Cineworld to roll out 3-D projectors
U.K. exhibs signs up with Real D
By ALI JAAFAR - Variety Magazine
U.K. exhib Cineworld has inked a deal with 3-D specialist Real D to roll out 3-D projection on the loop’s digital screens.
Real D will initially outfit 30 of Cineworld’s 72 digital screens with its 3-D projection system in preparation for the Nov. 16 release of Robert Zemeckis’ “Beowulf.”
Cineworld claims to have the largest portfolio of digital screens of all U.K. exhibs. Agreement will see Cineworld continue to add Real D systems to screens as the exhib group finalizes its negotiations with studios over the business terms of digital deployment.
“We could see as many as 100 Real D screens once our digital platform is in place,” said Cineworld CEO Steve Wiener. “The impact of 3-D on the film industry can be compared to the move from black and white to color.”
U.S. studios are embracing digital 3-D technology. DreamWorks Animation topper Jeffrey Katzenberg announced that the studio intends to release all its toons in 3-D in the future, beginning with 2009’s “Monsters and Aliens.”
Paramount, New Line, Disney, Sony, Warner and Fox all have major 3-D projects in the works in formats that include motion capture (“Beowulf”) and live action (James Cameron’s “Avatar”).
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Digital 3-D has hurdles to jump
By Gregg Kilday - The Hollywood Reporter
Oct 10, 2007
BUSAN, South Korea -- Digital 3-D movies may represent the future of the movie business, but a number of obstacles -- cultural as well as technological -- must be overcome if the future is to come into focus.
That was the consensus reached by a number of the participants at BIFCOM's centerpiece seminar on the 3-D Cinema Market: The Opportunities and Challenges," held Tuesday afternoon at the Grand Hotel.
"In Japan, 3-D movies are not all the rage," journalist and 3-D filmmaker Takayuki Oguchi said. Citing both traditional Japanese art and modern anime, he pointed out that Japanese culture favors "very flat images."
In Korea, where a ticket to a digital 3-D movie can cost 10,000 won -- as opposed to 7,000-8,000 won for an average weekday ticket -- Kim Sung-woo, manager of the CJ CGV theater chain, noted that some digital 3-D movies like "Meet the Robinsons" encountered "price resistance." Although he also pointed out that large-screen, Imax 3-D titles like "The Polar Express," which have commanded a premium ticket price of 14,000 won, have performed strongly at the boxoffice.
Still, the participants agreed that there is a definite need for both producers and exhibitors to cast their lot with digital 3-D.
In the '50s, when TV first posed a threat to movies, Lee Seung-hyun, professor at KwangWoon University, noted that "3-D movies were intentionally developed in order to make sure people got out of their homes and got to movies."
Now that sophisticated home theater systems are posing a similar threat, cinematographer Koo Jae-mo, who moderated the seminar, noted that "the future of theaters, physical theaters, is at stake."
"We need to develop our own proprietary technology," Kim said, noting that his theater chain has installed the Master Image 3-D display system, developed in Seoul, while rival chain Lotte Cinema has used the 3-D system from American purveyor Real D. "The government needs to provide support for digital cinema and 3-D systems," he said.
In the U.S. there are about 700 digital 3-D screens, and by 2009 -- when big ticket 3-D movies like DreamWorks' "Monsters vs. Aliens" and James Cameron's "Avatar" hit moviehouses -- experts predict there will be anywhere from 3,000-6,000 screens in play.
But at the moment there are only about 30 digital 3-D screens in Korea.
By 2009, it's predicted that about 10 3-D titles will hit the marketplace -- though no Korean projects have yet to be formally announced and Takayuki said that an announced "Godzilla 3-D" project may be having problems securing financing.
As a result, "there is a content gap at this point," said Matthew DeJohn, manager of operations for the Los Angeles-based In-Three, a company that is pioneering what it called Dimensionalization, a postproduction process that turns 2-D films into 3-D movies.
DeJohn said that Dimensionalization could be used to create new 3-D versions of titles in existing film libraries and could also assist filmmakers creating new movies in 3-D by helping them perfect their shots. "From the producers' and distributors' view, it gives us the opportunity to create new content," he said.
