Tag Archives: CinemaCon

Societies

CinemaCon/NAB 2106 – Perfect Dates

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Most often NAB leads, and there is a week in between. This week is usually filled with the best hundred-twenty bucks in showbiz, as it buys you a bus seat on the EDCF tour of LA manufacturers and exhibitors and post houses. Who knows what will happen to this event this year since there is no such week in between. The week before? the week after? If only the ISCWest.com event were on the 8-10 of April, then true happiness would reign, but the merging of the two main events is good enough.

This article will be updated as news of the 3 events meanders in, but for now it is trending towards a Panglossian Best of All Possible Worlds Weeks. 

CinemaCon banner    SMPTE logo

Societies

CinemaCon/NAB 2106 – Perfect Dates

Leave a comment

Most often NAB leads, and there is a week in between. This week is usually filled with the best hundred-twenty bucks in showbiz, as it buys you a bus seat on the EDCF tour of LA manufacturers and exhibitors and post houses. Who knows what will happen to this event this year since there is no such week in between. The week before? the week after? If only the ISCWest.com event were on the 8-10 of April, then true happiness would reign, but the merging of the two main events is good enough.

This article will be updated as news of the 3 events meanders in, but for now it is trending towards a Panglossian Best of All Possible Worlds Weeks. 

CinemaCon banner    SMPTE logo

Societies

CinemaCon/NAB 2106 – Perfect Dates

Leave a comment

Most often NAB leads, and there is a week in between. This week is usually filled with the best hundred-twenty bucks in showbiz, as it buys you a bus seat on the EDCF tour of LA manufacturers and exhibitors and post houses. Who knows what will happen to this event this year since there is no such week in between. The week before? the week after? If only the ISCWest.com event were on the 8-10 of April, then true happiness would reign, but the merging of the two main events is good enough.

This article will be updated as news of the 3 events meanders in, but for now it is trending towards a Panglossian Best of All Possible Worlds Weeks. 

CinemaCon banner    SMPTE logo

Exhibitor News

Immersed Soundly | Laser Precision | CinemaCon 2015

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Digital Cinema comprises an enormously broad sweep of technologies. The amount of nuance that must be de-layered to make intelligent decisions is daunting. A simple example: the fact that the new laser projectors can create 3D movies on low-gain white screens (paragraphs of nuance in just that phrase alone), means that woven screens can be used which would also benefit the audio from the speakers behind the screen.</p>

<hr id=”system-readmore” />

<p>Yet again, the industry is at a transition. In past transitions, when a company was able to show that an up-until-then unachievable standard could be met, the studios clamped down on the deliverables that went to the older equipment. MPEG was ubiquitous, then JPEG was shown and within a year the MPEG deliverables were verboten. The change in security keys, the anti-ghosting prints….</p>

<p>Wouldn’t that be something if the studios said, “At this time next year, all DCI movie prints will be mastered at the SMPTE standard level of 48 candela per square meter.”</p>

<p>Post-Digital Era indeed~!</p>

<p>The laser systems at CinemaCon will have the new pitch of being commercially installed. Both Barco and Christie have their super ±60,000 lumens systems in the field, with announcements for many more. NEC launched their 6,000 lumen system for the smaller screens to similar success.</p>

<p>The amazing angle on new projector installs is that they are being made – except for rare cases – without the VPF deal. One manufacturer made 20,000 cinema-centric digital sales in 2014 according to their yearly prospectus.</p>

<p>Last year at this time Christie was still using a screen that had shakers attached to the rear to de-harmonize speckle. It will be interesting to see how they have progress from that technology. They also seemed to back away from the pitch that there would be any electricity savings due to the costs of cooling the lasers. Enquiring minds…</p>

