Tag Archives: Technicolor

Bow Tie Cinemas Selects Technicolor’s Film Based 3D System

March 2, 2010

New York City based Bow Tie Cinemas will be one of the first theatre chains to deploy Technicolor’s film-based 3D system. Technicolor 3D will be deployed at each of Bow Ties 18 theatre locations in Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Virginia and on 25 of Bow Ties 150 screens.

Rather than install digital cinema equipment which can run upwards of $80,000 (not counting any 3D technology), Bow Tie is choosing the less expensive option of equipping their existing 35mm film projectors with a specially designed lens which splits the projected images for the right and left eyes.

The system requires a special 35mm film print in which each frame has two images, one on top of the other. This over/under technique was first introduced by Technicolor in 1963 as Technicscope. According to Technicolor, advancements in film stock and digital intermediates improve the image quality delivered by their new system. Technicolor uses a special patent-pending digital process to enhance the image on the special film prints. We first reported on the system when it was announced by Technicolor back in September of 2009.

Bow Tie will need to install silver screens to increase the brightness of the images delivered by Technicolor’s 3D system, however those screens can also be used for digital 3D. Technicolor will be supplying the circular polarized glasses required to view the content in 3D. The first film Bow Tie will show using the system will be Dreamworks’ “How To Train Your Dragon”. Ben Moss, CEO of Bow Tie Cinemas was quoted in the press release Technicolor distributed earlier today: Read More »

Popularity: 7% [?]

Posted in Digital 3D

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Katzenberg Keynotes 3D Entertainment Summit

By Carolyn Giardina

September 17, 2009

3d-entertainment-summit

Jeffery Katzenberg suggested that if exhibition doesn’t grab the 3D opportunity, “it will go down as one of the real great misses of our time.”

He shared his thoughts about 3D, both for the theater and the home, Thursday at the 3D Entertainment Summit in Los Angeles, during a keynote discussion with Bob Dowling, Summit co-producer and conference chair.

On theater pricing, he said: “Exhibition has been incredibly timid about (pricing). Every piece of research we did showed the consumers felt they got a valuable experience at a $5 premium and almost no one adopted (the premium).”

The Dreamworks Animation CEO commented: “I find it amazingly curious how slow the live action business has been at jumping on this opportunity.” And the 3D champion also admitted that he perhaps went too far in predicting that all content would go 3D, adding that it “dampened his credibility.”

Commenting on Technicolor’s 3D approach, he said: “I’ve seen it in a controlled environment. I’ve yet to see it in a large theater, but the early demonstrations looked pretty good. It’s not ideal but we are in an economy unlike anything we faced in our lifetime. So to me, that’s an interim step.”

Katzenberg noted that theater owners have had a few years head start, but “rollout into the home is going to pick up serious momentum next year.”

During the well attended event, he predicted that sports and games would drive 3D to the home faster than other types of entertainment. As to broadcast, Katzenberg noted that with Disney’s work in the 3D arena, he expects “real leadership” from ESPN.

The two-day event at the Hilton in University City featured a conference program and exhibits from companies including 3Ality Digital, Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Sensio and NVidia.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Posted in Events, Trade Shows

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Technicolor Goes 3D With Film Based System

By J. Sperling Reich

September 17, 2009

With the demand for digital 3D films at an all time high, Technicolor has decided to jump into the fray with what they are calling an affordable, alternative solution that has stirred up intense debate. The leading motion picture service company is introducing the Technicolor 3D Solution, which will allow exhibitors to use their existing 35mm film projectors to project 3D releases without upgrading to more costly digital cinema equipment. And there’s the rub; rather than using digital content Technicolor’s solution is film based.

