Alameda, CA, USA –The USS Hornet Museum announces the Board of Trustees of the USS Hornet Foundation is launching the first Annual Campaign for the historic aircraft carrier’s Hornet Heritage Fund. The Hornet Heritage Fund is designed to receive financial gifts and donations in order to support the Museum’s operations, restoration efforts, exhibitions, and acclaimed Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) educational programs. The purpose of the inaugural campaign, which commences on January 14th, is to raise $800,000 in order to repair and resurface the 100,000-square-foot flight deck and repair two aircraft elevators.
“The Heritage Fund Campaign marks the first significant fundraising effort by the USS Hornet since the mid-1990s, when a determined group of volunteers opened the museum to the public,” said Randall Ramian, Chief Executive Officer of the USS Hornet Museum and Chair of the Annual Hornet Heritage Fund Campaign. “Since then, the USS Hornet Museum been awarded both National Historic Landmark and California Historical Landmark status, and has become a premier destination for those seeking the most authentic, period-appropriate representation of the Naval-Aviation and space exploration traditions on the West Coast.”
The restoration and repair projects are critical to Museum operations. After historic service in WWII, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, and as part of the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 lunar landings, the USS Hornet was retired from service in 1970. This means that no major structural work has been done on the flight deck or aircraft elevators in nearly five decades. The projects will provide Hornet customers with a better quality visitor experience and allow the Museum to maintain crucial business operations that underwrite a significant portion of its annual operating budget.
“The USS Hornet Museum receives no funds from the U.S. Navy or government,” said Ramian. “We depend solely on business revenues and philanthropic support to operate as one of the Bay Area’s most unique and relevant educational experiences for guests of all ages and from around the world.”
For visitor safety, improved visitor experience, and long-term preservation, the Hornet Heritage Campaign funds will address flight deck issues by caulking cracks to prevent additional drainage onto the original teak deck below the surface, repairing soft spots and weather-damaged sections, weatherproofing, and resurfacing the flight deck – an area that is about as large as two football fields.
The USS Hornet flight deck is a major attraction, where guests can view a collection of aircraft that currently includes an F-4N Phantom, an F-8 Crusader, an S-3B Viking, and a T-28 Trojan. Between regular visitors, attendees at special events and Overnight Live-Aboard programs, and guests of private functions, approximately 80,000 people visited the Museum’s flight deck this past year alone.
“At the heart of the Heritage Fund Campaign is our commitment to education. The USS Hornet not only serves as a living history of some of the most significant events in our country’s history, but it also represents a dynamic contribution to our nation’s future through our STEM education program,” said Tom Hyland, the Museum’s Director of Development. “This is an ‘all hands on deck’ opportunity for our supporters to help chart the Hornet’s future and to enable us to inspire future generations for decades to come.”
The first Annual Campaign for the Hornet Heritage Fund is a short-term effort to request a donation or multi-payment pledge of $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, or more, before June 30, 2015. However, support at all levels and donations of any amount, will be gratefully accepted. To make a donation please visit here or by mailing a check to the USS Hornet Museum, P.O. Box 460, Alameda, CA 94501. For more information, please contact the USS Hornet Museum Development Department, Tom Hyland at (510) 521-8448, ext. 307.
Burbank, CA, USA — Ron Miziker of Miziker Entertainment Group is the keynote speaker for TEA Summit Day 2: Thea Case Studies Day, organized by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and taking place at the Disneyland Hotel March 20, 2015, in Anaheim, Calif. USA. Miziker was named to receive the Buzz Price Thea Award for a Lifetime of Outstanding Achievements. The award is named in honor of Harrison “Buzz” Price, who was the first Thea recipient in 1994. (Scroll down to see Ron Miziker’s bio.)
Showcasing the National September 11 Memorial Museum, confirmed presenters are the Museum’s vice president for exhibitions, Amy Weisser, andBryan Abelowitz, CTS-D, senior systems consultant at Electrosonic. The Museum will receive a Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement. (Scroll down to see speaker bios.)
More presenters for Thea Case Studies Day will be announced soon at the official Thea Awards & Summit blog.
Thea Case Studies Day is part of the annual TEA Summit (March 19-20) followed by the annual Thea Awards Gala (March 21) at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, Calif. Thea Case Studies Day, co-chaired byRoberta Perry of ETI and Fresh Juice, and Pat MacKay of OnesandZerosMedia, will highlight some 15 projects and people set to be officially honored with Thea Awards the following evening.
TEA’s Thea Awards Committee unanimously selected Ron Miziker for the Buzz Price Thea Award for a Lifetime of Outstanding Achievements.
Miziker has created and produced an impressively broad variety of shows on all continents, and continues to do so. Miziker founded his own production company in 1984 and his clients have included television networks, leading corporations, Presidents, Kings and Queens, a Sultan, the Olympics, the World Cup and Super Bowl, attraction and hotel developers, Disney, Universal Studios, Radio City Music Hall, Lotte World, Spain’s Expo ’92, Port Aventura and most recently, a major casino in Macao. Those projects have spanned the globe: Japan, Australia, Oman, Central and South America, China and the USA.