Kim suggested the Robert Zemeckis' upcoming "Beowulf," scheduled for release in Korea on Nov. 15, will be something of a test case because unlike previous animated CG movies that aimed for the family audience, "Beowulf" -- based on the epic poem, employing such stars as Angelina Jolie and Anthony Hopkins, using sophisticated motion capture and promising plenty of violence -- is a movie for adults.
"All the 3-D films we've seen until now were for families and children," Kim said. But with "Beowulf," "the make or break of this movie will determine the flow of 3-D movies for adults in the future."
In the Japanese market, where audiences prefer that English-language movies be dubbed so that they can hear the actors' original voices, Takayuki said that for 3-D movies to become popular they need to stick to subtitles rather than dubbing. To date, however, since most of the 3-D movies have been pitched at kids, they've been dubbed, which turns off older moviegoers. "If the 3-D will be a dubbed version, only children will come," he said.
If 3-D does take root this time around, it could eventually change the aesthetics of movies.
In the question-and-answer session that followed the presentation, one cinematographer complained that at the 3-D movies he'd seen "it looks like you're looking at a puppet show."
While a number of the panelists disagreed, DeJohn said, "The techniques (for filming a 3-D movie) are going to change over time."
Filmmakers working in 3-D are likely to favor longer shots, he said, since in 3-D, "you can look around (in the frame) and every image is more interesting than a 2-D image." There will probably be less rapid editing, so that the viewer can take in all the information on the screen, and filmmakers will also have to consider the "question of breaking the edge of the frame."
Getting 3-D right, DeJohn said, "would take an artistic approach. Cinema has a 100-year history, and we can't break filmmakers out of a 100-year tradition right away."
Oct 10, 2007
BUSAN, South Korea -- Digital 3-D movies may represent the future of the movie business, but a number of obstacles -- cultural as well as technological -- must be overcome if the future is to come into focus.
That was the consensus reached by a number of the participants at BIFCOM's centerpiece seminar on the 3-D Cinema Market: The Opportunities and Challenges," held Tuesday afternoon at the Grand Hotel.
"In Japan, 3-D movies are not all the rage," journalist and 3-D filmmaker Takayuki Oguchi said. Citing both traditional Japanese art and modern anime, he pointed out that Japanese culture favors "very flat images."
In Korea, where a ticket to a digital 3-D movie can cost 10,000 won -- as opposed to 7,000-8,000 won for an average weekday ticket -- Kim Sung-woo, manager of the CJ CGV theater chain, noted that some digital 3-D movies like "Meet the Robinsons" encountered "price resistance." Although he also pointed out that large-screen, Imax 3-D titles like "The Polar Express," which have commanded a premium ticket price of 14,000 won, have performed strongly at the boxoffice.
Still, the participants agreed that there is a definite need for both producers and exhibitors to cast their lot with digital 3-D.
In the '50s, when TV first posed a threat to movies, Lee Seung-hyun, professor at KwangWoon University, noted that "3-D movies were intentionally developed in order to make sure people got out of their homes and got to movies."
Now that sophisticated home theater systems are posing a similar threat, cinematographer Koo Jae-mo, who moderated the seminar, noted that "the future of theaters, physical theaters, is at stake."
"We need to develop our own proprietary technology," Kim said, noting that his theater chain has installed the Master Image 3-D display system, developed in Seoul, while rival chain Lotte Cinema has used the 3-D system from American purveyor Real D. "The government needs to provide support for digital cinema and 3-D systems," he said.
In the U.S. there are about 700 digital 3-D screens, and by 2009 -- when big ticket 3-D movies like DreamWorks' "Monsters vs. Aliens" and James Cameron's "Avatar" hit moviehouses -- experts predict there will be anywhere from 3,000-6,000 screens in play.
But at the moment there are only about 30 digital 3-D screens in Korea.
By 2009, it's predicted that about 10 3-D titles will hit the marketplace -- though no Korean projects have yet to be formally announced and Takayuki said that an announced "Godzilla 3-D" project may be having problems securing financing.
As a result, "there is a content gap at this point," said Matthew DeJohn, manager of operations for the Los Angeles-based In-Three, a company that is pioneering what it called Dimensionalization, a postproduction process that turns 2-D films into 3-D movies.
DeJohn said that Dimensionalization could be used to create new 3-D versions of titles in existing film libraries and could also assist filmmakers creating new movies in 3-D by helping them perfect their shots. "From the producers' and distributors' view, it gives us the opportunity to create new content," he said.
