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Exhibitor News

Free Software for Cinema Exhibitors

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I have been writing some free software tools, to help cinema-exhibition to save money.

Its been a difficult time for cinema-exhibition, and tools to save money are an important aspect of dealing with the changing landscape for cinema exhibitors.

James Gardiner – CineTech Geek

Please read about the tools below, and if you find them interesting, pass this info on to those who could hopefully take advantage of these tools.  Its been a difficult time for cinema-exhibition, and tools to save money are an important aspect of dealing with the changing landscape for cinema exhibitors.

CineTech Geek ScreenCatcher
The cinema-catcher-app application has many tools. Read about them below. Click on the YouTube video links for a demo of the software at work

More info on downloading the tools can be found here: https://github.com/jamiegau/cinema-catcher-app

The cinema-catcher-app application has many tools.  Read about them below.  Click on the YouTube video links for a demo of the software at work.

Feature Description Status
LMS (Library Management System) This feature includes the ability to ingest content from physical disks and USBs or from FTP servers, local or remote. Devices can be set to periodically scan and ingest any DCP found. ClairMeta is then used to Quality-Check the DCP. Finally, Email reports can be generated automatically. Oldest Assets are automatically deleted as needed. Assets can be marked to never delete. As a LMS, all content is then made available via FTP server, for Screen-DCI-Player to ingest any content in the Library. Online Video Overview: https://youtu.be/G0GvkAnYvt0 Production
Status Monitor This tool allows you to monitor all screen configured into the system. Ths can be used to monitor local or numerous remote screens Production limited functionality
Status Monitor device Control Under development and extending the status Monitor, you can take control of any DCI-Player, Sound-processor, Projector, IO-Device directly to override or manually control a screen if required Development
Schedule Monitor This screen monitors screens on a Schedule level showing a timeline for each screen and what sessions are playing at what time and when they finish/start Not Started
AutoKDM Is a tool that can monitor an IMAP access to an Email account. It will transparently read your Email, and only download Emails that contain KDMs, mark them as read, or even move them into another folder (Only if a KDM is discovered). It is best to have a dedicated Email for KDMs however, the tool can deal with utilising an Email that is also used by humans for general Email activity. The tool will download all KDMs into a data base for checking, tracking and finally ingesting into the target player. Based on configured target players, AutoKDM will ingest KDMs automatically to all target screens automatically. Reports on activity can be emailed to the Admin if required. The system incorporates KDM INFO Emails for users can easily track back to the KDM creator if problems occur. Online Video Overview: https://youtu.be/zjN9h2T82js Production
KDM Alert This tool generates daily reports sent to the Staff that inform of any scheduled session that do not yet have a KDM to allow them to play. This tool ensures a cinema knowns days in advance if a KDM has failed to arrive, giving them time to react to the error. Online Video Overview: https://youtu.be/1WV9WR4vVxM Production
Auto Discovery Based on the open source tool cinema-nmap-scripts (https://github.com/jamiegau/cinema-nmap-scripts). It will automatically detect well known devices on the Projection network, pulling Version numbers when possible. The tool can then be used to audit your projection equipment and can automatically detect the change in any version of DCI-equipment sending/Emailing a Report when changes occur. Plans to incorporate this with an FLM tool has been discussed.) Tool Overview: https://youtu.be/7JnhEDdOobo NMAP tool: https://youtu.be/1ZUCCIH4OYA Production, but limited by devices supported in the cinema-nmap-scripts project
Player Audit This tool periodically downloads playout logs from the DCI-Players. This allows the creation of reports to analyise the activity on a player. This can be used to send playout reports for Advertisers or for engineers to get a detailed indication of the activity on a player. For example, you can detect if shows are playing outside of open hours, or if manual control is occurring and how often. This can be done by either an Email report containing a CSV-file, or automatically sending playout reports to a specified WEB End-point (Internet Web Address) that the data is pushed to periodically. Tool Overview: https://youtu.be/7ZEj2FhvOis Production

Thanks, and I hope this can help other small exhibitors in the world.

James Gardiner CineTechGeek Mail: [email protected] Web: https://www.cinetechgeek.com YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/cinetechgeek

Exhibitor News

THE OTHER-ABLED, AND YOU 

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There’s a funny thing on the internet that lets people in public service jobs know how to deal with those who are disabled – those poor disabled people who have no ability to use Braille or sign language in this case!

