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MINDSHARE THEATREWORLD EDITORIAL
You may have a cinema hall equipped with latest amenities and yet if the screen is not best-in-class for exhibiting the content, all your efforts go in vain. Only a technically-advanced screen serves the purpose well. Some of the state-of-the-art screen options available in the market include Harkness Screens, Galalite, Strong/MDI and Spectro among others. In this issue of TheatreWorld, we are showcasing the Harkness Screens’ new manufacturing facility in Wuqing, China. The year 2016 witnessed a host of acquisitions and mergers in the exhibition industry, including Wanda-AMC, Samsung-Harman, QSC-USL, Razer-THX and LuxinRio-Volfoni. In a way, the mergers of equipment manufacturers facilitate one-stop solutions for the exhibitors, giving a certain direction to the industry. IMAX VR is here! IMAX has installed their first virtual reality experience centre in Los Angeles and this is just the beginning. However, the exhibitors’ community is still divided on whether the VR technology will redefine cinema or go the amusement zone way. With QSC announcing its first “QSC-Certified” theatre, cinemas now have the option to get equipped with complete QSC sound system. Meeting a set of technical guidelines for equipment, projection, acoustics and room design will ensure an outstanding moviegoing experience. The 2016 demonetisation move adversely impacted the single-screen business although footfalls at multiplex remained steady. There were days with “no queues, no rush and no houseful halls” during the initial period of the ban on INR 500 and 1000 notes. The note ban also compelled the moviegoers to go cashless and use mobile wallets and other online options. The average box office collections were stagnant until the release of the Hindi film Dangal, which bolstered the business back to normal. Now multiplexes are eagerly awaiting the big-time release in coming April — Baahubali: The Conclusion.
Issue # 77 March-May 2017
Raghavendra T Editor-Publisher +91 9980 208 208 raghav@network208.com
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The second edition of Big Cine Expo (2017) is poised to be bigger than what it was last year. Get ready to grab your business opportunity at the expo. For now, see you all soon at CinemaCon! Raghavendra T Editor-Publisher DISCLAIMER - TheatreWorld Magazine does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the quality, accuracy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information, product or service represented within our magazine or web site. The information provided is for knowledge or entertainment purposes only. TheatreWorld Magazine does not endorse or recommend any article, product, service or information found within said articles or advertisements. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to TheatreWorld Magazine belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreWorld Magazine or its staff.
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TheatreWorld is a quarterly 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-56 for TW, and India pages TM-1 to TM-34 for TM. TM is inserted between pages TW-50 and TW-51 of TW.
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TECHNOLOGY TW-26
Here comes the
Future of Cinema Today!
BUSINESS TRENDS TW-28 Ramesh Jayaraman Forging New Strength
TW-31 It's All About Positioning the Beverage Right! TW-32 Learning Lessons and Moving On
TECHNOLOGY TW-41
IMAX Virtual Reality Arcade
The 'Real' Fun Begins! TW-42 Michael's Green Paper
TRADESHOWS TW-44 Review -
TECHNOLOGY
TW-35 The Evolving Theatrical Window
TW-46 Review -
TW-38
Groundbreaking Screen Revolution
TW-48 Preview TW-51
F
U T U R E
R E L E A S E S
TM-3
SPECIAL FEATURE TM-10 Heavyweights at the Box Office in 2016
INDIA PLEXING TM-14
Valentine Multiplex
Lovely Entertainment! TM-17
Le Reve
Theatre of Your Dreams! TPV Multiplex
Tirunelveli's Claim to Fame TM-24
SVR Visuals
Redefining Cinema Experience! TM-26
Karthikeyan Cinemas
Leisure in The City of Silk! TM-28
PVR Cinemas
Gets Bigger & Better
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INDIA PLEXING
TM-20
Mukta A2 Cinemas
Hits Half-century by Excelsior Cinema
TM-31
NEC Display Solutions Announces New Laser Phosphor Digital Cinema Projector Delivering 14,000 Lumens NEC Display Solutions of America, the No. 1 global digital cinema laser projector provider, announced the availability of the NC1700L in its Digital Cinema Projector Series, a dual-laser digital cinema projector featuring richer colors, brighter images, and reduced cost of ownership. Designed for 2D and 3D playback on small to medium screen sizes, the NC1700L projector delivers 14,000 lumens of brightness with richer colours - thanks to its industry-first RB laser system. The new laser system features red and blue lasers paired with green phosphor to produce a rich colour spectrum with unsurpassed brightness for the ultimate cinema experience. Cinema operators also benefit from a reduced total cost of ownership and less maintenance because the RB laser design eliminates the need to replace a lamp, which also extends the projector's lifetime. "With the NC1700L, we're bringing not just another laser option to cinema operators, but also a whole new laser design that offers flexibility for small and medium screen sizes with a brighter, richer set of colors," said Richard McPherson, Senior Product Manager for Projectors at
NEC Display Solutions. "By offering this new dual laser system, cinema owners will not only receive the desired brightness, colors and uniformity they've come to know with NEC digital cinema projectors but also peace of mind for the customer experience." The new laser design offers flexibility in other ways, too. The projector does not require a special exhaust system, and it uses a much wider lens shift ratio without sacrificing image quality. Furthermore, its connectivity options enable non-cinematic content, such as presentations and games, giving cinema operators more events with which to grow revenue. The NC1700L represents the next evolution in laser projection for small to medium sized screens and is the latest addition to the Digital Cinema Projector Series, which also includes the single-laser phosphor NC1201L projector. The NC1700L is available for purchase now. Also available now is the NC1000C, a compact and silent 2K, DCI-certified digital projector equipped with a S2K chipset from Texas Instruments, designed for theatres with small screens, boothless cinema, or mobile theatres.
D-Box Technologies Immersive Motion Cinema Seating Featured at IMAX VR Centre in Los Angeles
D-BOX VR announced they are now part of this unique IMAX VR Centre, which opened recently in Los Angeles. Of the many VR experiences offered to customers, D-BOX VR is featured in a wild and thrilling virtual rollercoaster ride starring characters from a renowned video game franchise giving people a complete and exciting immersive VR experience featuring D-BOX VR motion system. Their introduction of D-BOX VR motion system in this new market is perfectly aligned with their mission to be the ultimate VR experience for customers in the entertainment market.
NEC Unveils its First Compact RB Laser Cinema Projector NEC Display Solutions Europe announced the availability of its NC1700L RB laser cinema projector, offering high brightness, crisper colours and exceptional image quality. Ideal for cinema screens of up to 17 metres wide, the high brightness output serves the
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majority of cinemas and can be perfectly adjusted to suit each individual screen and application. Built around RB laser light source technology this innovation goes beyond the cinema colour and brightness output of traditional laser phosphor projection systems. The major new development in laser projection is achieved by using a red laser source offering a higher light output than comparable projectors and more intense and natural playback of red colour tones. Not only does this enhance the cinematic experience, it significantly reduces initial purchasing and operational cost compared to RGB laser projectors. Cinema operators will value the cost-saving and high uptime benefits offered by the NC1700L laser projector. It removes the need for lamp exchange or filter cleaning and allows up to 30,000 hours of almost maintenance-free operation. With its advanced cooling system and low operational noise, there is nothing to distract cinema goers from their cinema experience. Gerd Kaiser, Senior Product Line Manager Digital Cinema and Large Venue Projectors at NEC Display Solutions Europe, said: "Laser is the projector light source of the future and we continue to prove this by building on NEC's portfolio of laser cinema projectors. Using new RB laser technology, the NC1700L enhances cinematic experience, brings high reliability and durability whilst saving on operational costs. Its high brightness output makes it a scalable solution for both crisp 2D and 3D movie playback." In addition to these benefits, the NC1700L is highly flexible and allows for easy installation without the need for a special exhaust system. This installation flexibility is further supported through the use of a much wider lens shift ratio that does not impact on image quality. Furthermore, the projector's connectivity options make it
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perfectly adaptable to screening non-cinematic activities such as company presentations or gaming events. This means cinema operators can increase usage and maximise revenue.
Vision Media Management and Barco Entering A Strategic Alliance Agreement to Deliver Turnkey Digital Lobby Media Experiences Digital cinema leader Barco and Vision Media Management (VMM), the movie industry's leading marketing and fulfillment services provider, have formed a strategic alliance to offer studios and exhibitors a single-source solution for in-theatre media marketing. The companies will jointly offer innovative digital products for cinema lobbies designed to enhance the moviegoing experience while driving customer engagement and loyalty. Industry leaders come together to offer innovative solutions for the cinema lobby. The agreement between Vision Media Management (VMM) and Barco closely follows the former's acquisition of Cinema Scene Marketing, whose TrailerVision digital kiosks, video and signature walls, and digital menu boards are installed with more than thirty major exhibitors nationwide. Barco and VMM have formed the One Network Alliance to deliver a truly best-in-class solution that extends from integrated campaign planning and fulfillment through synchronized and choreographed lobby experiences that deliver a more immersive customer experience.
"Our alliance with Barco creates a powerful combination that will take cinema lobby marketing for our clients to never-before-seen levels," comments Michael Alvarez, President and CEO Vision Media Management. "With Barco's cinema technology experience, Cinema Scene's growing base of digital signage customers, and VMM's integrated in-theatre marketing solutions, we are excited to offer even more to our studio and exhibitor customers." By combining efforts, VMM and Barco will form a singular platform leveraging their respective media management and fulfillment, software, network operations, and field support capabilities. The One Network Alliance will simplify fulfillment and accommodate varying needs and budgets from high-end, complex digital lobby programs to standard digital signage offerings. The alliance can continue to provide physical media, including posters, standees, concession items and more, while offering a greatly expanded Digital Lobby Experience comprised of multi-screen LCD/LED displays and other digital visualization solutions to enliven the cinema lobby. A key component of the One Network Alliance offering is an innovative, advanced technology concept that envelops the moviegoer, transforming an ordinary cinema lobby into an immersive storytelling environment. Solutions include brilliant displays and content management services to deliver customized, animated box office, concession and menu boards; interactive movie posters; and multiscreen, synchronized feature film promotional content. "We are honored to have the chance to team up with Vision Media Management, the undisputed industry leader in cinema lobby promotions," comments Greg Patrick, Vice President Digital Cinema-Lobby for Barco. "Together, we look forward to empowering
studios and exhibitors with fully integrated media programs featuring physical as well as the latest digital technologies to fuel increased revenues, shape moviegoer experiences, and generate more excitement at the movies."
Showtime Cinemas Opens "All Christie" Cineplex in Taichung Christie, a leader in creating and sharing the world's best visual and audio experiences, announced the opening of an "all Christie" cinema complex boasting its state-of-the-art cinema projection and immersive audio in Taichung, central Taiwan. Operated by Showtime Cinemas, the 17-hall Taichung Showtime Cinemas located within the new Taichung Showtime Plaza is poised to deliver the most exciting and lifelike cinematic experience to movie-goers. It is the first cinema in Taiwan to be equipped with Christie RGB laser projection system with enhanced wavelength diversification (EWD) that offers unprecedented brightness, image quality, stability and flexibility. In addition, all halls feature Christie Vive Audio™ cinema sound system utilizing efficient ribbon driver technology and a unique parabolic line array design in a single compact cabinet to provide exceptionally even coverage throughout every auditorium. "As one of the leading cinema chains in Taiwan, we are strongly committed in offering the best-in-class cinema technologies for our patrons to enjoy the finest visuals and audio on the
opening of our newest cinema complex in Taichung," said Willy Liao, General Manager, Showtime Cinemas. "We're convinced that Christie's highly acclaimed projection and audio solutions are perfect for deployment in this cineplex. Not only does the Christie RGB laser projection system with EWD deliver the best visuals, the unique design and amazing acoustics Christie Vive Audio also provides unmatched surround sound for a spectacular cinematic experience."
Technology, said, "We've been working with Christie for many years and have always been very impressed with the company's constant technological and groundbreaking advancements in digital cinema. Our team members involved in this major project in Taichung have benefited much from working with Christie's highly proficient technical team, and are thrilled to bring the latest RGB laser and immersive audio technologies to cinema audiences in Taichung."
The installations for Showtime Cinemas - an existing Christie user are undertaken and completed by Christie's longstanding Taiwanese partner, Dacoms Technology, with support from Showtime and Christie's technical teams. The Christie CP42LH 3DLP 4K RGB laser projector, fitted in the premium Hall 1 auditorium housing a 22-meter screen and 340 seats, is connected via fiber optic to a laser rack housing nine laser modules that outputs multiple combinations of RGB primary color wavelengths, capable of generating 45,000 lumens of white light to offer a spectacular 3D viewing experience on silver screens. The remaining 16 halls are equipped with Christie CP2215, Christie CP2220, and Christie CP2230 DLP digital cinema projectors that deliver superior color reproduction and brightness.
Lin Yu, Vice President, Christie Asia Pacific, added, "We are delighted that Showtime Cinemas has chosen our advanced cinema projection and audio solutions for its newest cineplex located in Taichung. This is a clear testimony that our field-proven and robust cinema solutions, in particular RGB laser and Vive Audio, are the pinnacle of quality versus any competitive solution. This is why Christie has become the preferred choice for a premium 3D cinema experience for an increasing number of leading exhibitors in Asia and around the world."