Kim suggested the Robert Zemeckis' upcoming "Beowulf," scheduled for release in Korea on Nov. 15, will be something of a test case because unlike previous animated CG movies that aimed for the family audience, "Beowulf" -- based on the epic poem, employing such stars as Angelina Jolie and Anthony Hopkins, using sophisticated motion capture and promising plenty of violence -- is a movie for adults.
"All the 3-D films we've seen until now were for families and children," Kim said. But with "Beowulf," "the make or break of this movie will determine the flow of 3-D movies for adults in the future."
In the Japanese market, where audiences prefer that English-language movies be dubbed so that they can hear the actors' original voices, Takayuki said that for 3-D movies to become popular they need to stick to subtitles rather than dubbing. To date, however, since most of the 3-D movies have been pitched at kids, they've been dubbed, which turns off older moviegoers. "If the 3-D will be a dubbed version, only children will come," he said.
If 3-D does take root this time around, it could eventually change the aesthetics of movies.
In the question-and-answer session that followed the presentation, one cinematographer complained that at the 3-D movies he'd seen "it looks like you're looking at a puppet show."
While a number of the panelists disagreed, DeJohn said, "The techniques (for filming a 3-D movie) are going to change over time."
Filmmakers working in 3-D are likely to favor longer shots, he said, since in 3-D, "you can look around (in the frame) and every image is more interesting than a 2-D image." There will probably be less rapid editing, so that the viewer can take in all the information on the screen, and filmmakers will also have to consider the "question of breaking the edge of the frame."
Getting 3-D right, DeJohn said, "would take an artistic approach. Cinema has a 100-year history, and we can't break filmmakers out of a 100-year tradition right away."
Sunday, October 7, 2007
You gotta love the mix of 3-D, large format and computer animationin ‘Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure’
You gotta love the mix of 3-D, large format and computer animationin ‘Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure’
By ROBERT W. BUTLER
The Kansas City Star
The star is a prehistoric dolichorhynchops, or Dolly.
A little science, a local angle and a whole lot of amazing 3-D computer animation are the main attractions of “Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure.”
The new large-format movie opens today on the Extreme Screen at Union Station and AMC’s Studio 30 in Olathe and is directed by Sean MacLeod Phillips and narrated by Liev Schreiber. It’s essentially the life story of a prehistoric sea reptile that lived in the ocean that covered Kansas 82 million years ago.
Our aquatic heroine is a dolichorhynchops (familiarly known as a “dolly”), a porpoise-sized creature that, while not particularly pretty, is a whole lot more cuddly than the voracious king-sized predators that make her watery world so dangerous.
Probably 95 percent of “Sea Monsters” is computer generated, and the f/x crew seems to have had a fine time finding ways to give the 3-D technology a workout.
Whether it’s a huge ugly monster rising slowly toward us through a fog-like school of tiny fish, or a gigantic squid doing a languid glide-by that leaves one of its trailing tentacles practically tickling our noses, the film delivers one spectacular moment after another.
Occasionally the movie returns to modern times, depicting the paleontological efforts of the Sternberg family in the chalk formations of western Kansas, or visiting modern construction sites in North Dakota, Texas, Israel and the Netherlands, where workers uncover fossils that tell stories of the far past.
One cool moment is the discovery of the skeleton of a giant sea predator with the smaller skeleton of its last meal still inside its rib cage. The original fossil can be viewed at KU’s Natural History Museum.
“Sea Monsters” resembles the popular cable TV series “Walking With Dinosaurs,” except that thanks to 3-D these long-gone creatures don’t just move across a flat screen but rather seem intent on curling up in our laps.
‘SEA MONSTERS’
Director: Sean MacLeod Phillips
Cast: Liev Schreiber (narrator)
No MPAA rating
Running time: 0:41
By ROBERT W. BUTLER
The Kansas City Star
The star is a prehistoric dolichorhynchops, or Dolly.
A little science, a local angle and a whole lot of amazing 3-D computer animation are the main attractions of “Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure.”
The new large-format movie opens today on the Extreme Screen at Union Station and AMC’s Studio 30 in Olathe and is directed by Sean MacLeod Phillips and narrated by Liev Schreiber. It’s essentially the life story of a prehistoric sea reptile that lived in the ocean that covered Kansas 82 million years ago.