Even though the technology relies on celluloid, rather than bits and bytes, Ahmad Ouri, Technicolor’s Head of Strategy, Technology & Marketing, on Wednesday assured roughly 400 members of the industry that the technology was not old or steeped in the past. Sitting on a panel titled 3D’s Impact On Digital Deployment at the 3D Entertainment Summit in Los Angeles, Ouri explained, “It’s actually new technology that we’re introducing that’s perhaps based on an older concept. A lot of people have experienced 3D on film historically. We’re introducing a system that is basically an over/under film based solution that’s two-perf based on a format that Technicolor brought to market decades ago called Techniscope.”

Techniscope was first introduced in 1963 and used by the likes of spaghetti-western filmmaker Sergio Leone in an effort to find more economical ways to shoot. By halving the size of each film frame less film stock could be used, though the image quality was less than that of the four-perf (or four sprocket hole) format. Technicolor 3D Solution uses a special split lens that can be mounted to a conventional 35mm projector which then assembles the left eye and right eye images as the film runs through the projector. Read More »

Popularity: 27% [?]

Posted in Digital 3D, Technology

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Digital Cinema Integrators Continue to Bleed Money

By Patrick von Sychowski

February 11, 2009

There is a standing joke in the industry that to make a small fortune in digital cinema you need to start with a large fortune. Sadly, this sentiment seems to be vindicated by the latest quarterly figures from Cinedigm (formerly AccessIT). The company’s scorecard is impressive enough:

Cinedigm Digital Report Card

And the revenue has been going up year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter, as the press release proudly trumpets:

Access Integrated Technologies, now doing business as Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. (”Cinedigm” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CIDM), reported a 10% increase in year-to-date revenue to $65.1 million, and a 6% increase in revenues, to $22.7 million for the fiscal 2009 third quarter ended December 31, 2008, versus the year-ago periods. The Company posted an Adjusted EBITDA (defined below) of $11.0 million or $0.40 per share, an improvement from the fiscal 2008 third quarter of $8.4 million.

But is there any profit? No, the company is still burning through money. $17.4m in losses in the most recent quarter to be precise. What are the implications of this? The 10-Q transcript makes for grim reading; Read More »

Popularity: 51% [?]

Posted in Analysis, Digital Cinema, Earnings Announcements, Integrators

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Is this how MDA persuaded Technicolor to set up shop in Singapore?

By Patrick von Sychowski

December 14, 2007

As previously reported Singapore has been working for several years to turn the country into the digital hub of Asia. Earlier this month the Technicolor announced that it would set up a facility in Singapore to service digital cinema needs throughout Asia. The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) was one of the groups responsible for convincing Technicolor to move to Singapore, and watching the public relations video, one can see why they are so irresistible.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Posted in Miscellaneous

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Technicolor’s Digital Cinema Hub In Singapore Is Not The News It Seems

By Patrick von Sychowski

December 4, 2007

Timed to coincide with CineAsia, news goes out that Technicolor is to set up a digital cinema hub in Singapore. This announcement is a great success for the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), which together with the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), has been working for several years to make the city-state the digital hub of Asia. But is it really news?

The article, which reads like a barely re-written press release, goes into detail:

Thomson said in a new release on Tuesday that the Singapore facility will provide ‘physical and electronic forms of content delivery, distribution and mangement [sic] systems and equipment monitoring’.

‘Thomson recognises Singapore’s commitment to the digital media and entertainment idnustry and believes there will be tremendous value in utilising their robust infrastructure to expand our digital cinema service offerings into the Asia-Pacific region,’ said Mr Curt Behlmer, VP, COO of Technicolor Digital Cinema, Thomson.

‘Digital cinema is growing at a very rapid pace, and we look forward to supporting studio and exhibitor customers as they begin to roll out digital cinema in Singapore and Asia-Pacific.’

Popularity: 11% [?]