What to Do when You Meet a Sighted Person

“Sighted people tend to be very proud and will not ask directly for assistance. Be gentle, yet firm.”

“Calmly alert the sighted person to his or her surroundings by speaking slowly, in a normal tone of voice. There is no need to raise your voice when addressing a sighted person.”

OK;  jokes aside. We are in a service business, and we get a lot of practice dealing with people who can walk strait to the proper line without assistance, but we don’t get a lot of practice dealing with people who need different kinds of assistance.

Does that blind person get a benefit from using Closed Caption equipment? Uhm…probably not. Audio Description equipment? Yes! Probably, yes. Should you ask? Good idea. 

There are a couple good reasons to ask. One, it helps with the first basic communication point: everyone gets to know that they are being paid attention to. Two, people jump to the wrong conclusion sometimes. I may think that you are looking at your ticket to find the auditorium number, but you are looking to see if you have the right date.

When someone needs to use the Accessibility Equipment, they may think that

  • you are an expert and that
  • the equipment has been tested recently and that
  • the batteries are fully charged and that
  • the projectionist has made the playlist perfectly, including the captions and narration tracks and that
  • the accessibility hardware in the projection booth is turned on and tested

And, of course you are an expert…or want to be…but no matter how hard you study the equipment you don’t seem to get enough practice. And you are never around on SlowTuesday when the practice sessions are.

<Work in Progress – tell us your stories until we get this done…>

Tips for Working with People (clients and workmates) with Specific Needs

Follow the tips below when working with people with specific needs:

  • Use common sense. Remember a client or workmate is a person first, the specific need comes second.
  • Avoid being patronizing. Show the person the same courtesy and respect you expect to receive from others.
  • Be considerate and patient. Try to anticipate what the person’s needs might be,  without being too presumptive or obsequious. Offer assistance if needed without forcing yourself on them.
  • Be patient if he or she needs more time to communicate or accomplish a task.
  • Communicate with the person. Some people with specific needs may have an assistant or companion with them. Look at and speak directly to the person, rather than the assistant.
  • Make certain that your posted signs help the person with specific needs to find the most accessible way to get to the room where they can get the service they require.

Working with People with Limited Mobility

When working with people with mobility issues:

  • Do not push or touch a person’s wheelchair without his or her consent. People using adaptive equipment often consider the equipment as part of their personal space.
  • Ask before helping. Grabbing a person’s elbow may throw the person off balance. A person with mobility impairments might lean on a door while opening it. Quickly opening the door may cause the person to fall. 
  • Secure mats, rugs, and cords to the floor or move them out of the way. This will help prevent tripping.
  • Keep floors dry.
  • Keep ramps and wheelchair accessible doors unlocked and free of clutter.

Working with People with Speech or Hearing Impairments

When working with people with speech difficulties or who are deaf or hard of hearing:

  • Allow a person who cannot speak to write his or her request. Read the statement or request out loud.
  • Follow the person’s cues. This will help to determine whether speaking, gestures, or writing is the most effective method of communication.
  • If speaking, speak calmly, slowly, and directly to the person. Do not shout. Your facial expressions, gestures, and body movements help in understanding. Face the person at all times.
  • Rephrase, rather than repeat, sentences that the person does not understand.

Working with People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired

When working with people with speech difficulties or  who are blind or partially sighted:

  • Identify yourself as a cinema employee. Do this as soon as you come in contact with the patron. Offer your arm, rather than taking the person’s arm when assisting.  Help the person avoid obstacles in the path of travel by being specific when giving verbal directions.
  • If the person has a service animal, walk on the opposite side of the person, away from the service animal . Do not pet or interact with the service animal without the owner’s permission.
  • Describe what you are doing as you are doing it. If walking away from a person who is blind or partially sighted, let him or her know. This prevents the situation where they continue talking to no one.
Exhibition, Exhibitor News

NATO Announces Creation of Non-Profit The Cinema Foundation 

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The National Association of Theatre Owners today announced the formation of The Cinema Foundation. The new organization—a donor-supported 501(c)(3) charitable non-profits—dedicated to promoting the essential cinema exhibition industry by developing future diverse workforces and growing moviegoing communities through research, education, and philanthropy.

