Tag Archives: 3D

Fithian Keynote Kicks Off ICTA Tech Conference

January 20, 2010

John Fithian of NATO

Not even a record setting rain storm could keep cinema professionals away from the Universal Hilton in Universal City yesterday where the International Cinema Technology Association was holding it’s annual tech conference. After a Monday evening cocktail reception, the program began in earnest with a keynote address from John Fithian, President of the National Association of Theatre Owners.

In a speech billed as a “State of the Industry” in the conference schedule, Fithian covered a wide range of hot button topics not all of which were geared strictly to many of the motion picture engineers in the room. He began by recapping the box office records that were shattered in 2009, a year which saw North American combined grosses surpass the USD $10 billion mark. Fithian was quick to point out that such earnings were not due to just the rise in ticket prices, but rather an increase in the number of patrons visiting cinemas nationwide. In fact, decade-over-decade, the average number of moviegoers rose from 995 million in the 1970’s to 1.13 billion in 1980’s upwards to 1.28 billion in the 1990’s settling at 1.44 billion for the decade which just ended.

A good portion of Fithian’s talk was focused on many of the reasons 2009 was such a spectacular year for the cinema business and how the industry might continue to grow even more. He detailed three key drivers he believed were responsible, not the least of which was the major studios getting better at understanding there are 12 months in the calender. Fithian stated:

For years we put out everything in the summer, we put out everything in the holidays and you couldn’t find an person in the cinema in February or September. That is no longer the case…. we’re getting good pictures that appeal to different demographics with different genres spread throughout the 12 months and that’s fantastic. That’s what we have to have.

Affordability of movies as a form of entertainment was the second reason Fithian gave for 2009’s growth. Despite the increase in ticket prices over the years, and even with the premium for 3D films, the price of a movie ticket has not outpaced inflation. In 1969 the price of a movie ticket in the U.S. was USD $1.42. In 2009 that price had risen to a nationwide average of roughly USD $7.56. If ticket prices had kept up with the rate of inflation, then starting with USD $1.42 in 1969, we should presently have an average ticket price of USD $8.37.

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Box Office Review-Sunday 16 August “District 9 Is No. 1″

By Carolyn Giardina

August 16, 2009

The Peter Jackson-produced scifi release “District 9” from TriStar debuted in the North American box office’s top spot this weekend, with an estimated $37 million.
In its second week, Paramount’s “G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra” was behind it with an estimated $22.5 million; and Warner Bros.’ “The Time Traveler’s Wife” debuted at number three with an estimated $19.2 million.
Another debut in the North American box office this weekend was animation great Hayao Miyazaki’s magical “Ponyo,” released this weekend by Buena Vista, which played in 927 theaters and earned an estimated $3.5 million.
Sunday estimates also suggest that Disney’s “G-Force” added $6.9 million to its gross for a new total of $99 million.
As the 3D guinea pigs of “G-Force” approach $100 million, the final 3D movies of the summer are about to open. Disney’s sports feature “X Games 3D: The Movie” debuts on Aug. 21, followed by Warner Bros./New Line’s thriller “The Final Destination” on Aug. 28.
There are a little more than 1600 3D ready d-cinema theaters in North America and that count has been a factor to watch all summer. Disney’s “Up” surrendered most of its 3D-ready theaters on the weekend that the next 3D release, Fox’s “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” opened. And “Ice Age” did the same when “G-Force” debuted. North American theater owners charge a premium of roughly $2 to see a movie in 3D.

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Box Office Review-Sunday 9 August “G.I. Joe” Opens With $56.2 Million”

By Carolyn Giardina

August 9, 2009

gimovie Paramount’s big budget “G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra” opened with an estimated $56.2 million in the North American box office this weekend, giving it the top spot. Sony’s debut “Julie and Julia” finished second with $20.1 million.
Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer’s live action/CGI “G-Force”—a digital 3D release—finished third in its third week with an estimated $9.8 million, bringing its estimated domestic total to $86.1 million.
Disney continues to hold the majority of the just over 1600 3D-ready digital cinema venues in the market, and estimates suggest that 3D accounts for more than half of the gross.
sea3d1 Estimates suggest that the weekend top five was rounded out by Warner Bros.’ “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,” with $8.9 million and a total gross of $273.8 million; and Universal’s “Funny People” with nearly $7.9 million for a new total of $40.4 million.
There are a few more weeks to go before the final summer 3D releases arrive in theaters. Disney’s “X Games 3D: The Movie” opens Aug. 21, followed by Warner Bros./New Line’s “The Final Destination” on Aug. 28.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. and Imax announced last week that “Under the Sea 3D” will be rereleased in select Imax theaters on Aug. 19.
Last February, “Under the Sea 3D” opened in 49 Imax theaters domestically and three locations internationally and has since grossed more than $15 million in worldwide box office. “Under the Sea 3D” follows 2006’s “Deep Sea 3D,” which has topped $80 million in worldwide box office receipts.