Miziker started his career in advertising, producing a daily variety show in Cincinnati before he joined the Disney Company as Director of Entertainment and Show Development, in 1971. At Disney, he was responsible for the planning and production of all shows for the opening of Walt Disney World and thereafter was responsible for shows at all Disney parks including Disneyland, Epcot Center and Tokyo Disneyland.
During his tenure at Disney, Miziker was responsible for the development of many original shows, parades, revues, dinner theater shows, celebrity headliner specials, character and animal shows, fireworks, and laser extravaganzas. One of the most popular productions Miziker produced was The Main Street Electrical Parade. He also participated in the master planning of some of Disney’s largest outdoor entertainment projects. After a period away from the company, Miziker returned to Disney Studios as Producer of Television Programs, including the Wonderful World of Disney. He was eventually named Vice President of Original Programs and Productions for the launch of the Disney Channel.
Whether developing show concepts, writing or producing – or passing on his know-how and entertainment ideas to new generations – Ron Miziker has earned this Thea recognition for over 40 years of creating first-class fun and spectacle for audiences around the world.
Amy Weisser, Vice President for Exhibitions, National September 11 Memorial Museum
Amy Weisser led the internal and consultant team that created the 9/11 Memorial Museum’s 110,000 square feet of exhibitions. She managed the multi-year effort to tell a sensitive story, using a vast array of exhibition content and display techniques, which bridges recent history and memory. Since the Museum’s May 2014 opening, she and her colleagues continue to develop exhibitions that explore the impact and ongoing meaning of the terrorist attacks. Previously, Amy helped open the contemporary art museum Dia:Beacon and the American Museum of Natural History’s Rose Center. An adjunct professor in NYU’s Museum Studies department, she earned a Ph.D. from Yale University.
Bryan Abelowitz has more than two decades of experience in entertainment and museum technology service and video production. Bryan played a large role in the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and is currently working on the One World Observation Deck. Bryan joined Electrosonic in 2001 and project managed several key projects and has since migrated to a more sales focused role. In 2004, Bryan earned his CTS-D Certification, a specialized certification for audio-visual systems design professionals. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications.
Burbank, CA, USA — John Robinett and Linda Cheu of AECOM will discuss global economic trends in the attractions industry March 19 on Day One of the TEA Summit, the annual business conference of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). TEA and AECOM collaborate every year to produce the TEA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index, reporting on the world’s top-attended visitor attractions, and AECOM’s economics presentation at the TEA Summit is a highlight of the meeting.
Christine Kerr
The annual TEA Summit (March 19-20) is followed by the annual Thea Awards Gala (March 21) at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, Calif. Summit Day One is chaired by TEA immediate past president Christine Kerr of BaAM Productions, andAnn Hathaway of Mousetrappe and Arc Thematic LLC.
“The curriculum for Day One of the TEA Summit will be focused on numbers, insights and trends that will give experience creators and owner operators the tools and understanding they need to make the right decisions for the future,” says Kerr. “Topics will include a look at global trends presented by AECOM, a panel discussion of what the emerging trends mean to the future of the industry, a survey by members of the media on projects to watch around the world, and a report on how owner operators are employing visitor data to improve guest experiences.”
Ann Hathaway
The second day of the TEA Summit (March 20) is Thea Case Studies Day, showcasing some 15 projects and people set to be officially honored with Thea Awards at the Gala the following evening.
Tickets for each day of the TEA Summit (March 19 & 20) and for the Thea Awards Gala (March 21) can be purchased at www.teaconnect.org.
John Robinett
John Robinett, AECOM Senior Vice President – Economics, has had a 25-year career in the leisure, entertainment, and real estate industries. His responsibilities include oversight of the firm’s museum and cultural attractions practice, and management of a variety of assignments in the attractions, resorts, cultural, and entertainment retail areas.
Over his decades of history in the business, John has consulted to many of the leisure and entertainment industry’s leading companies, U.S. and foreign governments, major cultural and financial institutions, and golf, hotel, and real estate developers.He has directed assignments for The Walt Disney Company, the J. Paul Getty Trust, the Whitney Museum, the University of Texas, Warner Bros., Bear Stearns, LEGO, The Tussaud’s Group, NASA, Universal Studios, and numerous others.
Linda Cheu
Linda Cheu joined AECOM Economics (formerly Economics Research Associates) over 15 years ago and is a leader in the company’s cultural facilities practice group, advising both non-profit organizations and government clients on the development, expansion, and operations of wide variety of museums, art centers, multi-tenant cultural facilities, and performing arts centers. Ms. Cheu’s services for cultural facilities include business planning, development of operational and governance plans, earned income strategies, market-based concept development, attendance and audience analysis; facility usage projections and estimates of physical planning parameters, revenue projections and gap analysis.
