Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 1,000 IMAX Screens???

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 08-11-2005, 01:40 PM:

IMAX Corp. predicts 1,000 worldwide screens within a few years, according to this new article. With the studios and IMAX considering these recent releases a success, I guess we're past the point of no return for those in the industry to come to their senses and use 5-perf 70mm rather than the much-more-expensive and wasteful 15-perf 70mm. Oh well, preaching to the choir here...

quote:
Imax format a big hit for commercial films

By Dan Zak
The Washington Post
Posted August 3 2005

E-mail story Print story

There was a time when we went to Imax theaters for whales and rockets. That was when the big big screen was for shorter educational films about the deep sea, outer space and wild kingdoms -- movies shot on big Imax film with big Imax cameras.

Now we go to Imax for eccentric candymen and superheroes with bat complexes. And we're going more often.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was No.1 at the box office in its opening weekend last month with a $56.1 million take, $2.2 million of which was made on 65 Imax screens. It was Imax's biggest opening weekend ever, besting the debuts of Batman Begins and last winter's The Polar Express, which eventually grossed a record-breaking $45million on 83 Imax screens.

When Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire opens in November, it will be the year's fourth Hollywood feature to open simultaneously in Imax and regular 35mm theaters. There were three such releases last year (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Spider-Man2 and The Polar Express) and two the year before that (the final legs of The Matrix trilogy). Next year there will be six, maybe more.

Imax's corporate strategy is to entice Americans happiest in front of a 60-inch plasma-screen TV, wrapped in the fuzzy warmth of a Netflix plan.

"Consumers are saying, `In order to get me out of the home, you need to wow me, you need to give me something special,'" says Rich Gelfond, co-chairman and co-CEO of Imax.

"[Imax] helps `eventize' our big movies," says Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures, the studio behind half of the feature film releases on Imax. "And we will continue to release our big films that way." Twentieth Century Fox, Universal, Columbia and Disney have also released features in Imax.

The regular box office is still down 7.5 percent, but Imax is up 37 percent, according to Greg Foster, Imax's co-chairman and president of filmed entertainment. Charlie made double on its Imax screens what it did on regular screens. At Fort Lauderdale's Blockbuster Imax Theater in the Museum of Discovery and Science, Charlie sold out 25 shows in its first six days.

Not everyone is sold. "Our experience at Fox is still under review," says Julian Levin, vice president of digital exhibition and non-theatrical sales and distribution at Fox, which released Robots this year on Imax. "Other than the sort of unique bump with Polar Express, the performance of the other pictures really haven't shown to be that incredibly remarkable."

The folks at Imax compare their brand to Starbucks for coffee or Tiffany for jewelry, in that people will pay a premium price for an amplified, high-quality experience -- in this case, gargantuan, crystal-clear images and booming, 12,000-watt sound. Seventy-five screens are slated to open in the next few years toward the eventual goal of 1,000 locations worldwide, according to Imax.

The world's largest Imax screen is the 97-by-117-foot Panasonic Theatre in Sydney, Australia. The Imax film frame area is three times that of the standard 70mm frame, and 10 times the 35mm frame.

Batman Begins director Christopher Nolan saw some of his dailies on an Imax screen in London and found it "astounding."

"It takes you right back to the scale of movies that you felt when you were a little kid in some large movie palace. And for me, that's what I'm striving for, to get back to the sense of scale in films," said Nolan.

Imax and some studio executives say it's a format reserved for tent-pole movies -- they need the buzz of a blockbuster to increase the odds that they'll recoup the high costs of the format.

Still, imagine an Imax reissue of Casablanca, and the feel of actually being in the smoky, arid sauna of Rick's Cafe Americain. Then, imagine Ingrid Bergman's glorious face 70 feet high as she turns to see Bogart for the first time since Paris.

Posted by Joseph L. Kleiman (Member # 3097) on 08-11-2005, 03:04 PM:

That number is correct. The company has identified 900 zones for exclusitivity worldwide, of which only 60 are currently being used. In the 1st quarter earnings call, they also mentioned that the area covered by a zone may change during a contract period. They used the example of Brooklyn. A theater opening in Brooklyn now would have exclusive rights to the borough, but after a few years those exclusitivity rights may retract to only a few blocks.

Posted by Andy Summers (Member # 3207) on 08-11-2005, 03:11 PM:

Michael

I like to share the same excitement about this; however the Sheridan IMAX at Bournemouth hasn’t done so well, I’ve seen around 9 IMAX films there well if they had kept there promise and got the other newer IMAX films in instead of showing the Cyberworld over and over etc, etc, etc that’s just one of the highlights, then maybe they would have been successful.

Liked to have seen Blade Runner in 70mm Dolby Stereo A type there, but the manager was jerking the Bournemouth folks off big time giving us all false illusions.