<p>Christie’s laser links come from this sentence of their promo:</p>

<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>The Christie Freedom laser illumination system platform includes the <a href=”http://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/cinema/cinema-products/digital-cinema-projectors/Pages/Christie-CP42LH-3DLP-RGB-Digital-Cinema-Laser-Projector.aspx” target=”_blank” title=”Christie CP42LH”><strong>Christie CP42LH</strong></a> for Cinema, the <a href=”http://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/business/products/projectors/3-chip-dlp/Pages/Christie-D4KLH60-3DLP-RGB-Digital-Laser-Projector.aspx” target=”_blank” title=”Christie D4K60LH”><strong>Christie D4K60LH</strong></a><strong> </strong>for Pro Venues, and the <a href=”http://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/3D/products-and-solutions/projectors/Pages/Christie-Mirage-4KLH-3DLP-RGB-Digital-Laser-Projector.aspx” target=”_blank” title=”Christie Mirage 4KLH Promo”><strong>Christie Mirage 4KLH</strong></a> for immersive environments.</p>

<p>Christie also wants to be regarded for their contributions to the Dolby Laser Projector offering.</p>

<p>It might be that Barco will try to immerse their laser pitch with evolutions of the Auro and pre-auditorium entry and full surround systems that they showed last year. Instead of brisking people back and forth they will be showing several features in several different of the Caesars Ballrooms. As a line from their PR says:</p>

<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>Visitors will be treated to hands-on demos of the world’s only laser projector capable of showing 4K 3D content at 60 FPS, Barco’s multi-screen, panoramic movie format, Barco Escape (powered by Alchemy-enabled projectors), and other innovative sight, sound, and engagement solutions designed to fascinate audiences while driving increased profitability for exhibitors.</p>

<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>http://www.barco.com/en/News/Press-releases/CinemaBarco-brings-magic-and-showmanship-back-to-the-movies-showcasing-next-generation-theater-wide-.aspx</p>

<p>DTS will be making presentations of their DTS:X MDA system at the theater at the Palm. The pleasure of being Open Source will continue to be as compelling as the fact that the systems works for the companies who loathe to make hundreds of ‘prints’ for each movie release.</p>

<p>And that leaves the elephant in the room. With several pre-show announcements for their complete cinema package and a willingness to allow the chains to continue with their branding in association, Dolby is also ready with a working message about a working set of products.</p>

<p>Good luck to us all. Sounds like a lot of perfection will be on hand, and a lot of nuance to dig through to see it work its magic in a mutually beneficial manner.</p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p>For years the standard for light levels of movies was set at 48 candela/square meter, which is about 14 foot/lamberts. The tolerance is ~10 candela or 38 total, which is about 3 foot/lamberts or 11 total.</p>

<p>Meanwhile the amount of light coming through the usual 3D system was said to be 3 or 4 foot/Lamberts or 11 candela/square meter. And, typically in the technology biz, cool and clever solutions often come at the tail end of a transition. The argument in this case is that MasterImage has a new and very intelligent light/mirror system and RealD has new screen technology that removes some of the problems inherent with high gain screens.</p>

<p>Systems like these can bring the light to levels approaching the lowest levels of the standard, which looks best only if the print was mastered for the level measured at the eyes.</p>

<p>There are some who will say that 8 foot-Lamberts is enough for 3D for some magical reason (pointing to an ISDCF demo done in 2005), but it is untested, and pointedly, that isn’t the standard either. Demonstrations of Hugo and other movies at 48 candela/m2 are brilliant, but not too brilliant.</p>

Exhibitor News

Immersed Soundly | Laser Precision | CinemaCon 2015

Leave a comment

Digital Cinema comprises an enormously broad sweep of technologies. The amount of nuance that must be de-layered to make intelligent decisions is daunting. A simple example: the fact that the new laser projectors can create 3D movies on low-gain white screens (paragraphs of nuance in just that phrase alone), means that woven screens can be used which would also benefit the audio from the speakers behind the screen.</p>

<hr id=”system-readmore” />

<p>Yet again, the industry is at a transition. In past transitions, when a company was able to show that an up-until-then unachievable standard could be met, the studios clamped down on the deliverables that went to the older equipment. MPEG was ubiquitous, then JPEG was shown and within a year the MPEG deliverables were verboten. The change in security keys, the anti-ghosting prints….</p>

<p>Wouldn’t that be something if the studios said, “At this time next year, all DCI movie prints will be mastered at the SMPTE standard level of 48 candela per square meter.”</p>