Ms. Cheu works frequently on teams with sub-consultants such as cost estimators, exhibit designers, and/or architects to conduct this work, and also is experienced in conducting community workshops, focused groups interviews, and one-on-one meetings in order to develop preliminary concepts and needs assessments. She has extensive experience brokering multiple interests where the official client is the public agency, but there is a secondary stakeholder group such as an art commission, steering group,or coalition of non-profit cultural facilities.
[quote]We spend so much time walking, running, or driving around our cities, but how many times have you been able to say you slid down your city streets?” — Slide the City Founder TR Gourley[/quote]
Salt Lake City, UT, USA — City streets will get a slippery makeover in more than 150 cities around the world when Slide the City goes on tour with 1,000+ feet of padded vinyl. Turning hills into water-sliding thrills is the goal of the event, which was created in an effort to get people outside, having fun, and connecting with their community.
Participants in Slide the City will ride inflatables down a 1,000-ft. water slide. This one-of-a-kind experience will help people “slide into summer,” while supporting a good cause. A portion of the proceeds of each event will benefit a local charity.
“We want to make a difference while we’re making memories,” event founder TR Gourley said.
The first event of its kind, Slide the City has seen massive growth since it started in 2014. This original concept went viral when the video was released, and this year promises to be bigger, better, and wetter.
“This will be one of the highlights of your year,” said Gourley “Get ready for the slide of your life!”
Slide the City will make its 2015 debut with a World Record Breaking event: longest slide and the most number of sliders, in West Palm Beach, FL on February 14th.
Each rider can purchase a one ride pass, three ride pass, or all-day pass. With over 150 events in the US and Canada, and more than 20 international locations beginning with Japan and Australia as early as March, water slide enthusiasts are sure to find a Slide the City event nearby.
Gilbertsville, PA, USA (January 14 2015) –Gateway Ticketing Systems is pleased to announce its selection by The Atlanta Botanical Garden as the venue’s new ticketing and access control provider. The Garden will join the Center for Civil and Human Rights, Georgia Aquarium, and Atlanta Historical Society, among other landmark Atlanta venues, in implementing Gateway’s Flagship point of sale and admission control solution, Galaxy.
An urban oasis in the center of Midtown Atlanta, the Garden includes 30 acres of outdoor gardens, an award winning Children’s Garden, the peaceful Storza Woods accentuated with a unique Canopy Walk, as well as their inventive Edible Garden and Outdoor Kitchen. Indoors, the Fuqua Conservatory houses an organic biosphere, home to the Fuqua Orchid Center with the foremost collection of species orchids in the United States.
The Garden’s more than 400,000 annual guests will have the option to purchase tickets onsite at the venue or online ahead of time using the venue’s eGalaxy Web Store. In addition to front gate and online sales, the venue will also employ Galaxy for group sales, resource management and access control. Handheld point of sale units will be used for mobile ticketing. Galaxy’s robust and customizable features will enable the Garden to maximize revenue and efficiency, for both their traditional admission needs and during their renowned annual events such as Garden Chef Demos, Concerts in the Garden, Garden Lights, and Orchid Daze.
Galaxy’s full-featured functionality, training options and the number of other local venues using the product in Atlanta were key to the Garden’s decision to work with Gateway: “When the Garden’s Senior Management Team began looking for a new ticketing solution, a seamless transition would be first and foremost in our requirements: we wanted a one stop shop for the transition with a vendor that could provide both an implementation team and training.” said Anthony Mann, IT Manager at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. “We also needed a mature solution that integrated with our existing systems and could provide advanced ticketing and membership options. Gateway provides the most comprehensive implementation and training offerings as well as holds the largest number of local customer venues by far. Galaxy’s functionality, as well the ability for us to have so many other users locally, made choosing Gateway Ticketing System a no-brainer for the Garden!”
Gateway Ticketing Systems Manager of Business Solutions, Mary Tannous, is excited to add the Garden to Gateway’s Atlanta-area customer base: “We are thrilled to welcome the Atlanta Botanical Garden to the ever-growing number of Atlanta-based venues that leverage Galaxy for superior operational efficiency. Their passion for research and conservation as well as providing enjoyment through nature in an urban environment is inspiring. I look forward to working with the Garden as they continue to create the best guest experience possible.”
Gateway Ticketing Systems and its employees are thrilled to welcome The Atlanta Botanical Garden to
the Gateway family and look forward to a long and successful relationship.
ABOVE: Jennifer Lee Hackett in cockpit of Spruce Goose, Evergreen Aviation Museum. Courtesy Mrs. Hackett.
