MINDSHARE TW EDITORIAL
Multiplex consolidation in India By acquiring the promoters' stake in the Cinemax multiplex chain, PVR has overtaken Inox to become India's largest multiplex operator by screen count. PVR had 197 screens and Cinemax had 138 and so PVR has now bumped up to a total of 335. Seen from the perspective of a land that boasts 11,000 single-screens, 335 is indeed a very small number. Seen from the perspective of India has over a 1,000 multiplexes and the picture of a dominant player emerges. Seen from a combination of perspectives then India's top multiplex groups have the opportunity to scale up further rapidly and each operator reach 1,000s of screen count. Earlier Inox had bought '89 Cinemas' and 'Fame' circuits to become the numero uno of the Indian multiplex industry. Consolidation augurs well for the industry as economies of scale drive more value to both the shareholder and the consumer. However, after these two relatively larger players the field is fragmented amongst a lot many smaller including regional circuits. The biggest of them all, Reliance's Big Cinemas dropped out of the race, their screens being up for grabs. Some consolidation is required for a third and fourth large player to emerge. Most Asian countries have three or four major players. That ensures an even playing field, healthy competition and industry growth.
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The television versus theatre race The fascinating cat and mouse game continues but television has the edge. Television aspires to bring cinema theatre to homes and is actually doing a pretty neat job of it. 3D with 4k picture for televisions as well as home projectors are already in the market and it is just a matter of time before prices sink and make them more affordable. Sound is a discrete 7.1 or matrixed 9.1 and 3D sound in terms of a couple of ceiling speakers is almost there to make it discrete 11.1. Content is easily available as downloads though not in the highest resolution of theatrical release. Again it's a matter of time that broadband speeds accelerate and the equipment is available to decode all the digital programming. To compete well with television it is time exhibitors brought the home to the theatre. What it means is make the moviegoing experience more personal with a more cosy ambience, a more initimate setting, a more personalised service. As of now, multiplexes betray a mass market ambience with assembly-like operations and impersonal service. This needs to change dramatically and urgently. Some circuits have introduced speciality theatres but the emphasis must be to bring this mainstream. Apart from this, exhibition will have to keep pushing the 3D picture and sound envelope.
cinemas continues in the second and third tier cities. It is actually more the conversion of old single-screens to multi-screens but that is a winwin for all. The slate of new movies for the year looks promising with major producers lining up exciting sequels or brand new releases. Technology adoption and upgrading of existing cinemas continues though at a slower pace than desired. Movies remain the only mass entertainment in countries like India so there is no dearth of patrons queuing up at the box office. The only blip is major sporting events like IPL though there are no other mega events like Olympics and World Cups this year. The macro view looks good as long as all stakeholders manage the micro well! Both god and the devil reside in the detail and that is where things can unravel and go awry.
Theatre World goes bimonthly From this edition of Theatre World we go bimonthly and to herald the event we even have a new look. Am sure our readers will appreciate six editions a year which means more news, views, photos and all that jazz that makes up Theatre World. Let us know what you think. See you soon at Ficci Frames show at Mumbai, the meeting ground of industry professionals from not only India and Asia but around the globe!
Industry outlook 2013 Overall the industry outlook is upbeat. The construction of new
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Theatre World is a bi-monthly publication, on the motion picture exhibition industry, for private circulation. It reaches out to subscribers, mainly theatre owners and trade professionals in India, also subscribers in select Asian cities. Additional copies are being promoted at major international industry events. Theatre World 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. Theatre World 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 Theatre World. Theatre World is a trademark under registration. The contents of Theatre World 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. Theatre World does not take responsibility for the absolute accuracy of information published.
Doremi IMS1000 Achieves DCI Compliance Doremi announced that its cuttingedge, digital entertainment offering, the IMS1000 has passed the Compliance Test Plan (CTP) and achieved the DCI standard of excellence. The unique integrated media server is the commercially available single board Integrated Media Server (IMS) solution on the market, with key features that include a combined SMS, digital storage and a secure DCI image media block in a compact form that enables it to fit inside DLP projectors. "Passing the CTP with our IMS1000 is indicative of the hard work exerted by our team at Doremi. We knew the design of the IMS1000 would be required to meet the new DCI guidelines related to storage," stated Michael Archer, VP of Digital Cinema, Doremi. "Systems using off the shelf storage or central storage just won't meet DCI and studio expectations." "The introduction of the IMS1000 helps Barco deliver the required integrated solution for the market with our new 10s projector line, said Wim Buyens, Senior Vice President, Entertainment Division. The tested reliability and ease of use has made this the right solution for today's exhibitors." "The NC900 is being delivered with the state of art IMS platform, stated Atsuki Kuroda, General Manager, Projector Development Division. The cooperative development and testing between NEC and Doremi will ensure this product meets the rigorous environment inside of the projector." "Demonstration of adherence to industry-wide specifications is a critical milestone for an enhanced movie going experience" said Travis Spann, President and Laboratory Director, Aegisolve, Inc. "As a NIST accredited and DCI licensed testing laboratory we report that DCI CTP review and testing of the Doremi
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IMS1000 is complete and the results indicate compliance with all applicable requirements." The Doremi IMS1000 is a state-of-the art, DCI compliant integrated media server that manages and delivers digital cinema experiences with efficiency and flexibility. The IMS1000 consumes approximately 65% less energy than the standard IMB and external storage significantly lowering the cost of ownership.
The IMS1000 is controlled by ethernet interface using a web based version of Cinelister, Doremi's TMS or a third party TMS supporting Doremi servers. DCP ingest can be done through USB, eSATA, or Ethernet. The IMS1000 supports the highest jpeg2000 decoding capabilities, including 4K and 3D HFR and accepts alternative content including 4K HDMI inputs, dual 3G SDI and live stream.
Dolby Atmos Electrifies the Action in A Good Day To Die Hard John McClane is heading to Red Square in Moscow and fans of the Die Hard franchise will hear all the gripping action in Dolby Atmos when A Good Day to Die Hard hits theatres this winter (Hong Kong and Singapore: February 7, 2013, and in the US: February 14, 2013). The latest in a string of major title announcements, Twentieth Century Fox has confirmed that their highlyanticipated Valentine's Day 2013 blockbuster, A Good Day to Die Hard, will be the studio's fourth major release in Dolby Atmos following Taken 2, Chasing Mavericks, and Ang Lee's Life of Pi. Dolby Atmos, the new audio platform that has revolutionized the experience of sound in
entertainment, will bring audiences into the middle of the action when John McClane (Bruce Willis), travels to Russia to help his estranged son, Jack (Jai Courtney), now a CIA operative, maneuver through a nuclear weapons terrorist situation. Dolby Atmos will bring a powerful new listening experience to the film with more natural, realistic sound that truly envelops the audience. The fifth installment of the Die Hard franchise will be mixed in Dolby Atmos in the prestigious Zanuck Theatre postproduction facility on the Twentieth Century Fox lot. Additionally, two new international films, Lost Place and Trance will be mixed and released in Dolby Atmos.
China's Wanda Cinema Chain Purchases an Additional 350 Doremi Digital Cinema Servers
Doremi announced the sale of 350 digital cinema servers to China's Wanda Cinema Line, the world's largest cinema operator. Wanda Cinema Line has 100 premium cinemas with plans to have more than 1,000 screens across China. They will add another 35 cinemas with 350 screens in China by the end of 2013. The acquisition of Doremi's Integrated Media Block (IMB) with ShowVault digital cinema servers will supplement their continued rapid expansion across Asia. "Our rapid expansion and recent acquisition calls for reliable products and flexible features. Both of which have been proven by Doremi during our initial deployment of their servers and IMBs in 2011" stated Ye Ning, General Manager of Wanda Cinema Line, "They offer complete solutions and a future proof product line, which is essential for our progression." "China's cinema industry is rapidly growing and we are thrilled to supply Doremi's unparalleled server technology and products to Wanda Cinema Line," said Michael Archer, Vice President of Doremi Cinema. "Wanda, who is committed to the latest technology and patron satisfaction, represents the next generation of exhibition in Asia and across the world. We are happy to assist their growth with our technology."
Chinese Exhibitor First to use a Barco S2K Projector to Show Commercial Movies in China Digital Cinema pioneer Barco announced that its newest DP2K-10S digital cinema projector, based on the 0.69" DLP Cinema chipset, has been selected by Hunan FAYOO Film Culture Industry Investment Management Co., Ltd. ('FAYOO') and installed at its newly-opened cinema in Taojiang, Hunan Province, China. This makes FAYOO the first exhibitor in China to use an S2K projector to show commercial movies. In order to meet the requirement for exhibiting domestic and Hollywood blockbusters, small and mediumsized digital cinemas need to upgrade to a cost-effective solution. To meet this demand, Barco has launched the DP2K-10S projector, the industry's first DCI-compliant and fully integrated digital cinema projector for small screen theatres. Barco S2K projectors are being installed in 5 theatres of FAYOO's newly opened cinema. Furthermore, CFG-Barco, the joint venture between Barco and China Film Group, has stated that over 100 Barco S2K projectors will be provided to local cinemas in China by the end of this year. Mr. Cao Yu, Chairman of Hunan FAYOO Film Culture Industry Investment Management Co., Ltd., commented: "Investments in local theatres are part of our strategic deployment. Barco's cost-effective, highly reliable S2K projector is just what we need to enable our small sized cinema to exhibit domestic and overseas blockbusters and provide
moviegoers with a premium cinema experience." Wim Buyens, Senior Vice President Barco and Head of the Entertainment Division, said: "I am very proud that our DP2K-10S projector has received such high recognition from the market worldwide. This proves that our product research and development are on the right track, the best of 2 worlds no compromised towards the cinema experience and DCI requirement and the lowers TCO, well suited for our China market. We will continue to increase the R&D investment and supply more digital cinema projection systems for more cinemas." Based on the 0.69" DLP Cinema S2K chipset, Barco's DP2K-10S features exceptional brightness, vibrant and stable color, and perfect image ratio, enabling small and medium sized theatres to provide an outstanding visual experience for their audiences. Mr. Chen Xuxiang, General Manager of CFG-Barco (Beijing) Electronics Co., Ltd., stated: "The DP2K-10S projector was developed with the involvement of Barco's China R&D team and currently rolling out of our production line in China. FAYOO is an important partner, and I am very glad that this product's first installation is in FAYOO's cinema. This encourages us to continue to provide comprehensive solutions for a variety of clients, with the goal of accelerating the development of China's cinemas."
