EXHIBITION UNIC A letter exclusively for Cinema Technology readers from the Union Internationale des Cinémas/ The International Union of Cinemas Re-introducing UNIC The International Voice of Cinema Exhibition Jan Runge UNIC Chief Executive As we are preparing the first annual report of the recently re-launched Union Internationale des Cinémas, Europe s trade body representing exhibitors in 25 countries, it becomes even clearer that the past year has been an extraordinary one. Although it happened with little fanfare, the point at which digital screens became a majority in the world - we passed 50% in early January - represented a key tipping point for the sector. This is both exciting news as well as a reminder to those that have not yet converted their screens that time to do so is running out. In terms of market performance, the picture remained mixed, with 2011 seeing many positive changes but also some less positive results across several UNIC territories, the latter often being a result of the economic downturn. However, Russian box office, for example, continued to grow significantly. And so did the Turkish market. In the European Union, France did extraordinarily well also thanks to great films such as The Intouchables. Norway also did very well and, by the way, was the first European (and UNIC) territory to become 100 per cent digital in 2011. It is the opportunities as well as the uncertainties attached to the current digital transformation that demand that the exhibition sector organises itself internationally and speaks with one voice vis-à-vis governments and other industry stakeholders. Cinema exhibition is a serious industry worth 6.5 billion of box-office intake in the EU alone. It requires an international body that represents and defends the sector s interests. That s UNIC s role and that s why we went through a significant phase of reform in the past 12 months. In 2011 our members implemented their decision to relocate UNIC from Paris to Brussels to be closer to and more involved in European decision-making that has an impact on the film and cinema industry. Since August we are operating out of new offices located a stone s throw away from the European Commission and the European Parliament, a move that is already paying off in terms of contacts and influence. Next to monitoring the digital rollout and related key challenges such as standardization our focus so far has been on highlighting the value of an exclusive and extensive theatrical exploitation window for the entire industry before government and other industry associations, promoting more appropriate collective rights management conditions in relation to theatrical exhibition, fighting film theft and ensuring that policies in relation to digital cinema truly benefit exhibitors. However, advocacy is only part of the story. CineEurope Since 2011, UNIC also co-organises CineEurope, Europe s premier get together of the exhibition sector, and the official convention of UNIC. CineEurope serves as a central meeting point to the pan-european cinema industry, bringing together representatives from 50 countries to discover the latest trends in the sector, network and do business. In 2012, CineEurope announced its historical move away from Amsterdam, its home for over more than a decade. This year, the convention will for the first time be held from 18-21 June 2012 at El Centro de Convenciones Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB), Spain. The line-up of content that will be shown by the studios as well as by some independent exhibitors already looks impressive and we hope to reveal a detailed conference programme soon - the draft programme can be accessed via our website www.unic-cinemas. org. The trade floor at this year s convention is likely to dwarf those of the previous shows as we expect several new products and services to be launched in Barcelona. In additional to this, the conference programme - to a large extent designed by UNIC for the benefit of the European exhibition sector - is important to us. Latest trends in digital projection, content delivery and screen advertising are just some of the topics that will be covered. The conference strand will also feature the Cinema: Digital Innovation Award aimed at encouraging radical new thinking that helps film theatres reach out to new audiences and better engage outside the screening room using the internet, social media and smart phone applications. UNIC invited digital agencies, developers, communications experts, entrepreneurs and film lovers to submit their ideas by May 31st to a high profile selection committee. Shortlisted candidates will have the chance to pitch their project