In the fast-paced world of cinema exhibition, first-rate support and quality solutions that deliver tangible results are essential for integrators striving to make a meaningful impact on their clients’ operations. For Sound Vision Technical (SVT), delivering seamless technology integration goes beyond installations, it’s about enhancing efficiency, optimising workflows, and improving the moviegoing experience.
As a trusted reseller and integrator of Arts Alliance Media (AAM) solutions, SVT equips exhibitors with industry-leading software like Screenwriter and Producer, ensuring streamlined content management, automated workflows, and centralised control. With these powerful tools, SVT helps cinemas to maximise efficiency, reduce operational complexities, and create outstanding cinematic environments which unlock revenue-generating opportunities.
“The biggest thing about Screenwriter is that it does what it needs to do. It does what it should do. TMS’ should make that booth run without any intervention.”
About Sound Vision Technical and Chase Taylor
Sound Vision Technical (SVT) is a leading cinema technology integrator in the United States, specialising in installation, maintenance, and support for exhibitors nationwide. Founded in 2016 with a commitment to innovation and reliability, SVT partners with industry leaders to deliver cutting-edge solutions, from Theatre Management Systems (TMS) to projection and audio technology.
With a deep understanding of cinema operations, SVT ensures seamless technology integration, maximising efficiency and enhancing the moviegoing experience. Known for their demonstrative expertise and customer-first approach, SVT supports exhibitors in optimising their cinema technology infrastructure, ensuring smooth operations for long-term success.
Since founding Sound Vision Technical, Chase Taylor has grown the business into a household name within cinema technology. As Owner, he leads a team of two skilled technical professionals, each dedicated to delivering exceptional service. His passion, expertise, and versatility are evident in the wide range of tasks he undertakes, reflecting the diverse and essential work that integrators like Sound Vision Technical perform daily.
“My typical day-to-day is managing teams completing new installations because we don’t do a lot of service at all. Our primary focus is new installs and updating existing theatres with more complex systems. We are called in for a lot of network audio, dual projector setups, that type of integration.
We get deep into the networking systems and making Screenwriter fully functional, not just to manually complete tasks, but to completely reinvent systems from beginning to end, with as much automation as possible, and to the degree the clients are comfortable with. After that, my day involves a lot of configuration of equipment, building of Q-SYS designs, and doing audio and visual alignments of systems in cinemas.”
Case Study Part 1.1: Sound Vision Technical – Supporting Exhibition
Chase Taylor, Owner of Sound Vision Technical, is widely respected in the industry for his passion for cinema technology and unwavering commitment to the exhibition community. But becoming one of the industry’s most trusted names didn’t happen overnight. To truly understand Chase’s impact and reputation, you must first explore the journey that brought him here.
“You have to start at the beginning. My father was a manager of an auditorium on the university campus with about 1,200 seats, so I grew up in that environment. I was there all the time. Around follow spots, around sound lights for shows and concerts. When I was 11 years old, I ran my first movie on two Super Simplexes on a 2000-foot changeover system with carbon rods. Usually you have to be a good 10-20 years older to have that under your belt. That’s where I started with movies.”
With firsthand exposure to the world of cinema, Chase found himself in the ideal environment to gain a deep understanding of what it took to run a theatre. It wasn’t long before the inevitable became reality.
“My Dad and I had always talked about having our own movie theatre one day and, being in college and not afraid of anything, I said ‘well, what’s the worst thing that could happen? They could tell us no and we can’t do it.’ We jumped in with both feet and we actually did it. We put in a 5-screen theatre here in my local small town and ran it for 22 years as a father/son family business.”
“Running a movie theatre really helped me when I went into cinema equipment installation because I knew a little more about the person you’re doing it for and what the management needs.”
This experience not only provided invaluable operational knowledge and access to the era’s rapidly evolving technologies but also fostered a deep understanding of what cinema operators truly needed, and how best to support them.
“I had all the tools in 2008, early in digital. That’s what got me into doing this because not many people did. It gave me an opportunity to understand what really needs to happen.”
