#some theatres like alamo drafthouse already do this a ton

[whilomm]

you know if the strike goes on long enough I feel like itd be a good time for theatres to do like. limited re-releases of old movies more. just go whole ham putting the classics back into theatres for a bit.

[letskimmyyuanfan-blog]

Will LED push out projection?

https://www.ledscreenparts.com/

Exhibitors are dabbling in a host of new technologies and applications, from direct-view LED displays to VR gaming. Tim Kridel explores why — and how – they could create opportunities for AV firms to expand into the cinema market.

On March 22, Zurich’s Arena Cinemas will become the first European theatre — and one of just a handful in the world — with a direct-view LED screen.

It’s an ironic milestone: LED technology enables the big yet affordable TVs that have cut into theatre admissions, which declined 6% over the course of 2017, according to the National Association of Theater Owners. But now LED technology could give exhibitors another tool for making and saving money.

Arena uses Samsung Electronics’ Cinema LED Screen, which is nearly 10.3 meters wide, supports 4K and has a peak brightness level of 146 foot-lamberts (fL). The world’s first Cinema LED installation was in July 2017 at Lotte Cinema World Tower in Seoul. Sony is among the other vendors developing direct-view LED displays for cinema applications.

“It is possible that our future complexes will be Cinema LED-only installations,” says Edi Stöckli, Arena Cinemas’ owner. “We will test our installation and see what other benefits we get. For the moment the price is very high, as all new technologies are at the beginning.”

“It is possible that our future complexes will be Cinema LED-only installations.”

Deploying a direct-view LED display is a lot different than replacing one projection technology with another projection technology.

For starters, LED doesn’t require a projection booth. That space could be used to generate additional revenue, such as premium seating.

Arena Cinemas converted its booth into a private lounge.

“Cinema LED is the future of the cinemas,” Stöckli says. “The digital projector was a step, but it is still a projector with all its technical limits. This technology needs much less power, less cooling and lives much longer than a projector.”

5 tons and 10 times the cost

Depending on the theatre, an LED screen might incur higher installation costs compared to projection.

“The LED screens weigh 5 tons, so you have to build a cinema a hell of a lot stronger,” says David Hancock, IHS Markit director of research and analysis for cinema and home entertainment.

“The cost of a direct-view LED screen is estimated to be up to 10 times the cost of a typical perforated screen,” says Mark Mayfield, QSC director of global cinema marketing. “But there is no projector, so that could be a wash.”

LED is a new technology not only for exhibitors, but also for the specialised integrators serving the cinema vertical? So it’s possible that LED could create an opportunity for traditional AV firms to expand into cinema.

“It’s far more common in the commercial AV world in applications like outdoor digital signage,” Mayfield says.  “On the other hand, commercial AV integrators generally have little experience in the nuances of the cinema industry. So there is likely to be some cross pollination, potentially leading to another type of technology convergence.”

LED also could enable cinemas in new locations or breathe life into struggling ones.

“Direct-view screens can create a much brighter image with significantly higher contrast ratios,” Mayfield says. “They could potentially revitalise drive-in or outdoor cinema, and even make it possible to show movies in daylight or indoors in full lighting.”

Like laser projection, LED displays also could spur more 3D ticket sales by alleviating the brightness problem that meant an underwhelming experience with older technologies. But audio has to be addressed to avoid becoming the new weak link for both 3D and 2D.

“A solid direct-view screen removes the option of placing sound sources where they create the most realistic image-to-picture localisation: placing speakers behind the screen is no longer feasible,” Mayfield says. “So we have to develop new methods and potentially, new technologies to create that sense of accurate localisation.”

“A solid direct-view screen removes the option of placing sound sources where they create the most realistic image-to-picture localization: placing speakers behind the screen is no longer feasible.”

All of these factors have some industry watchers speculating that LED will fundamentally change the types of technologies, companies and venue designs in the cinema space. “LED has the potential to be a genuine disruptor of the business,” Hancock says.

Out with the old? Not so fast Direct-view displays come on the heels of two other formats and technologies generating buzz: high frame rate (HFR) and 4K.