Popularity: 5% [?]

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Box Office Review-Monday 8 June “Up Soars Over $100 Million”

By Carolyn Giardina

June 8, 2009

In its second weekend in release, “Up”—Pixar’s 10th animated feature and first in digital 3D—crossed the $100 million mark. The film earned $44.1 million in North America, to reach a domestic total gross of $137.2 million. The film opened in 3,818 theaters, including roughly 1,535 that were 3D ready.
Still, when the final weekend numbers were released Monday, Warners’ new comedy “The Hangover,” has just squeaked by Pixar with just under $45 million for the weekend.
Universal’s new Will Ferrell-starrer “Land of the Lost” disappointed, bringing in $18.8 million.
“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” and “Star Trek” finished fourth and fifth respectively. “Museum” earned $14.6 million for a new domestic total of $127.3 million, while “Star Trek” brought in another $8.3 million in North America for a new domestic gross of $222.7 million.
The debut of “My Life in Ruins,” starring Nia Vardalos (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) earned $3.2 million.

Popularity: 12% [?]

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Cinema News Roundup - 29-30 May

By Patrick von Sychowski

May 30, 2009

-Thinking of searching your cinema patrons bags for camcorders? You could end up like a somewhat indiscreet Canadian cinema owner who was ordered to pay C$10,000 in damages to a woman and her daughter for violating their privacy. From CTV.ca, “Security guards didn’t find any video equipment in the family’s bags, but did turn up a large selection of snack food, which they asked the family to take back to their vehicle, Lurie said. “They did so willingly. But they continued the search of the bags and while searching they also uncovered some birth control pills belonging to the older daughter,” Lurie said.” Needless to say, this proved a bit of a surprise to the mother, who promptly sued Cinemas Guzzo in Montreal. Mr Guzzo, VP of the cinema says searches of patrtons bags will continue, but “I don’t want to put my hands in your bag. In fact, leave the bags in the car.“”;

- BECTU, UK’s Media and Entertainment labour union, has launched a study of how the future will impact cinema technicians. The unions website lists a set of ‘Future challenges’:

* How will an increase in digital projection affect projectionist roles?
* What new skills challenges do staff face?
* Is there room for new skills to be developed alongside the current skillset?
* Are significant job losses a necessary consequence of digital projection?
* How will digitisation affect career development?

These are important questions and it is good to see BECTU taking this up at an early stage. Hopefully in addition to the Cinema Exhibitors Association and to the BKSTS, BECTU will also co-ordinating it with other public efforts in the UK, such as those of Skillset, in the digital field;

- NEC is touting its new high brightness projector ahead of this weekend’s US release of Pixar’s “Up.” The NEC NC2500S-A 2K digital cinema projector will be used at New York’s Ziegfeld Theatre, according to the press release, which goes on to say that it, “allows 3D content to utilize the full 2K resolution of the 1.2” DMD from Texas Instruments using triple flash technology for smooth motion. With an increase in resolution and brightness of up to 33 percent, compared to previous generations, the boost in performance means a greater viewing experience for theatergoers.” NEC is offering this upgrade “free” to all pre-existing customers, presumably meaning that they will swap out older projectors.. NEC wishes to make it clear that it is NOT offering this upgrade “free” and that it is a parts upgrade, not a complete swap of the projector;

- Active 3D eye-wear company XpanD is supplying its glasses to Spanish exhibitor Yelmo. From the press release, “Yelmo Cines, which has a prominent presence with 370 screens and growing, a driving annual attendance over 12 million and a leading position, will continue to help drive the digital expansion by installing 29 XpanD 3D screens in 2009, six which are already operating.” Technically, XpanD is not installing ’screens’ as you can move the glasses and IR transmitters between any auditoriums in a multiplex. Interestingly no mention of Arts Alliance, who had previously trumpeted how they were helping expand Yelmo’s digital capabilities for 3D. What’s the Spanish word for ungratefull?;