Case Study Part 1.2: Sound Vision Technical – Supporting Exhibition
The Mission to Immerse
Since founding Sound Vision Technical, Chase has supported countless exhibition clients across the USA, delivering top-tier maintenance, installations, and technical support, all driven by a single mission.
“My mission is to create deeply immersive experiences for my clients’ customers from beginning to end.
That’s a properly specced out auditorium, a properly installed TMS system that works every time. Having your audio and visuals as good as possible. It’s all good and proper is what I always like to say. I don’t want people coming out of their auditorium saying, ‘wow, that sound system and picture was unbelievable.’ I want everything to work so well that they didn’t notice how good it was.”
Chase understands that creating a captivating environment is crucial to a theatre’s success. However, an exceptional experience is only as strong as the sum of its parts, that’s where equipment and technology play a vital role. The proposition is everything.
“We are in the immersion business. That’s what we want to do; to immerse moviegoers in that story so the world goes away for two hours. That’s my purpose: to provide deeply immersive experiences for my customers.”
Having worked as an exhibitor himself, Chase also recognises the critical importance of meeting deadlines. Timely project completion isn’t just a goal, it’s essential. Any delays can have a ripple effect, disrupting operations and impacting the success of his clients.
“I’m always telling my guys that we don’t miss deadlines. So whatever that is, they can provide that experience on time. We don’t miss deadlines. We don’t. We don’t halfway do it. It’s on time every time, no matter what it takes.”
While detailing punctuality and reliability as core principles, Chase drew from his own experience to identify ways to enhance efficiency for his clients. At the heart of this mission, and those he serves, was a tool that would prove crucial: Theatre Management System (TMS) software.
“The biggest thing that cinema operators need is for their tools to work. They don’t need something that requires constant adjustments and manual updates. They don’t need something that ‘well, that works sometimes, it doesn’t work other times’ or ‘it doesn’t do all the things we need it to do’, so I really dove into the need for seamless integration when digital cinema and TMS’ came around and I thought, how can I maximise what software can do? Whatever software you have, how do I make it where you can run hands off?
I tell my customers all the time that I want them to just spend an hour a week on their TMS. After that, let it run its thing so nobody’s having to stand over some computer screen. I want it to work for them because that’s what they’re paying for it to do.”
Beyond ensuring that TMS software remains a reliable asset that enhances operations, Chase identifies the ability to support revenue generation as potentially its most valuable attribute.
“They need it to free up those people to get out of the booth, get out of the office and be around customers. Then, they’re doing something that can help maximise cash flow. That’s why we’re in business. We want to be able to do more, have healthy cash flow and see strong returns on investment. So what can I do to make things easier for them to do that?”
Case Study Part 2.1: How Arts Alliance Media Serves to Empower Sound Vision Technical
Premiere Support Access
For integrators supporting exhibitors worldwide, delivering quality, reliable, and rapid support is paramount. When a system failure occurs at a cinema, it’s their responsibility to resolve the issue swiftly, minimising the risk of lost shows and lost revenue. But just as exhibitors rely on integrators, integrators depend on fast, effective support from the vendors whose products they sell and service. It’s a reality Chase knows all too well.
“Support is incredibly important. The big thing with support is because of critical systems. If we can’t run a movie, then we’re not making money. That’s why those people are there. I have to be able to communicate with somebody when it gets above what I’m capable of troubleshooting within a short period of time.”
Unlike other industries, cinemas generate most of their business on weekends, meaning exhibitors, and the companies that support them, like Sound Vision Technical, must be available beyond the typical workweek to ensure seamless operations.
“Friday through to Sunday are our busiest days. That’s when everybody else is off. Folks in support and a lot of organisations are off that day too and you get an answering service, that’s not to say that they don’t answer back. I think all of our folks in the cinema industry are pretty good on the weekends because they know that’s when things become very critical.”