The Cinema Foundation expands on NATO’s mission by adding new participants, including technology companies, food and beverage leaders, members of the creative community, and other individuals and companies that share in our vision and passion for the future of cinema.

The Cinema Foundation’s founding Board of Directors draws members from across the industry, including Jackie Brenneman (NATO), President; Tori A. Baker (Salt Lake Film Society), Vice President; Brian Schultz (Look Cinemas), Secretary; Eduardo Acuna (Cinépolis Americas), Treasurer; and Directors Adam Cassels (Cinionic); Michelle Maddalena (Dolby Laboratories); and Katherine Twells (The Coca-Cola Company).

“The future of the cinema industry is being determined right now,” said The Cinema Foundation President, Jackie Brenneman. “The Cinema Foundation is designed to bring together key industry stakeholders from business, technology, and the creative community to be the leading voice in what that future will be.”

Currently in its initial fundraising and hiring phase, the key priorities of The Cinema Foundation include:

  • Cinema Careers, Education and Diversity: Promoting the industry as a great place to work via recruitment campaigns, training programs, and opportunities for career growth.
  • Moviegoing Promotion and Creative Community Involvement: Building on NATO’s relationships with the creative community to grow audiences, promote the industry and diversify content options.
  • Center for Innovation and Technology: The Center will work to ensure the industry’s technology is future ready and meets standards that help key stakeholders including filmmakers, manufacturers and exhibitors while also avoiding costly barriers that do not enhance the theatrical experience.
  • Industry Data and Research: Data will be the key to effective industry messaging, promotion and innovation going forward and The Foundation will prioritize a data-based approach across all initiatives.
  • Industry Charities: Working with existing industry charities to expand their impact.

“I firmly believe in The Cinema Foundation and its important role in contributing to the magic of moviegoing,” said Brian Schultz of Look Cinemas. “The Foundation will create dynamic employment opportunities for the industry’s future workforce and develop programs that ensure a healthy exhibition industry that brings economic and cultural vibrancy to communities everywhere.”

Adam Cassels, of Cinionic, added, “Our industry has a long heritage of innovation, connecting a diverse ecosystem to further the cinematic experience. The Cinema Foundation creates a space to continue innovating and collaborating to meet the needs of moviegoers, the creative community, and cinema professionals across the exhibition landscape.”

To sponsor, donate, or learn more visit www.TheCinemaFoundation.org.

Exhibitor News

CINEMA-GOING IN EUROPE IN 2021

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UNIC – 7 FEBRUARY 2022

RECOVERING EUROPEAN CINEMAS SEE 42 PER CENT BOX OFFICE GROWTH IN 2021

Brussels: 7 February 2022 – The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), the body representing European cinema trade associations and operators, has today released preliminary 2021 box office and admissions estimates for the territories covered by the organisation.

While the figures below are based on initial estimates, the overview provided by UNIC represents the first wide-ranging assessment of the performance of the European cinema sector in 2021. More detailed final data on the performance of each individual UNIC territory will be released later in Spring 2022. For additional information on specific territories, including periods of closure, please consult the UNIC research on the topic or reach out to [email protected].

Audiences return to the Big Screen across Europe

European cinema admissions increased by an estimated 38 per cent in 2021, with over 590 million visits across the region. Box office reached an estimated €3.7 billion, an increase of 42 per cent on the previous year. These positive results amply illustrate the industry’s resilience and the eagerness of European audiences to return to the Big Screen.

At EU level – including the UK – over 400 million tickets were sold in cinemas, worth an estimated €2.9 billion at the box office, all this when most screens across the region were shut for the first half of the year and operating for the following six months under limited occupancy and additional restrictions. 

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the European cinema industry remains significant. Compared to results for Europe in 2019, a particularly successful year for the sector, 2021 admissions were still lagging 56 per cent behind, while box office was down by an estimated 57 per cent. Comparing results for the second half of 2019 with the same period in 2021, box office revenues for the territories where data is available were on average 35 per cent below pre-pandemic levels. Major territories such as France (-22 per cent for H2 2021 compared to H2 2019), the UK (-26 per cent), Russia (-29.5 per cent) or Poland (-24.3 per cent) nevertheless serve to demonstrate the strength of the sector’s recovery in recent months.