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China Film Group Orders 800 Barco Digital Cinema Projectors Global digital cinema technology leader Barco has supplied 800 digital cinema projectors to the China Film Group (CFG), which is leading the digitalization process for cinemas in China. To support this process, CFG will purchase a large quantity of Barco digital cinema projectors to convert existing theatres to digital and to supply newly constructed digital cinemas. What's more, the annual number of devices purchased from Barco will increase each year. China Film Group's procurement plan for 2013 calls for more than 800 digital cinema projectors, offering a wide range of models to ensure the perfect match for every screen, from the premier theatre to small and midsized cinema. "As a digital cinema leader, we continually invest in China and its digital cinema development. So we are really pleased that China Film Group has selected our leading technology to further develop the digital cinema market in China. This roll-out of digital cinema technology to many more theatres will enable China's film industry to reach and benefit a large audience of moviegoers," commented Wim Buyens, Senior Vice President Entertainment for Barco. "Our comprehensive range of cuttingedge digital cinema solutions including 3D cinema sound, advanced digital cinema projection technology and digital signage will offer Chinese moviegoers the ultimate cinema experience." Mr. Chen Xuxiang, General Manager of CFG Barco, stated: "We are grateful for the trust and support we have received from China Film Group over the past few years. After many years of effort in digital cinema projection, we have developed trend setting technologies and comprehensive after sales services. We look forward to continuing our
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close partnership with CFG and to establishing long term relations with other premium exhibitors to provide them with advanced technologies and top quality service."
Dolby Atmos Installed in Sixteen Cinemas
Sixteen cinemas across eleven countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa have now been fitted with Dolby Atmos. As an advanced cinema audio platform, Dolby Atmos reinvents cinema sound by giving each speaker its own unique feed, enabling many new front, surround and ceiling-mounted height channels for the precise panning of select sounds. The result is a fully immersive experience, putting the audience right at the centre of the action. Hollywood studios including Disney/ Pixar (Brave), DreamWorks Animation (Rise of the Guardians), Twentieth Century Fox (Taken 2, Chasing Mavericks, Life of Pi), and Warner Bros. (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) have adopted the Dolby Atmos format, increasing the count of 2012 Dolby Atmos titles to six. In 2013, three titles, including Gravity and Pacific Rim from Warner Bros. and Star Trek into Darkness from Paramount Pictures are already scheduled to receive the Dolby Atmos treatment, with additional studio titles to follow.
International movie productions are currently in the works or will be started in 2013 by movie studios in China, France, Germany, India, Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The growing list of Dolby Atmos equipped cinemas in the EMEA region joins a select list of theatres globally, including the iconic Hollywood landmark venue the Dolby Theatre, and will lead the way in screening content mixed in Dolby Atmos. EMEA cinemas offering Dolby Atmos now include: Cineplexx Donau Plex - Vienna, Austria; Kino Arena Bulgaria Mall - Sofia, Bulgaria;Premiere Cinemas, Park Hostiva? - Prague, Czech Republic;Bio Naestved - Naestved, Denmark; Mégarama Pian Medoc Bordeaux, France; Pathé Wepler Paris, France; Cinecittà - Nuremburg, Germany; Traumpalast Backnang Stuttgart, Germany; JT Luxor Theater Hoogeveen - Hoogeveen, Netherlands; JT Theatres Vlaardingen - Rotterdam, Netherlands; SF Kino Kristiansand - Kristiansand, Norway; SF Kino Sandvika - Oslo, Norway; Ster Kinekor, Gateway - Durban, South Africa; Cinesa Diagonal Mar Barcelona, Spain; Ocine - Valladolid, Spain and Empire Cinemas, Leicester Square - London, UK. "The interest we're seeing in Dolby Atmos in EMEA shows that the industry sees real value in offering immersive cinema audio. With more cinemas becoming equipped across the wider region, cinema audiences are set to experience firsthand the entertainment experience envisioned by both internationally-renowned and home-grown talent," said Andreas Spechtler, EMEA Regional Vice President, Dolby Europe. "The diversity of titles on offer also shows us that the creative community is already unlocking the versatility of the Dolby Atmos platform and we can't wait to see how directors and their sound teams make upcoming titles more thrilling, emotive and heartfelt in 2013."
RealD and Kino Arena Announce Exclusive 3D Technology Agreement RealD Inc., a leading global licensor of 3D technologies, and Kino Arena, Bulgaria's largest cinema exhibitor, announced an agreement making RealD the exclusive 3D technology provider across the Kino Arena circuit. RealD 3D technology is initially expected to be installed across 44 Kino Arena screens, including all 7 screens of the flagship Kino Arena. "Kino Arena is committed to offering audiences a premium cinema going experience. The installation of RealD's cutting-edge 3D technology will allow us to continue to deliver the brightest visuals and best cinematic experience for our customers," said Bojidar Iliev, Managing Director, Kino Arena. "With our brightness advantage over other 3D systems, RealD is able to
deliver the lifelike and immersive 3D cinema experience that Kino Arena demands. This agreement adds to our growing install base across Europe as we continue to provide premium visual experiences for the cinema market," said Karina Neill, Director of Cinema RealD Europe Ltd. RealD is the most light efficient and widest used 3D cinema projection technology in the world. Its premium presentation delivers twice the brightness of other providers and, combined with its lightweight, reusable and comfortable 3D glasses, makes for realistic and immersive viewing. Kino Arena currently operates 10 cinema locations, across 6 major cities, with a total of 77 screens including two standalone multiplexes with the country's biggest cinema auditoriums.
Cinema Park Adds Four Imax Theatres IMAX Corporation and Cinema Park, an exhibition chain owned by Profmedia, Russia's largest media holding company, announced an agreement to install four IMAX theatres across Russia. Under the terms of the agreement, the exhibitor will open the theatres in new construction projects in regional markets including the cities of Novokuznetz and Kemerovo. The deal brings Cinema Park's total IMAX commitment to 26 theatres, further strengthening its position as the largest IMAX exhibitor in EMEA. "The expansion of our partnership with IMAX is a direct result of the success we've experienced with our current IMAX theatres, which represent some of the top-performing sites in our circuit," said Sergei Kitin, General Director of Cinema Park.
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Sony 4K Projection Adds Sparkle to Marrakech Film Festival Sony Digital Cinema was proud to support this year's iconic International Film Festival of Marrakech. For the first time in its 12 year history, audiences at the event enjoyed the superior picture quality offered by Sony 4K digital cinema projection systems. Six SRX-R320 4K projectors had been supplied by the festival's official technical partner, French-region cinema specialist R2D1, to equip the Salle des Ambassadeurs and the Salle des Ministres in the Palais des Congres, which was the main venue of the Festival, as well as the worldrenowned Jemaa el Fna plaza. Sony Digital Cinema 4K technology allows consumers to experience exceptional picture quality from every seat in the cinema, providing world-leading 3D images and spectacular detail even on the largest screens. Transforming the film experience, Sony Digital Cinema 4k technology gives the consumer an immersive, engaging visual experience you simply can't get at home. Oliver Pasch, Head of Digital Cinema, Sony Europe, said: "We were delighted when we were approached by the Film Festival to deliver some of the main screenings in Sony 4K. The fact the organisers wanted to use the new technology reflects the importance of picture quality in the audience's experience of a film. With 4K, viewers benefit from being able to see the smaller, intrinsic details of an image and end up feeling much closer to the action." Sony worked closely with French dealer R2D1 to install its 4K systems in the Jemaa el Fna plaza as well as the Palais de Congres. Maxime Rigauld, Sales Manager, R2D1 says: "Since our first Sony 4K installation last year, we have seen the demand for Sony projection
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systems rise significantly. Working for the first time with the Marrakech Film Festival has highlighted the strength of our relationship with Sony, while it is extremely rewarding to see how positively audiences react to the superior picture quality the technology delivers."
