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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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.
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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.
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