proposal during a seminar session at CineEurope, in front of cinema owners, investors and experts. The ultimate winner will be chosen at the end and awarded a prize in cash. What are our plans for the coming year, then? A key issue for us in the coming year will be to continue on the positive development path described above while ensuring organizational and financial stability. UNIC will celebrate its 60th birthday in November 2012 and the 12 months thereafter. Cinema exhibitors will be able to celebrate the fact that they continue to touch the lives of billions of people across the globe. They will also look back at decades of extraordinary entertainment and growth. A key issue for UNIC will be to ensure that exhibition s outlook is as positive as its past. Jan Runge 0 cinema technology june 2012 www.cinematechnologymagazine.com
Powered by Galaxy Studios & Barco NEWSREEL INDUSTRY NEWS The Editor s Pick - Jim Slater highlights some of the more interesting and important recent happenings in the global cinema business. April to June 2012 must be some of the busiest months that our thriving cinema industry has every seen. CinemaCon in late April followed immediately after a fascinating SMPTE Technology Summit on Cinema at the NAB Show, giving the various exhibitors and presenters hardly time to catch their breath before they, their stands and their technical demos cross the Atlantic in a move to CineEurope s debut appearance in Barcelona. The move from Amsterdam promises to provide a real stimulus for the European cinema exhibition business and a chance for a whole new audience to acquaint themselves with the promising new technologies that are pushing forward the state of the art at what must be one of the most exciting times ever for our business. This issue of Cinema Technology magazine will be on your desks in good time for CineEurope, but as we go to press some of the exhibitors are still finalising their plans, so our CT news from around the world this time includes not simply a CineEurope Preview, but an interesting mix of what the manufacturers showed in Las Vegas and what they will be concentrating on in Barcelona. CineEurope booth numbers are indicated where appropriate. BARCO AURO 3D SOUND SEES SPEEDY TAKEUP Barco s Auro 11.1 3D sound format for cinemas continues to be installed at Auro-3D Creating a new dimension in sound leading exhibitors around the world. Recently, Cinema City International and Blitz Cinestar have selected Auro 11.1 as their preferred cinema sound format which creates the most immersive cinema experience available for moviegoers. Content providers such as Lucasfilm Ltd., Bad Robot Productions and Jerry Bruckheimer are supporting Auro 11.1, the next-generation cinema audio format. Leading cinema sound format. Barco say that more than 100 cinema screens have now been equipped with Barco Auro 11.1 CineEurope BOOTH 226 sound technology, making it the leading premium cinema sound format worldwide.... and links with Doremi servers At CinemaCon Barco and Doremi announced that they are teaming up to launch fully integrated, ready-to-use projection and media server solutions for Digital Cinema. Combining Barco s expertise in projection technology and Doremi s proven playback solutions, the integrated packages make life easier for cinemas converting to digital. The combined projection and media server packages are installed, tested and certified in the factory, providing true turnkey cinema solutions. The packages are fully ready to support High Frame Rate (HFR) 3D and Auro 11.1 3D sound technology. CineEurope SUITE E TURNKEY SOLUTIONS FROM CAMSTAGE Over more than twenty years Camstage has established a global reputation as a specialist provider of a full range of technical and design servcies, providing turnkey solutions for the cinema and theatre industry. At CineEurope in Barcelona they will be showing off a range of their capabilities, including screen installations, masking systems, wall drapes, and acoustic panelling, and would be delighted to talk with existing and future customers. CineEurope BOOTH 604 DOLBY REVEAL ATMOS Dolby revealed its exciting new Atmos immersive sound system (see article on page 54 for a full technical explanation) at CinemaCon, and visitors to Cine Europe will have the chance to experience this for themselves. Keeble House 81 Island Farm Rd West Molesey Surrey KT8 2SA Tel: +44(0)20 8939 5900 Fax: +44(0)20 8939 5901 www.soundassociates.co.uk Cinema The leading UK cinema supplier with the largest installed base service for UK and overseas commissioning and support 12 cinema technology june 2012 www.cinematechnologymagazine.com
