TheatreMagic ::: March - May 2020

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Cine Vision Installs the First Dolby CP950 in India

Cine Vision installs the very first Dolby CP950 7.1 Digital Cinema Processor in India. The brand's newest innovation was first installed at the Sree Siva Jyothi Theatre in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. And the second at Kalyan Cinemas, Tamil Nadu. Being ahead of all the other processors in the market, Dolby has surely surpassed the bars set high. The Dolby Cinema Processor CP950 is the newest innovation in Dolby's market-leading lineage of cinema processors. The CP950 supports the most seamless means of installing Dolby 5.1 and 7.1 surround, and includes an expansion slot for future upgradability to Dolby Atmos to deliver the most memorable and creatively accurate sound experience for your guests.

Plex Operators' Shares In-Focus; PVR, INOX Hits Peaks Shares of cinema theatre operators were in-focus with PVR (INR 1,925) and INOX Leisure (INR 399) hitting their respective all-time highs on expectation of strong earnings growth in October-December quarter (Q3FY20). Shares of INOX Leisure rallied 6 per cent to INR 399 after the company said it has commenced the commercial operations of four additional screens (with seating capacity of 378 seats) in the-existing multiplex cinema theatre in Indore. The stock surpassed its previous high of INR 390 touched recently. PVR too hit a new high of INR 1,925, up 2 per

cent during the session, surpassing its previous high of INR 1,898 hit on September 26, in the intra-day trade on the BSE. Analysts at ICICI Securities continue to maintain positive stance on the multiplex stocks. "We continue to believe that the multiplex industry is the best placed media segment for growth driven by traction in content performance. Both PVR and INOX remain key beneficiaries of a flourishing multiplex business, which is one of the proxies on rising urban discretionary consumption spends," the brokerage said in a report. The brokerage values PVR at 14.5 x FY21E EV/EBITDA and arrives at a target price of INR 2,200 with a BUY rating. It values INOX at 10 x FY21E EV/ EBITDA (nearly 30 per cent discount to target EV/EBITDA multiple of PVR) to arrive at a target price of INR 465/ share and maintain BUY rating. "In Q3FY20, the box office (BO) collection is estimated to surge 76 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to INR 1,655 Cr, led by better performance of War and addition of multiple movies ('Commando 3', ‘Ujda Chaman’ and ‘Bhangraa Pa Le’); this will translate into box office revenue growth of 35-40 per cent YoY based on Hindi alone. Further, films like ‘83’ - Kapil Dev's Biopic, ‘Brahmastra’, ‘Krrish 4’, would drive BO collection around 11-12 per cent for FY21E", according to analysts at Elara Securities (India). Apart from Bollywood, Hollywood pipeline looks promising, with ‘Fast & Furious 9’, ‘Wonder Woman 1984’, ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’, ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ where it commands a higher share will drive box office collection over FY20-21, analysts said.

The brokerage firm expects screen execution to remain strong for INOX and momentum to continue in the near term, given expansion in the premium format screens (Insignia, Megaplex and Screen X), which attract significantly higher average ticket price (ATP), which would drive a revenue CAGR of 20.4 per cent over FY19-22E. It has 'buy' rating on INOX Leisure with target price of INR 490 per share. "For PVR, sustained double-digit growth in spend per head and inorganic expansion in screen addition would drive a revenue CAGR of 15 per cent over FY19FY22E. However, concerns persist over footfalls and ad growth trajectory SSG, which is in the low single digits despite strong box office collections. We recommend 'Accumulate' with a target price of INR 2,050 based on 12.5 x one-year forward EV/EBITDA," the brokerage firm said in a report published a few months ago. In the past one month, INOX Leisure (up 9 per cent) and PVR (up 5 per cent) have outperformed the market by gaining over 4 per cent, as compared to a 2 per cent rise in the benchmark index.

Carnival Cinemas, First Multiplex Chain to Go 100% Laser in India One of the leading and fastest growing national multiplex chain Carnival Cinemas, led by Dr. Shrikant Bhasi, has chosen Christie's RGB pure laser cinema projectors featuring RealLaser illumination technology as its next-generation projection systems to power theatre screens across the country. The projectors will be installed and maintained by TSR Films Private Limited (TSR Films), Christie's pre-eminent integration partner of its family of RGB pure laser cinema projectors in India.

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Dr. Shrikant Bhasi, Chairman and Founder, Carnival Group, said, "The time has come for us to upgrade the cinematic experience to a whole new level that delivers a complete, bestin-class and refreshing experience to our patrons, and in so doing enables us to remain ahead of the curve for a long time to come. We are pleased to join hands with a like-minded partner in TSR Films and its founder, Tan Sri Dato' Sri Dr. MP Ramasamy. We aim to be at forefront of technological advancement with this deal with global cinema technology major Christie's RGB pure laser cinema projectors featuring RealLaser illumination technology. This investment will enable us to benefit from a long-lasting and reliable platform that performs well into the future." "We will convert all our existing and new screens into Laser in next five years. In addition to the best colour palette, best 3D visual experience and a world-class immersive audio experience, we would also move a step forward towards reducing our ecological footprint with lesser power consumption. We have become the first multiplex chain in India to be equipped with Christie RGB RealLaser cinema projectors. This will help our advertisers to experiment with more colours and better quality cinema specific brand advertisements as lasers only create the exact colors needed and also offer potentially brighter projected

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images, with more and better colours. Digital cinema projector lamps are being replaced between every 500 to 3,000 hours, depending on the screen size. Again, based on an analysis of the Indian cinema market, we found that over 30,000 of these lamps are being swapped and sent around on an annual basis. This means that if we replace every lampbased cinema projector by such an RGB laser projector, we avoid over tens of thousands lamp swaps in India annually: this is a lots of transport costs, packaging waste, and pollution that can be reduced," said Mohan Umrotkar, CEO, Carnival Cinemas. Tan Sri Dato' Sri Dr. MP Ramasamy, Chairman and Managing Director, TSR Films, added, "Carnival Cinemas is among the fastest growing multiplex chains in India that is focused on redefining the cinematic experience for its patrons. We are therefore proud to collaborate with Carnival to equip its multiplexes with Christie's innovative RGB pure laser cinema projectors that are efficient, reliable, environmentally-friendly, and delivers brighter and superior visuals than other technologies currently available on the market. I'm confident that this partnership will ensure that the projection solutions deployed at Carnival are always ahead of time and retain the technical edge in providing the most awe-inspiring visuals to all cinema audiences."