All cinema halls also have line array and surround speakers from the Christie Vive Audio LA Series, S115, S215 and S218 subwoofers, as well as CDA3 and CDA5 Class D amplifiers providing a hyper-accurate audio experience and unlocks the full dynamic range of DCI digital cinema audio and supports leading formats such as Dolby Atmos, 7.1 and 5.1 surround sound. The Christie Vive Audio system continues to establish its reputation worldwide as the next standard in immersive sound for cinema. Taichung Showtime Cinemas is also the site of the 400th Christie Vive Audio cinema sound system to be installed worldwide. Emily Hong, President, Dacoms
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Cinemex installs the First Christie RGB Laser Projector in Mexico Christie, a leader in creating and sharing the world's best visual and audio experiences, announced that Mexico's Cinemex, the sixth largest chain in the world, has installed the country's first Christie RGB laser projector in Screen 3 (CinemeXtremo) at its Cinemex Mundo E complex in Mexico City. This auditorium is also equipped with the Christie Vive Audio
together with the Vive Audio and Dolby Atmos systems, makes the CinemeXtremo theatre at Cinemex Mundo E the cinema screen with the best image and sound in the whole of Mexico and affords spectators a truly unforgettable cinema-going experience."
cinema sound and the Dolby Atmos immersive sound systems. The theatre is fitted out with a Christie Solaria CP42LH 3DLP 4K RGB laser projector with a 3P configuration, which is an ultrabright, colorful solution for big screens. Anchored by the Christie Freedom laser illumination platform, the CP42LH produces a color spectrum that exceeds DCI P3 specifications and complies with the Rec. 2020 color space, making it the most advanced RGB laser cinema projection system on the market. The theatre where the projector is installed has a giant 23 x 9.6 meter screen, 436 seats and 19 balconies, and is also equipped for 3D with the RealD system. The projection system currently uses seven laser modules to generate 35,000 lumens - with each module capable of generating up to 5,000 lumens of white light. Because of the scalability of the platform, it is possible to easily add, remove, activate or deactivate up to a dozen modules depending on brightness requirements, meaning it is capable of producing a total of 60,000 lumens. In addition, each laser module is also independently cooled, providing built-in fault protection, improved efficiency and ultimate reliability. Rolando Maggi, Cinemex's director of Infrastructures and Development, explained that "Here at Cinemex we are committed to offering a superior cinema-going experience, which is why we are always updating with the latest technology. For this reason, we decided to opt for laser, the most advanced projection system at the
moment. The Christie CP42LH projector affords the brightest digital cinema projection with a capacity to increase the light output up to 60,000 lumens, with a long operational life of over 30,000 hours at 80 percent brightness." Maggi added that "we are proud to be Mexico's first chain to integrate this type of projector, because it proves our commitment to innovate and offer ground-breaking technology. Without a doubt, our spectators' movie-going experience will be optimum and they will be won over by the clarity and quality of the image." With 19 screens, the Cinemex Mundo E complex also boasts the 30th joint installation of Christie Vive Audio and Dolby Atmos in its CinemeXtremo theatres. These PLF (Premium Large Format) theatres have giant screens, 100 percent digital projection and roomier, ergonomic seats to provide cinemagoers with maximum comfort. All offer the unbeatable combination of Dolby Atmos and Christie Vive Audio™, delivering a highly immersive sound experience celebrated for its exceptional performance and power. "The fact of combining cutting-edge technology both in sound and image creates a unique, memorable experience for our audience", Rolando Maggi argued. Ernesto Armus, general manager of Christie Mexico, concluded: "It is an honor for us that Cinemex opted for the superior quality and brightness of our market-leading RGB laser projection system. The installation of the Christie RGB laser projector,
Major Cineplex Installs Thailand's First Christie RGB Laser Projection System in its Flagship Multiplex at the Famous Siam Paragon Shopping Mall Christie announced that Major Cineplex, the largest cinema operator in Thailand, has chosen Christie's unique RGB laser projection system for its flagship auditorium, Paragon Cineplex, to deliver the ultimate 3D viewing experience for movie-goers. Located on the fifth floor of the famous Siam Paragon shopping mall in the heart of the city, Paragon Cineplex comprises 16 screens and 5,000 seats, and is well-known as Thailand's largest cineplex. The projection system will be fitted in Siam Pavalai theatre, Thailand's single, grandest theatre equipped with 23-meter screen and 1,096-seat capacity, making it an ideal venue for the deployment of the Christie RGB laser projection system. The system is comprised of a Christie CP42LH 3DLP 4K RGB laser projector featuring enhanced wavelength diversification (EWD), connected via fiber optic to a laser rack housing eight laser modules that generate white light from multiple combinations of RGB primary color wavelengths to offer a spectacular 3D viewing experience on silver screens. The single system is capable of generating 40,000 lumens - much brighter than what current, lampbased digital projectors can deliver.
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With this installation, Major Cineplex will be the first exhibitor in Thailand to deploy Christie's pinnacle RGB laser projection system. "We are proud to be the first exhibitor in Thailand to offer this brand new cinema technology for our guests to enjoy a movie experience like no other," said Vicha Poolvaraluk, Chairman of Major Cineplex group. "Over the years, we pride ourselves in creating the best movie-going experience to our patrons. By introducing Christie's cutting-edge RGB laser projector to our flagship multiplex, we are taking the immersive cinema experience to the next level and I'm sure our customers will appreciate what's in store for them." The CP42LH produces a color gamut that exceeds the DCI P3 color spec and replicates the Rec. 2020 space, making it the most advanced RGB laser cinema projection system available on the market. It consists of rack-mounted laser modules where each module can produce up to 5,000 lumens of white light. Because of the scalability of this platform, up to 12 laser modules can be easily added, removed, activated or disabled depending on brightness requirements. This provides up to 60,000 lumens per rack. Each laser module is also independently cooled, providing built-in fault protection, improved efficiency and reliability. Han Kim, General Manager, Christie Singapore, said, "We're very pleased that Major Cineplex, the largest cinema chain in Thailand, has placed its trust in our award-winning RGB laser projection system, which has effectively demonstrated how 3D
light levels, color fidelity, image uniformity, viewing comfort, and a sense of immersion can be greatly improved. The cinematic presentation delivered by our CP42LH with EWD in Paragon Cineplex will not only captivate movie-goers, but also provides confidence to cinema exhibitors in terms of performance and reliability." Lin Yu, Vice President, Christie Asia Pacific, commented, "We're delighted that Major Cineplex has selected our RGB laser projection system for its flagship multiplex in Bangkok to deliver the best laser projection and viewing experience. Since we rolled out our RGB laser projection system two years ago, an increasing number of exhibitors around the world have chosen our RGB laser architecture that produces incredible brightness, a reinforced color spectrum and an extraordinary contrast ratio that significantly improves the efficiency of 3D projection systems." Christie's RGB laser projection system is the preferred choice for a premium 3D cinema experience for an increasing number of leading cinema chains around the world. In Asia, theatres equipped with Christie laser projection technology include Tongzhou Wanda Cinema in Beijing; the iconic Shanghai Film Art Center; Suning Cinema halls in Shanghai, Zhenjiang, Anshan and Baotou; Oscar International Cinema in Xi'an and Xiamen, SM Seaside City in Cebu, the Philippines; CGV SphereX Youngdeungpo in Seoul, South Korea; CGV Centum City in Busan, South Korea; CGV Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City; and HOYTS Chadstone in Melbourne, Australia.
Universal Studios Hollywood opens the Wizarding World of Harry Potter In April, Universal Studios Hollywood opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - an intricate recreation of the universe created in J.K. Rowling's series of "Harry Potter" novels, then interpreted for the Warner Bros. films - where fans have the opportunity to lose themselves in the world they love so much. Content with what they'd built at "Wizarding World," the minds at Universal Creative, the team that conceptualizes and deploys largescale projects at Universal, set their sights on Universal CityWalk's AMC Theatre, which, other than the installation of stadium-style seating in 2007, had gone untouched since it was built in 1993. "We wanted a departure from the traditional movie experience," said Gene Dobrzyn, senior vice president of Universal Creative. That departure starts as soon as patrons enter the lobby and the newly designed box office area. The lobby is open-format, eschewing the lurid reds and jewel tones favored by many theatre chains in favor of cool blues and grays. "The blue theme flows throughout," said Dobrzyn. "We didn't want to plaster it with Universal, we wanted to bring the Universal feel into it." Dobrzyn goes on to point out the large sunburst chandeliers overlooking the lobby and globe vista on the second floor, echoes of Universal's logo that lend themselves to the subconscious branding at work. Gone are the outdoor box office windows, replaced with a serpentine queue system and centralized box office desk, that allows patrons shelter from the rare adverse L.A. weather. But for all the beauty of the redesigned lobby and lounge areas,
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the success or failure of the new-look AMC lives and dies on what lies inside the four walls of each of the 19 auditoriums - each of which is called the "black box." Black walls, black speakers, black seats - each of the theatres designed to minimize any and all light interference that might distract from the film-going experience. Even the guide lights that assist patrons with stairs are a deep, unobtrusive blue. The black seats do more than just absorb light, they also recline and expand into loveseats, creating an intentional feeling of luxury. "You would find these in a normal Hollywood screening style," Dobrzyn said of the seats, which measure 32" in width, "It used to be you would come to the movies and worry who you'd sit next to. Now there's plenty of room." But as vital as it is to keep light and distractions out of the black box, what Universal is putting into the black box is an even higher priority.
Each theatre is equipped with Dolby ATMOS immersive surround sound and Christie RGB laser projection, as well as a Christie Vive Audio system, allowing for audio fine-tuning on a theatre-by theatre basis. "The screens are all latest technology," said Universal spokeswoman Audrey Eig. "They're perforated and we have about 40 speakers in each theatre. We can point source audio out of anywhere in the theatre and as the image trails offscreen, the audio trails with it." The effect of the high-end projection and sound is palpable. Disney's "Moana," projected in 4K perfection, was eye-popping, rendering color and texture in scrupulous detail. The Christie projectors are a departure from the 35mm film projectors that used to power theatres, replacing bulky reels and film canisters with a sleek black box and laser projection, severing the link to physical film entirely.
Outside the auditoriums lay a lobby and lounge area aimed to be as comfortable and contemporary as the theatres themselves. Dobrzyn emphasized the importance of the free-flowing layout, using the "grab-and-go" style concessions marketplace as an example. Clean and airy lounging area from the new multi-million dollar renovation of Universal CityWalk AMC theatre, in Los Angeles. For each choice meticulously made throughout the 18-month, fourphase process, Universal Creative always came back to the idea of creating a seamless, functional and state-of-the-art environment where film lovers can feel at home as they sit mere feet away from where some of their favorite movies filmed. Now the creators of "Wizarding World of Harry Potter" just have to wait and see if Universal CityWalk's AMC Theatre can make a little movie magic of its own.
IMAX and Regal Entertainment Group Sign 11-Theatre Agreement; Extend Lease Terms For All Joint Venture Theatres IMAX Corporation and Regal Entertainment Group announced an expansion of the companies' existing joint revenue sharing agreement to include the installation of 11 additional IMAX theatres in the U.S bringing to 100 theatres Regal's total IMAX network. The companies intend to open the new joint venture theatres in new and existing complexes in U.S. markets such as Lexington, Ky., Albuquerque, N.M., Fredericksburg, Va., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and San Antonio, Texas. The expanded agreement provides for an additional two years of operation and an adjusted financial formula for all Regal IMAX joint venture locations. "For nearly 20 years, Regal has brought The IMAX Experience to millions of moviegoers across the US. We are excited to reach the 100th theatre milestone with such a valued partner and tremendous IMAX ambassador that has helped us to expand our reach from coast-to-coast and in cities big and small. This deal is a testament to Regal's continued commitment to IMAX as it extends all leases under the current joint venture agreement by two years with no theatres now due for renewal until the beginning of 2021," said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. "We're excited to expand upon our longterm partnership with Regal as we look to continue to bolster our domestic network, where in 2016 we've had more domestic theatre signings than any year since 2011." "We believe in the strategic value IMAX delivers to our business, which is why we're increasing our IMAX footprint and extending the length of our agreements for all of our IMAX sites," stated Amy Miles, CEO of Regal Entertainment Group. "Regal is focused on delivering the best customer experience and we believe that IMAX both delights our guests and drives incremental revenue for
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our business. We are excited to mark our 100thIMAX theatre commitment with today's agreement."
Dolby Enhances the Moviegoer Experience by Bringing Dolby Atmos to All Reel Cinemas Screens in the Middle East Dolby Laboratories, Inc, in cooperation with Reel Cinemas, the dynamic cinema brand under Emaar Entertainment, announced plans to deliver Dolby Atmos immersive audio across the Reel Cinemas portfolio in the Middle East. Reel Cinemas will deploy Dolby's latest SLS loudspeaker, including the new SLS 3-Axis Speaker MA390C, making it the first to install the system across an entire cinema circuit. The installation will be one of the largest rollouts of Dolby Atmos screens by any multiplex chain in the Middle East and will include featuring the Dolby Atmos experience at the outlet at The Dubai Mall. "Dolby looks forward to working with Reel Cinemas to bring Dolby Atmos to movie lovers all over the Middle East," said Friedrich Deininger, Senior Director of Cinema, Dolby Laboratories. "With Dolby Atmos, the audience is no longer just watching a movie; they are experiencing it, and we are confident that moviegoers will continue to seek out the extraordinary experience that only Dolby Atmos delivers." The new SLS 3-Axis Speaker MA390C delivers exceptionally clear and powerful sound in a small, light package that is easy to install, including overhead. Each spherical
speaker can be mounted in the ceiling or wall and is easily adjusted for pan, tilt, and rotation. That adaptability means that Reel Cinemas is able to more cost effectively provide the unmatched audio experience of Dolby Atmos throughout their cinema chain. As part of their commitment to providing an unprecedented experience to its moviegoers, Dolby Atmos and the SLS loudspeakers were the natural choice for Reel Cinemas: "Reel Cinemas aims to deliver the most revolutionary and state-of-theart technologies for our guests; this collaboration with Dolby means that cinemagoers can feel fully immersed in the story unfolding on screen," said Adon Quinn, Senior Director, Reel Cinemas - a subsidiary of Emaar Entertainment. "Reel Cinemas will become the first cinema chain in the world to have Dolby Atmos with SLS loudspeakers across our entire portfolio, a testament to our commitment to offering the very best experiences for cinemagoers."
Galalite Introduces "Screen of Tomorrow" Leading cinema screen technology company, Galalite, recently unveiled its marketing campaign for 2017, named "Screen of Tomorrow". The campaign focuses on one of the main components of Galalite's success - futuristic innovation, and how it is changing the future of cinematic storytelling for the entire industry. The campaign tagline- "Galalite Screens - The future of movie viewing experience", emphasises that what Galalite thinks today, others think tomorrow. Galalite's use of cutting edge technology enhances the movie viewing experience with screens specially designed to reduce hotspotting, increase gain, and provide the most life-like colours and effects. Unlike regular cinema screens,
Galalite screens are treated with an innovative coating that prevents yellowing and is safe for the environment. Speaking on the occasion, Yusuf S Galabhaiwala (Director of Operations) said, "At Galalite it has been our endeavour to provide the best viewing experience to moviegoers around the world, which is why we are constantly innovating our product and staying ahead of the trends. Our latest campaign showcases this love for innovation and how unlike our competition, we are already providing our customers the future of movie viewing experience today".