Cathay Cineplexes Choose Unique Digital Solutions Cathay Cineplexes has selected RosettaBridge TMS and Cinema Accord, both developed by Unique Digital Ltd, as an integral part of their full conversion to digital cinema. Cathay has 9 cinemas and 90 screens across Singapore and Malaysia. RosettaBridge is a full featured TMS that will provide Cathay management and staff with an unrivalled suite of tools to manage film and advertising content within each site complex through an intuitive and easy to use interface. Key features include a scalable library server, agnostic player and projector
interface, automation control and content distribution with all elements being managed using a simple drag and drop GUI. Cinema Accord is a key component for exhibitors to centrally administrate their estate of digital screens. The system communicates with other essential third party systems such as box-office and financial systems to allow advanced forecasting and reporting. With a secure web based interface Cathay will manage each Cinema TMS, integrate with the theatre booking systems and have secure management of KDM delivery and VPF reporting. "Following the successful trial of Unique's RosettaBridge TMS at our flagship cinema in Singapore we are pleased to be embarking on a full deployment across all our sites. " commented Mr Suhaimi Rafdi, Chief Executive Officer, Cathay Organisation Holdings Ltd adding "We were impressed with the easyto-use interface and range of features including automated KDM delivery, integration with our POS solution and comprehensive preshow management. A key factor was being able to count on local support from the Unique offices here in Singapore". Rod Wheeler, Sales and Marketing Director of Unique Digital Ltd commented, "We are delighted to be working with Cathay on the next stage of their digital deployment and we are looking forward to building a completely integrated solution for them based on our full range of content management and reporting tools." "Cathay Cineplexes are the premier exhibitor in Singapore and Malaysia" commented Chris Hagan, Managing Director of Unique Digital adding "and when combined with our other exhibitor partnerships, Unique's software applications now manage over 10,000 digital cinema screens worldwide. "
GDC Technology Showcases new Innovations at CineAsia 2012 GDC Technology showcased a wide range of innovative digital cinema solutions, backed by its technical support team, in booth #311 at CineAsia 2012 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre in Wanchai, from December 11th to 13th. The new innovations showcased are mentioned below. SX-3000 Standalone Integrated Media Block (IMB) Since its debut at CineAsia 2011, the SX-3000 Standalone IMB has revolutionized the architecture of digital cinema, and has received strong support from the cinema industry. The groundbreaking SX-3000 Standalone IMB eliminates the needs for a file server, which allows for incredible flexibility of boothless cinema design and reduce the cost of operating and maintaining the digital cinema theatres. SX-3000 Standalone IMB can seamlessly integrate with all types of DLP Cinema projectors, including the latest S2K DLP Cinema family of projectors. Moreover, the SX3000 Standalone IMB features gigabit Ethernet connection for long distance content streaming and remote access. It also supports High Frame Rate (HFR) playback in both 2D and 3D (at 48 and 60 frames per second per eye), as well as 4K resolution. SX-3000 is capable of playing compression bit rates of up to 500Mbps which satisfies the "High Frame Rates Digital Cinema Recommended Practice" issued by DCI. PSD-3000 Portable Storage Device The PSD-3000 portable storage device is a highly reliable content storage solution that works seamlessly with the SX-3000 Standalone IMB. The PSD3000 features 3 hot swappable data drives based on RAID 5 technology allowing it to remain operational in the event of a single drive failure. Moreover, it can be mounted on the
DLP Cinema projectors in accordance with specific mount configurations. A variation of this model that can be directly inserted into projector pedestals is also available. All PSD3000 storage devices do not require a PC onboard to manage the HDDs hence reducing the cost of maintaining and operating the Standalone IMB with PSD-3000. Standalone IMB without the need of an external server to manage the data drives is indisputable the most cost effective solution for today's digital cinema. Standalone IMB is a new architecture widely adopted by leading projection companies. More importantly, PSD-3000 external storage device is an optimal storage solution without the need of a server and without stressing the HDDs on heat radiating IMB that concealed inside the projector chassis. GDC Tech shares that same belief with the projector manufacturer that concealing all the hard disk drives within the projector chassis is an undesirable design that is highly unreliable. Furthermore, the PSD-3000 is easily accessible if replacement of just one or all HDDs is required. TMS-1000 Theatre Management System and Network Operations Centre (NOC) With almost 8,000 screens installed worldwide, the TMS-1000 Theatre Management System significantly streamlines the management of a multiplex from a centralized point of control. TMS-1000 allows content, KDM and playlist management via network connection. Moreover, it provides show playback control and monitors the status of the digital cinema server, projector and other theatrical devices. Furthermore, our NOC runs 24/7, 365 days a year, providing comprehensive customer services, network management and technical support.
AAM Brings Digital Cinema to Cines ABC Chain Arts Alliance Media (AAM), has announced a deal with Spain's Cines ABC chain to provide their screens with digital equipment. 55 of Cines ABC's screens will be converted to digital, in 5 sites across the Valencia region. The deal is being done under the AAM/Barco Leasing Program, whereby the digital cinema equipment is financed by AAM and Barco, and the cost is recouped through Virtual Print Fee (VPF) payments over time. Each Cines ABC screen will receive not only a digital projector but also an IMB (Integrated Media Block) and ShowVault server from Doremi, which is capable of playing back new HFR (High Frame Rate) content. All sites will also utilise AAM's digital cinema software, including the market leading Theatre Management System (TMS), Screenwriter, to allow easy and comprehensive digital content and playlist management. Chief Executive Officer of Cines ABC, Emilio Pechuรกn, said "It's great news for our cinemas that we can announce this deal with Arts Alliance Media, being able to benefit from the AAM/Barco leasing program meant a low upfront cost for us, and we were able to tailor the deal with AAM to suit our needs." The installations will be carried out in conjunction with AAM's Spanish integration partner Suministros Kelonik, Spain's leading supplier of cinema technology. Ongoing maintenance and support will be provided by Sumistros Kelonik's NOC (Network Operations Centre), alongside AAM's London-based NOC. Arts Alliance Media recently announced a Spanish VPF deal with Grupo Sade, owners of three cinemas in San Sebastian, and earlier this year announced a deal with the ACEC group to digitise screens of the Spanish ACEC group.
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Dutch CineMec Cinema Premières 'The Bombardment' mixed in Barco's 3D Cinema Sound Barco announced that the Dutch production company Fu Works released its latest film, 'The Bombardment', in Barco Auro 11.1. 'The Bombardment' hit the screens on 20 December at CineMec in Ede, the very first cinema in the Netherlands to equip a theatre with Barco's new sound technology. The producers, director as well as CineMec all agree that Barco's 3D cinema sound technology significantly enriches the moviegoing experience and is a perfect fit for 'The Bombardment'. Directed by Ate de Jong, 'The Bombardment' tells the story of a young boxer and a wealthy female socialite whose quest for love is overshadowed by the German invasion and subsequent bombing of Rotterdam in 1940. "We are excited and grateful to be able to mix this film in the revolutionary Barco Auro 11.1 format. As the movie is filled with dramatic flyovers and enveloping war scenery, the sound format is the perfect fit for our movie," comments Ate de Jong. GerbenKuipers, owner of CineMec, considers Barco Auro 11.1 a fantastic tool to create natural enhanced sound: "I was astounded when I first saw the demo and delighted to pioneer the Barco Auro 11.1 technology into our theatre. The sound format really adds value to the cinema experience. 'The Bombardment', the largest Dutch production to be launched this holiday season, will be a great showcase for the technology: cinemagoers will have the feeling they're right in the middle of the 1940 bombardment in Rotterdam. We've really crossed a new border in the cinema experience." The Barco Auro 11.1 sound format creates sound in three distinct layers
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VSI Group and dcinex Offers Digital Content Services dcinex in Europe and VSI Group announced that they have entered into a commercial partnership aiming at providing one-stop-shop digital content services to movie distributors.
(surround, height & overhead) rather than the single layer used in the traditional 5.1 sound format. Its 11.1 configuration technology not only enables sound mixers to move objects around in space but it also allows them to reproduce the immersive aspects of a film soundtrack in a way that is more compatible with their current workflow. Auro 11.1 provides the best acoustical experience at the most commercially viable price point in the market and does so without the need to create object based soundtracks that are designed to be optimized for the consumer market. Barco Auro 11.1 is currently deployed in over 50 installations worldwide and an increasing number of directors are embracing the new audio format. "We are delighted about the interest in our revolutionary 3D cinema sound format, both from today's filmmakers like Fu Works and from cinemas like CineMec," concludes Brian Claypool, Senior Director Strategic Business Development of Barco's Entertainment Division "In fact, Auro 11.1 is the next logical step in our quest to create value for what we call the 'cinema of the future'. It is a great way to add value to the moviegoing experience and motivate people to keep going to the cinema for an entertainment experience that can't be obtained anywhere else."
Under the terms of this agreement, dcinex and the VSI Group will bring together unique digital cinema lab services and language localization skills. It will allow the two companies to provide any content service in any digital format. Moreover, both companies will benefit from their complementary geographical presence to offer unprecedented proximity to the local markets. "With VSI Group, synergies immediately arose as two international, fastgrowing, agile companies offering complementary services to the entertainment industry in the digital world" stated Carsten Schuffert, VicePresident Content Services of dcinex. "This goes in line with our strategy of being the single point of contact able to offer all services needed by our customers" he added. From an operational standpoint, dcinex has started making use of the partnership with VSI in France to open a new hub in Paris for optimized physical DCP delivery and to offer optimized physical backup delivery to the DSAT Cinema satellite delivery service, the recent joint venture between dcinex and Eutelsat. "Thanks to the massive digitization of cinemas, this alliance with dcinex, experts in Digital Cinema, provides VSI with the unique position of delivering localized content for all formats including Digital Cinema, Home Entertainment, VOD and TV", stated Sammy Dessaint. "We are pleased to partner with a company supporting not only the distribution market, but also servicing cinemas and able to offer extensive technical support."
Harkness Screens Sells 1,000th Digital Screen Checker At ShowEast 2011, Harkness Screens had launched its Digital Screen Checker, a brand new version of its previous luminance meter to critical acclaim, not just because of its affordability at around $750 per unit but the accuracy (within +/-0.2fL) which rivals significantly more expensive alternative light meters.
unaffordable," says Richard Mitchell, Worldwide Marketing Manager at Harkness Screens. The Digital Screen Checker is a handheld digital cinema device measures screen brightness, expressing readings in foot lamberts. An ideal tool for projection managers, projectionists or service engineers to monitor screen brightness and lamp life, the Digital Screen Checker helps exhibitors to ensure that their presentations remain at optimum levels and ensure DCI-compliancy.
Since its debut, the unit has been sold across the world to both large and small cinema exhibitors and recently Harkness sold its 1,000th unit. "The groundswell of interest behind the product has been phenomenal; there's been a real buzz about it which appears to be continuing as the industry gets more switched on to issues surrounding on screen brightness levels. At every trade show we're inundated with enquiries and the feedback from those purchasing
the unit has been overwhelmingly positive. We genuinely believe that the Digital Screen Checker is well on the way to becoming the tool of choice for use when checking screen brightness in auditoria and a lowcost, zero-compromise solution where the more expensive meters are
The battery powered Digital Screen Checker provides instant readings for both 2D and 3D screens and is calibrated to be accurate even in the lower ranges used in 3D projection. The foot lambert reading is shown on an LED digital display and is expressed to at least one decimal place.