Our aquatic heroine is a dolichorhynchops (familiarly known as a “dolly”), a porpoise-sized creature that, while not particularly pretty, is a whole lot more cuddly than the voracious king-sized predators that make her watery world so dangerous.
Probably 95 percent of “Sea Monsters” is computer generated, and the f/x crew seems to have had a fine time finding ways to give the 3-D technology a workout.
Whether it’s a huge ugly monster rising slowly toward us through a fog-like school of tiny fish, or a gigantic squid doing a languid glide-by that leaves one of its trailing tentacles practically tickling our noses, the film delivers one spectacular moment after another.
Occasionally the movie returns to modern times, depicting the paleontological efforts of the Sternberg family in the chalk formations of western Kansas, or visiting modern construction sites in North Dakota, Texas, Israel and the Netherlands, where workers uncover fossils that tell stories of the far past.
One cool moment is the discovery of the skeleton of a giant sea predator with the smaller skeleton of its last meal still inside its rib cage. The original fossil can be viewed at KU’s Natural History Museum.
“Sea Monsters” resembles the popular cable TV series “Walking With Dinosaurs,” except that thanks to 3-D these long-gone creatures don’t just move across a flat screen but rather seem intent on curling up in our laps.
‘SEA MONSTERS’
Director: Sean MacLeod Phillips
Cast: Liev Schreiber (narrator)
No MPAA rating
Running time: 0:41
Asia playing catch-up in d-cinema
Asia playing catch-up in d-cinema
North American firms are leading the way
By Carolyn Giardina and Gregg Kilday
Oct 7, 2007
While a new wave of digital 3-D movies promises to energize the film business, Asia lags behind the rest of the world in making the d-cinema transition.
North America is furthest along in the rollout, followed by Europe and then Asia, according to Michael Lewis, CEO of Real D, a 3-D provider.
North America has a developing business model that calls for distributors to pony up "virtual license fees" that allow exhibitors to invest in the new digital projection systems used for 3-D presentations, but Europe and Asia have not yet adopted similar business models.
"Asia is somewhat in the same position as Europe is in," Lewis said. "The digital business arrangements have not been worked out, and you are dealing with more indigenous content, which means that more of the digital projector has to be paid for by the exhibitors."
Lewis estimates that 3-D digital cinema installations include roughly 14 installations in Korea, 16 in Australia and three in Japan. Other sources put the number of 3-D screens in Korea, where chains like CGV and Lotte have led the transition, as high as 20.
In the states, such films as the special editions of "The Polar Express," "Superman Returns" and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," all presented in part or in whole in Imax 3D as well as the animated 3-D flicks "Chicken Little" and "Monster House" have shown that audiences are eager to don new, high-tech 3-D specs. And, in turn, they are encouraging more and more exhibitors to invest in 3-D systems.
By 2009, a clash of two potential 3-D titans looms as DreamWorks' fourth "Shrek" movie and James Cameron's sci-fi tale "Avatar" plot worldwide 3-D rollouts.
Those films also will certainly encourage Asian theater owners to jump on board. But when it comes to local production, Asia faces its own chicken-and-egg problem. Local 3-D productions are needed to further encourage exhibitors to outfit 3-D screens, but more 3-D screens are needed before producers invest in more expensive 3-D films.
3-D Hollywood features may be available in the region. But the production of local 3-D content as well as the "Dimensionalization" of content from the region's film libraries -- that is to say, creating 3-D versions of existing 2-D films -- has only just begun.
David Seigle, CEO of In-Three, which has developed its own Dimensionalization process, said that before producers can commit to 3-D projects, they "need to have a certain level of an installed base within the market in order for the producers to receive a good return on investment."
In-Three is slowly beginning to have conversations in the Asian region. "The number of theaters projected to be coming online is becoming meaningful, which is why there is so much interest today in America. Content is driving the increase," Seigle said. "But in Asia there are still not meaningful numbers of 3-D theaters. The interest is growing (in Dimensionalization), but it may take a little while, or an American market to make it an interesting pursuit."
In some markets, Imax has begun to pave the way.
"There is a significant interest in 3-D film presentation in China and throughout Asia," said Larry O'Reilly, Imax executive vp theatrical development. "For example, 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' played day-and-date in an Imax theater in Hong Kong with a couple hundred seats. That one screen has already grossed $640,000 from that one title."