LittleNAP Join Hands with Seating Spectrum LittleNAP Recliners had announced having taken another big leap in joining hands with Seating Spectrum Sdn Bhd; one of the best companies in the market that provides seating solutions to cinema industry. Headquartered in Malaysia, Seating Spectrum and their manufacturing units follow the highest standard possible in the manufacturing process. Stringent quality checks are performed during the manufacturing process. LittleNap currently provides all seating like Luxury Recliners, Sofa Sliders, Loungers, Front row



loungers, Kids Seating except Normal Cinema Chairs and now we are very excited to provide Cinema Chairs seating as well. We as a partner, will provide them all support in Sales, Marketing, Brand Building, Installation and Servicing in Pan India, Middle East and Sri Lanka. Taking a big step ahead, this is the strongest synergy between LittleNAP and Seating Spectrum for cinema seating solutions market with a mutual motive in being able to deliver every possible seating to our valuable customers and this partnership will go to a longest mile. Ravinder Goel, Founder & Director of LittleNap Recliners says, "This partnership will add new dimensions in cinema seating in India and abroad. There is huge synergy in both brands and partnership. We're thrilled to have Seating Spectrum in this role and look forward to continuing to exceed client expectations!"

Galalite's Mirage XDL 1.2 Complimented Christie's RGB Laser at Carnival Cinemas Carnival Cinemas collaborated with Christie Digital Systems and TSR professional video and audio for their project of Laser screens PAN India. The event marked the celebration of Carnival Cinemas becoming the first and only multiplex chain to go 100% laser in India. The occasion was graced with Christie laser projector, Dolby Atmos Sound and Galalite's Mirage XDL 1.2. What makes Galalite's Mirage XDL 1.2 screens an ideal choice for a laser projection screen, is its seamless clarity and maximized black levels. The attendees at the event attested these facts and appreciated the speckle-free experience that happens due to Galalite's innovative LENSRAY technology. The audience was truly

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enthralled and could notice the clear difference between an ordinary screenvis-a-vis a Galalite screen. A. Harivas, Head of TSR stated 'The only reason that the speckles on the screen are reduced is due to Galalite screens' technology. We can now enjoy the beauty of laser projection speckle free.' Rajesh Thadani, Head of Distribution, PEN Studios shares his experience saying he has had the opportunity to view movies in other cinemas, but the superior video quality and image output that he noticed with Galalite's Mirage XDL 1.2 screen was a different and truly enjoyable experience. He further stated that he would recommend Galalite screens to everyone.

INOX Deploys Dolby Amplifiers; Rolls out Dolby Atmos Further This Year India's leading cinema chain, INOX Leisure Limited (INOX) extended its strategic partnership with Dolby, a leader in immersive entertainment experiences to provide the best in class cinema solutions. With Dolby Atmos screens already present at INOX multiplexes across the country, INOX recently announced that it will be deploying Dolby's latest and best in class Dolby Multichannel Amplifiers (DMA). The DMA's are D Class digital amplifiers which have a smaller footprint that can save a lot of rack

space and hence real estate, air-conditioning and power consumption. Using DMAs in the audio chains escalates audio reproduction without distortion making the experience better than best. These new generation amplifiers also bring other benefits like ease of connectivity, less cabling, robust design, built in redundancies for uninterrupted playback, ability to monitor the health of the amplifiers over central NOC, and also the ability to compensate for a failed speaker till replacement ensuring consistent and high end experience for patrons what they expect from INOX. INOX has been extremely aggressive in pioneering cinema technologies into the country in order to enhance the cinema viewing experience of its patrons. A testimony INOX's technology focus in INOX Megaplex, world's first cinema with six different cinema viewing formats. Located at Inorbit Mall, Mumbai, INOX Megaplex houses IMAX, Samsung Onyx LED, ScreenX, MX4D and INSIGNIA formats. INOX also offers Laser Projection and Dolby Atmos experience to its patrons. Alok Tandon, Chief Executive Officer, INOX Leisure Ltd said, "Technology is the cornerstone of our business strategy, and cinema sound plays an extremely critical part in the overall cinema viewing experience. I am delighted to share that we are further strengthening our association with Dolby with the deployment of Dolby's multi-channel amplifier. As we become the first cinema chain in the country to use these versatile amplifiers, we are all set to be more energy efficient, cost efficient and space efficient. We are proud to pioneer one more technology intervention into the country with this deployment." Dolby offers a full range of imaging, content management, and accessibility solutions to give audiences an immersive cinema experience to date with 700+ Dolby Atmos Screen installed or committed in India and over 700+ Dolby Atmos titles in 6 Indian languages.



• S P E C I A L F E AT U R E •

Saragam Theatre:

Kaptivatingly KRIXY!!!

The all new sound concept initialised in Chandpur, Uttar Pradesh is the first in the country with the combination of innovative speakers and sound processor, enhancing basic 5.1 and 7.1 channel sounds to 24 channels, making the sound more immersive and 360 degrees in nature. Enabling to achieve very precise levels of calibration, it's not just sound but also the visual equipment used that makes one feel completely immersed into the movie. It's been 47 years that Sargam Theatre in Chandpur, Uttar Pradesh has been bringing joy and entertainment to the city enhancing the movie going experience from time to time. With the first stepping

stone laid by Late Kailash Chandra Mittal and 'Seeta Aur Geeta' being the first movie to be released, Sargam Theatre has been the heart of the city ever since then. Though the Mittal family have other

ventures, they are mostly known for the excitement they bring to the city with the latest movies in their cinema. Late Shri Kailash's son, Arvind Mittal and grandson Ranjan Mittal there after made sure that the memory and dream of their paternal fathers lives on and the movie patrons always enjoy watching movies at the best of their comfort, experience and technology. With the same thought in mind they hence converted the cinema to digital from film in the year 2008. Having set plans to take it to the next level, Arvind and Ranjan converted their old single screen to a 2-screen multiplex with 370 plush seats in total. The multiplex offers the most vibrant interiors, comfortable seating, bind boggling visuals and heart throbbing sound in both its screens.