<p>Post-Digital Era indeed~!</p>

<p>The laser systems at CinemaCon will have the new pitch of being commercially installed. Both Barco and Christie have their super ±60,000 lumens systems in the field, with announcements for many more. NEC launched their 6,000 lumen system for the smaller screens to similar success.</p>

<p>The amazing angle on new projector installs is that they are being made – except for rare cases – without the VPF deal. One manufacturer made 20,000 cinema-centric digital sales in 2014 according to their yearly prospectus.</p>

<p>Last year at this time Christie was still using a screen that had shakers attached to the rear to de-harmonize speckle. It will be interesting to see how they have progress from that technology. They also seemed to back away from the pitch that there would be any electricity savings due to the costs of cooling the lasers. Enquiring minds…</p>

<p>Christie’s laser links come from this sentence of their promo:</p>

<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>The Christie Freedom laser illumination system platform includes the <a href=”http://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/cinema/cinema-products/digital-cinema-projectors/Pages/Christie-CP42LH-3DLP-RGB-Digital-Cinema-Laser-Projector.aspx” target=”_blank” title=”Christie CP42LH”><strong>Christie CP42LH</strong></a> for Cinema, the <a href=”http://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/business/products/projectors/3-chip-dlp/Pages/Christie-D4KLH60-3DLP-RGB-Digital-Laser-Projector.aspx” target=”_blank” title=”Christie D4K60LH”><strong>Christie D4K60LH</strong></a><strong> </strong>for Pro Venues, and the <a href=”http://www.christiedigital.com/en-us/3D/products-and-solutions/projectors/Pages/Christie-Mirage-4KLH-3DLP-RGB-Digital-Laser-Projector.aspx” target=”_blank” title=”Christie Mirage 4KLH Promo”><strong>Christie Mirage 4KLH</strong></a> for immersive environments.</p>

<p>Christie also wants to be regarded for their contributions to the Dolby Laser Projector offering.</p>

<p>It might be that Barco will try to immerse their laser pitch with evolutions of the Auro and pre-auditorium entry and full surround systems that they showed last year. Instead of brisking people back and forth they will be showing several features in several different of the Caesars Ballrooms. As a line from their PR says:</p>

<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>Visitors will be treated to hands-on demos of the world’s only laser projector capable of showing 4K 3D content at 60 FPS, Barco’s multi-screen, panoramic movie format, Barco Escape (powered by Alchemy-enabled projectors), and other innovative sight, sound, and engagement solutions designed to fascinate audiences while driving increased profitability for exhibitors.</p>

<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>http://www.barco.com/en/News/Press-releases/CinemaBarco-brings-magic-and-showmanship-back-to-the-movies-showcasing-next-generation-theater-wide-.aspx</p>

<p>DTS will be making presentations of their DTS:X MDA system at the theater at the Palm. The pleasure of being Open Source will continue to be as compelling as the fact that the systems works for the companies who loathe to make hundreds of ‘prints’ for each movie release.</p>

<p>And that leaves the elephant in the room. With several pre-show announcements for their complete cinema package and a willingness to allow the chains to continue with their branding in association, Dolby is also ready with a working message about a working set of products.</p>

<p>Good luck to us all. Sounds like a lot of perfection will be on hand, and a lot of nuance to dig through to see it work its magic in a mutually beneficial manner.</p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p>For years the standard for light levels of movies was set at 48 candela/square meter, which is about 14 foot/lamberts. The tolerance is ~10 candela or 38 total, which is about 3 foot/lamberts or 11 total.</p>

<p>Meanwhile the amount of light coming through the usual 3D system was said to be 3 or 4 foot/Lamberts or 11 candela/square meter. And, typically in the technology biz, cool and clever solutions often come at the tail end of a transition. The argument in this case is that MasterImage has a new and very intelligent light/mirror system and RealD has new screen technology that removes some of the problems inherent with high gain screens.</p>

<p>Systems like these can bring the light to levels approaching the lowest levels of the standard, which looks best only if the print was mastered for the level measured at the eyes.</p>