QSC Announces First QSC Certified Theatres QSC, the cinema industry's leading supplier of cinema exhibition solutions, announced the first "QSC Certified" theatres. QSC Certified Theatres are equipped with complete sound systems from QSC, and meet a set of technical guidelines for equipment, projection, acoustics, and room design, to ensure an outstanding moviegoing experience. The very first QSC Certified Theatre was screen 6 of the Kinopolis Mathäser Filmpalast in Munich, Germany, which opened in August, 2016. The first two U.S.-based QSC Certified Theatres are Goodrich Theatres Kendall 11 GDX in Oswego,
Illinois and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema theatre in Ashburn, Virginia. The QSC Certified Theatre at the Mathäser Filmpalast also happens to be one of the world's largest Dolby Atmos cinemas, with 835 seats and a 20.6-meter wide screen, providing an outstanding image and sound experience to moviegoers. The entire theatre is controlled and monitored using Q-SYS, QSC's powerful networked audio platform. Installed in the theatre are 23 QSC DPA-Q amplifiers and 50 powerful QSC loudspeakers, controlled and monitored on a network by a Q-SYS Core 500i processor. In addition to the new 4K projection system, an entirely new LED light concept was deployed as part of an extensive design and outfitting plan. The system was installed by CinemaNext, the European specialist for cinema exhibitor services. The Goodrich Theatres Kendall 11 GDX complex in Oswego, Illinois has 11 screens which have been recently renovated with all QSC cinema sound systems, including a premium large format room featuring GDX (Kendall's own Giant Digital Experience), luxury rocking seats, and Dolby Atmos. The GDX room is also the first QSC Certified Theatre in North America. Cinemas are becoming far more than just a place to see a movie, and there's no better example of this than Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. The location at One Loudoun Center in
Ashburn, Virginia features nine screens including QSC-Certified Theatre A, a 222 seat room equipped with Dolby Atmos and QSC sound, including Q-SYS control. The One Loudoun site in Ashburn, Virginia is franchise-owned and was installed by Moving Image Technologies, a QSC dealer based in Fountain Valley, California. Participants in the QSC Certified Theatre Program are offered a comprehensive marketing program to help them let the public know that there is a QSC Certified Theatre at their site. The entire program is free, and there is no annual licensing fee to achieve or maintain "QSC Certified" status. "We're very proud of our first three Certified Theatres, which affirms that our cinema customers are dedicated to providing their patrons with the very best movie experience," says Barry Ferrell, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for QSC, as well as the head of the cinema business unit for the company. "Creating a top-quality moviegoing experience has always been the ultimate goal for QSC and our theatre partners and dealers around the world. Achieving this is often just a matter of paying attention to the details and adhering to a lot of well-known best practices of good cinema design and installation."
Harkness Screens Leads Way with Screen Deployments for Laser Projection Harkness Screens, the world's leading screen technology company continues to set the standard for cinema screens suitable for laser projection both phosphor and RGB. With its premium screen brands, Clarus XC and Perlux Digital supporting the roll-out of laser projection technology across the world.
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technologies and assessed the impact of emerging technologies on content creation and distribution.
Some of its recent laser screen projects have included: •
Cineplex Southbank, Australia Clarus XC 220 with Barco Flagship RGB projector
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Vox Cinemas Deira City Centre, UAE - Perlux Digital 140 - Christie 6P projector
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Hoyts Cinema, Australia - Clarus XC 170 with Christie 9P projector Odeon Cines, Spain - Clarus XC 170 with Christie 9P projector
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Oostende Film Festival, Belgium Matt Plus with Barco Flagship projector
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NuMetro Canal Walk, South Africa - Clarus XC 170 with Barco Flagship RGB Laser projector
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Cinema Megerama, France and Morocco - Clarus XC 170 and Barco Flagship RGB
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Haugesund Film Festival, Norway - Clarus XC 170 and Barco Flagship RGB projector
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Megabox Hanan, Korea - Clarus XC 270 and Barco Flagship RGB projector
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CineAsia, Hong Kong - Clarus XC 170 and Barco Flagship RGB projector
Commenting on the opening of the new Vox Cinemas Deira City Centre, Mark Smith, Technical Director said, "This is one auditorium that makes you want to watch whatever is showing because of the amazing presentation quality. It boasts a 31 metre Perlux Digital 140 screen that comfortably meets DCI specifications for 2D and laser 6P 3D that provides amazing 3D images at 14fL." As well as boasting wide viewing angles, vivid image quality, depth of field and providing a more
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immersive viewing experience, both Clarus XC and Perlux Digital technology benefit from the lowest speckle contrast ratios of coated screens available making them suitable for laser projection. "Boasting the largest widescreen format screen produced for Australia the Harkness Clarus XC 220 screen enables the Barco DP4K60L Laser Projector to perform at its best displaying stunning 2D and 3D images. Southbank Cinema 5 offers Cineplex audiences the best movie experience with a real WOW factor", says Cineplex CEO and founder Mr. Leo Catalano. Aligned to the visual benefits of Clarus XC and Perlux Digital technology, all of Harkness' screens feature the 4K Digital Perforation Pattern designed to reduce Moiré fringing, significantly increase light reflectance into cinema auditoriums compared to Harkness' providing a brighter and better quality viewing experience and improve sound transmission in the spoken range.
Former Warner Bros. Executive Joins Qube Cinema Board Qube Cinema has announced the appointment of film technology heavyweight, Wendy Aylsworth, to its board. As a specialist in emerging technologies, entertainment ecosystems, joint ventures, global facilities management and digital content production and distribution, Aylsworth most recently served as senior vice president of technology for Warner Bros. where she oversaw the establishment of new
With more than 35 years of experience working in the entertainment technology space, Aylsworth will play a critical role in supporting Qube Cinema's continued growth strategy and strengthening its position as a leading international manufacturer of world-class end-to-end digital cinema technology and mastering solutions. Rajesh Ramachandran, president of Qube Cinema, said of the appointment: "Wendy is an exceptional strategist who will bring significant sector qualifications and experience to the board." Aylsworth's milestone appointment comes during a critical growth phase for Qube Cinema, with the recent unveiling of its revolutionary online digital cinema distribution service, Qube Wire, at the American Film Market (AFM); eliminating the outdated process of physical Digital Cinema Package (DCP) transportation. She started her career as a software engineer in 1975, with stints at both The Walt Disney Company (director of engineering) and Warner Bros. Entertainment Group of Companies (senior vice president technology), before joining Waldon Pond in her current position as chief executive.
Volfoni Continues Growing in Egypt After Last 3D Installations For The New Multiplex Point90 in Partnership With Waves Inc Director, EMEA & CIS with Volfoni. "We share a common dedication to high quality technology that will provide stunning film experience to the audience ".
Hall of the cinemas multiplex Point90 in Egypt
Once again, Egyptian cinemas come up with the finest 3D experience for their audience by selecting Volfoni's 3D systems. "We know Volfoni for a long time now. Their long-term activity worldwide has allowed for the necessary trust to create this collaboration. It will ultimately benefit the audience with brighter 3D projections," said Ramzi Khoury, Managing Director with Point90 Cinemas. To adapt to the large variety of Point90 installation, Volfoni provides a 3D one-stop shopping. The installation will be made using the innovative technology patented by Volfoni: SmartCrystal Cinema, including the SmartCrystal Diamond which is the best-selling hi-LEF 3D system in the world. All the 3D systems are made in Europe and allow remote and NOC control. "Volfoni is a partner that can provide a solution for any projection situation without compromising on quality. Their 3D know-how and their flexibility is the key for us as an integrator. Those are valuable factors in order provide a top-class service to Point90, one of the finest Cinemas in Egypt". Explains Claudio Violante, CEO of Waves. "We are extremely proud and honored by the trust expressed by Point90 and Waves. They are shaping today's cinema exhibition in Egypt." says Alain Chamaillard, Managing
Luxin-Rio Wholly Acquires Volfoni On January 23rd, 2017, Shandong Luxin-Rio Visual Technology Company Limited held the signing ceremony for Luxin-Rio's 100% acquisition of Volfoni in Jinan, China. Mr Jiang Dong, chairman of LuxinRio and Mr. Thierry Henkinet, CEO of Volfoni, were present at the signing ceremony. Details of the purchasing agreement are not disclosed. The French company Volfoni is a well-known 3D equipment manufacturer in the World. Luxin-
Rio has been cooperating with Volfoni since 2012 and at that time the joint venture companies VolfoniRio Asia Company Limited and Qingdao Volfoni-Rio Visual Technology Company Limited were set up. Luxin-Rio had previously already purchased 10% of the shares in Volfoni back in 2014. Now, this 100% acquisition of Volfoni means that Luxin-Rio owns the core technology for 3D equipment. This represents a corner-stone of LuxinRio's desire to build up its cinema industry chain and international industrial layout. The acquisition of Volfoni also confirms Luxin-Rio will continue to play an important role in the cinema industry. Luxin-Rio is dedicated to the integration of global resources, combined with culture, technology and financial services. Luxin-Rio provides the most competitive visual technology solution for his clients.
AMC Theatres Announces New Branding for AMC Locations in the United States AMC Theatres announced its new branding alignment, incorporating theatres recently acquired from Carmike into the AMC brand. During the next few months, all Carmike theatres will be re-branded to be part of the AMC family of theatres. Every conversion will include AMC signage on the theatre's exterior. These locations will be converted to their new brands on a rolling schedule between now and June. AMC is taking a different path than its competitors, which historically have presented themselves through a myriad of confusing brand names tied to previous acquisitions. Once the brand conversion is complete, every AMC location will operate under one of these three AMC brands:
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AMC Theatres - AMC Amazing. Approximately 400 theatres, which will offer the AMC amazing experience through amenities such as recliner seating, MacGuffins bars, and premium large format (PLF) auditoriums like IMAX at AMC, Dolby Cinema at AMC, and AMC's new proprietary PLF, named "Prime at AMC." AMC Classic Theatres - America's Hometown Theatres. Approximately 200 theatres, which will be fun, friendly, local theatres that guests can depend on for a great movie-going experience with value in mind. These theatres will offer CocaCola Freestyle machines, menu items like pretzel bites and movie nachos, refillable annual popcorn buckets and some may include MacGuffins bars and Prime at AMC. The brand logo for AMC Classic incorporates the folded "C" graphical element from the legacy Carmike brand logo and the brand is adopting Carmike's "America's Hometown Theatres" tagline. AMC Dine-In Theatres - Movies with a Menu. Approximately 60 locations, equipped with full kitchens and MacGuffins full bars, will offer great experiences including full-service dining, as well as delivery to seat and/or express-pick up of AMC's menu and beverage offerings. Guests can enjoy a variety of fresh, hand-crafted menu items that rival anything they'd find at their local restaurant, as well as an
exciting array of drinks, and desserts - all from the comfort of their seat while taking in the latest film. "To ensure our guests are clear about the experience they should expect, we will be operating all of our theatres under the AMC brand," said Stephen Colanero, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, AMC. "Within that brand, we are communicating three distinct experiences that set clear expectations for our guests. All three of these brands promise the guest that we will give them an AMC experience at the movies." All former Carmike locations will be converted to one of the three brands mentioned above, with some moving to AMC and AMC Dine-In, and many becoming AMC Classic. These brand names will be replacing the previous brands such as Carmike Cinemas, Muvico, and Ovations. In addition, some AMC legacy theatres will also be moving to the AMC Classic brand. All buildings will have AMC exterior signage. Other legacy brand name signage, including Loews, Starplex, Wynnsong, will be removed. AMC is also eliminating legacy dinein theatre sub-brands Fork and Screen, Cinema Suites, and Red Kitchen. All theatres with kitchens will be branded AMC Dine-In. All three AMC brands will be supported by the same website, amctheatres.com, the AMC app and our AMC social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others. Once a theatre is officially rebranded into the AMC family, guests can take full advantage of AMC's newly re-designed website (amctheatres.com) and mobile app to find showtimes, buy tickets, learn more about their favorite movies and sign up for the AMC Stubs rewards program, which is replacing the former Carmike and Sundance Partners rewards programs. More information about AMC Stubs can be found at amctheatres.com/amcstubs.
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AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Nordic Cinema Group AMC Theatres announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the largest theatre exhibitor in seven countries in the affluent northern region of Europe, Stockholm-based Nordic Cinema Group Holding AB ("Nordic"). Nordic operates 68 theatres and has a substantial minority interest (approximately a 50% ownership) in another 50 associated theatres to which Nordic provides a variety of shared services. Nordic's theatres are number one in market share in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Nordic currently is number two in market share in Norway, and with a new theatre currently under construction in Norway and scheduled to open next year, is expected to increase market share in Norway to number one as well. Nordic also has theatres in Denmark. AMC is purchasing Nordic from European private equity firm Bridgepoint and Swedish media group Bonnier Holding in an all-cash transaction valued at SEK 8,250 million ($929 million USD)1. The transaction is conditional upon antitrust clearance by the European Commission, which is expected to be received in the first half of 2017. Nordic has 68 theatres, 463 screens, and approximately 68,000 seats in nearly 50 large and medium-sized cities in the Nordic and Baltic nations, and a substantial minority investment in another 50 associated theatres with 201 screens, to which Nordic provides a variety of shared services. Nordic is the largest theatre operator in the Nordic and Baltic countries. All Nordic activities are conducted locally in seven markets under several brands, including SF
Bio in Sweden, SF Kino in Norway, Finnkino in Finland, and Forum Cinemas in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Additional associated theatres also operate in Denmark. Nordic had approximately SEK 2,938 million ($349 million USD)2 of revenue in 2015, including box office revenues of SEK 1,928 million ($229 million USD)2. Total revenues for the twelve month period ended September 30, 2016 were SEK 3,159 million ($375 million USD)3 and Nordic operating margins for that twelve month period exceeded those of AMC. Nordic will maintain a Stockholm headquarters location, but will operate as a subsidiary of Londonbased Odeon Cinemas Group, which AMC acquired in November of 2016. As of today, Odeon operates 243 theatres with 2,262 screens in the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain and Portugal under the Odeon, Cinesa, UCI and UCI Kinowelt brands. Odeon Cinemas has the number one market share in the U.K. & Ireland, Italy and Spain, the number two market share in Austria and Portugal and the number four market share in Germany. In total, Odeon is already Europe's largest cinema operator. When combined with Nordic, Odeon's scale and market position across Europe is expected to grow markedly, as AMC's European theatre operations will increase to 361 theatres and 2,926 screens. Including the associated theatres, the combination with Nordic will result in AMC's hitting the never before reached milestones of 1,000 theatres and 11,000 screens in 15 countries. This will further strengthen AMC's current position of being the largest cinema operator in the United States, the largest cinema operator in Europe and the largest cinema operator in the world. "For the third time in the past twelve months, we believe we have discovered a substantial acquisition that gives AMC yet another opportunity to further expand and diversify our geographic reach and
more firmly establish AMC as the undisputed leader in movie exhibition worldwide," said AMC CEO and President Adam Aron. "It has been our observation that Nordic is extremely well-run with a modern up-to-date theatre circuit that in our opinion offers tremendous value potential for AMC over the foreseeable future. We are also excited by the growth potential of Nordic as it moves forward with 10 theatres already in development or re-development. We have been impressed with Nordic's talented leadership team, and further believe that their added expertise will be invaluable to us in helping to drive AMC's progress across Europe. AMC will bring additional efficiencies of scale and innovative strategic initiatives to the Nordic brands. At the same time, we will ensure that these theatres continue to be operated by locally-experienced theatre managers and country leadership teams who understand how to serve the communities and countries where they live and work." "As one of the largest cinema operators in Europe, Nordic has been an industry pioneer. Working with Bridgepoint, it opened a new flagship cinema in the Stockholm region, introduced new cinema experiences to its customers such as the first Nordic IMAX theatre, three Scape premium large format screens and improved food and beverage offerings across its network. Now, as the undisputed cinema group leader in the Nordic region and the Baltics, the business is well placed for further growth under new ownership and as part of the AMC group," said Mika Herold, Director at Bridgepoint. "AMC is the world's leading movie exhibitor and we are proud to have
caught their interest. They will be a perfect owner for Nordic. They share our long and successful history and our commitment to creating best-inclass movie experiences. AMC will bring valuable resources and expertise that will enable us to continue to innovate, grow and provide our customers with even greater movie experiences," said Jan Bernhardsson, President and CEO of Nordic Cinema Group.