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• S P E C I A L F E AT U R E • Keeping in mind the best for 1.5 lakh people of Chandpur, Mittal thought of bringing in new products and having installed the technology introduced latest in the market; to build the cinema going experience not just for the city but the country even on a long term note. Having affirmed this initiative, Sargam Theatre thus introduced the concept of KAPTIVATE sound for the very first time in the country. KAPTIVATE sound with the combination of innovative KRIX speakers and Trinnov's Ovation 2 sound processor helps in enhancing basic 5.1 and 7.1 channel sounds to 24 channels, making the sound more immersive and 360 degrees in nature. The combination of KRIX speakers and Trinnov's Ovation 2 sound processor helps in achieving very precise levels of calibration. The guided calibration process of the processor and the ability of Krix's technology to go down to as low as 16 hz helps achieve results with 360 degrees of 16-18000 hz, and a system which has both clarity and impact. With Ovation's capability of adding extra channels, 4 extra subwoofers are added on the side and at the back of the walls for Screen 2 matching 4 current zones of sound which can further be increased as and when needed. With the help of these extra channels every nuance in

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the movie are at point and helps you feel the sound with no effort at all. While screen 2 was introduced with KAPTIVATE, screen 1 has Dolby Atmos configuration with KRIX speakers again. It's not just sound but the visual equipment used that makes one feel completely immersed into the movie. Both the Audis have screens worked by Strong MDI and Christie Projectors. Screen 2 provides an ultimate 3D experience with the image aptly popping out of the

screen with the help of X Mirror 3D system. Sargamis now successively functional and offers the best-in-class moviegoing experience with air-conditioned screens by Blue Star, plush and comfortable seats by CVG, a complete power back up, new options for Food and Beverages and revolutionising Audio-Video solutions by Allied Enterprises. Keeping the motive of delivering better movie viewing experiences constant.



• INDIA PLEXING •

Cinépolis Sreekanya:

The Standalone Cinema in Vizag Completing 10 years of its journey in India, the global cinema chain strengthens its presence at the IT Hub of city of Vishakhapatnam. Promising to be a wholesome experience of cinema watching for the Vizagites, the theatre is a stand alone private property with 3D and four 2D screens, boasting of seating capacity for over 800 patrons. Aimed at providing exceptional services at affordable rates, the new theatre comes with a special 52 decibels sound insulation using Brillmax acoustic access panels. Cinépolis, India's 1st international and the world's 2nd largest movie theatre circuit in terms of attendees has launched a new cinema in Vishakhapatnam. Located in the IT hub of the city Madhurvada; the new Cinépolis theatre has 4 screens including a 3D enabled screen. Promising to be a wholesome experience of cinema watching, the theatre is a standalone private property with one 3D and four 2D screens, boasting of seating capacity for over 800 patrons. Aimed at providing exceptional services at affordable rates, the new Cinépolis theatre comes with a special 52 decibels sound insulation using Brillmax acoustic access panels.

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As Cinépolis completes 10 years of its journey in India, the global cinema chain continues to strengthen its network on the country's map. Cinépolis Sreekanya is the latest addition toits properties, shortly after the launch of the theatre in DSL Virtue Mall, Hyderabad. Speaking on the occasion, Devang Sampat, Deputy CEO, Cinépolis India said "We are extremely pleased to announce our latest property, Cinépolis Sreekanya in Madhurvada for true movie fans. We have just completed glorious ten years in India, and with the new launch, we aim to stay true to our vision that entails us to provide a fulfilling experience of cinema viewing to all our patrons. We are confident that this new cinema is going to be a prominent place of watching movies in the upcoming days for all the Vizagites." KNVS Gurumurthy, Managing Partner, Sreekanya Cineglitz also said, "We are

extremely honoured to enter into an association with Cinepolis, one of the most premium multiplex chains in the country. The new multiplex is strategically located in the technology hub of the city, so that it garners higher footfalls. We are certain that the Cinepolis trust and quality being integrated into the multiplex, is surely going to turn Cinepolis Sreekanya as one of the most visited entertainment locations in Madhurvada." Cinépolis extends a contemporary approach which seamlessly weaves the entire range of cherry-picked cinema formats from across the world under one roof offering an unmatched experience to all movie patrons. The brand also offers a continuous customer engagement program through 'Club Cinépolis Program' that allows the patron to earn and burn points on movie tickets and F&B, and has exclusive benefits of special screenings, meet and greet with stars and much more.



• INDIA PLEXING •

INOX Leisure:

De-Couching Cinephiles Mention the name INOX and you immediately think luxurious entertainment! Keeping a strategic expansion at focus addressing urban growth in metros and tier 2 cities on priority, the multiplex operator continues to add screens at an aggressive pace as it expects a spate of new movie releases to keep drawing audiences to its theatres.

Elpro City Square, Pune India's leading multiplex chain, INOX Leisure Ltd, announced the launch of its sixth multiplex in the city of Pune. INOX's newest multiplex in Pune has come up at Elpro City Square in Pimpri-Chinchwad. The swanky multiplex accommodates a total of 1139 seats spread across 5 impressively designed auditoria. Each of the 5 screens in the multiplex are soaked in comfort and equipped with the best-in-class cinema technologies for sound and projection. The multiplex would augment INOX's presence in

thunderous feel. The immersive ambience of the auditoriums compliment the vibrant 3D view, which is powered by Volfoni Smart Crystal Diamond solution. The multiplex also offers state-of-the-art recliner seating options for a luxurious cinema viewing.

the art and culture loving city of Pune, taking the total multiplex count to 6 and screen count to 31. Thanks to a smooth and breezy approach to the lively Elpro City Square, the movie buffs in Pune are in for a spectacular movie watching experience. The auditoria are equipped with advanced digital projection system for razor sharp visuals. In addition, the theatres also offer a surround sound experience from the Dolby ATMOS system, for the guests to enjoy a

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The multiplex will possess of a string of customer-friendly digital features like paper-less check-ins, touch-screen enabled ticketing and interactive food-ordering. Guests would also get



• INDIA PLEXING • to experience INOX's vibrant hospitality and gourmet offerings. The lively restaurant, ‘Café Unwind’, is designed to serve its specially curated mouth-watering preparations, even to guests who are not watching a movie. INOX has also introduced ‘Kiddles’, a bright and exciting play area for kids, amply loaded with toys, books, relevant activities and content. The multiplex has been designed to offer a chic and sophisticated visual experience. The intelligent and accented use of shades of Fuchsia Pink colour, aesthetically combined with Black and Gold give the multiplex a flourishing feel. The linear formations wrapping on to the wall and the ceiling, provide an intriguing sight. The larger than life video wall

mounted in the lobby area, not only brings the space to life, but also activates the senses of the guests. INOX is already operating

5 multiplexes in Pune, at Bund Garden, at Amanora Mall, at Jai Ganesh Vision Mall, Fun & Shop Mall and at Royall Heritage Mall.