<p>There are some who will say that 8 foot-Lamberts is enough for 3D for some magical reason (pointing to an ISDCF demo done in 2005), but it is untested, and pointedly, that isn’t the standard either. Demonstrations of Hugo and other movies at 48 candela/m2 are brilliant, but not too brilliant.</p>

Consultants

Buzzword Compliance at SMPTE/NAB/CinemaCon

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The fundamentals of Digital Cinema are built upon Open Source tools, in particular Motion-JPEG (instead of the license troubled MPEG world) and AES-128 encryption (instead of any number of private systems) as well as PCM Wave coding for audio. The combined reasoning of avoiding license fees and allowing the technology to flow by inhibiting the restrictions that proprietary tools bring makes sense.

Now, an adjunct technology iis being held under the same scrutiny and one suspects that the reason is Marketing. Clever marketing, since this is a confused market, but marketing nonetheless. One of the first thing that one learns about standards is that they can be inhibiting and destructive in many circumstances.

The exhibitors want two things. They want to differentiate themselves by keep giving perks and higher quality in special circumstances. This means that they will buy innovation.

But they also want some security that the equipment that they buy won’t turn out to be something that they can’t use in a few years. To many the later translates into “Come On Guys, Can’t You Work Together?” Hey~! Open Source.

Whether Open Source is something the industry wants in its secondary products needs some scrutiny and education. There also has to be some recognition of the enormous amounts of investment that goes into hardware designs and accommodating capabilities not yet dreamed of. 

What is being heard now is Open Something. Open Source is bandied about, then licensing is tied to usage to become something else. 

=-=-=This will be updated as the players find ways to answer to their stockholders…or find another way to announce their firstiness.

Consultants

Buzzword Compliance at SMPTE/NAB/CinemaCon

Leave a comment

The fundamentals of Digital Cinema are built upon Open Source tools, in particular Motion-JPEG (instead of the license troubled MPEG world) and AES-128 encryption (instead of any number of private systems) as well as PCM Wave coding for audio. The combined reasoning of avoiding license fees and allowing the technology to flow by inhibiting the restrictions that proprietary tools bring makes sense.

Now, an adjunct technology iis being held under the same scrutiny and one suspects that the reason is Marketing. Clever marketing, since this is a confused market, but marketing nonetheless. One of the first thing that one learns about standards is that they can be inhibiting and destructive in many circumstances.

The exhibitors want two things. They want to differentiate themselves by keep giving perks and higher quality in special circumstances. This means that they will buy innovation.

But they also want some security that the equipment that they buy won’t turn out to be something that they can’t use in a few years. To many the later translates into “Come On Guys, Can’t You Work Together?” Hey~! Open Source.

Whether Open Source is something the industry wants in its secondary products needs some scrutiny and education. There also has to be some recognition of the enormous amounts of investment that goes into hardware designs and accommodating capabilities not yet dreamed of. 

What is being heard now is Open Something. Open Source is bandied about, then licensing is tied to usage to become something else. 

=-=-=This will be updated as the players find ways to answer to their stockholders…or find another way to announce their firstiness.

The Future Holds...

Laser Light Engines Addresses Maturing Market

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Replacing the Xenon bulb with laser light via fibre to the projector head has made a few more advances and stumbles in the last 6 months. The requirement of screen shakers to avoid speckle took a dramatic hit this week (is moving standing waves an oxymoron? what if they are multi-colored?), even though high brightness 3D was seen by many and lauded at the same time.

As the industry matures to this obvious point, Bill Beck from Laser Light Engines has continued his educate motif and this week gave a presentation that changed from merely explaining important issues like why picking the correct laser primaries will affect efficiency (read: costs) to “Let’s ask the Right Questions”. Since this is CinemaCon week and there is no time to iterate on the nuance in these slides, we’ll just post them as a PDF, then write another more detailed article next week.

The Future Holds...

Laser Light Engines Addresses Maturing Market

Leave a comment

Replacing the Xenon bulb with laser light via fibre to the projector head has made a few more advances and stumbles in the last 6 months. The requirement of screen shakers to avoid speckle took a dramatic hit this week (is moving standing waves an oxymoron? what if they are multi-colored?), even though high brightness 3D was seen by many and lauded at the same time.