“HFR has not appeared to go over well with general audiences,” says Dan Cofer, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema technical director.  “I doubt we will see a huge push for that in the future. Also, there are not many releases in 4K, and it’s unclear if there is demand for it beyond the cinephile audience. We are currently looking at laser projection and direct display (such as the Sony C-LED) though mainly for premium large-format (PLF) screens at this point, as it is cost-prohibitive to retrofit existing installations.”

Meanwhile, some older formats are holding their ground.

“There has been a resurgence of interest in older formats such as 35 mm and 70 mm, and we are actively installing equipment for those formats in our theatres,” says Kimberly Sandel, manager for private and community events for Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s Austin, Texas, market.  “Seventy millimetre was once thought to be a dying art, but now more and more blockbuster titles are being released with 70 mm prints.” Virtual reality (VR) is another question mark. So far, it’s been a niche play.

“You’re not getting VR in the cinema auditorium,” Hancock says. “It’s more of a side thing: maybe a VR pod with 10 units in the foyer. It’s designed to complement the cinema experience, [such as] with games, trailers and stuff like that. It’s not challenging the cinema.”

For instance, VR game systems in the lobby could promote films in the hope of getting players to buy a ticket.

“This can be a good tool to keep visitors in the lobby longer and generate more concessions sales,” says Till Cussmann, CinemaNext vice president.

Like many exhibitors, Alamo Drafthouse is waiting to see if and how filmmakers embrace VR.

“We have done lobby installs for VR demos during our film festival Fantastic Fest,” Sandell says. “VR is definitely growing as a medium for filmmakers, so I expect we will see more demand for it in the future.”

But other exhibitors question whether VR will ever have a place in the auditorium.

“VR is a technology for individual use,” Stöckli says. “We sell collectivity in our theatres: the togetherness of movie-goers, sharing the same emotion at the same time.” Multi-player gaming is a form of togetherness.

“Gaming is indeed a growing market for cinemas,” Cussmann says. “Organising gaming sessions or tournaments in a cinema auditorium is technically easy to do, but it needs quite a lot of marketing and organisational skills and resources that not all exhibitors have in-house. This is why third-party event agencies are getting quite often involved in those sessions.”

Meetings at the movies For years, some exhibitors rented out their auditoriums for non-film events, such as all-hands business meetings. Flat or declining ticket sales have increased interest in rentals.

“The LED screens weigh 5 tons, so you have to build a cinema a hell of a lot stronger.”

“It’s clearly a growing market,” Cussmann says. “With digital projection  and  sound  equipment, you can easily show any kind of content, from live events to recorded content: opera, ballet, sports, expos, red carpet, teleseries, etc.”

The opportunity varies based on several factors, starting with the theatre’s location. “There are relatively few that can do it: city-centre cinemas [in] big cities, business centres,” Hancock says.

Exhibitors also are competing with specialised theatres such as those in museums and other cultural attractions.  Those “institutional theatres,” as they’re sometimes called, have cachet that helps attract event organisers and attendees.

“There’s no cachet with going to an event at the mall [multiplex],” says Derek Threinen, vice president of film distribution and business development at Giant Screen Films / D3D Cinema, which specialises in the institutional market.

Sales staff is another competitive factor.

“The institutional theatres are the ones that perfected that game 20 years ago,” Threinen says. “They have a distinct advantage over the multiplex theatres with regard to having dedicated sales staff. They’re already selling these venues.”

But as the cinema rental market matured, businesses have launched to help exhibitors go after non-film opportunities.

“Companies like Fathom Events have a huge offer for alternative content and help also to market it to the right audience,” Cussmann says. “The main challenge today is to connect the right audience to the right content without having the exhibitor bearing too much risk that the auditoriums are empty and that he loses revenue compared to regular movie screenings.

So the evolution from classical cinemas towards visual entertainment centre has started and will continue to change the landscape.

“Gaming sessions, business conferences and other events are part of this change, and every decent cinema chain has today a corporate sales or event department that markets those new activities. This is not a temporary trend but will be part of the future business of a movie theatre.”

