The Big Picture

Each year, Digital Cinema Report presents the Catalyst Award to the best new technology introduced at CinemaCon, the annual convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners. At this year’s show, held April 23-26 at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, people from more than seventy countries gathered to discuss the latest issues, trends and technologies in motion picture distribution and exhibition. One technology trend stood out. For many reasons, until now, event cinema has been an exhibition afterthought. That changed this year. This year three of the seven Catalyst Award winners were specifically designed to facilitate event cinema. Event cinema is on the rise.

Moviehouse and Eatery, a Texas exhibitor whose theatres feature wall-to-wall screens, plush recliners and a full-service kitchen and bar with a chef-prepared menu, had a challenge: they wanted to build a social media presence to harness their existing clients’ experience and leverage the engagement to further their overall marketing efforts. In May 2015 M&E engaged Social Flash Media, a local Austin, Texas company to dramatically improve their social presence by way of their existing clientele. SFM has created what the company says is the first unattended marketing social photo station powering a diverse social marketing pipeline.

Digital Cinema Report recently teamed up with global cinema software leader Arts Alliance Media to ask exhibitors around the world how they see their businesses evolving over the next five years. We especially wanted to know their thoughts on technology, both what they’re using today and what they plan to use in the future. I sat down with John Aalbers, CEO of AAM to discuss the survey results.

For a company that’s relatively new to the professional cinema business, Samsung has had an impressive year and there are no signs it’s slowing down. In March at CinemaCon 2017 in Las Vegas, and working with GDC Technology, the company created a major stir by unveiling its prototype LED Cinema Screen. Two months later it finalized its $8 billion acquisition of audio giant Harman International, including, importantly here, the JBL cinema group. Following that, and in short order, the company received DCI-compliance certification for its LED screen technology and installed its first commercial cinema screen in South Korea. A few weeks ago, Samsung installed a second LED screen in the same South Korean theatre. In just seven months Samsung has seriously disrupted the professional cinema market.