AMC Theatres Expands IMAX Partnership to 175 Locations by End of March, 2017 IMAX Corporation and AMC Theatres announced that the number of IMAX at AMC locations is expected to increase by 15 percent year over year by the end of the first quarter 2017, with a total of 175 locations open by March 2017. AMC and IMAX also announced they are continuing to renovate popular IMAX at AMC locations to include movie-going amenities guests love. Through its recent acquisition of Carmike, AMC added several IMAX locations, and through the opening of AMC Flatiron Crossing 14 in the Denver area, expected to be completed before April 1, AMC will operate 175 IMAX locations, expanding the Company's footprint as the largest exhibitor of IMAX screens in North America. The company's current commitment to IMAX is 185 theatres through 2019. For the past year, AMC has been renovating and upgrading IMAX at AMC locations around the country, installing IMAX's laser projection and 12-channel immersive sound as well as plush rocker seating at popular locations including AMC Lincoln Square 13 in New York and AMC Metreon 16 in San Francisco. Renovations are also expected to take place in the coming months at
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AMC Empire 25 in New York, AMC Burbank 16 in Los Angeles, AMC Northpark 15 in Dallas and Navy Pier IMAX at AMC in Chicago - including sound and seating enchantments as well as re-designed entryways and auditorium branding. "We are thrilled that as AMC continues to expand its reach throughout the United States, and the world, so too does our partnership with IMAX, allowing more AMC moviegoers than ever the opportunity to enjoy this immersive experience," said John McDonald, Executive Vice President, U.S. Operations, AMC. "We are delighted to reach this 175theatre milestone with our long-term partner, AMC, and look forward to continuing to work together to grow both our domestic and international footprint even further," said Mark Welton, President, IMAX Theatres. "We applaud AMC's commitment to both quality presentation and comfort and we believe the renovations undergoing at these prominent IMAX at AMC locations will take The IMAX Experience to the next-level - just in time for what is shaping up to be a very exciting 2017 blockbuster lineup."
Dolby Cinema at AMC Opens Its 50th Location More moviegoers than ever across the United States can experience the total cinema experience with AMC Theatres and Dolby Laboratories, Inc celebrating the 50th Dolby Cinema at AMC location opening at AMC Rosedale 14 in Roseville, Minnesota.
direct result of the outstanding reaction we have received from moviegoers nationwide," said Doug Darrow, Senior Vice President, Cinema Business Group, Dolby Laboratories. "Our fast-paced growth is a testament to the shared commitment by Dolby and AMC to deliver movie lovers a best-in-class entertainment experience." The completion of this theatre puts the Dolby Cinema at AMC partnership plan on schedule. AMC Theatres and Dolby plan to complete the installation of 100 Dolby Cinema at AMC sites by the end of 2017, with plans to increase the number of locations to 160 by the end of 2018. "Our guests enjoy the premium experience that Dolby Cinema at AMC provides, and now more guests will be able to experience the amazing slate of titles scheduled to be released in 2017," said John McDonald, Executive Vice President, US Operations, AMC. "This nextgeneration cinema is leaving moviegoers impressed, thrilled, and excited by what they see, hear, and feel-all from the comfort of their reclining chairs." Guests of Dolby Cinema at AMC can expect: DRAMATIC IMAGING-The picture comes alive with astonishing brightness, incomparable contrast, and captivating color that more closely matches what the eye can see. MOVING AUDIO-Guests are transported inside the story with sound that flows all around them, including overhead, with breathtaking realism that creates a powerfully moving experience. INNOVATIVE SEATING-Moviegoers
enjoy next-level comfort with spacious, high-power, reserved recliners that pulsate with the action. Many of 2017's most anticipated releases will be shown in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos at Dolby Cinema at AMC locations across the United States, including Warner Bros. Pictures' Live by Night, due out January 13; Paramount Pictures' xXx: Return of Xander Cage, due out January 20; Legendary/Universal Pictures' The Great Wall, due out February 17; Disney's Beauty and the Beast, due out March 17; Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, due out May 5; Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, due out May 26; Warner Bros. Pictures' Wonder Woman, due out June 2; DisneyoPixar's Cars 3, due out June 16; and Focus Features' The Coldest City, due out August 11.
Cinemark Offers Free Upgrade To Experience a Movie in XD For Loyalty Program Members Cinemark Holdings, Inc., a leader in the motion picture exhibition industry, is offering Connections Loyalty Program members a complimentary upgrade to Cinemark XD for the same price as seeing the movie in a regular auditorium. The limited-time free upgrade promotion is valid for movies playing in XD auditoriums from Friday, February 17 through Monday, March 13, 2017 at all Cinemark XD locations.
Dolby Cinema at AMC is a premium cinema offering for moviegoers that combines spectacular image and sound technologies with innovative seating and amazing comfort to deliver the total cinema experience, making every visit a completely captivating cinematic event.
Cinemark XD is the number one, private label, Premium Large Format (PLF) in the world. XD auditoriums feature expansive wall-to-wall screens, custom-engineered surround-sound with multi-channel speakers, and state-of-the-art projection systems capable of delivering 35 trillion colors.
"Reaching the major milestone of 50 Dolby Cinema at AMC locations is a
"Seeing a movie in Cinemark XD is an immersive sight and sound
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experience," said James Meredith, Cinemark's SVP of Marketing and Communications. "Cinemark's free upgrade offer allows new and existing loyalty program members to enjoy their favorite movies in the absolute best movie-watching environment."
Cinemark Announces Remodel of The Cinemark 18 and XD Theatre in Webster, Texas Cinemark Holdings, Inc, a leader in the motion picture exhibition industry announced plans to renovate and upgrade its Cinemark 18 and XD Theatre by adding electric reclining seats to all auditoriums and a lobby bar serving beer and wine. Cinemark Luxury Loungers feature electric-powered, plush, oversized lounge chairs with footrests and cup holders. The renovation and upgrade for the theatre, located at 20915 Gulf Freeway in Webster, Texas will commence this spring and be completed in time for 2017's summer movie blockbusters. "The Cinemark 18 and XD Theatre has been a popular entertainment destination and a big part of the community for many years," said Mark Zoradi, Cinemark's Chief Executive Officer. "Our new Cinemark Luxury Lounger recliners and lobby bar will be great additions at this theatre. With the exciting slate of movies planned for 2017, we know our guests will continue to select Cinemark as its preferred destination for enjoying Hollywood's biggest movies."
based program which rewards loyal guests with unique experiential prizes, including one-of-a-kind gifts, trips and digital downloads and games. Guests can also use CineMode and earn rewards for being courteous during movies. Guests can 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 at www.cinemark.com.
Cinemark Announces Grand Opening of New 14-Screen Theatre in Sacramento, California Cinemark Holdings, Inc, a leader in the motion picture exhibition industry, opened a new 14-screen theatre in Sacramento, California. The Century Arden 14 and XD Theatre, located at 1590 Ethan Way in the new Howe Bout Arden shopping center, features Cinemark's NextGen cinema design concept, Luxury Lounger electric recliners in all auditoriums and a Cinemark XD auditorium. Cinemark opens its Century Arden 14 and XD Theatre on Thursday, December 1, 2016 at the Howe Bout Arden Shopping Center. (Photo: Business Wire) "This will be Cinemark's seventh Century Theatre in the area and our
first new-build in the Sacramento market in almost fifteen years," said Mark Zoradi, Cinemark's Chief Executive Officer. "With amenities like our Cinemark XD auditorium, comfortable Luxury Lounger seating and enhanced concession offerings, the Century Arden 14 and XD Theatre will quickly become recognized as the preferred entertainment destination for all of Sacramento County and beyond." At the Century Arden 14 and XD, guests will experience the comforts of a brand-new NextGen theatre which boasts cutting-edge technology and customer-preferred amenities including: •
Cinemark's Luxury Loungers that are electric-powered, plush, oversized recliners with footrests
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A state-of-the-art viewing environment with wall-to-wall screens in all auditoriums
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A Cinemark XD auditorium. XD is the number one, private-label, Premium Large Format (PLF) in the world
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4K digital projection powered by Barco projectors; RealD 3D capability in several auditoriums
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Enhanced sound systems that enable customers to hear the movies as the filmmakers intended
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A cafeteria-style concession stand featuring popcorn, Coca-Cola fountain drinks and favorite candy brands plus chicken
Additionally, many digital and online programs are available now for an enhanced movie-going experience. Moviegoers can download the Cinemark app to view show times, purchase tickets on-the-go and join Cinemark's Connections loyalty program. Connections is an app-
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tenders with wedge fries, pretzel bites and hot dogs •
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A Café serving Dreyer's Ice-Cream and Starbucks beverages as well as beer, wine and frozen drinks Reserved seating
The Century Arden 14 and XD Theatre officially opens to the public on Thursday, December 1 with a variety of activities planned to help celebrate the grand opening including: •
Special invitation-only events will be taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 29 and 30
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A VIP night and "ticket tearing" ceremony on Tuesday, November 29
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Radio personalities from multiple radio stations on-site Thursday, Friday and Saturday, December 1-3, who will be giving away special prizes like tickets, Cinemark gift cards, movie swag and concession vouchers for popcorn and Coca-Cola fountain drinks
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In honor of #GivingTuesday, a special cash donation will be presented to the nonprofit, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Sacramento Area
Vue Entertainment Unveils a Multimillion Pound Refurbishment Vue Entertainment unveils a multimillion pound refurbishment of its iconic Leicester Square flagship that first opened in October 1938. A £6.6 million investment will see Vue's West End venue become the only one on the square to offer guests the choice of fully reclining leather seats; allowing film goers to choose their perfect view at a touch of a button and enjoy the optimum big screen experience. And for customers who don't choose a
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recliner, all other seats will be 'VIP' and have been designed to be super spacious, with extra room to stretch out and relax. Additionally, Vue West End will be among the first on Leicester Square with pin-sharp Dolby Atmos - which sees sound filling the auditorium from all directions, including overhead, so you feel like you are inside the action. With the big screen moment at the heart of everything Vue does all screens will also benefit from market leading Sony 4k digital projection. There will be a total of 1,385 VIP and luxurious reclining seats at Vue West End across nine auditorium and each screen will offer the stepped style, stadium seating that Vue is synonymous with, guaranteeing a perfect unobstructed view every time. Another part of the refurbishment sees the installation of Vue's next generation retail offer with two new hot food concessions - Square Pie and Pizzeria Maletti - as well as a complete redesign of the foyer and existing bar area. A 62.7m² digital screen will also be installed on the exterior of the building. Kevin Styles, Managing Director Vue UK & I commented 'We're delighted to unveil our plans for our market leading West End venue that will establish us as the very best in premium big screen entertainment on the square and cement our reputation for providing the most innovative cinematic experience. Across our estate we provide our customers with the best choice of content, the best environment, the best technology and the best food and drink and our West End flagship is no exception'.
Vue West End will also offer paperless ticketing - an advancement that Vue has been championing across nine sites since August 2016 - as well as the ability to connect to all of Vue's other 84 locations across the UK & Ireland for conferencing purposes.
Christie Vive Audio Achieves Milestone of 500th Cinema Sound System Christie, a leader in creating and sharing the world's best visual and audio experiences, celebrated its 500th Christie Vive Audio cinema sound system installation with Cinemex Mundo E, Mexico City, Mexico. Featuring 19 auditoriums, Cinemex Mundo E is the 30th installation of both Christie Vive Audio and Dolby Atmos, under their CinemeXtremo PLF brand. Additionally, this auditorium hosts the first Christie RGB laser projection installation in Mexico. "Cinemex is focused on continuous innovation, investing in the best technologies and most modern facilities. We are passionate about providing our patrons with the most memorable movie-viewing experience they have ever known," said Rolando Maggi, director of infrastructure, Grupo Cinemex. "As we've completed our 30th CinemeXtremo installation featuring Christie Vive and Dolby Atmos, we've also included Christie's RGB laser projection technology, continuing Cinemex's commitment to our customers by offering state-of-the-art cinema technology." "With more than 500 installations of the Christie Vive Audio system, we're proud to support cinemas with our wide-range of LA and LS Series speakers and CDA Class D amplifiers," said Patrick Artiaga, director of Business Development, Christie Audio. "We've developed these Christie Vive audio products specifically to help filmmakers
achieve their creative objectives and exhibitors meet their performance requirements." On January 18, Christie will host a Technology Showcase reception at Universal CityWalk AMC Theatre, Universal City, California. With 19 auditoriums, Universal CityWalk AMC offers attendees the experience of Christie RGB 4K laser projection and Christie Vive with Dolby Atmos audio in all auditoriums. Having introduced the world's first parabolic line array, Christie's innovative Vive Audio product line is purposely built for the cinema environment. The Christie Vive Audio system provides a hyper-accurate audio experience and unlocks the full dynamic range of DCI digital cinema audio and supports leading formats such as Dolby Atmos, 7.1 and 5.1 surround sound. Christie Vive Audio features efficient ribbon driver technology and a unique parabolic line array design in a single compact cabinet to deliver exceptionally even coverage throughout any auditorium. The system continues to establish its reputation worldwide as the next standard in immersive sound for cinema.