Event organisers also look at whether a theatre can support a variety of AV inputs, such as wireless mics, laptops and Skype feeds.

“The majority of current digital projector setups these days come equipped to handle most outputs,” Sandel says. “We just know when building venues to include front-of-house connections. Having state-of-the-art projection and sound equipment is really the most important part when marketing a venue even for non-film events.

“We are currently looking at laser projection and direct display though mainly for premium large-format screens at this point, as it is cost-prohibitive to retrofit existing installations.”

“Another nice addition we like to include, but cannot always accommodate, is power outlets near the seats. This is incredibly useful for day-long conferences where attendees may need to charge various devices.” Direct-view LED displays also could help cinemas go after the non-film market.

“With this new technology, auditoriums can be screening content with full ambient light on without any compromise on quality,” Cussmann says.

Shaking up the market For years many institutional theatres have offered 4D technologies, such as seats that move and bursts of scents. Now cinemas are increasingly adding 4D to spur ticket sales.

“We’re trying to get people back into the habit of going to the theatres again,” says CEO Byung-Hwan Choi, CEO of CJ 4DPLEX, whose 4DX systems are in over 400 theatres in 50 countries. “We see enhanced cinema experiences as the first big step in achieving that: to create an atmosphere that can only be available in theatres. Not to just sit back and watch a movie, but to really experience it, to be immersed in it.”

For example, CJ 4DPLEX’s ScreenX platform gives audiences a 270 degree view.

“Think about seeing a film like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ where you can experience scenes as if you’re surrounded by the waves and the sea,” Choi says. “It’s really something to experience, and there’s nothing like this out there on the market. We like to try and keep ahead of the curve.”

One way is by adapting technologies from other verticals, such as theme parks. If that strategy is successful, it’s another potential way for AV firms in those verticals to expand into the cinema market.

“We have developed our own 4DX VR technology that’s currently featured in theme parks and arcades around the world,” Choi says.

“The VR world is an interesting, growing industry which with we want to keep up. We’re always on the lookout for interesting collaboration projects, specifically in the gaming and alternative content field.”

More details please contact sales@ledscreenparts.com Or contact us on whatapp :+8615080604730

[iwantingsbuzz-blog]

House Tour: A House Filled With DIY Halloween Decor

Name:Jennifer Perkins and husband Chris Boehk along with daughter Tallulah (five years old) and Baxter (three years old). Location: Shady Hollow Neighborhood — Austin, Texas Size: 2,900 square feet Years lived in: Owned 1 year

We shared some of the great Halloween decor ideas we spotted in the home of Jennifer Perkins (crafter, business lady and really rad mom) earlier this month. As promised, we're back with a bigger tour so you can see how all those great decor ideas fit in with Jennifer's colorful everyday style. And though having a dynamically decorated home is a year-round affair for this fun family, Halloween is a special time of year because Jennifer is known for her huge family-friendly annual Halloween party.

Jennifer shares some of the history behind her annual spooky bash:

This will be our sixth year for our annual Halloween party. What started out as a very small and modest affair has grown quite a bit through the years (Last year we had almost 100 people and this year we topped that). Many of the same families have been coming since the very beginning. This is why the Halloween party posters I hang in the dining room are one of my favorite party decorations. It is great to see how the kids have grown over the six years. The party is all about the kids with cookies galore (my deep freeze is almost completely full), pinatas, crafts, rice-filled sensory bins and this year a haunted train ride. Yup, I rented a small train that took the kids on a ride through our neighborhood.

I try to make every year slightly different. No table or mantel is ever the same. There is always a new witch finger shaped cookie or donut made to look like a spider. I start baking over a month out since Baxter has a peanut allergy and I have to hand make almost everything. Most store bought cookies and cupcakes are a no-no for him and every party we attend I have to BYO-cupcake. This is the one party a year where he can go crazy and eat whatever he wants. Cupcakes, cookies, chocolate covered Oreo brains. God bless our deep freeze. I'm already thinking about what I can do in 2015 to top this year's party! Be sure to check out Jennifer's website where can find a lot more of her ideas.