Imax's own installations throughout the regions are still limited, though there has been some recent movement. Last month, Imax announced a deal with Wanda Cinema Line Corp., which will install 10 Imax theaters in the People's Republic of China. These are expected to be deployed by the end of 2010 and bring the total number of Imax theaters scheduled to open in the region to 39. Most of them will support 3-D content.
With the hope of drumming up wider interest, one Imax screen is being installed at a Beijing Olympics site, to display both 2-D and 3-D content. O'Reilly explained, "It will be part of the cultural events of the Chinese government."
The Asian Film Market plans to confront the challenges the new 3-D era poses Tuesday when the Busan Film Commission sponsors a 3-D seminar examining the costs of making and exhibiting movies in 3-D. In addition, it will sponsor individual demonstrations from such companies as In-Three, Master Image Co., Visual Communications, Stereopia Co. and Big I Entertainment.
Carolyn Giardina reported from Los Angeles; Gregg Kilday reported from Busan, South Korea.
Links referenced within this article
Find this article at:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i23389b356d961fd207dc111cb3b52b2b
North American firms are leading the way
By Carolyn Giardina and Gregg Kilday
Oct 7, 2007
While a new wave of digital 3-D movies promises to energize the film business, Asia lags behind the rest of the world in making the d-cinema transition.
North America is furthest along in the rollout, followed by Europe and then Asia, according to Michael Lewis, CEO of Real D, a 3-D provider.
North America has a developing business model that calls for distributors to pony up "virtual license fees" that allow exhibitors to invest in the new digital projection systems used for 3-D presentations, but Europe and Asia have not yet adopted similar business models.
"Asia is somewhat in the same position as Europe is in," Lewis said. "The digital business arrangements have not been worked out, and you are dealing with more indigenous content, which means that more of the digital projector has to be paid for by the exhibitors."
Lewis estimates that 3-D digital cinema installations include roughly 14 installations in Korea, 16 in Australia and three in Japan. Other sources put the number of 3-D screens in Korea, where chains like CGV and Lotte have led the transition, as high as 20.
In the states, such films as the special editions of "The Polar Express," "Superman Returns" and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," all presented in part or in whole in Imax 3D as well as the animated 3-D flicks "Chicken Little" and "Monster House" have shown that audiences are eager to don new, high-tech 3-D specs. And, in turn, they are encouraging more and more exhibitors to invest in 3-D systems.
By 2009, a clash of two potential 3-D titans looms as DreamWorks' fourth "Shrek" movie and James Cameron's sci-fi tale "Avatar" plot worldwide 3-D rollouts.
Those films also will certainly encourage Asian theater owners to jump on board. But when it comes to local production, Asia faces its own chicken-and-egg problem. Local 3-D productions are needed to further encourage exhibitors to outfit 3-D screens, but more 3-D screens are needed before producers invest in more expensive 3-D films.
3-D Hollywood features may be available in the region. But the production of local 3-D content as well as the "Dimensionalization" of content from the region's film libraries -- that is to say, creating 3-D versions of existing 2-D films -- has only just begun.
David Seigle, CEO of In-Three, which has developed its own Dimensionalization process, said that before producers can commit to 3-D projects, they "need to have a certain level of an installed base within the market in order for the producers to receive a good return on investment."
In-Three is slowly beginning to have conversations in the Asian region. "The number of theaters projected to be coming online is becoming meaningful, which is why there is so much interest today in America. Content is driving the increase," Seigle said. "But in Asia there are still not meaningful numbers of 3-D theaters. The interest is growing (in Dimensionalization), but it may take a little while, or an American market to make it an interesting pursuit."
In some markets, Imax has begun to pave the way.
"There is a significant interest in 3-D film presentation in China and throughout Asia," said Larry O'Reilly, Imax executive vp theatrical development. "For example, 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' played day-and-date in an Imax theater in Hong Kong with a couple hundred seats. That one screen has already grossed $640,000 from that one title."
Imax's own installations throughout the regions are still limited, though there has been some recent movement. Last month, Imax announced a deal with Wanda Cinema Line Corp., which will install 10 Imax theaters in the People's Republic of China. These are expected to be deployed by the end of 2010 and bring the total number of Imax theaters scheduled to open in the region to 39. Most of them will support 3-D content.