While the industry widely recognises the importance of weekend availability, challenges can still arise. The more screens an integrator supports, the higher the likelihood of encountering technical issues. However, with Arts Alliance Media, Chase knows he’s backed by reliable support when it matters most.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had an issue with something and I’m having to wait for hours over the weekend to get an answer, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with AAM. They are there and ready to give you support even over the weekend. I think probably the biggest thing is having dedicated support personnel. That’s what they do, they’re not supporting other products. It’s quick answers. It’s not, ‘let me find the person that knows that product best to help you’.”
“I think the people behind Screenwriter would probably be the biggest quality. They’re here to listen and they’re here to help.”
With over 20 years of experience, Arts Alliance Media has earned a reputation for rapid response times and unwavering reliability. Committed to a ‘never let them down’ approach, which is underlined by the ‘C’ for ‘customer-driven’ in their ‘EPIC’ culture statement, AAM provides 24/7 global software support through dedicated support centres in the USA, UK, and China, ensuring seamless coverage across all time zones for exhibitors and integrators worldwide.
“I’ve never put in a ticket or made a phone call or a text on a Saturday or Sunday and not received an answer back. Never. I’ve always got an answer back, even on stuff that is like ‘hey this is a low impact item’ or ‘it doesn’t matter right now but I just wanted to go ahead and get this in the queue to get answered.’ It’s going to be answered.”
“The availability of support over the weekend is a big deal and Arts Alliance Media has always stepped up.”
Case Study Part 2.2: How Arts Alliance Media Serves to Empower Sound Vision Technical
Quality and Reliability
Since 2016, Sound Vision has been a trusted reseller and integrator of AAM’s Screenwriter software, delivering high-profile installations for exhibitors like Alamo Drafthouse and Golden Ticket Cinemas. With extensive experience in cinema technology and software deployment, Chase has a clear vision of what a Theatre Management System (TMS) should offer, and how Screenwriter meets every essential requirement.
“The biggest thing about Screenwriter is that it does what it needs to do it. It does what it should do. TMS’ should make that booth run without any intervention. It shouldn’t be anything that you have to nurse.”
“Screenwriter creates the SPL [show playlist], it makes sure your automation commands are uniform so nobody’s forgetting one or putting their flair into it. You need those things to be consistent and Screenwriter does just that.”
Automation commands are a core component of Screenwriter’s functionality, seamlessly integrating into playlists to trigger precise, sequential actions. These commands ensure smooth transitions, such as automatically executing ‘Close Dowser’ and ‘House Lights Up’ at the end of a screening. By standardising these commands for specific tasks, Screenwriter enhances consistency to minimise human error.
Alongside its reliability, Chase also values its consistent evolution and ongoing development.
“It’s a solid product. I’ve not been in a place where I’ve put in an update and felt like it broke something else. I’ve never had it where I’ve updated it and then another product doesn’t talk to it. There’s always typically something new that comes with every few updates.”
The admiration Chase has for Screenwriter is equally shared by every exhibitor to whom he has demonstrated the software.
“I haven’t had anybody that has disliked it. Peter Kim [Arts Alliance Media’s Vice President of Global Sales] once told me he’s always happy to give demos as he’s never had to take it out of that theatre. I’ve done the same thing and never had to take it out.”
“Nobody has ever said ‘no, I like this better’. If I get Screenwriter in front of them and their employees are using it, they don’t want it to go anywhere. They want it to stay.”
To underline why cinemas have chosen to keep Screenwriter installed in their theatres, the trusted TMS is likened to a Cadillac, a symbol of excellence and reliability in its field.
“Screenwriter does exactly what I thought it should do, and I have a pretty high standard when it comes to TMS and what they should be doing in a booth. A lot of people use cars as an example, there’s the Ford, the Chevy and the Cadillac. The Cadillacs are the nicest; you pay for what you get, and I think Screenwriter provides that.”
A key factor behind Screenwriter’s widespread popularity is its comprehensive compatibility. Unlike many other TMS brands, it seamlessly integrates with a wide range of industry technologies, from IMAX and Dolby Cinema to CentOS and Windows. This versatility makes it a flexible and adaptable solution for diverse cinematic environments.