[quote]As we continue to adapt to our exhibitors’ evolving needs, Jennifer will bring fresh insight to those discussions, and will also contribute to our marketing strategy going forward.” — Janine Baker, nWave’s SVP Film Distribution & Development[/quote]
Brussels, Belgium and Burbank, California, USA – nWave Pictures Distribution is
pleased to announce the hiring of Jennifer Lee Hackett as Director of Sales & Distribution,
Americas. Lee Hackett comes to nWave Pictures Distribution with over 10 years experience in the
giant screen industry, having previously served as Director of Sales for National Geographic Cinema
Ventures and prior to that as Senior Group Sales & Marketing Manager at Smithsonian Business
Ventures, the for-profit arm of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. While at Smithsonian
Business Ventures Jennifer created sales packages for the Institution’s six restaurants, three IMAX
theaters and the planetarium, and developed educational and marketing materials to support group
sales efforts. In her role as Sales & Marketing Manager at Jordan’s Furniture, Natick MA, Jennifer
launched and managed a highly lucrative sales program for the newly installed Comcast IMAX 3D
Theater. Prior to that, Jennifer spent seven years with Live Nation Entertainment’s performing arts
division in Boston, MA.
“We are very pleased to have Jennifer join the nWave Pictures Distribution team,” said Eric Dillens,
Chairman of nWave Studios. “In our efforts to expand our sales reach across multiple exhibition
platforms, Jennifer brings a unique perspective, having served as both a buyer and seller of filmed
content in the commercial and institutional markets.”
“I’m very excited to rejoin the film distribution industry,” said Lee Hackett. “nWave’s catalog includes
giant screen films, 3D/4D attraction films and ride simulation films. This variety of titles is key to
meeting the needs of all the institutional exhibitors and family entertainment centers that are looking
for diversified and engaging content. I look forward to working with the nWave team to help expand
the company’s reach throughout the Americas.”
Jennifer Lee Hackett will be based in Florida and can be reached at [email protected]
Macau, January 12, 2015) /GLOBE NEWSWIRE/ — Melco Crown Entertainment Limited (6883.HK) (MPEL) a developer, owner and operator of casino gaming and entertainment resort facilities in Asia, today unveiled details of its new cinematically-themed gaming, entertainment and leisure destination resort in Macau: Studio City. North Hollywood, CA, USA-based Gary Goddard Group is responsible for concept, master planning and architectural design on the project.
The US$3.2 billion, Hollywood-inspired, gaming and entertainment complex will transport the visitor into a stunning cinematic world with awe-inspiring entertainment offerings, delivered by the world’s leading entertainment partners, positioning this new destination resort as Asia’s entertainment capital.
Studio City will encompass the pinnacle of international and Asian leisure-destination inspired entertainment, supported and endorsed by icons of Hollywood’s entertainment industry.
In a world first, a sneak peek of a tantalizing new film trailer promoting “The Audition” — a special short-movie set around a Studio City storyline which marks the very first time Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Brad Pitt have all starred together under the direction of Academy Award-winning film director, Martin Scorsese — was provided at today’s unveiling event in Macau, China. The movie was produced by acclaimed Hollywood producer, RatPac Entertainment’s Brett Ratner, the director of movie blockbusters, “Red Dragon”, ”X-Men: The Last Stand”, “Hercules” and the “Rush Hour” film franchise.
Mr. Brett Ratner said: “This short film is a historic event because it is the first film ever to star such legendary actors as Robert De Niro, Leonardo Dicaprio and Brad Pitt in one film together. Mr. Lawrence Ho and Mr. James Packer served as Executive Producers and convinced iconic filmmaker Martin Scorsese to direct the film whom I was thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with. The cooperation between Mr. Scorsese and the Melco Crown Entertainment brand is synergistic because of the fact that Mr. Scorsese directed the film “Casino” starring Robert DeNiro. Mr. Scorsese has collaborated with Mr. DeNiro on 8 films and with Mr. DiCaprio on 5 films and is working with Mr. Pitt for the first time. Our hope is that the trailer for “The Audition” gives audiences an early look into what will surely be an important cinematic experience directed by one of the most culturally influential directors in the history of Hollywood films. I look forward to the Global Premiere of the film at the launch of Studio City in mid-2015.”
Set against a backdrop of Art Deco-inspired architecture, Studio City will deliver movie-star treatment to all its visitors, with the most diverse collection of entertainment offerings ever seen in Macau; a glamorous two-tower hotel; and highly sophisticated and immersive shopping and dining experiences.
“Studio City will represent Asia’s ‘next generation‘ of immersive, world-leading, entertainment-driven gaming and leisure destination experiences, as we work to support Macau’s tourism development and diversification,” said Mr. Lawrence Ho, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Melco Crown Entertainment.
Lawrence Ho with Studio City’s time capsule
“It will take the entertainment-inspired leisure destination concept to new levels, in a cinematic setting developed in partnership with the world’s leading entertainment brands, supported and endorsed by many of the legends of Hollywood – including this very special short-film collaboration with Brett Ratner, Martin Scorsese, and superstars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Brad Pitt.”