Crown Mall, Lucknow

Being the latest and the fourth multiplex from INOX, the property comprises of 6 screens and a total seating capacity of 1171 seats, including recliners. INOX is already operating three multiplexes in the city of Lucknow. INOX's multiplex at Gardens Galleria Mall houses 4 screens, the multiplex at the Riverside Mall operates 4 screens and the multiplex at Umrao Mall has 3 screens. With the launch of a multiplex at Crown Mall, INOX will have a total of 11 multiplexes with 44 screens in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The multiplex will offer the breathtaking sound quality of DOLBY

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ATMOS, offering a three dimensional digital surround sound experience, which makes the audience feel a part of the movie. The other advanced cinema technologies include an

advanced digital projection system for razor sharp visuals and vibrant 3D powered screen by Volfoni Systems. The multiplex will offer a digitally enabled experience with features like 'Fast Tickets', for selfbooking of tickets on touch enabled screens and 'Fast Bites' for food ordering. The Box Office is also equipped with an interactive touch screen, enabling faster and smoother transactions. In an endeavour to offer a luxurious experience, the multiplex also offers plush recliner seats. Guests would also get to experience INOX's vibrant hospitality and gourmet offerings. The lively restaurant, Café Unwind, is designed to serve its specially curated mouth-watering preparations, even to guests who are not watching a movie.



• INDIA PLEXING •

Orion Mall, Gorakhpur INOX recently opened its second multiplex in the city of Gorakhpur at Orion Mall in Mohaddipur area. The latest multiplex from INOX comprises of 4 screens and a total capacity of 748 seats which includes luxurious recliners. INOX has also renovated and revamped its 1st multiplex in the city located at City Mall at Park Road. With these developments, INOX is all set to offer an all new and refreshing cinema viewing experiences to the movie lovers of Gorakhpur. With this launch, at Orion Mall, INOX has now crossed a massive milestone of 600 screens at 145 multiplexes located in 68 cities of India. The new multiplex at Orion Mall will offer excellent sound quality,

advanced digital projection system for razor sharp visuals and vibrant 3D powered screen by Volfoni Systems. The multiplex will offer a digitally enabled experience with features like 'Fast Tickets', for self-booking of tickets on touch enabled screens and 'Fast Bites' for food ordering. The Box

Office is also equipped with an interactive touch screen, enabling faster and smoother transactions. The multiplex will enthuse the movie lovers from Gorakhpur with its modern and bold design theme with a lot of cinematic elements. The renovated multiplex at City Mall will also delight customers with its new features and exciting interiors. Besides interactive ticket book and food ordering options, the revamped multiplex will have an all new Café Lounge serving mouth-watering gourmet food. The multiplex will also offer the experience of Dolby Sound to the movie goers of Gorakhpur.

C21 Mall, Indore The latest addition of 4 new screens to the existing 5 screen multiplex at C21 Mall, Indore, makes it the largest multiplex of Central India. The multiplex now has 9 screens, 1486 seats and 3 new cinema viewing experiences. INOX has added Central India's 1st ultra-luxurious INSIGNIA theatre, 1st MX4D Theatre and 1st CLUB theatre, making it the multiplex with highest number of unique cinema viewing experiences in Central India. The multiplex now has the capacity to screen 45 shows in a day. The three new cinema viewing formats at INOX include -

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INSIGNIA: INOX's 7-star format offering the most luxurious movie viewing experience with leather recliners, butler on call and an

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exceptional dining catalogue, serviced by a LIVE kitchen. -

MX4D: The format which offers the most advanced environment where viewers feel the action happening on screen from the 14 built-in motions and effects programmed in the seats and the theatre walls.

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CLUB: A luxurious format for the smart and discerning customers with ample leg space and striking interiors.

The new multiplex will also be a go to destination for innovative F&B concepts and an elaborate gourmet selection. The menu possesses cuisines ranging from Indian, Lebanese, American, Oriental, Italian, Grill and Thai, besides a whole range of beverages, pop corns and nachos.

The highlight of the F&B offerings is going to be the Live Kitchen at INSIGNIA, which serves food from a menu, which is curated by celebrity Chef Vicky Ratnani. The multiplex will also have an exciting new food outlet, called Café Unwind, which serves freshly brewed coffee, detox juices, burgers, sandwiches, ice cream and even waffles. In all, the multiplex will offer more than 150 menu options which would include snacks, main course, beverages and desserts. The design theme of the new section of the multiplex is inspired by the contemporary Art Deco theme creating a luxurious and lively ambience. The welcoming feel of the lobbies is going to delight the movie lovers of Indore and make INOX at C21, their favourite movie destination.



• INDIA PLEXING •

PVR Cinemas:

Reigning Front of the Industry Conceptualised around the significance of customercentricity, PVR with 'Every seat has a story' reiterates its focus on customer experience. Having started India's first multiplex, PVR Anupam in Delhi in 1997; Today, PVR is India's largest multiplex chain with 15,000 staff, 821 screens at 172 properties in 70 cities. With the previous issue showcasing the brand's very first step internationally on the recent opening of its Sri Lankan property, PVR has come a long way through undoubtedly and is back with its all new openings in New Delhi, Punjab and Bengaluru.

Vegas Mall, Dwarka, New Delhi PVR Cinemas, India's largest and the most premium film exhibitor announced the launch of its flagship property designed to offer an unparalleled experience at Vegas Mall, Dwarka, New Delhi. The onestop entertainment destination features an enigmatic aesthetic which strongly represents the next generation of cinema in the region. The 12- screen property is an innovative excellence; hosting international formats like IMAX and 4DX coupled with superlative hospitality services and magnificent interiors. With this opening, PVR Cinemas stands at a count of 62 screens in 16 properties in

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New Delhi and 244 screens across 56 properties in Northern India. Reinforcing its commitment to innovation, PVR Cinemas in its latest offering aims to fully immerse movie patrons in the magic of cinema through best-in-class theatrical technologies, gastronomic extravaganza and seamless digital experience. The futuristic design of the property is accentuated by customized colours, lightings and premium seating facilities. Located in Asia's largest sub-city, the property spreads across an area of 70,000 sq. ft. with a seating capacity of 1,833 audiences. Integrated with advanced technologies, the 12- screen Superplex includes one IMAX screen, one 4 DX screen, two ultra-premium LUXE auditoriums, seven mainstream and one dedicated auditorium for children with joyful arrangements PVR Playhouse. The theatre is equipped with BARKO 4K projection, Dolby 7.1 surround system in nine auditoriums and Dolby Atmos in others along with NextGen 3D UHD screens in six auditoriums. In addition to this, all the auditoriums have recliners installed, further enabling


• INDIA PLEXING • comfortable and luxurious movieviewing. Running across two levels and styled in modern art deco; the newly opened cinema offers a warm and luxurious ambience through intricate styling elements like wallpaper, smart lighting, lobby space, digital art environment and more to add to its magnificence. Further, the Quick tix facility, delectable Gourmet menu curated by celebrity Chef Sarah Todd and four new food and beverage concepts - Blends, Local, Wok and Grill, and Oven Fresh are sure to offer a differential and wholesome experience to the patrons.