- Despite the economic downturn in Gulf state cities like Dubai, the multiplex boom continues according to Khaleeji Times. “Watching movies is going to get a lot better with The Dubai Mall all set to open the Reel Cinemas, one of UAE’s largest cinema complexes featuring 22 screens and a seating capacity for 2,800 people. The highlight of the cineplex is the introduction of the Hollywood Chic design concept, which ensures a modern ?cinema experience.” It will also feature the first dedicated art-house halls in a Dubai multiplex, called Platinum Movie Suites. The company is a joint venture established between Cathay Organisation Singapore and Emaar Malls Group Dubai in 2007;

- Possibly stung by the decision of AMC and Regal Cinema to go with Sony’s 4K projectors, Christie Digital has put out a press release announcing that “Independent exhibitors continue to embrace proven Christie DLP Cinema® projectors.” Upon closer reading the press release turns out to be about Christie’s work with dealers and re-sellers for the 2K projectors to offer “more customizable programs that provide marketing and sales support, technical advice and expertise, maintain spare parts inventory, and deliver a streamlined RMA process which resolves issues quickly and speeds up the advanced warranty replacement process.” It then goes on to list several testimonials. All true and important, but no doubt Christie would have preferred to put out a press release with the name ‘Regal’ or ‘AMC’ in it, rather than ‘Classic Cinemas’ and ‘Essex Cinemas’, fine independent exhibitors though these may be;

- Growth in 3D and large format (LF) cinemas is what is driving Ballantyne of Omaha’s expansion of its cinema screen manufacturing capacity at its Canadian Strong/MDI Screen Systems subsidiary, according to this press release. “The expansion effort, which began in the latter half of 2008 and will continue through 2009, is focused on expanding plant capacity and productivity, as well as improving production methods to further enhance screen quality.” The expansion wil tripple capacity. It goes without saying that it is great news in these tough times to see an industry and company expanding instead of laying of people or asking for bail outs;

- AMC is raising $300m worth of capital to help pay for $250m worth of debt, according to this announcement. “AMC Entertainment Inc. (”AMC” or the “Company”) announced today that it is proposing to issue $300 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2019 (the “Notes”) in a private offering that is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Company intends to use a portion of the net proceeds from this private offering to purchase the Company’s outstanding $250 million aggregate principal amount of 8?% Senior Notes due 2012 (the “2012 Notes”)” The difference of $50m will be used for ‘other general corporate purposes‘;

- Two historic cinema buildings in Scotland’s two principal cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow, face demolition. The razing of Clerk Street’s Odeon Cinema (pictures right) has been given the go ahead by Edinburgh’s City Council, but “Proposals to demolish the auditorium of an historic cinema in Edinburgh are “not justified”, according to a report commissioned by Historic Scotland,” reports BBC News. Meanwhile, The Scotsman reports that, “a historic former cinema in Glasgow is facing demolition after fire ripped through it in the early hours of yesterday morning…The Coliseum had fallen into disrepair and was on the Register for Scotland Buildings at Risk list. Originally a theatre, it opened in 1905 and was based on the now demolished Ardwick Empire in Manchester, and seated almost 3,000 people.” It was the first cinema in Glasgow to show ‘talking pictures’, but like all-too-many UK cinemas only survived as a bingo hall in its last 15 yearts of existance.

Popularity: 31% [?]

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Daily Cinema Roundup - Wed 13 May - “Going forward it will look different after the 3D screens are in place.”

By Patrick von Sychowski

May 13, 2009

Say hello to my little 8K friend!

- For those that decry Imax Digital’s 2×2K imaging technology, perhaps we can interest you in JVC’s new 8K projector? (pictured above) From CrunchGear, “8K content is pretty much…impossible to find right now. Unless you were to make a motion-JPEG movie out of full-size shots from a Hasselblad, I don’t think 8K is even approaching necessary. Fortunately, it also supports 4K (and why shouldn’t it?), a more reachable standard and one at which hi-def cinema cameras are actually shooting.” At 10,000 lumens, it won’t even make a proper size Imax screen blush, but it would do justice to a fully scanned Imax film frame (69.6 mm x 48.5 mm), so you could watch the action set pieces from “The Dark Knight” at home, just as Messrs Noland and Pfister intended them to be seen;