Melco Crown Entertainment also announced a partnership to bring the unrivalled portfolio of many of the most iconic DC Comics’ Super Heroes and Warner Bros.’ classic characters to life, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment.
“We are also thrilled to announce a collaboration to bring the unrivaled portfolio of some of the most iconic DC Comics’ Super Heroes and Warner Bros.’ classic characters to life, together with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment. We are excited to introduce Macau to the exhilarating Batman Dark Flight, a virtual-reality ride that will allow fans of the Caped Crusader to soar over Gotham City, and we look forward to unveiling the Warner Bros. Family Entertainment Center, where families and children can play among many of their favorite characters,” said Mr. Ho.
“Studio City will radically enhance and diversify Macau’s evolving leisure experiences as Melco Crown Entertainment works to anticipate, innovate and ultimately satisfy the ever-growing needs of the region’s and world’s leisure destination visitors.”
When completed later in 2015, Studio City’s towering facade will feature a new, iconic, Macau landmark – the Golden Eye – which at 130 meters will be Asia’s highest Ferris wheel. It is inspired by having two asteroids shooting through a Gotham City building.
The Golden Eye straddles the two-tower Studio City hotel, set to offer visitors luxurious accommodations and red-carpet ‘star’ service. Comprising the Celebrity Tower and the premium Star Tower, the hotel will offer approximately 1,600 rooms, each designed in Art Deco style.
Studio City is designed to be the most diversified entertainment resort offering in Macau, with more world-class entertainment amenities than any integrated resort in the market. It will represent the pinnacle of entertainment-driven leisure destination experiences in Asia.
The world’s first Batman film franchise digital ride, DC Comics’ Batman Dark Flight, delivers visitors an exhilarating adventure through the night, in an action-packed motion ride, providing thrill-seekers with a virtual reality Batman experience. Fly through Gotham City, following Batman around the city as he brings some of the most notable Super-Villains from his Rogue’s Gallery to justice.
Kevin Tsujihara, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. commented, “The Warner Bros. and DC Comics portfolio of properties offers a unique and engaging experience for fans of all ages. We are delighted to collaborate with Melco Crown Entertainment to bring these characters to a world-class project like Macau’s Studio City.”
The resort’s stunning entertainment offerings also include:
—Family Entertainment Center, a 30,000 sq. foot fun-filled Family Entertainment Center for kids, is packed with many of your favorite Warner Bros. and DC Comics characters. Kids will get an unforgettable, immersive play experience – bouncing through the air with the Looney Tunes and playing with Tom and Jerry, to climbing on structures with Batman and Superman and driving go-karts with Wonder Woman and The Flash. The Family Entertainment Center will also include a Dark Ride that will for the first time in Warner Bros.’ history combine characters from DC Comics, Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera Productions within a single attraction experience. This incredible family-orientated facility will allow families to shop and dine as well as enjoy an animation academy, a cinema to catch classic and new animated programs and even a memorable birthday party venue with customizable private party rooms.
—The House of Magic, offers guests an incredible live magical experience showcasing the world’s greatest magicians. Designed, curated and hosted by acclaimed illusionist, Franz Harary, The House of Magic features an array of mind-bending shows including Harary’s award winning spectacular, Mega Magic. This amazing mystical journey all takes place in the new Asia capital of magic and illusion arts.
Mr. Franz Harary said: “My magic has taken me around the planet introducing me to the world’s greatest illusionists. Today, I am proud to bring those incredible wizards to Macau, showcasing their art in a place designed to let their magic shine! Welcome, to the House of Magic at Studio City—sure to become the premier performance venue for magicians globally!”
—Studio City Entertainment Center, a 5,000-seat multi-purpose entertainment center for exciting live concerts, theatrical and top sporting events. The center will be managed by Global Spectrum, which is part of Comcast-Spectacor, one of the world’s largest sports and entertainment companies.
—Studio 8, a fully-operational TV broadcast studio, providing visitors with an opportunity to watch the filming of Asia’s top television shows.
—Pacha Nightclub, one of the world’s biggest names in nightclubs with venues in numerous major cities, including Ibiza, New York, Dubai, Buenos Aires and Sydney, will bring Ibiza-style nightlife to Macau for the very first time and will be electrifying Macau’s burgeoning club scene.
Studio City also offers leisure-seekers fun, immersive, ‘entertainment environment’ experiences including:
—Podium Deck Lazy River, a showcase attraction for hotel guests, an exotic jungle river-themed water ride that meanders through a lushly landscaped podium-level pool deck.
—Cosmos Food Court, a space station-themed food court dining experience. Holographic projection technology re-creates space travel with a gigantic viewing window looking out in to deep space.