With the hope of drumming up wider interest, one Imax screen is being installed at a Beijing Olympics site, to display both 2-D and 3-D content. O'Reilly explained, "It will be part of the cultural events of the Chinese government."
The Asian Film Market plans to confront the challenges the new 3-D era poses Tuesday when the Busan Film Commission sponsors a 3-D seminar examining the costs of making and exhibiting movies in 3-D. In addition, it will sponsor individual demonstrations from such companies as In-Three, Master Image Co., Visual Communications, Stereopia Co. and Big I Entertainment.
Carolyn Giardina reported from Los Angeles; Gregg Kilday reported from Busan, South Korea.
Links referenced within this article
Find this article at:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i23389b356d961fd207dc111cb3b52b2b
Ballantyne to Provide 24 NEC Digital Projectors Equipped with REAL D 3-D Technology to Regal for October 19th Launch of ''The Nightmare Before Xmas
Ballantyne of Omaha, Inc.
October 04, 2007 12:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Ballantyne to Provide 24 NEC Digital Projectors Equipped with REAL D 3-D Technology to Regal for October 19th Launch of ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' in Disney Digital 3-D
OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ballantyne of Omaha, Inc. (Amex: BTN), a motion picture projection, digital cinema and specialty lighting equipment and services provider, announced today that its Strong Digital Systems (SDS) division will provide 24 NEC STARUS™ NC2500S Digital Cinema projectors with REAL D 3-D technology to Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC). The 24 projectors will be shipped in time for the October 19th release of Walt Disney Pictures’ animated feature film The Nightmare Before Christmas in Disney Digital 3-D. Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.
Digital Link II, LLC, a separate entity formed and co-financed by REAL D and Ballantyne, will fund the projector purchases. Digital Link is in discussions regarding securing per-film virtual print fees from feature film distributors – for both 3-D and non-3-D features - in order to reduce Digital Link’s and the licensee’s ultimate capital investment.
John P. Wilmers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ballantyne, commented, “We are pleased to extend our partnership with REAL D to deliver state of the art 3-D digital projection solutions to our longstanding customer, Regal Entertainment Group. The NEC STARUS digital projection system, combined with the REAL D 3-D digital 3-D solution, creates a memorable theater experience for Regal’s customers.
“The sale underscores Regal’s commitment to state-of-the-art digital cinema projection systems, as Regal is also opening its Regal Fiesta 12 screen complex in Henderson, Nevada on October 12th. The Henderson complex, Regal’s first all-digital installation, is equipped with NEC digital projectors provided by Ballantyne. The dawn of digital projection is clearly upon us, and we continue to work closely with Real D and our customers to provide top quality solutions that expand our market penetration.”
About REAL D
REAL D is bringing the premier digital 3-D experience to cinemas worldwide. With over 700 screens in 14 countries currently and 1000 screens expected later this year, REAL D has the world's largest 3-D platform.
Beyond cinema, REAL D is the worldwide inventor and provider of key stereoscopic technologies used in science, marketing and other industries. REAL D's mission-critical 3-D visualization technologies are used by organizations such as NASA, Pfizer, BMW, Boeing and more.
About Regal Entertainment Group
Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) is the largest motion picture exhibitor in the world. The Company's theatre circuit, comprising Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres and Edwards Theatres, operates 6,368 screens in 529 locations in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Regal operates theatres in all of the top 25 and 43 of the top 50 U.S. designated market areas. We believe that the size, reach and quality of the Company's theatre circuit not only provide its patrons with a convenient and enjoyable movie-going experience, but is also an exceptional platform to realize economies of scale in theatre operations. Additional information is available on the Company's Web site at http://www.regmovies.com/
About Ballantyne of Omaha
Ballantyne is a provider of motion picture projection, specialty lighting, specialty projection equipment and digital cinema equipment and services. The Company supplies major theater chains, top arenas, television and motion picture production studios, theme parks and architectural sites around the world. For more information visit www.ballantyne-omaha.com
Except for the historical information in this press release, it includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, quarterly fluctuations in results; customer demand for the Company’s products; the development of new technology for alternate means of motion picture presentation; domestic and international economic conditions; the management of growth; and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Actual results may differ materially from management’s expectations. Ballantyne assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.
