Cinema Technology Magazine - June 2022 edition

www.cinematech.today The leading magazine for cinema industry professionals > VOL.35

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06/22

THE SCIENCE OF

POPCORN Going behind the scenes of the industry's V E L O P I N favourite I C O N I C snack

R E D E G T H E 1 9 5 P I C C A D I L L Y Comscore, ICTA & A Spotlight On Three new regulars to feast your eyes on

Showtime Analytics Events galore!

A profile of the company UNIC Cinema Days, fast becoming a household UKCA Conference, industry name CinemaCon, CineEurope

I N T E R V I E W

Universal Pictures International is proud to support

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26 NEWS

08

Ferco

&

Flexound

are

installed at the Cineum,

Cannes

17

The Ultimate Picture Palace launches its shares offer

delves into exactly this, in

Adrian Pennington's debut CT article

44 whys

Electro-LuminX's

Pendlebury explains the and

wherefores

David Hancock talks tight budgets and reusing older

48

events starts with April's

UKCA Conference, followed by CTC's One Community Day

22

56

Our new regular feature from Comscore dishes up

some box office numbers for Q1 2022 Our second new feature, A Spotlight On, starts with a

focus on Filmhouse Cinemas, Nigeria

31

Showtime

Analytics

has

made a name for itself in a

few short years. We find out how they're doing it...

Motion Picture Solutions Ltd, Mission Hall, 9-11 North End Road, London W14 8ST T: +44 (0)20 3026 1368 MANAGING EDITOR: HELEN BUDGE E: helen.budge@cinema.technology ART DIRECTOR: DEAN CHILLMAID E: dean.chillmaid@cinema.technology

www.cinematech.today

of

A smorgasbord of real-life

equipment

26

Steve

electroluminscent vs LED lighting

FEATURES

18

36

The Science of Popcorn

The UNIC team tantalises your CineEurope

tastebuds in this Barcelona teaser

58

Celluloid Junkie's

As the ECA turns 10, Melissa Cogavin goes

back to the beginning and Grainne Clarke looks to the future

COMMISSIONING EDITOR: PETER KNIGHT E: peter.knight@cinema.technology ADVERTISING: BOB CAVANAGH Caixa Postal 2011, Vale da Telha, 8670-156 Aljezur, Portugal T: +351 282 997 050

64

ICTA shares their latest developments and

activities in their first-ever column

Executive Editor, J.

Sperling Reich, reviews CinemaCon

60

22

CT Q&A

70

Deluxe's

Marie-Laure

Barrau

answers

our

questions on her career so far, in cinema tech services

M: +351 962 415 172 E: bob.cavanagh@cinema.technology SUBSCRIPTIONS Cinema Technology is mailed to IMIS Members.

For subscription details and to read the magazine online, visit www.cinematech.today or email peter.knight@cinema.technology

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V I E W

Tapas and sangria, anybody?

www.cinematech.today The leading magazine for cinema industry professionals > VOL.35

NO.2

>

06/22

THE SCIENCE OF

Eight months after the last CineEurope we’re back on the Barcelona beach to celebrate. The resilience of the industry has shone through, the first quarter of 2022 has considerably lifted spirits and the summer slate is a-sizzling...

POPCORN Going behind the scenes of the industry's V E L O P I N favourite I C O N I C snack

R E D E G T H E 1 9 5 P I C C A D I L L Y Comscore, ICTA & A Spotlight On

W

Three new regulars to feast your eyes on

Showtime Analytics Events galore!

A profile of the company UNIC Cinema Days, fast becoming a household UKCA Conference, industry name CinemaCon, CineEurope

001_JUN22_COVERv2hb.indd 1

hile you’re reading this on the beach

multipage feature on popcorn could be. But Adrian

with a glass of vino tinto in hand, let’s

produced such an informative article that tells the story

start with a huge thank you to our

with such clarity that we decided to give it the space it

contributors for getting content to us

deserves. Thank you as well to experts-in-corn Preferred

in a much shorter timeframe than

Popcorn’s Thomas Peace, Cretors and AK Acres, who all

normal (due to me going off to get married followed by

gave Adrian their time and knowledge to explain the

going on honeymoon, which is, I confess, disgraceful

behind-the-scenes mechanics of those tiny bites of sweet

behaviour). The next edition in September will be far more

or salty goodness. (It should always be a mixture if you

leisurely… she says. But boy, do we have a host of goodies for

ask me.)

you in this June edition.

18/05/2022 10:19

Our next magazine edition in September is already in

We’ve got three new regular columns: one from our

the works, with a focus on boutique and mini-theatre

friends at Comscore providing an overview of recent box

cinemas so if this perks your ears up do get in touch with

office figures, and a second looking at lesser-known

our Commissioning Editor, Peter Knight. But before then

exhibitors around the world in a new series called “A

we have a summer of screen goodies and sunshine to enjoy.

Spotlight On…”, starting with Filmhouse Cinemas in Nigeria.

And, more importantly, plenty of data showing us the

And, of course, the ICTA’s first column for us.

cinema recovery is underway. Huzzah!

Who’da Thunk?

And while we’re talking editorial we have to mention our cover feature from freelance journalist, Adrian Pennington.

In his debut CT Magazine piece Adrian writes about the science behind the industry’s favourite grain - popcorn, what else - and the incredibly detailed process that goes on behind the scenes. From designing the type of popcorn according to a customer’s needs, to growing, picking and handling it, the whole journey is fascinating. I’ll confess to

Helen

initially being slightly skeptical about how “meaty” a whole

Managing Editor

www.cinematech.today

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e ve n t s

CT NEWSREEL

n e w S ,

v i e w s

&

i n d u s t r y

r o u n d - u p

g l o b a l t h e o f

U p - to - d a te

Ferco Seating and Flexound Audio Installed in Iconic Cineum F e r co

a n d

i n te g r a te d C i n e u m

i n

F l e xo u n d

h a ve

m u l t i s e n s o r y Ca n n e s ,

i n s ta l l e d s o u n d ,

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a t

a n d

t h e

i co n i c

Cannes

Cineum, Cannes

FERCO Seating, the design-to-manufacture

Ferco’s premium motorised seating incorporates

luxury seating specialist, has installed Premium

performance, practicality and style allowing

Verona recliners at the Cineum, Cannes. And

visitors to the Cineum to lie back, relax and

complementing the installed DTS:X sound

escape during their visit to the big screen.

system, Finnish audio innovation company,

The Cineum Cannes will be utilised for

Flexound Augmented Audio, has installed their

screenings at future Cannes Film Festivals. The

integrated audio technology in all the seats of

festival, a world-famous celebration of new and

the

established filmmakers, actors and writing, truly

Lodge

auditorium,

providing

personal

immersive audio and natural vibration.

celebrates the cinema-going experience.

Traumpalast and IMAX Leonberg Presented with ICTA Presentation THE International Cinema Technology Association

and continuously strive towards celebrating the cinema

(ICTA) has announced the presentation of a new award,

theatre as a social and experiential meeting space, to the

the ICTA Presentation Excellence Award, at German

benefit of their audiences. Creativity, digital excellence

cinema convention Kino 2022 in Baden-Baden. The award

and an above-average focus on audiences were further

was presented to Heinz Lochmann and Marius Lochmann,

selection criteria.

the owners and operators of Traumpalast and IMAX Leonberg, on 18th May at 11:30am.

With the new award ICTA intends to honor cinema

>

s e a t i n g

F r a n ce .

operators in Germany who embrace cinema technology 8

l u x u r y

r e s p e c t i ve l y ,

>

The winner, Traumpalast and IMAX Leonberg, had been nominated amongst 15 further candidates by members of the ICTA, which counts 240 members around the world. www.cinematech.today

High-Power Digital Xenon Projector Lamps

So Bright.

So Vivid.

So .

Fin Cin d Ush em io Cin a Star ’s e s Sta Europ at nd e 400

Ushio Europe Group presents A Digital Xenon Projector lamp Job van der Heijden Pierre-Olivier Bancal Graham Shute Witali Heinle “That’s So DXL” Screenplay By Japanese Engineering Based on the true brightness of the Ushio DXL Series Director of Photography Agata Michalak Production Design Sam Rogers Music By Xenon Directed by Job van der Heijden

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Showtime Analytics Announces an Agreement to Integrate Its Platform with Ready Theatre Systems SHOWTIME Analytics has announced an agreement to integrate its data analytics platform with major US point-of-sale provider Ready

Ōma Cinema Announces India Rollout Plan with PVR Cinemas ŌMA Cinema and PVR Cinemas, India’s largest cinema

Theatre Systems (RTS).

Since 1993, Ready Theatre Systems has set the standard for a

company, have entered into an exclusive agreement at

quick and easy point of sale system. Their software is fast, feature-

CinemaCon 2022, the industry’s largest international

rich, and economical and serves theatres both big and small across

exhibition show. Ōma Cinema was created by Pierre Chican,

the USA.

a renowned French architect, who has designed some of

Under this new agreement RTS customers

the most cutting-edge cinemas in France over the last 30

will have the ability to utilize the Showtime

years. Inspired by the design of the great theatres and

Analytics product suite including their operational

opera houses, Ōma Cinema’s unique tiered balconies, or

tool,

“pods”, enable viewers to enjoy a unique, sociable, cinema

Showtime

Insights,

marketing

solution

Showtime Engage and newly launched Customer

experience whilst enjoying a perfect view of the screen.

Analytics tool.

PVR has always been on the forefront of technology

Their cloud-based system brings POS and customer

and has undoubtedly created one of the finest luxury

data to life through real-time, user-friendly visual

cinema chains, with their bespoke experiences and a

analytics via a standard web browser or mobile device.

place

where guests can

get lost in

a world

of

make-believe.

CineEurope Gold Awards Recipients Announced THE International Union of Cinemas (UNIC) and the Film Expo Group have announced the recipients of the 2022 CineEurope Gold Awards, given to cinema professionals in recognition of their outstanding dedication and service to the sector. The Gold Awards will be presented as part of the CineEurope Awards Ceremony on Thursday 23 June at the CCIB conference centre in Barcelona, Spain.

The Gold Awards, introduced at CineEurope 2018, recognise cinema professionals – often in roles that do not necessarily

CineEurope’s Gold Awards 2022 will be presented in Barcelona

> Suzanna Holmqvist, CMO, Svenska Bio > Eric Meyniel, International Content Director, Kinepolis > Jon Nutton, Marketing Director, Empire Cinemas > Eva Rekettyei, Programming Director, Yelmo Cines

command the spotlight – who have made an exceptional contribution both to the ongoing success of their company or organisation, and to the wider European cinema industry.

UNIC President Phil Clapp said, “I would like to congratulate each of the CineEurope Gold Awardees for their great achievement and for the hard work, passion and

The recipients of the 2022 Gold Awards are as follows:

dedication they have each brought to the European cinema

> Sylviane Amata, Head of Construction Department, UGC

industry.”

> Mike Bradbury, Group Head of Cinema Technology, ODEON Cinemas Group

Andrew Sunshine, President of The Film Expo Group, added, “Our entire team would like to congratulate all of those

> Kiril Enikov, Head of Technical (UK), Cineworld

being recognized with a Gold Award this year and thank

> Thomas Erler, Operations Manager, Kinopolis

them for their continued support and dedication”.

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AMC Theatres Introduces Laser at AMC, Powered by Cinionic, Ushering in the Next Evolution of On-Screen Presentation

GDC Announces Immersive Audio Bitstream Support for Its Media Servers GDC Technology has announced that DTS, Inc. has successfully tested and approved the company’s solution for its media servers to support DTS:X for the new SMPTE’s ST 2098-2 immersive audio bitstream (IAB) standard.

The IAB standard delivers a single interoperable audio format for theatrical distribution.

To demonstrate the company’s long-term commitment to enhancing the DTS:X immersive sound installations in cinemas worldwide, all existing DTS:X screens in Hong Kong and Singapore have been upgraded to support DTS:X for IAB. The existing DTS:X screens worldwide will be transitioned to DTS:X for IAB over the next

AMC Theatres has announced its first

environmentally-friendly way to present

major broadscale projector upgrade

movies with less waste, including the

since the transition to digital with the

elimination of replacing xenon bulbs,

introduced new media servers

launch

and a significant reduction in energy

with the built-in cinema audio

usage.

processor option based on the

of

Laser

at

AMC.

The

announcement is the result of an

AMC Thousand Oaks

several months.

In August 2021, GDC

exclusive agreement between AMC and

Later this year, AMC and Cinionic will

Cinionic, the Barco cinema joint venture

begin installing laser projectors in AMC

certified SR-1000 IMB. SR-1000

and global leader in laser-powered

auditoriums around the US on a market-

offers the audio processor

cinema

significantly

by-market basis, with the full initiative

designed for 5.1/7.1 PCM

upgrade the on-screen presentation at

expected to be completed by the end of

uncompressed surround

3,500

2026. The laser projection equipment

sound, and the 15.1 audio

United States, with cutting-edge laser

and

auditorium

processor for immersive sound

projectors. Laser at AMC reinforces AMC

enhancements powering Laser at AMC

system such as IAB. The license

as the leader in premium theatrical

in the 3,500 auditoriums is valued at

that unlocks the optional

exhibition experiences and signals a

around a quarter of a billion dollars.

built-in cinema audio

significant AMC commitment to the

Cinionic’s Cinema-as-a-Service program

processors can be procured

future

enables

remotely from GDC.

solutions, auditoriums

of

presentation,

to

throughout

movie-going, and

the

the

on-screen

associated

minimal

upfront

capital

company’s

investment required by AMC to bring

dedication to Make Movies Better. The

Laser at AMC to moviegoers around the

move to laser projection offers a more

country.

www.cinematech.today

architecture of the SGS

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Géke Roelink to Receive 2022 UNIC Achievement Award

Filmhuis Den Haag’s Géke Roelink

N E W S R E E L

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Cinionic Expands Laser Solution Portfolio at CinemaCon 2022 Cinionic unveiled additions to

Den Haag GÉKE

its laser portfolio with new Barco Series 4 and Laser Light

Roelink,

Managing

Upgrade (LLU) models at the

Director of Filmhuis Den Haag,

annual

has been named as the 2022

CinemaCon 2022. The new

recipient of the UNIC Achievement

Barco Series 4 SP2K-20 and

Award,

given

each

recognition

of

dedication

and

year

cinema

convention,

in

SP2K-25, as well as six fully

outstanding

integrated LLU kits for Series 2,

service

continue

to

the

company’s

European cinema exhibition. The

ongoing mission to offer a

Achievement

will

be

laser solution for every screen.

of

the

Attendees at NATO’s annual

CineEurope Awards Ceremony on

CinemaCon trade show saw

Thursday 23 June at the Centre de

the new Barco Series 4 SP2K

Convencions

25

presented

Award

as

part

Internacional

de

Barcelona (CCIB) in Barcelona.

and

a

laser-upgraded

DP4K-23B+ live at the custombuilt Laser Theater at Cinionic World in the Roman Ballrooms throughout the show.

Barco Series 4

MetaMedia Welcomes Premiere Cinemas and Fridley Theatres M e ta M e d i a

h a s

a n n o u n ce d

P r e m i e r e

C i n e m a s

w i l l

i t s

j o i n

a n d

Th e a t r e s

n e t w o r k .

IN total, the two additional cinema

exclusive partnership with Magic Screen, the world’s first interactive platform for

screens to the MetaMedia network.

animated

Premiere Cinemas, one of the first

groundbreaking technology engages

cinemas to convert to digital projectors

audiences and allows them to have

and the first exhibitor to deploy cinemas

individual,

without traditional projection booths,

with

operates 266 screens across 18 theatres.

characters. It also allows thousands of

Fridley

people in multiple theatres and cities to

an

Iowa-based

and

live

content.

unscripted

live-action

and

experience, which is all controlled from an

www.cinematech.today

laser

more screens and expands the Series 4 2K range from

share

animated

simultaneously

maintains

next-generation

conversations

screens. also

a

The

exhibitor, operates 18 theatres and 98 MetaMedia

family bring the benefits of

6,000 to 23,000 lumens.

circuits will add more than 350 movie

Theatres,

award-winning Barco Series 4

projection platform to even

t h a t

F r i d l e y

The two new 2K models in the

the

same

one centralized location.

