UK exhibitor Apollo Cinemas has launched the More campaign which is designed to give consumers a wide range of alternative viewing content. The chain uses Sony Digital Cinema 4K technology.
The campaign introduces the vast array of new content now available at Apollo Cinemas from partners including The Royal Opera House Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and the English National Opera. Big stage musical theatre opera and ballet productions are no longer confined to the London stage as Apollo cinema brings live 3D performances to communities nationwide.
Customers can also now enjoy all their favorite sports from football to rugby boxing racing tennis basketball and many more in live 3D in the comfort of their local Apollo cinema. Not only that with live music festivals gigs and concerts all in amazing 5.1 surround sound it will feel like you're on stage with the performing artist.
Last month Apollo continued its Global Season of Opera and Ballet with screenings of operatic film Carmen in 3D. Filmed in 3D during two performances at the Royal Opera House Carmen in 3D is a feature film depicting acclaimed director George Bizet’s opera classic.
To kick start the More campaign the first live artist album launch took place last month at the Apollo Cinema in London’s Piccadilly where Avril Lavigne launched her new album with a Q&A and 3D video screening for fans.
Nicole Oakley marketing manager at Apollo Cinemas says As a leading cinema chain Apollo is at the forefront of innovation by pioneering new and dynamic ways to communicate with its customer-base. Our partnership with Sony Digital Cinema allows Apollo to offer the ultimate digital cinema experience to all our valued guests. The Sony 4K technology provides outstanding image and sound quality and enables us to extend our programming to alternative content delivering new and exciting experiences for our existing and future customers.”
David McIntosh director Sony Professional Solutions Europe says “This exciting partnership clearly demonstrates Sony Digital Cinema’s commitment to the long-term success of the industry heralding the next generation of 4K digital cinema experience. It enables Apollo to capitalize on the enormous opportunities that digital cinema offers to strengthen and sustain their business as well as to revolutionize the movie-going experience for its customers.” ,2302
Aura Group Licenses Movie Show Time Ticketing Technology to Google,2011-03-24,The Aura Group a new media advertising and consulting agency has partnered with Google's rich media advertising division DoubleClick to use Aura's proprietary movie ticketing and show time advertising technology MovieConnect. DoubleClick is an online ad management and serving technology that allows advertisers and third party developers to plan buy and manage campaign activities. DoubleClick users can promote their technology and advertisements to buyers around the world through DoubleClick Ad Exchange which connects advertisers developers and agencies. MovieConnect displays movie times and theater locations into any online advertisement and will send information back to the user in real time via the advertisement Twitter or Facebook. Through the partnership the Aura Group will license MovieConnect technology to Google which will be used as an advertising feature for DoubleClick subscribers. Google DoubleClick serves billions of online ads for the film industry. A partnership between MovieConnect and Google DoubleClick just makes sense; they serve a significant amount of film studio's online media says David Bailey CEO of the Aura Group. MovieConnect enhances online movie banner advertisements mobile applications Facebook apps and online widgets by automatically identifying the consumer's location and displaying the closest theaters and show times in-line with immediate ticketing options and social elements. Consumers can elect to have theater and show time information sent to their mobile devices to take on the go creating highly personalized and localized advertising content. The Aura Group's service also takes advantage of popular social media platforms and offers the ability to both tweet show time info and/or post it to your Facebook wall. You can click through to buy tickets immediately says Bailey. We have seen an over 300 percent interaction rate for MovieConnect. Moviegoers love seeing local theaters in their ads. The Aura Group www.theauragroup.com MovieConnect www.movieconnect.net ,2303
From Sound to Silence Now Available on BigStar,2011-03-24,Brooklyn Girl Productions’ award-winning documentary film From Sound to Silence winner of the Best Inspirational Documentary prize at the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival is now available on the on-demand platform BigStar. The film documents the life-changing moment of Justin Garrett a man who had been profoundly deaf since birth making history as the first recipient of a bilateral or double cochlear implant in Oklahoma. Prior to the surgery Garrett had less than two percent hearing in both ears. Today he has nearly ninety-eight percent hearing thanks to the miracles of modern medical technology delivered via his Nucleus cochlear implants made by Cochlear. BigStar the social discovery and demand platform provides an outlet for global audiences to get personalized movie recommendations from friends and watch titles instantly through a variety of Internet-connected devices. The BigStar Movies You Demand App is available on iPhone iPad Android Palm WebOS Roku PopBox Yahoo! Widgets and Vizio TV sets. More compatible devices are coming soon. ,2305