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: I like my Halloween kitschy and not too scary. I have small children and don't really like zombies anyway. Year round my decorating sense is very eclectic and has a sense of humor. Halloween is not any different.

Inspiration: I love me the Pinterest like everyone else. Stephen Brown of Glitterville has amazing Halloween crafts. I live for the Halloween editions of Matthew Mead's magazine. Country Living always has adorable ideas. On the rare occasion that I find vintage magazines from October I gobble them up.

Favorite Element: In my everyday home the natural light is what initially drew me in to this house. When it comes to Halloween it is hard to pick a favorite room. I love my mirror covered in bright colorful masks. I want to keep them up all year long.

What Friends Say: My friends look forward to my Halloween party not just for all the sweets I bake, but to see all the decorations. If you are going to throw a theme party THROW A PARTY, don't phone it in. My friends might say I am Halloween obsessed, but then they know I go overkill decorating for every holiday. Did I mention I had over 80 Christmas trees last year?

Biggest Embarrassment: It is a tie between the dirty carpet that I have yet to replace and my black leather couches that look like they came from Andrew Dice Clay's house.

Proudest DIY:I am very smitten with the fabric swag curtains my mother made for my front door. This year for our annual Halloween party we had a train that took kids up and down our street. I knew people would be spending a lot of time in our front yard so I wanted the house to look as cute outside as it did in.

Biggest Indulgence: In my everyday home my navy Jonathan Adler couch was my biggest indulgence. When it comes to Halloween I've been pretty lucky. The most expensive things I own I didn't pay for. I have three vintage paper mache' pumpkins that were my parents (one is almost 75 years old). After that I didn't pay tons, but my blow molds and vintage masks would probably fetch the most money on Ebay.

Best Advice: This is a collection I have amassed over years like everything else in my home. If you want to collect vintage Halloween goodies think about buying things in the 'off season'. If I go to a flea market in September the prices on vintage Halloween will be a lot higher than they will be in April.

Dream Sources: If someone told me there was an abandoned warehouse of vintage dead stock Ben Cooper or Collegeville Halloween costumes with a closet full of old blow molds I would probably pass out. I love my collection of vintage Halloween masks most of all, but since they are so fragile not that many made it from the 70s.

Resources of Note:

LIVING ROOM

Navy Couch - Jonathan Adler JC Penny

Vintage Theatre Seats - original Alamo Drafthouse

Mirrored Ello credenza - Warrington Flea Market

Bar stools painted by Hope and Jennifer Perkins from Salvation Army

Kilim rug - Tuesday Morning

Low faux burl coffee table - Craigslist

Brass etagere - thrift store

Vintage large glass vases - family heirlooms

Vladimir Tretchikoff print above mantle called Balinese Girl was found at an estate sale in Peoria, IL.

Gallery wall comprised of my mom's textile arts from the 70s, husband's band photos, prints from favorite artists, and signed Peter Max print

Vintage Fisher-Price toys (low for the kids to play with)

BREAKFAST NOOK

Dining table and China hutch Warrington flea market

Antique papier mache pumpkins in cabinet were my parents when they were children

Ceramic pumpkin cookie jar was made by my grandmother

Large cat and owl planter from Pottery Barn Kids

Green couch Craig's List,

Vintage Thayer Coggin chrome chairs were my parents that I had recovered

Chrome etagere - Room Service Vintage

Mid-century bar I have had since college

JH Lynch prints of 2 women are my prize possessions

Large mirror - Home Goods

Vintage pinball art - Warrington flea market

Coffee table - Salvation Army

Columbia Records display for magazines - garage sale

I adore my collection of vintage Halloween masks - the neon colors make me happy.

Brass and glass dining table Craigslist

Lightolier Craigslist

GAME ROOM

Colorful jute rug - Home Goods

Zebra painting - by me

Giant Halloween pillows - My Paper Crane

The gallery wall is a collection of custom family portraits that I have commissioned by different artists each year

Table - Goodwill

Tipi light - Warrington flea market

Skeleton flamingos - JoAnn's.

My mother Fredda Perkins sewed the curtains leading to the front door

Vintage rattan furniture

Heywood Wakefield coffee table