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Working Title Upgrades Audio with Sound Associates

Laser Light Upgrade

PRODUCTION company Working

The fully integrated Laser Light Upgrade solution transforms Series 2 projectors into laser

London

Title is to upgrade their ageing sound system,

together

with

technology

projectors. The accessible laser

integrator

and

supplier

solution features a full projector

Associates.

After

consultations

warranty for up to five years,

various systems the company chose

extending

the

QSC’s Q-SYS platform which includes

projector

and

immediately

elevates

the

moviegoer

life

of

the

the

capability

to

integrate

Sound on

Dolby

products.

experience. During CinemaCon

The

selection

of

Q-SYS

gave

2021, Cinionic announced its

integrator Sound Associates the option

move to an all-laser portfolio.

to house all the equipment within a

The

further

single sound rack, creating more room

announcement deepens the

in the technical area. The audio has been

company’s

to

upgraded to 7.1 with a quad-amped

company’s

commitment

expanded

screen speaker system using QSC

portfolio to empower exhibitors

Reference monitor speakers, RSC-112 &

with best-in-class projection

RSB212. The speaker system is perfect

solutions

the

for a room of this size, with each screen

moviegoing experience and

channel having its own subwoofer, and

reduce

more flexibility and control of the audio.

laser

with

an

that

elevate

operating

costs.

These speakers combined with the

Cinionic returned to Las Vegas

Barco 4K projector, has created a truly

in 2022.

impressive screening room.

QSC sound system

Christie Purchases Cinergy Software from DCIP and Expands Projector Range

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CHRISTIE has announced the purchase of Cinergy software from

brilliant colour to engage moviegoers, and designed with

Digital Cinema Implementation Partners (DCIP). Cinergy is a

advanced features to meet the needs of cinemas, the new Christie

cloud-based enterprise solution providing tools to help operators

CP2420-Xe, CP4420-Xe, CP4425-RGB and CP4435-RGB projectors

track, monitor and efficiently manage theatre presentation quality

offer reliable, yet affordable, projection solutions.

in one centralized platform. While currently geared towards

The new CP4425-RGB and CP4435-RGB deliver 26,000 DCI

cinema, Cinergy can be tailored to additional markets. Existing

lumens and 35,000 DCI lumens, respectively, for bright content on

Cinergy customers will be unaffected by the purchase, while the

screens up to 89-feet wide. With Real|Laser illumination to engage

deal will complement Christie’s Professional Services offering,

audiences with colorful, detailed and true-to-life images, these

which assists in designing, manufacturing, deploying and

new models offer a premium moviegoing experience for

supporting professional AV display systems.

mainstream and PLF formats. Capable of providing over 50,000

In other Christie news, the company has also announced that

hours of low maintenance performance, these projectors afford

it is expanding its range of solutions for the cinema industry with

years of stable operation for an advanced, yet affordable, cinema

the launch of new RGB pure laser and Xenon projectors. With

solution.

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N E W S R E E L Really Local Group to Start Crowd Investment

Reading

THE Really Local Group (RLG) is a pioneering independent cinema, music

&

hospitality

business

culture

and

to

local

bringing entertainment

communities. RLG has active sites in south east London’s Catford Mews and the Old Biscuit Factory, Reading, and many more are in various stages of development.

They

are

launching

a

crowdfunding scheme via the Seedrs platform: https://www. seedrs.com/really-local-group1/ coming-soon.

Arts Alliance Media Agrees Partnership to Become Primary Reseller of HeyLED Technology and Announces Vision for the Future ARTS Alliance Media (AAM) has

space”,

said

Andrew

Chan,

Chief

agreed a strategic partnership with

Executive Officer and Co-Founder of

Shenzhen Timewaying Co. Ltd, a leading

Timewaying. “By partnering with AAM,

technology manufacturer specialising in

we hope to bring this unique experience

3D and LED solutions, to become an

to moviegoers worldwide.”

official reseller of HeyLED Technology.

Having

established

And in other AAM news, the

progressive

company has issued a clear vision for the

product portfolio, Timewaying continues

future to act as a benchmark for

to

developing new and existing solutions.

develop

a

innovative

cinematic

technologies, with HeyLED, a brand of new,

DCI

certified

LED

screen

technology, their latest visual solution.

While global cinema focused on post-pandemic recovery, AAM’s team listened to exhibitors’ needs, combining

As an official reseller of the HeyLED

intel with years of industry know-how, to

brand, AAM will become the direct point

not only develop existing solutions, but

of contact for exhibitors in the majority of

establish core values that will support

Asia, Europe, and all of the Americas.

their

“This is a significant deal not just for Timewaying but for LED in the cinema 1 6

>

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long-term

vision

for

future

development, and align their ever-

London

expanding portfolio. www.cinematech.today

>

Oxford

Ultimate Picture Palace Launches Community Shares Scheme Arts Alliance Media is based in west London

The UPP is a local community gem

THE Ultimate Picture Palace (UPP) is a colourful

called the UPP Community Cinema was formed. Launched

independent cinema in Oxford that was built in 1911 by local

on 29th April and running to 1st July, the local community

actor and businessman, Frank Stuart. It was one of the UK’s

has the opportunity to invest by purchasing community

first purpose-built cinemas and its remarkable journey is

shares so the cinema can become community-owned.

shown in the great documentary, “The Ultimate Survivor”

£313,000 (£312,575 to be exact) in shares needs to be raised

(https://vimeo.com/20882173). Now, the historic cinema is

so that the cinema can be purchased, its progressive film

up for sale, and the owners want to give the community the

programming maintained, the current staff retained, and

chance to own it before selling it on the open market to give

its vital role in the community continued. The scheme has

it the very best chance to stay open as an independent

been designed to allow as many members of the

cinema that will thrive for many years to come.

community to buy shares as possible, with each share

The cinema as it is today was bought and restored by

being set at £1 with a minimum of 50 shares. (If you’re 16-29

local resident Becky Hallsmith in 2011, making much-

years of age and live in an OX1, OX3 or OX4 postcode, the

needed improvements to the building and projector room.

minimum is set at 30 shares.)

But Hallsmith understood that the UPP had a reputation

The cinema has been supported by the Co-operative

for being unique and worked hard to retain the cinema’s

Futures, which is part of a workers’ co-op - The People Co-

ethos of adventurous film programming and community

op - a network of ethical, sustainable businesses in the UK

values. Hallsmith sadly passed away in September 2018 and

with a focus on B2B service companies.

since then the staff and volunteers have continued to run

The Co-operative Futures team helped the UPP with

the cinema in her spirit and navigate the business through

various legal options and to ultimately form the CBS. By

the pandemic.

buying community shares, investors will become members

And like many small, single screen independent cinemas the UPP is a real community gem, but it’s always

of the CBS, and can then take part in the democratic control of the business, on a one-member-one-vote basis.

in need of more funding. But it was always Hallsmith’s dream to one day turn the UPP into a community-owned

For further information on the share scheme visit:

cinema and so a new Community Benefit Society (CBS)

https://uppcinema.com/OWNTHEUPP/

www.cinematech.today

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MAKE DO

& MEND

...AS MONEY’S TOO TIGHT TO MENTION David Hancock examines the double whammy of the financial challenges facing exhibitors, combined with the reality of supply chain issues.

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A N A L Y S I S

David Hancock, Chief Analyst, Media and Entertainment, OMDIA

T

imes of austerity have given rise to

premium cinema. Exhibitors are caught between the need to

several expressions that have stuck

invest to keep the business moving forward and counter the

with us. In the Second World War, the

changes in consumer behaviour. They also have to juggle the

British Government issued a pamphlet

lack of money to invest, as well as (probably more pertinently)

entitled ‘Make Do and Mend’, urging

available credit.

reuse

Two things are exacerbating the problem: one is a

clothing. There is a similar feel to the cinema exhibition sector

reduction in technology investment budgets. And the second

as we come out of the pandemic. Since January 2020 (when

is a component supply chain crisis that is cutting deeply into

cinemas first closed in China) to June 2022, the cinema

lead times.

households

to

mend

and

exhibition and distribution sector has lost around $60bn in

Given the loss of box office income, reduced income is

expected box office. This is a massive blow to the sector and is

self-evident. This is only one side of the equation though:

having an impact in many ways, with the narrative around

some exhibitors made it through the pandemic with the help

cinema technology in particular changing significantly.

of deferred rent deals from landlords, which will become due

The restart of cinema around the globe

in 2022, and/or taking on debt which now needs servicing.

(unhelpfully, in terms of planning purposes, this

The timing of big movies and income flows take on a greater

is occurring at different speeds according to

importance than usual. The pandemic has also made lenders

the situation of the country or region) leads us

cautious, and cinemas will need a track record of recovery in

to ask the question: what is now expected by

order to access credit and loans. All in all, money and credit will

exhibitors of their operations? Has the crisis passed or are we still right in the middle of

be tight for some time.

it? And is the exhibitor view necessarily

Supply Chain Challenges

short term? With ups and downs driven by

There are well-publicised issues in the global supply chain to

a

contend with. Cinema technology is a global business, and

continued lack of film supply, it is

the components used in equipment are often bits of kit that

both

major

movie

releases

and

to

are used by many other applications. Getting hold of these

forecast regular daily factors like

parts when there is a global shortage is not easy - and

staffing levels and supplies of

technology used in cinema is a relatively small area so it won’t

perishables.

necessarily be at the head of the queue for essential parts.

difficult

for

cinema

But

suppliers

it’s

also

a

challenge to predict how and

An example to illustrate this would be the COVID

when equipment can be upgraded

lockdowns in China. As factories shut down this had - and

or old and/or broken projection kit can

continues to have - a knock-on effect around the world,

be replaced.

Tightening the Belt

reducing the supply of essential components while the demand stays the same, effectively meaning delays and higher prices. Add the current inflationary pressure into this

Having lost those billions of dollars in revenue over

potent mix and the problem is clear to see. Manufacturers

two years, you would be forgiven for thinking that

need to show restraint and patience while asking for

money is tight among cinema exhibitors. The

payments where they can.

optimism of two years ago surrounding premium

Supply chain delays make “just-in-time” management of

cinema, experiential cinema, upgrades and the replacement

inventory almost impossible and this requires companies to

cycle for equipment, is more a memory than a current reality.

save and store necessary kit (requiring warehousing space),

The expression ‘Make Do and Mend’ probably best sums up

while needing to find ways to reuse components from older

what many cinema exhibitors are telling their technology

machines. This does fit in well with increasing the circular

teams. The mantra is to use what you have where you can and

economy of machines and their essential components but

prioritise what you need for the most important screens. Any

can be a burdensome requirement if not already planned for.

available money for investment is being used for new sites

Higher costs are being demanded for delivery of both parts

(which may well be subject to an unbreakable contract) or

and equipment, another cost area that manufacturers

new premium screens that build on the need to keep pushing

probably can’t absorb on their own. Longer-term, this may

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1 9

well be a beneficial learning curve as sustainability edges higher on the agenda of most companies and governments

A Biz Model Switch Up?

in the coming years. With the supply chain issues, cinema exhibitors need to find workarounds.

Another change to the business

equipment, exhibitors have

prompted by the pandemic,

always preferred to own their

could be the business models

own kit. The shortage of money

Cinemas are having to shut screens and use pieces of kit from

offered to exhibitors for

and limited access to credit in

less important auditoria to benefit more deserving ones.

equipment purchasing or

the market right now, however,

Screens within sites are then closed to the public, not just

leasing. In truth, manufacturers

may well draw cinema owners

because of a lack of audiences or the supply of films but also

have had a wide variety of

into the offer of leasing. And

due to this lack of equipment. One of the responses to the

business and financial models

there is even the option of not

supply chain crisis is to bring both more knowledge and,

on offer for some time. But

leasing a machine at all, but

leasing, for example, was not

rather leasing light itself, the

traditionally favoured by cinema

idea being that a fee is paid for

exhibitors. Looking back to the

delivery of light used, instead of

proposed leasing model for the

buying or leasing a projector

VPF in the mid-2000s, and more

outright - however that may be

recently the ability to lease

delivered in practice.

Swap and Share

previously outsourced, maintenance in-house. For example, keeping and recycling spare parts and machines around the circuit, rather than investing in new equipment with higherthan-normal lead times. Manufacturers are looking to recycle parts where they can, reusing standard components where possible but also building in the potential to recycle in the design process. This creates a circular economy at several levels and one that the industry needs to build on in future.

The Way of Water”, followed by Avatar films 3, 4 and 5 every

Prior to the pandemic, the demand for projectors was

subsequent two years. The excitement generated by the first

already polarised towards either end of the size spectrum, i.e.

iteration, and the push that film gave to the rollout of digital

the need for larger or smaller models, with the middle being

cinema, is still remembered by the industry - and hopefully

squeezed. That trend has continued as exhibitors install larger

the wider public - but can James Cameron do it again by

screens alongside smaller, intimate auditoria. With Sony’s 4K

reviving the fortunes of the original digital premium

solution out of the market the demand is more for 2K than 4K,

experience that was 3D?

even though a third of all content going into cinemas is now

As cinemas start the arduous process of recovery, and the

4K. It is 12 years since Series 1 machines ceased being supplied

hope is there that it will recover, the key question remains the

to cinemas and the end-of-life cycle has now been triggered

one posed above: how do we balance the need to invest with

for them. Keeping these machines going, a necessity for

the reduced ability to do so? Premium cinema takes on a

some at the moment, will require new warranties and access

greater importance to the sector, as the premium window

to some parts that are no longer available, again requiring a

generates more revenue. The de facto premium window is

circular approach to components. Machines are more

the primary revenue generator for many films and is the

modular now, which in turn means that when a breakdown

moment

occurs

complicated

differentiates it from in-the-home entertainment. Finding this

troubleshooting process or a return to the manufacturer. It

balance in the two years ahead will dictate the health of

may just mean a new modular element, which should result

cinema in the decade to come. It will take a coordinated and

in projectors lasting longer and being cheaper to maintain.

sustained effort from all parties to ensure this happens.

this

doesn’t

always

require

a

when

the

cinema’s

experiential

side

most

3D and the Great Recovery A final word for 3D… over half of the world’s cinema screens are equipped with 3D systems, but the revenue earned from a 3D version of a film was in decline even before the pandemic.

But the growth of laser illumination helps the 3D cause as it provides a much greater level of brightness.

However,

the

greatest

assistance of all may be coming in December 2022: “Avatar:

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12 A N A L Y S I S

BOX OFFICE REVENUES LOST TO COVID-19 2020 - 2022

38,383.1

GBO ($MN)

40,236.1

38,284.2

LOST REVENUE ($MN)

LOST REVENUE ($MN)

34,328.2

20,806.4

11,605.4

41,684.9

41,417.4

TOTAL SOURCE: OMDIA

50

years since Series 1 machines ceased being supplied

45

11,671.8

23,693.6

31,394.6

40

50%+

35

25

$m

30

20

Over half of the world’s cinema screens are equipped with 3D systems

15 10 5 0

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

T H E P E N E T R AT I O N O F 3 D S C R E E N S 2012-2021

3D SCREENS

2D SCREENS

3D % FIGURE SOURCE: OMDIA 70

50.1

60

59.4

50

46.5

40 %

39.7

35.5

56.7

53.5

51.1

58.6

58.2

30

20

10

0

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

45,486

52,981

64,959

75,093

82,837

93,261

106,253

116,573

119,918

125,989

43,855

58,347

62,506

66,700

72,483

75,937

75,741

78,968

80,783

81,746

SERIES 1 MARKET PRESENCE 2005-2021

SERIES 1 PROJECTORS

OTHER PROJECTORS

SERIES 1 AS A % OF TOTAL SOURCE: OMDIA

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2011

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

64.2%

35.2%

25.2%

20.2%

17.6%

15.7%

14.3%

12.9%

11.7%

10.6%

8.6%

6.1%

864

3,020

6,459

8,788

16,379

22,491

22,491

22,491

22,488

22,476

22,286

22,143

21,778

21,299

20,799

17,303

12,716

0

0

0

0

0

12,559

41,334

66,850

88,840

104,989

119,507

133,177

147,420

160,695

174,742

183,398

195,019

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2022 Starts

...as audiences rediscover How fantastic to return to analysing the films and figures rather than tiers and ticketing. In this new regular column, we’ll look back over the previous quarter to review the titles that are attracting audiences and assess UK & Ireland performance in the context of our European neighbours.