- National CineMedia Q1 2009 Earnings Call Transcript has been posted online courtesy of Seekingalpha. It’s been a good quarter for NCM with revenue up 17 per cent. “The improving reach of our networks, especially in the larger DMAs, is continuing to aid our strategy to broaden our client base. Several new clients are buying our network for the first time in 2009, including clients in the retail, import auto, broadcast TV, cable TV, and restaurant categories. I was most encouraged by the fact that several clients who had previously bought Screen Vision exclusively began to buy our network.” Which leads us to conclude that Screenvision’s Q1 was probably not as good;

- HBO will not be sponsoring Washington DC’s Screen of The Green, ending the outdoor summer cinema tradition after nine years, according to the Washington Post. “Ah, memories. The persistent bugs, the hateful humidity, the evening thunderstorms rumbling in the distance, the veggie plates and the contraband alcohol — Screen on the Green allowed us to experience all the hallmarks of a summer in D.C. at once, with a classic film unspooling on a giant screen on the grassy expanse between Fourth and Seventh streets NW. It was fine viewing on prime real estate.” There is a Facebook group to save the Screen on the Green event, but unless a new big sponsor is found, don’t expect President Obama to dig into the TARP funding to rescue this tradition. Other outdoor screening continue, though, in the suburbs, “Rosslyn is running movies from the ’80s every Friday through September at Gateway Park near the Key Bridge. Crystal City is doing the same thing with superhero movies. Other outdoor festivals are hosted in Bethesda, Rockville and elsewhere in Arlington.” As far as cheap or even free cinema entertainment goes, outdoor screenings are hard to beat, particularly in these tight financial days;

- The hunt is on for the Norwegian projectionist believed responsible for camcording and uploading a recent local hit Max Manus, according to Screen International. “The film was released on 103 prints but was illegal copies were made available online shortly afterwards. Filmkameratene tried to trace their origin from the so called ’water marks,’ different signals on each film copy which are not visible to the audiences, but readable to computers. The result has not been reported.” It sounds like the copy was made off a digital cinema screening, though it could also be the more primitive cap coding on 35mm prints. We will try to track this one;

- While box office taking are good, US exhibitors like Regal Cinemas are still having to scale back their growth plans because of the tighter credit climate, according to Reuters. “But plans to build 10 to 12 new theaters per year have been tempered by the ability of shopping center owners to move forward with projects, Campbell said. Regal expects building to be slowed to five to six theaters per year for the next three to five years, he said. The company’s participation in Digital Conversion Implementation Partners — a partnership with the No. 2 and No. 3 U.S. theater chains aimed at converting screens to digital and 3D projection systems — also had been slowed in the financing stage.” Regal is expecting growth to continue at four to five per cent for the next five years, but that is without calculating the added growth from 3D, which they say is “harder to project” (no pun intended). Quote in headline from new CEO Amy miles;

- More signs of the recession, UK’s Vue is putting on free film screenings, The Times tells us. Just don’t expect “Star Trek”. Instead Metrodome is providing some…interesting…choices. “First up, on May 15th, One Eyed Monster. What sounds like a classic piece of schlockeroo starring adult film legends Ron Jeremy & Veronica Hart with”Buffy The Vampire Slayer” pin-up Amber Benson. Expect slimy alien creatures and unwise costume choices from an array of screaming starlets. And, most importantly, expect it for free.” The participating cinemas are: Vue West End, Vue Cambridge, Vue Edinburgh Omni, Vue Manchester Lowry and Vue Bristol Cribbs Causeway and you can get a ticket by e-mailing creditcrunch@metrodomegroup.com. Bless;

- THR.com uses the Cannes premier of Pixar’s “Up” as a jump off point for two in-depth articles about 3D in general and in Europe in particular: ‘Who’ll pay for 3-D glasses? Exhibitors, studios squabble over who should foot the bill‘ and ‘3-D accelerates as ‘Up’ opens Cannes - Film’s exposure at the fest could give 3-D an international push.’ Both articles are well worth reading and we particularly like Chris Morris’ illustration of what the black tie screening might look like (right), though perhaps XpanD as one of the sponsors and technology providers of the event might want to have a word with him for drawing anaglyph red-and-blue glasses instead of the Nuvision active glasses. We hope to bring you a picture of Co-Editor Sperling on site with glasses for comparison. Possibly even a report on the event if he can tear himself away from the Cannes parties. Follow him on Twitter here, where he reports: “The press in Cannes loved Pxar’s “Up”. Many in the press screening audience were all teary eyed at the end.“;

- Slight relief for Indian multiplexes (and cinema goers) as Bollywood film “99″ opens this Friday in defiance of the Distributor-Exhibitor stand-off, while Sony Pictures is going ahead with the release of “angels & Demons” on 29th of May. But two films don’t make a box office summer and the dispute remains unresolved.

