext (sold to Guardian Media), Pulse (sold to LinkedIn) and Sometrics (sold to American Express). Dana's additional experience includes business development at Truveo (AOL), investment banking at Lehman Brothers and international business development at McCaw Cellular Communications (AT&T). "Dana has played a pivotal role in fostering the strategic growth of some of the most promising digital media companies in the world. She has a pulse on the latest digital innovations across multiple platforms and an impressive track record of transforming those innovations into successful businesses," said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. "We are delighted to
welcome Dana as our newest board member. As we continue to explore new areas for growth, her expertise and strategic insight will be of tremendous value to our board and to IMAX."
NC1200C, NC1600C and NC2000C digital cinema projectors. Both lamps feature exceptional arc stability and robust construction for high reliability. Philips Digital Cinema Xenon lamps are especially designed for the demanding requirements of today's digital cinema projectors. Their high light output ensures optimum on-screen brightness, while a proprietary electrode design ensures high arc stability with sharp digital pictures. Long lifetimes and a highly robust design ensure lowest Total Cost of Ownership for digital cinema. Each lamp is customised per projector model to ensure the best performance.
"I'm thrilled and honoured to be joining the IMAX board," said Settle. "The IMAX brand is a landmark in the media industry and its innovative work aligns perfectly with my experience in the venture capital industry. I look forward to helping to continue IMAX's forward-thinking mission with my fellow board members and the IMAX executive team." Dana holds a BA in Finance and International Studies from the University of Washington and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Philips Launches New Xenon Lamps at CineEurope Philips continues to expand its portfolio of Digital Cinema Xenon lamps and launched two new lamp modelsat CineEurope. The new high performance 2 kW Digital Cinema Xenon lamp XDC 2001C comes with the longest 100% warranty in the industry (1100 hours) and is specifically designed for the Christie CP2210, CP 2215 and CP2000-M digital cinema projectors. The new XDC 2000N lamp is a 2 kW high performance Digital Cinema Xenon lamp and provides a full warranty of 2400 hours. This lamp is specifically designed for the NEC
Carmike Cinemas & IMAX Expand Partnership with Three-Theatre Agreement IMAX Corporation and Carmike Cinemas Inc, a leading entertainment, digital cinema and 3-D motion picture presenter, announced an expansion of the parties' revenue-sharing arrangement with the addition of three new IMAX theatre systems. One theatre will be added to the Carmike 12 multiplex in Missoula and another to the Carmike Shiloh 14 multiplex in Billings, marking the first commercial IMAX theatres in Montana. The third will be added to a new construction project in Manhattan, Kansas. The agreement brings to 24 theatres Carmike Cinemas' total IMAX commitment.
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Six 4DX Screens Open in One Month in Japan CJ 4DPLEX, an immersive theatre technology featuring moving seats and environmental effects, has been expanding its business rapidly in Japan. With six of its 17 total sites opened in this month alone, Japan is now the fastest-growing 4DX market in the world. The six new 4DX auditoriums include three new openings with existing partner United Cinemas, which added screens in Sapporo, the largest city in Hokkaido, as well as Maebashi and Kasukabe, in the suburbs of Tokyo. Another existing partner, Cinema Sunshine, added a new site in Masaki while new partners, 109 Cinemas and Sanyo, each launched their first 4DX screens in Tomiya and Himeji, respectively. Overall, 4DX is planning to reach 25 total sites in Japan by the end of this year. 4DX has a passionate following in Japan, which can be seen by recent strong showings. For example, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Mad Max: Fury Road generated an occupancy rate in 4DX that was five times higher than non-4DX, and Furious 7 recorded a more than 91% average occupancy rate as part of the film's fantastic international opening weekend. "Not only are audiences filling theatres at record rates to see the latest blockbuster films in 4DX, their positive reactions range from standing ovations in the auditorium to thrilling reactions on social media," said Byung Hwan Choi, CEO of CJ 4DPLEX. "Following a marketing promotion earlier this month, Avengers: Age of Ultron received such positive responses on Twitter and Facebook as 'It's pretty impressive! A thousand words won't be enough to describe the experience that I just had,' and praise of how the fight scene between the Hulk and Iron Man impacted all five senses. Before the 4DX debut of Pacific Rim last year, Japanese fans held a prerelease party dressed as characters in
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the film. We are looking forward to seeing more examples of this connection between films and fans, caused by 4DX, as expansion continues throughout Japan."
JT Cinema Centralises Operations with Producer JT Cinema centralises operations with Producer. The agreement, which covers 102 screens across the Netherlands, will see all of JT Cinema's sites connected to Producer at head office. From one central instance at head office, JT will be able to monitor and manage all content, KDMs, advertising and trailer pre-show, and reporting across 20 sites. JT Cinemas was one of the first customers of AAM's Theatre Management System, Screenwriter, which it has been using at each site to manage content, playlists and scheduling on all screens. Using Producer will extend and centralise that functionality, providing JT with increased control and visibility across their operations. Producer is designed to monitor all sites in the circuit, showing in realtime the status of each screen so that any errors can be noticed and fixed in time to avoid losing shows. Users can see what is playing on each screen as well as planned schedules, with any errors highlighted. The content management functionality shows where each piece of content is present across the whole estate, whether it is ready for playback and whether or not it has a valid KDM. Content can also be managed remotely from head office - moved across screens or deleted from servers to free up space.
Producer also features AAM's Locksmith technology for complete KDM management across the circuit. Locksmith automates the entire KDM process so that shows are no longer lost as a result of missing KDMs, with users also able to view, search, upload or resend KDMs directly from the Locksmith interface. Producer's powerful advertising and trailer management function means packs of trailers and advertisements can be created at head office and electronically sent to each individual site. For each screen the pre-show pack is automatically inserted into the correct position in the playlist, saving staff time at site and reducing the possibility of human error. The software also provides full reporting on pack delivery and proof-of-play. Gerrit Doorn, Chief Development Officer of JT Cinema, said of the deal "Producer is going to completely change our operations, making it much easier for us to manage our entire cinema circuit centrally, as well as helping us avoid content, schedule or KDM errors. The automation Producer provides is going to enable our playlists to practically build themselves." Roberto Marabotto, Sales Director at Arts Alliance Media, added "JT are one of our longest-standing customers, and have been powering their screens with Screenwriter for many years, so we are delighted to see them upgrading to Producer so they can really see the benefits of full automation and control across all their screens. It's great for us to see a truly innovative cinema using AAM software to stay ahead of the curve."
IMAX Corporation and TCL Launch IMAX Private Theatre "Palais" in China IMAX Corporation and TCL jointly announced the launch of the IMAX Private Theatre "Palais"-the first premium, in-home private theatre developed through IMAX's joint venture with TCL Multimedia Technology Holdings Limited in China. The companies also unveiled a showroom located at Le Royal MĂŠridien Shanghai, where the luxury system will be available for demonstration to qualified consumers on a by-appointment basis. The IMAX Private Theatre "Palais" delivers IMAX's best-in-class projection and sound technology as part of the very first completely turn-key home theatre system from a single source. Features include sound isolation, acoustics, wall treatments, flooring, lighting, seating, and audio-visual content provided by IMAX. "The launch of the IMAX Private Theatre 'Palais' marks the most significant innovation from the newly formed IMAX Home Entertainment division and comes after almost two years of research and ground-up development with our close partner, TCL," said Robert D Lister, Chief Business Development Officer, IMAX Corp. "The brand-new system takes key components of The IMAX Experience that we have been delivering to cinema audiences for almost 50 years and, for the first time, transports them into a home environment. Our strategic partnership with TCL, one of the world's leading entertainment technology manufacturers, strengthens both companies' positioning in China, with its rising demand for premium entertainment,
and creates an ideal launch-pad for global expansion in the home entertainment sector."
Ymagis Group/ dcinex & Austrian Cinema Exhibitor Cineplexx Install New Dolby Atmos Systems Ymagis Group, the European specialist in digital technologies for the motion picture industry, and Austrian cinema exhibitor Cineplexx, a subsidiary of Constantin Film Holding, GmbH., announced it will equip up to nine additional Cineplexx auditoriums with Dolby Atmos immersive sound technology. Three Dolby Atmos screens were successfully installed in July at Cineplexx Linz, Cineplexx Amstetten and Cineplexx Wiener Neustadt by Ymagis Group's Viennabased company, dcinex GmbH.
The company also completed earlier Cineplexx Dolby Atmos installations in Vienna and Graz, in 2012 and 2013 respectively. "In addition to being the largest Austrian cinema exhibitor, Cineplexx has always been at the forefront of technological innovations in Europe, adopting Dolby's revolutionary sound system back in 2012, which was a first in German-speaking countries," said Till Cussmann, VP Exhibitor Relations of Ymagis Group/dcinex. "By year end, no fewer than 19 screens in Austria alone will have been equipped with Dolby Atmos systems by our skilled engineers and technicians. Thanks to Cineplexx and other clients in Central Europe, we have gained tremendous experience in the installation of this new technology, increasing our ability to offer cost-effective solutions to movie exhibitors." "We are thrilled to continue our firstclass collaboration with Ymagis Group/dcinex," said Christian Langhammer, Managing Director of Constantin Film Group in Austria. "With what undoubtedly constitutes groundbreaking sound innovation, we continue to boost the cinematic experience to the next level. With a larger number of screens in Austria equipped with this new technology, more Cineplexx patrons will be able to enjoy their favourite movies in a truly spectacular way." Ymagis Group is the largest services company for advanced immersive sound technology systems with over 60 Dolby Atmos and Barco Auro 11.1 installations across Europe to date. In the first half of 2015, Ymagis Group's technical teams installed a total of 18 Dolby Atmos systems in Germany, Denmark, France, Belarus, Ireland, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
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Next Wave of Hollywood Blockbusters Comes to Dolby Cinema Dolby Laboratories, Inc announced that Hollywood blockbusters are kicking into high gear with Sony Pictures' Pixels, in theatres July 24, and Paramount Pictures' Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation, in theatres July 31, coming to Dolby Cinema. Universal Pictures' Everest, in theatres this September, and Lionsgate Entertainment's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2, in theatres this November, will deliver the total cinema experience to moviegoers this fall, along with titles soon to be announced by Twentieth Century Fox. Dolby Cinema, featuring Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, is a premium cinema offering for exhibitors and moviegoers that combines spectacular image and sound technologies with inspired design to make every visit a completely captivating cinematic event. Following the first installment of titles to be shown at Dolby Cinema, including Disney's Tomorrowland, Disney Pixar's Inside Out, and Warner Bros.' San Andreas, the Chris Columbus-directed Pixels (starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, and Josh Gad), will be the first Sony Pictures title scheduled to be presented in Dolby Vision. In Pixels, aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war and attack the Earth in the form of the video games. "Pixels is one of the most visual effectsrich movies I've ever been involved with-the video game elements pixelate and glow with energy, making the stunning visuals an ideal movie for the Dolby Cinema experience," said Michael Barnathan, producer of Pixels. "Our team was incredibly excited to collaborate with Dolby on colour grading and sound mixing the movie with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. The combination of amazing sound and vibrant imagery-bright, clear, and full of colour-makes Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and the rest of the arcade game characters larger than life on the big screen."