Bona Film Makes Significant IMAX Commitment With 30-Theatre Agreement IMAX Corp and IMAX China Holding, Inc announced an agreement with Bona Film Group, a leading film distributor and vertically integrated film production company in China, for 30 new IMAX theatres to be located in new complexes throughout China. The Companies plan to open five theatres annually beginning this year through 2022. Today's agreement significantly increases Bona Film Group's IMAX footprint to 35 from five and positions the Company among the top five IMAX exhibitor partners in China. In 2012, Bona opened its first IMAX theatre in Tianjin followed by installations in Beijing, Taiyuan and Wuhan with a fifth theatre slated to open in Dalian. Bona Film Group first partnered with IMAX on the release of the martial arts epic Flying Swords of Dragon Gate in 2011, which marked the first IMAX 3D presentation of a Chinese-language movie. The film became secondhighest grossing IMAX film of 2011 in China. Released in 2014, White-Haired Witch was the second Bona Film Group title presented in IMAX. "Today's agreement is a direct result of the tremendous success of our existing IMAX theatres and IMAX film releases," said Yu Dong, Founder and Chairman of Bona Film Group. "As we aggressively expand our cinema circuit, IMAX will serve as a key entertainment attraction in our new locations that we believe will strengthen their overall performance. IMAX has become one of the strongest entertainment brands in China and we are proud to associate ourselves with the premium IMAX brand and the superior cinematic experience it offers."
• TECHNOLOGY •
Here comes the
Future of Cinema Today! Unveiling its latest cutting-edge innovations, Barco yet again proved itself as the global leader in digital cinema projection technology. Raghavendra T, Editor-Publisher, TheatreWorld gets you the first glimpse of this showcase event as he meets up with Brian Claypool, VP - Barco Entertainment Strategic Business Development to take more than a sneak peek into the future of cinema projection. A global technology company that designs and develops networked visualization products for the Entertainment, Enterprise and Healthcare markets, Barco has always been the pioneer of sorts. The market leader in digital cinema projection technology proved its core competence yet again by showcasing its latest innovations at CineAsia 2016. Barco launched seven new laser projectors: five laser phosphor models and two flagship laser highcontrast projectors. The company also introduced a new version of the Barco Alchemy Integrated Cinema Media Processor (ICMP). With its full portfolio, Barco enables exhibitors to improve their operational efficiency while elevating the audience experience.
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Barco showcases Gen-next cinema technology
New Laser Phosphor Projectors Demo
At the tradeshow, Barco demonstrated its full laser portfolio including its seven new projectors: high-contrast and high-brightness flagship laser, BLP, CLP, and SLP BLP, CLP, and SLP BLP, CLP, and SLP ICMP (HDMI2.0), Alchemy ICMP (HDMI2.0) and the APX AuroMax Spatial Audio Processor.
Barco organized live demos of the brand-new BLP and SLP laser phosphor projectors at CineAsia 2016:
"The importance of China in the conversion of cinema to laser cannot be underestimated. We are proud that together with our long-standing and trusted partner, China Film Group (CFG), we are leading the conversion of the cinema market to laser," comments Wim Buyens, Senior Vice President of Barco Entertainment. "The combination of cutting-edge Chinese innovations as the ALPD laser light sources and Barco technologies yield truly impressive results."
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The BLP series (3 models) brings higher brightness levels and 4K resolution to Barco's growing portfolio of laser phosphor projectors
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The SLP series (2 models) provides smaller screens with laser image quality to meet the needs of fastgrowing cinema markets such as China and Asia Pacific.
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With the demo show and presentation of the new 2K/4K BLP and 2K SLP series, Barco introduced a world's first 24,500lumen 4K laser phosphor projector: the DP4K-23BLP projector.
• TECHNOLOGY •
In Conversation with Brian Claypool For our existing customers that have Auro 11.1, we have a programme that allows them to upgrade to AuroMax at a very attractive price rate. Our goal with AuroMax is to fit the economics of cinemas. We want to produce very high quality sound at an advantageous investment cost. Part of the quality aspects comes from the rendering technology, but it also comes from the way speakers are positioned and calibrated in the auditorium.
In 2012, Barco and Auro Technologies made history with the debut of Red Tails from Lucasfilm Ltd...The first film ever released in immersive sound and Auro 11.1 by Barco was the technology chosen to bring this new experience to cinema. Since then, Auro 11.1 by Barco has witnessed substantial growth with over 650 screens committed or installed all around the globe, including more than 45 leading post production facilities worldwide. Over 175 films have now been mixed and released in Auro 11.1, including such blockbusters like "Passengers", "Sing" and "The Great Wall", making the possibility of experiencing Auro 11.1 by Barco easier than ever. Other releases in Auro 11.1 by Barco include "50 Shades Darker", "The Boss Baby", "The Fate of The Furious" and "The Mummy. With the evolution of a standardized approach to immersive sound, Barco introduced AuroMax at Cinemacon 2015 - a system that incorporates the best characteristics of "object-based" technology into the most realistic immersive experience offered by the Auro format. Barco is fully invested achieving standards for the motion picture industry in the creation and delivery of immersive sound. It participates in the SMPTE cinema standards committee to achieve interoperability between rendering technologies. While the standards process is progressing, Barco hopes the standards are expected to be released in 2017. Brian Claypool, VP of Strategic Business Development for Barco's Entertainment division, puts it all in perspective:
The 'Sound' Venture! "We first got into immersive sound about six years ago with Red Tails, our first film in immersive sound. The reason we got into sound was because a survey was conducted by a lot of the exhibition partners. When asked "what can be improved",
As our tagline goes: "we offer the most natural immersive sound possible!" 'sound' emerged as one of the major responses in the survey. With Auro we found a way to improve the experience with three layers of sound. Audio is a nice complement to create the whole package. If we can keep the economics of cinema business healthy, then our business is healthy!"
Making a Difference with AuroMax "When we came up with Auro 11.1, object-based audio was being evaluated. We looked at the technology very closely before we deployed Auro 11.1 and realised there are some advantages as well as drawbacks to it. It is not compatible with existing standards. You really have to reinvent the way movies are mixed, the way content is distributed and workflow functions. We decided channel- based approach using the existing 5.1 channels to encode into our immersive layer was the first logical approach. Once object based technologies became more mainstream, we combined this capability of supporting audio objects into our system and hence AuroMax was invented.
Strategies in a Competitive Market "Choice is always a good thing for the exhibitors. Competition does two things; it keeps costs rational and drives innovation. In the market, it ultimately comes down to high quality of rendering and processing being made cost effective for exhibitors."
The Asian Market "We have about 20 - 25 installs of Auro 11.1 in India. In the course of next year, we will upgrade more sites around the world from Auro 11.1 to AuroMax.
Auro 11.1 to AuroMax "We change the way the output of the audio processor is wired to the input of the amplifier. You don't have to add more amplifiers or speakers. It's only the rewiring of the system that has to happen to go from Auro 11.1 to AuroMax!"
AuroMax is a rendering technology that takes either our own proprietary or a standards base deliverable from immersive sound DCPs and plays it back in theatres. March-May 2017
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• BUSINESS TRENDS •
RAMESH JAYARAMAN FORGING NEW STRENGTH Raghavendra T, Editor-Publisher, TheatreWorld catches up with Ramesh Jayaraman, Vice President and General Manager of HARMAN Professional Solutions, APAC to understand how the latter plans to leverage the strength of this iconic brand... TW-28
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• BUSINESS TRENDS • HARMAN Professional Solutions, part of HARMAN, is the world's leading professional audio, video, lighting, control products and systems company. HARMAN globally designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions, and connected services. The design and engineering legacy of HARMAN. as the leading provider of premium audio and infotainment solutions continues with its cutting-edge technology in premium sound experience for theatrical exhibitors globally with leading iconic brands such as JBL, Crown and Lexicon among others.
Excerpts from Ramesh Jayaraman's exclusive interview to TheatreWorld Tell us about HARMAN in Asia and across the globe with regard to cinema business. HARMAN Professional Solutions has a long and rich tradition of working with the theatrical exhibition industry, providing leading state-ofthe-art JBL speakers and Crown amplifiers in theatres, studio monitors and processors used in postproduction of films. After 70 years of working closely with the industry fraternity including studios and cinemas, HARMAN products and solutions truly enhance the experience of movie goers. Cinema is a key vertical for HARMAN globally and a big growth driver for us in the APAC region. Considering the low penetration of screens in emerging markets of the region, I am sure cinema industry is poised for quantum growth and our customers look to us to provide our best-in-class industry solutions to enhance their customer experience. Do you attribute HARMAN's growth in digital cinema to the US centric factors like better business model and compelling
technology or a major drive from the brand itself? HARMAN's history with the film industry goes all the way back to when talking pictures first began to take over from silent movies in the 1930s. With the advent of this new capability to use sound to wow audiences, the movie business needed to outfit all of their theatres with sound systems. HARMAN has been an integral part of the industry since then. In 2006, HARMAN began developing a technology called QuantumLogic, with research into a variety of applications from automotive to lifestyle. In 2015, Lexicon released the QuantumLogic Immersion (QLI) processor, an innovative solution that provides cinemas with an immersive sound experience. Products from JBL, Crown, Lexicon, BSS, Studer and more can be found in studios, postproduction houses, special venue theatres and professional cinemas worldwide. HARMAN has a long standing engagement and relationship with many of our customers. We understand the industry trends, our customers' requirements and work to provide them with globally available best-in-class solutions to enhance their customer experience. As captivating as a movie's visuals may be, it's the sound technology that pins audiences to their seats. Stirring, memorable theme music, spaceships zooming through the universe with lasers blasting, the roaring engines and squealing tires of a thrilling car chase, and many such impactful experiences. To keep audiences fully enthralled, a HARMAN Professional cinema sound system that captures every audio nuance is essential. Tell us more about your Quantum Logic Immersive (QLI) Sound experience. Technologies that derive a surroundsound experience from existing stereo and multichannel program material have existed in various forms for a number of years.
Quantum Logic Immersion uses specialized algorithms to extract objects and reverberant streams from the original recording. Individual voices and instruments, as well as reverberant spatial information, are identified and then re-authored into a precise multichannel sound field. Quantum Logic Immersion combines the individual signal streams using patented filter bank technology and psychoacoustic modelling to create an immersive multichannel listening experience with exceptional clarity, detail and image specificity. HARMAN's Lexicon QLI-32 cinema processor is designed to deliver up to 32 channels of surround sound in professional cinema applications. The QLI-32 interfaces with a theatre's media source and existing cinema processor to provide a multidimensional listening experience with left, centre, right, surround, rear and height channels, all via HARMAN's proprietary Quantum Logic Immersion surroundprocessing technology. The algorithm implemented in QLI processors detects objects and reverberant streams from standard 5.1 and 7.1 encoded Digital Cinema Packages (DCP) and does away the need for specially mastered DCP for immersive sound. In doing so, the QLI-32 provides theatres with a costefficient and easily deployed upgrade path to significantlyimproved immersive cinematic sound experience. Can you tell us more about JBL Sculpted Surround System that was demonstrated at CineAsia 2016? We demonstrated JBL Sculpted Surround System, a special arrangement of configurable JBL speakers, which helps shape the sound radiation pattern of the room into a pattern that complements the screen channels. Besides expanding the audience sweet spot, another major benefit of tilting the surrounds is that the coverage improvements allow us to reduce the number of loudspeakers required in each
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• BUSINESS TRENDS •
theatre. You will hear more about it in the coming days as many of our customers are adopting this technology as it enhances the immersive surround experience. Throw some light on the training at Harman for the staff technicians, integrators and also the cinema owners. Training is a very important part of life at HARMAN. We have multiple modes of training including Online at HARMAN University, Class room training, webinar training and roadshow training programs. We have a team internally dedicated to training our partners, customer technicians and engineers. We also engage global in-house experts to enhance the knowledge of our APAC teams. This is apart from regular ongoing training programs on
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various technologies, skill sets and product demonstrations. Tell us more about The HARMAN Experience Centre in Singapore. The HARMAN Customer Experience Centre is another recent HARMAN investment in the Asia Pacific region that will have a positive impact. The centre gives visitors specific insights into HARMAN Professional Solutions, including category-leading brands such as AKG, AMX, BSS, Crown, dbx, JBL, Lexicon, Martin, Soundcraft and Studer. These best-in-class products are designed, manufactured and delivered to a variety of customers, including recording and broadcast, musicians, cinema, touring sound, commercial sound and contracting applications. From major sports arenas, entertainment venues and nightclubs to hotel resorts, classrooms,
airports and houses of worship among others. Our customers are looking for a full solutions package and HARMAN is in the forefront of bringing it together for them. At the experience centre, customers are able to explore the wide variety of solutions, test proof of concepts, consult with specialists and experience HARMAN technology in real-world scenarios. The experience centre is also a convergence of technologies, showcasing our end-to-end solution offerings, our AV over IP capabilities, while highlighting the experience collectively with our various solutions. What are the areas you choose to focus on? We follow a vertical specific approach in our markets. Our focus in aligned with our global strategy and focus areas. These include Cinema, Touring and Retail in Entertainment business and Corporate, Education, Government, Large Venues, Hospitality among others in our enterprise solutions. Over the years, HARMAN Professional solutions has transformed from a products based to a customer centric solutions based business. More importantly, we are now creating experiences by merging our different technologies such as Martin Architectural Lights, AMX control automation, LED panels and JBL speakers to the Cinema space and bringing exceptional experience that every customer is looking for.
• BUSINESS TRENDS •
It's All About Positioning the Beverage Right! "Refreshing the Movies", a presentation by Monica Datta, Customer Development Director, Asia Pacific, The Coca-Cola Company elucidates the strategies of positioning the beverage and the points of engagement with the moviegoer. Raghavendra T, Editor-Publisher, TheatreWorld brings you a first-hand account‌ Well known for its flagship beverage Coca-Cola, the Coca Cola Company, has been ubiquitous at concession stands in cinema halls world over. A film viewing experience is considered incomplete without relishing your favourite munchies and cola at the lounge or even as you watch the movie. Food and beverages have always made our cinema time a lot more savoury and fun filled. The one beverage at the concessions stands that's hard to miss no matter where you go is Coca-Cola or Coke! The Coca Cola Company has been making an indelible mark at the cinema exhibition businesses world over. Monica Datta, Customer Development Director, Asia Pacific, The Coca-Cola Company, recently made an interesting presentation titled, "Refreshing the Movies". Raghavendra T, Editor-Publisher, TheatreWorld gives us an insight into the presentation.
She elaborated on strategies of increasing sales of beverages: Make it easy, special, visible and fast.
Easy Choice A food combo was chosen as the best example. Monica pointed out the right way of executing combos, placement, designing a menu board with combos on left and a la carte on right and communicating the savings. Adding movement to menu board was also suggested as a way of making the Combo easy to moviegoers.
Making it Special
Incidence - the Right Strategy Monica Datta's presentation emphasized on the key area that Coca-Cola can influence the most in cinema exhibition - improving the incidence of transactions.
Monica explained how bringing new information to people who are coming to cinema was important. This can be done by running promotions and festivals to keep it relevant and special. The fun of frozen beverages, she pointed out, was more about making the moments special than anything else. It is also observed that these beverages drive sales and customer count. Self-serve machines and the fun of making one's own beverages are certainly some interesting ways of "making it special".