Anyway I hope they do re-open although, I can very see this happing, but there are all types of possibilities…

Posted by Ben Wales (Member # 92) on 08-11-2005, 04:04 PM:

Most of the planned extra Imax Theatres will have the small MPX setup, rather than the real GT 3D Imax and I belive that National Amusements (known as Showcase in the UK)are to open some screens.

But if this can belive there will be a 1,000 screens world wide, will there be more prints made as Imax Theatres in the UK have to wait as with "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", there is only one print and is playing in Scotland!.

As for the Bournemouth Imax Theatre, it never had 35mm or 5/70mm installed.

The likely reason the Bournemouth Imax failed was it was badly supported by the Bournemouth Local people who objected to the size and location of the building.

Quite how by turning the building into a Swimming Pool will have locals flocking remains to be seen....

Posted by Dan Suomi (Member # 2585) on 08-11-2005, 04:22 PM:

quote:
Not everyone is sold. "Our experience at Fox is still under review," says Julian Levin, vice president of digital exhibition and non-theatrical sales and distribution at Fox, which released Robots this year on Imax. "Other than the sort of unique bump with Polar Express, the performance of the other pictures really haven't shown to be that incredibly remarkable."

I have a huge issue with this statement I don't know if anyone else does. How can somone say that 2.2 million dollars gross on as little as 65 screens not be remarkable? I bet if Fox released Starwars instead of Robots [puke]

in IMAX they would be singing a different tune.

Posted by Andy Summers (Member # 3207) on 08-11-2005, 05:13 PM:

Well I have to say this I’ve lost faith in the Bournemouth Sheridan IMAX and most other IMAX cinemas for the time being, its all about first impressions and will always be, so the Bournemouth Sheridan IMAX have got a lot to do to explain, and lying to the general public about refurbishment is not true at all… [Confused]

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 08-11-2005, 09:47 PM:

quote:
Theatres in the UK have to wait as with "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", there is only one print and is playing in Scotland!

"Charlie" begins an engagement at the bfi London IMAX Cinema tomorrow, August 12. (Joseph Kleiman: "Charlie" begins in Sacramento Aug. 26.)

Posted by Joseph L. Kleiman (Member # 3097) on 08-11-2005, 11:35 PM:

Michael,

I know...at the same time local schools are starting. The timing couldn't be better. [Roll Eyes]

That's why I saw it in San Jose on the dome at midnight opening day! [Big Grin]

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 08-14-2005, 11:53 AM:

quote:
Not everyone is sold. "Our experience at Fox is still under review," says Julian Levin, vice president of digital exhibition and non-theatrical sales and distribution at Fox, which released Robots this year on Imax. "Other than the sort of unique bump with Polar Express, the performance of the other pictures really haven't shown to be that incredibly remarkable."

quote: Dan Suomi
I have a huge issue with this statement I don't know if anyone else does. How can somone say that 2.2 million dollars gross on as little as 65 screens not be remarkable? I bet if Fox released Starwars instead of Robots in IMAX they would be singing a different tune.

Fox is probably on the fence with IMAX because I'm guessing they didn't think "Robots" performed very well. But what do you expect...they released it simultaneously in IMAX and D-Cinema (and, of course, conventional 35mm). In this instance, the grosses may have cannibalized one another.

"Attack Of The Clones: The IMAX Experience" performed well. It did $7-8 million in only 58 venues. At least that seems like a good performance to me, especially when one considers the number of bookings, the fact that the large format release took place about five months after the movie's release and was playing as it arrived on DVD. But I guess since it didn't pull in another $300 million in IMAX as it did the first go-round, then I guess it flopped in IMAX. [Roll Eyes]

The studio exec quote seems in line with the corporate greed mentality that, unfortunately, exists today. They don't seem to care to put anything in context; only BIG numbers seem to matter. I think these studio bean counters are from another planet. I mean, these are the types who will make an estimate for a particular release and then if it happens to underperform they'll claim they lost money!

I've never put much stock in the quotes from the studio folks or, for that matter, those quote whores from the box office tracking companies and websites who like to dazzle the world with their bullshit insight into why a film performed as it did.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-16-2005, 08:07 AM:

quote: Michael Coate
It did $7-8 million in only 58 venues.

I wouldn't be bragging about that total. Thats onlt a bit shy of 140K per location.... subtract print, diatribution, advertising and other"Imax" costs and that doesn't leave all that much revenue... and oh yes if the locations are lucky thay'll each get a dime per admission too so you have to count dimes into this as well. I think you'll find that more of the larger mainstream 35mm locations did alot better than that. Leads me to believe that the print ups to Imax will not go on for ever.... The average print has go to cost on the average of 50K+ alone depending on the length of the film!!