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Dolby Cinema begins with the filmmaker's vision-using the full storytelling capabilities that Dolby offers in image and sound production to transform the way movies are made. Combined with state-of-the-art image, sound, and acoustic capabilities, the movie comes alive to deliver cinema in its purest form. In Paramount Pictures' Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation, audiences go deep undercover as Ethan Hunt and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate-an international rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF. Universal Pictures' Everest takes moviegoers on a thrill ride that is inspired by the incredible events surrounding an attempt to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain. Everest documents the aweinspiring journey of two different expeditions challenged beyond their limits by one of the fiercest snowstorms ever encountered by mankind. In the fourth installment of Lionsgate's global blockbuster The Hunger Games franchise, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2, audiences will see Katniss Everdeen and District 13 engage in an all-out revolution against the autocratic Capitol. "Dolby Cinema delivers the ultimate experience to any movie, and we are excited to see major studios like Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Fox, and Universal release their first Dolby Vision titles," said Doug Darrow, Senior Vice
President, Cinema, Dolby Laboratories. "From action-adventure thrillers to science-fiction and retro arcade games, these Hollywood blockbusters will deliver unprecedented imagery and unparalleled sound that will transport audiences into these movies in a unique and powerful way when experienced at Dolby Cinema locations."In addition, Twentieth Century Fox plans to bring its first slate of Dolby Vision titles to Dolby Cinema. "We are excited for our films to be shown in Dolby Cinemas across the globe and look forward to announcing our upcoming slate to be graded in Dolby Vision," said Chris Aronson, President of Domestic Distribution, Twentieth Century Fox. "Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos will allow our audiences to further enjoy their cinematic experiences, propelling moviemaking to the next level." Dolby Cinema enables richer and more detailed storytelling through Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. The Dolby Vision projection system, which uses state-of-the-art optics and image processing, delivers high dynamic range with enhanced colour technology and a contrast ratio that far exceeds that of any other image technology on the market today. The result is a dramatically different viewing experience that delivers strikingly vivid and realistic images that make viewers feel like they are in the movie's world. Dolby Cinema also includes the awardwinning Dolby sound technology, Dolby Atmos, which moves audio around the theatre, even overhead, with amazing richness and depth.
Sony SRX-R515DS 4K Dual Projection System Gains DCI Certification Sony Digital Cinema 4K announces that every projector in its 4K only line-up conforms to stringent industry standards for picture quality. The bright choice for larger cinema screens, Sony's SRX-R515DS 4K Projection Solution has been certified as meeting specifications set by the DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives), assuring operators and audiences of crystal-clear, high-impact images. Recently announced at CineEurope, National Amusements have selected the SRX-R515DS dual projection system for their new XPlus premium screens in Reading, UK. In Italy, Cinema Andromeda has also selected the SRX-R515DS, alongside Multisala Ciaky. "We're proud to offer our operator customers a complete family of DCI-compliant projectors from Sony to suit every cinema, including today's new wave of premium largeformat screens" says David McIntosh, Vice President, Sony Digital Cinema 4K Solutions for Europe and the Americas. "The SRX-R515DS generated an incredible reaction at last month's CineEurope show in Barcelona", adds McIntosh. "The clear feedback we're getting from European operators is the importance of image quality as a real differentiator for their business particularly in the fast-growing PLF segment where the DCI-certified SRX-R515DS delivers a truly compelling proposition."
Harman Unveils New Logo, Signals Brand Evolution Harman International Industries, Incorporated, the premier connected technologies company for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, launched a refresh of its corporate brand, unveiling a new logo and new division names. Harman's new logo represents the Company's mission to enable seamless, connected lifestyles for the home, car, stage and enterprise through its leading audio products, infotainment systems, software and connected services. For nearly 70 years, Harman and its iconic brands have delivered innovative products and technologies for homes, automobiles, recording studios and venues across the world, growing from an audio pioneer into a broader connected technology partner. With a legacy of designing industry first audio technologies, the Company expanded its presence in the car by becoming a leader in automotive infotainment, developing some of the earliest technologies for navigation, connectivity and safety and security solutions. Today, Harman is the partner of choice for global auto manufacturers with a presence in 80 per cent of the luxury cars on the road and supplying nine of the top 15 automakers. In 2015, recognizing the increasing role of software and services in the markets it served, Harman expanded its capabilities around cloud, mobility and analytics with the recent acquisitions of Symphony Teleca and Redbend, the emerging de facto standard for overthe-air (OTA) updates and an essential part of cyber security solutions. With these additions, Harman transformed itself into a connected technologies company poised to leverage the Internet of Things. "The evolution of our brand identity showcases Harman as a powerful, proven and progressive technology company at the centre of a connected and ever-changing world," said Dinesh C Paliwal, Chairman, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Harman. "Our products and services are engineering the connections between people and all of the life experiences that surround them. The reinvention of our logo symbolizes the ever-evolving spirit of our Company and our commitment to innovating brilliant solutions that truly integrate our connected lifestyle." In conjunction with the launch of its new logo, Harman has introduced the new tagline "Expect Brilliance," representing the Company's elevation beyond award-winning audio and automotive supplier, to a complete technology provider for seamless living. To better reflect the evolution of the business and the markets Harman serves, the Company has also updated its division names. The Infotainment division will now be known as Connected Car; Professional becomes Professional Solutions; Lifestyle becomes Lifestyle Audio; and Redbend, Symphony Teleca and Harman Automotive Services are now within a fourth division: Connected Services.
GDC Technology Appoints Reiner Doetzkies GDC Technology Limited ("GDC Technology"), a world-leading digital cinema solutions provider, announced that Reiner Doetzkies joined the company on June 1 as Vice President of Technology Development, Worldwide. In his new role, Doetzkies will be responsible for contributing to GDC Technology's product and technology development. July-August 2015
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In addition, he will set goals and benchmarks for the company's product development, product maintenance and quality. Doetzkies joins from Texas Instruments, where he has been Director of Technology and with DLP Cinema since 1998. In that role he was responsible for ensuring DLP Cinema projection technology met the global standards for interoperability - guaranteeing that any DCI-compliant content could be played anywhere in the world on electronic systems developed to provide security for the intellectual property of the content providers. Prior to this he was a System Engineer for Hewlett Packard (formerly EDS), where he was responsible for the development of digital satellite communication systems. Doetzkies has worked in the cinematic industry for over 15 years and has a keen understanding of and insight into the most advanced systems and technology which have facilitated the sector's development. He was the winner of a 2014 Academy Scientific and Technical Achievement Award (Academy Certificate) for the implementation of engineering in the development of Texas Instruments' DLP Cinema digital projection technology. "I'm extremely excited to join the GDC development team," said Doetzkies. "Dr Chong and the organization have been committed to developing best-in-class solutions for the last 15 years. I'm looking forward to contributing to the continuing development of products designed to advance the cinema industry." Dr Man-Nang Chong, GDC Technology's founder, chairman, and CEO, added: "We are very fortunate that Reiner is joining the company. He brings a wealth of experience in digital cinema technology, technological advancement and global security standards which can help GDC Technology to maintain its leadership in the industry and also in the global market."
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QSC Named Manufacturer of the Year At the annual International Cinema Technology Association’s (ICTA) summer Business Retreat in Austin, Texas last month, QSC Cinema was honored to receive the “Teddy Award” for ICTA Manufacturer of the Year. This is the second time that QSC has won this honor. The Teddy Award is presented annually at the ICTA Business Retreat by the active Dealer membership of the ICTA to the ICTA Manufacturer who most closely exemplifies the progressive principles of product development and provides dealers with service and up-to-date technical and sales information, while supporting the status of their product without qualification. “The award is especially meaningful to us because it is voted by Cinema dealers”, says Ferrell. “It’s a testament to the great quality, delivery and service which has always been the winning combination for QSC.” Also at the event, Barry Ferrell was honored as outgoing member of the Board of Directors. Mark Mayfield was named to the ICTA Board of Directors for a 3-year term.
GDC Technology Signs VPF Agreements with 6 Prominent Argentinian Exhibitors GDC Technology Limited, a world leading digital cinema solutions provider, announced that it has entered into Virtual Print Fee (VPF) agreements with six exhibitors in Argentina - Village Cines, CCA CinemaCenter, Cines Multiplex, Atlas Cines, CPM and Cinema la Plata Cinemas - to manage a financial subsidy that assists with costs involved in the chains' conversion to digital cinema. Collectively, the six converted a total of 241 screens, at 41 locations, to digital last year, reaching 100% digitization. Under the VPF program, these exhibitors will recoup a portion of their investment via their VPF agreements with GDC Technology. Manuel Arana, General Manager of GDC Latin America said: "We are very happy that these six prominent exhibitors have trusted us for this important move. This agreement demonstrates once again the flexibility of our VPF program, which allows both big chains and independent exhibitors to benefit from our digital cinema financial subsidies." With GDC Technology's reputable VPF services, it has managed to assist top exhibitors in Asia Pacific, North America and South America in converting from analog to digital in a professional and cost effective manner. GDC Technology has eight years of VPF experience and manages over 6,000 screens under more than 800 VPF agreements with worldwide content distributors and exhibitors. Founded in Singapore in 1999 and headquartered in Hong Kong, GDC Technology has established a global market presence and strong brand recognition with 13 offices and 29 local service centres around the world.
Cineplexx & Dolby to Launch Dolby Cinema at 6 Locations in Austria Cineplexx and Dolby Laboratories, Inc announced they will open a Dolby Cinema at six locations in Austria. Dolby Cinema offers a premium cinema experience for moviegoers and combines spectacular Dolby Vision laser projection and Dolby Atmos sound technologies with inspired design, making every visit to the cinema a completely captivating event. Cineplexx will open two Dolby Cinema sites later this year, with the first to be located in Linz. Further Dolby Cinemas are planned at major Cineplexx locations across Austria and will open in 2016 and 2017. "We are very pleased about this collaboration with Dolby," said Christian Langhammer, CEO Cineplexx Austria. "Cineplexx will be the first cinema chain in the German speaking region to offer Dolby Cinema. With this ground-breaking cinema innovation we will boost the moviegoing experience to the next level: Dolby Cinema laser projection together with Dolby Atmos sound the best cinema experience of all time." "Dolby Cinema delivers an unforgettable cinema experience with spectacular images and breathtaking sound," said Doug Darrow, Senior Vice President, Cinema Business Group,Dolby Laboratories. "Dolby Cinema at Cineplexx will make every visit to the cinema a unique and captivating event, transporting moviegoers in Austria into the story and giving them the ultimate cinema experience." Dolby Cinema features the Dolby Vision projection system, which uses state-of-the-art optics and image processing to deliver high dynamic range with enhanced colour technology and a contrast ratio that far exceeds that of any other image technology on the market today. The result is a richer more detailed viewing experience that delivers
strikingly vivid and realistic images and makes viewers feel like they are in the movie's world. Dolby Cinema also includes the award-winning Dolby sound technology, Dolby Atmos, which moves audio around the theatre, even overhead, with amazing richness and depth. Combining Dolby technology with the design and comfort of the Dolby Cinema at Cineplexx, audiences will feel closer to the on-screen action than ever before.
National Amusements Installs New 4K Big-Screen Projection Solution Sony Digital Cinema 4K confirms that National Amusements will be installing the brand-new SRX-R515DS 4K Projection Solution in the exhibitor's new XPlus premium screens. The SRX-R515DS delivers the industry's best 4K image quality and lowest total ownership costs for premium large format (PLF) screens. The first of two systems is being installed in the newly-refurbished premium XPlus auditorium at National Amusements' Showcase Cinema de Lux Reading multiplex in the south of England. Big, bright 4K pictures on the 18m screen are complemented by a Dolby Atmos system to create an immersive, threedimensional soundspace.
operator. Over a 5-year financing period, National Amusements is offered the projection system itself plus installation, technical support, system updates, spare parts and Sony's energy-efficient HPM lamps that provide easier handling, longer life and significantly lower total cost of ownership than conventional xenon sources. A long-term Sony customer, National Amusements has already standardised on Sony Digital Cinema 4K projection systems that are installed in 252 Showcase and Showcase Cinema de Lux theatres in the UK. "The range of entertainment options available to our customers is expanding all the time", notes Duncan Short, Vice President, USA and International Operations at National Amusements. "In a world where more consumers are enjoying 4K picture quality on TVs and tablets, it's vital that we offer truly spectacular entertainment that's bigger, better and brighter. Powered by Sony's 4K PLF projector, our XPlus screen in Reading will deliver an incomparable immersive moviegoing experience." "More forward-looking operators are turning to Sony's Managed Services Agreement as the perfect way to access the latest projection technology on an operating costs basis" comments David McIntosh, Vice President, Sony Digital Cinema 4K Solutions for Europe and the Americas. "Our new SRX-R515DS 4K system brings the best-possible picture quality to the biggest screens. As industry VPF agreements come to an end, Sony's Managed Services Plan ensures that every cinema's bright future.