Visitors can dine like the stars, with a diverse array of gourmet experiences across a range of exciting restaurants and bars to suit every taste. Studio City offers an eclectic collection of over 30 outlets comprising the very best of Asian and international fine-dining, together with cafe, lounge and casual eatery options.
The Boulevard at Studio City will bring the world’s best retail experiences to life in Macau. Showcased in a movie-studio environment, seamlessly transporting guests from an upscale arcade to high energy lifelike streetscapes, shoppers will be entertained at every turn. Luxurious fashion, unique timepieces and chic accessories will tempt customers as they stroll the 300,000 sq. foot mall.
The sophisticated and glamourous mix of the hottest fashion labels in the world today has been handpicked to delight Studio City’s discerning, fashion-conscious shopper.
Merchandised and managed by Taubman Asia, The Boulevard at Studio City will be Macau’s shopping hot spot.
Studio City, along with its sister property, the highly-successful City of Dreams Macau, represents the next phase in Melco Crown Entertainment’s ongoing strategic mission to aggregate, develop and deliver world-leading, highly innovative entertainment brands catering to the rapidly growing leisure and entertainment demands of enthusiastic leisure destination travelers, both regionally and internationally, seeking unique and ever more exciting travel experiences.
Orlando, FL, USA — Themed entertainment design firm Falcon’s Treehouse has released behind the scenes videos of its work on two major attractions at China’s Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, a 2015 Thea Award recipient.
ABOVE: Image scanned at 4K x 3K from 1570 film and projected onto The Dome at the Science Museum of Virginia with Digistar 5. Courtesy Howard George, Michigan Science Center
[dropcap color=”#888″ type=”square”]D[/dropcap]igital dome company Evans & Sutherland (E&S) has computed that the number of individual pixels projected on a dome with a True 8K digital fulldome projection system is 50 million. A smaller system, comprised of five 4K DLP projectors can achieve as much as a 35 megapixel image, approximating the True 8K experience. But can such a powerful system take on and match the king of all film formats, 15 perforation/70 mm (1570) film, in both image and light output on a dome?
On October 22, 2014, the Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA) hosted a Digital Dome Day at The Dome, the giant screen dome theater at the Science Museum of Virginia. The industry event featured a first of its kind side-by-side comparison of 1570 film with 8K digital fulldome projection. According to Tammy Seldon, Executive Director of GSCA, “This was a unique opportunity for us to do this. It’s difficult to install temporary systems like this in domes and here we had a theater available to us with both kinds of systems.”
The Digistar 5 fulldome 3D system featured in the “shootout” is comprised of five Christie 25,000 lumen DLP projectors at 4K resolution running at 120 Hz. The combined resolution of these projectors produces over 29 million pixels on the Museum’s giant 23 meter (75 foot) diameter dome, almost three times the resolution of a 4K fulldome theater, and over 14 times the resolution of HDTV. This system offers a brightness of 4 fL on the dome, currently the highest brightness ever projected in a giant screen digital fulldome theater.
For the shootout, a seam was created halfway through the screen, with a specially designed lenscap on the film projector and masking of the digital projectors. The 65mm film was scanned at 4K x 3K and warped to 4K x 4K Dome Masters. Todd Slisher of the Longway Planetarium in Flint, Michigan noticed that the digital image, unlike the film, “lacked any dust, film yellowing, or film jitter,” while James Neihouse, a experienced giant screen cinematographer was “surprised at how much wiggle there is in the 1570. I hadn’t noticed that in the past.” Neihouse also pointed out that with the warping capabilities of the Digistar 5, film artifacts and image distortion can be eliminated.
Since 1570 film is projected onto a dome screen through a fisheye lens, distortion appears throughout the image, especially at the edges of the screen, where the image tends to stretch. During the Digital Dome Day session, a demonstration was made using three different warps – a traditional IMAX warp, which replicates the image being projected through a fisheye lens; an expanded film warp, which covers more of the dome while preserving the fish-eye film warp; and the E&S patented dome warp, which removes the fisheye effect, providing for a clear image with no stretching across the dome screen.
Longtime consultant to museums and planetariums Ian McLennan (who will be honored at IMERSA Summit 2015 with a Lifetime Achievement Award) was impressed with the warp technology and what it might mean. “Some things will remain problematic on the dome (especially scenes that contain strong vertical elements), but corrective warping might help minimize, if not fix that issue.”
Want to read more about fulldome, IMERSA and specialty cinema?
A decade ago, a successful digital replacement for giant screen film on the dome was the thing of dreams. In 2005, digital cinema technology was beginning its advance into cinemas. A successful test of 1.3K digital cinema projectors in the commercial market had just been completed, the deployment of the first wave of 2K projectors into cinemas throughout North America was about to take place, and the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) consortium sponsored by the major Hollywood studios presented its first draft of standardized specifications for the technology.