As has been the case in the past, box office was mainly driven by major international titles including Spider-Man: No Way Home, No Time to Die, F9: The Fast Saga, Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Dune. Spider-Man: No Way Home in particular served as further evidence of cinemas’ capacity to attract audiences and create global events even during challenging times, with over $1.77 billion grossed at the global box office as of today – the sixth biggest result of all time.

At the same time, and as was witnessed in 2020, local titles have played a key role in the recovery process. National films’ market shares were higher than normal years across the region, most impressively in France (40.8 per cent), Czech Republic (38.3 per cent) and Denmark (37.0 per cent). The Serbian biopic Toma managed to outperform Spider-Man: No Way Home, dominating at the box office in Serbia and neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It is only with the support of local and international distributors that cinema operators will be able to confidently recover from this incomparable period of challenge. A strong and diverse film slate will be key to attracting audiences to the Big Screen.  

The broad range of support mechanisms that have been made available to the sector in Europe have also been crucial, protecting livelihoods and covering some of the significant losses incurred by industry. But now is not the time for policy makers to ease those efforts aimed at ensuring the survival of local cinemas, whatever their size and location. 

2022 will be a pivotal year for the industry. Leading industry analysts Gower Street Analytics have forecasted a tentative estimate of $7.8 billion (+75 per cent on 2021) and $33.2 billion (+55 per cent) for EMEA and global box office respectively. UNIC members are confident that the cinema industry will come back stronger from this crisis, and that we will continue to enjoy films together, on the Big Screen.

Attachment

Table with tentative market performance indicators for 2021 (where available).

Notes for editors

UNIC is the European trade grouping representing cinema exhibitors and their national trade associations across 39 European territories. More information available on unic-cinemas.org.

Sources

UNIC members. Complementary information from Comscore, CZ (Unie Filmovych Distributoru), BG (Национален филмов център), EE (Eesti Filmi Instituut & Baltic Films Co-operation Platform), FR (Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée), GR (Ελληνικό Κέντρο Κινηματογράφου), HU (Nemzeti Média- és Hírközlési Hatóság), IE (Wide Eye Media), LV (Nacionālais kino centrs & Baltic Films Co-operation Platform), PT (Instituto do Cinema e do Audiovisual), RU (Russian Cinema Fund Analytics, Nevafilm Research), UA (Media Resources Management).

Contact

International Union of Cinemas (UNIC)[email protected]

Union Internationale des Cinémas | International Union of Cinemas | UNIC
Av. des Arts 10-11 boîte 11 | 1210 Brussels (Saint-Josse-ten-Noode) | Belgium
www.unic-cinemas.org
Twitter: @UNIC_Cinemas | Facebook: @UNIC.Cinemas

Video Processing

Discover8K.com Launched

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Berlin, Germany, August 31, 2020 – The 8K Association (8KA), the cross-industry group focused on facilitating the growth of the 8K ecosystem, today announced the availability of a powerful new website to help educate consumers about the benefits of 8K displays and content.

The newly launched Discover8K.com web site is now available to help consumers discover how the latest advancements in displays, cameras and home entertainment can bring exceptional visual performances to life. With 8K resolution technology, everyone can discover more detail, more depth and more powerful big-screen imagery – all from the comfort of home.

The new Discover8K.com site provides valuable tools to help consumers learn about the 8K ecosystem, including topics such as:

List of TVs from leading brands that meet the 8K Association’s performance standards
Information about current and upcoming sources of 8K content
Guidance for enjoying 8K entertainment at home – including ideal screen sizes and seating distances for immersive 8K cinematic or 8K gaming experiences
The advanced technology behind powerful 8K up-scaling
News about 8K of interest to consumers

“The 8K Association was founded to bring together content creators, technology providers, panel manufacturers, TV brands and more to accelerate the expansion of the 8K ecosystem. But ultimately it will be consumers who determine how quickly 8K technology is adopted,” noted 8KA Marketing Work Group Chair, Aaron Dew. “Consumers who understand the benefits of 8K ultra-sharp big-screen displays, finely-detailed 8K gaming and the power of immersive 8K video are going to speed the transition to 8K. That’s why the 8K Association launched the new Discover8K.com web site to help educate consumers on all the benefits of enjoying big-screen 8K entertainment at home.”