Contacts
Ballantyne of Omaha
Kevin Herrmann, 402-453-4444
or
Jaffoni & Collins Incorporated
David Collins/Ratula Roy, 212-835-8500
btn@jcir.com
October 04, 2007 12:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Ballantyne to Provide 24 NEC Digital Projectors Equipped with REAL D 3-D Technology to Regal for October 19th Launch of ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' in Disney Digital 3-D
OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ballantyne of Omaha, Inc. (Amex: BTN), a motion picture projection, digital cinema and specialty lighting equipment and services provider, announced today that its Strong Digital Systems (SDS) division will provide 24 NEC STARUS™ NC2500S Digital Cinema projectors with REAL D 3-D technology to Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC). The 24 projectors will be shipped in time for the October 19th release of Walt Disney Pictures’ animated feature film The Nightmare Before Christmas in Disney Digital 3-D. Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.
Digital Link II, LLC, a separate entity formed and co-financed by REAL D and Ballantyne, will fund the projector purchases. Digital Link is in discussions regarding securing per-film virtual print fees from feature film distributors – for both 3-D and non-3-D features - in order to reduce Digital Link’s and the licensee’s ultimate capital investment.
John P. Wilmers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ballantyne, commented, “We are pleased to extend our partnership with REAL D to deliver state of the art 3-D digital projection solutions to our longstanding customer, Regal Entertainment Group. The NEC STARUS digital projection system, combined with the REAL D 3-D digital 3-D solution, creates a memorable theater experience for Regal’s customers.
“The sale underscores Regal’s commitment to state-of-the-art digital cinema projection systems, as Regal is also opening its Regal Fiesta 12 screen complex in Henderson, Nevada on October 12th. The Henderson complex, Regal’s first all-digital installation, is equipped with NEC digital projectors provided by Ballantyne. The dawn of digital projection is clearly upon us, and we continue to work closely with Real D and our customers to provide top quality solutions that expand our market penetration.”
About REAL D
REAL D is bringing the premier digital 3-D experience to cinemas worldwide. With over 700 screens in 14 countries currently and 1000 screens expected later this year, REAL D has the world's largest 3-D platform.
Beyond cinema, REAL D is the worldwide inventor and provider of key stereoscopic technologies used in science, marketing and other industries. REAL D's mission-critical 3-D visualization technologies are used by organizations such as NASA, Pfizer, BMW, Boeing and more.
About Regal Entertainment Group
Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) is the largest motion picture exhibitor in the world. The Company's theatre circuit, comprising Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres and Edwards Theatres, operates 6,368 screens in 529 locations in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Regal operates theatres in all of the top 25 and 43 of the top 50 U.S. designated market areas. We believe that the size, reach and quality of the Company's theatre circuit not only provide its patrons with a convenient and enjoyable movie-going experience, but is also an exceptional platform to realize economies of scale in theatre operations. Additional information is available on the Company's Web site at http://www.regmovies.com/
About Ballantyne of Omaha
Ballantyne is a provider of motion picture projection, specialty lighting, specialty projection equipment and digital cinema equipment and services. The Company supplies major theater chains, top arenas, television and motion picture production studios, theme parks and architectural sites around the world. For more information visit www.ballantyne-omaha.com
Except for the historical information in this press release, it includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, quarterly fluctuations in results; customer demand for the Company’s products; the development of new technology for alternate means of motion picture presentation; domestic and international economic conditions; the management of growth; and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Actual results may differ materially from management’s expectations. Ballantyne assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.
Contacts
Ballantyne of Omaha
Kevin Herrmann, 402-453-4444
or
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Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Sony Enters the U.K. Telepresence Market With a 3-D HD System
18 September, 2007 01:20 PM EST
Sony Enters the U.K. Telepresence Market With a 3-D HD System
Posted By: Rich Costello, Research Director - Gartner
http://blog.gartner.com/blog/comminn.php
Sony, in conjunction with videoconferencing distributors Imago and Teleportal, recently announced the launch of Sony 3D Telepresence for the U.K. market. The Sony Telepresence solution is described as utilizing three-dimensional (3-D) technology to display participants as life-size in appearance, live, within an apparent 3-D environment. The Sony HD Video Communication (PCS-HG90) system's built-in MCU provides true high-definition (HD), two-way communication in real time between up to four sites. The PCS-HG90 supports H.264 HD over standard IP networks up to 8 Mbps to deliver high-quality, HD video 1280 x 720 resolution at 30P and 60P. The system also offers wideband stereo sound. The price tag on a single, HD roll-about system with a 50-inch screen (available now) is about US$60,000. Sony Telepresence room configurations, specifically designed for the high end of the telepresence market, are expected to become available in fall 2007. No word yet on availability beyond the U.K. market.