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Daily Cinema Roundup - Tuesday 12 May - “Hollywood is providing people with some pretty sweet two-hour vacations.”

By Patrick von Sychowski

May 12, 2009

- The backlash against IMAX Digital appears to have begun in earnest with a Slashfilm blog post titled ‘Why You Probably Shouldn’t Waste $5 More For Digital IMAX‘. Imax gets taken up for the shrinking screen size (see comparison above), as well as the resolution of the new projectors. “Not only are the IMAX Digital screens much smaller in size, but also a much lower resolution. IMAX digital currently uses two 2K-resolution Christie projectors
to project two 2K images over each other, producing an image that is potentially of a slightly higher resolution than common 2K digital cinema. But with AMC installing Sony 4K digital cinema projection systems in all 309 theaters and 4,628 screens by 2012, why would anyone want to pay $5 more for a lower resolution theatrical experience?” A knowledgeable industry insider told me at this year’s ShoWest that he was surprised that the audience hadn’t cottoned on to what he termed a ‘con trick’. Looks like they might do;

- There are a lot of Iron Maiden fans around the world, is the conclusion we draw from the announcement about the large number of people who went to see the aging rockers in ‘Iron Maiden: Flight 666‘. From the press release, “70% of the total admissions, which exceeded 100,000, were from one-day-only special event screenings, day and date, on April 21st. The feature length film, released exclusively on digital prints, has achieved the distinction of being the biggest ever worldwide simultaneous release of a documentary film.” In case you were wondering, “Flight 666 won the audience award for Best Music Documentary at the recent South by South West festival.” Rock on;

- Celebration Cinemas is getting it’s third generation of Loek’s running the Michigan based exhibitor. 32-year old J.D. Loek seems a pretty progressive sort of chap, based on the interview inMLive.com. “Two years ago, J.D. Loeks, then chief operating officer, led the company to adopt digital projection technology. The $14 million project expanded the options for the Loeks chain of movie theaters. “With film projectors, the only thing you can put on our screen is film stock,” Loeks said… “With digital, you not only have better movies, but you can put anything on the screen, including live TV broadcasts, anything on satellite, or anything on a computer screen.” Young Master Loek has his eyes squarely on what the technology could do for the exhibitor’s bottom line. “The technology brought opportunity to theaters with plenty of seating for large groups. “It’s redefining what we can do in our facilities,” Loeks said. “We’re doing catering, banquets, sports events, business meetings, non-profit fund-raisers. We’re in a period of rebranding right now.” The non-movie events have grown from 1 percent of the company’s income heading to 10 percent over the next year or two.” The quote in today’s headline is from JD;

- Want to know how to be a recessionista cinema goer in Korea? The Korea Herald has some good suggestions. “Even for just the price of a cup of coffee you can see some of the newest releases in Seoul. At small theaters in your area and even larger chain megaplexes in Seoul (Megabox, Lotte Cinema, Cinnus, CGV) you can watch early-morning showings throughout the week, and on the weekend, for about 4,000 won. Also, late-night double- or even triple-features are available at some theaters, where you can watch multiple movies through until dawn for around 10,000 won.” The further suggestions are even more obscure but cleaver and helpful (not least for expats) and give a fascinating glimpse into cinema going in South Korea;

- The Cannes Film Festival opening of Pixar’s “Up” (above) is opening un petit boîte de Pandore regarding 3D in France. From AFP, “In France, for instance, “Up” will screen in 800 movie theatres from July 29, but only 120 are kitted out to show it in 3D. The French release of “Monsters and Aliens” was hamstrung by an unseemly row between Paramount, distributors and cinemas over the extra costs, although Pixar settled a similar row by offering cinemas a slice of ticket revenues for its hit “Bolt.” Another glitch in the studios’ plan: filmmakers, distributors and cinemas cannot agree on who should pay for the glasses that viewers still need to get the full effect.” What isn’t mentioned is that French audio-visual body CST has strict rules about quality norms for cinemas and that one of these is light output - something that any 3D system struggles to achieve on screens above a certain size. Maybe that’s why Christie is installing two of its SB (super bright) projectors for the 3D screening of “Up.” We are hoping for a full report from Sperling;