Improving Visibility When people see food and beverage, it's on the top of their mind. Monica explained the right way of engaging consumers, understanding of the hotspots and emotional engagement with cinema.
Fast & Convenient Lastly, in a fast-paced scenario where consumer is hard-pressed for time, it's about taking the drink to the consumer. Monica pointed out the use of walking trollies in this regard.
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• BUSINESS TRENDS •
Learning Lessons and Moving On "Cinema Renovations and Failed Promotions and Lessons Learned", a lively presentation by Mariam Yazmin El-Bacha, MBO Cinemas, Operations Director, takes an introspective and retrospective look at the cinema renovations, promotions and incentives. Raghavendra T, EditorPublisher, TheatreWorld brings you more… MCAT Box Office, better known as MBO Cinemas, is one of the best known cinema chains in Malaysia. There are a total of 26 MBO cinema outlets in Malaysia with 191 digitalised projectors. MBO Cinemas recently opened their latest cinema
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at Elements Mall Melaka, with a total of 10 halls, one of them introducing the biggest screen in the city of Melaka, with a width of 19.20 metres.
The cinemas are equipped with latest technologies that bring state-of-theart best movie experience to the audience.
• BUSINESS TRENDS • Mariam Yazmin El-Bacha, Operations Director, MBO Cinemas recently made a presentation on "Cinema Renovations and Failed Promotions and Lessons Learned". It takes an introspective and retrospective look at the cinema renovations, promotions and incentives. Raghavendra T, Editor-Publisher, TheatreWorld brings you a first-hand update.
Cinema Renovation is an Evolution Cinema renovation is indeed about the evolution and the journey. It brings new spaces to cinema and creates opportunities for delivering revenue. Mariam elaborated on the experience of renovating the cinema at The Spring shopping mall, Malaysia. The Cineplex, located on the top floor of the mall, has a total seating capacity of 1,584 with the largest hall accommodating 426 seats. The Cineplex has a 3D projector
and a premier hall designated for couple recliner seats, which can accommodate about 25 couples. In January 2016, the multiplex completed the renovation of their flagship location. This marked the beginning of their refurbishment programme of 15 MBO locations around Malaysia, which will be completed by 2018. "The way our guests are engaging with us has changed over the years. Fifteen years ago, the cinemas were spaces where transactions happened. But all of that has changed now," observes Mariam. The lobby in Kuching was very typical of old MBO cinemas. They had lots of red and blue (the company colours), with a design that was a bit old fashioned and almost baroque. Besides, from the look and feel of the cinema, the two hotspots in the lobby (Ticket box and Concessions) were not designed following operational standards of "station concept", making
transactions longer, as staff would have to run back and forth to get popcorn and drinks. "Keeping these in mind we went on to the design phase, thinking of improving operation and mobility for our team as well as the guest experience. For our new projects, we usually work with architects from overseas, however this time, since it was a renovation, we decided to engage with a renowned local architect who had done cinemas before and understood the importance of checking old drawings," explains Mariam. In the biggest hall they were able to create a different tier, the Premier hall, with a separate Premier lounge and private restrooms. For the design look they came up with a look that combined different elements. Wood, metal mirror like panels, giving the space a refined image. "Understated chic" is what she sums it up as. "We are MBO
• BUSINESS TRENDS • Cinemas and we want to remain approachable as well as elegant," she adds. At Box Office, modular counters were created with the right amount of spacing for the cash drawers, the tickets as well as the pos. This will be replicated in other cinemas being opened, which will help to reduce fabrication costs. At Concessions, the popcorn machine comes to the 'Forefront'. Earlier, the popcorn machine lost the space as the main character in concessions and was put behind in a kitchen, mainly due to operational reasons. But with their renovation, the main "star" was brought to the front. Now people can hear, smell and see the popcorn while it is being made, improving overall concessions sales. By moving the Box Office out of the lobby, MBO created a café area space with table, chairs and added a playground, as well as board games and magazines. The place is now enjoyed by families sharing a coffee or milkshake while they are waiting for the movie to be announced.
Learning Lessons from the Failures Mariam does an honest retrospect and introspect of some of the backto-back promotions, which were carried by the company until last.
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She pointed out the three major learning lessons, which later helped MBO plan their strategy better in future. •
Timing of promotion - Some of the promotions were carried out during the Holy month of Ramadan, which is a slack period for film exhibition in Malaysia.
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In Malaysia, animated movies have a very short shelf life and hence the promotions quantities need to be planned accordingly.
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Rajinikanth & Kabali - Hoping to cash in on the on-going craze of Rajinikanth t-shits, MBO had also jumped onto the bandwagon, which did not work well for their promotion. Selling the tees as part of the combo and varying sizes were some of the key reasons.
These learning lessons clearly went on to shape their promotion strategy much better than before.
Incentivising Employees Lastly, Mariam explains the different incentives and volume incentive clause in drinks contracts to improve the quality of life of the employees. She developed a programme with MBO's soft drink supplier, where cinemas needed to achieve 4 KPI's to be able to qualify for the trip of a
lifetime to England and watch a Manchester United match. The teams needed to achieve the following KPI's: •
Increase on SPH vs last year by at least 10%
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Increase on Combos vs last year by at least 10%
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Achievement in Mystery Shopper minimum score of 92%
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Increase of Tropicana Juice sales by 25%
After that the teams which were able to gain the biggest difference during the 4 months of the promotion won the trip -- the Cinema Manager as well as the staff who sold the most number of combos. This proved to be successful not only in improving concessions figures, but it showed a great success in retaining the MBO crew and managers, keeping them motivated and committed and looking forward to the next year's incentive.
• BUSINESS TRENDS •
The Evolving Theatrical Window "Trends in the Asian Cinema Market" -- a panel discussion by the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) at CineAsia 2016 centered around theatrical window, portable devices, social media, changing demographics, room for new technologies and multiple brands of PLF. Raghavendra T, Editor-Publisher, TheatreWorld brings you a firsthand account of this invigorating discussion. Moderator: Ioan Allen, Film Audio Pioneer & Senior Vice President, Dolby Laboratories, Inc.
Panelists: •
Irving Chee, General Manager, Golden Screen Cinemas
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Mark Shaw, Executive Vice President of Operations, Shaw Organization
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Mark Viane, Co-President International Theatrical Marketing and Distribution
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Sunder Kimatrai, Twentieth Century Fox International
Overview: Trends in the Asian Cinema Market; Attracting the Millennials and Re-inventing Cinema.
Discussion: The panel discussion opened with what may appear as a tricky question - What has surprised you in the last 12 months? (Not US politics!). Mr Viane summed it as "a great year. Goes to show that as an industry how powerful we are. It shows both quality films from studios and what exhibition is doing in terms of building new multiplexes and upgrading." Mr Shaw agreed with him. "Other surprise is level of acquisition by a few companies that are buying up all the exhibition (companies) around the world." He said the success of films is terrific although decline of 3D surprises him. Irving observed, "the year 2017 is looking strong. We see turn around
in some territories but decline in others. It is a cycle that some markets have: some up and some down cycle for content. We never had a Korean movie doing numbers like Train to Busan did. We had three Malaysian films do more than USD $3m, whereas before they would struggle to hit USD $1.5m." On the changing demographics Mr Kimatrai said "There's no getting past it; the region is aging. But there is a shift to women, particularly in emerging markets. We saw that a few years ago in China; we are seeing it now in India. As markets get affluent, we see consumption coming from women - across all genres." From Japan to Korea and Malaysia, each panelist described the demographic dynamics. When asked if 4DX is a gimmick or do people come back, Viane's clear cut observation was "They are coming back consistently. We see that in returns rates." On social media, most panelists had a guarded response. "Our presence in social media only goes so far unless you create engagement. Fundamentally if it is not engaging it
may as well be invisible. Can't take away from traditional advertising. Outdoor presence will continue to be mainstay. Spread awareness and create intent. Trailering is way to get regular movie goers to know our film is coming," said Mr Kimatrai. Irving and Mark summed up the technology issues well. Technology in terms of three S: screen, seats and sound. Speed of evolution is going to be faster. Cinema is an experience and technology is there to serve it. The discussion also moved around whether Hollywood films are more adapted to be more geared towards China. Takeaway: A question from the audience sums up the discussion. "Do you think the theatrical window is going to go away?" The answer that emerged was "the cinema is evolving". According to the panelists the audiences are always looking for a theatrical experience. And hence the industry needs to satisfy as many consumers as possible without affecting the economics and profits of film production companies and their business partners.
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• INSTALL •
MZC Quanjing Cinema at Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Known for delivering the world's best audio-visual experience, Christie announced that MZC Quanjing Cinema is the first cinema complex in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to be fully equipped with the innovative Christie Vive Audio. Consistently setting the standards by being the first to market some of the world's most advanced projectors, complete system displays, and cinema audio solutions; Christie is recognized as one of the most innovative visual technology companies in the world. From retail displays to Hollywood, mission critical command centers to classrooms and training simulators, Christie display solutions and projectors capture the attention of audiences around the world with dynamic and stunning images, accompanied by awe-inspiring sound. Known for delivering the world's best audio-visual experience, Christie announced that MZC Quanjing Cinema is the first cinema complex in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to be fully equipped with the innovative Christie Vive Audio, the cinema industry's only purpose built line array speaker solution.
Located at Bojingwan in Baotou City, the cineplex consists of 8 halls, including a Dolby Atmos certified flagship auditorium in Hall 2, as well as specially configured auditoriums for couples and children. Each hall is stylishly furnished with contemporary motifs to suit the taste of customers from diverse age groups. Besides being pampered with supremely comfortable seats similar to those found in premium auditoriums, patrons can also enjoy free WIFI access and are served by a highly efficient online ticketing system. Explaining the choice of Christie's cutting-edge audio solution, Guorui Liu, Technical Supervisor, MZC Quanjing Cinema, said, "Christie Vive Audio has impressed us not only with its robust system design, but also its capability to unleash the full potential of digital cinema. In addition, its unique ribbon driver technology is clearly more superior in
delivering the best cinema sound experience compared to other cinema audio products." Junming Kang, General Manager, MZC Quanjing Cinema, commented, "We want our customers to have an exceptional experience when visiting our cinemas and Christie Vive Audio perfectly suits our requirements. I'm pleased to note that we've made the right decision as many of our patrons are highly impressed with the sound quality. Even without much advertising and promotional activities, people are still drawn to our cinemas through positive word of mouth. The attendance rate at MZC Quanjing Cinema has absolutely exceeded our expectations." The Christie Vive Audio components installed in MZC Quanjing Cinema include LA Series line array, surround and ceiling surround loudspeakers for Halls 1 to 5, LS Series screen channel and surround loudspeakers
A Christie CP2230 projector and Vive Audio Class D amplifiers (above left) are used for the flagship Hall 2 auditorium (above right) featuring Dolby Atmos sound technology
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• INSTALL •
Above left: A luxuriously furnished auditorium powered by Christie Vive Audio LS Series loudspeakers. Above right: Christie Vive Audio CDA2 and CDA5 amplifiers in action
for Halls 6 to 8. In addition, all auditoriums are fitted with S118 and S218 subwoofers for bass management, as well as CDA2 and CDA5 Class D amplifiers. The end result is highly immersive cinema sound known for delivering exceptional power and performance. By combining the superior sound quality of ribbon driver technology with the precise directional performance of line array loudspeaker design, Christie Vive Audio enables cinema exhibitors to benefit from accurate reproduction of today's digital cinema audio formats. A number of cinema-goers have applauded MZC Quanjing Cinema for offering a highly immersive movie-listening experience with clear and discrete sounds from various directions. A member of the audience commented, "When watching an action movie like The Great Wall, I feel as if the growling monsters are just crouching next to me… ready to pounce. The acoustics are so realistic!"
Besides the Vive Audio systems deployed in all 8 auditoriums, 5 halls in MZC Quanjing Cinema are equipped with Christie Solaria™ Series digital cinema projectors comprising the CP2208, CP2215 and CP2230 models, all of which provide the best in both conventional and premier movie experiences. "We are thankful to MZC Cinema for placing their trust in our cinema solutions, and we're also delighted that audiences are impressed with the visuals and audio installed in MZC Quanjing Cinema," said Jason Pei, Deputy General Manager, Christie China. "Christie Vive Audio is designed to immerse audiences in the full bandwidth of today's highlydetailed cinema audio formats and bring the ultimate cinema sound experience to all auditoriums. The positive feedback from movie-goers is the best promotional tool we can get, and this also benefits exhibitors such as MZC Cinema. I look forward to more collaboration between MZC Cinema and Christie." Lin Yu, Vice President, Christie Asia Pacific, added, "We are very pleased
to work with MZC Cinema in providing the best cinematic experience to movie audiences in Inner Mongolia. I'm heartened that our leading-edge, cinema specific audiovisual solutions, such as Christie Vive Audio, has been instrumental in providing high quality entertainment to audiences. As a trusted supplier of cinema solutions to a number of leading exhibitors around the world, I'm confident that our Vive Audio and Solaria Series projection systems can continue to meet the needs of MZC Cinema, and help increase their box office revenues." Christie Vive Audio provides a hyperaccurate audio experience and unlocks the full dynamic range of the DCI digital cinema audio and is compatible with the leading immersive and surround audio formats in the market. The complete solution deploys unique ribbon driver technology in a singleenclosure line array design, purposebuilt for cinema environments. Christie Vive Audio system continues to establish its reputation worldwide as the next standard in immersive sound for cinema.
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• TECHNOLOGY •
Groundbreaking Screen Revolution World's leading manufacturer of cinema screens, Harkness Screens showcases new investment in Wuqing, south of Tiajin in China to create a new larger production facility. The purpose-built facility not only allows them to significantly increase capacity to support the growth in the Chinese market but also boasts the largest screen coating facility in the Harkness group. Film-viewing experience has reached new heights in the last decade. In fact, cinema exhibition industry as whole has seen a drastic transformation over the years. The one factor that has been integral to the experience is the cinema screen.
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Leading the world's screen technology scenario is Harkness Screens, a company specialising in
the design and manufacture of projection screens and supporting technologies. From single-screen independent theatres to large multiplexes to large format immersive theatre experiences or live events, Harkness supplies thousands of screens every year for cinema, film production, special effects, live events and custom AV applications.