Cosmo Mall, Zirakpur, Punjab Integrated with best- in- class theatrical solutions to offer an immersive and enhanced cinematic experience; the newly launched property in the satellite city stands as the latest entertainment hub for the cinema lovers. Positioned on the Delhi-Chandigarh highway and nestled at the heart of Zirakpur, PVR Cinemas offer great ease of convenience to both; intercity travellers and the locals. Spreading across an area of 32821 sq. ft with a seating capacity of 941 audiences, the brand forays into Zirakpur to introduce new benchmarks of movie viewing. To provide an unparalleled cinematic experience, the 4-screen property is equipped with cuttingedge technologies like the Harkness Silver and Perlux White Screen, Dolby 7.1 surround sound system, and Ultra-high brightness 3D screens. With this property, PVR also introduces another path breaking innovation in its technological offerings with the BARCO 2K RGB+ Laser projectors. The RGB+ projectors, apart from providing an unparalleled image quality, higher colour gamut and better light efficiency; also claim to encourage sustainability in its production and operation. This new technology aims to place Zirakpur at the apex of PVR's offerings to its patrons in the state.

easily accessible to the audiences located in the periphery of Bengaluru. With this launch, PVR augments its presence in the state of Karnataka across 15 properties to 103 screens and to 46 properties and 286 screens in Southern India.

Styled in modern art deco designs with LED lightings, the cinema will provide a warm and welcoming ambience. The integration of premium features makes it a plush and elegant destination for the audience to experience a modern cinema theatre. The myriad of services further includes; the Quick tix facility, delectable Gourmet menu and recliner seats in all auditoriums which adds to the property's unique offerings. Customers can also take advantage of redeeming PVR gift cards and attain privilege membership at the cinema.

Orion Uptown Mall, Bengaluru, Karnataka Announcing the launch of its 5-screen multiplex in OMR Bangalore at Orion Uptown Mall, the property boosts the concept of neighbourhood movie viewing in an endeavour to take world class cinema to the doorstep of the patrons. The BARCO RGB+ Laser projectors make a debut in the state of Karnataka with this opening. Equipped with technological excellence and coupled with best-insegment F&B offerings and hospitality services the new multiplex makes enhanced movie-viewing experience

Located in the popular and fast developing residential suburb of Old Madras Road, the property is well-connected to the city and the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. The new cinema spreads across an area of 22,906 sq. ft. with a seating capacity of 876 audiences. Integrated with advanced technological features like BARCO RGB+ Laser projectors, QSC 7.1 surround sound system, UHB 3D system and Harkness Silver and Perlux White screens, the new cinema ensures unparalleled cinematic experience at the theatres. Designed around the concept of modernity, the new cinema enhances customer experience through Quick tix facility, delectable Gourmet menu and recliner seats. Customers can further redeem PVR gift cards and check for privilege membership at the cinema.

Raghav of TheatreWorld chats with Pramod Arora, Chief Growth & Strategy Officer, PVR Cinemas during the inagural

Kannada SuperStar Puneeth Rajkumar inaugurates the Cinema

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• BUSINESS TREND •

PVR - MUBI:

The Great Cinema-OTT Alliance Decoded MUBI, a U.K. based curated movie streaming service, is breaking into India's booming entertainment market through a partnership with the country's largest operator of multi-screen theatres PVR Ltd. Subscriptions for curated streaming service MUBI now include a ticket to see hand-selected films in PVR Cinemas every week for the Indian patrons, starting with Rian Johnson's acclaimed ‘Knives Out’. Here's more to Efe Cakarel, Founder and CEO of MUBI and Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Pictures having a candid conversation with TheatreWorld… How do you feel breaking all those stereotypical talks about the on-going battle between Cinemas and OTT platforms? Kamal: At PVR, we always try to innovate and push the envelope. This tie up dispels the myth that cinemas and OTT cannot collaborate. There's been a lot of speculation about OTT cannibalising cinemas. And that OTT and Cinemas don't get along; they don't see eye to eye. But hopefully this initiative would negate a lot of these negative stories. And communicate to people that ultimately these are two distributional platforms with the same motive. And also be of service to the content creator in increasing the revenue. You know this OTT and cinemas' relationship, if you look at the last two three years when Netflix and Amazon have got really aggressive;

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the counter-intuitive thing which has taken place is that cinemas have record-breaking years. Last year was a record-breaking year and this year is turning out to be another recordbreaking year. This is at the back of Netflix…you know investing a lot of money in this market; Amazon investing a lot of money in this market. So we believe that there is a positive cycle at play. With Netflix, Amazon, Hungama, Jio and so many other OTT players investing in this market, producers have got other revenues streamed. And they are aiming to exploit their films better and earn more from these films. And these incremental earnings are going back into making bigger and better films; which when they come back to cinemas are helping cinemas. So we think that there is a virtual cycle at play; where OTT is actually helping cinemas in a very counter-intuitive style. So with the tie-up with MUBI, we are hoping that this aspect would somewhere get settled. So that's one point. The second is more practical that ultimately we will get incremental admission from this tieup because MUBI is going to offer one free ticket and offering film playing at the PVR cinema every week to each subscriber which means there is more business flowing in.