- Parents trying to smuggle their children into screenings of “Slumdog Millionaire” are putting at risk the licence of Screen Machine, says BBC News. “Operators of the Screen Machine - the UK’s only mobile cinema - said they had never known of so many attempts to get under-age children into a film.They said an 11-year-old tried to get in to see the certificate 15 movie by hiding behind his grandparents….Robert Livingston, from Hi-Arts, said it appeared it was the children who wanted to see the film, rather than a problem of finding babysitters while the parents went out. He said it was a mystery to him why the film had captured the attention of so many young children.” Read Robert Livingston’s Hi-Arts blog for some of the better excuses parents use for smuggling in their kids;

- Finally, we bring you some ingenious thinking from Malaysia, how to come up with something even better than 3D. No, not 4D, not even the right direction. From Sun2Surf:

GSC general manager Irving Chee says: “As the leading cinema exhibitor, we always strive to bring movie fans the latest innovation in cinema technology, facilities and services for the best cinema experience.

“We kicked off the first-ever real-live 3-D version of Journey to the Centre of the Earth last year (2008), followed by the 3-D screening of the animation movie Bolt and Disney’s Jonas Brothers concert earlier this year.”

After listing a slate of upcoming 3D titles, the articles then goes on:

Chee adds: “It is only a natural progression for GSC to be able to screen movies in 2-D digital format and offer Malaysian movie patrons this improved viewing experience.

“GSC will look for more opportunities to showcase movies in 2-D digital based on Hollywood’s approved DCI (Digital Cinema Initiative) Compliance Digital format.”

That’s right, “Angels & Demons” in glorious 2-D. Golden Screen Cinemas even charges more for Digital 2-D it than for 35mm…eeerh….2-D. We can see another Imax-type backlash brewing already.

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Who Does Regal Love More - RealD or Imax?

By Patrick von Sychowski

May 11, 2009

If the US exhibition industry was a comic strip, Regal Cinemas would be Archie and 3D rivals RealD and Imax would be Betty and Veronica. Things seem to be coming to a head between the three with the opening of Regal’s latest multiplex Thornton Place Stadium 14 & IMAX - to give it its full and proper name - and with a shot across the bows from Veronica, sorry, Imax about just how fabulously rich her offerings are.

First the details on the opening of the state-of-the-art Thornton:

Regal Thornton Place Stadium 14 will feature a new IMAX® theatre utilizing a specially-designed screen that is slightly curved and moved forward to immerse the audience. The IMAX Experience® is further enhanced by a crystal-clear digital surround sound system. Regal’s IMAX theatre will also offer IMAX 3D® when filmmakers choose to integrate 3D images into their movies. Future IMAX releases include: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (6/24) and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (7/15).

The new theatre is modern in every way, equipped with RealD® 3D to provide true-to-life 3D. RealD is a new generation of digital 3D, giving moviegoers a stunningly realistic movie experience that engages the imagination, activates the senses and invites the audience not only to watch a film, but also step inside the story. Upcoming Digital 3D movies include: Disney-Pixar’s Up (5/29), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (7/1) and Disney’s G-Force (7/24).

‘Immerse the audience’ and ’step inside the story’, OK, so Regal has both systems on the go. No major surprise there. But RealD and Imax do not see themselves as equals and do not just want to co-exist peacefully. This was made clear in an e-mail that went out from Imax today, headlined ‘Star Trek IMAX breaks record with $8.3 mil opening weekend in U.S.‘, which amounts to 11 per cent of the total box office (see Weekend BO story below).

Imax then goes on to quote from the Regal Cinemas public earnings conference call, where Regal’s CEO Mike Campbell, took a question from an analyst on whether Veronica was cutest or Betty prettiest:

Matthew Harrigan - Wunderlich Securities - Analyst

Good morning. Thanks for taking my question. Two questions. One, there’s a pretty profound asymmetry even if you adjust for the size of the auditoriums on the 3-D results for IMAX versus REAL D. Have you given any thought to re-balancing that or is it just more a matter of educating the consumer on REAL D? I heard there are some people actually think that some of the quality in 3-D with REAL D is better than with IMAX, but it doesn’t seem to have quite the marketing cachet.