Lucy Jones, Executive Director, Comscore Movies his year has started well with

feature in this year’s Q1 Top 10, led by documentary “Ennio”

great depth across the UK &

with €2.4m, but none could rival the success of comedy “10

Ireland market, building on the

Giorni Senza Mamma”, which took €7.4m in February 2019. In

success of the final quarter of

a bid to broaden the cinema audience, the Italian government

2021, when two titles broke into

has recently announced a 90-day theatrical window before

the Top 5 films of all time (“No

films are made available on streaming platforms.

Time To Die” and “Spider-Man:

In four of the five European markets, “The Batman” is the

No Way Home”). Year-on-year

top 2022 release, with “Uncharted” recording a slightly higher

comparisons are difficult due to

gross in Spain to push “The Batman” into second place. Across

widespread closures in early

Europe, “Uncharted” found itself in the Top 4 films in all five

2020 and 2021. Looking back to pre-pandemic times in Q1

territories and saw the best result for a video game adaptation.

2019, we see significant variation in comparative 2022

“Uncharted”’s release in mid-February kick-started the

performances across Western Europe. UK & Ireland is the

strongest period at UK & Ireland cinemas this year, with

closest to recording normal box office grosses, just 20% below

several playweeks recording grosses over £20m in February

2019 which was the second-biggest year of all time. At the

and early March. “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” provided another

other end of the spectrum, Italy is over 60% below 2019’s level,

injection of energy in the final week of the quarter. The

with top release “The Batman” recording €9.7m to rank sixth

pipeline of regular Hollywood releases, which was lacking in

in the DC Comics all-time chart. Three local Italian films

2020, has comprehensively resurged since the final reopening

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S T A T S

&

D A T A

Strong...

the cinema habit in May 2021, complemented by some major British releases.

£6.6m of Q1 box office – almost 3% of the total. IMAX market

Interestingly the top two films this year closely echo the

share rose from 2.3% in 2019 to 3.4% in 2021. The current

start of 2019, with a new superhero at No.1 (“The Batman” vs

release schedule has 15 IMAX releases slated for 2022, half the

“Captain Marvel”) and a family animated sequel at No.2 (“Sing

number released in 2021, with more expected to be added as

2” vs “How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”). Box

release plans are finalised. Now more than ever, audiences

office performances for both were stronger in 2022,

need cinema to offer something they can’t get at home. This

particularly for “Sing 2” taking £32.6m against “The Hidden World”’s £20.0m.

Content, Content and More Content The depth and range of titles finding audiences this year has been encouraging, with global blockbusters supplemented by diverse genres including quality local, US and European

€9.7m The amount “The Batman” made at the Italian box office, making it the 6th biggest earner in the DC Comics portfolio

and anime. Older audiences have been attracted by “The Duke”, “Belfast”, “The Phantom Of The Open” and “Cyrano”.

Infrequent attendees were most often drawn back by comedies including “Jackass Forever”, “Marry Me” and “The Nan Movie”. We are starting to recapture audiences for South Asian films now cinemas in India have reopened and new titles are flowing in, with “RRR” becoming the first Indian film since mid-2018 to achieve over £1m.

Presentation format has also driven the success of the biggest blockbusters, with IMAX screens contributing over www.cinematech.today

The amount “The Batman” took at the UK box office for Q1 of 2022, making it the largestgrossing film of the period in the UK

£38,606,543

drama, female-led and geri-action comedy, event cinema

may be the content itself (via an exclusive theatrical window or a live-streamed event), the social experience (with family, friends or a roomful of like-minded strangers), a chance to disconnect (from people or gadgets) or unrivalled technology (the biggest screen, recliner seats or surround sound). Finding the motivating factors for different audiences and titles will be key in tempting people out of their homes, particularly as the cost-of-living crisis develops.

A Summer of Promise By the time you read this, we’ll know whether “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness” is on track to be the biggest release of the summer, and if the combination of innovation and nostalgia in “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Jurassic World: Dominion” can pull in both old and new fans. The summer period promises to deliver weekly results to rival 2019, with three-quarters of the Top 20 films of the year releasing by the end of July.

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S T A T S

&

D A T A

T OP 5 WESTERN EUROPEAN TERRITORIES Q1 2022: DATE RANGE: FIRST 13 PLAYWEEKS OF 2022 IN EACH TERRITORY NO. OF TITLES TRACKED

NO. OF NEW TITLES

% CHANGE Q1 2022 VS 2019

445

190

$301,772,546 £224,877,833

£282,173,685

-20.3%

310

214

$251,084,743 €223,200,326 €351,825,999

-36.6%

253

135

$149,958,453 €133,034,545 €234,314,394

-43.2%

707

260

$89,362,105

€79,448,772

€126,417,330

-37.2%

806

203

$73,364,502

€65,111,838

€165,968,871

-60.8%

Q1 22 B.O.: USD $

Q1 22 B.O.: LOCAL CURRENCY

Q1 19 B.O.: LOCAL CURRENCY

U K & I R E L A N D T O P 1 0 F I L M S Q 1 2 0 2 2 : DATE RANGE: 7.1.22 - 7.4.22 40

35

25

20

15

Q1 2022 BOX OFFICE IN £M

30

10

5

0

THE BATMAN

SING 2

UNCHARTED

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

BELFAST

DEATH ON THE NILE

SONIC 2

SCREAM

JACKASS FOREVER

THE DUKE

Warner Bros.

(Released 4.3.22)

Universal (Released 28.1.22)

Sony (Released 11.2.22)

Sony (Released 17.12.21)

Universal (Released 21.1.22)

Walt Disney (Released 11.2.22

Paramount (Released 1.4.22)

Paramount (Released 14.1.22)

Paramount (Released 4.2.22)

Warner Bros.

(Released 25.2.22)

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www.cinematech.today

We’re all familiar with the big names of cinema exhibition.

But there are plenty of lesser-known cinema companies around the world with colourful stories. So we enlisted the help of CTC Governor and all-round industry legend, Sandie Caffelle, to take you around the world in our new series…

A

SPOTLIGHT

ON...

Filmhouse Cinemas, Nigeria Filmhouse Landmark

CT: When did Filmhouse open its first-ever site and what

ket: multiple taxations, power issues, high costs of clearing

obstacles did you have to overcome that were specific to

imported equipment and so on. But looking at how far we

Nigeria as a territory?

have come - and what we now have the audacity to dare

Filmhouse began operations in December of 2012 with its

and hope for - we couldn’t be more grateful for the loyalty

first cinema in Lagos, a three-screen cinema located on Ad-

and resilience of our team and our esteemed guests who

eniran Ogunsanya, Surulere. It was one of the pioneering

choose to trust in our ability to build a big brand and de-

cinemas in the country at that time, and the second in the

liver a great service. We still face some of these challenges

mainland area of the city. Being new players in the territory,

today, for example, the national grid collapsed recently and

we had several challenges, ranging from funding to accessi-

the price of diesel skyrocketed. So we have had to regu-

bility of Hollywood content. We were just starting and some

late operational hours in some of our buildings to balance

regional distributors wanted minimum guarantees at prices

the excessive pressure on our overhead costs, but we’re

that were a bit burdensome to manage. We had to set the

pleased to say that the strategy has proven to be effective.

ball rolling with “Nollywood” films (Nigerian film industry Filmhouse’s IMAX Cinema, Lekki, Lagos

content) from independents and at one point, we were even

CT: How many operational sites do you have? Are they all

described as a “Nollywood cinema” by observers.

in Nigeria?

Other challenges were normal for start-ups in our mar-

We currently have 11 operational sites, having lost one to vandalism during the #EndSars protest, but yes, they are all situated in Nigeria. However, there are ongoing conversations about opening cinemas in other west African markets, and as soon as they are confirmed, we will be making announcements. In the meantime, we have another IMAX cinema opening before the end of the year in Lagos.

CT: During the growth of the group what did you learn?

Did anything surprise you?

We would not say that anything, in particular, came as a surprise - we expected to learn as we progressed. The market was new and largely uncharted, so we expected that being one of the pioneers would come with a few uncertainties about how a new product offering in the leisure and entertainment sector would be received. However, our approach was to implement flexible strategies that could accom-

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N E W

Find us here Filmhouse Cinemas

modate reality as we progressed. So far, that has worked

(especially social media challenges), and general buzz, and

tremendously. The major hit that came suddenly was the

we try to tap into that to keep our offerings prioritized.

pandemic, but its effects did not only affect our company.

We are also blessed with committed staff at different

All players in the sector suffered from its devastating impact

levels of management, who have continued to channel so

and are still recovering. However, the pandemic served as

much creativity into ensuring that we are preferred by mov-

the right situation to facilitate evaluation of crucial areas in

ie-goers. Consistently brainstorming to offer innovative solu-

the organization, such as diversification, structure, strategic

tions to challenges in our line of service, is a common culture

communication & crisis response, and our relationship with

at different levels of management and in all departments. So

stakeholders.

yes, we can say that our Filmhouse team across the company

Filmhouse began operations in December of 2012 with its first cinema in Lagos, Nigeria, a three-screen site on Adeniran Ogunsanya, Surulere.

has been crucial to the standards we have built and continue CT: How does Filmhouse differ and stand out from other

to build.

cinemas in Nigeria?

By virtue of our premium format offerings (IMAX, MX4D,

CT: During lockdown, what COVID-related procedures

and DBOX), technologically-enhanced customer service,

did you have in place? And how did you approach reopen-

and loyalty offerings. We are considered industry leaders

ing the cinemas?

and preferred by movie-goers in Nigeria. Building the cine-

During the lockdown, we found ways to assist in the

No prizes for guessing which screen this is in Filmhouse Lekki

ma-going culture here has been a demanding responsibility for players in the exhibition sector. Hence, our commitment to enhancing the cinematic experience through technologically-optimized services, engaging in in-cinema marketing campaigns, and building & maintaining a modern, state-ofthe-art environment in each of our cinemas has contributed to many film lovers enjoying the cinema experience itself and therefore the service we provide. Over the years, we have made an event out of movie-going as a strategic approach towards harnessing the communal impact of theatrical releases in our society. The Nigerian cinema market enjoys a unique cinema-going audience that responds communally to the nostalgia created from premieres, digital campaigns www.cinematech.today

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A SPOTLIGHT ON...

welfare of our staff, providing food items and toiletries across all our locations when needed. From the perspective of maintaining our facilities and equipment, our technical and development teams ensured that periodic maintenance continued; powering projectors up and down, updating software used for daily operations, ensuring health and safety measures such as fumigation and fire safety checks. Our communications team kept moviegoers abreast of developments, creating and circulating marketing material that built anticipation for reopening.

When it was time to welcome customers back, the health and safety team liaised with the relevant safety commissions, both at federal and state regulation levels. We invested in educational materials placed strategically around the cinemas to advise moviegoers on precautionary measures, such as wall posts, digital and on-screen messaging.

The mandatory safety measures communicated by the safety commissions included use of hand sanitizers, reduction in seating capacity to accommodate social distancing, wearing of face masks, floor markings to guide where people 2 8

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www.cinematech.today

What does Filmhouse have planned for the future?

We would say a lot. However, it is in our culture not to let the cat out of the bag prematurely. But what we will say is that we are big on expansion of the company, as it is well known that the theatrical potential of our region is largely untapped. Watch this space.

F&B and box office, Filmhouse Lekki

MX4D screen, Filmhouse Landmark

The Cube is a luxury, private screen

should stand in foyers, regular disinfection of auditoriums,

CT: With FilmOne Studios being your sister company, did

contact tracing.

receiving Nollywood content from them give you an ad-

CT: How have you tempted people back to Filmhouse

Despite FilmOne being a sister company, our relation-

Cinemas?

ship with them does not give us different or preferential

Through our Filmhouse+ App loyalty scheme we have provid-

access to titles over other exhibitors. All cinemas are of-

ed discounts to customers for both tickets and cinema food.

fered the same films. So no, we did not have any extra

However, we would say that the solid titles slated for release

advantage.

vantage over other cinemas?

in cinemas, from both Nollywood and Hollywood, have been

However, you would be correct to say that Nolly-

key drivers. We capitalized on the slate to create the needed

wood films played a crucial role in the renaissance of

buzz and make an attractive event out of the cinema-going

the Nigerian cinema industry post-lockdown. At that

experience. People were excited to take pictures on the red

time, Hollywood was yet to resume fully, and even the

carpet at the premieres of their favorite films. We charmed

titles available had day-and-date release clauses tied

film lovers with the nostalgic experience of getting to meet

to them. Consequently, piracy ruined the opportuni-

and greet their favourite stars and created enthusiasm for our

ty we had to fully harness their box office potential.

events and premieres through social media campaigns. We

Meanwhile, Nollywood producers offered solid content

were aware that the lengthy closure of cinemas had empow-

that

ered streaming as an alternative form of entertainment so we

keyed into this and we got fantastic results. The

did not move slowly in our efforts to make movie-goers real-

period

ize what they had missed experientially in cinemas.

ing film of all time, “Omo Ghetto: The Saga”.

www.cinematech.today

was

proficient even

in

driving

produced

patronage.

Africa’s

So,

we

highest-gross-

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We create & cut it We create, adapt and localise promos, trailers, social, TV and DOOH. All markets, and all platforms.

w: www.chinagraph.com

t: 020 7751 7000

e: info@chinagraph.com

O N

S I T E

It’s Showtime (Analytics), folks!

Peter Knight talks to the data-driven company taking the industry by storm

A

Peter Knight, Commissioning Editor, Cinema Technology ccording to their website “Showtime

to the cinema industry.

Analytics was founded out of a

Now with a global team of more than 35, the company

combination of a nerdy passion for

has worked with some of the leading exhibitors, studios,

data and a love for cinema”, which is

distributors and advertising agencies around the world.

the

Showtime provides solutions to exhibitors and distributors

perfect

way

to

define

the

company.

in 31 countries, serving 2.5k+ cinema sites, 20k+ cinema

Jolyon Spurling (son of Irish cinema owner-operator

screens with 30m+ customer records securely managed

Graham Spurling), brother-in-law Richie Power and friends

on their platform and 40m+ customer communications

Paul Lynch and Dave Spicer spent a combined 40+ years

sent every month.

working in software development, data analytics and

And at the time of writing, Showtime has recently

C-Level consultancy before setting up the company. Since

announced a new agreement to integrate its data analytics

its launch in 2015, Showtime has grown to become a

platform with Ready Theatre Systems (RTS), a US-based

leading global provider of analytics products and services

point-of-sale provider.

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O N

S I T E

Big Data - and Big Products to Match

that allows cinemas to get to know their movie-goers through

“Big data” has been around as a concept since the 1990s. But

behavioural data analysis and to send digital campaigns

it was only in the last decade that the cinema industry really

targeted specifically to the right segments of people based on

started to understand the value and significance that it can

individual

bring to the business. By using data-based evidence years of

programmes or campaigns and because it’s integrated with

experience and decisions formerly made on gut instinct can

their POS they can track their actual campaign ROI through

be backed up. In short, Showtime has created a suite of data-

audience uplift analytics.

behaviours.

Cinemas

can

promote

specific

powered solutions that facilitate understanding, analysis and

Showtime Customer Analytics is the latest offering

business growth not only for cinema operations, marketing

that gives customers the power to track the composition of

and customer analytics but also for the studios. The company

their entire identifiable customer base. This is in terms of how

makes use of big data and systems integration to create user-

often individuals come to the cinema, when the last time was

friendly, interactive, real-time dashboards and other data

that they came, and what they are spending money on, so

driven tools for cinema teams.

operators can ensure they are shaping their marketing

Showtime Insights provides exhibitors with real-time

strategy accordingly. Having this visual analysis on a dynamic

operational data analysis across ticket sales, concessions, bar

dashboard is the first of its kind in a cinema industry tool and

and F&B sales and employee performance. Optimised for

provides a real time view of how customers are changing over

mobile and desktop experiences, Insights provides the

time, who is coming more or less, who hasn’t returned and so

required information when and where it is needed most. The

on. Understanding the make-up of their customer base gives

product also works with multiple point-of-sale (POS) systems

cinemas the foundation from which to set targets, employ

simultaneously, to create visual, digestible chunks of information.

Showtime Engage is a customer marketing platform

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The Showtime Analytics team, based in Dublin, Ireland

marketing strategies, and view if their inputs have a significant effect on customer behaviour. By identifying these trends they can then provide specific campaign content to impact

www.cinematech.today

A Case Study from Down Under

About us

A recent case study of the market in Australia & New

using a combination of the Showtime suite of products to

Zealand focused on innovation in the region. Published

efficiently analyse their data, make informed customer

by Showtime, some of their major exhibition customers

experience decisions and ultimately grow their business.