The equipment manufacturers laid forth a platter of incentives for cinema owners to switch to digital: lower operating cost, image equivalent to a 35mm show print, and the possibility of alternative programming, such as live broadcasts in high definition. In those early days of deployment, theater owners balked at the concept of showing anything other than movies. John Fithian, President of the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO), coined a term for the concept – “Other Digital Stuff.” Abbreviated to an acronym, it was pronounced “odious.”
Side-by-side comparison clip from the National Geographic film “Flying Monsters” on The Dome at the Science Museum of Virginia: 1570 film on left, Digistar 5 on right. Courtesy Howard George, Michigan Science Center
However, giant screen theaters, especially those theaters located in museums and other educational institutions, already had a well-established history of showing alternative programming. As most of the area in a film-based giant screen projection booth is taken up by a large projector and support equipment to run 1570 film, a format with a frame nine times the size of 35mm and a length of 3 miles for every 40 minutes of film, other equipment needed to be shoehorned into the space for other formats, including 35mm and digital video. In a giant screen dome theater, as the projection booth is located under the seating area with the projector elevated to the center of the audience space via an elevator, this necessitated the construction of a secondary projection booth at the top and rear of the dome.
Although a few giant screen theaters immediately sought out a digital solution, the industry as a whole remained a few years behind mainstream cinema in accepting the new technology, mainly due to issues with digital cinema’s inability to match the 1570 light output or image resolution, computed by IMAX’s David Keighley as 18K per frame.
In 2008, companies such as IMAX and D3D Cinema began integrating dual projection systems for giant screen theaters, first based on 2K digital cinema projectors, then on 4K. Digital Immersive Giant Screen Specifications (DIGSS), now under the stewardship of the GSCA, was initiated to “support a museum’s needs for immersive learning that are distinct from Hollywood cinemas, particularly with regard to screen size and image aspect ratio (4:3, +/-) that most clearly differentiate the current global giant-screen network from conventional movie theaters.” In January 2012, the shootout took place between a 4K laser projection system and 1570 film at Moody Gardens in Galveston, TX. The event was considered by many to be a benchmark moment that defined the acceptance of digital as an alternative to giant screen film.
While many flatscreen 1570 theaters were using conventional cinema solutions for their conversion to digital projection, one of the most practical solutions for replacing 1570 film on a dome was being developed within the planetarium community. Digital dome, utilizing multiple projectors and blending software, would fill this gap. Prior to installations inside 1570 domes, companies such as E&S and Sky-Skan began working with giant screen film producers to make their films available for fulldome projection. In 2008, Michael Daut of E&S approached National Geographic Cinema Ventures about offering their hit film “Sea Monsters” for digital fulldome theaters. As of last year, “Sea Monsters” was the highest performing giant screen film in their library, which now numbers more than forty titles.
Justin Bartel in The Dome at Science Museum of Virginia, Photo Courtesy of Sean Dewitt Photography
With the E&S Digistar 5, Digital Dome Day participants at the Science Museum of Virginia were able to experience a variety of programs, including giant screen movies, some projected in 3D on the dome using active glasses, pre-rendered planetarium and fulldome programming, and a voyage through the universe rendered in real time.
A number of those in attendance at the Digital Dome Day felt the Digistar 5 to be a viable alternative to film projection on a dome. Some called the event a benchmark moment, equivalent to the Galveston event.
The museum is now showing a wide variety of giant screen films in The Dome, with the ability to acquire them for either film or digital playback (some giant screen films have not yet been made available for digital dome systems). It’s also running a daily astronomy presentation, which is comprised of a combination of a pre-rendered show with a live tour through space. A demonstration of this live component proved to be a hit among the event attendees. McLennan points out, “This is opening up possibilities for programming. You could integrate live info such as rocket launches into pre-rendered animation. Seamless programs using both pre-rendered and live is holy grail.”
The Science Museum of Virginia may one day achieve that goal. Already, they’re able to edit and integrate live video feeds into the real-time presentation within minutes of broadcast.
Since switching to the digital system, the museum has seen an increase of 30-40% in attendance over the prior year. As Jim Peck, the Museum’s Director of Technology and Innovation, stated, “Our mission is inspiration—and we find that we are now able to exceed our guests’ expectations.”
Attendees to the Digital Dome Day were impressed with the various demonstrations, especially the digital vs 1570 shootout. Emblematic of many attendees’ perceptions were those of Toby Mensforth, whose impressive pedigree includes managing theaters for the Canadian Museum of Civilisation, IMAX Corporation, and Smithsonian Enterprises. Of his experience, he remarked, “If I were still a Giant Dome theater operator, I would be proud to have this quality of image on my screen.”
TESTIMONIALS
GSCA DIGITAL DOME DAY
SCIENCE MUSEUM OF VIRGINIA
OCT 22, 2014
Todd Slisher, Sloan*Longway Planetarium:
“Before this demonstration, I had been a skeptic of digital multi-projector systems. The digital image was very good against 1570. The colors were more saturated and intense. Unlike the film image, there as no dust, yellowing of the image, or film jitter. The Digistar image, coming from six Christie projectors, was very well matched across the entire frame with no blending issues. The 1570 image showed some severe warping issues, but the warping software on the digital system allowed the image to fill almost the entire dome.”