...and glasses-free 3D Although there there don t appear to be any plans to apply the new technology to cinemas just yet, it was fascinating to see that at NAB Dolby joined forces with Philips to unveil a 3D HD format claimed to be suitable for any size display. Philips has a long history in 3D technologies, and Dolby has developed the technology so that it could operate over existing distribution systems. It boasts 26 different viewing angles, far more than I have seen on previous glassesfree demonstrations, and reports from those watching said that the 3D effect was impressive from a wide range of viewing angles. There were no useful technical details available, of course, and no predictions as to when the system might be rolled out, but Dolby believes that it can work with Philips to bring the same philosophy to 3D that Dolby has brought to the audio market, integrating their technologies and strengths throughout the entire content chain. It will be interesting to see what comes out of this in the longer term. CineEurope BOOTH 213 DOREMI CINEMA GROWS FAST Doremi Cinema, which claims to be the market leader in digital cinema server technologies, grew sales by 47% last year and continues to expand. It claims a 56% market share worldwide of digital cinema servers, having shipped well over 34,000 units world-wide. Doremi was the first server manufacturer to pass the Compliance Test Plan with its Integrated Media Block for use in a DLP Cinema Series II projector, offers the only DCI certified IMB commercially available to date, and has achieved certification for its complete line of 2K digital cinema servers. The company is also celebrating the installation of over 3,000 CaptiView closed caption systems and has recently introduced Fidelio a wireless audio system for the visually impaired and hard-of-hearing. CineEurope BOOTH 407 SECOND GENERATION IMB FROM GDC TECH GDC Tech showcases the second generation Integrated Media Block ( IMB ) SX-3000 Standalone IMB, which significantly lowers the operation, maintenance and installation costs for exhibitors as it does not require a costly server attached to each IMB. In addition to its High Frame Rate ( HFR ) capability in both 2D and 3D, the SX-3000 has the added benefit of supporting digital connectivity for alternative content such as 3G HD-SDI and HDMI input with image-scaling from HD to 4K. The SX-3000 permits long distance 2K and 4K content streaming and remote access via gigabit Ethernet, thereby greatly simplifying cinema multiplex operation. A simple yet feature-rich upgrade package will be available on the GDC SX series servers in third quarter (Q3) of 2012. CineEurope BOOTH 129 BRIGHTER 3D AND MORE FROM HARKNESS With the focus currently on getting the maximum brightness from 3D screens, Harkness has launched its Spectral 300 Screen, whose new silver surface is claimed to be very suitable for achieving brightness levels, particularly for 3D presentation in larger auditoria and James Cameron s long awaited 3D epic Titanic was premiered at The Albert Hall in London on the new screen. The Rave cinema group has recently adopted the Digital Screen Checker as a method for ensuring consistent brightness levels in auditoria, something that Cinema Technology magazine readers will hope will spread to many more cinemas worldwide. Demonstrating that it realises the growing importance of the Indian cinema marketplace, Harkness has opened new distribution facilities in Bangalore, and has a full manufacturing plant scheduled to open there by mid-2013. The company has long had a commitment to the future of the cinema business, and it was interesting to see that Harkness recently supported Barco with a demonstration of Barco s amazing prototype 55,000 lumen laser-illuminated projector. Harkness have also been active in getting over the message that a better screen not only provides better pictures but can also result in reduced operating costs as less-bright lamps can be used - their recent web seminar entitled The Importance of Screen Design In Achieving Correct Light Levels in 2D and 3D Cinema is reported on in detail page 64. CineEurope BOOTH 313 IMMSOUND EXPANSION Life has been busy for immsound, following the publication of our in-depth report on their system in the March issue of Cinema Technology magazine. The Impossible, the first movie created using the immsound system was released in April, a new immsound studio has been installed at Sonoblock in Barcelona, and at CinemaCon the company was able to impress hundreds of people with a great demo of their immersive 3D sound demonstration at the fully operational immsound certified Galaxy Cannery Theater in Las Vegas. Similar arrangements are being made for in-cinema demonstrations