8K refers to the latest and highest-resolution standard for content creation, distribution and television displays that enables over 33 million pixels of resolution, which is 4 times sharper than the UHD / 4K standard. With a growing number of 8K TVs now in the market from several leading TV brands that meet the 8K Association’s certification program standards, along with emerging sources of native 8K content, there is an increasing consumer interest in discovering more about 8K and why 8K resolution is a perfect fit for big-screen TVs.

Along with the newly launched consumer education web site, the 8K Association is preparing a “State of 8K” webinar for press and industry professionals to provide an update on the progress made in 8K deployments and the remaining technical and business milestones needed to complete the full roll-out of the 8K ecosystem. With insights and technical input from all parts of the 8K production, distribution and display segments, the “State of 8K” webinar will serve as a valuable tool to educate industry professional and define the remaining work that members of the 8K Association and others will need to complete before 8K is universally available.

The 8K Association Fall 2020 “State of 8K” webinar will be held on September 15, 2020. Registration information and full details will be available soon at: www.8KAssociation.com

Interesting, But Outside

All-In-One Microdisplay from Compound Photonics

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Compound Photonics Unveils IntelliPix™, An All-In-One Microdisplay Technology Platform to Enable Next-Generation MicroLED for Real-Time AR
Chandler, Arizona, USA, August 3, 2020 – Compound Photonics US Corporation (CP, also known as CP Display), a leading provider of compact high performance microdisplay solutions for Augmented and Mixed Reality (AR/MR), today unveiled its IntelliPix™ Microdisplay Technology Platform for microLED featuring multiple video pipeline and system integration innovations addressing power optimization, latency, and bandwidth use – all key barriers to the true AR experience needed for widespread consumer adoption. As of today, CP is the only player in the market to introduce a microLED focused, constant current (iDrive) technology platform with a MIPI interface that enables pixel-to-pixel uniformity in the emerging sub-5-micron-pixel microLED display space for AR/MR near-eye applications.
“At its core, CP departs from the traditional full bandwidth, raster-based pipeline dating back to the birth of NTSC toward a data flow optimized for real-time AR applications. Given AR imagery, in general, does not fill the entire field of view, only transmitting active pixel data results in the ability to drastically increase performance for those active pixels while reducing overall display sub-system power. “We have again revolutionized the drive architecture to manage images intelligently at the pixel level” stated Edmund Passon, Co-CEO and CTO of Compound Photonics. “IntelliPix™ also integrates its real time video pipeline and programmable drive scheme with adjustable constant current iDrive or voltage driven (vDrive) options into a single chip solution. The overall technology advancement in IntelliPix™ enables up to 100x faster modulation while consuming 4x to 12x less system power across the video pipeline vs. CP’s previous platforms while unlocking the real potential for microLED and future phase –based holographic systems.”
Legacy video pipelines transport full frames/bandwidth to the display subsystem where every transition moves electrons reducing battery life. OnDemand Pixels™, the key component of IntelliPix™, optimizes the drive of pixels based on both content and use environment. This proprietary feature provides significant power saving as the system modulates video parameters across the field of view, dependent on user activity. This active pixel-based approach also enables for the bursts of increased performance by making more bandwidth and higher refresh rates available for demanding content regions. Additionally, when combined with eye tracking, OnDemand Pixels™ opens the door to foveated rendering with attendant benefits for optimized processing on the SoC/AP.
IntelliPix™’s 100x modulation speed increase takes full advantage of the faster response time of microLEDs, which can be applied to higher bit depth, refresh rates, or the ability to add multiple focal planes. For phase-based holographic systems, the 100x increase enables complex waveforms providing near zero ripple. The platform also retains all key features of CP’s current NOVA display drive architecture to achieve low latency and on the fly frame by frame control to avoid image lag.
The IntelliPix™ single-chip design eliminates traditional distinctions between display pixel drive (backplane) and display driver IC (DDIC) functions to reduce the overall physical volume and power consumption. Combined with CP’s integration capabilities for microLED array bonding, device packaging and testing, and optical engine designs, the IntelliPix™ platform opens new possibilities to meet or exceed AR display size reduction demands.
The IntelliPix™ Microdisplay Technology Platform, will be available for demo in early 2021. The platform is customizable for resolutions up to 2048 x 2048 and beyond at pixel pitches from ~1.5um and up. CP is presently engaged with microLED technology partners and eco-system providers for initial early integration.
During Display Week in August 3-4, 2020, CP’s Head of Business and Corporate Development Mike Lee will present IntelliPix™ at SID Business Conference and discuss with the display community about how the technology platform presents the opportunities for the industry to accelerate the mainstream AR adoption.
###
About Compound Photonics
Compound Photonics (CP), also known as CP Display, is a leading provider of compact high resolution microdisplay technologies.  CP’s microdisplay solutions are optimized to serve the augmented reality and mixed reality markets where high performance, small form factor, and low power consumption are most critical.  Compound Photonics’ microdisplays enable engineers to innovate and create game-changing consumer and industrial products that can greatly enhance people’s productivity and lifestyle.
Media Relations Contact:
Andrew Shih, Marketing & Business Development Manager | [email protected]
+1-360-993-6709
Sherry Li, Product Marketing Manager | [email protected]
+1-360-993-6707
Interesting Blogs

