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Topic: New to Digital Cinema - Tips, Promos, Checklists

Ryan Navaroli
Film Handler

Posts: 63
From: Athens, OH, USA
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 02-09-2009 10:40 PM

Hello all,

Our situation is as follows. We are an single theater independent company operating 11 first run screens and a hit of academy titles. Of our 11 screens we are converting 3 of our biggest 5 houses (including the 2 largest 200 seaters) to digital (Christie) theaters with all outfitted with Real-D 3D technology. Since we do not have much of a knowledge base of our own to pool I'd love to see what kind of input you all have. We are set to open are 3D February 27th. We are a college town with community population of 20,000 and a student population of 20,000 but service a larger area than that as well.

The areas we are most interested on are as follows.
1) Ways to promote our new 3D technology.
There is only one other 3D screen at a small 4 screen theater in a 2hr driving radius of us. So we plan on hitting all the newspapers and some radio.

2) Checklists for maintenance etc
We will most likely have a crash course on the tech from the install guys but if any has any general ideas or actual lists they've created regarding keeping our digital houses running smoothly for as long as possible.

3) Any other general tips... anything

Hopefully this can serve as a sort of agregate thread for people looking at digital/3D for their theater and/or for people wanting to improve their operations.

Thanks in advance.

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Julio Roberto
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 938
From: Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Registered: Oct 2008

posted 02-09-2009 11:53 PM

First, I would recommend reading this thread, so it doesn't catch you off-guard later on:

http://www.film-tech.com/ubb/f16/t000007.html

Then, you may also enjoy visiting this site if you missed it in the previous topics about it:

http://digitalcinema.disney.com/

It has some training videos giving tips on how to run the 3D shows, a list of Disney approved equipment, etc.

Also, you may want to consider other systems rather than RealD, such as the equivalent Master Image recently discussed or the Dolby. They are cheaper in the medium/long run and as effective or better.

Any "stuff" (i.e. dust) in the silver screen depolarizes light, so you want it to keep it clean. At the same time, most silver screens can not be cleaned at all and spots etc on them are very noticeable. Ask your installer about the best way to maintain it and be extra careful during installation, etc.

Get nice, flashy graphics for the 3D ads, sort of like this i.e.:

http://www.best-of-web.com/search_term_pages/3d_glasses.html
[Picture is of a drawing of a man wearing 3D glasses and eating popcorn]

but much better -- and make sure the glasses are not red-blue [Wink]

Put signs somewhere saying that people should avoid getting fingerprints and popcorn oil on the glasses. If your theaters don't usually get too crowded, you may want to put there also that the best seats are those in the middle and the back, as the front corners would be the worst places for 3D and silver screens in general. You wouldn't need this as much if you went the Dolby route.

Eventually studios are going to demand higher light levels for 3D shows, so you may want to make sure your equipment will be able to produce or be upgraded to at least 6fl when watched through the 3D glasses.

Can't think of anything else right now, other than wish you the best of luck!!!!

[ 02-10-2009, 07:50 PM: Message edited by: Julio Roberto ]

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Poon Limpapun
Film Handler

Posts: 40
From: Pathumwhan Bangkok Thailand
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 02-10-2009 11:54 AM

What we do at our theatres is that we get one of our ushers to do an announcement inside the theatre to remind patrons to turn their electronics off and inform them how to use these glasses and such.

We also have the Checklist and these are really basic, stuff like lamp usage, daily & weekly maintenance and these details can be obtained from your manufacturer rep.
Furthermore, we also have our ushers come in to check the picture quality every 30 minutes or so and they have to sign the sheet which is located inside the auditorium and then the MOD would come and do a check regularly.

In terms of promotions, we set up an Info board in the lobby with LCD screens and such to inform audience on the technology and convince them to pay more to go 3D.

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-10-2009 12:02 PM

If you are the first in your market to get 3D, this seems like a really good chance to get some free advertising. Try to invite the science or technology reporters from your local newspapers and TV stations to come out and do a story on "how DLP 3D works" or something like that. This shouldn't cost anything other than a small amount of time, and it might be a very easy and cheap way to get the word out that you have 3D capability.

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