close to the CineEurope exhibition centre, so providing a chance for those European cinema people who haven t yet heard immsound to experience it for themselves. CineEurope BOOTH 135 JACK ROE - FILM AND DIGITAL The long-established family business will be exhibiting at CineEurope, offering everything a cinema might need, from installations to upgrades and everyday sundries, providing a one-stop shop for complete cinema solutions. People will be on hand to discuss and take orders for the wide range of product for which the company is renowned, as well as to provide the latest on their ticketing and point of sale sytems. CineEurope BOOTH 400 NEW CONTRACTS FOR MASTERIMAGE 3D Over the past year, MasterImage 3D has experienced significant growth with systems installed in more than 70 countries worldwide. MasterImage 3D has gained a number of important contracts for its 3D cinema system over recent months, including Shanghai Film Group Corporation s Shanghai Lian He Group, one of the largest and most influential cinema circuit groups in China. With more than 800 screens in major cities across the country including Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, Shanghai Lian He Cinema Group has been an early adopter of digital technology in China and has already rolled out 3D ready digital cinema solutions on many of its screens. As we have described in previous issues of Cinema Technology magazine, the MI-CLARITY3D digital cinema system is the new offering from MasterImage 3D, designed in three models for varying projection booths. It offers high-quality 3D presentation and is available through a compelling ownership-based pricing model. 14 cinema technology june 2012 www.cinematechnologymagazine.com
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY LASER POWER long and expensive speaker cables and conduit. Inexpensive Ethernet cable and a local AC power source can greatly reduce the cost of system wiring. The DXP is also useful in boothless cinema concepts as the entire sound system need not be located in a single, large rack. CineEurope BOOTH 629 BOOTHLESS CINEMAS A REALITY WITH QUBE IMDs Qube Cinema is helping its customers to realise the potential of digital cinema, and amongst an interesting range of products they showed at CinemaCon was the Qube Xi 4K Integrated Media Block. This is a high-speed redundant Gigabit Ethernet-based system, which will allow exhibitors to place their storage servers anywhere within, or even outside, the theater complex. Besides saving valuable square footage, Qube s new system will allow for whole new cinema designs, making boothless projection a practical reality. The Qube Xi 4K is designed to work with any digital projection systems that support an IMB, connecting to the server, decrypting and decoding content in real time. With this system, all of the exhibitor s server storage can be located in a secured central room. The Qube Xi 4K technology overcomes the significant restrictions of PCI Express-based IMBs, so there are no practical limitations of distance and no potential shielding issues. It allows the whole projection setup to be simplified and streamlined. The Qube Xi 4K supports HD, 2K, 4K, and stereoscopic 3D content in a wide variety of DCI-compliant formats. CineEurope BOOTH 301 SONY HFR AND COMPLETE SOLUTIONS Sony made headlines at CinemaCon with some spectacular high frame rate digital cinema demonstrations. They said that Sony Digital Cinema 4K customers will be able to experience unsurpassed 3D image quality through high frame rate playback without the need for complex hardware upgrades. Sony s software upgrade, which they are promising for the autumn at a reported price of around 3000 US dollars per projection system, will expand frame rate beyond the DCI-compliant 24 fps to 48 and 60 fps for 2D 2K and 3D 2K content. In addition to higher frame rates, the upgrade will also increase maximum bit-rates from 250 Mbps to 500 Mbps. At Cine Europe Sony will be promoting the company as the leader in 4K technology, offering state of the art Digital Projection Systems, Digital Signage, Alternative Content, Digital Surveillance, NOC, Nationwide Support and Flexible Financing. CineEurope BOOTH 223 NEW USHIO L SERIES - COST REDUCTION WITHOUT COMPROMISES Ushio, the leading manufacturer of Cinema Projection Lamps, is adding the L-Series to its product range. These lamps typically offer 30% extra warranty life compared to their standard DXL lamps without compromising on quality or reliability. Accordingly the total cost of ownership of these lamps is substantially lower. Nils Büker, Sales Director for EMEA, explains: With the digitalization of their booths, theatres have seen