Mark

Posted by Joseph L. Kleiman (Member # 3097) on 08-16-2005, 09:12 AM:

Avg print cost for a 2 hr DMR is in the range of 35K

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-16-2005, 10:05 AM:

Thats a little hard to believe except for a bare 5 reeler such as a Disney cartoon feature.... since its ALOT more footage and film sells by the foot. Today a print of L.O.A. costs close to 30K. Granted the more footage you buy the less expensive it gets but even that much footage is not that much less expensive... then there is the cost of genrating the DMR itself and so on so I'll stick more towards the 50K range for that much printed film for something like Martix, to me its a far more realistic figure.

Mark

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 08-16-2005, 11:26 AM:

quote: Michael Coate
It did $7-8 million in only 58 venues.

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
I wouldn't be bragging about that total.

Mark,
You seem to have overlooked my follow-up sentence which provided context for my comment.

quote:
At least that seems like a good performance to me, especially when one considers the [low] number of bookings, the fact that the large format release took place about five months after the movie's release and was playing as it arrived on DVD.

So how do you guys think "Attack Of The Clones: The IMAX Experience" would have performed had it been released day-and-date with the 35mm and D-Cinema versions? Which raises another interesting question:

Should these IMAX whatever-you-want-to-call-them versions should be released day-and-date, and risk confusing moviegoers with too many "flavors" of how to experience the movie; or do you release in IMAX before or after the conventional release so as to give an opportunity for it to be viewed as a unique, stand-alone experience?

Posted by Joseph L. Kleiman (Member # 3097) on 08-16-2005, 11:50 AM:

Mark,

The reduction in DMR print costs is the result of a deal IMAX signed with Technicolor in early 2002.

Joe

quote:
IMAX Signs Exclusive Five-Year Agreement With Technicolor Resulting In Cost Savings for IMAX(R) Theatres

TORONTO, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- IMAX Corporation (Nasdaq: IMAX - news; Toronto :IMX - news) today announced that it has reached an exclusive five-year service agreement with Technicolor, a Thomson multimedia business (Paris Euroclear: 18453; NYSE: TMS) which will enable IMAX® theatres to purchase film prints from IMAX at a significantly reduced cost.

Film prints have traditionally represented a significant part of an IMAX theatre's operating cost. This move should improve financial returns for IMAX theatre owners and is another important part of the Company's strategy. In addition, filmmakers using DKP/70MM Inc.'s post-production services will benefit from these newly negotiated IMAX rates.

"Improving financial returns for our customers in the IMAX theatre network is one of our top priorities and as such, we're pleased to be able to provide theatres with these significant savings," said IMAX co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "We believe that this agreement with Technicolor will have a positive impact on a theatre's bottom line and on the industry as a whole. Our relationship with Technicolor's affiliate CFI spans many years and we're happy to continue our association with them."

"We are pleased with our strategic partnership with IMAX and continue to be extremely optimistic about the future growth of this powerful film format," said Walter Schonfeld, president of Technicolor Content Services. The opportunities for CFI and Technicolor to provide industry-leading services are greatly enhanced by this new agreement with IMAX."

As part of this agreement, Technicolor, through its wholly owned subsidiary Consolidated Film Industries (CFI) will provide IMAX with a full suite of film laboratory services that will reduce the cost for IMAX film prints, representing increased operational savings for IMAX® theatres and filmmakers using IMAX's post-production facility.

For more than 75 years CFI has offered integrated film laboratory services to motion picture image makers and has received 13 Academy Awards for technical achievement. CFI caters to studios and the independent film community offering 16mm, 35mm, and 65mm film developing; 35mm and 70mm printing and restoration; digital film recording; telecine, and digital imaging. CFI is the world's leader in large format 65/70mm film processing.

Founded in 1967, IMAX Corporation is one of the world's leading entertainment technology companies. IMAX's businesses include the world's best cinematic presentations together with IMAX, IMAX 3D and the development of the highest quality digital production and presentation. The IMAX brand is recognized throughout the world for extraordinary and immersive family experiences. As of September 2001, there were more than 220 IMAX theatres operating in 30 countries. More than 700 million people have seen an IMAX presentation since the medium premiered in 1970. IMAX Corporation is a publicly traded company listed on both the Toronto and Nasdaq stock exchanges. IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation. More information on the Company can be found at http://www.imax.com.

About Technicolor

Technicolor is a Thomson multimedia (Paris Euroclear: 18453; NYSE: TMS) business within Digital Media Solutions, a Thomson division focused on giving content providers, broadcasters, network operators, and advertisers the digital building blocks required to deploy electronic entertainment services. Technicolor serves a worldwide client base through its Packaged Media Group, Film Group and Entertainment Services Divisions. Technicolor has evolved as the number one processor of motion picture film to become the world's largest independent manufacturer and distributor of DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, CD- Audio and Videocassettes. On an annualized basis, the production capacity is approximately 250 million DVDs, 500 million CDs and 800 million videocassettes.