Michael Campbell - Regal Entertainment Group - Chairman and CEO

As far as the Real D versus the IMAX experience, IMAX is a powerful brand and it’s not just the visuals and the size of the screen. It’s a–it’s got the best sound system in the world according to most people. So we’re seeing that when we run REAL D versus 2-D, the Real D screens show a multiple of two to three times the attendance that you’re getting out of a 2-D screen while the IMAX will run five to six times. So we view this actually as a very viable market going forward, where IMAX remains at the top of the food chain. It’s long-established as a powerful brand, attaches a higher premium. Real D 3-D is somewhere between IMAX and 2-D. And we think that it gives the customer maximum flexibility in choosing. [emphasis added]

So Regal loves Imax twice as much as it loves RealD? Or at least its audience does. Imax want to have us believe that. Regal has 52 screens contracted with Imax, but has committed with RealD for 1,500 screens. So the date count seems to go in favour of Betty. Moreover, if you read the above quote early, what Regal is saying is that RealD lacks the brand awareness that Imax has been building up over several decades. But that could of course change.

But could it be that neither of the two will end up the real winner? Archie-ologist will remember that Issue #320 saw the introduction of Cheryl Blossom, a redhead from Pembroke, England, introduced to compete with Betty and Veronica for Archie. Who might 3D cinemas Cherry Blossom be? Why, none other than UK-born American-relocated Dolby Laboratories. With studios threatening to no longer pay for RealD’s disposable (now recyclable) eyewear, the Dolby3D system with its re-usable glasses (and high gain, instead of silver screen) is becoming more and more appealing.

Not that Regal is likely to break it off with RealD for its 1,500 dates and while Imax is likely to continue to occupy a high end niche, the race for the attention of the cinema is definitely heating up and getting interesting. We don’t expect a cat fight, but we are awaiting RealD’s retaliation keenly.

Popularity: 67% [?]

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Box Office Review-Sunday 10 May

By Carolyn Giardina

May 10, 2009

The Star Trek franchise had its biggest opening yet, as Paramount’s relaunched “Star Trek” topped the North American box office this weekend with an estimated $72.5 million, giving the film a domestic total of $76.5 million (with its Thursday opening night).

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”—which last week had the biggest opening weekend of the year so far with an $85 million debut–finished in second place with an estimated $27 million, bringing its domestic box office total to $129.6 million. Worldwide, the film has crossed the $200 million mark.

Dreamworks Animation’s first digital 3D release “Monsters versus Aliens” stayed in the top 10 in its seventh week, bringing in an additional $3.4 million as its domestic total climbed to an estimated $186.9 million and worldwide gross reached $329.9 million. The production budget for “Monsters”—still the top grossing film of the year so far–is estimated to be around $175 million.

DWA still has a few more weeks before the next wide digital 3D release, Disney/Pixar’s “Up,” opens in theaters on May 29.

After a disappointing start last week, Lionsgate’s animated 3D release “Battle for Terra” continued to struggle. This weekend it brought in an estimated $184,000 for a $1. 5 million total domestic gross.

Add two more 3D release dates to your lists: Warner Bros.’ “Happy Feet 2”—the sequel to the computer animated Oscar winner “Happy Feet”—is slated to open in 3D on Nov. 18, 2011. Meanwhile Vivendi will open the live action family adventure “Call of the Wild 3D” next month on June 12.

Popularity: 38% [?]

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RealD Releases LP Version

By Carolyn Giardina

May 5, 2009

reald-projector RealD expanded its product line today with the launch of RealD LP (Linear Polarizing Z Screen), which the company describes as a mobile, single-projector, passive 3D system.

RealD recommends the system for conference rooms, R&D centers, museum exhibits, mobile education centers, virtual rides and other entertainment attractions.

According to the RealD announcement: The RealD LP is an externally mounted peripheral for a single 3D-enabled DLP projector, with electronic controls integrated inside the device. When 3D content is fed to the projector in full-resolution, frame-sequential format, the RealD LP allows content to be seen in 3D by polarizing right- and left-eye images. Viewers would require RealD eyewear custom built for the LP.

Supporting screens up to 17 feet wide, the RealD LP is designed to work with 3D-enabled projectors such as NEC NC800, Christie Mirage HD, and Lightspeed Design HD DepthQ, along with a silver screen from Harkness, MDI or Stewart.

The system is now available for lease through the company’s professional division.

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Posted in Digital 3D, Technology

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