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Hollywood, Going Digital and
Movie Piracy
Comments from a
talk by
Nick Perry
Managing Director,
Cinetech Australia
An important step towards first-
rate digital cinema (D Cinema) was
the recent agreement by the major
studios on a technical standard for
image brightness.
Distributors stand to be the big
winners in this upheaval, effectively
becoming the masters of the
projection room. As reported many
times, the stumbling block to the
changeover is cost; five times that of
Reading at Waurn Ponds has eight
conventional projectors, for an
screens with seating ranging from 100
image and sound equal to the
to 545 patrons. A predominantly red,
current system. There is no
multi-pattern carpet is laid throughout
competitive advantage for
all foyers and the cinemas, where the
exhibitors.
emphasis is on space and comfort. All
Hollywood heavyweights
cinemas have maximum size Harkness
George Lucas and James Cameron
screens.
see D Cinema 3D as the extra step
Cinema One is the large show-
needed to get patrons out of their
piece. A high ceiling conveys
homes and into a cinema. Glasses
spaciousness, and art-deco themed wall are still necessary, but this system
lights, reveal alternating maroon and Top: Cinema 1. The screen is utilizes battery power to operate a
gold wall drapes. This theatre has red 19m.x10.3m. Image: Jim Barrand fast shutter that alternates vision
seats. The front stalls are set as three Above: The Kinoton FP 50D projector and from eye to eye to create the
curved rows, then stadium-style seating platter for Cinema 7. The lamp output is stereoscopic illusion.
offers perfect sightlines. 1000 watt for this cinema of 100 seats,
compared with 7000 watt for Cinema 1 Cameron’s stated decision to
In the other cinemas the wall drapes release his forthcoming Battle Angel
with 545 seats.
and seats are blue, and a red panel
only in DLP 3D, is unlikely to sway
across the rear wall/projection ports
Mr. Peter Goodman, General Manager too many exhibitors at this stage. In
provides a colour contrast. One simple
of Reading Cinemas, Waurn Ponds for my view it will be a useful tool for
difference between these cinemas is the
allowing CATHS free reign of the selected films, but not the
variation in the design and colours of
complex. David Lovell and Secretary breakthrough to digital transmission
their wall lights.
Mike Trickett provided the film its sponsors would like.
An immaculate, and exceptionally selections. Film piracy is estimated to cost
spacious T-shaped projection room is
Emerging into sunlight, about 25 the industry $5.4 billion each year.
the technical heart of the complex.
members completed a fun day with a While the film industry’s anti-piracy
Eight Kinoton FP50 projectors and
barbeque lunch at the home of Mike campaign is at last gathering force
Kinoton automation supply the image
and Barb Trickett, followed by more with more raids, seizures of
for each screen.
films in their Cine-Pix Theatrette. H equipment, charges and guilty pleas,
Lamp sizes vary from 1600w to some law enforcement agencies and
* Reading Cinemas Inc. opened in
7000w according to screen size. the public still do not always take
Australia in Townsville in 1996 and has
Schneider wide-screen lenses and the issue seriously.
expanded to 17 theatres and 115
Schneider Cinelux Anamorphic Estimates of the returns to
screens.
CinemaScope lenses are the standard distributors in four black-market
optics. The sound is Dolby DA20, with In Victoria, Reading has cinemas at industries sum up why the problem
Electrovoice speakers. The slide Chirnside Park, Melton, Sunbury and will never go away:
projectors are Kodak Ektaro. Waurn Ponds. In 1999 Reading Cocaine - 100 percent return,
CATHS President Gerry Kennedy redeveloped the Classic Cinema Heroin - 420 percent, Pirate DVDs -
spoke for the group when he applauded Elsternwick. 800 percent and Microsoft software
Richard Twentyman for his enthusiasm In New Zealand Reading has 8 - 900 percent. Taiwan is the world
and input for the visit, and thanked the cinemas and 45 screens, including capital of film piracy. Very few
obliging Reading team on hand. Gerry complexes at Courtenay Central, black market copies originate from
asked Richard to convey our thanks to Wellington and The Palms, Australia.
Christchurch.
CINEMARECORD 2005 7