Academy Theatre at Lighthouse International Installs Christie Projection ,2011-03-25,The Academy Theatre at Lighthouse International in New York City has installed a Christie CP2000 Series digital cinema projector. The 210-seat Academy Theatre is located within the facility of Lighthouse International. Featuring 3D capability and other state-of-the-art film and video technology the recently renovated theater is home to the Academy's screenings and special events that include their monthly Monday Nights with Oscar public film series as well as Lighthouse-related activities such as first run movies and previews for their donors VIP events staff meetings and briefings. Best known for its Oscar telecast the Academy is involved in a wide range of educational outreach preservation and research activities. Lighthouse International a leading nonprofit organization is dedicated to fighting vision loss through prevention treatment and empowerment. It achieves this through clinical and rehabilitation services education research and advocacy. The Academy and Lighthouse International recently signed a ten-year contract that extends the relationship they have had since 2002. “Our partnership with the Academy has certainly improved our facility and created a state-of-the-art theater that benefits both organizations ” says Mark G. Ackermann president and CEO of Lighthouse International. The Christie projection system was specified and installed by Digital Media Systems. The company specializes in providing complete equipment and engineering support for world premiere screenings preview screenings multiplex and screening room installation service and maintenance. “I’ve personally worked with Christie projectors since 1996. Six years ago my company partnered with Christie because we believed they had the best cinema equipment available and over the years they have proven me right time and time again ” says Gregg Paliotta president and owner of Digital Media Systems. “The Academy which relies on professional consultants like Digital Media Systems agreed with our decision since they recognized the strength of Christie’s reputation and the support it has in the cinema industry.” In addition to powering the theater with a Christie DLP Cinema projector Digital Media Systems selected the Christie IPM 2K to process a variety of alternative content such as computer graphics standard definition video and HDTV. Paliotta says “All of our clients who include major studios and post-production houses are also most comfortable with Christie products.” Founded in 1927 by 36 of the most influential men and women in the motion picture industry at the time the Academy is an honorary membership organization whose ranks now include more than 6 000 artists and professionals dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures. Christie Digital Systems www.christiedigital.com ,2307
Unique Screen Media Signs B&B Theatres to Exclusive Deal ,2011-03-25, Unique Screen Media the cinema advertising subsidiary of Cinedigm will be B&B Theatres’ exclusive agent for in-theatre and web-based advertising services. Terms of the long-term agreement are not being disclosed.
Celebrating its 87th year in business B&B Theatres operates 30 movie theatres with more than 200 auditoriums throughout Missouri Oklahoma Kansas and Florida. Last October B&B opened an all-digital theatre in Wildwood Missouri complete with two Marquee Suites auditoriums catering exclusively to the over-21 movie patron.
Unique Screen Media performs cinema and web-based advertising services for more than 50 independent movie exhibition partners representing more than 2 500 theatre auditoriums in over 280 theatres throughout 35 states. “B&B Theatres’ progressive approach to theatre operations coupled with our commitment to maintaining a patron-friendly cinema experience through PreFlix provides tremendous opportunities for our respective companies ” says John B. Brownson president of Unique Screen Media. Bob Bagby president of B&B Theatres says “We are proud to extend our long-term relationship with UniqueScreen Media. For 10 years they have been a true partner in exhibition in the markets in which we operate and we are thrilled that the partnership will continue for many many more years.
In 2010 Cinedigm and B&B Theatres announced entering into a CBG Phase 2 digital deployment agreement through which B&B Theatres would convert its theatres to digital cinema with Cinedigm administering and managing the systems under its Virtual Print Fee agreements with all the major studios for up to a ten-year term.
Apollo Cinemas Launches More Campaign