Provision of the SRXR515DS to National Amusements also marks Sony's first Managed Services contract with the US-based
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• SPECIAL STORY •
Tim Richards A Compassionate Entrepreneur An exemplary entrepreneur, who is also a warm-hearted philanthropist, Tim Richards, Founder & CEO of Vue International, sets a compelling example for the Gen-next. TW-24
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He is a man who makes you believe that an accomplished entrepreneur can also be a compassionate philanthropist. With his exemplary endeavours in cinema exhibition and humanitarian causes, Tim Richards, Founder & CEO of Vue International, sets a compelling example for the Gen-next. In 1999, Tim left the Warner Bros. Studio in L.A. and founded a start up cinema exhibition company known as SBC International Cinemas (SBC) that developed and operated state-of-the-art multiplexes in the UK, Taiwan and Portugal. In May 2003, SBC changed their name to 'Vue Entertainment' with the acquisition of Warner Village's 36 state-of-the-art stadium seating multiplex cinemas, 353 screens and a market leading position in London. Today, Vue International operates 187 state-of-the-art cinemas, with 1,741 screens across 9 countries, attracting over 80m customers a year Vue is known worldwide for its industry leading innovations, technological advances and choice of content ranging from the first live music concert (Genesis Live at over 40 cinemas in July 2007), sporting events, live comedy and gaming to the UK's first digital 3D movie presentation in 2005 and Europe's first live 3D music concert (Keane, April 2009). In June 2008, the Independent newspaper named Tim as one of the "20 Most Influential People in Film". Over the course of the past 25 years in cinema exhibition, Tim has developed extensive international development and operational experience in over 14 major international markets in Europe, South America, Australia and the Far East. Before entering the entertainment industry, Tim was a Wall Street lawyer engaged in international finance and cross-border mergers and acquisitions while based in London and New York. At the recently concluded CineEurope 2015, Variety The Children's Charity International presented the Variety International Children's Fund Humanitarian Award to Tim Richards for his work as the Chairman of Hope and Homes for Children's Board of Trustees. TheatreWorld catches up with the man himself for an enriching tête-à-tête.
Miss World Rolene Strauss, 20th Century Fox’s Tomas Jegeus and Paul Hanneman presenting the Variety International Children's Fund Humanitarian Award at CineEurope 2015.
How did SBC International Cinemas, now known as Vue International, happen way back in 1999? What was the motivation behind? For me it was a combination of different events that happened. I think I have entrepreneurial blood in me -- I'm not a big company person. I was working with Warner Bros at that time and I saw an opportunity to build cinemas in a slightly different way. I thought I could do it more cost effectively. So I decided to start something on my own. In late 1998, I left the studios with my business plan in hand and for a year was trying to raise money. A significant investment is required and you need to raise a lot of money - it is very tough. We were able to get some money early in 1999. I started picking what I believed to be were the best executives anywhere to build the team. We were able to open up our first cinema in 2000 in Scotland and that was the beginning of the company. The biggest turning point came in 2003, when we bought the Warner Village Cinemas in the UK on May 20. That was probably the first night in six years that I had a good sleep! This was the base where we started building from. In this age of booming multiplexes, what makes Vue International different from other cinemas? Our reputation is the quality of our cinemas and their management. We pride ourselves in being highly analytical and we spend a huge amount of time analysing different opportunities. There are tests and trials and we are very innovative. We have always been trying things that were slightly different. For example, we got rid of our box offices at every single cinema in 2004 because we didn't want our customers to queue twice - instead they could buy their ticket with their popcorn in the same transaction. This makes it faster and more efficient. When we started the company, we intentionally didn't call
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• SPECIAL STORY • it Vue Cinemas; we called it Vue Entertainment. The reason was we saw these amazing assets in amazing locations that were only being used some of the time. We thought by putting in music, opera and theatre, we would be able to get more people to visit our cinemas. Everybody is doing it now but our first music concert was in 2005! In 2007, we did our first big live concert with Genesis by satellite to 44 of our cinemas. We pride ourselves on delivering the best choice of content via the best technology to be enjoyed in the best seating.
We now have 187 cinemas with 1741 screens in nine countries. By net box office, we are the fifth largest Cinema exhibition company in the world. We have been growing the company from day 1 by building and developing new cinemas and supplementing that growth with strategic acquisitions. We have purchased 11 companies, with four major deals in each of the last four years. We bought a company in the UK, the second largest chain in Poland, the second largest chain in Germany and the largest chain in Italy.
Another thing that differentiates us from others is that our key executives in nine of our markets have equity in the company. We are an entrepreneurial company and we are careful about what we spend. So everyone works and acts as owner managers.
Europe is very fragmented so we are going to continue to consolidate the European market. But the direction of travel now is international consolidation. In the next 3-4 years, you will see 3-5 truly global players emerging and we will be one of them.
How many multiplex cinemas does Vue operate world over?
Tell us more about how takeovers and acquisitions, as a business
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TheatreWorld’s Raghav making a note...
strategy, have propelled the growth of Vue. Fortunately, all of our acquisitions, big and small, have been very successful. It is not easy because culturally, companies are always very different. When you are working internationally, like we all do, it is very important to understand the specific cultural nuances and differences that exist and that are unique to each market. A lot of companies don't get that. They think that because they've had a successful business in one country, they can easily pick that up and put that into another country. You can't do that! And knowing that before you go in is huge.
• SPECIAL STORY • I had promised myself a long time ago that if I ever was lucky enough to have my own company, there would be no egos. I think we have succeeded in that. Many a time, when you buy a new company, egos get in the way. So it's very important to just make sure that those issues do not become big problems. We have a very democratic style of management and are very humble in our approach. We look to the companies we buy in new markets to help us as much as we are helping them. And by having best practices, both companies grow stronger. Any expansion plans in Asia Pacific region? Our focus is Europe and we still have a lot to do there but we are looking strategically at everything and anything worthwhile that comes up. Tell us more about your latest venture in Shepherd's Bush in the Westfield shopping centre. It's five years old now. We labelled it the future of cinema five years ago and I think it genuinely is. It's an incredible cinema and it has a fantastic feel. If you look at Westfield and you look at the 10 cinemas
before it, you will see pieces of it in each one of those because it's an evolution. The shopping centre itself is going to be increasing significantly in two years. It's been very exciting and we are very lucky with it. Going down the memory lane, how was your experience with Warner Bros at Hollywood. It was amazing and I still miss it. Some of the smartest people I ever met were at the studios. I was just in awe of how they would put things
together creatively and corporately at the studios. I have very fond memories of the place. It was hard work though as I was travelling around the world once a month and was away from my family most of the time. I was there for six years, and those were some of the best years of my life. How would you compare the cinema exhibition industry in the US, the UK and the rest of Europe?
About Variety - the Children's Charity With its roots in the entertainment industry but its heart in humanitarian spirit of the community, Variety was founded in 1927 by a group of 11 theatre owners and showmen in Pittsburgh, USA, as a social club. It all began with a heart-rending story of the group, who were playing cards backstage after a matinee performance at the Sheridan Square Theatre and all of sudden heard a whimpering from the auditorium. When they investigated, they discovered a one-month-old baby girl to whom her mother had pinned a desperate note. When all efforts by the police and local
newspapers failed to locate the parents, the group decided that they would act as 11 "Godfathers" and underwrite Catherine's support and education.The little girl, who became the inspiration for their international children's charity, was named Catherine Variety Sheridan, her middle name for the club and last name for the theatre she was found in. The so-named Variety Club evolved into a charity during 1928.Today, Variety - the Children's Charity has a network of 42 offices in 13 countries, and many millions of individual children around the world, like Catherine, live a better life because of the generosity of Variety's donors,
sponsors and supporters. John Harris, who owned the Sheridan Square Theatre, went on to become the first president of Variety - the Children's Charity International. Unlike most charitable organisations that focus on a single disease or area of need, Variety focuses on multiple unmet needs of children who are sick, disadvantaged or live with disabilities and other special needs at a local, national and international level. Their aim is to maximise the real, long-term positive social impact for all children.
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• SPECIAL STORY • seat auditorium, we are okay with it as long as it has a big screen. That for us is paramount. Talking of your growth trajectory, how would you sum up the secret of your success? I think the secret of success is loving what you do and taking pride in what you do. We have over 8000 employees and I think everyone in the company genuinely loves what they do. I know passion is an overused word, but I would still say our team is very passionate about what we do. I have worked in every major market of the world, except the US (with a laugh). Generally, European markets and consumers are more open to more movies. The US audience is principally just about Hollywood. While in the UK, we have a very vibrant film industry. In Poland, Germany, Italy and France, every single year, two or three top movies are either German or Polish, Italian or French. Even China and Japan get over 50 per cent of their box office from Chinese and Japanese films respectively. You don't see that in the US and because of that it acts as a natural hedge to Hollywood. The other thing is that you have a portfolio effect when you operate in different market with Hollywood films. Different actors and genres of films perform differently in various markets. A blockbuster in one market is not necessarily a blockbuster in another market. Jurassic Park in Poland was okay but not great, whereas in other markets it was amazing. But for us, it smooth's out the peaks and troughs and makes a more stable market. What role do you think technology plays in enhancing audience experience? I think the new technologies ranging from laser to new sound systems to bigger screens‌ these are all part of the evolution of our business. We believe in big screens. Even if we have a small auditorium, say a 40 - 50
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We as an industry need to be responsive to what's going on in the world. We cannot accept status quo, we need to continue to strive and find new ways of making an exciting evening for our customers. Now that's challenging! How does it feel being at CineEurope? I have been coming to CineEurope, I think, ever since it started. This is one of the best shows ever. Our studio partners have come up with some incredible movies. The mood this year is so upbeat and exciting. How does it feel receiving the Variety International Children's Fund Humanitarian Award at
CineEurope? What does this award mean to you? I think for me it is the opportunity to showcase the Charity itself. This award is not about me but about the amazing work that the Charity is actually doing. Not many charities can show tangible success by achieving something. Hope and Homes for Children have closed orphanages and institutions. They were doing a great job but not telling anybody about it. So I saw an opportunity in taking them to another level and show everyone the great job they are doing. They have a policy of not hiring expats in the countries they are working with; instead try to make each of the projects self-sustainable. A lot of charities are very fanciful. But we don't have any of that. All the money goes to help the children. On his role in the charity: I'm the Chairman of the board, so I have the easy job! I have so much admiration for all people who simply want to go out and make this world a better place. When you actually meet people who are not materialistic and just want to help their fellowmen, it's inspiring. We try and raise as much funds as we can to make the charity successful.
• SPECIAL STORY •
Eden Theatre:
World's First Cinema Since 1889
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The first motion picture theatre in the world where Lumière brothers screened The Arrival of a Train — the historic Eden Theatre continues to revive the memories of a bygone era ever since it's restoration in 2013. Raghavendra T, Editor-Publisher, TheatreWorld visited this cinematic glory to bring you an exclusive and firsthand rendezvous with the cultural heritagein the Southern French city of La Ciotat.
Eden Theatre is a historic landmark in La Ciotat, indeed! This is the very theatre where Lumière brothers screened one of their first moving pictures - The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station (L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat) -at the close of the 19th century. In fact, legend has it that the audience were so terrified by the moving images of the steam locomotive that some of them leapt from their seats to flee the train. The theatre is set in the picturesque town of La Ciotat that lays claim to being the birthplace of modern cinema before Hollywood became the worldwide symbol of the movie industry. La Ciotatis a commune in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France. With an artificial sand beach located downtown, the city has a picturesque location with Alps mountain regions on one side and the uphill commercial area on the other side. La Ciotat was the setting of one of the very first projected motion pictures by the Lumière brothers in 1895. Before its Paris premiere, the film was shown to invited audiences in several French cities, including La Ciotat, where it was screened at the Eden Theatre in September 1896. Eden was built as a theatre and music hall in 1889. It played host to operas and music concerts, including legends such as Edith Piaf and Yves Montand until the screening of The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Stationby Lumière brothers happened. This momentous screening set Eden on its illustrious cinematic journey. However, the theatre closed in 1982 after its owner was killed by robbers.It continued to open for one
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"We are delighted to be a trusted partner of Eden Theatre, the World's oldest public cinema at La Ciotat. It's a fantastic combination of history and the latest technology from GDC. We hope Eden Theatre continues to enthrall their consumers, with a superior cinematic viewing experience, using GDC solutions." - Dr. Man-Nang Chong, Founder, Chairman and CEO of GDC Technology TW-32
July-August 2015
• SPECIAL STORY •
week, once a year, to host small film festivals but closed in 1995 and was left abandoned for a decade. In the year 2013, the theatre was renovated and reopened. The rebuilt Eden was a result of the efforts of local supporters of the theatre, who fought for it to be given a facelift. But it was only when Marseille was named European capital of culture for 2013 that the money came in. Several luminaries of French cinema attended the inauguration of the
renovated Eden at which several of the Lumière brothers' films were screened. More than a century on, the historic theatre has not only been refurbished to make a new beginning but has also restored the glory of some of the golden years of cinema. The dusty chairs have been replaced by velvet seats, and the grubby carpets by polished oak and black marble floors. The impressive
During the Renovation
Michel Cornille President, Lumières de l'Eden
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• SPECIAL STORY •
The Cinema Lobby
TheatreWorld’s Raghav Feeling Great...
facade, painted yellow ochre and with mosaics, had to be rebuilt over the former listed frontage, which the restorers were not allowed to touch.
the rebuilding of the glorious Eden Theatre. With a team of about 20 - 30 people, Cornille accomplished the Euro7 million refurbishment project.