tremendous increases in their lamp costs. Ushio s L Series will help them to bring that cost down again. and he adds Our new L Series offers same or even longer warranty life compared to 35mm lamps. First responses from major cinema chains confirm that Ushio lamps are exceeding their expectations. All types are interchangeable with the standard types and are approved by the related projector manufacturers, in particular Barco, NEC and Sony. The L Series lamps will be released spring/summer 2012 and onwards. www.ushio.eu CineEurope BOOTH 117 USL s SOUND SOLUTIONS USL are well known to Cinema Technologyn magazine readers for their complete range of cinema sound equipment, and for providing the highest quality kit, with a reputation for reliability, at very competitive prices. They will be showing a wide range of cinema related equipment at Cine Europe, including their JSD-100 Digital Cinema Processor, the ECI-60 Electronic Cinema Interface, and their DAX- 602 and DAX-202 digital to analogue convertors. The company also offers a range of sound monitoring equipment, a digital audio tester, closed caption subtitling systems, and, my favourite, their RTM-100 Remote Theatre Manager which provides handheld control of digital cinema equipment. This unique system allows direct communication with theatre equipment such as digital audio processors, projectors, media and automation systems. CineEurope BOOTH 635 NEW VEEZI BY VISTA DESIGNED FOR INDEPENDENT CINEMAS New Zealand owned and operated company Vista is well known as a world leader in cinema management software, which is installed in over 50 countries. As well as providing software for Box Office, Concessions, Back Office and Web ticketing, the company is always coming up with new ideas, and its Facebook application appeals to a new generation of young cinema goers. Vista has just launched a major new product for independent cinemas, called Veezi by Vista. It is a cinema management application that has been built specifically for the independent cinema market, and is the outcome of a major development project that was partly funded by New Zealand s Ministry of Science and Innovation. Veezi uses the latest in cloud technologies, using a software as a service model. This makes all management functions accessible by the cinema owner and/or manager from any PC connected to the Internet. At the Point of Sale, Veezi uses the Vista POS system which is also connected via the Internet. Veezi has been designed to be very easy to access and use. A subscription model is offered, that can be trialled and purchased by visiting the Veezi. com web-site. It is claimed that cinema owners can be up and running using Veezi within less than one hour. The plan is to launch in Australia and New Zealand and then move into other key markets such as UK and Europe, USA, India and China. Veezi takes the complexity out of cinema operations and allows cinema owners to focus on the running of the business - it can run any independent cinema anywhere. Vista have also just announced a deal with Apollo Cinemas, the UK s sixth largest operator, for it s point of sale solution comprising Vista software and J2 Retail Systems touch screen terminals. CineEurope BOOTH 101 UNIVERSAL SOLUTIONS FROM XPAND 3D The global leader in the 3D active-glasses market, XpanD 3D manufactures state-of-the-art 3D technology and is a leading force behind the standardization of 3D protocols and services. In striving for universal solutions, XpanD aim to bring 3D to every aspect of digital life, both 3D cinema and home 3D entertainment as well as for professional environment, education, medicine and other fields, where replicating or imagining worlds in 3D is needed. XpanD 3D not only designs, manufactures and OEMs a range of consumer electronics 3D solutions, 18 cinema technology june 2012 www.cinematechnologymagazine.com
but also licenses 3D technology to third parties. Its Cinema 3D Glasses (X101) are the most popular active shutter glasses in the world, being used in more than 5,000 cinemas around the Globe, and the XpanD Infinity (X103) range offer improved brightness and contrast plus a longer battery life. CineEurope SUITE C UNIQUE DIGITAL SHOWCASE NEW DIGITAL CINEMA MANAGEMENT TOOLS At CineEurope Unique Digital will be showcasing their new suite of integrated Digital Cinema management tools and Advertising solutions. See the technology in action at CineSa s flagship cinema at Diagonal or contact marketing@mailudc. com for more information. CineEurope BOOTH 808 VOLFONI, CREATIVE 3D TECHNOLOGY Founded in 2007, the French company Volfoni is a leading 3D equipment specialist. Mastering the whole production process from R&D to