Launched at

were interviewed, including HOYTS, Event Hospitality

The three companies were all asked for their thoughts on

CinemaCon 2015,

and Reading Cinemas. As market leaders in the area they

how other circuits that are looking to work more efficiently

Showtime

all share a data driven approach to how they operate,

with their data could get started.

Showtime Analytics

Analytics (Showtime) has taken the industry by storm. It’s not often that a completely new company can become quite such an industry household name in such a short time.

HOYTS - 50+ CINEMAS

And we then tie that information back

products to improve our functionality

With 400 screens and 50,000+ seats,

into the customer groups we can

and we’ve done that recently with our

HOYTS is the second biggest exhibitor

communicate with effectively, via

payroll data. The big focus, the key

in Australia & New Zealand.

Showtime Engage. It’s a really visual,

cost for us that we can control is our

Stephanie Mills, Director of Sales,

user-friendly way to interrogate the

payroll and the cinema managers can

Marketing & Content for HOYTS, said

data and make decisions.”

now get live data to compare who

about Showtime’s products:

they’ve got on the staff roster with EVENT HOSPITALITY &

what

don’t need to boil the ocean. If you

ENTERTAINMENT - 70+ CINEMAS

whether they need to increase or

have insights that validate what you’re

Showtime

decrease these figures. Having this

doing, or challenge what you’re doing,

specifically for the cinema industry

capability

suddenly you have a lot more freedom

which

excited.”

to better control your business. If you

Hospitality & Entertainment. With

see an offer that you’ve put out that

over 70 sites throughout Australia &

READING CINEMAS - 39 CINEMAS

no one is taking up, that’s an insight

New Zealand they are the largest

Leveraging the power of data is not

you didn’t have before. Or if you’re

circuit in the region.

limited to just the major exhibitors.

starting to see different customer

Matt Della Vedora, General Manager

Ben

types: some are motivated by price,

Finance & Accounting, said that to

Marketing, Australia & New Zealand

others

bring

for Reading Cinemas - who, by the

“To see meaningful results you

aren’t

and

just

want

products

was

in

were

perfect

a

for

generic

built Event

Business

information on upcoming content.

Intelligence (BI) product you have to

time

Getting

insights

into

how

admissions

is

getting

Deighton,

this

look

like,

them

and

really

General Manager,

magazine

has

been

those

pay a lot to obtain and consolidate the

published, will have appeared on a

customer groups behave allows you

data you want, slice and dice it, to

marketing

to understand your base better and

then put it through a development

CinemaCon 2022 in Las Vegas - shares

determine what it is you want to focus

process - but Showtime already had

how smaller exhibitors can benefit

on. Be it increasing frequency or

the necessary knowledge to make

from using data analytics:

increasing spend at the candy bar,

this so much more efficient:

having that information at hand at

“Showtime

at

“For the indie cinemas the ability

the

to instantly see the actual dollar value

knowledge,

key

against campaigns, which they would

metrics across the cinema industry… it

never have been able to do before,

rather than putting several offers out

just made it so much easier than

would be so beneficial. There has,

to the market and not knowing what’s

starting from scratch.”

historically, been a reluctance to

pull all our data points together in a

the

data

impact of what it is you’re doing,

Showtime Insights allows us to

knew

discussion

least lets you start to measure the

actually driving your results.

they

had

panel

His advice for those starting out

spend on marketing because they

on their data journey is to focus on

can’t see a return but with Showtime

what you can control:

Engage they can see straight away

meaningful way without having to

“We’re always looking at ways we

manually pull them from a database.

can continue to use Showtime’s

www.cinematech.today

that ‘ok, you’re going to sell 200 tickets if you do this, or that.’ ”

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O N

S I T E

A View from the Top Richie Power CEO, Showtime Analytics Solving exhibitor community problems has always been at the heart of every product Showtime builds. With a new set of challenges facing the industry in the wake of the pandemic, our focus over the last two years has shifted to providing solutions to address the long term effects of this period.

These effects all come from cinema doors being closed for so long, the shifting slate of content and the narrowing of the theatrical window - and the consequences of these things are becoming very apparent.

Typically, new customers account for 25% to 40% of an exhibitor’s

these behaviours by feeding the data seamlessly into Showtime Engage.

Showtime

customer base, and with closures spanning up to 18 months in many parts

Collaborate

works

Showtime’s display at CinemaCon 2022 Showtime’s CEO, Richie Power, presents at CinemaCon 2022

of the world, cinemas are dealing with several factors. They’re having to

with exhibition partners to co-brand

compensate not only for the usual organic churn numbers, but for the

and

additional churn associated with the challenges of the pandemic, and for

experiences and offers that grow the

the significant lost time during closures where no new business was

overall market box office. This tool also assists in finding the

generated at all.

audience for a movie, and identifies the audience a cinema

But how do you know who your most valuable customers were before the pandemic, and how do you ensure you’re driving them back through

create

unique

customer

“wants” to speak to, as well as using the data to discover new audiences.

your doors and not to a competitor’s cinema? How do you convert new

Showtime Benchmark is provided by Showtime

customers into loyal cinema goers? And what changes should you start

Analytics in conjunction with Comscore. Benchmark enables

implementing to see the most tangible results?

exhibitors to work more efficiently and to maximise

Having the ability to answer these questions is imperative in an industry

moviegoer attendance and market share. Through a

where the landscape has shifted. That’s why we are delighted to put out our

seamless connection to a cinema’s existing Comscore (I)BOE

new Customer Analytics solution. Customer Analytics is a tool to strategically

subscription, Benchmark allows the cinema to create their

analyse your existing customer and loyalty bases in real time, while having

own user-defined views of the marketplace and analyse their

the mechanism to continuously feed your base with new high-value

competitive

customers - an opportunity that was lost during the pandemic.

visualisation. And all are easily accessible across desktop,

We developed this solution for customers to feed seamlessly into their

performance

with

user-friendly

data

tablet and mobile devices.

existing marketing platform, whether they are using Showtime Engage or any other platform, so that they can analyse what is currently happening in their base. But not only this - they can also analyse which strategies need to be implemented to effect change, and there’s a mechanism to provide specific campaign content to impact those behaviours. And finally, there’s a way to actually see if these inputs are having an effect on the bottom line.

Having all of this within a live, real-time view means marketers can easily target the right customers with the right campaigns at the right time.

Exhibitors can create specific offers for customers who haven’t visited recently without needing to undergo complex data science projects to retrieve the information. The concept of an identifiable base to work with, rather than just a loyalty programme base, drastically widens the net for exhibitors to drive conversions into significant revenue uplifts.

The success we saw in the pilot project we ran with Movies@ in Ireland proves just how effective this new way of working is. The cinema industry has never before had access to such a tool and our customers are thrilled to be able to use it. And we can’t wait to see the rewards this brings to our industry.

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www.cinematech.today

The

Science

of

Adrian Pennington, Freelance journalist

W

We know about every technical advance that enhances the movie-going experience, from digital projectors to multidimensional sound systems. But what about the cutting-edge technology that goes into creating the world’s favourite cinema snack? e’ve been to Dolby to see how they build their range of products and what they achieve is truly incredible. But there is just as much, if not more, technology and R&D in popcorn than in any other aspect of the movie theatre,” says Thomas Peace, International Sales for Nebraska-based farming collective Preferred Popcorn.

What would movies be like without this salty, buttery

snack? Americans alone consume 16 billion quarts of the stuff every year. Two thirds of this is consumed at home, and a third in the cinema and at other events like baseball games, according to the Popcorn Board.

For cinema owners, the humble puffed snack, whose

popularity grew during the Great Depression when it was an inexpensive meal, is a revenue lifeline. For years, the exhibitor business model has been built on ticket price plus concessions; one without the other means swiftly going out of business.

When it comes to popcorn, cinema owners want a seed-

to-snack treat that leaves more snacks than seeds when

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www.cinematech.today

P O P C O R N

P o p c o r n ... popped. This means when the corn is popped at the concession stand, there shouldn’t be many unpopped kernels left in the popper. Very few have the space to store kernels at any volume.

The agronomics (the science of soil management and crop production) behind this are incredibly sophisticated. The major factors that influence popcorn quality, and ultimately exhibitor profit, are kernel moisture, expansion ratios, and popping ratios.

We talked to Preferred Popcorn about their process and also leaned on another cornbelt supplier, AK Acres (akacres. com), as well as industry veterans, Cretors (cretors.com),

4000

kernels of popcorn over 4000 years old, found in caves in New Mexico, were popped in a test.

inventors of the popcorn machine, to learn more about the field-to-forum process, which all starts in the lab.

The Raw Ingredient Not all corn is popcorn and not all popcorn is created equal.

Popcorn is a specific type of corn kernel which expands and puffs up when heated. The fundamental science - which pre-Inca cultures knew the basics of (enough to chuck the seeds in a fire) - is that the kernel’s strong hull (pericarp) contains the seed’s hard, starchy shell with 14-20% moisture.

This turns to steam as the kernel is heated. Pressure then builds until the hull ruptures, allowing the kernel to forcefully expand, from 20 to 50 times its original volume.

Within the popcorn family there are many different hybrids. These are obtained by cross-breeding different strains of popcorn to emphasise specific characteristics in the corn after it is popped. Such characteristics include the size, www.cinematech.today

300AD The oldest positively identified corn poppers date back to around 300AD along the north east coast of Peru. Early American pioneers cultivated popcorn along with dent corn. Dent corn was used for cornbread, and popcorn was used as a breakfast cereal.

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P O P C O R N

shape and texture of the kernel but the main desired attribute is its expansion rate.

Most corn when it pops takes on an irregular shape and is referred to as ‘flake’ or ‘butterfly’ popcorn. Others take on a more rounded shape and are referred to as ‘ball’ or ‘mushroom’ corn. Yellow popcorn is the most commonly used for commercial applications since it is less fragile than the white version mostly consumed in the home. The kernels are rounded in shape and have a medium brown colour. Within this group there are several options available to the buyer.

Years in the Making Preferred Popcorn grows 25 different genetic variations to meet the needs of its customers. “That starts with yields of sampling from which we test over 100 different varieties and narrow it down to make sure we’re growing the best crop,” Peace explains. “If you genetically modify it, you change the genetic code of the popcorn and get the attributes you want in one year,” he says. “We do not do that. We employ doctoratelevel biologists to help us selectively breed over many years to achieve the attributes we want. Each variety has a specific use and a specific customer in mind when we grow it.”

Heavy-duty equipment is needed for the growing process

The theatre owner buys popcorn by weight and sells it by volume (in a box or bag). High expansion translates directly to increased profitability. Each percentage point of increased expansion is a reduction in raw material cost.

Popcorn hybrids with a thicker protective outer seed

“If you’re a cinema owner you want as much volume out

coating have a greater expansion ratio but this is not the only

of that bag as possible because it means you can sell more

important trait. Other variables include grain yield, kernel

servings,” says Peace. “The expansion level is very important.

length, popping expansion, kernel and protective layer

It is written into all the contracts we have for major cinema

thickness, heat transfer ability, and the amount of protein in

owners.”

Expansion is measured as a ratio that compares the

the expansion capacity will help processors identify and breed

number of popped popcorn servings produced from a

high quality popcorn. The moisture content of the hybrid will

specific amount of unpopped popcorn. The test is

also determine the expansion of the popcorn. In addition,

performed with a Metric Weight Volumetric Test (devised

cracks and abrasion on the outside of the kernels will reduce

by Cretors - and they also make the MWVT machines) and

popping expansion; which is what both breeding and

the test is recognised as standard by the popcorn industry.

processing is designed to weed out.

Popcorn Expansion This is the heart (kernel?) of the whole popcorn industry.

Different varieties will produce different sized and shaped pieces of popcorn when popped, which has an impact on the cinema owner’s profit. This percentage variance can be quite significant which is why processors go to great lengths to grow varieties with the right (pop-for-buck) ratio.

Expansion level is the key metric. This is the amount of growth in volume that the corn goes through in the popping process. In general, the more the corn expands the better the product. High expansion corn is desirable for both the consumer and the manufacturer. From a consumer’s point of view high expansion corn is more tender and has fewer partially popped kernels that are hard to chew.

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13.5%

kernels. Understanding which popcorn traits are related to

For example, an expansion of 42:1 means that 1 gram of

unpopped popcorn will produce approximately 42 cubic centimetres of popped popcorn. The higher the MWVT number, the greater the volume of popped corn per weight of unpopped corn. A typical rate would be 42-44.

The customer usually equates high expansion corn with

high quality. For the manufacturer, high expansion will create a physically larger bag for the same weight and may be considered better value by the customer. High expansion corn also usually indicates a low percentage of unpopped kernels or scrap. In this case corn is not only purchased by

Popcorn is usually delivered to the user with moisture content between 13.5-14.5% which is when it pops best.

weight but also sold by weight.

From Field to Customer One of the largest contributors to popcorn quality is the processing that the corn is subjected to after being picked.

Much of this is automated. www.cinematech.today

Raw Popcorn Harvesting

food regulations that are required to sell Preferred Popcorn

Popcorn grows on stalks like other types of corn and can be

products in markets like Japan and Germany.

harvested by the same processes. However, to get the top

“We are organically certified, non-GMO, halal and kosher,”

level of quality, several precautions must be taken. The

he says. “All of that plays into how we design our plant.”

popcorn plants and ears are not as large as those of field corn,

Clean corn is then sent to packaging on pallets for shipping, or stored in huge silos.

requiring adjustments and modifications to the machinery to ensure the kernels are not damaged when picking and shelling. The damage to the kernels takes on the form of

A Focus on Sustainability

scratches or cracks in the pericarp. This damage to the

Green farming practices are encouraged, if not universally

pericarp reduces the popping expansion of the kernels during

followed or mandated. Preferred Popcorn says its farmers

popping. Popcorn is harvested in the US between September

deploy crop-rotation, soil- and water-testing and minimal use

and November.

of fertilisers. It employs ‘no-till’ farming which reduces soil compaction (to give next years’ popcorn roots air to breathe)

The Process of Processing

and also reduces the number of passes through a field, thereby reducing carbon emissions and encouraging

The popcorn is processed using advanced milling and cleaning equipment to remove any foreign material such as broken kernels, corncobs, and dirt. There are several stages to this: A screen cleaner uses shaking screens and highpowered blast fans to remove the large pieces of foreign material and field corn as well as smaller containments like weed seeds, immature or broken kernels, and dust.

A gravity table or destoner removes impurities on the basis of density. A gravity table uses high volume fans and a

Storage silos

shaking perforated deck to suspend the popcorn above it on a cushion of air. The angle and shape of the deck causes the popcorn to move to different ends of it, depending on the popcorn’s density. Broken, cracked, and immature kernels move towards the back of the machine where they are removed, while all of the good kernels move toward the front of the deck and exit the machine. Some machines have magnets to remove metal.

A computerised colour sorter uses advanced highresolution optics to visually inspect each kernel of popcorn as it flows through the machine at a rate of 20 metric tonnes every 45 minutes. That’s every single kernel. Doing that manually would clearly be an impossible task but the most up-to-date machines can identify imperfections such as discoloured kernels using an AI algorithm and infrared light to check inside each seed. Defects are removed by a jet of air.

The colour sorter at Preferred Popcorn snaps a picture of each kernel and stores this image. Says Peace, “We can program the machine to look for red kernels, for example, and we can analyse the results to input into our breeding process.”

This phase is not just about removing visual defects or physical debris, it is also about removing chemicals like insecticides,

pesticides

or

fertiliser

that

could

have

contaminated the harvest from a neighbouring field.

“We are continually testing to make sure these things are not in our process,” says Peace, who emphasises the stringent 4 0

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A combine in action

P O P C O R N

Why Popcorn Pops

microbiological soil development.