The newly renovated Eden, which also claims to be the world's first and oldest surviving, public cinema, gives a glimpse of Eden of the bygone era. The theatre screens a mix of recent and old films. Frenchmen and women take great pride in their heritage so it's not surprising that releasing old movies in digital format is a much-loved cinema trend in France. "For renovating cinema we renovate movies," says Michel Cornille, President of Lumières de l'Eden (the association running this cinema). He is the man behind
The theatre fans see it as a French heritage and feel it should be a part of a larger cultural project that offers educational tours for school children, screens restored films and hosts film festivals.
Look close, the cow has a filmi theme
The Sea Facing Parking
Statues of Lumière Brothers inside the auditorium
The projection booth equipped with Christie Digital Projector, GDC Server, GDC IMB, Dolby Digital Processor and QSC Audio System
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• SPECIAL STORY •
Heritage Cinemas World Over After a personal visit to Eden Theatre, one gets inspired to browse through some of the heritage cinemas world over...
Tuschinski - Amsterdam, The Netherlands Once Upon a Time:Started by an impoverished Jewish tailor, Abraham Tuschinski, Tuschinski is the grandest theatre the city had ever seen. An emigrant from Poland en route to America, the impoverished Jewish tailor was amazed by Amsterdam's cinema scene and eventually managed to come up with Tuschinski Theater. Although Tuschinski was subsequently killed during the Nazi regime, his name lives on. At Present: With 933 seats and 24 private boxes (Loveseats), the Tuschinski is the largest cinema in the Netherlands today. Now owned by mega-movie distributor Pathé, the cinema has been done up massively with original murals and a new carpet flown in from Morocco to name a few.
The Astor - St Kilda, Australia Once Upon a Time: Curtains went up on the Astor to a packed audience on April 3, 1936 despite unhappy local residents who complained to the press that the theatrewas in proximity to churches and that "such a noisy, showy place of entertainment would detract from the dignity and charm" of the area. At Present: The Astor brings to its cinemagoers the best of both worlds! One can catch up with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Grace Kelly in Rear Window for a price less than a multiplex ticket. Patrons swear by the Astor Choc Ice, a coconut and pecan-topped dark chocolate ice cream made on the premises since 1983.
Grand Cinema - Shanghai, China Once Upon a Time: Hungarian architect LE Hudec unveiled Grand Cinema in 1932. It's a glistening three-tiered roof shaped like a water lily. The theatre had no inner cooling system and hencedespite showing first-rate American films, audiences couldn't bear the heat until 1941, when central air-conditioning was installed. At Present: Grand Cinema reopened after 2009's Chinese New Year with stunning renovations-a new garden-topped roof from where patrons can get a bird's-eye view of the People's Square.
Le Grand Rex - Paris, France Once Upon a Time: With 3,300 seats and a John Eberson-designed interior, Le Grand RexParis enthralled its patrons with its potted palm trees and faux Venetian monuments. At Present: Le Grand Rex continues to show film premieres, latest releases and some big concerts. You can also catch up festivals throughout the year. Every April, it's the Jules Verne Festival for adventure films; and in late December there's the Féerie des Eaux, or water show, during which 1,200 jets of water are shot from onstage fountains to celebrate the latest family-friendly film premiere.
The Phoenix Cinema - London, UK Once Upon a Time: The 255-seater Phoenix originally opened as the East Finchley Picturedrome. It continued showing films even during WWII, when it was used as a makeshift home for evacuees from coastal towns! At Present: Owned by a charitable trust, the Phoenix shows independent films and occasional classics. Theystill serve the locally baked lemon-poppyseed cakes! July-August 2015
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Bagdad Theater - Portland, Oregon Once Upon a Time: In 1927, Universal Studios spent $100,000 unveiling the Bagdad Theater in Portland's Hawthorne District. With intricate Middle Eastern architectural flourishes, a central fountain and usherettes in Arabian-style outfits, it was a tribute to former Ottoman Empire. At Present: Mike and Brian McMenamin, two Oregon-bred brothers, bought the Bagdad in 1991 and refurbished it in their own way. They added murals of mythical creatures, gleaming ceilings, mosaics, and seat-front tables where patrons can enjoy a drink.
Centre Cinéma Impérial - Montreal, Quebec Once Upon a Time:The Imperial became a movie house in 1934 when it was leased to Léo-Ernest Ouimet (owner of the Ouimetoscope, the first movie theatre in Canada). The interior was known for its "Greek tragedy" theme, with white marble columns and frescoes. At Present: For the last two decades, the Centre Cinéma Impérial has hosted the annual Montreal World Film Festival, with movies from more than 70 countries shown every summer. Keeping the building's original structure intact, the interiors have been restructured with 819 plush red armchairs imported from Europe and hi-tech equipment.
Metro Cinema - Mumbai, India Once Upon a Time: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (the studio behind The Wizard of Oz, Ben-Hur and The Lion That Roars Before Every Feature) built the Metro Cinema in 1938. The building was designed by Thomas Lamb. At Present: The theatre is currently owned by Carnival Cinemas, the one of the largest movie theatre chain in India. The structure has been remodelled, keeping its 1930s inspiration intact.
Coliseum - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Once Upon a Time: Built in 1921 by a Chinese immigrant Chua Cheng Bok, the theatre had an interior that replicated the design of a Roman coliseum. It originally had 828 seats and an overhanging balcony (the "first class" section). At Present: Bollywood films are a big rage here! When the Malaysian government announced plans to turn the Coliseum Theater into a cultural centre, there was a huge public outcry. Despite the proliferation of nearby Cineplexes, the Coliseum is still believed to be the No. 1 theatre in Malaysia.
Grauman's Chinese Theatre - Los Angeles, USA Once Upon a Time: Started by theatre developer Sid Grauman in 1927, Grauman's Chinese Theatre is what can be called America's fascination with the Orient. With temple bells and pagodas imported from China itself, the theatre has a 90-foot-high entryway with a giant hand-carved dragon. At Present: The iconic theatre has around four million annual visitors. The present-day structure is designedwith copper-topped turrets and the much-talked about Walk of Fame (Marilyn Monroe's pump-prints, Brad Pitt's handprints et al are preserved in the cement outside).
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Shooting at Lafayette Theatre
A Wakeup Call
The recent killings by a gunman at a Lafayette theatre make the US gun control debate more contentious even as it is a wakeup call for cinema exhibitors to be better equipped in keeping possible attacks at bay. If Uphaar Cinema and Border became an ill-fated connection in the lives of several Indians, Grand 16 theatre and Trainwreck have become an unnerving recall for some of the movie-goers in Lafayette. On July 23, 2015, a gunman, identified as 59year-old John Russell Houser, stood up about 20 minutes into the showing of Trainwreck and began firing into the crowd, killing two women. He had parked his car by the theatre's exit door and initially tried to escape into the fleeing crowd, but turned back when he saw police heading inside from the parking lot. Officers tailing him back into the theatre then heard a single gunshot and found him dead inside. Chilling surveillance video from the theatre shows John Houser casually buying a ticket, crossing the lobby, and walking toward screen 14, where shortly after the movie started, he started shooting. Nine people were injured and taken to three area hospitals for treatment.
The Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft informed their injuries ranged from "non-life-threatening to critical." For Universal Pictures, the studio behind Trainwreck, it was a solemn moment: "All of us at Universal Pictures send our heartfelt sympathies to the victims of this senseless tragedy and their families in Louisiana." The Lafayette killings were preceded by two recent massacres by gunmen: an attack on two military installations in Chattanooga, Tennessee, left five servicemen dead in the week before, while nine people were killed last month in a church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. The theatre shootings make the US gun control debate even more contentious and followed a BBC interview given hours earlier by President Barack Obama in which he cited the failure to pass "common sense" gun laws as the biggest frustration of his presidency.
American Film Institute president and CEO Bob Gazzale said: "Going to a summer movie is a celebration of the American creative spirit and one of our nation's most beloved pastimes. "Let us stand together in these times of tragedy and embrace what is precious to us - churches, schools and places where the arts can send our spirits soaring. As a national community of artists and audiences, AFI offers our heartfelt sympathies to the victims in Louisiana and their families." While a socio-psychological insight into societies would reveal complexity of crime graphs in different countries, we are living in times when 'terror' is being manufactured and packaged in ways and means that catch us unaware time and again. With the number of cinema screens in India expected to increase by 50% in the next two years, the movie exhibition industry needs to be more mindful and better equipped to keep possible attacks and eventualities at bay.
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• TECHNOLOGY •
Theatre Security Cost Effective and Minimally Intrusive In light of the tragic shooting at a movie theatre in Lafayette, Louisiana, it has become more evident that crowded public venues such as movie theatres are at greater risk for random violence. The movie theatre industry may be unprepared for this threat. Theatregoers are increasingly concerned about the vulnerability of theatres as soft targets; they expect theatre owners to take appropriate action to upgrade security to meet this growing threat. Soft targets such as stadiums, malls, casinos, theme parks etc. have become potentially 'high-value, low-profile targets'. Any place where large crowds congregate with open public access is vulnerable, including beaches, such as the recent attack at the Beach resort in Tunisia, as well as the arrest of an ISIS lone wolf in Florida who was planning to plant an IED under the sand at a beach in Key West. A failure to take reasonable precautions may result in civil liability with damages for such suits costing several million dollars. Although the expense for security improvement might be considered unnecessary for it cuts into profits, there is a potentially a much higher price if reasonable measures are not taken. The Lafayette, Louisiana and Aurora, Colorado shootings have shown that a single attack or highly publicized violent event can have tremendous negative effects on the industry as heavy media coverage result in a decrease in theatre attendance not to mention tragic loss of life, property losses, etc. In the event of an attack, the lack of proper planning, policies and training can make matters worse. There are many approaches that can be adopted to help operators be better prepared to help prevent an attack, minimise damage in the event
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copyright Audrey Burmakin/Dreamstime.com
of an attack and respond to its aftermath. The following are some reasonable cost effective and minimally intrusive measures to help ensure proper prevention, mitigation, response and recovery to a violent attack.