“I think one area that the majority of clients would champion is that it will talk with any manufacturer of equipment that you throw at it. Whether it’s Series 1 equipment, Series 2 equipment, Series 4 equipment, or whatever media block you throw at it, it will talk to anything and does it well. It doesn’t have hiccups or problems with that. It is 100%. I haven’t thrown anything at it that it didn’t handle well.
After that, it’s just the automation and how it works from the POS [Point of Sale] attributes going into creating the SPLs. They’re the two things that they talk about the most.”
Screenwriter’s ability to acknowledge Point of Sales attributes, also referred to as capabilities, allows it to identify individual screens based on their specific properties. In a process called ‘screen capability tagging’, users can tag each screen based on its properties, like 7.1, ATMOS, IMAX, 3D or HFR. By tagging each screen, each user can view an at-a-glance breakdown of each screens’ capabilities, guiding them to only assign content to screens capable of playing that content. This helps to reduce errors during playlist creation, ensuring each movie plays without fault.
Case Study Part 2.3: How Arts Alliance Media Serves to Empower Sound Vision Technical
Efficiency for Exhibition
Described by Chase as the ‘Cadillac of cinematic software’, Screenwriter is recognised as a premium solution, positioned at the top end of the market with a price point that reflects its advanced capabilities. However, instead of perceiving cost as a hurdle, Chase views it as a strategic investment, easily justified by the operational savings and revenue growth it enables across his clients’ businesses.
“Another big thing about Screenwriter is the price per screen. It pays for itself quite quickly by loosening up your staff to do other things.”
“Whether that’s a Manager that doesn’t have to deal with content management and they’re helping a customer, making sure staff are where they need to be, filling in an extra role instead of having somebody else come in, or doing events instead of being stuck behind a screen. I learned that it could take care of so many of these menial tasks: creating SPL’s, making sure content is where it needs to be, and it does it consistently well across all brands of equipment. I knew Screenwriter was the one that I was going to start putting in front of my clients.”
AAM’s flagship TMS is highly adept at ensuring content is always ‘where it needs to be.’ For example, transferring content from one source to multiple devices can often be limited by bandwidth and hardware performance. With Screenwriter, content can be transferred simultaneously from multiple sources to ensure its delivered faster ahead of playback. It will even determine the priority of transfers based on users’ upcoming schedule, and, to avoid affecting day-time screenings, will automatically initiate them from the moment their last screening ends.
By automating time-consuming, ‘menial tasks’, Screenwriter allows exhibitors to streamline operations, freeing up staff to focus on customer-facing roles that drive revenue. This not only reduces the time required for essential back-end tasks but also enhances the overall guest experience. For this reason, Chase identifies automation as a valuable selling point.
“I think Screenwriter’s main USP is the automation because that’s the whole point; being able to get your people doing other things.”
“Once you set it up, you tell it what’s what with the Point of Sale, you create your trailer packs and your advertisements or pre show packs, then it’s just building SPLs for you based off the Point of Sale showtimes. So it’s the automation completely for me.”
The process Chase describes is called ‘Automatic Pre-Show Pack Management’. If an exhibitor has Screenwriter integrated with a Screen Advertising Company/Agency (SAC), these pre-show packs can be automatically ingested and slotted into playlists. For example, an SAC could configure a pre-show pack promoting a high-performance car to be automatically added to a James Bond movie.
By receiving packs automatically, the user does not need to manually assign pre-show content to playlists, saving considerable time. If they’re not working with an SAC, the use of pre-show packs will still save users time as they can be applied to multiple playlists, instead of manually assigning adverts and trailers to every playlist.
While Screenwriter excels at centralising on-site operations, Producer, a cloud-based enterprise Theatre Management System, presents a circuit-effective tool for automation and efficiency. By seamlessly synchronising with Screenwriter, Producer empowers a small team to manage hundreds of cinemas from a single central location. This powerful combination streamlines circuit-wide operations, enhancing efficiency at scale.
“To be able to level up into the cloud enterprise solution in Producer has been an eye opening experience for me. Once you get it to where you want it, how easily it works, Producer is just an amazing product.”