distribution, Volfoni offers 3D technologies for all 3D applications, like 3D Cinema, immersive simulation as well as engineering, home cinema and gaming. To match the increasing demand for 3D products, Volfoni has invested massively in R&D to become one of the few companies worldwide to offer both active and passive 3D solutions. The most demanding users appreciate Volfonis products as they provide creative solutions to the constantly changing needs of 3D applications. Thanks to its highly skilled team, Volfoni recently added a brand new 3D solution to their portfolio: SmartCrystal Cinema. This polarization modulator is easy to set-up with any DCIcompliant DLP projector and works with lamps up to 7kw. The product offers an excellent image quality and is a futureproof investment as it is already compatible to the upcoming High-Frame Rate contents. SmartCrystalTM Cinema allows a quick and easy installation in any projection situation with two optimal support brackets (illustrated). www.volfoni.com CineEurope BOOTH 507 ALCONS AUDIO OPEN IN INDIA Alcons Audio has opened a direct office presence in India, offering customers full factory support. The Dutch masters of sound will be operating out of Mumbai and Bangalore initially, with expansion planned to other cities in the near future. The initial hires for the Alcons India team include sound professionals Dhaval Mastakar (sales manager) and Amesh Sharma (technical support manager), both ex-harman. Akshata Sirsikar, who has a background in the Indian music industry, completes the team as head of marketing. Alcons made its entry into the Indian market in 2011 at the PALM Expo, and in the short span of time, it has managed to win over its own distinct set of admirers by distinguishing itself as the new brand that delivers a differently unique approach. Now in 2012, Alcons Audio has officially established Alcons Audio India Pvt Ltd. Pictured L-R: Amesh Sharma, Jan-Paul Douma (India MD), Akshata Sirsikar, Dhaval Mastakar and Tom Back (Alcon s co-founder and MD). ZEISS DONATION TO LIVERPOOL MUEUM Liverpool World Museum Planetarium has received a gift of 110,000 worth of projection equipment after visiting projectionists from the German optical company Zeiss discovered that the museum was still using one of the firm s projectors that had been installed when the venue opened in 1970. Zeiss have donated a Digital projection system to enable moving images covering the dome ceiling to be shown. The old projector will be retained for the showing of older archive programmes. The 62 seat venue re-opened to the public on January 30th 2012, and entry remains free. A new brand for the D Cinema business As Cinema Technology magazine was about to go to press the Cannes Film Festival was the venue for the surprise announcement that three of the leading service providers in Europe are to merge and develop a new common brand. XDC, FTT and BEWEGTE BILDER announced the merging and rebranding of their group to dcinex and the group s new corporate identity will be officially launched at Cine Europe. The decision to merge and develop the new common brand dcinex - is intended to leverage the enormous potential and knowledge base of the separate entities while reinforcing the synergies amongst all three parties. Serge Plasch, CEO of XDC, who is well known to many Cinema Technology readers said that with dcinex, the goal will be to strengthen the company s position as an end-to-end cinema sales and service organization and to create a leading brand with full geographic coverage across all European countries. He said that the time has come to join forces and fully utilize their wide range of know-how and experience. dcinex will operate under two main business lines: Exhibitor Services and Content Services. The company will continue to serve all players in the cinema industry in a streamlined and focused way. On the Exhibitor side, dcinex will focus on full service provision including equipment supply and installation, VPF financing, NOC Support and maintenance services. On the Content side dcinex will focus on offering the full range of postproduction and mastering services for distributors and content owners, as well as Pan-European physical and electronic delivery and digital rights management. Carsten Schuffert, who is XDC s Vice President of Content & Delivery Services, and CEO of BEWEGTE BILDER stressed that the versatility of the group members accounts for the company s past and current success and is the key to the continued development of dcinex in the future. dcinex combines lab and distribution services in different countries and will provide the group with both a national and a Pan-European scope. The group employs approximately 200 professionals in 14 countries throughout Europe. Look out for dcinex at CineEurope in Barcelona and more detail at www. dcinex.com. 20 cinema technology june 2012 www.cinematechnologymagazine.com