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USL Introduces the JSD-60 Digital Cinema Processor
USL, Inc. announced the JSD-60 Digital Cinema Processor. Presenting the next generation in digital cinema processing from USL, Inc. at the ShowEast Convention in November, was exciting even for show veteran Jack Cashin, President & Founder of USL, Inc. "The JSD-60 is a natural evolution from USL's extremely successful JSD-100 model," states Cashin. Cashin goes onto say "The JSD100 has certainly paved the way for the next generation of technologically advanced digital processors and we're proud to introduce the JSD-60 to the global cinema marketplace." Cashin and the engineering team at USL, Inc. recognized the need for a dedicated d-cinema processor that could ensure low noise and low distortion processing for digital applications that would provide superb audio presentations at an affordable cost to exhibitors. With this in mind, the USL engineering and R&D process began several months ago and culminated into a product that is already in high demand. The JSD-60's unique features include internal RTA, 8 main outputs (for up to 7.1 auditoriums) plus HI and VI-N outputs (all balanced line level); with a front panel display shows user definable format name and a bargraph of all outputs, and an optional internal biamp crossover available for 5.1 and 7.1 auditoriums. Quality products along with personal hands-on service have been USL's commitment to their customers since its inception in 1982. USL has kept their commitment to manufacturing innovative quality cinema products
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that meet and exceed customer expectations. With 30 years of experience, USL has taken its vast engineering and manufacturing knowledge to a higher level with the release of the JSD-60.
without the need of a server and without stressing the HDDs on heat radiating IMB that concealed inside the projector chassis. GDC Tech shares that same belief with the projector manufacturer that concealing all the hard disk drives within the projector chassis is an undesirable design that is highly unreliable. Furthermore, the PSD-3000 is easily accessible if replacement of just one or all HDDs is required.
XPAND 3D's New Passive Systems
GDC's PSD-3000 Portable Storage Device GDC Tech introduced the PSD-3000 portable storage device which is a highly-reliable content storage solution that works seamlessly with the SX-3000 Standalone IMB. The PSD-3000 features 3 hot swappable data drives based on RAID 5 technology allowing it to remain operational in the event of a single drive failure. Moreover, it can be mounted on the DLP Cinema projectors in accordance with specific mount configurations. A variation of this model that can be directly inserted into projector pedestals is also available. All PSD-3000 storage devices do not require a PC onboard to manage the HDDs hence reducing the cost of maintaining and operating the Standalone IMB with PSD-3000. Standalone IMB without the need of an external server to manage the data drives is indisputable the most cost effective solution for today's digital cinema. Standalone IMB is a new architecture widely adopted by leading projection companies. More importantly, PSD-3000 external storage device is an optimal storage solution
XPAND 3D introduced a new passive solution that delivers performance, comfort and commercial versatility to new, broader markets. The new XPAND Polarizer and Color Spacer passive systems will feature stunning new glasses that are lighter, more ergonomic and certainly more stylish than anything on the market today. Commenting on the announcement, Maria Costeira, Chief Executive Officer, XPAND 3D noted, "XPAND 3D is singularly committed to advancing the consumer experience of multidimensional imaging and whereas our active shutter technologies are deployed by the world's leading cinemas and for the studios' most important premieres, we recognized that a sizable market was being under-served with sub-par passive technologies. Recognizing that only passive technology could meet the commercial needs of this group, we elected to design a superior solution that would elevate the performance threshold of passive 3D. I am thrilled that our new XPAND passive systems exceed all expectations on price and performance."
• INSTALLS • QFX Cinemas -
Nepal's First World-class Cineplex Located in the Sundhara district of the capital Kathmandu is QFX Civil Mall, the country's largest shopping area, covering a total of 25,000 sq feet. This houses a new three-screen multiplex cinema, the QFX Cinemas, which are capable of seating up to 939 viewers at any one time. This is Nepal's first truly world-class Cineplex and is one of a trio of cinemas owned by QFX in the city. QFX is the brand name of Quest Entertainment (QE), which was launched in Nepal a decade ago with the QFX Jai Nepal Cinema. The company is also involved in film distribution and production and as such has a thorough understanding of how important high quality sound is to modern cinema audiences. Installed by Indian audio company Balaji Sound, the Alcons systems at QFX Civil Mall feature CR2 and CR4 systems, CB362 subwoofers, CCS8 high-power surround speakers, all of which have been specifically designed for the cinema market, and ALC2-ST amplifier-controllers. "We identified a need for a consistent cinema experience in Nepal," says Bhaskar Dhungana, who along with partners Rajesh Siddhi and Nakim Uddin owns QE and has developed the QFX brand. "We did a lot of planning and research and have built a brand that provides the Nepali market with an experience that everyone can enjoy. Central to
that was making sure that we had the right equipment, which we've sourced from around the world. "Part of that requirement was a top of the range digital sound system and for that we went to Alcons in The Netherlands. Alcons' technology has been extensively used in Japan and Malaysia, but Nepal is the first country in the South Asia region to benefit from it." "Many of our customers have mentioned that the Alcons systems sound better than those used by our competitors," says Sunita Rana, office executive at Quest Entertainment.
"They feel that it sounds more sophisticated and modern, which perfectly complements our aims. We are very happy with the performance of the Alcons loudspeakers." "I am very pleased that high profile cinema operators in an everincreasing number of countries are recognising the many advantages that our systems bring," says Alcons Audio co-founder Tom Back. "In providing a superior experience for the audience, they also reflect the quality and aims of the operators, which brings further benefits to the cinema companies."
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• INSTALLS • The Gloria Palast Cinema, Munich -
Heritage Reinvented The Gloria Palast movie theatre in Munich is beefing up its D-Cinema equipment with a high end sound system based on the established Dolby Surround 7.1 format. Kinoton, drawing on its decades of audio experience, supplied all of the components for the high end sound system. The company's technicians then took care of professionally installing and adjusting all of the audio and event equipment and sizing it to fit the auditorium. In recent years attention has mainly focused on D-Cinema projection, but now it is increasingly turning to sound quality. While analog film only holds audio data in compressed form, digital cinema servers provide discrete, virtually lossless tracks for all audio channels. In combination with a leading-edge sound system, this ensures superb sound reproduction for a perfect audio experience. Agreeable, clear-as-a-bell music, maximum speech intelligibility, and homogeneous volume levels throughout the auditorium are guaranteed. The new "premium sound experience" in the Gloria is based on
a custom-tailored solution involving state-of-the-art loudspeakers, crossover and power amplification technology, and a special program for designing and planning shows. The highlights are a Dolby CP750 digital sound processor, three powerful three-way full-range systems (JBL), an effect speaker system (JBL), a high-wattage
subwoofer system (JBL), and a network controlled and monitored amplification system (Crown). In addition, Kinoton supplied and installed a Kinoton DCA system for automatically controlling all of the cinema equipment, including signal distribution to the various event components such as the audio control panel and microphones, as well as the voice amplification and feed systems. The Gloria Palast, which experienced several decades of ups and downs after opening back in 1956, is now being transformed into a "premium cinema". Its seating capacity is being cut in half, dark leather armchairs are being installed, and up on the gallery an exclusive wood-paneled lounge accentuated in deep red is taking shape. The Gloria Palast has been operated since 2007 by Kinopolis, which also owns the Mathäser Filmpalast in Munich. This makes it possible to very flexibly plan the Gloria's program. The corporate group has been run for over a hundred years by the Theile family, now in the fourth generation.
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• INSTALLS • De Keizer, Belgian -
Legendary Cinema Enters Digital Age A passion for movies is what links Digital Cinema Pioneer Barco with legendary Cinema De Keizer. Located in the small Belgian town of Lichtervelde, this unique singlescreen movie theatre reopened its doors to the public on 21 December, following a pre-opening on 18 December for a preview showing of 'Brasserie Romantiek' - the feature film debut of Belgian director Joël Vanhoebrouck. The theatre was recently equipped with Barco's new DP2K-10S digital cinema projector, specifically designed for smaller cinema screens. Established in 1924 by Gerard Debaillie, Cinema De Keizer is a reference beacon in the Belgian cinema world and the lifework of Gerard's daughter Agnes, a cinephile who personified the world of cinema to the citizens of her town. When Agnes passed away earlier this year (2012), the future of the longest running cinema in Belgium, which was still mostly in its original state, seemed uncertain. Recently, Flemish Vice-Minister-President Geert Bourgeois decided to protect the cinema as cultural heritage and seven locals invested in the theatre. "I'd seen hundreds of movies at Cinema De Keizer and dreamt of installing a 21st century theatre in the original 1920s décor, to bring back that 'community feeling' that the cinema inspires," explains Hans Maertens, who leads the Cinema De Keizer non-profit organization.
World-class digital cinema technology on Cinema De Keizer's doorstep Sofie Eeckeman, who was the right hand of Agnes Debaillie for many years, now operates the cinema. She welcomes the new Barco technology: "I spent my childhood helping out Agnes at Cinema De Keizer and am delighted to continue her dream. We are happy to be working with Barco
to replace one of our twin 35mm projectors with a digital solution. It was a stroke of luck for us that Lichtervelde is close to the global Digital Cinema market leader, and we couldn't have found a better partner. We were very impressed with Barco's vision for the cinema of the future, which also fits well with my interests as a Lecturer New Media and Communication Technology at University College West Flanders (Howest). The new DP2K-10S digital cinema projector is ideal for our needs and enables us to bring Cinema De Keizer into the future, while maintaining that old era charm and character that is unique to our theatre."
Addressing the needs of smaller theatres The Barco DP2K-10S is a compact digital cinema projector designed for the special needs of smaller theatres, independent cinemas and art houses. Thanks to the DP2K-10S, smaller exhibitors can also enchant moviegoers with first-class movie experiences - with consistent picture brightness, vibrant and stable colors. The 0.69" DLP Cinema projector comes with a high-grade cinema
lens and an intuitive projector user interface that further simplifies operation and ensures low operating costs. As a DCI-compliant projector it is the perfect choice for exhibitors looking for a worry-free solution to go digital with minimal hassle and risk.