Security and threat assessments or upgrades of existing assessments: Theatre venues may be unprepared, lacking any kind of security assessment other than basic emergency plans for fires and typical public safety events. Inadequate local municipal oversight, faulty or outdated physical security measures such as doors with broken locks, poorly lighted exits, poorly positioned fire alarms and inadequate communication networks, etc., can make matters worse. Lacking a professional security assessment or outdated plans coupled with untrained personnel can be a recipe for disaster. Without an updated threat and security assessment, management cannot properly be prepared. In most cases, an assessment results in immediate target hardening initiatives being implemented that are highly cost effective, increasing protection and reducing exposure to civil liability. Using a professional security consultant to conduct an assessment or review existing assessments that need upgrades is the first step to proper preparedness. Outdated or ineffective public safety protocols lacking appropriate evacuation and lock down plans and
drills can magnify losses in the event of an attack. In today's environment, owners and operators of theatres are expected to have well thought out plans for evacuations and lock downs for all types of emergency situations in addition to active shooters. And plans are not enough. For adequate preparedness, owners and operators should ensure such plans are tested periodically using table top, functional and full scale exercises involving all employees. In the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has set the bar for private industry preparedness. A failure to consider these recommended measures could increase the civil liability exposure of a theatre owner or operator that fails to at least consider these measures and adopt what is reasonable. DHS standards apply to the prevention, mitigation, response and recovery from all hazards, including active shooter incidents. DHS also has developed the National Incident Management System (NIMS), which provides guidance to the public and private sector in the management of critical incidents. A knowledgeable and experienced security consultant should be employed to ensure your venue has taken reasonable steps to comply with the standards for prevention, mitigation, response and recovery from all hazard incidents and to ensure your venue complies with basic NIMS standards for critical incidents. A knowledgeable and experienced security consultant is also cautious of the maxim that more isn't necessarily better. For example, even in the case where security is improved, as in Israel, there have been cases where excessive inspections at security check points have proven to be extremely deadly. In June of 2001 at the Dolphinarium Night Club in Tel Aviv,
• TECHNOLOGY • crowds of night-clubbers became a bottleneck at the entrance where security was checking all patrons. This proved to be a fatal error as the large congregation of people proved to be an ideal target and a suicide bomber blew himself up in the middle of the crowd. Twenty one died and 120 were wounded. The resulting changes in protocol included analysis of throughput, use of multiple entry points (to create smaller targets) and other procedures to minimise the creation of secondary targets of opportunity. Another useful practice a security consultant can recommend is the use of visibility security measures as a means of deterrence such as positioning of security guards and CCTV cameras and other signs of security that can also serve as a deterrent to a potential attacker.
Behaviour detection techniques that use existing personnel as a "force multiplier" to detect threats without slowing throughput and without customer awareness: In recent years, an important approach that helps in identifying potential attackers has been in behavioural detection. This technique avoids controversial profiling and allows front line employees and security personnel to detect individuals with hostile intent before they are operational. This is done through behavioural and baseline analysis and, where appropriate, through brief nonconfrontational conversation. This method does not require expensive and time consuming use of screening technology such as walk-through metal detectors that can severely slow sown throughput and provide a false sense of security. HIDE (Hostile Intent Detection Evaluation) is now used by US TSA in over 160 airports and over 100 police agencies in the US as well as by law enforcement in the UK and Singapore. HIDE has proven to be extremely useful in helping
authorities and security personnel to detect potential threats. HIDE does not hamper throughput of theatregoing and does not elicit awareness by the public. An important component for planning against violent attacks includes the lack of training of personnel. As the front line of defense, all employees can be play important roles as 'force multipliers' as the eyes and ears for identifying potential attackers. In Israel, a national 'Public Awareness and Mutual Participation' program has successfully been implemented on a national scale. The public is a partner with local officials, or in this case, theatre management as well, in helping to identify potential attackers or in the case of Israel, possible terrorists. This includes public awareness of the need to report suspicious packages, backpacks, etc. In Israel, even if an attack is initiated and Police SWAT units are called in, this is considered serious failure. It is the pre-empting of an attack, identifying and thwarting the attack in the planning stages before it can be launched, which is the policy of Israeli security officials. Intelligence is a vital component to this approach and proper training can create 'eyes and ears' on the ground where some of the most important intelligence gathering occurs.
Development of an all-hazard security policy and procedural manual to guide threat prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery: The management needs to establish professional security protocol for their organisation as a roadmap for prevention, mitigation, response and recovery. In the recent Lafayette, Louisiana theatre shootings, it was the quick thinking of two teachers to pull the fire alarm that proved to be extremely helpful in notifying authorities in real-time. These fastthinking women probably saved many lives because of this act. However fortunate this was, theatre
owners and operators cannot rely upon the small chance that patrons will save the day. Proper responses must be institutionalized at each venue through sound policies, training and exercises. Developing and implementing a customised all-hazard procedural manual, laying out what and what not to do can serve as a road-map for management and employees with the appropriate training and exercises. Much of the training can be delivered as online training programmes to reach maximum personnel at minimum cost.
Crisis communications/public relations and media/ spokesperson training to minimise negative public reaction to increased security and the aftermath of an actual incident: The final step in proper preparedness is to ensure that, in the event a tragic incident, management personnel are trained to convey proper information to ally continuing fears and minimise the impact of the incident on attendance of patrons and productivity of employees. Wrong message can severely impact employee and public perception of the event and perceptions of the safety of the individual venue and the industry as a whole. It takes training and practice to ensure the right message at the right time is made public. You don't want to be practicing for the first time after the occurrence of an actual event!
About the Authors James Braver is US Director for the TIX Group (www.thetixgroup.com), an Israeli security consulting group composed of former high-level officials from Israel's security community. TIX Group's leader is Assaf Heffetz, former Commissioner of the Israel National Police. Peter DiDomenica is President of Quantum Innovation Corporation (www.quantuminnovationcorp.com) and is a retired Massachusetts State Police Lieutenant who served as the Director of Security Policy for Boston Logan International Airport in the two years after the 9/11 attacks.
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• TECHNOLOGY •
Volfoni
An Avant-Garde 3D Technology Brand France-based Volfoni is a renowned 3D technology provider with a global presence. In the last couple of years,the company has built the entire spectrum of manufacturing chain, right from R&D to mass production. Raghav, Editor-Publisher, TheatreWorld, recently visited their state-of-the-art R&D facility in Nice, France to provide an insight into what makes Volfoni a world-class brand. If there's one technology that's made an effortless entry into the dictionary of a common person, it's the 'D' word -- 3D. 3D viewing was long relegated to niche until its popularity in 1980s and 90s.However, it was the American epic sci-fi Avatarthat made 3D waves like never before in
December 2009 and early 2010. Taking the 3D cinema viewing experience to a whole new level is France-based Volfoni,the renowned 3D technology providerwith a global presence.Volfoni is one of the very few companies in the world to offer a wide variety of 3D technology
Dr. Bertrand Caillaud - Executive Vice-President, Volfoni R&D
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products (active and passive)across countries. The company has invested significantly over the last couple of years to build and control the entire manufacturing chain, from R&D to mass production. Raghav, Editor-Publisher, TheatreWorld, recently visited the state-of-the-art R&D facility of Volfoni in Nice, France to bring you an insightful perspective of this world-class 3D technology provider. Dr Bertrand Caillaud, Executive Vice-President, Volfoni R&D speaks with him about their wide product portfolio and expanding market presence. He also explains how Volfoni is pursuing its goal to become the leading brand of 3D technology through a strong IP portfolio, a control over the whole 3D technology value chain and a highly customer-orientated business approach driving excellent design, marketing & innovation activities. The company's principal headquarters are located in Paris, the R&D offices in the south of France, and sale's offices located in the USA (Los Angeles), Europe (Germany, Spain, the UK) and Asia (Hong-Kong, India). Volfoni also created a joint-venture in China in
• TECHNOLOGY • order to more effectively penetrate the Chinese market. It collaborates with an extensive network of exclusive agents and distributors around the world.With a team of world-class scientists, engineers, technicians and designers, Volfoni offers products that are widely appreciated because they cater to the constantly changing needs of the various 3D applications.
Evolving Minds "Volfoni was established in 2007 and in the beginning our first business was to rent active glasses to cinemas. We bought the glasses and rented them to cinemas. In 2009, we set up Volfoni R&D to produce our own 3D glasses. Our first 3D glasshas evolved into our EDGE 1.2," informs Dr Bertrand Caillaud. "In 2011, we decided to work on passive system. In 2013, we came up with SmartCrystal Diamond and patented it. It's an ultra hi-light, triple beam technology that doubles the level of brightness, offering the best contrast and the best light efficiency. It's optically more complexthan the previous generation of 3D passive system. We achieved anextremely high quality combination in terms of mechanics, optics and electronics. We are proud of this product because the beginning was an idea on paper. We filed a patent, which is strong today to protect the idea. We developed this idea and in only a few months, came up with the final prototype and the final product," he adds.
Striving for the Best On being quizzed about comparisons with Chinese products, Dr Bertrand Caillaud clarifies, "We use a very different optical alignment systemfrom what Chinese manufacturers do. Also in terms of
mechanics, our engineers succeeded in getting the perfect alignment which is very difficult to achieve. The third thing we worked on is the stability of this product. We have done some tests in cinema and have observed that the vibration due to the projector was very strong which could create a misalignment. We worked towards reducing and finally eliminating this problem. This is not trivial and we see others who imitated our technology actually failing with this. I think we have probably one of the best products in terms of alignment and image quality."
Way Ahead With two production lines, one in France and the other in China, Volfoni strives to provide the best equipment to "reproduce the cinema the way it has been shot". The company is also working on an LCD of world-class quality. Volfoni is increasing its presence in the US, focusing mainly on the professional and home entertainment business. They are currently working on new projects and partnerships all over the world.
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• TECHNOLOGY •
Michael's Green Paper Michael Karagosian speaks about the motion picture industry’s transition to digital cinema, the most significant transition in motion pictures since the introduction of sound. In this issue, he speaks about Paying for Next Generation Cinema with Quality and High Frame Rate.
Paying for Next Generation Cinema with Quality There are lots of questions
One can recall the confusion over
would force them to modify their
surrounding next generation cinema,
Multiple Media Blocks created by
products, incurring significant R&D
the one least discussed is how to pay
DCI. In September of 2014, DCI issued
costs. Fortunately, this seems unlikely
for it. With laser projectors selling at
changes to its specification requiring
to happen. In this case, better
sky-high prices, immersive sound
specific security features and
education and communication
systems costing several times that of a
behaviors when outboard media
should cause appropriate decisions to
regular projector, and exhibitors
blocks are used, such as Dolby's
be made.
leveraged to the hilt, financing new
CP850, which contains a secure
cinema technology purchases is
outboard media block for the
becoming more challenging.
decryption and playback of Atmos
To manage this properly, exhibitors
audio tracks. Dolby formally notified
need strong guidance as to what to
DCI of its development work in 2013,
buy. Banks need to know that their
as can be seen here, courtesy of
money is going into equipment that
Wikileaks. By the time DCI
helps their customers generate box
announced that it didn't like Dolby's
office. And manufacturers need to
manner of handling security keys in
know what to produce to drive sales.
Atmos and that it wanted Dolby to
All of which requires a better process
change its design - a decision that
for setting quality standards than
was not announced until the release
that which exists today.
of the revised specification in
Technology development for cinema has several drivers. Manufacturers
September 2014 - Dolby already had several hundred systems in the field.
However easy it may be to pick on them, DCI is not the root of all evil in cinema - real or imagined. In the absence of quality standards and product evaluations, the 3D market has seen a flood of cheap devices emerge. The US market is not as much affected as is the rest of the world. But presented with demonstrations that are designed to look OK, exhibitors are encouraged to buy. They are not equipped to run a product through the mill to uncover hidden flaws. They may only have time to listen to what they are
innovate. Filmmakers innovate.
Clumsy acts such as this can
told. The result can be poor
But committees, not so much. While
sometimes be hard to avoid. But such
investments made, which
many of the standards created for
disconnects between decision makers
underscores the need for quality
interoperable distribution in digital
and the investments their decisions
guidance.
cinema were created in standards
affect are costly and unnecessary.
committees, that will be the least
Ultimately, a decision management
likely source of innovation in the
process is needed.
future. Mechanisms that worked over
Banks cannot be left out of this. If there was one thing learned during the days of virtual print fee
Projector manufacturers have been
financing, it was that the cinema
concerned that a similar fate could
industry is a niche that banks have
happen to them. Having introduced
little understanding of. If a bank
laser projectors with native color
learns after the fact that money was
gamuts larger than P3, there was
loaned against equipment of poor
significant concern earlier this year
quality, it could raise the rate of
Market confusion can have many
that DCI would issue an edict
future financing driven by the
sources, DCI being one of them.
concerning primary selection that
apparent increase in risk. Equipment
the past 10 years will no longer be as functional. In their place will rise the much older process of manufacturerdriven innovation, and the market confusion this can bring.