“I still have a hard time finding a way to explain to clients how much easier it’s going to make their operations overall and the consistency they’ll get out of it. That’s where the value is in Producer, but Screenwriter gives you the opportunity to get there. It goes back to automation.”
Automation is at the heart of Producer’s value proposition. Designed to centralise operations and provide unrestricted access to an entire circuit of cinemas, Producer also enables users to monitor live issues, inspect content and devices, and manage content effortlessly. However, for Chase, its greatest advantage lies in its ability to automate playlist scheduling.
“You get your content from your Point of Sale and you can use attributes to automate which packs go to which playlist, and then it just makes your SPL for you. It’s literally taking the task of managing content, making SPL’s and scheduling them down to no time at all compared to what you would have to do without it.”
As Chase explains, Producer’s ‘Auto Playlists’ feature enables users to generate playlists in seconds. By pulling shows from their POS and recognising those shows’ attributes, like Atmos or IMAX for example, Producer will automatically create playlists by assigning shows whose attributes match each playlist. With your schedule automated, you won’t need to worry about unassigned shows or changes from your POS feed.
By automating this process, and consolidating the responsibility to just one person for an entire circuit, Producer significantly reduces scheduling time while eradicating the duplication of work at each site.
“Imagine that your content suddenly becomes a task that somebody for your whole circuit spends maybe a couple hours a week on. Imagine being able to take that task away from your venue-level folks. Then you’ve got one person for your whole circuit. Let’s say it’s 50 screens, 100 screens. Let’s say it’s 1000 screens. You’re doing the work of Screenwriter but at circuit-level.”
For exhibitors considering this level of operational transformation, the process may seem daunting, but with the right support, it doesn’t have to be. As an experienced integrator, Chase provides end-to-end assistance, guiding exhibitors through the entire onboarding process, including software configuration, to ensure a seamless transition.
“I tell folks all the time, ‘let me worry about the automation, I will get that part done for you. I’m going to make it talk to everything properly’. So when you have your Point of Sale that gives you attributes and you have your screen capabilities, whether it’s an ATMOS house, a 7.1 house or a 5.1 house, it will properly send all the right content to it.”
Once onboarded, configured, and fully operational, the financial benefits quickly become evident, both in the cost savings achieved and the additional revenue generated.
“Imagine your circuit is spending less than two hours a week scheduling content. Just think about that, and how much money you can save over those venues. It starts to stack up in an astronomical way and I’m not saying staff can lose their position at your cinema. I don’t think that’s it at all. I just think about all the things that they can be doing that makes you money or makes your operations better. Whether it’s a projectionist or cinema manager, let me take four or five hours a week off of them to make them more customer-facing.”
While recognising the financial advantages, Chase also considers the broader impact of this transition and how it can enhance an organisation’s overall performance.
“Does that mean you’re running more efficiently? Does that mean you’re catching more issues? Does that mean you’re meeting more customers? Every venue is different.
It’s about getting out there and taking tasks off your staff so they’re more engaged with what’s going on. Whether that’s setting up microphones for a hosted event where somebody introduces a movie, or just telling a customer ‘thank you for coming.’ Those are opportunities that you can’t get back and are some of the most important opportunities to have. Cinemas die when we forget that we are exhibitors and show-people. We have to be that point of immersion. This is entertainment. Talking to people, telling them how excited we are that they’re there. Being out there in front of your customers gives you that opportunity.”
While Chase strives to impress clients with the speed of onboarding, he himself remains consistently surprised by how effortless and fast it is to add new sites to Producer. That’s because, by connecting to each sites’ TS-Agent, an exclusive AAM application that acts as a conduit between software, Producer will quickly pull site information from each individual Screenwriter in an instance. This seamless process delivers significant operational advantages for both exhibitors and integrators alike.
“Once we had a couple of cinemas running on Producer, then we knew we had it. It just did its thing. That was the Eureka moment overall with your products. We’ve got this where we want it and we just added that theatre and, within seconds, it was done because all that work has been done already. Instead of repeating it every venue, it’s done one time and it pans out immediately. I still like watching that happen every time we add a cinema onto it because that’s something I’ve not seen until the last few years.”