With main offices in Camarillo, Calif., Technicolor serves an international base of entertainment and software customers with its facilities in the U.S, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Australia. Key Technicolor customers include Hollywood studios and game and software publishers, with major Hollywood clients including Disney, DreamWorks, New Line and Warner. Software publishers include Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on management assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Important factors that could effect these statements include the timing of theatre system deliveries, the mix of theatre systems shipped, the timing of the recognition of revenues and expenses on film production and distribution agreements, the viability of new businesses and fluctuations in foreign currency and in the large format and general commercial exhibition market. These factors and other risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000 and in the subsequent reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 08-17-2005, 01:15 AM:

quote:
TORONTO, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- IMAX Corporation (Nasdaq: IMAX - news; Toronto :IMX - news) today announced that it has reached an exclusive five-year service agreement with Technicolor, a Thomson multimedia business (Paris Euroclear: 18453; NYSE: TMS) which will enable IMAX® theatres to purchase film prints from IMAX at a significantly reduced cost.

This was in early 2002, what happens in early 2007? What is significant? Do these Imax theaters actually get to purchase film prints?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-17-2005, 08:05 AM:

Jope, If you believe everything you read then you better read this......

I read in the Chicago Tribune this morning that that the world is ending day after tommrrow.

I really dislike information that is merely copied over and posted, it makes me want to get "Joe" back out again. Heck even Dale's info you posted about what was going on at commons was wrong! Why not call the lab and get a quote on making 60 - 15/70 prints of something like "The Aviator" and then get back to us? Lab work is VERY expensive and pricing is sometimes governed by inside politics, especially 70mm lab work. I can relate several nice stories from a friend that assisted in several of the 70mm restorations about that politics that goes on within the labs.

Mark

Posted by Joseph L. Kleiman (Member # 3097) on 08-17-2005, 08:33 AM:

Mark,

My legal team has advised me to change my earlier message to the following:

For those who are interested in experiencing the grueling process of developing a 70mm print, I had the pleasure of touring the CFI lab last month: www.worldenteractive.com/cfi.htm

Joe

[ 08-17-2005, 07:44 PM: Message edited by: Joseph L. Kleiman ]

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 08-17-2005, 10:01 AM:

Now, now, fellas. Things are starting to get testy. I didn't initiate this thread to see it drift into the land of conflict.

I think Joseph should at least be given credit for citing a source. He did the correct thing from a journalistic standpoint. Even if a source turns out to be incorrect, it's irrelevant in a sense. Anyone who bothers to cite sources gets bonus points as far as I'm concerned, which is more than you can say about at least half the clowns out there posting shit on the Internet.

Posted by Nishanth Reddy (Member # 3346) on 10-10-2005, 01:33 PM:

IMAX is doing really well in India.At present there are 3 IMAX theatres in India.The one in the city of Mumbai/Bombay has the world's biggest IMAX Dome theatre (12,700 sq.ft/30 meter).Two of these theatres are in the top 5 list of IMAX theatres in terms of performance worldwide.A lot of theatres across the country have shown interest in setting up IMAX theatres,so India is expected to be the fasting growing market after China for IMAX.

Posted by Joseph L. Kleiman (Member # 3097) on 10-10-2005, 02:54 PM:

Adlabs, which runs the dome, has stated that it has no plans for additional IMAX theaters. Sathyam, which runs the other two, just signed on for two additional MPX systems, so soon India will have five IMAX theaters. According to Rich Gelfond, India needs around 20 IMAX theaters to make it feasible for Bollywood films to be released in IMAX DMR.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 10-10-2005, 04:32 PM:

At Ontario Place we run 35mm Bollywood and I beleive several other IMAX theatres do as well so there would probably be an export market

Posted by Joseph L. Kleiman (Member # 3097) on 10-10-2005, 04:59 PM:

I would imagine so. Bollywood seems to do well in communities with large Indian populations. I attended one of the seminars on international theater programming and marketing at ShoWest during which the gentleman from VUE Cinemas in the UK mentioned how on slow nights they build up attendance by showing international fare to niche audiences, such as Indian or Pakistani movies. As for DMR of foreign films, such as Bollywood or Asian cinema, it's a great idea, but I don't see it happening anytime soon.

Posted by Nishanth Reddy (Member # 3346) on 10-11-2005, 12:55 AM:

IMAX theatres in India are in the cities of Mumbai,Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.Sathyam Cinemas,India is yet to open an IMAX theatre in Chennai.Deals have been signed and the first IMAX theatre would be operational by early next year.The other three would be operational by 2008.

I think IMAX right now has struck around 7 deals in India.I think we will be having over 10 IMAX theatres in the country by 2008.

Bollywood would be more interested in releasing their films for digital projection rather than IMAX.So as Joseph mentioned,I don't see Indian movies in the IMAX format anytime soon.