TW-42
July-August 2015
• TECHNOLOGY • purchased with a trusted "Good
the purveyors of technology quality
laser illumination, hoping that others
Housekeeping" stamp of approval
is misplaced. DCI's attorney can surely
will solve the quality issues that they
can lower the cost of capital and
attest to that. Any effort by a studio
cannot.
make for an easier decision by the
that can be construed as restraint of
bank. It almost makes one nostalgic
trade will be avoided. Perhaps this
for the old days of THX…almost.
should be called Michael's law. When
When it comes to managing quality, there is no one entity that stands out. DCI can barely manage itself, let alone function as a quality approval service. DCI compliance is a step in the right direction, but its not geared to even guarantee SMPTE DCP interoperability, let alone the quality of sound system. Besides, the industry expectation that studios are
properly understood, it explains why studios took a year to decide and communicate to Dolby that they didn't like the security key management in Atmos. (Because they wanted to announce it through the formality of a public change in the DCI spec - which took a long time to pull together.) It explains why studios jump on bandwagons such as
It's clear that an arbiter of quality is needed in the cinema market. It not only will help exhibitors make better decisions, but it will help banks make better decisions, too. It's also clear that the arbiter cannot be the studios - it's simply not their job. So a gap exists, a gap where Mr. Lucas once stepped in to fill, in a galaxy far away. Hopefully we won't have to look as far for the next player in the quality assurance game.
HDR is Coming, With or Without the Projector In its relatively short life, digital
format to take root, but the degree
LED direct display walls are coming
cinema has seen a few picture
of investment indicates the drive to
of age. The finest of the LED direct
formats come along: 2K, 4K, 3D,
make it happen. What's not so clear
display walls utilize LED chips
High Frame Rate. Each of these
is how cinemas will respond.
mounted on a substrate, with arrays
formats is also available in home entertainment, if not identically, then in similar form. The next big thing in home entertainment will be High Dynamic Range (HDR). Is cinema ready?
The two important characteristics of good HDR displays are deep black level and high peak luminance. Both characteristics are difficult to provide in a projector. Dolby Vision is the first such technology to come forward in
The HDR in home entertainment will
cinema, arguably doing a better job
not be the HDR that the camera app
of delivering detail in blacks than in
on your phone gives you. Nor, in its
blinding audiences with peak
finest form, is it what Dolby delivers
luminance. But that's largely due to
as Dolby Vision in cinemas. Unlike
practical limitations. As it is, Dolby's
the cinema version of Dolby Vision,
laser-illuminated HDR projector is
the home entertainment version will
estimated to cost in the $1M range.
be more vivid with brighter
If HDR is to find its way into cinemas
highlights.
in a broad manner, it will have to
HDR, with or without Dolby, is
cost significantly less.
of these mounted on a panel, and only a thin protective coating between your eyes and the chip. The best of these displays deliver stunning contrast, good details in blacks, and have no problem with large color gamuts. Indicting the shift in technology suppliers, the LEDs seen were largely sourced from Chinese foundries, often with administrative, design, and sales offices based in the US. Upon examination of the product catalog from one such foundry, primaries capable of near-Rec 2020 color gamut were evident. Peak luminance levels of 2000 nits
potent enough that Amazon and
While laser illumination is touted as
(~580 ft-L) for final products were
Netflix plan to stream content in the
the savior for cinema, outside of
not uncommon. Good black levels
format. Hollywood studios are
Dolby, it appears that none of the
are easy to achieve - turn off the
converting libraries. Technology
laser projector companies have a
LEDs, and there's no light. Further,
providers are fighting over whose
road map for HDR-capable
large displays have surpassed
intellectual property will be used to
projectors. This was confirmed this
cinema-level resolution. Two major
deliver it to the home. It's no longer
month at Display Summit, held at
vendors at the show were boasting
a question if HDR will find its way
Infocomm, with a panel of experts
pixel pitches of 1.15mm and 1.2mm,
into the living room, but when.
from the three laser projector
respectively. With a 1.2mm pitch,
And the answer to that is sooner
companies (along with your author).
a 5m wide screen (16.5 ft) will
than one may think. The first HDR
But a tour of the trade show revealed
deliver 4K.
television sets will be introduced this
why.
year. It will take a few years for this
Contd. on Page TW-46 July-August 2015
TW-43
• TECHNOLOGY •
GDC Raises Bar for
Digital Cinemas Worldwide Movies projected onto the silver screen have captivated audiences for more than a century. From tales of love and war, to stories of the supernatural, alien worlds and time travel, films have evolved into an extension of a moviegoer's fantasy journey, and the cinema remains as the avid viewer's chosen vessel. Cinemas have gone a long way since it started showing movies using film projectors in the 1880s. With the advent of digital technology and the increasing demand for a more seamless delivery of content, the early analogue film projectors are steadily being replaced by advanced digital projection systems.
project into a commercial success by spearheading the design and production of Revival Digital a product line used by Hollywood and global studios to digitally restore classical and decades-old feature films. "I love the movies and it is nothing more than passion," Chong says. "I devoted my entire career to digital
motion picture research. I proceeded to commercially introduce more advancements in delivering the stories by reducing costs and improving the movie-going experience that brings patrons to the cinemas. I feel we should be totally immersed in the cinemas - to enjoy, to laugh, to cry and to really feel good about the show. A motion
One of the innovators who saw the potential of converting cinemas from using 35mm films into adopting digital formats is Dr Man-Nang Chong. A movie aficionado himself, Chong founded GDC Technology in 1999 to develop digital cinema solutions for movie theatres. Passionate about digital movie research since the early 1990s, Chong led a team to win the first prize in the 1995 Texas Instruments DSP Solutions Challenge for his digital motion picture project. Chong then turned this world-famous, award-winning
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July-August 2015
Dr. Man-Nang Chong, founder, chairman and CEO of GDC Technology
• TECHNOLOGY • picture is such a wonderful invention where films that cost hundreds of millions to produce can be shared and enjoyed by moviegoers worldwide."
Raising the Bar for Digital Cinema GDC's products and services are veiled to the typical moviegoer. The solutions work behind the scenes, ensuring a seamless movie projection and a satisfying viewing experience. As a service and technology provider, GDC works with cinema operators and theatre management departments to install appropriate information technology systems for digital cinemas, including projection, playback, theatre management and content delivery equipment. The key differentiator from analogue, film-based cinemas and other providers is the highly automated nature of GDC's solutions. From the playback and system management to getting the content from the satellite or physical storage and delivering or projecting the movie on screen, GDC's media servers and theatre management systems are raising the bar for digital cinemas worldwide.
For the past 15 years, GDC has not had a single stolen film print from its machines. "We are like the Interpol of media," Chong says. "People cannot copy directly from our digital server in the cinemas. Should there be a stolen print from camcording in the cinema, we are able to tell from the stolen print, which can be in the form of internet streaming or DVD, where and when the camcording took place using GDC media servers." Understanding that movies in digital formats can also take a huge amount of space and may be prohibitive for complexes with several cinema houses, GDC developed its own theatre management system, TMS-2000, which is a powerful tool that allows centralised control over an entire multiplex. The company was the first to produce such system and it was used by Singapore's first fully digitised multiplex, which is also the first in the world. Top global exhibitors choose GDC to provide its projection systems for its reliability and devotion to digital innovation. The company's one-stop solutions also include integrated projection systems, 3D products, projector lamps and silver screens.
Meeting the highly demanding requirements of Hollywood studios, GDC was the first digital cinema equipment manufacturer to receive the United States' Federal Information Processing Standards security certification for its media servers. "All our digital cinema servers are Hollywood Digital Cinema Initiatives-compliant, meeting established security, quality and technical specifications," Chong says. The company's media servers, for instance, are certified and used by Hollywood studios to prevent piracy. Movies are ingested into GDC's media servers in an encrypted form and decrypted to projectors using security keys and watermarks. Consequently, studios opt to release movie prints to exhibitors that use GDC's technology.
Asian Technology with a Global Link Apart from manufacturing hardware and developing software for digital cinemas, GDC also emphasises providing value-added services to customers. Together with China Film Group, the largest and most influential state-run film enterprise on the mainland, GDC opened a network operations centre (NOC) in Beijing to provide 24-hour, real-time remote monitoring services for digital cinema systems in China. Through a simple user interface, the NOC provides centralised screen and display controls at various locations. Last year, GDC set up its second NOC in Singapore ensuring hassle-free theatre screenings for exhibitors and moviegoers. As a global technology company anchored on Asian roots, GDC saw the potential of relocating its Singapore headquarters to Hong Kong in 2000. While digital cinemas have not grown as quickly in China as in other parts of the world, the market is increasingly opening up and the entertainment landscape is becoming more liberal. More than 30 Hollywood movies are now being shown in local theatres, unfolding more opportunities for GDC. In 2006, the company partnered with China Film Group to transform almost 1,000 screens into digital cinemas. Today, more than half of China's 24,000 digital cinemas use GDC products. The digitalisation project in 2006 became the catalyst that expanded China's movie industry into becoming the world's second-largest movie market, with box office revenues reaching more than US$4.8 billion last year.
GDC products are placed in the cinema projection room, and a cinema operator programmes the movies to be screened in the cinema
"Our technology marked the start of the Chinese digital cinema revolution," Chong says. "We provide GDC solutions to top exhibitors in Asia including China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Cambodia. We are No 1 consistently in Asia, year after year, but we ship July-August 2015
TW-45
• TECHNOLOGY • all over the world. GDC products can be found in one out of three cinemas globally." GDC opened its latest offices in Dubai, Sao Paulo and Jakarta. It continues to serve leading cinemas such as Arclight Cinemas, iPic Theatres, Landmark Theatres, Reading Cinemas and the TCL Chinese Theatre in the US; Cinemex in Mexico; CGV Cinemas and Lotte Cinema in South Korea; and Aeon Cinema, Shochiku and Sasaki Kogyo in Japan.
The Future of Film With a passion for building and designing the most advanced solutions for the digital cinema industry, GDC regularly participates in various tradeshows while showcasing its groundbreaking products and services. One such event where the media and technology merge annually is at the CinemaCon - a global gathering of the movie industry's top players, including production studios, technology providers, theatre owners and movie celebrities.
Some of the technologies featured at the CinemaCon that paint a picture of the future of film include laser projectors that cast more light units under a screen and an immersive sound experience that is built into GDC's media servers. As the first company in the world to integrate an immersive sound decoder and playback inside a media server, GDC, together with DTS, a digital audio entertainment company, jointly demonstrated the new immersive sound technology at the CinemaCon tradeshow. The DTS:X, showcased at the Brenden Theatres at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, imitates the natural sound environment that virtually transports a viewer into the movie's reality. "We continue to evolve with the industry's needs," Chong says. "Our job is right in the middle. We have to keep on listening to the storytellers of the world who want newer and better technology to be introduced into the cinema. We have to make that happen because we are powering the digital cinemas."
Responding to demands from Chinese businessmen and Asia's highnet-worth individuals, GDC offers a digital cinema set-up that replicates the actual cinema experience within a customer's private home. More than an LCD home theatre, GDC builds high-end private cinemas for the home, complete with tailored theatre automation systems. Enlarging its scope to go beyond cinema, GDC also welcomes partnerships with other technology and content providers in Asia and worldwide. "Content is consumed by everybody," Chong says. "It is like food. As we become more civilised, the demand for content will also be greater, and because of this, we look for ways to expand our business while continuing to power the digital cinemas into greater heights." (This Article was written by Discovery Reports Group and originally published in the South China Morning Post on 4 July 2015).
...contd. from Page TW-43 (Michael's Green Paper) Equally impressive is the attention to
these products spec high light levels
a 6m (20 ft) cinema screen under
detail in areas such as maintainability
for high ambient light conditions.