“We save valuable resources by gathering samples of the soil to more deeply understand which nutrients are missing,”

A popcorn kernel’s very hard hull (pericarp) is capable of withstanding an

Peace says. “With that information, we’re able to use precision

internal pressure of 135 PSI (9.1 atmospheres). The starch in a kernel is a

GPS-monitored applications of fertilisers and use pesticides

hard starch containing about 14% moisture. When heated, the pressure

and herbicides only as needed to control crop issues. We are

and temperature in the kernel rise, cooking or gelatinising the starch. At

also testing new technology with nitrogen uptake enhancing

about 135 PSI (9.1 atmospheres), the pericarp ruptures and the pressure is

microbes

released, the water expands to steam and stretches the starch cells to

enrichment, which results in cleaner air and water for our

many times their original volume so they take on a foam structure.

communities.”

As the steam is vented to the atmosphere, the pressure drops to

to

reduce

or

eliminate

synthetic

nitrogen

atmospheric pressure. As the pressure drops so does the temperature.

Moisture Content

At the lower temperature the starch returns to a solid state but is now in

Popcorn is usually delivered to the user with moisture content

the form of an open-cell foam, giving popped popcorn its crispiness.

between 13.5% and 14.5% - because that’s when it pops best.

The actual popping process requires a delicate balance of heat rate

The actual moisture content will depend on the variety and

and moisture content. If the kernel is heated too quickly the starch at

what the processor determines will give the popcorn

the centre of the kernel is not gelatinized and softened. The starch at the

maximum expansion when popped.

outer edge reaches the required temperature and causes the pericarp

“Popcorn kernels are a little bit like a sponge,” says Peace.

to rupture but the uncooked starch at the centre of the kernel does not

“If the ambient humidity is 60% or higher, the popcorn will

expand. The result is a small hard partially-popped kernel of corn. But if

absorb moisture, possibly causing it to go mouldy over time. If

the heat process is too slow, the build-up of internal pressure cannot

the humidity is 50% or less, the popcorn will dry out, hindering

keep up with loss of moisture as steam vents from the tip of the kernel.

its ability to pop.”

Heating the kernel must be at a slow enough rate to cook the starch

Popcorn is normally harvested with a moisture content of

to its core, before internal pressure ruptures the pericarp; but not so

14% to 17%. According to AK Acres, popcorn harvested below

slowly that the small amount of moisture available leaks out before the

14% moisture may be too dry and may not pop well. But

kernel reaches popping temperature and pressure.

popcorn harvested above 17% may be too wet and may spoil when stored in grain bins.

Storing Popcorn Consequently, monitoring of the moisture in storage is critical.

Kernels can be stored almost indefinitely as long as the moisture level does not change. Silos are equipped with computer-controlled aeration systems that continuously monitor air humidity and temperature. AK Acres programs its computers to turn large aeration fans on or off to keep the moisture at the optimum level. Natural air-drying, as opposed to natural gas heat, preserves the seed coat integrity and the appearance of the popcorn for customer satisfaction and maximum expansion potential.

Preferred Popcorn keeps all its varieties in separate storage. Storage is incredibly expensive, says Peace, partly because of the constant monitoring, and partly because of the space it needs.

“Some companies don’t have the storage so they grow and sell it off in the first couple months after harvest. But storage is expensive for the customer too. We choose not to put the burden on the customer. Our customers tell us how much they need for the next year, we grow that volume and the kernels stay with us until they tell us they need it. That’s when it’s cleaned, packaged and shipped.”

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P O P C O R N

Butterfly or Mushroom?

Butterfly kernels are the most common type of popcorn, tending to be large and fluffy with many ‘wings’ protruding from each kernel. The mushroom kernel is more compact and is shaped like a ball – ideal for processes that require heavy handling of the kernels such as sugar coating.

1492

When Columbus first arrived in the West Indies in 1492, the natives tried to sell popcorn to his crew.

round balls because they want their product to look good in a bag. They don’t care about expansion if it fills a bag. What is selling their popcorn is its visual appeal.

“Other customers are catering to

“A high expansion butterfly popcorn has really big

patrons who tend to like sugary

wings which is great as long as it’s not handled a lot. In a

popcorn so it’s important that the popcorn won’t fall apart in

cinema setting that’s perfect since the popcorn is popped and (ideally immediately) scooped into a bag and delivered to the customer,” Peace explains.

The delicious snack, synonymous with cinema

a tumbler as seasoning is added. Mushroom is the key here.

The thing about most mushroom popcorn is that it does not even get close to the expansion level of butterfly. It’s at the

“If you take that high expansion butterfly corn, pop and

23-30 levels rather than the 44-45 level. However, one South

season it, put it through a packaging machine, in a box on a

Korean cinema customer of ours wants a mushroom

truck shipped to a store then handled again, those wings

popcorn with a high expansion level. We have bred, and

will break off. That is how you get a bag that’s one third full.

grow, a special variety that just goes to them with a pop level

So, you can use a low expansion popcorn and it’s why we

close to 40. That is a unique variety that will coat well but has

breed it for certain customers. It’s simply much hardier

a high expansion level.”

when handled.

“Some customers in retail settings like a grocery store

Sit Back and Enjoy

might have a 1kg bag with their brand name on it. What

Believe it or not we’ve barely touched the sides of the

matters to them is they want the unpopped kernel to look

popcorn industry. Contrast a new 3D 4K digital projector

beautiful, to be big, bright, orange and clean-looking since

which might cost $100,000 with the latest combine used to

this is what they are selling to their customers. So, we breed

harvest fields at over $500,000. Hopefully, we’ve given a

a variety for how the unpopped kernel looks.

greater appreciation for the level of research, innovation

“With mushroom corn there are also customers offering gourmet popcorn who care about the uniformity of large 4 2

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and engineering that goes into getting the perfect popcorn to your cinema seat. www.cinematech.today

LIGHT TAPE: ELIMINATING GLARE POLLUTION IN HD CINEMA DESIGN Steve Pendlebury, President & CEO, Electro-LuminX Lighting Corporation The role of cinema lighting has greatly evolved over the years. It’s needed to highlight hazards, provide soft illumination for egress and for interior design accent lights. But more lumens at a lower energy cost should not be the priority in modern cinema design. Illumination is no longer about visibility.

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www.cinematech.today

L I G H T I N G

I

n theater illumination, the primary use

that has many benefits and this is the ‘glue’ that holds the

of lighting is not only safety, but to

phosphors and other materials together as one solid state

create a warm and inviting atmosphere

lamp. We employ a roll-to-roll process producing the longest

to enhance the overall experience. The

electroluminescent lamps in the world. E-LLC has a

main challenges of cinema design are

sophisticated line of power supplies that can be remotely

to produce even lighting with no light

dimmed and controlled by DMX512 or 0 – 10 VDC dimming.

pollution, and ideally with zero light on the screen.

Casting the appropriate amount of light is where LEDs

Extreme Visibility, No Light Pollution

struggle, as they produce so much light that this must be

The goal of accent lighting in a cinema is the ability to be seen,

diffused. LEDs are better suited for general illumination

i.e. to permit safe movement around the auditorium. There

where total brightness and low energy consumption are

are two ways to measure visibility for lighting: luminance, and

paramount, but not for gentle accent lighting.

illuminance. Luminance is the perceived brightness or ability

Today, the demands of modern cinema design are in

to see something: for example, a laser would be high in

perfect alignment with the attributes of electroluminescent

luminance as the laser beam is highly visible. The second

lighting offers

(EL), the

which perfect

measurement

of

lighting

is

visibility

balance of safety and

illuminance, which is

elegance. The entire

the amount of light

EL lamp is coated with

that is cast onto a

phosphors resulting in

surface - or how much

the

surface

you light up a room,

being a light source,

designed to measure

not a series of single

task lighting. So a laser

point bulbs. It is now

would

possible to have even

illuminance; it’s not

illumination

without

going to light up a

diffusion. EL lamps are

room, despite being

extremely visible but

very visible. For accent

at

lighting,

entire

the

produce

same

time,

very

little

be

low

the

in

most

important attribute is

unwanted light, with

surface visibility, or the

most of the light being contained at the surface - which is the

perceived brightness. This differs from a light with high

principal goal of an accent light.

illuminance, where the intended light from the fixture is

The History of EL Technology Electroluminescence, or the generation of light by the

designed to also illuminate the room.

When compared to an LED light source, EL is crisper and can be seen in far worse conditions than an LED.

electrical excitation of light-emitting phosphors, has been

Electroluminescent lights not only reduce glare and light

around for many years. Electroluminescence was first

pollution; they perform better with respect to visibility when

observed in silicon carbide (SiC) by Captain Henry Joseph

called upon for egress applications. Egress wayfinding is an

Round in 1907.

application where more lumens are not better, but the type of

Some companies such as ours - Electro-LuminX Lighting

light source is more valuable. Electroluminescent lights

Corporation (E-LLC), the manufacturer of Light Tape lamps -

outperform LEDs in smoke and fog, being more visible in

have further developed the electroluminescent technology

emergency situations.

platform. We focus on process IP, as well as chemistries and associated electronics. And we’re not only a manufacturer,

A True “Solid-state” Technology

but also a product developer in electroluminescent

Light Tape composition is a series of coatings applied on top

technology.

of each other that are dried into one structure. There is no gas,

E-LLC utilizes a proprietary and patented binder system www.cinematech.today

liquid or filaments to break which would cause Light Tape

One of the screens at Apple Cinemas, Warwick, Rhode Island

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to stop working. The bond between each layer of a Light Tape lamp is indestructible and it’s impossible to separate them as

Apple Cinemas, Rhode Island

they produce heat: energy is passed through the silicon wafer producing this heat. The silicon wafer differs from lot to lot,

they are coated and cured as one, as well as producing no

which is also a sign of their variability. The LED system is more

heat during operation. Once energized, it is impossible to

efficient than other resistive loads - when thousands of

cause the structure to fail and the Smart Driver power

lumens are needed, LEDs are the most efficient in producing

supplies are extremely reliable.

light.

There is nothing “solid state” about LEDs other than the

For applications like step lighting, which are narrow

semiconductor chip itself. LEDs tend to fail by design as there

accent lights by nature, a Light Tape system will consume on

are many points of failure supporting the chip. The heat LEDs

average 0.25 watts per meter for an EL lamp that is 6.35 mm

produce can cause them to break from their heat sink due to

wide and a meter long. An LED strip to fill the same fixture will

epoxy degradation. The thermal stress can also lead to failures

consume 4 watts a meter or more in many cases. The energy

in the circuit caused by mechanical stresses on the

saving is significantly more with Light Tape.

semiconductor and the bonded contact.

The operating cost of a 50-step venue using split electrode EL is $6.50 (USD) per year, compared to $78.50 for

Energy Savings - Light Tape vs LED

most LED systems. Not to mention the environmental impact

An important thing to remember when comparing Light

on the air conditioning system to compensate for the heat

Tape (EL) and LEDs for accent lighting is that most of the light

produced by the LEDs.

produced by the latter is blocked through diffusion, and the light that does go through contributes to light pollution.

Electro-LuminX’s Steve Pendlebury

Is Profile Design Important?

While bright, up to 90% of the light produced by an LED for

Traditionally, many step light profiles are

accent lighting is wasted energy.

made from plastic and are cut on site. They

At the same surface brightness, Light Tape will consume

are usually adhered into place using tubes

10% of the energy that an equivalent LED fixture would

of silicon and generally are not mechanically

consume at the same width. Light Tape energy consumption

fastened. When mechanical fasteners are

is based on the area that is illuminated; it is a capacitive load.

employed, they are done via the top and the

EL lamps only require the energy to fill the load or surface

screw heads are left visible. Over time, the

area, and when switched off they release the energy as a

end caps come off with cleaning as the

photon or packet of light. The larger the area, the more power

silicon will fail.

needed; it is a very linear relationship.

On the other hand, LEDs are a resistive load, which is why 4 6

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Electro-LuminX StepGuard profiles are made of aluminium and are very durable. www.cinematech.today

L I G H T I N G

The system is adhered to the step from the top with the use of

movie ticket. As a result, almost every aspect of a cinema has

mechanical fasteners. The screws are then covered with an

been reimagined.

anti-slip rubber insert that not only hides the screw heads, but adds a layer of protection for the pedestrian.

Super bright LEDs do not fit into the new cinemas of today for many reasons. The first and foremost of these is that

StepGuard ends are made through an injection molding

the technology was developed as the next generation task

process and fit the ends of the extrusion perfectly. They are

light, i.e. designed to produce incredible amounts of light

mechanically fastened with small hidden screws, so glue isn’t

while reducing energy costs. As it turns out, as with many

needed. The Light Tape itself sits inside a rubber insert to

new technologies, the drawbacks were not immediately

further protect from moisture and provides an IP65 rating

understood. LEDs did initially lower energy costs, however,

(water resistant). Each step comes with two wires and is ready

the bulbs fail at different rates and are not designed as an

to mount which reduces installation time by 75% compared

accent light. They are unable to provide even illumination

to traditional systems.

without aggressive diffusion, and before long lead to spotty

Accentuating Brightness and Visibility Electroluminescent lamps produce light at nearly a

StepGuard SG45 in Natural Blue (r)

accent lighting at best. A cause of light pollution, their cast light reaches the screens and disturbs patrons with bright lights in their peripheral vision while viewing the movie.

180-degree plane. Light leaves the surface in thousands of

EL has been around for nearly a century with even

directions, making viewing possible at a wide angle.

illumination and zero light pollution, glare or heat production.

Electroluminescent exit signs are better than LEDs for this

In recent years, improvements in the phosphor and

reason; the brightness can be tuned lower to prevent light

manufacturing technologies have significantly improved

pollution on the screen. And at the same time, the viewing

lifetimes with current installations lasting more than a

angle for patrons to see exit signs is very wide, making it ideal

decade. And at Electro-LuminX Lighting Corporation, we

for egress situations.

offer fully dimmable and controllable power systems - their technology can be tied into camera systems utilizing DMX512

In Summary...

or 0-10 vDC dimming control.

The technology shift to 4K high-definition cameras has

As with most things, there is a great variety of both LED

changed the way cinemas are designed and used today.

and EL manufacturers and the resulting quality that comes

From amazing sound systems to luxury seating, designers,

from each. But by doing your homework, the right solution

architects and cinema operators strive to create fully

can be found to meet your needs. And there’s never been a

immersive

better time to evaluate the benefits of electroluminescent

environments

Apple Cinemas, Rhode Island (l)

to

enhance

the

cinematic

experience as customers demand more from the price of a www.cinematech.today

technology to meet the new demands of cinema design.

0 6 / 2 2

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4 7

E V E N T S Helen Budge and Peter Knight report on the UKCA Conference 2022 from Picturehouse Central, London.

UKCA

T

UK Cinema Association Conference 2022

he sold-out UKCA Conference 2022, once again back in

its

calendar

spring position,

took place at Picturehouse Central, round the corner from iconic London hotspots Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. With a theme of “Audiences + Content”, the two days truly provided value for money and gave delegates the chance to see and chat to colleagues in person - such a small thing in “normal times” but something we’ve all learned

ALL UKCA IMAGES: JULIE EDWARDS

to greatly appreciate.

And On With the Show…

The agenda was packed full of

said address, and this year was no

presentations, panel sessions and -

exception with none other than the

horrible word - networking opportunities

legendary Sir Kenneth Branagh taking

in what is one of the most important

up the mantle. Live and in-person in the

industry events of the year. And there

auditorium (it didn’t take long for

was an even greater sense of anticipation

delegates to begin referring to him as

of topics covered under the “Audiences

given that the event had completely sold

“Ken” afterwards… Judy Dench does it so

+ Content” umbrella we’ve highlighted

out more than a week in advance, with a

why can’t we?), he gave a passionate,

some key points to give a flavour of the

reserve list of 50+ names.

articulate,

days.

knowledgeable

and

A packed auditorium keenly awaits the keynote speech from Sir Kenneth “Ken” Branagh

It’s always an incredible feat how much the UKCA team can squeeze into a twoday conference and this year was no different. Due to the depth and breadth

It has become a bit of a UKCA

humorous address that engaged and

Unsurprisingly, given the subjects

tradition to sprinkle the opening keynote

energised the audience, setting the

covered, several sessions provided in-

address with a copious amount of

tone - and the bar - for the rest of the

depth

stardust by booking big names to deliver

two days.

showing the way that audiences have,

4 8

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data,

analysis

and

graphs

www.cinematech.today

or in some demographic cases have not, returned to the cinema since the ‘end’ of the pandemic. Time and again the data shared showed that younger audiences

Sophie Camp, Universal Pictures, presents a Spotlight Session

stressful, experience of opening a brand

tickets to watch one great film on the big

new cinema before and during a

screen each week, which is brought

pandemic.

about through partnerships with local

Markwick provided a fascinating

cinemas. A discussion between MUBI’s

are returning to the cinema at a faster

and entertaining presentation on taking

Director of Distribution, Natalie Ralph,

rate than older audiences (45+ - kill us

on the much-loved but neglected art

and

now), something that is the focus of an

deco Electric site in Birmingham City

cinemas - Watershed, Bristol and Rio

Centre in November 2021. Detailing the

Cinema, Dalston - followed, exploring and

many challenges and changes that the

extolling the virtues of this collaboration.

ongoing discussion as to why this is and how, specifically, we might encourage

50+

older audiences to come back. Large box office tent pole movies, such as “No Time to Die”, were shown to be some of the big names that really did bring back audiences,

including

these

elusive

site brought with it, the cinema and its This year’s event had a reserve list of over 50 industry names

“older” members.

participating

independent

exciting success and a brilliant response

What’s Next for Event Cinema?

from the local community. There’s clearly

The first day closed with a panel, led by

a lotta love for the Electric.