The Independent Cinema of the Future "The opportunity of Digital Cinema is not only for larger cinema chains. There is a lot of concern about the transition from 35mm to digital, which threatens the survival of a number of smaller, independent and art house cinemas that take up a unique position in the cinema landscape. Barco strongly believes, however, that Digital Cinema also offers a unique opportunity for these cinemas to thrive, thus offering them flexibility in their programming and a range of new revenue opportunities," comments Tim Sinnaeve, Market Director Digital Cinema. "We have designed our new DP2K-10S with this in mind, integrating our leading digital cinema technologies into a compact, scalable and cost-effective platform without sacrificing image quality. I'm delighted that the team behind Cinema De Keizer, a unique and historic location, shares our passion and vision for the independent cinema of the future, and is confident that other independent cinemas can be inspired by their story." January-February 2013
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• INSTALLS •
MTE at
Budapest and Kecskemet Being in the motion picture theatre equipment business since 1975, MTE supplies turnkey service or individual items relating to projection, sound, seating, aisle lights, screens and front ends, wall covering, concession, lobby and box-office. They supply all major brands of theatre equipment and also offer the choice for a new, rebuilt, used or any combination service. MTE an academy award winning Company offering total planning, development and operations consultation to open a cinema anywhere in the world also helps and invites clients to choose from the world's largest selection of new and pre-owned professional cinema equipment, furnishings, and accessories. MTE and its affiliates represent most major makers of Cinema Equipment including Barco, Dolby, Qsc, Jbl, Osram, Harkness, Ushio. Recently an urgent setup was required in Budapest, which was flawlessly done by MTE Russia. In September, Magna Tech Electronic Co. Inc. shipped cinema equipment to the cinema situated in "Polus" shopping centre in Budapest. This was an urgent setup required as requested by the high officials of the
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Cinema. Being the busy month, and engineers busy with many installations in the close by vicinity, an MTE Russia Engineer flew down to Budapest and installed the equipment. In a couple of days, Barco projector, Doremi server and automatic cinema system were installed and were geared up to work.
MTE Russia's partners appreciated their support and again in two weeks time an engineer from Russia flew down to hungary, this time to Kecskemet city. An installation was done in Malomhe Cinema in two cinema rooms. Barco projectors and Dolby servers were installed.
• TECHNOLOGY •
• • • •
OSRAM'S
Automated xenon production Dual projection 3D Developments Boothless Cinemas
XBO Cinema Lamp After a warm welcome from the Osram Team who were to accompany me throughout the visit to the factory, Ralf Seedorf, Manager of Special Lighting DO Cinema who is based at Osram Special Lighting in Berlin provided a short history of the Eichstätt factory before embarking on a detailed presentation of the story of the world-renowned XBO lamps from their inception in 1949 and first commercial appearance in 1954 to the present day situation where XBO lamps are the world market leader. In response to my 'silly' question, Ralf explained that XBO came from the German language abbreviation for Xenon kurzbogen (short-arc) lampe. The Eichstätt factory site was founded in 1962, but the modern era really began with the construction of the current much larger factory in 1965. Automotive lamps were the major product in the late 1960s, but continued automation and mechanisation took place for new lamps of many types. XBO lamp development continued, with horizontally operable versions arriving in 1970, making projector design easier, ozone-free quartz glass
being introduced in 1980, and a revolutionary disc seal design being incorporated in 1987. A real landmark, meaning that the factory became recognised world-wide, occurred in 1983 when Osram were awarded a technical Oscar for the XBO lamp from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Continuous improvements The factory has been continuously developed and expanded over the
– Jim Slater
years to produce many types of lamp, and in 2001 a new hall was constructed for high voltage lamp manufacturing, the incredible figure of one million lamps manufactured being reached in 2002. Recent years have seen a concentration on new energy saving designs, and cinema projection lamps have seen extended lamp lives and warranties, with special XBO designs tailored to the needs of each projector manufacturer. The boom in demand
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• TECHNOLOGY •
Gas storage outside the factory
for cinema projection lamps in recent years led the company to increase capacity for XBO lamp manufacture, and Ralf explained that the need to expand capacity led to a great deal of thought about the best way to proceed. Traditional projection lamp manufacture depended upon the use of highly-skilled craftsmen who took a long time to train to the high standards needed, so the groundbreaking decision was made to develop an automated manufacturing system which would allow for unlimited future expansion to take place as required. The effects of this decision were huge, and have driven forward continuous improvements in automation technology at Osram.
that potential competitors can't just go out and buy similar equipment, but if a decision is taken to produce larger quantities of lamps the Osram people can readily decide to build an extra machine, and within months can have the additional production capacity on line. Compare that with the alternative of having to recruit lots of new staff and having to train them for over a year before they are capable of producing high-quality cinema lamps. XBO lamps are a very important part of the Osram product range, and in recent years new lamp concepts have been introduced to better satisfy the needs of the cinema exhibition industry. These included the 2007 introduction of an Xtreme Life range with an extended Warranty alongside the Classic Line. In 2008 a much improved production process was developed, introducing the fully mechanised and automated system that we are about to describe, and a special technical customer support
programme was brought in which has achieved greater levels of customer satisfaction. In 2009 a new more robust XBO coil spring design was introduced, and in 2010 automated production of XBO lamps for digital cinema projectors began. Illustrating the policy of continuous improvement, in 2012 Long life XBO lamps specifically for D cinema were introduced, and it was interesting to learn from the factory technical team how apparently small changes in the production process can make significant improvements to lamp life and therefore to the all important total cost of ownership.
Xenon lamp theory and practice Ralf explained that the xenon lamp has become the cornerstone of cinema exhibition for many good reasons, with characteristics such as high luminance, good arc stability, constant colour temperature over its lifetime and the ability to dim the
An interesting strategy I was fascinated to learn that all the automated machinery and controlling software that is used to produce XBO lamps is designed, developed and built by Osram engineers. Not only does this mean
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Osram XBO 4kW DHP digital projector lamp
• TECHNOLOGY • the seals between the metal electrodes and the glass, where several different types of glass are used in layers to minimise or eliminate any stresses due tot eh different coefficients of expansion of tungsten and quartz.
OSRAM XBO specifications
lamp without changing the colour. It is available in a wide range of wattages, typically from 1200 to 8000 Watts, and its 'hot restart' capabilities make it ideal for cinema use. He clearly went through the design of a lamp, highlighting its individual components and the importance of
We discussed the key differences between xenon lamps for film projectors and digital projectors, and the always controversial topic of why digital lamps are more expensive. The optical architecture of a digital projector requires a small and compact light source to illuminate the small aperture of the digital imaging device, and making highquality lamps with small arcs is necessarily a more skilled and more precise operation. Although current digital lamps provide superb performance, the increased heat density at the arc still means that the lifetime of current digital lamps is less than that of conventional lamps projectionists I know suggest that whereas a 'film' lamp might last a year in a typical cinema, they often find that they need to replace digital lamps at least twice as frequently. Osram are fully aware of this, of course, and the technical team told me that there is ongoing research and development that is resulting in
Wolfgang Seitz left, and Gerhard Löffler right, with Ralf Seedorf
digital lamp life and performance continuously improving. There is a research and development section on the Eichstätt site, and they examine everything from improved pre materials to enhanced manufacturing methods, and, importantly, they work closely with each of the projector designers and manufacturers to ensure optimum performance and the best possible lifetime total costs of ownership. It was explained why tungsten is the ideal material for the electrodes, with a melting point of 3410 degrees C and a boiling point of 5927 C. Having been given a small block of tungsten to handle (from which the
The completely automated bulb-forming machinery
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• TECHNOLOGY • anode would eventually be machined), I was surprised at its weight - tungsten has a relative density of 19.3, similar to gold. The other major component of an XBO lamp is the quartz glass envelope, composed of almost pure silica and resistant to very high temperatures and pressures. It is naturally transparent to near ultraviolet radiation, and to reduce this radiation, which could be harmful to people and the sensitive imagers of the projector, specially formulated titanium dioxide is added to the quartz during manufacture. The xenon gas which produces the light is colourless and odourless, with a boiling point of -108 degrees C, and is the rarest of the stable inert gases. It is obtained by liquifying air, but there is very little of it in a given quantity of air (less than 0.00001%) so it is very expensive when compared to other gases such as argon and krypton. We were shown the spectrum resulting from the xenon lamp discharge and a comparison of the ultra-violet radiation from quartz glasses doped with different compounds. It was also interesting to learn about the ignition sequence of a xenon lamp and the effect that careful control of this has on the performance and the lifetime of a lamp.
The factory tour
From top - Automated electrode assembly; Laser polishing of the electrode assemblies as part of the sealing process; The robotic assembly machine inserts the electrode assemblies into the bulb and completes the sealing and annealing processes
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Wolfgang Seitz and Gerhard LĂśffler took me into the factory production area, where we watched the manufacture of a digital cinema XBO lamp stage by stage. The factory has some 750 employees who work a five shift system 24 hours a day and seven days a week. It was explained that over 90% of the bulb manufacturing process is carried out by the inhoused designed automated machinery, with humans doing the remaining things that they do best, whether this is an overall critical inspection of the finished product, checking for untoward things that no computer could be programmed to look for or even ensuring that the bulbs are carefully packed for
• TECHNOLOGY • despatch. Many of the workers have been long-term employees of Osram, so the highly automated systems are complemented by experienced staff who have an in-depth knowledge of the lamp manufacturing processes.
Forming the glass I guess it is the glass-blowing part of lamp manufacture that seems particularly 'magic'. I had already asked why they didn't buy in readymade glass bulbs from a glass manufacturer, surely they can't be too different from exotic wineglasses? I was assured that this had been carefully considered and that they really had looked at 'outsourcing' in conjunction with glass manufacturers, whose readymade glass products are used for many of the other types of massproduced lamps that Osram make. The conclusion was that the only way to ensure that the critical glassware required to make sophisticated cinema lamps met all the necessary specifications was to make the bulbs on site. We began by watching the mechanical fingers of a robotic machine take a carefully pre-selected and checked length of quartz glass tubing. In a series of steps that proved fascinating to watch, the tube was heated in various glass flames and then, when the correct temperatures had been reached, was gently inflated as it rotated. The temperature, size and shape of the nascent bulb are constantly monitored by special inspection cameras and image-processing software which constantly checks the dimensions and iteratively apply more or less heat and more or less pressure for more or less time until the bulb is the perfect shape and size, with even wall thickness and stress-free glass. I couldn't help marvelling at the skill of the computer programmers and the machine designers who had made all this possible. The constantly reactive programme automatically makes any changes necessary due to changes in the tolerances of the original quartz tubing or changes in the ambient conditions around the factory.