Sony is a late-comer to the telepresence market, joining vendors such as Cisco, HP, Polycom, Tandberg, Telanetix, Teliris and others, but it could make a significant impact based on its high-visibility brand name and great reputation for technology. If it can also deliver the Sony Telepresence solution at a lower price point than the competition - an issue for many video customers who feel that the cost of telepresence in general is an inhibitor to adoption - that could be a key differentiator for the company's success in the telepresence market (see "The Gartner View on Enterprise Video", "Toolkit Tutorial: Buying Into Video Telepresence", and "Hype Cycle for Enterprise Communication Applications, 2007".
Sony Enters the U.K. Telepresence Market With a 3-D HD System
Posted By: Rich Costello, Research Director - Gartner
http://blog.gartner.com/blog/comminn.php
Sony, in conjunction with videoconferencing distributors Imago and Teleportal, recently announced the launch of Sony 3D Telepresence for the U.K. market. The Sony Telepresence solution is described as utilizing three-dimensional (3-D) technology to display participants as life-size in appearance, live, within an apparent 3-D environment. The Sony HD Video Communication (PCS-HG90) system's built-in MCU provides true high-definition (HD), two-way communication in real time between up to four sites. The PCS-HG90 supports H.264 HD over standard IP networks up to 8 Mbps to deliver high-quality, HD video 1280 x 720 resolution at 30P and 60P. The system also offers wideband stereo sound. The price tag on a single, HD roll-about system with a 50-inch screen (available now) is about US$60,000. Sony Telepresence room configurations, specifically designed for the high end of the telepresence market, are expected to become available in fall 2007. No word yet on availability beyond the U.K. market.
Sony is a late-comer to the telepresence market, joining vendors such as Cisco, HP, Polycom, Tandberg, Telanetix, Teliris and others, but it could make a significant impact based on its high-visibility brand name and great reputation for technology. If it can also deliver the Sony Telepresence solution at a lower price point than the competition - an issue for many video customers who feel that the cost of telepresence in general is an inhibitor to adoption - that could be a key differentiator for the company's success in the telepresence market (see "The Gartner View on Enterprise Video", "Toolkit Tutorial: Buying Into Video Telepresence", and "Hype Cycle for Enterprise Communication Applications, 2007".
Movie studios hope to spawn new franchises
Excerpt From Los Angeles Times Article - Sept 18, 2007
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-franchise18sep18,1,2046660.story?coll=la-headlines-business&ctrack=1&cset=true
The $160-million fantasy "Beowulf," co-produced by Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. and Stephen Bing's Shangri-La Entertainment, is not expected to start a franchise.
But director Robert Zemeckis' version of the epic 8th century poem could do wonders for 3-D exhibition and the motion-capture technique he pioneered with "The Polar Express." The film will get the widest 3-D and Imax release ever at a combined 1,100 theaters when it comes out Nov. 16, said Rob Moore, Paramount's president of worldwide marketing and distribution.
A 20-minute reel featuring a digitally rendered Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother impressed observers at this summer's Comic-Con in San Diego. "The movie is so unique and different it's hard to get a handle on how big it will be," Moore said. "The 3-D visuals will blow people away."
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-franchise18sep18,1,2046660.story?coll=la-headlines-business&ctrack=1&cset=true
The $160-million fantasy "Beowulf," co-produced by Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. and Stephen Bing's Shangri-La Entertainment, is not expected to start a franchise.
But director Robert Zemeckis' version of the epic 8th century poem could do wonders for 3-D exhibition and the motion-capture technique he pioneered with "The Polar Express." The film will get the widest 3-D and Imax release ever at a combined 1,100 theaters when it comes out Nov. 16, said Rob Moore, Paramount's president of worldwide marketing and distribution.
A 20-minute reel featuring a digitally rendered Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother impressed observers at this summer's Comic-Con in San Diego. "The movie is so unique and different it's hard to get a handle on how big it will be," Moore said. "The 3-D visuals will blow people away."
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