As the industry matures to this obvious point, Bill Beck from Laser Light Engines has continued his educate motif and this week gave a presentation that changed from merely explaining important issues like why picking the correct laser primaries will affect efficiency (read: costs) to “Let’s ask the Right Questions”. Since this is CinemaCon week and there is no time to iterate on the nuance in these slides, we’ll just post them as a PDF, then write another more detailed article next week.

Societies

Vegas 2013 SMPTE/NAB CinemaCon

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Calendar dates of SMPTE during NAB and CinemaCon

It happens again this year before switching back next year…CinemaCon immediately follows NAB in Vegas. This means that those who want to attend the SMTPE weekend, filled with more data than one can predict, but not NAB, and also attend CinemaCon, that there is a week in the middle.

Last year this was filled with a near-perfect EDCF bus tour arranged by Thomas MacCalla. From sound systems to important post houses (and who’ll forget being the first riders on the Universal Studios Transformers ride, or equally exciting, spending time talking with Laser Light Engines’ Bill Beck after the successful SMPTE showing of a laser driven Sony projector, and exchanging ideas with all the other european experts), the yearly bustour was yet again perhaps the highlight of the two weeks.

So what will it be in 2013? Can SMPTE out-do themselves…Can Nick Mitchell of Technicolor take the Marvin Hall Award for Telling Us What We Don’t Want to Hear again? Will there be another mis-named presentation that everyone complains for missing (what is white, really?) Will RealD demonstrat what they merely talk about at this coming SMPTE Hollywood Expo?

Societies

Vegas 2013 SMPTE/NAB CinemaCon

Leave a comment

Calendar dates of SMPTE during NAB and CinemaCon

It happens again this year before switching back next year…CinemaCon immediately follows NAB in Vegas. This means that those who want to attend the SMTPE weekend, filled with more data than one can predict, but not NAB, and also attend CinemaCon, that there is a week in the middle.

Last year this was filled with a near-perfect EDCF bus tour arranged by Thomas MacCalla. From sound systems to important post houses (and who’ll forget being the first riders on the Universal Studios Transformers ride, or equally exciting, spending time talking with Laser Light Engines’ Bill Beck after the successful SMPTE showing of a laser driven Sony projector, and exchanging ideas with all the other european experts), the yearly bustour was yet again perhaps the highlight of the two weeks.

So what will it be in 2013? Can SMPTE out-do themselves…Can Nick Mitchell of Technicolor take the Marvin Hall Award for Telling Us What We Don’t Want to Hear again? Will there be another mis-named presentation that everyone complains for missing (what is white, really?) Will RealD demonstrat what they merely talk about at this coming SMPTE Hollywood Expo?

Societies

[Update]Pierce, Jerry, Award, CinemaCon

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Regardless, Jerry did assert a few points. Overarching was a point later made by Dolby at their Atmos launch:

  • Don’t make the cinema experience like a glorified home experience.

His insinuation seemed to be that the exhibitors shouldn’t be caught up in the false premise that they are in a battle with the consumer field. He also encouraged exhibitors to experiment, giving as as example the idea of an up-charge for a “no ads” showing.

Finally he bridged into the area that one is sure he would have liked to give a Master’s Course for Exhibitors: Quality of Exhibition. Instead he only had two minutes, so he went provocative. He said that he would have preferred that he had never seen Avatar in a theater with only 3 footLamberts, declaring that the DVD at home with proper light levels was better. With that he encouraged that the audience members get “full bright plus 10 light levels” for 3D movies so that they will be stellar.

Original Article with Press Release

The Inter-Society for the Enhancement of Cinema Presentation, Inc. (the Inter-Society), in concert with CinemaCon, announced today that Jerry Pierce, former Senior Vice President of Technology at Universal Pictures and Founder/Chairman of the Inter-Society’s Digital Cinema Forum (ISDCF), will receive the Inter-Society’s “2012 Ken Mason Award.”  The award will be presented at CinemaCon, which will be held April 23 – 26, 2012 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. CinemaCon, the official convention of The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), is the largest and most important gathering of cinema owners and operators from around the world.

