Vista Group International has signed Aeon Entertainment, its first customer in Japan. Japan is one of the top five film exhibition markets in the world according to box office revenue. Vista Group companies Vista Entertainment Solutions and Movio, will provide their respective cinema management and marketing data analytics software to Aeon who operate 91 cinema sites throughout Japan comprising 774 screens.
Media industry veteran Mark Brown has launched Tono Labs, a systems integrator with expertise in audio, video, control, automation and networking, for applications that include cinema, pro AV, enterprise, broadcast and home entertainment.
A neuroscience research project conducted by Screenvision Media says that movie theatres are optimized for advertising. According to the research, moviegoers view the screen for 84 percent of an ad's duration. Viewers also pay more attention to ads in cinema's immersive environment than they do on television, the research found, where more than half of viewers lose attention during ads.
As the trend toward boothless cinemas grows, Arttech Cinema has introduced the Tibex T/WS projector lift, the only product of its kind on the market with a turntable, which enables easy access to the projector from every side for service and repairs.
Award-winning animation studio Laika has announced that its fifth and most ambitious film to date, Missing Link, will be released in the U.S. next spring. The name, release date and complete cast details were revealed by Laika president and CEO Travis Knight prior to meetings with foreign buyers at the Cannes Film Festival. Annapurna Pictures will distribute Missing Link in the U.S.. AGC International, the sales and distribution division of AGC Studios, is handling international sales.
Vista Entertainment has appointed Till Cussmann senior vice president sales for EMEA and general manager, Europe. He will report to Mischa Kay, managing director of Vista Entertainment Solutions EMEA.
A new Buy Tickets button is now available on Fandango’s Instagram profile, providing movie fans seamless access to show times and ticketing at more than 30,000 screens nationwide. This is in addition to the Shop button, connecting to movie merchandise and ticketing offers, including movie poster and collectible gifts-with-purchase available to Fandango ticket buyers through shopping on Instagram. Fandango ticketing will also roll out on movie-specific Instagram destinations in the coming weeks.
20th Century Fox and ScreenX are in advanced discussions to continue their partnership and release new films in the panoramic 270-degree cinema technology format. Following the success of Kingsman: The Golden Circle, 20th Century Fox and ScreenX plan to join forces again in 2018.
Online ticket sales company Fandango has launched an action on the Google Assistant that lets users purchase movie tickets using just their voice. Users can purchase tickets on any compatible device with the Google Assistant, including smart speakers like the Google Home, Android phones, televisions, headphones and more. Fandango ticketing is scheduled to launch on the Google Assistant for iOS devices by the end of the year.
Fathom Events and BritBox will present Harry & Meghan: The Royal Wedding in nearly 200 U.S. cinemas commercial free on May 19 at 10 a.m. local time, through Fathom’s digital broadcast network. Tickets for Harry & Meghan: The Royal Wedding can be purchased at Fathom’s website or participating box offices. BritBox is the subscription service from BBC Studios and ITV.