NEW TECHNICAL BULLETIN FROM MASTERIMAGE 3D Masterimage 3D have recently issued an interesting technical bulletin about HIGH FRAME RATES and 3D. It explains the background to the move to digital 3D projection, discusses the current 3D systems, using 24fps and double / triple flashing of each frame, and describes the limitations in perceived image quality that can occur due to motion and display based artifacts, pointing out that human vision has much greater capabilities than the current 3D images being shown in cinemas. Now that digital image capture and projection of motion pictures can be done at much higher frame rates due to the elimination of the mechanical film processes, with recent tests and demonstrations of high frame rate (HFR) digital 3D presentation having been done at 48 and 60 fps, it is becoming obvious that these high frame rates provide significant advantages in delivering improved image clarity and reducing or eliminating objectionable motion artifacts. MasterImage 3D supports the development of high frame rate motion picture image capture and projection, and the exciting new clarity and realism it can add to the 3D storytelling process. The MasterImage 3D MI-2100 series and the new MI-CLARITY3D models are all system ready for 3D presentation in high frame rate for 48 and 60 fps presentations, and have been successfully tested with HFR capable Series II DLP projection systems and upgraded IMBs (Integrated Media Block). The systems automatically sync with the 48 or 60 Hz GPIO signal output of the 3D HFR projector, and upgraded software/firmware for Series II DLP projectors and IMBs is expected to be available from system providers by mid-2012. For a copy of the bulletin and further details email: info@masterimage3d.com. 2011 UK ADMISSIONS HIT ALL- TIME HIGH UK Cinema admissions were at an all-time high in 2011 with 171.5 million people making a trip to the cinema, a 1.4% yearon-year increase from 2010. 2011 was also record breaking for UK box office for the third consecutive year, with cinemas throughout the UK achieving ticket sales of more than 1billion according to Rentrak. The 1,130,382,292 taken at the box office is a 5% increase on 2010 s sales, indicating that despite consumers tightening their belts, the cinema is one night out film lovers are unwilling to sacrifice. In contrast to America where audiences staying at home caused a 3% drop in revenues. 2011 was also a record breaking year for Empire Cinemas with significant growth of both VERITEK DIGITAL CINEMA ENGINEERS RECEIVES QUEENS AWARD Veritek Global, provider of technical service and support to the digital cinema market place (profiled in the December 2011 issue of Cinema Technology magazine) has received the Queen s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. This was awarded by Her Majesty The Queen, following the Prime Minister s recommendation. The award arises from Veritek s focus on delivering the highest quality service and support to its growing client base across Europe. Jim Edgar (left), Managing Director of Veritek, commented, The Queen s Award is amongst the most prestigious business awards that the UK offers. I am delighted that Veritek has been identified as a worthy recipient and I acknowledge the tremendous efforts of all of the people within Veritek who have made this possible. Veritek is a European supplier of technical service and support to the digital cinema sector providing support to the very latest digital projection system brands. The business provides highly skilled field engineers to ensure the maximum availability and uptime for technically challenging equipment where downtime could be critical. The company also operates in the diagnostic imaging, photo production and graphics sectors. www.veritekglobal.com admissions and box office takings. Empire out-performed the overall industry growth in both instances, with Admissions a substantial 5.4% ahead and Gross Box Office 1% ahead of the UK growth respectively, and hopes to build on this success in 2012. 2011 also saw the highest number of 3D films being presented to date with 48 making it on to the big screen, accounting for approximately one-fifth of box office takings. To build on this success, Empire Cinemas have introduced IMPACT screens to offer audiences a bigger screen, bigger sound and bigger experience making it the ultimate way to watch blockbuster movies. 22 cinema technology june 2012 www.cinematechnologymagazine.com