The PVR-MUBI alliance is the first of its kind in India. There has got to be a strong motto behind this huge initiative. Tell us more. Kamal: One mainly being to dispel the notion that OTT and Cinemas don't get along and cannot collaborate. The fact is we can. Secondly stating, we hope this would open doors to many such similar collaborations or even different; with many more such collaborations between OTT and cinemas. And the next being PVR has always aspired to be a thought reader, constantly trying to push and do something new. Therefore, it should be seen in the same lens that this initiative also is a step towards that direction; trying to do something new all the time. So how does your association with PVR-MUBI work? Efe: MUBI OTT platform provides each subscriber with one free ticket each weekat any PVR Cinema for a film which is playing at the cinema. This one free ticket does not mean that the film is available on MUBI and theatres both. The movies would come on the OTT platform only after it finishes its theatrical run. You know there is window of 8 weeks between theatrical release and the release on OTT. So that window will stay. Therefore, this would be a very simple


• BUSINESS TREND • promotion but an extremely powerful and a long-term one. A long-term phenomena so as to say. And we wish MUBI the best and hope they end up with a lot of subscribers because the more subscribers they gain, the more free tickets they will end up distributing with the benefits and the incremental admissions quite naturally flowing in. MUBI has completely different selection wherever you go. Is the current India version also completely unique from any other country in the world? Efe: Due to both the tastes of local audiences and the international complexities of the digital rights of so much of cinema history, the films we show on MUBI frequently differ depending on which country you are watching from. But the kind of cinemas we champion remains consistent across the world: advocating passionately for independent cinema, cult cinema, and classic cinema. As often as we can, we unite our global cinephile audience by showing the same film

or retrospectives on the platform internationally. Are you worried that MUBI is entering India at a time when there are various homegrown and international OTT players already crowding the market? Efe: Our model and approach are very different from other subscription video on demand services, and we don't see MUBI as having to directly compete with other streaming apps. We know, through research, that many people will subscribe to more than one SVoD service, so consumers in India could subscribe to both Netflix and MUBI. We are focused first and foremost on human curation, and we have built a service that concentrates on the highest quality and attention to detail, that will speak to anyone with a genuine love for great films. We introduce one new hand-picked film a day, chosen by film experts who look at local culture and cinema to decide what people would enjoy watching in that market. But in India,

following the launch of MUBI India and MUBI World, we now offer two new films a day. Another key differentiator for us is MUBI GO, a partnership with PVR Cinemas that we announced last month. No other streaming service has partnered with a cinema chain like this in India before, and the response since we announced has been really positive. A lot of OTT players are going the "Originals" way. Will MUBI ever go beyond curation to creating its own content in India? Efe: Yes, definitely, and we can't wait to start producing in India. Our production team is already reviewing treatments and scripts from Indian filmmakers. We're currently producing in the US and Europe we have Port Authority, which debuted at Cannes this year in the Uncertain Regard section, Rachel Lang's Mon Legionnaire, and the recently announced TV series, Maniac Cop from Nicolas Winding Refn. There are more projects that we are involved in, which we will be able to talk more about next year.


• INDIA PLEXING •

SRT Cinemas:

The Most Nostalgic Cinema in Andhra Pradesh

In the heart of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh, lies the 1500 sq. m property serving a seating capacity for 326. The curved arrangement of the seats enhances the viewing experience for total run in the locality.

SRT Cinemas was an idea born out of the client's sheer interest and the designer's passion for cinema. The main intent being to renovate the 40 year old theatre and present the user with a fascinating movie experience by means of maximizing the screen size besides introducing a high quality 7.1 Dolby sound system with a technologically advanced projection system, ergonomically designed seating layout and unhindered sightlines. The design brief was a clean slate left to the imagination of the design

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team. Having said, the inspiration for the design was mainly sought from the location and surroundings

of the theatre and then studying the lifestyle of the end users. Nostalgia and awe are key features of the


• INDIA PLEXING • design, which assimilate visitors the second they enter the lobby with two curved staircase. Located amidst farms and fields, it was common to sight flocks of birds during dawn and dusk. The design intent was to reinterpret this familiar scene inside the confines of a cinema. Integrating lighting automation technology and custom designed lights that are inspired from the wingspan of birds help in creating a surreal experience of a flock of birds descending into the theatre space. The lighting sequence is programmed based on the timing between shows and initiated during the interval breaks. The curved arrangement of seats enhances the viewing experience. Just as the audience converges at the center aisle during the end of a show, the seats are also arranged to merge in the center, where the black and red seats fade out into each other. A view from the screen towards the top rows creates a perception of the red seats blending into the black seats eventually merging with the background, thereby making the space look much large that was it actually is. The design of the lobby is inspired by the classical double staircase of the traditional homes around the region. Both the curved stairs lead to the upper level of the cinema. The double height walls along the stairs act as

FACT FILE Size

1500 sq.m

Screens

1

Seating Capacity

326

Location

Pedanandipadu , Andhra Pradesh

Design Scope

Architecture & Interiors

Design Team

Kishore, Karthik, Harinee, Salman, Ashok

Website

www.ksquarearchitects.com

canvas to showcase the black and white portraits of yesteryear actors and their movie posters. The walk up to the cinemas screen is a designed to be a nostalgic experience for older audience.

The façade is covered with ACP panel, which are layered in multiple tiers as they rise up. The project being a brand building exercise for the client resulted in becoming a land mark for the small town that it is located in.

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• INDIA PLEXING •

Sri Vishnu Cinemas:

Vellore's First Next-Gen Multiplex This newly refurbished cinema in Vellore is equipped with the best-inclass technology. The 3 screen multiplex with a total accommodating capacity of 1145 is a drive through thoroughly worth for its Next-Gen cinematic experience for our patrons…

Situated in Vellore; the city known for its world class medical facilities and education, Sri Vishnu cinemas first commenced in 10th of December 1986. Initially founded by Late D. Venkatesa Chettiar, the legacy was thereafter from 1997 carried on by his sons V. Karthikeyan, V. Dilli and V. Thirunavukarasu. Initially, the theatre was a single screen, which was then converted into a three screen multiplex in 2017. Today, be it the cooler or other conditioning elements, DTS sound

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system or the projection elements (Xenon, Digital Cinema, 2K and Laser), they have been the very first to introduce these features as soon as it is out in the marketto the moviegoers.

The theatre is located in the heart of the city next to the local Vellore bus station. It is a three screen multiplex with a total seating capacity of 1145 equipped with the latest technology of LASER and 4K projection, harkness screens, Dolby Atmos in two of the screens, latest push back seats, stateof-art 3D facilities in all the screens, Good interiors with ambient lighting. While the biggest screen has a balcony with a seating capacity of 623 and the screen size of 45 x 19 only to deliver a bigger experience,


• INDIA PLEXING • the two other screens have a gallery seating with accommodating 237 and 285 seats and its screen sizes being 13 x 30 and 16.5 x 39 in each respectively. The walls are well fit with the right set of acoustics; constructed with the AAC lightweight fly ash blocks that can provide very good sound insulation/ sound absorption. Furthermore, it was then covered with a triple layer acoustic material for even better sound absorption. Designed and executed by G. M. Audio Technics, Chennai, the acoustics and sound system; the seating by Kundan Chairs, Delhi and Baba & Sons in Hyderabad does therefore deliver a commendable experience so as it goes without saying. All the screens are equipped with VIP Lounges and executive couple sofa seats. With the projection aptly taken care of by TSR in Chennai, the main screen is allotted with the Christie RGB Pure Laser and Galalite screens, while the other two screens are equipped with Barco 19B and Christie 2215 and Harkness 2.4 gain screens. The structural and the architectural design was managed by Punniamoorthy and Anand from Chennai who laid a very well-planned agenda; shaping the cinema to what it is today.

