Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Digital 3-D in Australia

This is topic Digital 3-D in Australia in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=007687

Posted by Peter Castle (Member # 1997) on 12-16-2005, 08:01 AM:

Report from DCinemaToday (dated December 14):

Kodak Digital Cinema and REAL D announced today that the companies have formed a strategic alliance to roll out digital 3 D cinema throughout Australia. Installation of digital 3-D cinema systems will be complete in time for the country’s upcoming premiere of Disney’s “Chicken Little” in 3-D starting January 1, 2006.

Any Australian forumers heard about this?

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 142) on 12-16-2005, 04:50 PM:

Yes, Village Jam Factory in Melbourne. Hope they have the light for their big screens. It is the only location in this state that will run in digital 3D. I note the prices have risen to Imax levels, $17 per adult! Did US locations raise the ticket price for Chicken Little 3D?

Posted by Lindsay Morris (Member # 1430) on 12-16-2005, 05:13 PM:

In Perth I have heard that GU at Innaloo are also going to do Chicken Little in digital 3D but not yet heard of any others over here in WA.
Lindsay

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 12-19-2005, 10:26 AM:

From the Kodak website:

Kodak Digital Cinema for "Chicken Little" in Australia

quote:
Kodak and REAL D to Deliver Digital 3-D Cinema in Australia

Strategic Alliance Provides Exhibitors with a Complete Digital 3-D Cinema Solution

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 19 -- KODAK Digital Cinema and REAL D announced today that the companies have formed a strategic alliance to roll out digital 3 D cinema throughout Australia. Installation of digital 3-D cinema systems will be complete in time for the country’s upcoming premiere of Disney’s “Chicken Little” in 3 D starting January 1, 2006.

Kodak has a legacy of innovation in entertainment imaging and offers a complete solution for digital preparation and display of motion pictures. Over the past 10 months, the company has prepared, delivered, and shown major releases for a number of studios, including Disney, Fox, Warner Bros. and others.

REAL D is the worldwide inventor and provider of key stereoscopic technologies used in entertainment, marketing, science and other industries. REAL D Cinema is the entertainment industry’s preferred standard for the delivery of premium 3-D cinema experiences and is the exclusive provider of Disney’s “Chicken Little” in 3-D.

As of Thanksgiving weekend, REAL D’s presentations of “Chicken Little” in 3-D have grossed more than $7 million on 88 screens – almost three times the 2-D per-screen average – since its November 4th opening in North America.

This alliance allows Kodak to offer exhibitors the industry-leading REAL D Cinema solution as part of Kodak’s comprehensive digital cinema strategy.

For this international launch, Kodak will provide the systems, including Kodak CineServers driven by unique Kodak software, as well as Barco DP100 projectors equipped with the REAL D Cinema solution. Installation will be a joint effort by Kodak, Barco, and Atlab Image and Sound Technology. Kodak will provide all image preparation, as well as on-going service and support.

"This is the next logical step forward for KODAK Digital Cinema – and a major leap for Kodak into the world of high-quality 3-D motion pictures,” said Bob Mayson, general manager and vice president, KODAK Digital Cinema. “Kodak has worked with Disney on a number of 3-D films in conjunction with their theme parks, but this is our first adventure in 3-D digital. We’re thrilled to be working with REAL D because they’re pioneers of 3-D.”

“We look forward to working with Kodak to address the digital 3-D needs of the global exhibition community, which have escalated as a result of the historic success of REAL D Cinema’s presentation of “Chicken Little” in North America,” said Michael V. Lewis, chairman, REAL D. “Our alliance with Kodak better enables REAL D to meet increasing international demands, beginning with our Australian theater partners.”

“”Chicken Little” in 3-D is proving to be more than a movie, it’s a brand new entertainment experience,” said Mark Zoradi, president, Buena Vista International. “We’re thrilled to be working with Kodak and REAL D to bring that experience to a wider audience and, in the process, to bring new excitement to the future of theatrical entertainment.”

Kodak said that the sites chosen were suggested by the exhibitors themselves.

“This is a first use of digital 3-D technology in traditional cinemas in Australia,” said Mayson, “and a great opportunity for Kodak and REAL D, as well as all our partners. Our exhibitors bring a highly-successful Disney movie to their part of the world. And, audiences get to enjoy an entertainment experience that’s unique to the cinema. Everybody wins.”

Posted by Peter Castle (Member # 1997) on 12-19-2005, 08:49 PM:

I love the term "roll out". AFAIK there are only five installations put in (Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth). What about other areas? Is this a special deal to these cinemas or are they paying a full price for the system?

John, I understand that the Kodak servers are incompatible with others and so Kodak are doing the "print" preparation. Is this an ongoing commitment to Australia, or just a one-off?

As an exhibitor with interests in CGI and 3D I'm going to see what it is like early after release, and also to see what the problems with hot spots and off-angle views there are with silver screens before I commit to replacing our torn screen (see other posts) with high gain or silver.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 12-20-2005, 08:25 AM:

The Kodak CineServer is one of the first to be compliant with the DCI specifications (MXF-Packaging, JPEG2000 compression at up to 250Mbits per second). It uses 12-bit 4:4:4 (XYZ, using ICT transforms) on dual-link HD-SDI. Kodak servers can also handle the older MPEG2 4:2:0 or 4:2:2 80 Mbit per second format:

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/products/digital/cinemaSolutions.jhtml

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/products/digital/featurePresentations.jhtml

quote:
NETWORK-BASED SOLUTION BUILT ON LINUX PLATFORM WITH ALL SYSTEMS AND SERVICES:
Fully compliant with today's — and will be compliant with tomorrow's — evolving interoperability standards of DCI and SMPTE
Supporting a choice of projectors — up to 2K resolution today, with upgrade to 4K tomorrow
Driven by unique KODAK Software and supported by KODAK Service worldwide

I am not privy to any "special deal", as any business contracts are normally confidential among the parties involved.

Posted by Dominic Case (Member # 1830) on 12-20-2005, 05:32 PM:

The "roll-out" is for five screens, one in each major state capital in Australia, and is a joint effort by Village and Greater Union/BCC.

BCC Chermside - Qld
GU Innaloo - WA
GU Castle Hill - NSW
GU Marion - SA
Village Jam Factory - VIC

As the Kodak press release states,they are Kodak/Barco systems that are being installed and maintained by Atlab Image & Sound Technology.

Given that the only two "D-cinema" installations in Australia so far are at a Hoyts cinema in Sydney, and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne, neither of them in regular commercial use (and neither of them reaching DCI specs), it's a significant step for this country.

It's not insignificant that the catalyst for D-cinema installation is the 3D film: it's the first time someone has woken up and acknowledged that a major technological change has to have some added value for the audience before it will take off. Sound, Cinemascope, stereo, and 5.1 digital sound were all rapidly taken up because the audience got a new experience. Of course it doesn't always work that way, as previous iterations of 3D have failed to revolutionise cinema.

We'll see how it goes this time around.