Grainne Clarke, Managing Director of the

new team have already seen some

Frenemies?

15 Minutes of Fame

two

Event

Cinema

Association

(ECA),

discussing a wide range of upcoming

Very often the media narrative towards

opportunities for event cinema. For

Some panel sessions that required

cinema and streaming is as an either-or

those of you familiar with the Korean boy

lengthier

a

option, but as the pandemic showed a

band sensation, BTS, and their fanbase

longer slot in the programme. But these

working relationship can be formed and

known

sessions were nicely broken up with the

the two can happily work together. MUBI

Representative M.C for Youth) you’ll also

previously

GO is a great example of a partnership

know

between a curated streaming platform

cinemas have seen with BTS event

(MUBI) and the big screen working in

cinema

harmony. MUBI GO subscribers receive

distributor Trafalgar Releasing (who

Sessions

discussions

tried, that

15-minute

popular

allow

look

maintained

at

for a

Spotlight a

briefer,

variety

of

organisations and topics in the industry.

Picturehouse Central

as the

mind

ARMY boggling

screenings.

Event

(Adorable success cinema

Probably two of the most engaging and

partnered with Korean entertainment

entertaining of these sessions were

company HYBE) saw record-breaking

those presented by Claire Beswick,

numbers for the latest “BTS Permission

Founder, The Living Room Cinema,

to Dance on Stage – Seoul: Live Viewing”.

Liphook, and Katie Markwick, Manager

Trafalgar’s CEO, Marc Allenby, joined

of

the

(recently

reopened)

refreshed-and-

the panel to discuss this opportunity.

Cinema,

And it showed the sheer dedication of

Electric

Birmingham.

Beswick

the BTS fanbase, with the screenings divulged

her,

rather

www.cinematech.today

scooping a worldwide box office gross 0 6 / 2 2

>

4 9

E V E N T S

UKCA and One Community Day

of $32.6 million. This success also

The Cinema Technology Community took

technology. CTC President Richard Mitchell

the reins for the second half of day two and

discusses

presented “One Community Day” (OCD), a

presented in a separate feature on the next

range of discussions and presentations

page, for readers who would like all the

focusing on, you guessed it, cinema

details.

the

programme

the

CTC

demonstrates how music concerts from various artists receiving an event cinema release (Nick Cave, Coldplay, Westlife,

event itself. To that end Michelle Stevens,

Little Mix to name a few) have exploded

Commercial

in the last few years.

shared some digital assets designed

Director

for

Powster,

But it’s not just music concerts that

and circulated by the digital agency,

have seen incredible event cinema

prior to the BTS event. Fans loved being

growth in recent years. James Dobbin,

part of the community that was created,

Director of Event Cinema for National

through sharing their names and

Amusements, discussed anime titles

locations of where they’d be watching

that have drawn huge crowds, including

via digital “postcards”.

recent huge success “Jujutsu Kaisen 0”. plugging the gap of underserved family

Mia Bays and a Slate of British Goodies

titles, taking GBP £3.5million over five

Day two of the conference was opened

years with 40 titles.

by Mia Bays, Director of the BFI Film

And pre-school content has been

40 Pre-school content took over £3.5m over 5 years with 40 titles

British content designed to remedy this

problem

and,

with

a

wide

repertoire from known and lesserknown names, let’s hope that the effects of the pandemic encourage us into

embracing

these

new

opportunities.

Another Year Over And so, two full days came to an end.

It’s

apparent,

particularly

after

a

24-month hiatus, just how important Phil Clapp, UKCA CEO, takes to the stage

the social aspect of the conference is, both from a networking perspective

Taking risks is crucial to the future of

Fund, addressing an issue that came to

event cinema. The panel were keen to

significant prominence during the

schedule is designed with this in mind

communicate that just because an

pandemic: the lack of British content.

and plenty of breaks are incorporated -

exhibitor may not have an immediately

When Hollywood “turned off the

and it can’t be understated how lovely

obvious audience doesn’t mean one

(content)

it was to mingle.

can’t be found if some strategic thinking

countries could rely on - very successful

A very positive tone came out of the

is

- local releases to bring people in when

conference, with plenty of evidence that

they were open.

audiences are returning to cinemas in

implemented.

Trafalgar’s

own

approach to certain projects is to identify an audience prior to taking on a title and their track record speaks volumes.

Find the tribe, tap into their interests and build the anticipation - this latter element is almost as important as the

tap”,

other

European

but also from a social point of view. The

encouraging

The same couldn’t be said of the

numbers.

Some

age

UK however, a factor that added

groups are slower at returning, but big

pressure to an already very difficult

films - and targeted marketing for

situation for exhibitors.

specific titles - are helping with this.

Some concern was expressed about a

Bays presented a slate of upcoming

lack of titles in certain areas, particularly A chance to chat - one of the networking breaks during the conference

family films for the May holidays that were swiftly approaching.

But as Ken said in his keynote, there’s plenty of evidence to instil confidence that we’ll soon be back to the “thrival” of the industry.

The next conference will be in early 2023.

More Info 5 0

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w ww.cinemauk.org.uk/the-bigscreen-experience-audiencesand-content/

www.cinematech.today

We build & deliver it At MPS, we’ve been building DCPs for 15 years, whilst creating a delivery network to more than 3,500 cinemas worldwide.

w: www.motionpicturesolutions.com

t: 020 7751 7000

e: info@motionpicturesolutions.com

UNDP & SAWA Put Climate Change Front & Centre in New Cinema Ad Campaign The Global Cinema Medium is honoured to receive the 2022 United Nations Development Programme Global Impact Award - “The Frankie” - for its outstanding contribution to support #ClimateAction.

We are helping facilitate change for the good.

Our core audience, Gen Z and Millennials, list #ClimateChange as a top priority. #UNSDGs #DontChooseExtinction #HelloBigScreen @SAWA

For more information about the “Don’t Choose Extinction” advertisement and campaign, please visit dontchooseextinction.com.

To find out more about the global cinema medium please visit sawa.com

E V E N T S

Richard Mitchell, President, Cinema Technology Community, talks taking over the UKCA Conference stage for One Community Day

CTC’s One Community Day

A

fter a day and a half

focused

around

the

theme ‘Audiences

+

Content’, the UKCA handed over its spring

conference

afternoon matter,

of

stage

for

technology

delivered

an

subject

by

Cinema

Technology Community (CTC).

Back in 2020, in the midst of lockdowns

and

restrictions,

CTC

created and hosted an event entitled One Community Day (OCD), designed to bring the industry together for several hours of original content as a vital educational support initiative. around the world attended the event

Prepping the tech for OCD

with very positive feedback.

This time CTC went one better, delivering in-person live sessions with a stream to share the afternoon with large audience in London, more than 150 people joined the event online from around

the

world

including

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil,

Chile,

Denmark,

Budge led a discussion with Ruth Hinton (Group Head of Customer

India, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan,

Experience

Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sweden,

International) and Raj Khalid (Customer

Thailand and the USA.

Experience Manager, Cineworld) about

A New Membership Scheme

CTC’s global members. As well as a

all

Finland,

France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong,

(l-r) Raj Khalid, Ruth Hinton and Helen Budge

the

Insight,

industry

might

Vue

engage

audiences with cinema technology with the aim of providing better movie-

The event kicked off with a major

going experiences for guests. There

announcement regarding the new

were a number of key takeaways from

membership structure designed to

the session, not least that there is a

continue

industry

chance later this year to excite new

beyond the end of CTC’s Community

to

support

the

audiences with the 3D experience.

Membership Scheme. After this, the

Product manufacturers need to forge

focus moved onto a fascinating look at

closer relationships with exhibitors to

cyber security. During this session,

help explain how their products add

expert Andy Compton from Cortida

value to the movie-going experience so

(www.cortida.com) took an in-depth

that these can be showcased to

look at some of the specific threats of

consumers.

cyber warfare and how these manifest scenarios that cinema exhibitors may

ECA & CTC Test Materials

face over the next few years.

And if one dose of Helen Budge wasn’t

themselves, providing a number of

Next up, CT Magazine’s own Helen www.cinematech.today

how

and

enough (Editor: it never is!) the third 0 6 / 2 2

>

5 3

IMAGES: JULIE EDWARDS

Canada,

More than 300 cinema executives

E V E N T S

Uckfield

and

Electric

Cinema,

session looked at a piece of work CTC

experience. Next, the audience was

commissioned back in 2020 to help

treated to an exclusive 5.1 DCP version

drive up the quality of event cinema

of the test materials featuring, you

broadcasts.

(Saffron

guessed it, Helen Budge. The six

was joined by cinema industry expert

Screen), Grainne Clarke (Event Cinema

minute clip includes the following tests:

Saul Mahoney from Cineport Media

Association)

Paul

Wilmott

and

David

Pope

CTC VP, Graham Lodge, talks new membership plans

Birmingham) and Toni Purvis (Amblin Partners). In this live session the team

Clapperboard, Lip Sync, Pip & Flash,

where topics covered included “Avatar:

(MusicScreen) gave brief introductions

Loudspeakers,

The Way of Water” and equipment

to the new comprehensive broadcast

Framing and Aspect Ratio. While not

test materials explaining the necessary

yet released, CTC outlined plans to

With an engaged audience and a

requirements,

Focus,

Convergence,

shortages.

of

provide these materials to distributors

live stream that held stable throughout,

testing and the impact these materials

around the world over the coming

the event was heralded as a significant

will

months to drive the adoption of these

success and a blueprint for CTC to

materials throughout the industry.

deliver more hybrid events in the future

have

the

on

importance

the

movie-going

The event concluded with CTC’s

using streaming technology to reach its global members.

acclaimed podcast team delivering another barnstorming “In The Pub” live session hosted by Mike Bradbury (Odeon UK) with regular podcasters Kevin

Markwick

(Picture

House,

More Info

The event can be rewatched by visiting www.cinema-technology.com /one-community-day-2022-portal

A Fresh Look at 3D One particular One Community Day session focused on the upcoming 3D revival.

Moderated by Adam MacDonald (GDC Technology), the panel included Mark Kendall (Sharp/NEC), Tony Dilley (Harkness Screens), Bobbie Andrews and Julia Vinokurova (RealD). A discussion followed on preparing for “Avatar: The Way of Water”, the potential options available to those wishing to improve presentation quality (even those with limited budgets and ageing equipment) and the type of technical checks needed to Grainne Clarke, Managing Director, Event Cinema Association (ECA)

5 4

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ensure that projection equipment is operational and functioning correctly.

www.cinematech.today

Congratulations to the 2022 CineEurope Award Winners INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITOR OF THE YEAR STEVE KNIBBS, Vue International INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR ANNA MARSH, Studiocanal UNIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD GÉKE ROELINK, Filmhuis Den Haag CINEEUROPE GOLD AWARDS SYLVIANE AMATA, UGC MIKE BRADBURY, ODEON Cinemas Group KIRIL ENIKOV, Cineworld THOMAS ERLER, Kinopolis SUZANNA HOLMQVIST, Svenska Bio ERIC MEYNIEL, Kinepolis JON NUTTON, Empire Cinemas EVA REKETTYEI, Yelmo Cines

E V E N T S

CineEurope 2022 Teaser

I

t’s

with

great

pleasure that we welcome everyone

to

beautiful

Barcelona for CineEurope 2022, the official convention of the International Union of Cinemas (UNIC).

Over the past two years, we’ve witnessed the resilience of the cinema sector,

its

capacity

to

adapt

to

challenging circumstances and to kick-start its recovery process, thanks to national reopening campaigns and the support of local and European productions.

What to Expect...

CineEurope

showcases

everything

that makes the European cinema

technology will be discussed during

industry so unique. Each year in

the ICTA sessions, starting on Sunday

Barcelona, we are fortunate enough to

19 June and continuing throughout the

bear witness to the latest trends and

convention on our cutting-edge trade

developments

show floor.

in

the

big

screen

experience, highlighting the growth

CineEurope 2021 was the event’s 30th edition

Laura Houlgatte, Steve Knibbs and Phil Clapp (l-r)

and prosperity of the sector and its

Awards Galore!

continued value for audiences across

It goes without saying that the success

CineEurope without a series of fantastic

Europe and beyond. We strive to reflect

of our industry depends on the

presentations and exclusive screenings

this, alongside our partners from the

outstanding efforts of those working

from major international and European

Film

within it. To celebrate a few of the most

studios and distribution partners.

Expo

Group,

through

a

programme that keeps up with the

noteworthy

latest developments and opportunities

CineEurope

contributions,

for growth in the sector and builds on

presented

the discussions from the previous year.

Awards Ceremony. We’re delighted

If you’d like to find out more about

Gold during

Awards the

will

the

This year’s edition promises to be

be

four full days of entertainment, insights

CineEurope

and networking.

This year’s edition will feature a

that Géke Roelink - in recognition for

European cinema-going, or the work

series of high-level sessions, delving

her long-standing dedication to both

we

into current developments and future

the Dutch and European cinema

publications or the UNIC Women’s

trends at the heart of the sector’s

sectors

UNIC

Cinema Leadership Programme – our

recovery, including a highly-anticipated

Achievement Award this year, and that

pioneering initiative to address gender

executive

bringing

Steve Knibbs, Group MD & Deputy

imbalance in the industry, this year

together the top leaders from across

CEO, Vue International, has been

sponsored by IMAX and Vista Group –

the cinema landscape to explore the

recognized

please feel free to get in touch.

lessons learned and what comes next

achievements as CineEurope 2022

for our industry. Opportunities and

International Exhibitor of the Year.

roundtable

challenges 5 6

>

related

0 6 / 2 2

to

cinema

-

will

for

receive

his

the

incredible

And, of course, it wouldn’t be

do

at

UNIC,

including

our

We hope to catch up with you during the week and would like to wish you a fantastic CineEurope 2022! www.cinematech.today

ccib barcelona

20-23

june 2022

C O N V E N T I O N A N D T R A D E FA I R CENTRE CONVENCIONS INTERNACIONAL BARCELONA (CCIB) CINEEUROPE.NET

O F F I C A L C O R P O R AT E S P O N S O R

E V E N T S

CinemaCon 2022

I

CinemaCon 2022 Represents An Industry Turning Point, reports J. Sperling Reich

f one is looking

the same time as their theatrical

screening of “Top Gun: Maverick” which

for a sign that

releases, but also acknowledge a reality

thrilled CinemaCon attendees.

movie

theatres

that Charles Rivkin, the CEO of the

Meanwhile, the trade show, which is

are

recovering

Motion Picture Association, had spoken

spread throughout different ballrooms

from the financial

about at length a few minutes earlier.

on two different floors in Caesars

battering suffered during two years of

Rivkin outlined in detail many of the

conference center, was humming with

COVID shutdowns, they need look no

initiatives the MPA is undertaking to

renewed commercial activity. Every

further than this year’s CinemaCon. The

combat piracy around the world in order

concession vendor imaginable was

annual gathering of cinema operators

to

present,

and vendors took place in person, at

members; studios and streamers.

Caesars Palace in Las Vegas at the end

protect

the

copyright

of April, with attendance creeping back

Slates & Stars

towards pre-pandemic levels.