Carefully checking the complete lamp
Each machine has a central robot arm system that serves four workstations so that four bulbs are being manufactured at any one time. In the part of the factory where I was I saw some nine machines of this type all continuously producing glass bulbs to the highest specifications, completely without human input. It takes between twenty and forty minutes to produce a particular type of bulb, and watching this remarkable process provided a reminder that to increase production numbers it would be necessary only to install and bring on line another machine, whereas it could take over a year to train up a single new craftsman, whose output would have to be less than any one of these machines. I gathered that there were originally some nine people making a particular type of specialist bulb, and that these have been replaced by the nine machines. It has taken 12 years of continuous work and trials to design and build the machines,
and the programming has been implemented using the accumulated knowledge of the original crafts people. I didn't see any faulty products during my visit, and no manufacturer is going to tell you the percentage failure rate, but I was told that the introduction of the machines has reduced 'shrinkage' by a factor of ten. Each bulb is measured and checked at every stage of the manufacturing process - they don't wait until the end of the process and then throw out the rejects. Each bulb carries a code that enables each stage of its manufacture to be retraced if necessary, so that any defects, no matter how slight, can be traced back to the original materials and the actual conditions under which the bulb was made.
Making the electrodes The carefully machined components of the tungsten electrode anode and cathode assemblies are brought together in a central clean-room area January-February 2013
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• TECHNOLOGY • recorded during ignition and operation. The light output of every digital cinema lamp is carefully checked.
And off to the customer
Production process flow chart
and, surprisingly, perhaps, the various bits are actually assembled by hand and then checked for dimensions and tolerances. I asked why the electrode assembly wasn't mechanised and was simply told that they had tried and had come to the conclusion that this series of delicate operations could more efficiently be carried out by skilled humans.
Putting it all together The next stages, the final assembly of the electrodes into the glass bulb and the effective sealing of the electrode assemblies into the ends of the glass bulb is completely automated, and I have to say that I found the robotic machinery absolutely fantastic - one of the wonders of the world! The photos alongside just can't do justice to the 'cleverness' of the machines, which use computer controlled hands to pick up the bulb, move it into a precisely positioned jig and then heat the bulb, and once everything is at the correct temperatures, the lamp tubes are cut by laser to exactly the correct length. It was incredible to watch the machine insert the electrodes, precisely position both anode and cathode, and then carry out the complex sealing process. A hole is drilled with hot gas and a filling tube is melted on before applying the annealing processes, which reduce
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any stresses in the whole lamp.
Checking and filling After cooling, the complete lamp is then checked carefully by a skilled operator, making careful visual checks and machine measurements for arc gap, geometry, concentricity. The filling process is completely automatic - the machine recognises each bulb, measures the bulb volume and knows exactly how much gas to fill it with. Liquid nitrogen is used to freeze the xenon, effectively compressing it so that the lamp can be automatically sealed. As the lamp returns to room temperature the pressure inside increases to its normal operating condition.
Fitting the metal bases Following further checks the metal base connectors are fitted (manually, I was surprised to see!) and the anode connection lead is screwed in.
Electrical testing - burning in After a further optical check the lamps are then ready for electrical testing prior to a full burning-in test. I was interested to see that every lamp is burned in for a full twenty minutes by a robotic test machine, and that voltage and current measurements are taken and
Each lamp is laser etched with a serial number and lamp type, and in all some 75 checks and measurements are made and recorded. This means that if any problem or query should occur during the lamp's working lifetime it will be possible to delve into the data archive to establish the history of each lamp in order to determine whether any manufacturing parameters were responsible. Osram are proud of the warranty that they provide for all their cinema lamps, and they use all the data that is collected during the lifetime of their lamps to feedback to the manufacturing engineers - I really was left with the impression that they are all keen to ensure that the whole process is one of continuous improvement, and the telling phrase 'we look after our customers' was used on several occasions. The lamps are then carefully packed for despatch to the customer, whether a cinema installation and service company or an individual cinema, and I can vouch for the effectiveness of the packaging as an Osram lamp arrived at my home a few days later, having travelled via the usual collection of courier vans, and it survived intact, of course! Many thanks to Ralf and to the whole Osram team who spent a great of time talking about and explaining their work. I really enjoyed my visit and was impressed by the sheer enthusiasm of everyone involved. Thanks also to Michaela Jager of F&H PR who made the detailed arrangements for my memorable visit for Osram. (The author Jim Slater is the Editor of Cinema Technology magazine, the specialist publication for cinema professionals. He can be reached at jim.slater@slaterelectronics.com)
REVIEW
11-13 December 2012 Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong The Team at CineAsia 2012, were pleased with the response they received from the exhibitors and attendees who were present at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre from 11 to 13th December 2012 attending the CineAsia 2012 Expo. CineAsia has always been the premier destination to learn about what's going on in the Asian cinema industry and this year was no exception. They had a full roster of film screenings, product presentations, educational seminars, special events, and a jampacked trade show and the attendees said adieu to CineAsia well-informed and excited about the year ahead. There was a gamut of excitement at CineAsia about the recordbreaking grosses at the box office that have made 2012 a great year for Asian Cinema, with Japan and China taking the lead. 2012 also saw dramatic growth in Digital 3D, with the Asia-Pacific region contributing to a double-digit growth in the worldwide market. The line-up of films at CineAsia was specially selected with releases that are sure to be very popular at the box office. This year's screenings included: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Warner Bros. Pictures International Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away Paramount Pictures International Hitchcock - Fox Searchlight Pictures Wreck-It Ralph - Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International
In addition to screenings, the attendees were wowed over the next three days by product presentations from each of the following major Hollywood studios as they showcased what's in store for the 2012 holiday season and beyond :•
20th Century Fox International
•
Universal Pictures International
•
Paramount Pictures International
•
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International
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Sony Pictures Releasing International
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Warner Bros. Pictures International
This year's educational seminars included important topics such as camcording and illegal online screen content; the impact of digital on concessions; how technology is driving alternative content; lasers in
exhibition; digital distribution and marketing. The trade show floor was complete sold out, with more companies than ever before. Each booth had something new to showcase in theatre technology and concessions. The products on showcase by a few exhibitors were Barco's DP2K10Sx, a fully integrated DCI-compliant projection system; Christie's Solaria One, a high value premium digital cinema offering; the most significant development in audio, the Dolby Atmos by Dolby Laboratories; the CM24 processor by Focux; GDC Technology showcased the GDC's SX-3000 standalone Integrated Media Block; TMS (Theatre Management System) by Kinoton; QSC's acoustic performance series; QubeTouch, a new user interface by Qube; The SRX - R515P digital cinema projection by Sony Digital Cinema; USL showcased the JSD-60 processor; Vista Entertainment Solutions featured their Vista InTouch software solution, and many more products were featured, presented and showcased on the floor.
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EVENT CALENDER
SPRING 2013 12-14 MARCH FRAMES, MUMBAI, INDIA www.ficci-frames.com
15-18 APRIL CINEMACON, LAS VEGAS, USA www.cinemacon.com
SUMMER 2013 24-27 JUNE CINEEUROPE BARCELONA, SPAIN www.cinemaexpo.com
Usually held on the evening on the last day of CineAsia, the Awards Program took place as a luncheon on 13th Dec, the last day of the Expo where a deserving group of individuals and companies were honored including: Han Seng Lim, Wanda Cinema Circuit, Megastar Cineplex, John Poison, Byung-Hun Lee, SeeYuen Ng, and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International. Following the luncheon, all were invited to join on a ferry ride to
Macau for the UA Cinema Galaxy Event, an experience which was new and thoroughly enjoyed by each and everyone present. Everyone toured the UA Galaxy Cinemas, enjoyed a screening of Wreck-It Ralph, then joined for a dinner reception at the Oasis restaurant at the Galaxy Macau. Last but not least, The CineAsia Team thanked the sponsors, the film companies and the trade show exhibitors for their continued support.
26-28 JULY CINEMA TODAY, CHENNAI, INDIA www.cinematoday.in
29-30 JULY CINEMA INDIA, MUMBAI, INDIA www.cinemaindiaexpo.com
Barco
Qube Cinema
Christie
Dolby
Strong
Doremi Cinema
USL
Kinoton
Osram
Volfoni
AUTUMN 2013 15-19 SEPTEMBER KINO EXPO, ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA www.kinoexpo.ru
13-17 OCTOBER AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL MOVIE CONVENTION GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA www.movieconvention.com.au
21-24 OCTOBER SHOWEAST, FLORIDA, USA www.showeast.com
WINTER 2013 9-12 DECEMBER CINEASIA, HONG KONG www.cineasia.com
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January-February 2013
FICCI FRAMES
PREVIEW
12-14 March 2013 The Renaissance, Powai, Mumbai FICCI FRAMES 2013, the 14th edition of Asia's largest annual global convention on the business of entertainment will be held from 12th -14th March, 2013 in Mumbai, India. As in previous years, the world media & entertainment industry will be in full attendance at FRAMES 2013, with nearly 2000 Indian and 600 foreign delegates encompassing the entire sector. FRAMES 2013 will have plenary and parallel sessions on a broad spectrum of issues covering the entire gamut of media & entertainment like Films, Broadcast (TV & Radio), Digital Entertainment, Animation, Gaming, Visual Effects, etc. over a period of three days. Korea will be the partner country and the country of focus at FRAMES and a sizeable and impressive Korean delegation of business leaders will also be there at FRAMES 2013. Some of the important International speakers for Frames 2013 are •
Andy Bird - Chairman Walt Disney International
•
Robert M. Bakish - President & CEO, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN)
•
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Anne Marie Sweeney - Co-Chair of Disney Media Networks & President of Disney-ABC Television Group Andy Kaplan - President International Networks Sony Pictures Television
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Dominic Proctor - President Group M, Worldwide
• BEST ANIMATED FRAMES (BAF) Awards
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Mira Nair - Film-maker
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Gurinder Chadha - Film-maker
• Shoot at site (The Film Tourism Seminar)
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Seymour Stein - Vice President Warner Bros Music
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Colin Brown - Former British High Commissioner & Film Producer
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Andy Weltman - Head, International Pinewood Studios
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Graham Broadbent - Producer, UK (Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)
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Paul O'Hanlon - CEO, Asia Pacific FreMantle Media
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Ms. Ellana Lee - Vice President and Managing Editor for CNN International Asia Pacifi
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Teri Schwartz - Dean, UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television (TFT)
Following are the major highlights of FICCI FRAMES 2013 : • Partner Country - Korea • Focussed Sessions by world renowned Speakers • Roundtables • The FICCI FRAMES Market • Technology Showcase • European Film Co Production Lounge
• Creative Workshops and master classes • Structured B2B business meetings • Country Specific delegations The FICCI FRAMES MARKET (FFM), a platform to create, buy, sell, finance, market and partner with entertainment content from all over the world was launched at FICCI FRAMES 2012. At FICCI FRAMES 2013 we will also launch our new initiative "Shoot at Site". Shoot at site aims to bring together the Entertainment and Tourism industry under the same platform to promote commerce between these two vibrant sectors. Shoot at Site will happen on March 15th 2013 at the same venue after the closing ceremony of FICCI FRAMES 2013. The day long conclave on 15th March will include interactive sessions with key stakeholders between Tourism & Entertainment industry, structured one to one B2B meetings, showcase of National & International film shooting locations.