Update: Universal/AMC Deal and the future of VOD releases

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Update: Cinemark, the world’s 2nd largest chain, will not go silently into the good night of marriage with VOD:

Cineworld Reacts To Universal-AMC Theatrical Window Crunching PVOD Deal: “We Do Not See Any Business Sense In This Model”

Click above to see the Deadline article. “Cineworld’s Regal is the second-biggest chain in the U.S. with 7,155 screens in 542 theaters in 42 states. Overall, Cineworld operates in 10 countries with 787 sites, counting 9,500 screens.” End Update

With a number of details not told, at least we see VOD after 17 days of an Exclusive Theatrical Run…(whatever that specifically means) and AMC gets participation with the VOD! 

Universal And AMC Strike A Major Deal That Means Big Changes Are Coming

Exhibitor News

UPDATE: As Mulan/Tenet Slips, so does AMC

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UPDATE: With some rumors – still unconfirmed a week later –that Tenet could be released in other countries other than the US, we are truly in WhoThePhuqueKnows territory.

CNN has a good roundup of the movies at: The movies will return someday, and here are the ones we’re really stoked about 

EU cinemas are opening with decent results reported for local movies and archival favorites. China keeps reporting that cinemas can open, but none are reported to have opened. That leaves the US and India as the remaining big markets, and they ain’t opening. Los Angeles is the biggest and closed, New York could open but why would any group do that when they can’t get product, and product won’t come until a decent representative of the market is open. And that won’t happen until ???? …several weeks after everyone wears masks all the time that they aren’t home and stop going anywhere. End UPDATE

PausDemic has continued to twist jobs and income into dust. While their sister organizations in the UK are opening, AMC in the US is holding back with the reasoning that 1) you need the big pictures and 2) who is really going to come to the cinemas when the pandemic is starting to rage out of control again.

AMC delays US theater openings as it waits for summer blockbusters

 

Exhibitor News

UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme – Year 4

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UNIC LAUNCHES FOURTH EDITION OF THE WOMEN’S CINEMA LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME

 Brussels: 30 June 2020 – The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), the European cinema trade grouping, today launched the fourth edition of its Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme, a 12-month mentoring programme for women in cinema exhibition.

Following the success of the first three editions, this year’s programme will provide nine talented female cinema professionals with an exclusive opportunity to receive one-to-one career advice and networking opportunities, and to learn from an outstanding group of women executives from across the cinema landscape, each recognised for their leadership and business success.

The programme remains UNIC’s flagship initiative to address the need to encourage and empower female professionals in order for the industry to realise its full potential. Its 2020/21 edition welcomes the following key female leaders and rising female professionals from the cinema exhibition landscape, representing 18 companies across 14 territories:

Mentors

Nathalie Cieutat (Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont, France), Anne Fitzgerald (Cineplex, Canada), Norma Garcia-Muro (THX, USA), Kate Gerova (Curzon, UK), Jadranka Islamovic (Blitz-CineStar, Croatia), Grainne Peat (Event Cinema Association, UK), Kaisa Rakemaa (Finnkino, Finland), Géke Roelink (Filmhuis Den Haag, Netherlands), Bettina Schmit (KITAG CINEMAS, Switzerland).