Seven

The positive atmosphere was no

of

their

including

Coca-Cola

and

PepsiCo, Mars, Hershey, Wrigley and many major suppliers whose companies weren’t allowing corporate travel during

product

last year’s CinemaCon. One could put

presentations at this year’s CinemaCon

together a whole meal from samples of

distributors

made

doubt aided by several factors, including

including

streaming giant Netflix announcing just

Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures,

Lionsgate

Films,

a week before the show that they had

Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Studios

hot

Neon, Floor signage at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas

dogs,

chicken

fingers,

pizza,

popcorn, soda, cocktails and candy collected at trade show booths while

lost subscribers for the first time in ten

reclining in luxury, thanks to the

years. Indeed, David Zaslav, the CEO and

numerous seating companies present.

merged

Manufacturers such as Christie,

Warner Bros. Discovery, told investors

Cinionic, Dolby, DTS, GDC, Sharp/NEC,

during the company’s first quarter

QSC and others used the conference to

earnings call that there was no need “to

announce new deals and even new

really collapse the entire motion picture

products

business on streaming.”

pandemic.

President

of

the

recently

developed But

a

during more

the vexing

This is a complete about-face by the

development affecting all technology

studio that released 18 theatrical titles

providers equally is supply chain issues.

day-and-date on their streaming service,

Exhibitors from the US, flush with funds

HBO Max, just a year before and it

from the Shuttered Venue Operator

couldn’t have come at a more opportune

Grants

(SVOG),

are

purchasing

time for the National Association of

and Warner Bros. Pictures. And, unlike

equipment - however, delivery of that

Theatre Owners (NATO), the trade group

last year, they brought along movie stars

equipment is severely hampered by a

that organizes CinemaCon. The news of

like Jamie Lee Curtis, Robert De Niro,

lack of product components.

Zaslav’s

just

Dwayne Johnson, Rachel McAdams,

In fact the only anxiety expressed by

moments before the organization’s CEO

Helen Mirren, Keanu Reeves and Zoe

attendees at CinemaCon 2022 was over

and President, John Fithian, took to the

Saldana as well as filmmakers like David

Coliseum stage at Caesars to deliver his

Cronenberg, Baz Luhrmann and multi-

State of the Industry address in which he

hyphenate Olivia Wilde.

comments

arrived

declared, “I am pleased to announce

content

the reduced number of films being released by major Hollywood studios and whether the industry upswing

One of the big highlights amid the of

7

that the simultaneous release is dead as

waterfall

came

during

a serious business model and piracy is

Disney’s presentation, in which 30

what killed it.”

minutes of Pixar’s “Lightyear” was

distributors made product presentations at this year’s CinemaCon

would continue once SVOG funds run out later this year. Otherwise, the feeling from CinemaCon attendees of all stripes over whether box office and business

Fithian was alluding not only to the

shown, as was the trailer for “Avatar: The

will return to 2019 pre-pandemic levels

studios’ recent practice of sending film

Way of Water”, which premiered in 3D.

seems to no longer be a question of if,

titles to their own streaming services at

Another was the very first public

but when.

5 8

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www.cinematech.today

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E C A

V I E W

How It All Began…

Melissa Cogavin, Founder, Event Cinema Association

I

n 2009 I began consulting with the

and mainland Europe:

Royal Opera House, who had just

C hris Coulter, Cooley LLC

begun recorded

broadcasting opera

and

live

and

I sabelle Fauchet, Royal Opera House

ballet

into

R ickard Gramfors, Folkets Hus och Parker

cinemas around the country. I helped

J anelle Mason, CinemaLive

set up an internal distribution division, using the expertise

G raham Spurling, Movies@

I’d gained from seven years at Disney followed by three as

A ustin Shaw, Omniverse Vision

Director of Film Operations at Paramount Pictures in

F abrice Testa, XDC Entertainment

London. It was an eye-opener; I was blown away. 10 years of

J ohn Travers, Cineworld

check-printing animation titles in Slovenian had not

M ark Walekuvich, Showcase Cinemas

prepared me for crying my way through Carmen 3D, and I

P eter Wilson, HDDC

was hooked.

That experience led to other freelance work in what was

Our Mission was Simple:

tentatively called the “Alternative Content” industry, but it

“The ECA is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting

wasn’t really an industry at that point, more a collection of

and promoting event cinema for cinemas, for audiences, for

passionate people all over the world, many from their kitchen this how little we knew about each other, how difficult it was to locate information, screen times, box office data, contact

T EN YEARS OF BOX OFFICE

55 50 45

details, release schedules; all necessary tools for the job of

40

than the sum of our parts, and what we needed was a more

35

centralised voice and a resource to support our growth and

30

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2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

25

£6,730,388

£53,717,730

content providers, exhibition and distribution, and both UK

£41,385,272

members, selected on the basis that they represented

£34,946,998

and by September 2012 I had assembled our founding board

£32,860,088

need for and the potential benefit of a trade body by then,

£37,327,399

their feedback. It was an easy sell; everyone could see the

£36,803,357

then and I approached various friends and colleagues for

£21,591,920

of the Event Cinema Association (ECA) happened around

£7,903,404

promote ourselves. My lightbulb moment for the formation

£12,126,398

distribution. I also realised that collectively we were greater

£ million

tables, working on the fringes. It struck me after a few years of

20 15 10 5 0

2020

2021

www.cinematech.today

1 0

Y E A R

S P E C I A L

creators, for the creative industries.”

Support included industry reports; gathering box office data with our partners Screen Digest (now IHS Markit) and

Comscore,

and

encouraging

territories to share their data. Our Technical

Training

Committee

also

produced the first guide to live delivery, from capture in the venue to broadcast in the cinema, and we introduced an event cinema training course at the BFI. Our website offered how-to guides, interviews and a directory of members, as well as a B2B (business-to-business) listings page for upcoming events including rights holders, distributor information and available languages.

Promotion took the form of B2C (business-to-consumer) as well as B2B; when we first launched, we worked closely with members to produce a regular in-cinema theatrical trailer with deliberately maddening, ear-worm music, specially written so that audiences would go away and google event cinema and

Clockwise from top left: CineEurope 2017, Melissa Cogavin, ECA Conference, Genesis Cinema

Canada, Australia and all over Europe in order to raise awareness of the term “event cinema”. We also provided networking events in the form of educational trade show seminars at CineEurope and CinemaCon, which featured panellists, screenings and presentations, followed by drinks events on a

book tickets for the upcoming events they saw trailered. Due to

roof-top bar in Barcelona. Every October we hosted the ECA

popular demand the single was even released on iTunes. It was

Conference and Awards, which has since become the ECA

a great example of the industry working closely together all the

Slate Day. This remains a high point in the calendar for

way along the supply chain, sharing a collective vision for

members, for whom the networking, and the opportunity to

something really very new and making it a reality. These trailers

meet in person at a dedicated event, was (and still is) very

were exported worldwide, showing in cinemas in the USA,

important.

Event cinema was by then being taken very seriously,

T OP TEN ALL TIME UK&I EVENT CINEMA RELEASES

further to a series of astonishing record-breaking titles, one after another, from 2013-2015: “Dr Who” (BBC), “Billy Elliot”

5

(Universal), “Pompeii” (British Museum/More2Screen), “Richard

4.5

III” (Royal Shakespeare Company), “Monty Python Live (Mostly)”

4

(Picturehouse), “War Horse” (NT Live), “Hamlet” (NT Live),

3.5

“Frankenstein” (NT Live), “One Direction” (Arts Alliance Media).

By 2018 I felt I had achieved everything I had set out to do;

2.5

www.cinematech.today

£1,951,562.69 Branagh Theatre Live: The Winter’s Tale 2015 (Theatre) TRAFR

£2,042,440.13 Andre Rieu: 70 Years Young 2020 (Concert) PIECE OF MAGIC

£2,087,616.84 Take That - Greatest Hits Live 2019 (Concert) CINLVE

£2,177,449.20 Billy Elliot The Musical Live 2014 (Theatre) UNIVERSAL

£2,183,440.26 Miss Saigon: 25th Anniversary Performance (Musical) UNIVERSAL

£2,266,147.17 The Audience NT Live 2013 (Theatre) NT/PICT H

£3,261,953.23 Les Miserables: The Staged Concert UNIVERSAL

£3,352,798.03 War Horse - NT Live 2014 (Theatre) NT/PICT H

£3,359,033.34 Hamlet - NT Live 2015 (Theatre) NT/PICT H

Fleabag - NT Live 2019 (Theatre) NT LIVE

£4,426,510.01

2

£ million

3

event cinema as a name was well established and I was ready for new challenges. I was delighted to hand over the reins to Grainne Clarke, whose experience at the UK Cinema Association

1.5

(UKCA) would be instrumental in taking the ECA to the next

1

level. It is very encouraging to see such gender parity on the

0.5 0

ECA board in 2022, and the substantial and detailed box office data that’s now available. I’ll always be grateful for the help and support I had from so many during my time at the ECA. I’m proud that the Event Cinema Association has endured over ten years, and that it has remained relevant and important to the industry despite the challenges it has faced at times, not least two years of COVID-19. I look forward to following its stellar progress over the coming decade.

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6 1

...And Where It’s Going Grainne Clarke, Managing Director, Event Cinema Association

I

If the pandemic has taught us anything

terms of box office there needs to be some level of consistency

it is the importance of being able to

or an agreed metric, otherwise the hope of ever achieving a

pivot and evolve in light of challenges.

true global box office figure, for all event cinema content,

The ECA’s mission continues to be to

becomes seemingly unattainable.

promote and elevate event cinema

The change of tack from the ECA is to now compare the

content across all markets. We’re a body that will challenge the

methodology of release alongside genre category to analyse

status-quo, highlight new ways for cinemas to entertain

performance across different territories, which actually in turn

audiences outside the traditional forms and attract new

provides a much richer data set to help us better understand

audiences. As an association we need to remain ahead of

and identify audiences.

emerging trends and be home to the thought leaders of this

Audience Retention and Content Delivery

area of the box office.

Event cinema has evolved so much since the ECA was

Audiences’ appetites are certainly evolving, and technology

established 10 years ago. When I started the role at the end of

advances have enabled more opportunities for event cinema.

2018, the mission was to share insights and bring more

We can see new emerging areas, and extra elements for fans to

consistency to box office reporting. Understanding the

experience, for example, across anime and (Korean pop band)

nuances across different territories has been a steep learning

K-Pop titles, ScreenX and D-Box are showing great signs of new

curve and creating consistency was more of a challenge than I

ways to entice younger audiences for a completely unique

anticipated.

experience.

What Qualifies As Event Cinema?

more control over the quality and stability of delivery, content is

Broadly speaking, event cinema content is categorised by the

able to be streamed in 4K and provides the option to improve

type of content and/or the methodology of its release - the

sound quality. Integration of YouTube, Twitch and Zoom is a

latter is by far the most universal metric. Though, when an

great opportunity for exhibitors looking to develop gaming at

event performs well, we see demand for more screenings, so

their sites and provide an alternative solution to offering live

the typical model of a “one night only” release, accompanied by

events without the reliance on satellite delivery. The associated

encores, becomes somewhat diluted.

costs and, indeed, internet connectivity in the cinema are still

IP content delivery is showing promising signs. There’s

We could argue, of course, if this really matters or not. But in

hurdles to overcome, but the ECA is keen to explore and share

T ITLES REPORTED BY GENRE 2011 - 2021 Theatre/ Musicals

Concerts

Ballet/ Dance

Opera

202

213

166

326

91

£103m

£41.2m

£35.6m

£48m

£8.8m

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GENRE

NO. TITLES

B.O. TOTAL

Pre-school

Sporting events

eSports

TV/Other

Comedy

96

55

14

11

25

9

£7m

£3.5m

£328K

£125K

£5.6m

£2.3m

Documentary Exhibition

www.cinematech.today

the emerging possibilities.

Event cinema has a proven ability to attract new and niche audiences to the big screen - in 2020 we saw that 23% of audiences attending event cinema content were brand new.

The retention of these new audiences is still something cinemas need to capitalise on. Over the last three years, the ECA has

Clockwise from top: ECA Conference 2019, ECA Awards 2015, ECA panel at the recent 2022 UKCA conference

pipeline of content to be announced. And as the cinema industry continues to recover and stabilise, we look forward to bringing new events and opportunities to our global cinema partners. It will be a busy year for the ECA. We’re so grateful for all the support over the last 10 years and the ECA Board of Directors has been pivotal in driving

worked with Movio to acquire a wealth of data around audience

forward the objectives and presence of the ECA. We are so

segmentation and trends. The most significant finding is the

much stronger together and I am very excited to lead the ECA

crossover of event cinema audiences with mainstream releases,

into its next chapter.

with an average of around 70%.

As an industry we shouldn’t pigeon-hole people too much

ECA Current Board of Directors

- audiences have broad interests. I’m a good example of this.

A melia

I’m an avid lover of hip-hop, yet my favourite opera is “Madam

Entertainment (Netherlands)

Butterfly”. These are two very polarised genres of music and

B rad LaDouceur Vice President Event Cinema, Cineplex

more often than not, my email notifications from cinemas are

Entertainment (Canada)

based on what I have previously seen, not what else is on offer.

J an Runge Independent Cinema Consultant (Germany)

Cinemas need to move away from just promoting “like for like”

J anelle Mason Founder and Co-director, CinemaLive

to their audiences. The ECA is keen to champion this further

(Australia)

and encourage broader marketing collaborations to promote

J ohnny Carr Group Event Cinema Manager, Vue International

all titles to a wider range of audiences.

(Europe)

10 Years of Achievements & More To Do

Prisacaru

Sales

Director,

Piece

of

Magic

K atrin Mathe International Event Cinema Manager, Kinepolis (France)

As we celebrate 10 years of the ECA, we, as an organisation, still

L aura

recognise there is more to be done. Event cinema is still often

Amusements (USA)

Corriea

siloed from wider industry conversations and activities rather

M arc Allenby CEO, Trafalgar Releasing (UK/USA)

than acknowledged as an important part of cinema audience

S arah Lewthwaite Chief Client Officer, Movio (Europe)

development. The ECA has achieved a lot over the last three

S imon Tandy Managing Director, Omnex (UK)

AVP Film & Event Cinema National

years in regard to giving event cinema a more prominent and integrated voice at industry conventions. We’ve seen a big step forward but there are still many cinema markets that we want

For more information or to become a member,

to engage with and more opportunities to explore.

please contact info@eventcinemaassociation.org

Whilst box office numbers for the last two years are not quite where we would expect them to be, there is a strong www.cinematech.today

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6 3

N E W

I C T A

V I E W

A Shiny New ICTA column

T

he first-ever ICTA column for CT

college and vendor-provided courses required to design,

Magazine is here, brought to you

install, service and operate cinema technology.

by the team after a hectic few

We need technical people that have roots in cinema.

months of in-person events and

We need the help to bolster recruitment efforts, and all of

the organisation’s 50th anniversary.

you are the best resource.

A Message from ICTA President Frank Tees

News from ICTA Europe

Hello CT readership, I know all of us are ready to get back to

discussion at KINO 2022, Baden-Baden. The discussion

the movies and a sense of normality, now that the pandemic

centered on the future of cinema technology, and was

is subsiding. But what is the new normal on the technology

chaired by ICTA Directors Till Cussmann and Oliver Pasch.

side of cinema? The pandemic has forced us to consider

The “Presentation Excellence Award” was presented to

new ways to use technology within the walls of the cinema

German exhibitors Heinz Lochmann and Marius Lochmann.

In May, the ICTA’s European branch conducted a panel

complex. Having spent more than 20 years in exhibition as

In June, ICTA conducts our annual Barcelona Seminar

a technician and technical manager, I’m gazing into my

Series at the CineEurope trade show. Participants will

crystal ball and seeing new excitement about what can be

explore current industry trends and state-of-the-art

done with technology, even with some applications that are

technology during our seminar on June 19 in the Cinesa

not traditionally associated with cinema exhibition.

Cinema Diagonal Mar, as well as at our

New ideas are built on our experiences during the time

Focus Sessions on the CineEurope

we couldn’t go to the cinema - ideas based on tech that

trade show floor. And, of course, not

we’ve all been exposed to during the pandemic such as

forgetting the ICTA EMEA Awards

Unified

(UCC),

Party which will take place in the

Streaming Video on Demand (SVoD), and eSports.

evening of June 19 at the Hilton

Exhibition has been forced to eliminate much of the

Diagonal Mar.