New Investment in China to Create Larger Facility The world's leading manufacturer of cinema screens recently announced expansion of its Chinese operation to meet the increased demand for its products. The new investment sees
• TECHNOLOGY • the creation of a new larger production facility in Wuqing, south of Tiajin in China. "We've initially had a small production facility in Beijing for a number of years which supported the steady growth in cinema. With the new facility we're now able to increase capacity to meet the increased demands of the growing Chinese market and coat screen up to 16m in height (more than double that of the old facility) meaning that we can produce screens for almost every cinema in China including PLF screens. The new facility houses the largest production and coating facilities in the Harkness group. We'll also be able to produce all of our leading screen brands including Spectral, Clarus XC and Precision White for RealD from the facility," says Richard Mitchell, VP Global Marketing & Commercial Development, Harkness Screens. "The Chinese market is now the world's largest and with expansion continuing at such a rapid pace combined with unprecedented demand for our premium screen surfaces, we felt that we could no longer meet local demand from our previous facility in Beijing," explains Mark Ashcroft, CEO at Harkness Screens. "The new purpose-built facility not only allows us to significantly increase capacity to support the growth in the Chinese and wider Asian markets but also boasts the largest screen coating
facility in the Harkness group, allowing all of our premium surfaces to be manufactured to bigger sizes than ever before in Asia to support almost every screen required, even the most challenging of Premium Large Format sizes" Ashcroft adds.
Purpose-built Facility for Chinese and APAC Region The new facility which boasts a maximum coated screen size of 16.00m x 41.00m is now fully operational and will allow Harkness Screens to provide its industry leading brands such as Clarus XC, Spectral, Perlux Digital and Precision White for RealD along with its innovative 4K Digital Perforation Pattern with shorter lead times to better serve local demand in China and across the Asia Pacific region. "With a completely new facility, we've been able to take learnings from our other global production facilities in France, India and the USA
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• TECHNOLOGY •
and roll these into the Chinese factory to produce a truly state-ofthe-art screen technology facility with best-in-class production equipment and techniques," explains Allen Xing, General Manager at Harkness Screens China. "Quality remains at the forefront of our production process and to that end, we will continue to import our proprietary premium raw materials from Europe to produce our screens," he adds. "With such strong demand locally, primarily the facility will serve the domestic Chinese market however it is likely that exhibitors across APAC will benefit from a production facility closer to the region meaning lower shipping costs, faster lead times and
growth we experienced globally throughout 2016 by building on our screen technology portfolio from design solutions through to screens and presentation monitoring," adds Richard.
of course larger screens," says Richard Mitchell. "To continue the strong
World's Leading Screen Technology Company With truly global reach, Harkness is regarded as the world leader in cinema and today has screens in more cinemas worldwide than any other manufacturer. With its industry leading 2D and 3D screen brands (Perlux and Spectral) along with its innovative range of tools and iOS/ Android apps, Harkness continues to lead the way in screen technology for cinema. Founded in 1929, Harkness has manufacturing facilities in the USA, UK, France, India and China. Harkness Screens combines unrivalled experience with the latest technology and production methods to provide innovative solutions to the company's key markets worldwide.
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• TECHNOLOGY •
IMAX Virtual Reality Arcade
The 'Real' Fun Begins! IMAX recently launched its Virtual Reality arcade in Los Angeles (LA), US. It's the first of six pilot locations the company plans to roll out. With most advanced VR headset, motiontracking technology and state-of-the-art facility, the VR experience promises to go beyond your expectations. IMAX has always been the first one to bring larger-than-life experience to cinema viewing. And now it brings virtual reality (VR) to the real world. IMAX recently launched its Virtual Reality arcade in Los Angeles (LA), US. It's the first of six pilot locations the company plans to roll out, with IMAX targeting China, the UK, New York City, and a second location in California by the end of the year. These new installations will be eventually tied to cineplex chains, setting up either in a revamped theatre or in a venue's lobby. The idea is the movie-goer gets to visit the VR arcade before or after the watching the movie. The flagship LA centre is a standalone location made up of 14 VR "pods" equipped with a combination of HTC Vive and Star VR headsets, and a selection of titles ranging from Star Wars: Trials on Tatooine to John Wick Chronicles. "We want to 'eventicize' VR the same way we eventicize movies," says IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond.
Get Immersed! Features of the IMAX VR experience include: •
Room-tracking technology that allows players to explore virtual space more than has ever been possible
•
Single-player and head-to-head multiplayer competition.
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A combination of the most advanced VR headset technology for unmatched immersion and image resolution.
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Control devices that give lifelike haptic feedback, adding a deeper layer of realism.
IMAX has tickets divided into two categories. The first are "featured" titles, like Trials on Tatooine, Raw Data, and Eagle Flight Multiplayer, with tickets ranging from $7 to $10. The second is called a "VR Sampler" and costs $25. This gives players around 30 minutes to try out an assortment of Steam titles. The featured titles each run about 10 to 15 minutes in length, and after purchasing tickets, guests walk to a staging area where video screens give the ticket holders a brief overview of what to expect when trying the VR hardware. For moviegoers, the wait to experience VR in their favourite cinema still has a long way to go.
VR Gaming Experience A staff member walks each player through the basics as they put on the gear. And then begins the fun-filled experience. Intended for theme parks and installations, the headset features a 210-degree field of view that fills your peripheral vision when compared to the 110-degree visuals of the Vive or Oculus Rift.
VR Pods - The 12-feet-by-12feet Futuristic Cubicles Customers can experience VR without having to buy any expensive hardware. The futuristic pods measure around 12-feet-by-12-feet, almost like cubicles. The pods are equipped with Subpac rumble backpacks as part of the standard equipment. A single monitor shows the point of view of the player for others to watch, and the spaces are enough so that they can be reconfigured for room-scale movement, sitting players, or experiences that use other props or setups. March-May 2017
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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 on acquisitions and mergers happened in 2016, and about the audio technology…
2016 Remembered For Its A&M If 2016 were to be remembered for its achievements in cinema, it would be for its A&M activity (acquisitions and mergers). Wanda/AMC and Samsung each took major leaps. Tessera and QSC also engaged in takeover activity. And then Razer, a successful gaming company, made a side step towards cinema with its acquisition of THX. AMC, owned by Dalian Wanda Group, made more than a splash by acquiring both UK-based Odeon & UCI and US-based Carmike in nearsimultaneous deals, creating the world's largest cinema operator with 10,540 screens in eight countries. When adding Wanda's China holdings, the number grows to 12,200 screens, over 8% of worldwide screens (worldwide screen count estimated at 145,000 at end of 2016). Cinemas are only one leg of Wanda's strategy with Hollywood. Wanda also acquired Dick Clark Productions, owner of the Golden Globe Awards, and announced its desire to acquire a Hollywood studio. In lieu of buying a studio, the company is making significant investments in Hollywood movie productions. All of this alongside its massive project back home with the US$8B Wanda Studios in Qingdao. Samsung's acquisition of Harman pales to Wanda's open ambition, but interesting nonetheless. The prize plucked by Samsung is Harman's automotive electronics business. But Harman also brings several quality brands to Samsung's lineup, including JBL and its professional cinema group. It would be wishful to say that cinema is on Samsung's mind. But here's food for thought. Samsung is South Korea's largest company. South Korea is also home to CJ CGV, a world-class
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exhibitor whose empire-building ambitions in screen count rivals only that of Wanda, if not in deed then at least in intent. Then there's Samsung's shun of Dolby Vision, and its desire to establish a Dolby-less HDR format. Which ultimately leads to Hollywood, next-door to Harman's Los Angeles base. A convenient intersection of these thoughts is cinema, where Samsung could join up with CJ CGV to develop a cinema model that competes with Dolby Cinema, driving a new HDR brand. Fanciful thinking, but let that rattle around a bit. Tessera's goals with DTS are unlikely to have much to do with cinema. More likely, Tessera will leverage DTS' sound expertise to compliment its facial recognition technology. DTS, however, continues to press on with immersive cinema sound. DTS, to be sure, is not alone. But the value of such efforts can be illusive. Dolby, the leader in immersive sound, has been pushing Atmos in cinemas for 4 1/2 years, garnering only 1.4% of world screens. That could be significant if Atmos was the primary brand associated with these locations, but that is not the case. There is the popular belief that a standard immersive sound distribution deliverable will drive sales. But that would be so only if there's demand, and demand has a lot of moving parts. A distribution standard won't create a uniform mixing environment. Exhibitors might be attracted to immersive sound if the sound difference is noticeable to the audience. But that requires sound mixes which provide a unique audience experience over the 5.1 format, spotlighting, again, the mixing environment. Then there's the
challenge of rolling out a distribution standard to replace an incumbent technology (Atmos), which feels a lot like replacing incumbent Interop DCP with its standardized form, SMPTE DCP. (And, yes, leading into 2017, the talk of rolling out SMPTE DCP continues to speak louder than actions.) Rather than enage in battles which one has little control over, those seeking to build brand through cinema would be better off studying IMAX and Dolby Cinema. So why would a successful gaming company like Razer be interested in THX? THX, which I fondly describe as "the brand with no clothes," still has a presence in Chinese cinema, at least according to THX. But Razer may be less interested in the brand than the service structure that THX has built over the years. THX has a somewhat unique position of interfacing with multiple manufacturers to manage quality control. Razer, a hardware and software company moving into cloud gaming with its own ecosystem, could leverage THX's capabilities to drive growth as it develops new platforms. It would seem cinema is furthest from its mind. Of the M&A discussed, the noteworthy actions are those of Dalian Wanda and Samsung. Wanda's ambitions are as transparent as they are aggressive, providing a rare and fascinating study in long range vision and methodical execution. Samsung, on the other hand, could have tremendous potential with its acquisition of Harman. Or it could just revert to its behemoth self in search of a steering wheel.
• TECHNOLOGY • Immersive Sound, SMPTE DCP and Security Audio is the stepchild of digital cinema. Not that there's no one who understands it. But rather that there are so many who think they understand it better than anyone else. There is now an opportunity to manage the standardization of immersive sound in cinema and clean up a few things along the way. It remains to be seen if the industry is smart enough to get this right.
first observation spells the need for tools that allow manufacturers to properly and uniformly evaluate their implementations. The second observation provides an opportunity to clean up the mess previously introduced by an unrestrained standards committee. There is a third area that deserves consideration, as well, that of security. I'll review all three.
The complication behind audio is not the audio signal itself, but the metadata that accompanies it. The wonderful thing about metadata is that it provides so many ways to do the same thing. SMPTE DCP, my favorite example, provides at least three incompatible ways to package 5.1 audio. This unchecked creativity of standards committees results in a burden to manufacturers and distributors. Without an ROI for implementing the whims of standards committees, technology providers rarely do more than the minimum. For SMPTE DCP, this results in distributing audio in a manner similar to Interop DCP. This diminishes the value of published standards, forcing fulfillment companies to study real products to learn how to successfully play movies with sound.
Immersive sound is characterized by what can best be described as a database of audio clips accompanied by metadata that instructs a rendering engine what to do with the clips. Usually, although there is no requirement to do so, the addition of linear sound tracks is included as a "sound bed," over which the sound clips are positioned, processed, and panned. The accurate portrayal of creative intent will become the meat of competitive rendering engines. But this could also become a nasty game where a manufacturer adds some clever metadata that simply doesn't register on competitive products.
Ironically, it is this same complaint of inconsistent implementation that plagues the Interop DCP format. But history does not stop there. Film also provided three incompatible ways to distribute digital 5.1 sound, introduced by Dolby, DTS, and Sony. While exhibitors and distributors lamented such inefficiency, film duplication companies profited from it. A similar division exists today, making it important to remember that one company's woes can be another's joy when observing who is opposed to what. The emergence of immersive sound could exacerbate the situation. Immersive sound requires that metadata and audio signal be more tightly coupled than any sound format before it, which should give one pause. But immersive sound also has the potential to simplify distributions if a 5.1 fallback track were to be included. A fallback track would allow the movie to play without an immersive sound system present. The
There are two ways to monitor and mitigate this problem. The first is to monitor the mix on competitive rendering engines while the soundtrack is in production. The ability to do so could become a competitive capability of sound mixing facilities. The second is to assist design engineers with test materials that enable them to properly evaluate their products. This is not as simple. Test materials made available through the grace of competitive technology providers are too easy to over simplify, and too easy to ignore. A suitable baseline of rendering capabilities will need to be recognized by an accepted industry body, which may or may not be SMPTE. The second idea, that of a fallback track, goes back to the days of digital sound tracks on film, where the fallback was the Lt/Rt matrixencoded analog track that was also on film print. In immersive sound, a fallback track is useful when a rendering engine fails or is not available. The successful management of rendering failure is more likely to occur with outboard sound processors, the popularity of which is likely to fade as in-media-
block rendering engines emerge. But the utility of a fallback track can and should be extended to legacy systems, too. If the industry is to simplify its distributions, the immersive sound DCP must also play on non-immersive systems. The best way to do this is to include Interopstyle 5.1 sound with the immersive sound DCP, since Interop-style sound tracks are the only sound tracks that play on all systems, including legacy systems. This would bypass the convoluted and multiple methods of wrapping 5.1 sound currently called for by SMPTE. Security of sound tracks could also be a concern. With normal cinema sound, sound tracks arrive in the cinema in encrypted form. They are decrypted and simultaneously streamed by a DCI-compliant media block. The sound track emerges from the media block in unencrypted form, but forensically marked. It is the unencrypted nature of the output signal that raises question as to the value of securely decrypting the many channels of immersive sound. Dolby manages it by decrypting within an outboard processor that is not necessarily as secure as a DCIcompliant media block. This was not an irrational move, considering that the output signal can be comprised of as many as 64 signals, which is not a useful form for pirating. But that won't keep DCI from attempting to define a test plan for secure DCI-compliant immersive sound processors. There is plenty of speculation that the less-thantransparent DCI is giving this consideration. However, with Dolby as the dominant technology provider in this space, having an installed base of hardware that would be costly to replace, there is risk that DCI would embarrass itself if Dolby were to ignore its wishes. This time 'round, it may be better to let technology providers have a voice in a new security specification for cinema immersive sound. (The author Michael Karagosian is President of MKPE Consulting LLC, consultancy for business development of new technologies in cinema, and publisher of mkpeReport) March-May 2017
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REVIEW
16-18 November 2016 SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil
As the largest event in Latin America, the Convention brought impresive number of attendees in the region. With the growing Latin American influence in Hollywood and almost complete digitalization in the region, the Latin film market has shown optimism regarding the future of the industry. With the advent of technologies such as 4D and the opening of VIPs and premiums formats, the market has evolved and presented opportunities and trends that were addressed in
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Expocine. The convention lasted three days and received attendees from Brazil, and territories such as Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, USA, among others. The event schedule had lectures and panels with executives who came
from Brazil and other territories, as well as presentations from seven studios, including six majors distributors of Hollywood. The convention trade show also increased compared to the previous edition and featured more than 50 booths.