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• CINEMA SYSTEMS • Projection Series-XXXVI
Being in Charge Following on from Unit 7, supervising projectionists have a special responsibility for creating and maintaining good working relationships in several important ways. As a supervisor or team leader, you often act as a link between the projection team and the management team. This provides the opportunity to be pro-active in developing and maintaining the kind of good working relationships which will improve your cinema's performance. Remember that if staffs are unhappy with each other, sooner or later this will be detected by members of the public, who may vote with their feet. You should be able to motivate, manage, assess, and supervise
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January-February 2013
members of your team, as well as delegate to them and enable their training and development. You may also be expected to assist in their recruitment. If you feel unprepared for any of these tasks, then you should seek training or guidance from
your management team before things go wrong. These are skills which most people have to learn, they come naturally to only a few. Though the detail is beyond the scope of this manual, here are some commonsense pointers which may be useful:
•
The best way to motivate others is by example; If you are motivated, it will rub off.
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Managing others involves mutual respect - it has to be earned.
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Assessment is only useful if it leads to improvement - feedback is essential.
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Supervising trained team members should be at arms length.
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Delegation involves trusting your team.
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Be firm but fair at all times.
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A little praise goes a long way.
• CINEMA SYSTEMS •
A supervising projectionist also has a special responsibility for the training of team members. As an experienced and skilled professional, you may also be the main trainer. Unfortunately, being a highly skilled practitioner does not automatically make you a good trainer. In fact if often puts you at a disadvantage, because your experience and knowledge makes it difficult for you to put yourself in the trainee's shoes. Again, the detail is beyond the scope of this literature, so if you are unsure of your abilities as a trainer, then you should ask your management for some trainer-training.
a happy team is a productive team!
Trainer's Survival Guide
Maintenance Scheduling
•
Learning to be a trainer yourself is not as easy as you might think.
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Check service contracts.
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Prevent breakdowns by scheduling.
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Keep up to date with training courses and other learning resources.
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Identify maintenance inputs and outputs.
Try always to put yourself in the trainee's shoesact as a mentor, not a teacher.
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Use a calendar.
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Identify downtime.
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Assume nothing- it may seem obvious to you, but it may not be to your trainees.
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Schedule by recommended task frequency.
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Show, don't tell
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Allow trainees to learn through experience- you cannot short-cut it.
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Health & Safety •
Know your special responsibilities.
•
Always give positive feedback.
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Learn hazard assessment.
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Do not put negative ideas in trainees' heads.
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Keep accurate records.
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Always work from the simple to the complex.
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Meet agreed performance criteria.
•
Never assume that your way is the best way.
•
•
You can learn yourself by training others.
Take the lead in fire prevention and emergency drills.
•
Find out what your company training objectives are and work within them.
•
Know your fire appliances.
•
Do not be afraid to make suggestions for new training objectives.
•
Training works best when manages believe in it managers like results.
•
Organise formal training sessions, and let informal ones happen.
•
Keep records.
Supervising •
Act as a link between projectionists and management.
•
Motivate, manage, assess & supervise.
•
Take the lead in training and development.
January-February 2013
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3D 3D !!!!!! !!!!!! Ruling the Market‌.. Adam MacDonald (AM) - Sales Manager EMEA, Digital Cinema for MasterImage 3D, London, is an industry veteran with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry. He has worked for some of the biggest names in digital cinema including DTS Digital Cinema, 20th Century Fox and Panavision. While having a wealth of experience in Digital Cinema, MacDonald also has a great understanding of 35mm Film, through his time working on film based Digital sound at DTS (later to become Datasat Digital Entertainment) and also working on the 35mm based 3D technology developed by Panavision. Adam shares his insight on 3D.
MacDonald is responsible for the sales of MasterImage 3D exhibition technology across the emerging markets of India, Russia and Eastern Europe and has spent extensive time in these regions building the partnerships required to sell and service the company's growing portfolio of cutting edge 3D technologies and high quality 3D glasses. Says MacDonald "I'm excited to be providing sales leadership for a company whose products and business models meet the needs of exhibitors right now, and whose quality blows the competition out of the water! Many cinemas around the world have now converted to Digital Cinema and benefit from our 3D technology, but there is still huge potential in the Indian market and emerging markets of Europe and Russia. Looking at the phenomenal Box Office of 3D movies in 2012 and amazing slate for 2013 and beyond, this truly is an exciting time to be involved in the industry"
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January-February 2013
TW – Tell us about the MasterImage 3D solutions to cinemas? AM – MasterImage 3D was started with our core team passionate that 3D content is a more interesting visual experience. We are a 3D display technology company that creates the best consumer experience, scaling from the biggest of screens (cinema) to the most personal devices (smartphones and tablets). Regardless the platform, we believe in the immersive depth and engagement of 3D. We began our commitment to changing how we interact with 3D in
2004, and then entered the cinema 3D business in 2008. Our approach is simple. Captivate audiences with stunning clarity and color fidelity. Provide the best possible technology for a premium solution to theatres and integrators. Be trustworthy and nimble to service an evolving business. Offer the lowest total cost of ownership model that allows theatres to maximize revenues as 3D movies thrive. Last year, we expanded our product suite so that any theatre has the opportunity to have the right MasterImage 3D system for them. Our products range to fit the theatre needs regardless of
size- big or small-or projection booth type-standard or boothless. Customers appreciate our comprehensive approach, no hidden costs or ongoing royalties and hasslefree passive eyewear solutions. This is why we continue to get new partners and expand into new regions. TW – What is the current count of MasterImage 3D solutions across the world? AM – Digital 3D is a global phenomenon. We have been aggressive to build out our footprint to service that demand. Headquartered in Hollywood, we're close to the Studios and production technologies. We have offices in London and Seoul to service Europe and Asia with and an active presence in Latin America, Russia, China and India. Our systems can be found in over 70 countries spanning the globe with over 5,000 deployments that is primed to grow aggressively in 2013. India is a major target for MasterImage 3D as Bollywood leads in 3D creativity and expression. You can add Russia, Poland, Brazil, Mexico, Japan and, of course, China to that list. When you have a strong slate of AAA 3D films and emerging markets with a taste for 3D content, it adds up to be an exciting equation. TW – How potential do you see the Asia vis-à-vis the global market for digital 3D cinema? AM – Asia is a tremendous growth opportunity for digital cinema. MasterImage 3D started in Seoul, so we have always been committed to Asia as a territory driving 3D innovation and adoption. Now more than ever, it is incredibly exciting. On one hand, Asia has the best diversity of local culture and economies. As we meet with cinemas and integrators across India, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Australia and Japan, we see the enthusiasm for 3D cinema and realize the need to have a country-bycountry approach. In 2013, MasterImage 3D will be active at a
local-level, whether it is at the regional industry events or our own co-sponsored gatherings. One can't deny the emergence of China as global taste-maker for digital cinema and 3D. Look at the Chinese group, Wanda, acquiring the second largest USA cinema chain, AMC, as the impact Asia is having on the world of global cinema. Moviegoers in China have a wonderful
appetite for Hollywood content (and 3D) which is making China crucial to global 3D releases and also sparking creativity in the local 3D content creation sector. Locally-produced content will ensure a very healthy outlook for 3D in China. A major story has been the successful year Bollywood had in 2012 and how the types of movies and opportunities for Indian actors are evolving significantly. Clearly, India is embracing D-Cinema and Hollywood 3D. As the local industry continues to push creativity and as the digital and 3D rollout aggressively moves forward in the market, we are very optimistic that directors in India will become recognized as some of the bravest and most innovative in 3D films. TW – Tell us about the new MICLARITY3D? AM – We take a focused look at what makes for truly great cinematic 3D. It is a balance of vivid image brightness with a combination of color fidelity and clarity of presentation. We take into account the total picture as we design the MICLARITY3D product suite. The core technology is our proprietary Circular Polarized Filter Disc, which enables the clearest visuals and most vibrant colors. Our spinning polycarbonated disc synchronizes with the projector and silver screen to deliver the comfortable 3D images with the lowest cross-talk. The solution- from system to eyewear-aims to achieve the purest picture quality possible. We adopt a less is more philosophy. With the circulating disk, we apply fewer filter materials between the projector and screen to reduce artifacts or image degradation. The MasterImage 3D eyewear and system are packaged as a matching set that use that same polarization filter material. Our customers praise how easy it is to use. The installation is effortless. The MI-CLARITY3D product suite upgraded this model to have the
January-February 2013
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projection in either a horizontal or vertical motion. TW – Is there any particular strategy from MasterImage 3D to promote MI-CLARITY3D?