Mentees

Clarissa Bergh (Lillehammer Cinema, Norway), Rachel Bland (VUE Entertainment, UK), Monika Giełżecka (Multikino, Poland), Johanna Herfter (Comscore, Germany), Valeria Kurohtina (CINAMON, Estonia), Madelene Lorentzsson (Svenska Bio, Sweden), Laura Mancilla (Searchlight Pictures International, UK), Anna Paprocka (ODEON Cinemas Group, UK), Olivia Taylor (IMAX, Ireland).

Welcoming this latest edition of the programme, UNIC CEO Laura Houlgatte commented:

“We are delighted to welcome a new, fantastic group of mentors and mentees for this year’s edition and to see our inspiring community of women leaders grow year by year. While the past few months have been incredibly challenging, the level of interest that we have received serves to highlight just how important empowerment programmes like ours are, even more so during times of uncertainty.

 

We are proud of what we have achieved so far with the UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme. 

 

We have been working with outstanding professionals and it’s been fantastic to see so many of them recognised for their achievements. We’re also delighted to have in Grainne Peat, for the first time, a pioneering mentee becoming a mentor herself in the new edition. This is one of the main objectives of the programme – for the mentees of today to become the mentors of tomorrow. 

 

The discussion around equal opportunities and greater diversity in the industry must continue, and we at UNIC will keep doing our part. 

 

I would like to wish an empowering journey to our new cohort!”

 

Notes for editors

The UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme is a 12-month cross-sector, international mentoring scheme for women in cinema exhibition.

Launched in 2017, the Programme is rooted in the belief that gender-balanced leadership in cinema exhibition is imperative for business success, better governance and more equity in the industry.

More information can be found on the UNIC website here.

 

The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC)

The Union Internationale des Cinémas/International Union of Cinemas (UNIC) represents the interests of cinema trade associations and cinema operators covering 38 countries in Europe and neighbouring regions.

Further Enquiries

[email protected] / +32 2 880 99 39 | @UNIC_Cinemas 

Union Internationale des Cinémas | International Union of Cinemas | UNIC
Av. des Arts 10-11 boîte 11 | 1210 Brussels (Saint-Josse-ten-Noode) | Belgium
T +32 2 8809939 | M +32 611203483 | www.unic-cinemas.org 
Twitter: @UNIC_Cinemas | Facebook: @UNIC.Cinemas

Workflow

Deluxe Revolutionizes Distribution of Content to Theaters

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You never know what a revolution is when it is mentioned by a marketing group. But if Deluxe has figured out how to keep the trust of the studios while poking things through the web, perhaps this really is.

image.png

(Los Angeles, CA–June 22, 2020) Deluxe Entertainment Services Inc. (Deluxe), the leading content creation to distribution company, today announced the launch of One VZN (pronounced “vision”), a new cloud-based IP delivery solution distributing major studio and independent content to movie theaters and exhibitors worldwide quickly and securely. 

Developed in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), One VZN is an enhancement to the Deluxe One platform, the company’s flagship cloud-based solution that unifies the media supply chain. One VZN leverages Deluxe’s 100+ years of experience providing high-quality, reliable theatrical services to the media and entertainment industry and represents a continued investment in theatrical content delivery and support for the resurgence of theatrical viewing by consumers.

“As our industry faces one of the most impactful hardships in modern history, we know one thing – global cinematic experiences will return. One VZN is poised to be one of the most important innovations in digital cinema distribution in the past decade, fundamentally changing not only the economics of film distribution for exhibitors and studios around the globe, but also enabling new theatrical experiences for viewers as well,” said Andy Shenkler, Chief Product & Technology Officer of Deluxe. “We are invested in the future of cinema and are thrilled to expand our relationship with AWS to bring this innovative solution to market using AWS Snowcone. Bundling connectivity, management, and unlimited capacity, we’re looking forward to reshaping theatrical distribution and getting everyone back to the movies.”

One VZN uses the newly announced AWS Snowcone, a small, ultra-portable, and rugged edge computing and data transfer device, to provide secure, easy-to-manage storage of content in theater locations. One VZN distributes content from Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) using high speed online transfers to AWS Snowcone devices in theater locations using AWS DataSync, to AWS Snowcone devices in theater locations. The combination of the Deluxe One platform and AWS Snowcone can overcome on-site storage constraints by sending smaller, customized content packages and providing an incredibly small infrastructure footprint in theaters, while also improving security with military-grade encryption.