Posted in Countries, Digital Cinema

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Technicolor’s Miniscule D-Cinema Sign Up Is Still Poke In The Eye For AccessIT

By Patrick von Sychowski

December 3, 2007

Technicolor logo Sometimes companies must wish that they could gloat more in standard press releases and none more so right now than Technicolor in announcing their first three digital cinema exhibitor clients: Clearview Cinemas, iPic Entertainment, Cinemaworld. On a strictly numerical basis it is very little to crow about as between these three, two add up to less than 300 screen and one has yet to open a single cinema. But it is Clearview that is the tiny jewel in Technicolor small digital cinema crown at the moment. From the press release:

Clearview Cinemas is a Chatham, New Jersey-based exhibitor that operates 50 theatres with 254 screens, 246 of which are in the New York DMA, the country’s largest metropolitan market. Clearview also owns and operates New York City’s legendary Ziegfeld Theatre, one of the country’s most famous movie palaces and the location of countless movie premieres and red-carpet events.

“Clearview Cinemas is thrilled about working with Technicolor to further deploy digital Cinema in our circuit and to bring our customers all of the benefits of this pioneering technology,” said Doug Oines, senior vice president and general manager of Clearview Cinemas.

Had there been an ‘About Clearview Cinemas ‘ at the bottom of the press release it might have mentioned that Clearview was established by Bud Mayo, who went on to create AccessIT, before he sold it on to Cablevision. The fact that Clearview has selected to be one of the first to go with Technicolor rather than with the largest and most established digital cinema third-party operator is a clear snub to Mayo. This development did not pass un-noticed in the industry and even made it into a Yahoo! discussion forum that resulted in the following exchanges:

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Popularity: 14% [?]

Posted in Integrators

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AccessIT Signals Phase 2 of Digital Deployment

By Patrick von Sychowski

November 7, 2007

AccessIT logo AccessIT, the company that kick started the roll-out of digital cinema in the United States, has given details of its ‘Phase Two’ deployment plans. With the goal of the first 4,000 digital screens now in sight, the speculation had been whether they could extend the first phase to the ofte-stated aspiration of next converting a further 10,000 screens. While there are no hard specifics in the press release, there is plenty enough to suggest that it wll happen:

Further solidifying its global leadership in Digital Cinema, Access Integrated Technologies, Inc. (”AccessIT”) today announced its intent to provide up to an additional 10,000 networked Digital Cinema systems to exhibitors across the United States and Canada. The Company has reached substantial agreement with several of the major movie distributors who fully supported its initial “Phase One” deployment of close to 3,750 screens, completed last month. Agreements are structured so they may be amended to international deployment as well. AccessIT also is in active negotiations with several exhibition chains that were ready to commit to “Phase One” but were unable to participate due to timing. This “Phase Two” deployment is anticipated to begin in the first quarter of 2008 and to continue for three years. While AccessIT has not yet executed final agreements, announcements regarding studio and exhibitor signings are expected shortly.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Posted in Digital Cinema, Integrators

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Rumour mill: Technicolor loses a studio while Arts Alliance gains one

By Patrick von Sychowski

October 17, 2007

Two items from the unsubstantiated-but-strong-rumour department.

Technicolor is said to have lost one of their two large Hollywood studio clients for prints and lab work. That would mean that either Warner Bros or Disney have opted to go with Deluxe - and another nail in the coffin for Technicolor. A contract like this would be worth tens of millions, or even hundreds. While digital cinema is set to sweep the Us in the next five years, there’s still a lot of print work to be done in that time and with a clearer end date for 35mm, there is more scope for a single player to dominate without fears of anti-monopoly lawsuits. Plus where print goes, digital tends to follow. It really does not look good for Technicolor at the moment, but it is too soon to write them off yet.

Secondly, Arts Alliance Media is said to be close to announcing a fourth Hollywood studio for its VPF deal, with fingers pointing at Sony Pictures. This would mean that AAM has nabbed four of the Big Six: Universal, 20th Century Fox, Paramount and SPI, with Warner Bros and Disney holding out. Impressive feat and it means that AAM has something that could conceivably entice European exhibitors. At least that aren’t looking to do a VPF deal directly with the studios themselves and cut out the third party middleman.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Posted in Business

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