Taking note of the response, the biggest strength has however been the Food and Beverages sector. With a menu containing over 40 items in the F&B counter, it swears by to serve fresh, healthy and really affordable snack options. Now one could just imagine if any of your lip-smacking choices like sandwiches, twisters, nachos and all the beverages could

be purchased in and around INR 50… What better deal to look for! Right from the beginning we were screening only the Hollywood moviesfrom 1986 era. The most interesting part is that we played the dubbed versions of these Hollywood movies. Down the line, from 2010 screening movies in all language movies mainly English, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi came into play. Talking off the parking space, the property gives way to accommodate up to 100 cars and 600 two wheelers. The cinema also provides feasible and convenient ticketing solutions by TicketNew and Paytm.

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• TECHNICAL •

M-Force Now in India:

All the Way from Italy

Described as "The Most Advanced Cinema Subwoofer in the World", with a frequency range extending from 18Hz to 120Hz and SPL peaking at 145dB, M-Force has set out to redefine the cinema experience, by reproducing soundtrack low frequencies way beyond capabilities to that of conventional subwoofers is now installed in the towns of Tamil Nadu. GM Audio is all delighted about the new installation of the M-Force Linear Motor Cinema Subwoofers manufactured by Powersoft from Italy. The innovative state-of-the-art

design of the M-Force Linear Motor, integrated with specially designed amplifiers combination achieve very linear and very high SPL with utmost efficiency from 17hz to 150 Hz with

the specially designed enclosure with 40 points internal bracing, to support the powerful motor achieving 135 dB @1m. Having installed this masterpiece in Shakthi Cinemas, Tiruvanamalai and New Cinemas, Cuddalore in the state of Tamil Nadu, the Indian Cinema Exhibition Market certainly seems to be gearing up for the best with time coming ahead. Two of the boxes outperform 8 numbers of 18 inch conventional speakers, with lower distortion. The M-Force Motor, technology is a shaft driven to the transducer, which helps avoid heat, which usually recurs in conventional speakers, causing heavy compression and reduced levels due to heating of voice coils. The Amplifier, class D design, efficiently consumes less line current, hence resulting in 40 per cent power saving, compared to the other amplifier technology. The advanced DSP, controls excursion of the transducer and also can be set to frequency dependent limiting. The system will hence, work for longer period of time without failures.

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• TECHNICAL • I am indeed delighted with the M-Force installation in my cinema. The feeling of low frequency has been astoundingly amazing. Even at lower volumes, with the lowest distortion, the experience has been ever enjoyable since then. - Srinivasan, Managing Director, Shakthi Cinemas

I visited the cinema for my movie 'Psycho'. I must emphasize; all praise to Srinivasan for the unimaginable sound experience and to the whole team behind installing the latest technology giving the up to date experience for the patrons. - Shanmugha Raja a.k.a 'Myskkin', Film Director

The sound has been exceptionally amazing. Have been receiving the best reviews from the audience post the installation of the Powersoft M-Force. - Prabhu, Owner, New Cinema

I reckon attending the 137 AES convention in New York a few years back when Powersoft launched the M-Force design to one of the largest gathering having the best sound speaker manufacturers amongst the crowd. I was at a presentation given by Claudio Lastrucci and I was certainly amazed. Today, it's a dream come true for me, having installed M-Force in India in 2019. It is one of the finest pieces of engineering art, coupled with a powerful built-in amplifier and DSP and complete remote monitoring to optimise the system for best results and safeguarding the unit. - G.M.Giri, G.M. Audio

A Glimpse on the Product: Having achieved a combination of ingenious engineering, it has capability of having put out an exceptional 7500W of continuous amplifier power and thus marking entry of the Italian manufacturer's ground-breaking technology into the cinema world. When the engineering team at Powersoft have only one goal in mind - to impress and captivate the cinema audience! The Moving Magnet Linear Motor technology offers a totally different approach from conventional voice coil transducers, which have limitations. It creates the possibility of very high SPL while pushing the lower system frequency limit to the subsonic frequency range. Furthermore, thanks to DPC technology, the M-force offers dramatically reduced distortion compared to conventional voice coil based subwoofers. Although with much air displacement and compression,

a further challenge was to assure the rigidness and structural integrity of the enclosure. Therefore the box involves harder and thicker materials and more internal bracing than a classic subwoofer of this size would require. The new system can be retrofitted into existing cinema sound set-ups without need for a complete sound system overhaul, but due to the vibration, clients will be advised to secure the enclosures firmly to the ground. Massimo Minardi, Senior Development engineer, Powersoft S.p.A. met the team of G.M. Audio at the PALM Expo 2019 in Mumbai, India. Having presented a complete specification of M-Force, the team was assured to get on to field work at the earliest. So as to say, the M-force was displayed at the Big Cine Expo 2019, Mumbai and by the fall of November, M-Force was ready to roll after subsequently installed in Shakthi Cinemas in Tiruvanamalai, Tamil Nadu; just in time for its regional mass movie 'Bigil'.

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• TECHNICAL • Series 5 & 6 of 12

Cinema Design Guide – K M Suryanarayanan The most critical aspect undoubtedly is to design the room in order to maintain the environmental conditions as per specifications denoted and to ensure trouble-free operationsthus maintaining peak condition of the equipment. In addition to electric power supply quality, air quality and temperature too play a crucial role here. Furthermore, the electrical work powering the theatre is merely its nervous system. Only when the power distribution is working at its optimal level, does the equipment perform as per specification.

SERIES

5. Projection Room/Booth -

IN PREVIOUS ISSUES 1.

Architecture – The ultimate experience

2.

Acoustics – Hear it right

3.

Seating – Soothing Comfort

4.

Lighting & Interior – Make it perfect

IN THIS ISSUE 5.

Projection Room / Booth – Heart of the cinemas

6.

Electrical – Power for uninterrupted business

IN UPCOMING ISSUES 7.

Central Server Room & Connectivity – The neural system of cinemas

8.

Automation / TMS – Life with perfect shows at ease

9.