$100,000 within 5 years. The answer
and power consumption. Planar,
But cinemas, including the HDR
from all but one vendor was an
a market leader in LED direct display,
variety, operate at much lower light
immediate "yes." Five years is about
not only boasts color-matched panels
levels on average. LED power
the time frame needed for HDR to
and precision alignment, but its
consumption linearly tracks lumen
penetrate home entertainment in a
mounting scheme allows panels tp
output, so one can extrapolate that
significant manner, raising both
be replaced in short order thanks to
at 48 nits (14 ft-L), it might be
consumer expectations and the
special tools that can be applied at
possible to achieve 11 W/m². If so,
expectations of content creators.
the front of the screen. The tools use
a 6m wide screen (20 ft) with flat
While a 6m screen may seem small
magnets to actuate latches inside the
aspect ratio would consume a very
(LED direct displays are by no means
panel, allowing the panels
cool 220 W. A hand placed on a
limited to this size), it fits with the
themselves to mount next to one
SiliconCore panel confirms how cool
concept of boutique cinemas that are
another seamlessly. Planar also boasts
they operate. Of course, more power
expected to become more
that a trained technician can replace
will likely be consumed with HDR.
commonplace in the future. If HDR
an LED substrate on the spot with a
But even if this calculation is off by
catches on with consumers and
soldering iron. (Your author did not
an order of magnitude, the power
content creators as expected, it could
see this feat performed.)
consumption for this quality of
become the "killer app" for direct
display is impressively low.
LED displays in a new breed of HDR-
SiliconCore has patented its power management scheme, producing
The question asked by your author
panels that consume 225 W/m² at
while walking the trade show floor
1000 nits (~290 ft-L). The makers of
was if the cost curve would produce
TW-46
July-August 2015
capable boutique cinemas. Stay tuned.
• TECHNOLOGY •
Part 2
Storage Options for Digital Cinema The phenomenon of digital cinema has brought new challenges related to storage solutions. In Part 2 of the three-part series, we discuss the digital cinema storage within and outside the integrated media block.
Digital Cinema Storage Within and Outside the Integrated Media Block The temperature of the Xenon lamp used for illumination in a digital projector is very high since these devices have electrical power levels between 900 W and 15 kW. Although either liquid or air-cooling is used inside a digital projector to control the heat load, the temperature inside of the projector can easily exceed 100oC1. This elevated temperature can place additional stress on components inside the projector. The integrated media block is placed within the projector.
As a consequence, the temperature of the IMB can be considerable. This may have important implications for an IMB that contains HDDs. HDD long-term reliability is often discussed as the annual failure rate (AFR). This is the expected rate at which a large number of HDDs would fail over a year’s use. The annual failure rate is designed so that there will be a relatively small number of HDDs that would fail during the HDD warranty period and
over the designed life of the HDD if the HDD is used within the designed operation conditions. The annual failure rate of a HDD will increase from this design point if the drive is subject to additional stresses. These stresses can include additional power-on-hours per year (related to the use of the drive during each day), the internal temperature of the HDD (related to the external thermal load outside the HDD as well as the effectiveness of the dissipation of
Annual Failure Rate versus Hard Disk Drive Case Temperature for a Seagate Technology Video Surveillance HDD
July-August 2015
TW-47
• TECHNOLOGY • heat generated by the hard disk drive itself). Other factors, such as physical shock and excessive vibration can also cause problems with a HDD. In order to get the greatest life from a storage system, using HDDs these additional stresses need to be understood and controlled. Since the temperature inside of a modern digital theatre projector can run hot and can even exceed 100oC, we will look at the impact of temperature (as well as power-on hours) on the annual failure rate of a HDD. Figure shows a chart based upon data from Seagate Technology for the annual failure rate as a function of the external HDD case temperature for a Seagate Video Surveillance HDD2. These HDDs are used for applications involving intensive writing of video images with occasional reading. Although video surveillance differs from the more frequent reading of data that is common for projection in a digital cinema, the trends for AFR
increase with temperature would also occur. If we stick with the lower power-on-hour curve (2400 POH), which corresponds to roughly 5 days per week, 8 hours per day of use, increasing the HDD case temperature from 30oC (close to room temperature) to 70oC increases the AFR by about 3.4 X (from 0.21% to 0.71%). Earlier HDD AFR temperature acceleration studies showed a similar increase in AFR over a similar temperature range3. Also as we can see from this figure, the AFR is higher as the annual power-on-hours increases (8760 hours corresponds to 24 hour per day use) and seems to result in a 3 X increase in AFR at 30oC compared to the lower power-onhour case. Since the temperature in the projector, and thus the IMB, can exceed 100oC (and will likely be over 50oC), this heat load, combined with the internal heat generated by the HDDs embedded inside an IMB will increase the annual failure rate of these HDDs versus a HDD located in a less high ambient temperature
environment. For instance, with an external storage system with welldesigned thermal control, the internal temperature can probably be kept in the range of 30oC to 50oC. As a consequence of this lower temperature operation, we expect lower AFRs and the expected drive life for a HDD in an external IMB storage system should be higher than those used inside an IMB. Longer life for the HDDs in an external storage system means that the HDDs need to be replaced less often than those inside an IMB and this increases the operational time for the projector it is attached to and thus the projector could require less maintenance. In addition, replacing a HDD inside a well-designed external storage system will be easier than replacing a HDD enclosed in a digital projector. This easier access also makes it easier to upgrade HDD storage capacity as HDD technology evolves than would be the case for HDDs embedded in a digital projector.
GDC Technology’s Enterprise Storage is using 3.5-inch HDDs
1
How to keep your digital projector performing optimally over its lifetime, Barco, http://www.barco.com/~/media/Downloads/White%20papers/2012/WhitePaperLightdecayv3FINALpdf.pdf
2
Optimizing Video Surveillance System Reliability and Performance, http://www.seagate.com/tech-insights/optimizing-video-surveillance-system-reliability-performance-master-ti/
3
Estimating Drive Reliability in Desktop Computers and Consumer Electronics Sytsems, G. Cole, Technology Paper TP-338.1, Seagate Technology, Nov. 2000
About the Author Tom Coughlin, President, Coughlin Associates is a widely respected storage analyst and consultant. He has over 30 years in the data storage industry with multiple engineering and management positions at high profile companies. Dr Coughlin has many publications and six patents to his credit. He is also the author of Digital Storage in Consumer Electronics: The Essential Guide, which was published by Newnes Press. Coughlin Associates provides market and technology analysis as well as Data Storage Technical Consulting services. Tom publishes the Digital Storage Technology Newsletter, The Media and Entertainment Storage Report, and other industry reports.
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July-August 2015
REVIEW
22-25 June 2015 Barcelona, Spain
Held from 22 - 25, June 2015 at El Centro De Convenciones Internacional De Barcelona, Spain, the convention offered a unique opportunity to interact with stakeholders from the sector and included a trade-show of latest products, services and industry trends, an innovative conference programme of highest relevance to European exhibitors and numerous screenings of the most exciting upcoming films. CineEurope, the official annual convention of UNIC and the premier get-together of the cinema exhibition community in Europe and organised in collaboration with Coca-Cola Company and Prometheus Global Media (PGM), ended with a remarkable response from the Exhibitors and Attendees. The opening day started with the seminar 'Connected, Collaborative & Customer - Centered - Innovations Cinema Marketing', 'Executive Roundtable - Engaging the Youth Audience' which spoke about retaining the youth audience which has traditionally been the cornerstone of the cinema industry, representing an increasing challenges for many European territories. This session looked at what we know about changing tastes - and what more the sector could be doing to
ensure that cinema-going remains a key leisure choice amongst this age group. The session was moderated by Paul Dergarabedian, Senior Media Analyst at Rentrak. The session was followed by another seminar on 'Engaging the Audience - Interactive
TheatreWorld at the Pub Bin
Pre-Show Entertainment' moderated by Mark de Quervain, Managing Director at Action Marketing Works Ltd. The opening day also had product presentations by Studiocanal, Mister Smith Entertainment, DreamWorks and Warner Bros. Pictures International screened the movie Vacation. There was also an opening ceremony presentation by Film Journal International and Dolby on 'CineEurope's Euro 100 Million Retrospective - Films of 2014'. Day 2 started with Coca-Cola seminar 'Growth in the Experience Economy' presented by Corinne Thibaut, International Director,
July-August 2015
TW-49
Cinema & Leisure and Enrique Burgos, Digital Manager at The CocaCola Company. The session explored how businesses are tackling the challenge of delivering memorable experiences in the ever competitive world, how the cinema experience in Europe stacks up, and how to connect with your visitors to personalise their visit and make it an event - every time. There were also sessions on the tradeshow floor: 'Event Cinema - Taking Stock and Looking Forward' and 'Cinemas' Position in the Experience Economy, the Move to Premium, Driven by Innovation'. The day also had product presentations by Universal Pictures (with screen of the movie Everest) and Twentieth Century Fox ending with the special dinner reception celebrating The Peanuts Movie.
- New Opportunities in a Digital Age'. The day also had product presentations by Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Studios (with screen of the movie Ant-Man) and Sony Pictures (with screen of the movie Goosebumps) The final day started with the session on tradeshow floor 'A Focus on Technology - How Lasers will Change the Industry, Update on Immersive Motion and Update on SMPTE DCP Roll-Out'. The day also had product presentations by
Lionsgate (with screen of the movie 'Sicario'), UniFrance Films and Europa Corp. The day ended the CineEurope 2015 with awards ceremony and dinner reception. The CineEurope 2015 tradeshow began on 23 June featuring latest products and lots of product demonstrations. The tradeshow floor had major cinema exhibition products and a special Coca-Cola lounge. Apart from tradeshow floor, Dolby Atmos demo was also done at Cinesa Diagonal cinema screen.
Day 3 started with the seminar 'Cinema Retail - Tips & Tricks for Revenue Growth', 'Data - a New Goldmine?' and 'Cinema Advertising SEMINAR
Cinema Advertising - New Opportunities in a Digital Age Moderator: Patrick von Sychowski, Celluloid Junkie Presenters: •
Kinga Dolega Lesinka, CEO, KinAds, Poland
•
Zoe Cadman, Sales Director, Pearl and Dean, UK
•
Jens Kayser, Sales Manager, Digital Cinema, NEC Display Solutions
•
Julian Pinn, Founder, Julian Pinn Ltd. and Advisor to Weischer Media
Digitization of the cinema sector has made the big screen once again an attractive advertising option for brands, allowing it to compete with TV and online. The session highlighted the transformative effects that conversions to digital have had in cinema advertising market. The
TW-50
July-August 2015
presenters emphasised how digitization of cinema advertising has allowed the advertisers to more effectively target cinemagoers and also offered them greater accessibility to media. Television, online and video-on-demand present better decision-making choices and advertising opportunities. With cinema going digital, small advertisers can leverage a range of exciting opportunities available for brands to engage the diverse cinemagoing audience. The presentations dwelled on understanding how cinema is adapting in today's changing media landscape. The cinema experience provides an immersive and captivating environment that, when connected to online, social and mobile, is a great place for brands to engage with all types of audiences. The session involved exchange of ideas on creating unusual advertising
possibilities that go hand-in-hand with the efforts towards making cinema a complete experience for the movie-goers. Some of the takeaways: Firstly, advertisers don't ask, they demand as they have a lot of pressures as marketers to spend their budget wisely. Secondly, cinema represents as a medium only 1 - 2 per cent of the media spend and hence it needs to be made more attractive to advertisers as lucrative investment opportunity. Thirdly, digital cinema is not digital advertising. The 'digital' in "digital cinema" is engineers' digital as opposed to 'digital' in "digital advertising", which is about getting close to advertisers' target market by making use of technologies, SEO, apps and so on. While digital cinema on its own does not enable digital advertising, the key to bridging this gap is the management system.
SEMINAR
Data - a New Goldmine Moderator: Pete Buckingham, Founder and Managing Director, Samno Media, UK
might be better collected, shared and - most importantly - used to drive new revenue streams.
Presenters:
The presentations highlight the industry's growing interest in capturing consumer data from every customer touchpoint. It was emphasised that there is a lack of joined-up data collection within the industry due to inability of some platforms to integrate data with other online touchpoints such as emails, loyalty schemes and so on. This hinders managers' ability to make strategic, informed decisions based on consumer behaviour. There is a need for joined-up data collection through working with
•
Christian Kluge, Founder, Smart Pricer
•
Sarah Lewthwaite, Strategic Partnerships Director, Movio
•
Jolyon Spurling, Data Evangelist & Co-Founder, Showtime Analytics, Ireland
Many cinema companies and distributors now have access to huge amounts of data about the tastes of their customers, yet shared understanding of the key trends is often poor. This session touched upon how that data
some of the largest theatre chains and independent theatre brands. The presentation also scrutinized how
theatres utilise their data. Once theatre companies have collated their data from every touchpoint they should strategically use it to look for trends and anomalies in order to gain essential insights into their target market. By doing so, brands can increase engagement, boost loyalty and eventually, increase their revenues. Effective data analysis will allow brands to deliver highly targeted marketing campaigns through audience segmentation, increase personalization, fully measure the performance of their marketing and advertising campaigns, identify popular types of content, make data-driven decisions about their market offering and more.