latest full sync and automation options to give the theatre more control where user-friendly software upgrades to 2D/3D positioning and memory. The system is High-FrameRate (HFR) 3D compatible to support this exciting new trend in digital cinema. TW – What was the thought behind getting MI-CLARITY3D to the market? AM – MasterImage 3D's original product was called the MI-2100 system with our Circular Polarized Filter Disc. Not only is the MICLARITY3D sleeker and more flexible, but it comes in three models designed to meet the contemporary needs of theatres with different projection types. MI-CLARITY3D SA: Standard model that moves easily between auditoriums for film booking flexibility. It is a freestanding system with exceptional reliability and low maintenance. MI-CLARITY3D MX: For theatres with no projection booths (mezzaninefree). It is a compact HEPA-covered filter head that mounts onto a bootless projector rack, equipped with a control console that allows for mounting with 5m of filter assembly. Now, bootless projection does not mean a sacrifice in 3D image quality. MI-CLARITY3D RH: For smaller projection booths, we have our remote sliding head model. If you need to accommodate a tight space, this solution is a free-mounting frame that allows the filter head to move in-and-out of postion of 3D/2D
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January-February 2013
AM – We work closely with all of the leading integrators around the world. It is our goal to make it very easy for any theatre to get educated on our product superiority and participate in our low cost of ownership business model. No ongoing royalties. No license fees. No seat tax. No hidden costs. We think with a one-time purchase, it is a simple ROI for a great product. Many theatres around the world agree. TW – What would be the approximate investment for MICLARITY3D? AM – We work with a significant network of highly skilled reseller partners who keep our prices in their markets extremely competitive and inline with market prices. Our product value is a great advantage to our customers. TW – How is MasterImage 3D eyewear superior with many passive eyewear in the market? AM – As mentioned, our eyewear is precisely designed to match the optics of our 3D system. Costeffective, high-quality polarized lenses, optimized for our system and lightweight and comfortable designs. Plus, we have several stylish models to choose from that range in sizes for adults and children. MasterImage 3D eyewear is recyclable, individually packaged and easy distribution. An additional option is our reusable clipon frames, that are comfortable and convenient to rest on top of prescription eyewear. Whatever the theatres needs, we have a solution that is affordable and presents a complete solution. TW – What are your future plans for developing 3D? AM – We were founded on a spirit of technology inspiration. Whether
challenging the initial models of 3D systems to lessen crosstalk and maximize color fidelity or creating greenfield product categories for glasses-free 3D enjoyment, we are dedicated to evolving what is possible in 3D display. In 2012, we were focused on High-Frame-Rate (HFR) compatibility for all our systems. We rolled out our MIWAVE3D system for smaller theatres. In 2013, we cannot go into details on our plans and products, but we can ensure that we are looking deeply at how to make brighter more vibrant 3D images. We have great plans to captivate audiences. TW – How do you see the future of cinema exhibition in Asia? AM – There is no doubt that the future of exhibition in Asia looks extremely exciting, with improved facilities, a wider range of global content. There is every reason to believe that it really will continue to be a powerhouse in global exhibition, if trends continue the way they currently are. In terms of technical capabilities and the offer to the cinema-goer, many of the theatres across the Asia region are true world beaters and extremely progressive in their quality and offerings. We will continue to not only see a rise in the amount of 3D enabled screens, but also in screens offering further experiences such as 3D sound and even 4D and beyond! As a company that was founded in Korea, Asia, MasterImage 3D certainly sees the entire region as an area for strong growth and it will remain a major focus for us now and in the future.
entertainworld
Asian Sridevi Mall
Warangal’s First Asian Sridevi Mall is presently the hottest new launch in Warangal, being the first multiplex theatre it now draws crowds of people to see its splendor with 3 screens on the top floor, food courts in the second floor and clothing shops in the first floor. B C Welfare Minister Basvaraju Saraiah inaugurated Asian Sridevi Mall (ASM) located near bus stand road in Hanamkonda in November. MLA’s Kondeti Sridhar, T Rajaiah, Congress leader Varada Rajeshwar Rao, former Mayor Errabelli Swarna and others were present. Daggubati Suresh Babu, Allu Aravind, V V Vinayak, P Surender Reddy and other biggies were present from the film industry.
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entertainworld Asian cinemas, which is into Multiplex Business, is a brand promoted by Mr. Narayandas Narang & Mr. Suresh Babu who are pioneers in running single screen cinema halls in Andhra Pradesh. Hanamkonda, Warangal is the first property of the Company to come into operation since November 2012 and is 120 kms from Hyderabad having 3 screens Multiplex situated in the shopping mall with capacity 343, 342 & 305 seats in the latest screens. Each auditorium is equipped with JBL sound system, Harkness screens and 2K Barco projection system, and is entirely air conditioned.
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January-February 2013
entertainworld One screen is equipped with silver screen for 3-D movies. The multiplex is designed by Mr. Eranna Ekbote, who is an architect from Era Architects, Mumbai.
January-February 2013
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F U T U R E
R E L E A S E S
A glimpse of movies coming soon‌ Bullet to the Head Production Warner Bros.
Production Open Road Films
Director Walter Hill
Director Steven Soderbergh
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang
Starring Jude Law, Rooney Mara
Genre Action, Thriller
Genre Psychological
Warm Bodies
Spiders 3D Production Summit Entertain.
Production Millennium
Director Jonathan Levine
Director Tibor Takacs
Starring Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer
Starring Patrick Muldoon, Christa Campbell
Genre Horror, Romance
Genre Horror, Sci-Fi
Identity Thief
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January-February 2013
Side Effects
Top Gun 3D Production Universal Pictures
Production Paramount Pictures
Director Seth Gordon
Director Tony Scott
Starring Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy
Starring Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis
Genre Comedy
Genre Action, Adventure
F U T U R E
A Good Day to Die Hard
R E L E A S E S
Dark Skies
Production 20th Century Fox
Production Dimension Films
Director John Moore
Director Scott Stewart
Starring Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney
Starring Keri Russell, Josh Hamilton
Genre Action, Adventure
Genre Sci-Fi, Thriller
Beautiful Creatures
Snitch
Production Warner Bros.
Production Summit Entertain.
Director Richard
Director Ric Roman Waugh
Starring Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Susan Sarandon
Genre Drama
Genre Action, Thriller
Escape from Planet Earth
21 and Over
Production The Weinstein
Production Relativity Media
Director Cal Brunker
Director Jon Lucas
Starring Jane Lynch, Craig Robinson
Starring Miles Teller, Justin Chon
Genre Animation, Comedy
Genre Comedy
Safe Haven
Jack the Giant Slayer Production Relativity Media
Production New Line Cinema
Director Lasse Hallstrรถm
Director Bryan Singer
Starring Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough
Starring Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson
Genre Drama
Genre Action, Adventure
January-February 2013
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F U T U R E
The Last Exorcism Part II
R E L E A S E S The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
Production CBS Films
Production New Line Cinema
Director Ed Gass-Donnelly
Director Don Scardino
Starring Ashley Bell
Starring Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi
Genre Horror, Thriller
Admission
Stoker Production Fox Searchlight
Production Focus Features
Director Park Chan-wook
Director Paul Weitz
Starring Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode
Starring Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Michael
Genre Thriller
Genre Comedy, Drama
Dead Man Down
January-February 2013
The Croods
Production FilmDistrict
Production 20th Century Fox
Director Niels Arden Oplev
Director Chris Sanders
Starring Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace
Starring Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds
Genre Action, Thriller
Genre Animation, Comedy
Oz The Great and Powerful
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Genre Comedy
InAPPropriate Comedy
Production Walt Disney
Production Freestyle Releasing
Director Sam Raimi
Director Vince Offer
Starring James Franco, Mila Kunis
Starring Adrien Brody, Rob Schneider
Genre Fantasy
Genre Comedy
F U T U R E
The Place Beyond the Pines
R E L E A S E S
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Production Focus Features
Production Paramount Pictures
Director Derek Cianfrance
Director Jon Chu
Starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper
Starring D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee
Genre Drama
Genre Action, Adventure
The Host
Wrong Production Drafthouse Films
Production Open Road Films
Director Quentin Dupieux
Director Andrew Niccol
Starring Jack Plotnick, Éric Judor
Starring Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons
Genre Comedy
Genre Suspense, Thriller
Temptation
ABCD - Any Body Can Dance Production Lionsgate
Production UTV Spot Boy
Director Tyler Perry
Director Remo DSouza
Starring Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Lance Gross
Starring Kay Kay Menon, Prabhu Dheva
Genre Comedy,
Genre Dance
Olympus Has Fallen
Special 26
Production FilmDistrict
Production Wide Frames Films
Director Antoine Fuqua
Director Neeraj Pandey
Starring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart
Starring Akshay Kumar, Kajal Aggarwal
Genre Action, Adventure
Genre Action,Crime
January-February 2013
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F U T U R E
R E L E A S E S
Murder 3
The Attacks Of 26/11 Production Vishesh Films
Production Eros International
Director Vishesh Bhatt
Director Ram Gopal Varma
Starring Randeep Hooda, Aditi Rao Hydari
Starring Nana Patekar, Sanjeev Jaiswal
Genre Thriller
Genre Crime
Himmatwala
I, Me Aur Main Production Reliance Entertain.
Production Utv Motion Pictures
Director Kapil Sharma
Director Sajid Khan
Starring John Abraham, Chitrangda Singh
Starring Ajay Devgn, Tamannaah Bhatia
Genre Romance
Genre Action
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
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Company
Page #
Product
Website
Amar AV
TM-31
Screens
bhup@amarscreens.com
www.amarscreens.com
Anutone
TM-10
Acoustics
info@anutone.com
www.anutone.com
Barco
TM-5
Projectors
sales.in@barco.com
www.barco.com
Christie
TW-44
Projectors
sharon.lee@christiedigital.com
www.christiedigital.com
CinemaCon
TW-2
Tradeshow
mitch.neuhauser@natodc.com
www.cinemacon.com
CinemaToday
TM-32
Tradeshow
info@buysellint.com
www.cinematoday.in
DLP
TW-7
Digital Cinema
guns@ti.com
www.dlpcinema.com
FICCI Frames
TM-2
Tradeshow
anirban.chatterjee@ficci.com
www.ficci.com
Galalite
TM-7
Screens
info@galalitescreens.com
www.galalitescreens.com
Harkness
TW-11,15
Screens
r.mitchell@harkness-screens.com
www.harkness-screens.com
Harman
TW-43
Sound
indiaproinfo@harman.com
www.harman.in
Innovative
TM-9
Seating
rmp@innovativeseatings.com
www.innovativeseatings.com
Osram
TM-3
Projection Lamps
p.deshpande@osram.com
www.osram.com
QSC
TW-3
Sound
savannah_english@qscaudio.com www.qsccinema.com
USL
TW-5
Sound
uslinc@uslinc.com
January-February 2013
www.uslinc.com