The Ken Mason Award, named after the Inter-Society’s founder, will be presented to Pierce during the Breakfast and Industry Awards Presentation on Tuesday, April 24 by SVP of Technicolor Curt Behlmer, on behalf of the Inter-Society. The annual award honors an individual who has made outstanding long-term contributions leading to the overall improvement of the motion picture experience.  Previous recipients include: Ken Mason, Barry Reardon, Al Shapiro, Bud Stone, Ioan Allen, Mark Christiansen, Sid Ganis and Gary Weaver.

“Jerry epitomizes the purpose of the Ken Mason award – he has been an instrumental leader toward excellence in the cinema experience,” noted John Fithian, President and CEO of NATO. “His guidance of the ISDCF has enabled the significant industry collaboration to address critical digital cinema-related issues. Exhibitors are undoubtedly grateful for his tremendous service to our industry.”

“From the foundation of DC28, through DCI and the ISDCF, Jerry’s singular vision has been one of the central pillars supporting today’s digital cinema technology,” said Ioan Allen, SVP Dolby Laboratories.

Jerry Pierce came to the film technology industry by way of a master’s degree in electrical engineering-laser optics at Stanford, and 14 years of engineering developments at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft and Stanford Research Institute. He joined Universal in 1995 and immediately began work developing the DVD format, as part of the Universal/Panasonic/Warner Bros./Toshiba team that moved the format from concept to launch – he and Panasonic were recognized with an Emmy award in 1999 for their efforts.

In 2000, Jerry joined the Theatrical Division of Universal Pictures and was at the ground floor of the launch of Digital Cinema.  He was active within The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) DC28, where the initial industry-wide objectives were formulated. He also served as chairman of SMPTE DC28.2, the digital cinema mastering group.  Following the initial SMPTE work, Pierce became a founding member of Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI), and served on both the management and technical committees. He also was a board member of the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California that hosted the Digital Cinema Theater in Hollywood, where the early testing for DCI was held and many of its standards first tested. His close working relationship with NATO and the Inter-Society was recognized as one of the bridges between the organizations.

Pierce, together with Wayne Anderson and John Fithian, described and initiated the Inter-Society Digital Cinema Forum in 2006 to create a group for cross-industry open discussions on the real-world evolving practices for digital cinema. This has become the de-facto location to bring up critical technical issues for digital cinema.  Jerry has served as its chairman, webmaster and negotiator since its inception. It is widely recognized as the best users forum in the industry.

CinemaCon will attract upwards of 5,000 motion picture professionals from all facets of the industry –from exhibition and distribution, to the equipment and concession areas – all on hand to celebrate the moviegoing experience and the cinema industry. From exclusive Hollywood product presentations highlighting a slate of upcoming films, to must-see premiere feature screenings, to the biggest stars, producers and directors, CinemaCon will help jumpstart the excitement and buzz that surrounds the summer season at the box office. CinemaCon 2012 will be held from April 23-26, 2012 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. In returning to Caesars Palace, CinemaCon is able to offer its delegates a modern and upscale conference facility and a one-of-a-kind moviegoing experience in The Colosseum, the 4,200 seat theatre and crown jewel of Caesars Palace.

CinemaCon is delighted to have both the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) and National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) as its tradeshow partners. Cinemacon is also delighted to have as its official presenting sponsor, The Coca-Cola Company, one of the industry’s greatest and highly regarded and respected partners in the world of the movies. Additional information on CinemaCon, the Official Convention of NATO, can be found at www.cinemacon.com.

About the Inter-Society – The Inter-Society for the Enhancement of Cinema Presentation, Inc (the Inter-Society), promotes interactive dialogue and information exchange between cinema-related entities with the goal of resolving issues affecting the overall cinema presentation.  Founded in 1978 by Eastman Kodak VP Ken Mason, membership is composed of its five charter trade organizations: the Association of Cinema and Video Labs (ACVL), the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE)—along with over 40 member companies, made up of trade organizations, motion picture studios, exhibition companies, manufacturers, technical consultants and other industry stakeholders. Previous activities include playing a major role in the implementation of cyan (silverless) soundtracks for 35MM film and procedures for controlling excessive loudness on trailers and feature films. Current committees include the Inter-Society Digital Cinema Forum (ISDCF) which is focused on resolving issues affecting the global digital cinema deployment, and the Inter-Society Environmental Committee (ISEC) which promotes green conservation and awareness within the cinema industry.