Communication

and

Collaboration

technical support backbone that ensured that the show

Finally, ICTA’s annual convention

was on screen, in a time when film engineers that made the

in 2022 takes place in Brussels,

transition to digital were already leaving the workforce. I

Belgium, from July 24 through 27. The

urge those involved in exhibition and the cinema technology

European team, together with ICTA

landscape to engage and mentor young technicians with

Executive Director Bob Sunshine, is

even a glimmer of interest in the inner workings of cinema.

busy preparing an exciting program

Ensure these candidates are educated with the many

for all participants, including a trip to

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ICTA 50th Anniversary Celebration

www.cinematech.today

&

THE GLOBAL CINEMA TECHNOLOGY NETWORK

congratulate ICTA on their 50th anniversary in 2022!

Cinionic in Bruges, and programming with the International

present ICTA presidents, many of whom were in attendance

Union of Cinemas (UNIC) and other guests.

to receive special commemorative medallions. ICTA’s longstanding partnership with the National Association of

2022 ICTA Los Angeles Seminar Series

Theatre Owners (NATO) was evidenced with a presentation

Each winter, the ICTA holds its Los Angeles Seminar Series

of the Inter-Society Ken Mason Award to Jackie Brenneman,

(LASS) at the Universal Hilton, in Universal City, California,

EVP and General Counsel, and Esther Baruh, former

with the goal of “supporting technology in cinema”. The

Director of Government Relations, for their outstanding

2022 Series marked the 50th anniversary of the association,

lifetime work on behalf of exhibitors. Jackie and Esther were

after a two-year hiatus necessitated by the COVID-19

the driving force behind channeling some of the U.S.

pandemic. For those who could not attend LASS, visit

government’s “Shuttered Venue Operators Grant” (SVOG)

https://internationalcinematechnologyassociation.com/

funding to cinema operators, which literally helped to keep

presentations to view many of the technical and panel

many U.S. cinemas in business.

presentations.

The new North American Cinema Awards went to Classic Cinemas Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove, Illinois, for

ICTA Awards 2022

“Best Cinema Refurbishment”; “Best New-Build Cinema”

Kicking off a special 50th anniversary celebration, ICTA

went to Movie Tavern’s Brookfield Square by Marcus

President Frank Tees congratulated attendees and their

Theatres in Brookfield, Wisconsin; and the “Best Comeback

firms for surviving the pandemic, particularly as cinemas

Exhibitor” award went to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in

were “behind the 8-ball” in being declared “non-essential”,

Austin, Texas.

depriving them of traditional government financial support.

A special banquet was the occasion for several inaugural awards, including the first ICON Award of Excellence, presented to the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation.

ICTA Vice President Mark Mayfield recognized past and www.cinematech.today

More Info w ww.ictaweb.com.

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6 5

U N I C

V I E W

Box Office, Brussels and Barcelona Guillaume Branders, Senior Industry Relations Manager, UNIC

M

any of you will be reading this column

Two Days in Brussels

at CineEurope, the official convention

We discussed these recent trends during the UNIC Cinema

of the International Union of Cinemas

Days which took place from 28-29th March in Brussels, where

(UNIC),

of

more than 150 colleagues from across the cinema industry

colleagues from all around Europe

joined us for two days of insightful panel discussions,

and the world. Cinema operators, distributors, suppliers

interactive workshops and networking. The event included a

and a broad range of industry experts will be together for

keynote debate looking at the main learnings from the past

four days of learning and networking, after facing what has

two years and what comes next for our sector. And two panel

arguably been the most challenging period in any of our

discussions focused on how the industry can ensure a

professional lifetimes. Through a series of keynotes, panels

sustained recovery and what makes the cinema-going

and seminars, we will explore together how best to adapt

experience truly unique, looking into the relevance of content

to the “new normal” and sustain a strong recovery.

and programming, audience behaviours and best practices

alongside

hundreds

As of late March 2022, COVID restrictions have been

from across Europe.

scrapped across most of Europe, with only a handful of

The event also featured a series of quickfire sessions on a

territories – none of which are major markets – still

wide range of topics, ranging from HR to retail and we heard

enforcing occupancy limitations or requiring a COVID

from the UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme,

certificate from cinema-goers. Although the impact of the

which is launching its sixth edition in Barcelona at CineEurope.

COVID-19 pandemic on the European cinema industry

The two-day Brussels conference provided us with an

remains significant, box office performance over the last 12

opportunity to further express our support to Ukrainian

months - carried by a diverse slate of major tentpoles,

colleagues and share details about initiatives that have been

European and international productions as well as over-

launched across Europe by cinema operators and industry

performing event cinema titles - has demonstrated

partners. Among many other noteworthy initiatives, Polish

audiences’ willingness to return to the big screen.

colleagues have been organising free screenings for Ukrainian

According to Gower Street data, global box office for Q1

children, doing their best to offer them a bit of escapism,

2022 was tracking 56% ahead of 2021 at the same stage,

peace and comfort.

already close to a third of last year’s total. These results should bring us all additional confidence that the cinema

Marketing and Technology Labs

industry is coming back stronger from these difficult

The Cinema Days additionally featured two workshop series,

times, and we are looking forward to hearing more from

one focusing on marketing and the other on technology. The

European and US studios in Barcelona as they present

marketing and retail lab explored all the aspects of the

their upcoming film slates.

cinema-going journey. Among the topics discussed were

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www.cinematech.today

how to ensure a swift return to pre-pandemic admissions levels, looking into new online ticketing trends, the promotion of European non-national titles and how to attract older and younger audience groups, and a host of other considerations.

The sustainabilityfocused marketing session in Brussels

of technology associations such as the European Digital Cinema Forum (EDCF) and the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA). The ICTA will, as usual, be organising a series of technical seminars exploring the

The technology lab included a series of open debates and

forward-looking nature of the cinema industry throughout

workshops on challenges currently faced by cinema operators

the convention. In addition, our cutting-edge trade show will

and suppliers. In particular, this session looked at the long-

feature all the most recent solutions to help exhibitors and

term impact of supply chain disruptions, access to spare parts,

their partners enhance the cinema-going experience.

limited investment capabilities, as well as rising energy costs.

If you’d like to find out more about European cinema-

Participants of the technical session exchanged insights and

going, UNIC or the work we do, involving our above

best practices on key issues, with a strong focus on

publications or the UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership

sustainability and energy efficiency, as well as laser projection.

Programme - our pioneering initiative to address gender

The opportunity also arose to discuss the upcoming

imbalance in the industry, this year sponsored by IMAX and

release of “Avatar: The Way of Water” and the accompanying technical challenges and opportunities, represented by its release in higher frame rate and 3D. We’re surely all looking

Vista Group - please do get in touch.

We hope to catch up with you during the week and would like to wish you a fantastic CineEurope 2022!

forward to enjoying this title together on the big screen, with the best image and sound possible!

CineEurope in the Sun The UNIC Technology Group will again meet at CineEurope and further explore these areas, with the invaluable support www.cinematech.today

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U K C A

V I E W

Reflections on the UK Cinema Association Conference Phil Clapp, Chief Executive, UKCA

A

fter a long period when the industry was

that despite the distractions of BAFTA and Oscars wins and a

only able to meet online, it seems almost

filming

churlish to complain about the rapid-fire

“Oppenheimer”, was noteworthy in itself. But the passion,

series of cinema events now underway

commitment and heart he brought to his address

across the second quarter of 2022. From

understandably made it for many the highlight of the event

the UNIC Cinema Days to the UK Cinema Association

and - as one attendee said - “worth the admission price alone.”

conference to late April’s CinemaCon in Vegas (and then for a

schedule

including

Christopher

Nolan’s

lucky few the Cannes Film Festival) and finally of course

An Effervescent Two Days

CineEurope in Barcelona, “in real life” is back.

Sir Kenneth’s positive and optimistic take very much chimed

That said, preparing for those events, and for some still

with much of the commentary and discussion across the two

having to navigate residual COVID safeguards and restrictions,

days. Data from a range of sources - in acknowledging the

does mean that the time necessary to reflect on their

challenges we still face in persuading some audiences to

significance (and the challenges on which discussions there

return and (not coincidentally) the fact that the slate still needs

shine a light) could easily be lost.

to strengthen further - also recognised the distance the sector

But it’s important, I think, to ensure that what we have

has travelled even since the last conference in autumn 2021.

learnt about our sector over the last two years is not forgotten

Feedback from those who attended made clear that

in the rush to the next event, or more generally to get back to

there was particular strength drawn from two separate,

whatever represents the ‘new normal’.

but perhaps related, ‘Spotlight Sessions’ focusing on

And it’s certainly worthwhile to reflect on the key talking

cinema openings: that of the revived Electric, Birmingham

points from our April conference, attended over two days by

and preparations for the brand new Living Room Cinema

over 300 cinema colleagues from across the industry.

in Liphook (which has opened since the conference, to

The title of “Re-embracing the Big Screen Experience:

great success).

Audiences + Content” was intended to capture the positive

The two sessions were representative of the huge

progress made by the UK sector in recovering from the

sense of confidence and optimism which ran through

impacts of the pandemic. But also to recognise the challenges

every session across the two days. This was particularly

that remain with regard to some audience segments and the

reflective

content which might encourage them to return.

unprecedented ‘trial by fire’ and not only survived but

of

a

sector

that

has

experienced

an

Any account of the conference can only begin - as the

shows every sign of thriving - with every expectation of

event did itself - with the extraordinary opening keynote from

reaching the ground-breaking levels of success seen in

actor, director and all-round polymath Sir Kenneth Branagh.

the two years before the pandemic, if not by the end of

The very fact that we were able to persuade him to come, and

this year then into 2023.

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More Info cinemauk.org.uk/ the-big-screen experienceaudiences and-content

www.cinematech.today

C T C

U P D A T E

New Beginnings Richard Mitchell, President, Cinema Technology Community (CTC) A RENEWED sense of optimism for a brighter future has

barriers associated with high membership fees. The desire

been the key takeaway from recent cinema events around the

from the CTC board has always been to ensure that everyone in

world. For now at least, it looks for the most part as though the industry can start to move beyond COVID and the last two years, and begin to chart its resurgence. That’s not to say there aren’t still some enormous challenges ahead but the discussion

the global industry can learn and play their part in making the

More Info

movie-going experience the best it can be.

So we’ve launched two new membership levels to sit alongside our two existing sponsorship levels. The new

v isit www.

is once again about content and opportunities, rather than

cinema-

Essentials Membership level provides a zero-cost membership

survival.

technology.

option which allows members who can’t afford to pay a

com

membership fee to still benefit from most of our deliverables

Over the past two years through the Community Membership scheme, CTC has supported the industry,

after release. And rather than adopting a fixed membership

keeping cinema professionals connected with learning

fee system of old, we created a new

Join our cause

Supporting Membership level where

across more than 75 countries. At the One Community Day

Behind everything that we

model to decide how much they can

(OCD) in London, taking over the second half of day two at the

do at the Cinema Technology

support

UKCA conference, we brought that scheme to a close,

Community is a passion for

community

acknowledging that there is still significant work to do to

ensuring

generation

support the industry.

have

materials and content. And a small group has grown to become a highly engaged 750+ strong global community stretching

that

the

moviegoers

best

members can utilise a donation-based the

development financially, of

future

of

and

the the

educational

cinema

content. And in return for that donation

And just as we’ve innovated to support the industry

experience possible. If you

(whether it’s £10 or £100), our Supporting

without a revenue stream for three years, we’ve now

share that ambition, please

Members will receive full voting rights,

reimagined our business model so that we can continue to

join our community today by

priority

serve our global community by removing any socio-economic

heading over to our site:

including Cinema Technology Magazine,

cinema-technology.com

discounts on future training courses and

access

to

all

deliverables

seminars and early access to CTC CTC EXECUTIVE TEAM Richard Mitchell (President), Graham Lodge (Vice President), Mike Bradbury, Sandie Caffelle, Grainne Clarke, Michael Denner, John Dowsland, Peter Knight, Sarah Lewthwaite, Adam MacDonald, Saul Mahoney, Andre Mort, David Norris, Markus Overath, Alessandra Pavan Bernacchi, David Pope, Toni Purvis, Simon Tandy, Patrick von Sychowski, and Paul Willmott.

www.cinematech.today

industry events.

CTC ADVISORY COUNCIL Tom Bert (Barco), Mark Christiansen (Paramount Pictures), Brian Claypool (Christie Digital), Theresa English (TK Architects), Ruth Hinton (Vue International), Mark de Quervain (Showtime Analytics), Jan Rasmussen (Nordisk Film), Dominic Simmons (BFI), Sriram Sistla (Harkness Screens), Alice Tentori (Digima), Julia Vinokurova (RealD)

The vision of CTC has always been to provide

knowledge

sharing

opportunities for all to create the best movie-going experiences possible, and through this major change we believe we can continue to achieve that.

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6 9

Q

&

A

Marie-Laure Barrau, General Manager Northern Europe, Deluxe Deluxe

and

reopening, freight volume impacts and delays,

AFFIF (Association of Cannes Film Festival) in

localisation services for studios & local

provides

distribution

and a constantly shifting slate, we were able to

2021 as a board member. More recently, I have

indies, OTT platforms and content creators

quickly adapt and continue to provide services

been selected to be part of the Cesar Academy.

worldwide.

to our customers securely and efficiently. Our

I’m pleased to see that diversity in cinema, and

technology enabled us to operate remotely

especially technical services, is not simply a

CT: Please introduce yourself, your role for

when needed, and our global footprint allowed

buzzword, but that concrete actions are being

Deluxe and a bit about your background.

us to balance different workloads - having

taken and results can be seen.

As General Manager, I oversee our cinema

multiple facilities around the world meant we

operations in Northern Europe to ensure the

had the flexibility to pivot and move work

CT: What’s your favourite thing about

success of our customers’ national releases. We

around

working in the industry?

provide mastering and distribution services to

restrictions. This was a huge asset to our

I don’t have one single favourite thing, there are

distributors, ad agencies, sales agents and

customers, particularly when an emergency or

many, but I’d say, in a rough order: great people,

rights holders. With over 6,000 cinemas

a regional COVID-related crisis arose and we

great content, and lots of fun! I am not saying

connected to our global network, we are the

were still able to operate.

that there is no hard work, but we also have

during

the

changing

regional

leader in DCP electronic delivery (e-delivery).

many occasions to celebrate.

Our 13 globally-located facilities provide a

CT: What’s your proudest achievement to

managed service to our customers and local

date and why?

that we are never bored - each week, we have

support to cinemas.

For the past four years, I have been driven by

to prepare and manage dozens of new releases

the will to understand our customers’ needs

in each market. There is no other industry

I have spent most of my career in the audiovisual

industry.

To

sum

up

my

background, I have 20 years of experience in content production and distribution, an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for cinema, combined with a strong educational

What I find to be unique in this industry is

where you have such short and long life cycles,

“I’m pleased to see that diversity in cinema is not simply a buzzword”

background (HEC Paris). Four years ago, I

where you work on so many different projects and such a variety of content.

Working in technical services we are in between the technical and distribution teams and we service distributors with the support of

joined Eclair Theatrical Services (ETS) as the

and make their lives as easy as possible. This

exhibitors. I see ourselves as a hidden but

Vice President of Sales which was my first job

was how I worked with my team on a live

essential link between both.

in the cinema industry. I joined the Deluxe

broadcast solution via IP, and this work we did

family after ETS was acquired by them in

was awarded the Innovation Prize from Cesar &

CT: What goal would you like to achieve in

November 2021.

Technique last January. It has been a long term

the next five years?

team effort to develop the infrastructure and

Cinema is evolving, and COVID has accelerated

CT: COVID brought about big changes to

workflow, and to source the right equipment to

changes in the way people watch movies and

the industry. How did it affect Deluxe’s

set up this service that enables us to stream live

consume content. As with many industries, the

operations?

content, either from a satellite feed or from IP to

business models of our industry are evolving.

IP in multicast.

Looking forward five years is difficult at the

Although

COVID

adversely

affected

the

industry for extended periods of time, it

Along with this great recognition from my

moment, but in this changing universe my

showed that cinema can evolve and it

peers, I joined the FICAM (Fédération des

goal is to stay focused on operational excellence

demonstrated the resilience of our operations

Industries du Cinéma, de l’Audiovisuel et du

and

and technology. With cinemas closing and

Multimédia) in 2020 as VP Feature Film and the

expanding our e-delivery footprint.

7 0

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customer

satisfaction,

alongside

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