“We are pleased to support Deluxe’s innovative services that are reshaping the landscape for theatrical content distribution worldwide,” said Bill Vass, Vice President of Technology, AWS. “Together, AWS and Deluxe continue to spearhead cloud innovation for the media and entertainment industry. Deluxe One and One VZN are great examples of digital transformation built on AWS that deliver tangible benefits to a whole industry and will improve customers’ experience in theaters when it’s safe to return.”

“The return of theatrical experiences is something we all are looking forward to and we are excited that our partners in the industry see the future as bright as we do. The investment in this solution represents Deluxe’s support for the future of our business and the resiliency of the theatrical market. We look forward to what Deluxe and AWS are bringing to the market and are excited about all of the possibilities,” said John Fithian, CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners.

As a part of the One VZN subscription, Exhibitors will also receive managed high-speed network connectivity at no additional cost. In mere hours, content is now made available to movie theater owners and exhibitors. This reduced delivery time will have a significant impact across the end-to-end media supply chain, providing content creators and owners with additional time to finalize the production process in advance of a global distribution. Exhibitors will now be able to eliminate their reliance on the physical delivery of hard drives, providing them with the ability to add late bookings of content or dynamically extend content without constraints of server storage or the threat of new incoming titles. The solution will also provide the ability for key management integration with files at the edge as well as tighter integration between Theater Management Systems and cloud-based content repositories, driving further support for alternative content and live event experiences in theaters.

One VZN will be piloted in select sites across North America as theaters slowly begin to reopen, including Premiere Cinemas, Emagine Entertainment, Classic Cinemas, ArcLight Cinemas, amongst additional major theater locations. Following the North America implementation, One VZN will continue to be rolled out globally.

To learn more about One VZN, click here.

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About Deluxe Entertainment Services Inc.
Deluxe Entertainment Services (Deluxe) is the world’s leading video creation to distribution company offering global, end-to-end services and technology. Through unmatched scale, technology and capabilities, Deluxe enables the worldwide market for premium content. The world’s leading content creators, broadcasters, OTTs and distributors rely on Deluxe’s experience and expertise. With headquarters in Los Angeles and New York and operations in 38 key media markets worldwide, the company relies on the talents of the industry’s premier artists, experts, engineers, and innovators.
Exhibitor News

California Gets Cinema Back To Work

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The Exit for the PauseDemic has been eagerly awaited all over the world. French cinema is getting up again [France shakes off virus blues as cinemas, casinos set to open] and [Tous au Cinema – Les Cinémas sont oiuverts!] and California has given clues o how to do it in their huge markets. [California Proposes Guidelines for Theater Reopenings at 25 Percent Capacity]With news they could reopen as early as June 12, the rumors were that CineMark and AMC might get off the ground before the end of the month. Now it seems they are both waiting until mid-July, just ahead of the Mulan opening.

Meanwhile, production may get some momentum going: A First Glimpse at the 30-Page Hollywood Safety White Paper Being Drafted for Governors — Exclusive

Exhibitor News

Tea Leave Reading for Chinese Cinemas

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Wanda Film is the group that bought AMC in the States and which then bought the studio Legendary Entertainment, the company behind blockbusters like Jurassic World and The Dark Knight, and also bought the mid-sized theatre brand Carmike, and UK’s Odeon Cinemas, and EU group UCI Cinemas – before being told by the Chinese government that they were spending too much money out of the country. They are now less than majority owner, though still in control of the board.

The primary source of income for Wanda previously was property development, which in this Age of PauseDemic has led to being a group with problems with getting rent from cinemas who are often the cornerstone of a closed or partially closed malls. 

China famously opened and closed their cinemas, and technically the cinemas can open now though none are – except the private cinemas. AMC held a news cycle by saying that they had to report that there were serious odds that they could shutter completely or go BK. Of course, most people are aware that that was a kabuki, to put pressure on creditors.

And, with that in mind, Wanda has announced that they are going to build more cinema theaters. China’s Wanda Film To Build More Cinemas Despite Heavy 2019 Losses, Coronavirus Impact