Best Cinematic Experience Christie, a leader in creating and delivering the world's best visual and audio experiences, had a major presence at Expocine 2016. Together with Dolby, in Suite 4, Christie emulated a small cinema theatre, equipped with a Christie CP2208-LP laser phosphor cinema projector, Dolby Atmos audio format and speakers from the Christie Vive Audio LA Series. This boutique theatre screened trailers for the latest Dolby Atmos movie titles. The unrivaled combination of Christie Vive Audio and Dolby Atmos provided the room with the best possible cinematic audio capabilities.
The Power of Data The seminar which started off this year's Expocine was "The power of data: how to identify the audience with the biggest potential for each movie" by Cyrille Reboul, the CEO of Webedia. The focus was on how to use the the stream of data and emerging digital tools to understand and attract cinemagoing audiences.
cities. The founder of Alamo Drafthouse also gave a talk on the distribution and exhibition of independent films. BNDES, the national bank of Brazil, gave a talk on new lines of credit, available to theatre operators both large and small. Roberto Lima, from AgĂŞncia Nacional do Cinema (ANCINE) presented an overview on multiple aspects of the industry that all cinema owners should be addressing or at least aware.
Immersive Experience A panel discussion was moderated by Gabriel Giandinoto of Ventana Sur, exploring how VR may contribute to or affect the cinema experience in the future.
Lively Discussions Ariel Direse of Instituto Nacional de Cine Y Artes Audiovisuales de Argentina (INCAA) moderated a panel on movie theatres in small
March-May 2017
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REVIEW
6 - 8 December 2016 Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
CineAsia 2016 was a major milestone of the year, bringing together Asian cinema industry professionals, from cinema owners and suppliers to film buyers and distributors. This is where Asian cinema exhibition and distribution professionals gathered to do business. As the sister event to ShowEast and CineEurope, CineAsia maintained the same standards of programming, seminars, special events and suppliers. The event also screened major Asian and Hollywood films and curated programmes, specifically geared toward the needs of the Asian cinema exhibition community.
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Trends in the Asian Cinema Market; Attracting the Millennials and Re-inventing Cinema - A Panel Discussion Presented by the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA)
Paramount Pictures International
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Coca-Cola Company
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Allure Global
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Barco
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Warner Bros Pictures International
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Universal Pictures International
Seminars
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Sony Pictures
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Online Ticketing
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20th Century Fox International
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Maximizing Business Performance through Investments in Next Generation Cinema Technology
Award Presentations •
A global perspective on cinema industry best-practices and insights from movie-goer research
Technology Innovator of the Year -- GDC Technology
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DLP Cinema Marketing Achievement Award -- VieShow Cinemas
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comScore's Asia-Pacific Box Office Achievement Award -- The Mermaid
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Motion Picture Association (MPA) Asia-Pacific Copyright -- Educator (A.C.E.) -- Rajkumar Akella, Managing Director, Theatrical, India,
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comScore Exhibitor of the Year -Mei Lee Koh, CEO, Golden Screen Cinemas
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Distributor of the Year -- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International
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CineAsia Visionary Award -- Jon Landau, Producer
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Cinema Renovations and "Failed Promotions and Lessons Learned"
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In Theatre Gaming
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Why Do Cinemas Need a TailorMade Ticketing Solution on Cloud?
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Driving Global Conversion to Laser Cinema Projection
CineAsia University on the Trade Show Floor - Presented by the National Association of Concessionaires (NAC)
TheatreWorld Magazine at the Pub Bin
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Corporate Presentations •
Panel Discussions & Others •
Inventory = Cash - Presented by Larry Etter, SVP, Malco Theatres and Director of Education, NAC
TRADESHOW @ CINEASIA
VISTA
BARCO
CHRISTIE
OSRAM
COCACOLA
CRETORS
D-BOX
QSC
DOLBY
GALALITE
GDC
SCHNEIDER
GETD
GOLD MEDAL
HARKNESS SCREENS
SONY
HARMAN
HONY 3D
MX4D
TOKIWA CO
4D PSYCHOACOUSTICS
PREFERRED POPCORN
USHIO
SHUQEE
QUBE CINEMA
ROBO LABS
SPECTRO SCREEN
STRONG
March-May 2017
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PREVIEW
27 - 30 March 2017 Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Poised to be one of the biggest conventions till date, CinemaCon 2017 is here! Since taking its first step in 2011, CinemaCon has evolved and grown to become the largest and most important gathering for the worldwide motion picture theatre industry. CinemaCon is a global event attracting attendees from more than 80 countries.
industry-exhibition, distribution, marketing, publicity and advertising, internet and social media and of course, the theatre equipment and concessions manufacturers and dealers who will showcase the latest technological advances and innovative concession offerings at the trade show, which is run in association with partners at ICTA and NAC. CinemaCon will once again incorporate a special
day of programming geared just for the international marketplace, that being Monday, 27 March 2017. For the seventh consecutive year, Caesars Palace will be the home of CinemaCon. As one of Las Vegas' leading casino hotels, the upscale surroundings of Caesars Palace will offer CinemaCon delegates the very best with its beautiful conference centre, the finest hotel
Highlights From exclusive Hollywood product presentations debuting a slate of upcoming films, to must-see premiere feature screenings, to the biggest stars, producers and directors, CinemaCon, the Official Convention of The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), will jumpstart the excitement and buzz that surrounds the summer season (and beyond) at the box office. The CinemaCon schedule will be broad, diverse, educational and fun, and will feature the largest cinema trade show in the world. It will appeal to and attract all facets of the international motion picture theatre
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FLOOR PLAN
accommodations, world-class restaurants, and the magnificent Colosseum, the state-of-the-art venue that proudly allows CinemaCon to showcase all studio screenings and presentations in the ultimate theatre setting.
Attendees Whether you are into Cinema Exhibition, Film Distribution or Production, or, in the Equipment or Concession fields, CinemaCon is where you should be, come 11 April. If you're involved in Marketing, Advertising or the burgeoning field of Social Media Networking, CinemaCon is where you should be. And, should your field of expertise be in the design, construction or financing of movie theatres or the
exciting world of digital cinema, then CinemaCon is where you definitely should be come. So, if it's networking with peers old and new, being a part of exclusive studio presentations and screenings highlighting the upcoming summer slate of releases, catching up on what it takes to outfit and run a state-ofthe art motion picture theatre, sitting down and talking with the key executives and decision makers from the nation's theatres, or, listening to some of today's top stars and filmmakers, then you can't miss out on CinemaCon 2017. Today's moviegoer is savvy, discriminating and extremely knowledgeable. When it comes to selecting a theatre to see a film, that same moviegoer would rather drive
the extra distance to ensure they are getting the ultimate, state-of-the-art presentation and theatrical experience possible. Today's demanding moviegoer is looking for optimum picture and sound quality, theatre seats that provide great comfort, a ticketing system that is quick and efficient, a concession stand that offers a diverse array of food and beverage items and a theatre setting that provides the best amenities imaginable-all of which makes that moviegoing experience worth driving the extra distance. Today's cinema owner is just as demanding and discriminating when it comes to the building of new theatres or the remodeling and maintenance of existing theatres. The theatre market is competitive and the stakes are high. CinemaCon serves that competitive, high-stakes market. Giving cinema owners from all over the world the opportunity to experience the latest and most important advances in the world of theatre equipment and concession products, CinemaCon offers the world's largest platform geared specifically for the motion picture theatre owner. It is here that decision making cinema owners and executives walk the aisles, keeping an eye out for new equipment, products and services that will help make theirs the "go-to" theatres.
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EVENT CALENDER Schedule
2017
27 March
21-23 MARCH
• International Day Programmes
FICCI FRAMES MUMBAI, INDIA www.ficci-frames.com
• 9 Seconds Or Less: Gen Z & The Engagement Economy
27-30 MARCH CINEMACON LAS VEGAS, USA www.cinemacon.com
• Presented by: Jake Katz, VP, Audience Insights & Strategy, REVOLT Media & TV • The Innovation Advantage
19-22 JUNE CINEEUROPE BARCELONA, SPAIN www.cineeurope.net
8-9 AUGUST BIG CINE EXPO CHENNAI, INDIA www.bigcineexpo.com
19-22 SEPTEMBER KINO EXPO ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA www.kinoexpo.ru
27-29 SEPTEMBER EXPOCINE SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL www.expocine.com.br
8-12 OCTOBER AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL MOVIE CONVENTION GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA www.movieconvention.com.au
23-26 OCTOBER SHOWEAST FLORIDA, USA www.showeast.com
12-14 DECEMBER CINEASIA HONG KONG www.cineasia.com
DECEMBER ISB EXPO DUBAI, UAE www.isbexpo.com
2018 MARCH CHINA THEATER & CINEMA GUANGZHOU, CHINA www.gtcff.com
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• Presented by: Andrew Razeghi, Founder & Managing Partner, StrategyLab, Inc. • CINEMACON 2017: Gala Opening Night Studio Event 28 March • Paramount Pictures presentation • The Walt Disney Studios presentation • Award Presentations • Bert Nathan Memorial Award Andrew Cretors, President, C. Cretors & Company • Ken Mason Inter-Society Award • CinemaCon Excellence in Event Cinema Award - Turner Classic Movies • The State Of The Industry: Past, Present And Future" And Studio Presentation From Stx Entertainment 29 March • Moderator: Esther Baruh, Director, Government Relations, NATO • Panelists: Beth Figge, Business Development Director, QSC Cinema • Joseph Masher, Chief Operating Officer, Bow Tie Cinemas • Tim Schafbuch, Sales Director, Cinema, Dolby Laboratories • Raymond L. Smith, CAO & Counsel, Regal Entertainment Group • Nac Presents: "A Profitable Mix: Adult Beverages At The Movies"
• Moderator: Shawn Sandt, Director of Sales, Proctor Companies • Panelists: Greg Elliot, National Sales Manager, Chill Rite Beer Systems • Rick Fogel, Owner, Bar Starz • Jenny Jacobi, Senior Project Manager, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema • Brandon Jones, Senior Director of Marketing, Studio Movie Grill • Craig Maule, Owner, New Belgium Brewery • Who Is Your Audience In 2017? How To Create Smarter Movie Marketing With Moviegoer Data Insights • William Palmer, Chief Executive, Movio • Warner Bros presentation 30 March • Amazon Studios presentation • 2017 BIG SCREEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS • EMCEE: Natalie Morales, "Access Hollywood" • Male Star of the Year • Female Star of the Year - Jessica Chastain • Lifetime Achievement Award • Cinema Icon Award • Female Star of Tomorrow • Male Star of Tomorrow • Comedy Star of the Year • CinemaCon Vanguard Award • Distinguished Decade of Achievement in Film • Breakthrough Performer of the Year • CinemaCon Ensemble Award • Rising Stars of 2017
F U T U R E
R E L E A S E S
A glimpse of movies coming soon‌ Kong: Skull Island
Beauty and the Beast
Production Warner Bros.
Production Walt Disney
Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Director Bill Condon
Starring Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson
Starring Kevin Kline, Emma Watson
Genre Action, Adventure
Genre Drama, Romance
The Sense of an Ending
The Belko Experiment
Production CBS Films
Production Orion, BH Tilt
Director Ritesh Batra
Director Greg McLean
Starring Jim Broadbent, Harriet Walter
Starring John Gallagher Jr., Melonie Diaz
Genre Drama, Romance
Genre Thriller, Action
Personal Shopper
Power Rangers
Production IFC Films
Production Lionsgate
Director Olivier Assayas
Director Dean Israelite
Starring Kristen Stewart, Anders Danielsen Lie
Starring Dacre Montgomery, RJ Cyler
Genre Drama, Thriller
Genre Action, Family
March-May 2017
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F U T U R E CHIPS
The Boss Baby Production Warner Bros.
Production DreamWorks
Director Dax Shepard
Director Tom McGrath
Starring Dax Shepard, Michael Pena
Starring Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi
Genre Comedy, Action
Genre Comedy, Fantasy
Life
The Blackcoat's Daughter Production Columbia Pictures
Production A24, DIRECTTV
Director Daniel Espinosa
Director Osgood Perkins
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson
Starring Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka
Genre Thriller, Sci-Fi
Genre Thriller, Horror
Ghost in the Shell
March-May 2017
Going in Style
Production Paramount Pictures
Production Warner Bros.
Director Rupert Sanders
Director Zach Braff
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Beat Takeshi
Starring Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine
Genre Thriller, Action
Genre Comedy
The Zookeeper's Wife
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Gifted
Production Focus Features
Production Fox Searchlight Pic.
Director Niki Caro
Director Marc Webb
Starring Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh
Starring Chris Evans, McKenna Grace
Genre Drama, Biography
Genre Drama
F U T U R E Colossal Production Neon
R E L E A S E S Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul Production 20th Century Fox
Director Nacho Vigalondo
Director David Bowers
Starring Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis
Starring Jason Ian Drucker, Charlie Wright
Genre Action, Sci-Fi
Smurfs: The Lost Village
Genre Comedy
Sleight
Production Sony Pictures
Production WWE Studios
Director Kelly Asbury
Director JD Dillard
Starring Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson
Starring Jacob Latimore, Seychelle Gabriel
Genre Comedy, Family
Genre Drama, Thriller
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Aftermath Production Lionsgate Premiere
Production Walt Disney
Director Elliott Lester
Director James Gunn
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Scoot McNairy
Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana
Genre Thriller
The Fate of the Furious
Genre Action, Sci-Fi
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Production Universal Pictures
Production Warner Bros.
Director F. Gary Gray
Director Guy Ritchie
Starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson
Starring Charlie Hunnam, Astrid Berges
Genre Action, Adventure
Genre Action, Fantas
March-May 2017
TW-53
F U T U R E
The Fate of the Furious
Production Walt Disney
Director F. Gary Gray
Director Anurag Basu
Starring Vin Diesel Dwayne Johnson
Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif
Genre Action
Genre Action, Adventure
Production Wave Cinemas
Director Espen Sandberg
Director Ram Gopal Varma
Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush
Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Manoj Bajpayee
Genre Comedy, Action
Genre Drama
Production Clean Slate Films
Starring Anushka Sharma, Diljit Dosanjh Genre Comedy
Begum Jaan
March-May 2017
Sarkar 3
Production Walt Disney
Director Anshai Lal
TW-54
Jagga Jasoos
Production Universal Pictures
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Phillauri
R E L E A S E S
Bahubali 2 Production Arka Media Works Director S.S. Rajamouli Starring Prabhas, Tamannaah Genre Action, Love / Romance
Kaatru Veliyidai (Tamil) Production Vishesh Films
Production Madras Talkies
Director Srijit Mukherji
Director Mani Ratnam
Starring Vidya Balan Gauahar Khan
Starring Karthi Aditi Rao
Genre Action, Drama
Genre Romantic, Thriller