SEMINAR
Connected, Collaborative & Customer-Centered Innovations Cinema Marketing Moderator: Jan Runge, CEO, Internationale des Cinemas (UNIC) Presenters: •
Amy Copeland, Senior Industry Manager for Entertainment, Google/ YouTube
•
Ian Shepherd, Group Chief Commercial Officer, Odeon & UCI Cinemas
•
Ste Thompson, CEO / Creative Director, Powster
•
Philip Taylor, Director of Strategic Solutions, YAHOO!
Innovative use of social media, mobile services and other digital platforms has become an increasingly powerful way of engaging cinema audiences. The presentations looked at what major brands in this area, or more
bespoke operations, have to offer the industry. The hypothesis of the session was straightforward -- "how do you get more customers and guests to come to cinema?" The presenters stressed on the need for being more customer-centred and using one's investment and technology towards identifying individual and group of customers. A need to invest enough in this direction was strongly felt. While social networking sites and mobile-enabled websites bring more traffic, the question is whether the traffic on the pages converts to actual paying customers. The presenters acknowledged that story-telling and content is changing significantly. Original content is where brands still continue to express their stories, but it's also where consumers curate the content into something they want to watch. There
is a concerted effort to drive anticipation among movie-goers; to get them hiked up, excited and interested about the film… so they are tempted to step inside to buy the ticket. The trailer culture is in for change. Now people want to be able to decide if they even need to spend time watching a full length trailer. This is primarily because the attention span has dropped from 12 seconds in 2012 to eight seconds at present. Cinema marketers and advertisers need to engage people and their attention span in different ways. Engaging and embracing the shift in content is the key to increasing cinematic admissions. The message at the seminar was clear "Creation of content is great but curation of content is really very important and efficient."
July-August 2015
TW-51
CineEurope 2015 Honorees •
Rentrak’s International Box Office Achievement Award - Warner Bros Pictures International for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
•
CineEurope’s Award of Achievement Through Innovation - IMAX, Accepted by Andrew Cripps, President, EMEA
•
CineEurope’s Producer of the Year – EuropaCorp, Accepted by Christophe Lambert, CEO
•
International Exhibitor of the Year - Jan Bernhardsson, Nordic Cinema Group
•
Global Distributors of the Year - Paul Hanneman and Tomas Jegeus, Twentieth Century Fox
•
The Variety International Children’s Fund Humanitarian Award - Tim Richards, Vue Entertainment for his work with Hope & Homes for Children
CineEurope Tradeshow Floor
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4DX
Barco
Coca-Cola
D-Box
Dolby
Ferco
QSC
GDC Technology
GoldenLink
Harkness Screens
Harman
NEC
USL
Ushio
Volfoni
July-August 2015
EVENT CALENDER
2015
REVIEW
28 SEP - 1 OCT KINO EXPO, ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA www.kinoexpo.ru
11-15 OCTOBER
24 - 26 July 2015 Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai 8th International Show for Production – Broadcast – Theatre – Professional Sound & Light Expo Industry. This year, CinemaToday paid a befitting tribute to the legends of Tamil film industry -- director, producer, writer, actor K Balachander and music director M S Viswanathan (known as MSV).
the nation; Cinema Today caters to this segment showcasing equipment and services related to upgradation of infrastructure in theatres, going digital and 3D technology.
The exhibition focussed on the latest equipment, techniques and trends prevalent in production, animation, VFX, broadcast, professional audio, lighting, video, music and entertainment industry.
TheatreWorld is proud to be one of the media partners of the Expo.
India has the second largest screen count in the world with multiplexes mushrooming across
AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL MOVIE CONVENTION GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA www.movieconvention.com.au
12-15 OCTOBER SHOWEAST, FLORIDA, USA www.showeast.com
17-19 NOVEMBER EXPOCINE SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL www.expocine.com.br
15-21 NOVEMBER INDYWOOD FILM MARKET KOCHI, INDIA www.ifm.co.in
8-10 DECEMBER CINEASIA, HONG KONG www.cineasia.com
2016 MARCH FRAMES, MUMBAI, INDIA www.ficci-frames.com
9-11 MARCH CHINA THEATER & CINEMA GUANGZHOU, CHINA www.gtcff.com
11-14 APRIL CINEMACON LAS VEGAS, USA www.cinemacon.com
20-23 JUNE CINEEUROPE BARCELONA, SPAIN www.cineeurope.net
JULY CINEMA TODAY, CHENNAI, INDIA www.cinematoday.in
July-August 2015
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PREVIEW
27 September - 1 October 2015 St Petersburg, Russia KINO EXPO International is one of the world's fastest growing cinema/TV/ digital media and entertainment industry markets of Russia, CIS and Baltic countries. Taking part in KINO EXPO is one of most the effective ways to present and market your company's products and/or services catered to content exhibition in cinemas, on TV and online, content production, distribution, marketing and delivery. KINO EXPO established in 1999, is the world's third largest international cinema industry convention and exhibition with the focus on markets of Russia and neighboring CIS (former USSR) - Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Central Asian countries, alongside with Baltic countries Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia.
Convention & Exhibition KINO EXPO Convention is a meeting point of Russian/CIS and international cinema business communities. At KINO EXPO the major studios, Russian and international independent distribution and production companies present their upcoming films and product reels directly to the local cinema theatres' operators, TV channels and digital media. Kino Expo Exhibition is the world's third largest motion picture theatre equipment exhibition, which as well incorporates various entertainment systems/technologies and digital signage solutions for the cinemas and shopping malls.
Content Expo Content Expo is the unique innovative format of presenting content for cinemas/TV/digital media and for showcasing products and services in the fields of content production, distribution, marketing, delivery and licensing.
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July-August 2015
Conferences
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17th KINO EXPO Exhibition showcasing the latest in motion picture theatre equipment and concessions. The exhibition as well incorporates various entertainment systems/ technologies and digital signage solutions for the cinemas and shopping malls.
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CONTENT EXPO by KINO EXPO INTERNATIONAL - the unique innovative format of presenting content for cinemas / TV / digital media and for showcasing products and services in the fields of content production, distribution, delivery and licensing.
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Russia - China Cinema Forum special event in KINO EXPO programme, dedicated to further strengthening cultural cooperation of Russia and China, by showcasing both countries' films and TV content directly to cinemas, TV channels and digital media, as well as to the officials in the field of culture and cinema.
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Conferences and seminars, dedicated to content exhibition, distribution and production business issues, as well presentations of new cinema and entertainment product, services and technologies.
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KINO EXPO University - the series of free to attend technical and marketing presentations/ demonstrations by world's leading cinema equipment manufacturers.
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Concessions business development conference and seminar programme, hosted by The Coca-Cola Company.
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All Industry Reception
Kino Expo features conferences and seminars, dedicated to content exhibition, distribution and production business issues, as well presentations of new cinema and entertainment product, services and technologies. KINO EXPO University is the unique series of free to attend technical and marketing presentations/ demonstrations by world's leading cinema equipment manufacturers. Concessions business development conference and seminar program, hosted by The Coca-Cola Company, is free to attend for cinema theatres' F&B professionals.
Russia China Cinema Forum The Russia - China Cinema Forum is a special event in KINO EXPO programme, dedicated to further strengthening cultural cooperation of Russia and China, by showcasing both countries' films and TV content directly to cinemas, TV channels and digital media, as well as to the officials in the field of culture and cinema.
Main Highlights •
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The world's third largest international cinema industry convention with the focus on Russia, CIS and Baltic countries. Screenings of new blockbuster films and upcoming product presentations by major studios, Russian and international film companies, prior to Russian release, and special sponsored events, celebrating upcoming films.
F U T U R E
R E L E A S E S
A glimpse of movies coming soon‌ Fantastic Four
The Gift Production 20th Century Fox
Production STX Entertainment
Director Josh Trank
Director Joel Edgerton
Starring Jamie Bell, Tim Blake Nelson
Starring Jason Bateman, Joel Edgerton
Genre Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure
Genre Thriller
Ricki and the Flash
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Production TriStar Pictures
Production Warner Bros.
Director Jonathan Demme
Director Guy Ritchie
Starring Kevin Kline, Meryl Streep
Starring Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer
Genre Drama, Comedy
Genre Action, Adventure
Shaun the Sheep Movie
Straight Outta Compton
Production Lionsgate
Production Universal Pictures
Director Mark Burton
Director F. Gary Gray
Starring Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes
Starring Paul Giamatti, Aldis Hodge
Genre Animation, Family
Genre Drama, Musical,
July-August 2015
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F U T U R E Underdogs
No Escape Production The Weinstein
Production The Weinstein
Director Juan JosĂŠ
Director John Erick Dowdle
Starring Katie Holmes, John Leguizamo
Starring Pierce Brosnan, Owen Wilson
Genre Comedy, Animation
Genre Thriller
Hitman: Agent 47
Production Warner Bros.
Director Aleksander Bach
Director Max Joseph
Starring Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware
Starring Wes Bentley, Zac Efron
Genre Action, Adventure
Genre Action
The Transporter Refueled Production Gramercy Pictures
Production EuropaCorp
Director Ciaran Foy
Director Camille Delamarre
Starring James Ransone, Shannyn Sossamon
Starring Ray Stevenson, Ed Skrein
Genre Thriller
Genre Action, Adventure
American Ultra
July-August 2015
We Are Your Friends
Production 20th Century Fox
Sinister 2
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R E L E A S E S
Dragon Blade Production Lionsgate
Production Lionsgate Premiere
Director Nima Nourizadeh
Director Daniel Lee
Starring Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace
Starring John Cusack, Adrien Brody
Genre Comedy, Action
Genre Action
F U T U R E The Visit
R E L E A S E S Everest
Production Universal Pictures
Production Universal Pictures
Director M. Night Shyamalan
Director Baltasar Kormakur
Starring Kathryn Hahn, Ed Oxenbould
Starring Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin
Genre Thriller
Genre Adventure
The Perfect Guy
Captive
Production Screen Gems
Production Paramount Pictures
Director David M. Rosenthal
Director Jerry Jameson
Starring Morris Chestnut, Sanaa Lathan
Starring Kate Mara, David Oyelowo
Genre Thriller
Genre Drama, Thriller
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
Black Mass Production Warner Bros.
Production 20th Century Fox
Director Scott Cooper
Director Wes Ball
Starring Adam Scott, Johnny Depp
Starring Patricia Clarkson, Giancarlo Esposito
Genre Drama, Crime
Genre Action, Sci-Fi
The Green Inferno
Pawn Sacrifice Production Bleecker Street
Production Blumhouse Tilt
Director Edward Zwick
Director Eli Roth
Starring Tobey Maguire, Peter Sarsgaard
Starring Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy
Genre Drama, Biography
Genre Thriller, Horror
July-August 2015
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F U T U R E Hotel Transylvania 2
Production T-Series
Director Genndy Tartakovsky
Director Umesh Shukla
Starring Mel Brooks, Adam Sandler
Starring Abhishek Bachchan, Asin, Rishi Kapoor
Genre Comedy, Animation
Genre Comedy, Drama
Phantom Production Relativity Media
Production Utv Motion Pictures
Director Mike Flanagan
Director Kabir Khan
Starring Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane
Starring Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif
Genre Drama, Thriller
Genre Thriller, Drama, Action
Welcome Back
Calendar Girls Production Mangal Murti Films
Production Eros International
Director Madhur Bhandarkar
Director Anees Bazmee
Starring Akanksha Puri, Avani Modi
Starring Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar
Genre Drama
Genre Comedy
Brothers
July-August 2015
All Is Well
Production Sony Pictures
Before I Wake
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R E L E A S E S
Hero Production LionsGate
Production Eros International
Director Karan Malhotra
Director Nikhil Advani
Starring Akshay Kumar, Jackie Shroff
Starring Sooraj Pancholi, Athiya Shetty
Genre Action
Genre Love / Romance