About NATO

The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing more than 30,000 movie screens in all 50 states, and additional cinemas in 50 countries worldwide. NATO’s membership includes the largest cinema chains in the world and hundreds of independent theatre owners, too.

Media Contacts:

Heather Lewandoski                                                      Jessica Erskine

Rogers & Cowan                                                               Rogers & Cowan

310.854.8147                                                                      310.854.8129

[email protected] [email protected]

Societies

[Update]Pierce, Jerry, Award, CinemaCon

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Regardless, Jerry did assert a few points. Overarching was a point later made by Dolby at their Atmos launch:

  • Don’t make the cinema experience like a glorified home experience.

His insinuation seemed to be that the exhibitors shouldn’t be caught up in the false premise that they are in a battle with the consumer field. He also encouraged exhibitors to experiment, giving as as example the idea of an up-charge for a “no ads” showing.

Finally he bridged into the area that one is sure he would have liked to give a Master’s Course for Exhibitors: Quality of Exhibition. Instead he only had two minutes, so he went provocative. He said that he would have preferred that he had never seen Avatar in a theater with only 3 footLamberts, declaring that the DVD at home with proper light levels was better. With that he encouraged that the audience members get “full bright plus 10 light levels” for 3D movies so that they will be stellar.

Original Article with Press Release

The Inter-Society for the Enhancement of Cinema Presentation, Inc. (the Inter-Society), in concert with CinemaCon, announced today that Jerry Pierce, former Senior Vice President of Technology at Universal Pictures and Founder/Chairman of the Inter-Society’s Digital Cinema Forum (ISDCF), will receive the Inter-Society’s “2012 Ken Mason Award.”  The award will be presented at CinemaCon, which will be held April 23 – 26, 2012 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. CinemaCon, the official convention of The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), is the largest and most important gathering of cinema owners and operators from around the world.

The Ken Mason Award, named after the Inter-Society’s founder, will be presented to Pierce during the Breakfast and Industry Awards Presentation on Tuesday, April 24 by SVP of Technicolor Curt Behlmer, on behalf of the Inter-Society. The annual award honors an individual who has made outstanding long-term contributions leading to the overall improvement of the motion picture experience.  Previous recipients include: Ken Mason, Barry Reardon, Al Shapiro, Bud Stone, Ioan Allen, Mark Christiansen, Sid Ganis and Gary Weaver.

“Jerry epitomizes the purpose of the Ken Mason award – he has been an instrumental leader toward excellence in the cinema experience,” noted John Fithian, President and CEO of NATO. “His guidance of the ISDCF has enabled the significant industry collaboration to address critical digital cinema-related issues. Exhibitors are undoubtedly grateful for his tremendous service to our industry.”

“From the foundation of DC28, through DCI and the ISDCF, Jerry’s singular vision has been one of the central pillars supporting today’s digital cinema technology,” said Ioan Allen, SVP Dolby Laboratories.

Jerry Pierce came to the film technology industry by way of a master’s degree in electrical engineering-laser optics at Stanford, and 14 years of engineering developments at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft and Stanford Research Institute. He joined Universal in 1995 and immediately began work developing the DVD format, as part of the Universal/Panasonic/Warner Bros./Toshiba team that moved the format from concept to launch – he and Panasonic were recognized with an Emmy award in 1999 for their efforts.

In 2000, Jerry joined the Theatrical Division of Universal Pictures and was at the ground floor of the launch of Digital Cinema.  He was active within The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) DC28, where the initial industry-wide objectives were formulated. He also served as chairman of SMPTE DC28.2, the digital cinema mastering group.  Following the initial SMPTE work, Pierce became a founding member of Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI), and served on both the management and technical committees. He also was a board member of the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California that hosted the Digital Cinema Theater in Hollywood, where the early testing for DCI was held and many of its standards first tested. His close working relationship with NATO and the Inter-Society was recognized as one of the bridges between the organizations.