Picture – Get impressed

10. Sound – Get immersed 11. Lobby Space – Get indulged 12. PLF – The BIG experience & Future Trends

Heart of the Cinema Movies create magic and that is delivered to the audiences from the projection room. It is the heart of the cinema and houses the main control, thedigital cinema projector, server, audio processor, audio amplifiers and automation controller. The cinema operator is in-charge of this room that is usually secured with access control and security cameras. The qualifications of the operator have changed from the 35 mm era when he was primarily required to switch on the equipment and change reels. Nowadays, a digital cinema operator must have basic knowledge in computers and networking.

Projection Room Design Elements While designing the projection room the following should be considered to minimise / avoid keystone distortion of the projected image on the screen.

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The projection optics line must be aligned perpendicular to the screen (90 degrees) and horizontally to the centre of the screen.

The front edge of the lens should be 1.5 feet from the porthole edge to insert a 3D system if required.

The projection porthole should be 2'x2' in size and its horizontal


• TECHNICAL • centre should be aligned to the screen's horizontal centre or in line with the screen and projector optics. •

The port hole's vertical centre should be at a height of four feet from the projection room floor, however, it can vary based on the architectural design.

The porthole glass is a special glass, which is distortion-free, tint free for true colour transparency and it as an anti-reflection coating.

The pothole glass must be mounted at an angle based on the projection angle to avoid secondary reflection on the screen.

The projectionist view hole can be either 1'x1' or 2'x2' and should be positioned to the right ofthe projection porthole.

It is critical to design the room to maintain the environmental conditions as per specifications to ensure trouble-free operation and maintain peak condition of the equipment. In addition to electric power supply quality, air quality and temperature play a crucial role here.

There must be 3 feet of space on the sides and back of the projector for operational ease.

The audio rack should be positioned to the right of the view hole for operational ease.

There should be at least 2 feet of workspace behind the audio rack.

A dehumidifier keeps the humidity in control and an air purifier in strategic locations will keep minute dust particles from damaging the equipment.

A duct is required for the projector's lamp house with the prescribed CFM fan to push out the hot air outside the building.

Most of the facilities have the AC AHU units next to the projection room. In this case, the AHU units should be properly isolated to ensure that the vibration is not transmitted from the unit to the structure. This vibration can cause a shake in the picture and disturbs the mechanical alignment of the projector.

The projection room ceiling and walls should be painted in a dark grey and the lighting in the booth should not filter into the auditorium through the post and view holes.

Do not have carpet flooring as it tends to collect dust, vinyl flooring is easy to maintain and clean.

Here are a few pointers to ensure optimal performance •

The temperature in the projection room should be maintained between 210 C and 230 C. Temperature below this will lead to faster condensation, which is not good for the equipment and temperature above it will decrease the life of the electronics and cause malfunction.

Based on the equipment BTU the capacity of the AC unit should be calculated.

The distance between the port hole'scentre and view hole's centre should be between 2.5 to 3 feet. The view hole's vertical centre should be at a height of 5 feet from the floor level. However, it can vary based on the architectural design.

area, seaside or a water body.

Mid-static or high-static AC unit with ducting is recommended based on the machine room size, as these are more efficient than the hi-wall units. This unit should be positioned in strategic place within the projection room, with the ducts running within the room.

The fresh air inlets with a filter will maintain the air pressure and prevent fine dust particles from entering the machine room.

Never share the auditorium AC with the projection room, as the auditorium air has high dust content.

Check the ambient air quality with a lab and take adequate measures, especially when the theatre is close to an industrial


• TECHNICAL • Booth-less Projection In Booth-less Projection there is no separate projection room. The projector is positioned in a hanging compartment in the auditorium itself. This saves space in the building that can be utilised for more seating. It has its own advantages and disadvantages and one should weigh them carefully before taking a call during the design stage of the cinema.

6. Electrical - Power for Uninterrupted Business The electrical work powering the theatre is its nervous system. Only when the power distribution is working at its optimal level, does the equipment perform as per specification. However, when cost-cutting is done in a cinema's budget, usually substantial amount is cut in electrical equipment and wiring. Before this is done, one should keep in mind that the key to good economics of running the cinema business is to have all the cinema equipment in good condition and running well. This is not possible without an appropriate electric power supply design and execution.

Key Factors in Electrical Design •

Three-phase power planning with an additional 20% over the full required capacity.

The cinema equipment power circuit must be isolated from the rest of the building with proper isolation equipment.

Three-phase power protection equipment like the surge protector / suppressors isat the head of the isolated circuit followed by an isolation transformer installed based on the calculated power capacity and then the UPS.

The capacity of the UPS is calculated to ensure that the total load of the equipment is 80% of the UPS capacity.

All the audio, projection, playback server, automation controller and other critical cinema equipment should be connected to the UPS for optimal operation.

The equipment should be connected through appropriately rated circuit breakers, a failure to do this can result in a show break or equipment damage.

The best solution is an online modular UPS with identical rated modules in the frame. The cost of having the modular UPS will pay for it in the long run.

If you choose to have a normal online UPS, it is better to have two online UPS of the calculated full capacity with headroom and have an aggregator in the output of the UPS to have truly uninterrupted power. The total equipment power capacity should be divided into three, based on the power requirement of the equipment so that a proper load balancing is done across the threephases. Inappropriate load balancing might cause damage to the UPS and equipment. Substandard power distribution boxes and breakers could cause equipment damage and fire accidents. It is better not to be penny wise pound foolish.

It is critical that you have only the cinema's projection equipment, audio processor, amplifiers, automation controller, content ingest central servers and storage servers in this circuit.

The rest of the equipment in the building and lighting should be completely isolated from this circuit.

There should be a separate UPS/ inverter for the security system.

There should be a separate inverter for emergency LED light and exit signs, as their driver electronics may send some impurities into the circuit, which could cause equipment damage.

The grounding / earth points / pits should also be separate for the cinema equipment as sound and picture projection is sensitive to hum and it can lead to disturbance in the projection.

The main power / electrical room should be monitored with an adequate monitoring / alert system.

The author K M Suryanarayanan (a) Sury is a passionate designer of sound and audio visual related space. He has been a key part of the above said credentials. Post his graduation from Film Institute of Tamil Nadu in 1989, he started his career in sound recording and engineering and has won a National Award for best sound. Sury heads an experienced design team at QDC that undertakes projects of larger magnitudes. He can be contacted on sury@qubecinema.com. QDC will be happy to collaborate with investors/Cinema exhibitors to design their theatres and offer the audience a high quality immersive cinema experience.

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