Pierce, together with Wayne Anderson and John Fithian, described and initiated the Inter-Society Digital Cinema Forum in 2006 to create a group for cross-industry open discussions on the real-world evolving practices for digital cinema. This has become the de-facto location to bring up critical technical issues for digital cinema.  Jerry has served as its chairman, webmaster and negotiator since its inception. It is widely recognized as the best users forum in the industry.

CinemaCon will attract upwards of 5,000 motion picture professionals from all facets of the industry –from exhibition and distribution, to the equipment and concession areas – all on hand to celebrate the moviegoing experience and the cinema industry. From exclusive Hollywood product presentations highlighting a slate of upcoming films, to must-see premiere feature screenings, to the biggest stars, producers and directors, CinemaCon will help jumpstart the excitement and buzz that surrounds the summer season at the box office. CinemaCon 2012 will be held from April 23-26, 2012 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. In returning to Caesars Palace, CinemaCon is able to offer its delegates a modern and upscale conference facility and a one-of-a-kind moviegoing experience in The Colosseum, the 4,200 seat theatre and crown jewel of Caesars Palace.

CinemaCon is delighted to have both the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) and National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) as its tradeshow partners. Cinemacon is also delighted to have as its official presenting sponsor, The Coca-Cola Company, one of the industry’s greatest and highly regarded and respected partners in the world of the movies. Additional information on CinemaCon, the Official Convention of NATO, can be found at www.cinemacon.com.

About the Inter-Society – The Inter-Society for the Enhancement of Cinema Presentation, Inc (the Inter-Society), promotes interactive dialogue and information exchange between cinema-related entities with the goal of resolving issues affecting the overall cinema presentation.  Founded in 1978 by Eastman Kodak VP Ken Mason, membership is composed of its five charter trade organizations: the Association of Cinema and Video Labs (ACVL), the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE)—along with over 40 member companies, made up of trade organizations, motion picture studios, exhibition companies, manufacturers, technical consultants and other industry stakeholders. Previous activities include playing a major role in the implementation of cyan (silverless) soundtracks for 35MM film and procedures for controlling excessive loudness on trailers and feature films. Current committees include the Inter-Society Digital Cinema Forum (ISDCF) which is focused on resolving issues affecting the global digital cinema deployment, and the Inter-Society Environmental Committee (ISEC) which promotes green conservation and awareness within the cinema industry.

About NATO

The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing more than 30,000 movie screens in all 50 states, and additional cinemas in 50 countries worldwide. NATO’s membership includes the largest cinema chains in the world and hundreds of independent theatre owners, too.

Media Contacts:

Heather Lewandoski                                                      Jessica Erskine

Rogers & Cowan                                                               Rogers & Cowan

310.854.8147                                                                      310.854.8129

[email protected] [email protected]

Alternative Content

High Frame Rate 3D Demonstration

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The document speaks to the technology but make no mention of what people thought after seeing the demonstration. Generally speaking it seemed very clear that the benefits of 48 frames to the eye was easily seen. Motion judder was eliminated. The picture looked more natural.

When 60 frames to the eye was shown, not only was the judder removed but the foreground ‘resolution’ popped out. In a sense, this is unnatural since when one is focused on a distant object the foreground objects are not focused. On the other hand, directing with focus is a tool that directors use. If the director doesn’t want to limit focus, it is nice that this resolution becomes available.

Exhibitor News

CinemaCon Official PR [Updated]

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CinemCon PR not yet linkable to CinemaCon PR Site

RYAN REYNOLDS TO RECEIVE CINEMACON MALE STAR OF THE YEAR AWARD
WARNER BROS. PICTURES TO RELEASE “GREEN LANTERN” ON JUNE 17, 2011

HARRY POTTER FILM FRANCHISE TO RECEIVE CINEMACON HALL OF FAME AWARD
WARNER BROS. PICTURES TO RELEASE “HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS—PART 2” 
ON JULY 15, 2011

CinemaCon 2011 Press Releases

CinemaCon 2010 Press Releases