Tina Ratterman, Big & Digital [specialty cinema distributor]:
“The colors on the digital projection were much more vivid and vibrant than film and the image quality was excellent in 8K. This is a really good solution for 1570 dome theaters considering converting to digital or laser that will provide new opportunities for programming giant screen content and astronomy demonstrations.”
James Neihouse, Cinematographer:
“For theaters showing film – digital dome projection is a good step in the right direction. It provides flexibility and great fun stuff for programming. With the warping capabilities, artifacts can now be taken care of and we can get rid of distortion, which I find very interesting.”
Toby Mensforth, Mensforth Associates:
” As far as I know this is the first time 1570 film’s been compared “side-by-side’ to Digital on a dome. This GSCA event was another industry benchmark, equivalent to when 4K was compared to 1570 on a flat screen. I have to say that I was very impressed at how well the digital image showed compared against the selection of 1570 film screened. For me there was not a noticeable difference and I thought that the content that was originated in film showcased almost the same in both formats. There was little to choose between the two. Anything that had originated digitally looked absolutley superb on the dome. If I were still a Giant Dome theater operator, I would be proud to have this quality of image on my screen.”
Howard George, Michigan Science Center, over 20 years’ projection experience with 1570 domes:
“To the naked eye, the brightness and contrast were very comparable as we watched different content put on-screen. The IMAX film seemed washed-out, brownish, and shaky, while the D5 looked sharp, blueish, and steady as all get-out. I was convinced of the digital systems’ superiority over the film system as far as projecting traditional full-dome live-action and animated content. The IMAX manages to be slightly brighter, but the D5 won in terms of color, stability, and contrast. I’d call resolution a tie between the two, with the digital system winning an easy victory in terms of overall image quality. There was a pastoral image scanned at 3k by 4k from IMAX film. This is when my jaw hit the floor. The picture looks nice. In person, it was eye-popping, glorious, and undoubtedly among the best full-dome images I’ve ever seen. Unlike IMAX, the image went all the way back to the exit doors, completely filling the screen. My general impression after the demo was that IMAX film has finally and decisively been surpassed.”
“The GSCA is very proud to have sponsored the first giant screen comparison of 1570 vs digital on a dome and look forward to having many similar events in the future as more 1570 domes add digital systems. A number of our members said this was a benchmark moment equivalent to when 4K digital was demonstrated side by side with 1570 film on a flat screen. Even two or three filmmakers told me that after this demonstration, they are now comfortable with showing their content on a digital dome, that we are technically now there. This is indeed a valid option for theaters that want to show giant screen films and for filmmakers looking to showcase their films on the dome. ”
Ian McLennan, Consultant to the Stars
“The demonstration proved conclusively to me that digital is here and is the wave of the future. I was quite impressed with the warping technology that E&S brought to the table. Some things will remain problematic on the dome (especially scenes that contain strong vertical elements), but corrective warping might help minimize, if not fix that issue. Film had a distinct movement within it, which you can’t escape, but whatever differences existed between the two formats was otherwise negligible. The images were reasonably close enough. I would recommend digital projection such as Digistar as a viable alternative to film.”
Stephen Low, Giant Screen Filmmaker
“There were some marvelous shots with the digital projector that told me that the basic standard is going to work. I was surprised the warp worked so well. In theory digital projection has some real advantages over a film. You can adjust the contrast, color, you have more control over distortion and warping. I do think that quality control with so many projectors is going to be a challenge for sure. It’s all in the details, just like film projection.
“Film seems to be going away, maybe next year and it will be very hard to get new prints for the dome unless someone else picks up the technology. After the demonstration, I have a positive sense that the digital dome can deliver. In the end a filmmaker looks at any medium both in capture and projection and tries to figure out how best to use it. The dome will remain immensely challenging shot by shot by shot. Sloppy shooting has always been worse in a dome than on a flat screen and it will remain so. Giant screens in general are more difficult to use but much more fun and rewarding in the end. Digital or film, some things never change.”
Paul Fraser, Blaze Digital Cinema Works
“The split-screen comparison between 15/70 film and digital fulldome was the highlight of dome day. (Kudos to E&S for pulling off such a technically challenging demo). For me, this was a groundbreaking demo that instantly burned into my memory. It was proof of a very important industry development: that digital fulldome can be an acceptable replacement to 1570 film for the truly giant domes, from a quality of image standpoint. That said, the industry still has some work to do on standards and business models, and the total costs of all new digital solutions for giant domes have to be taken into consideration too, if fulldome is to realize its full potential as a replacement for 15/70 film. But this event took the image quality issue off the table, and my sense is that the word-of-mouth following the event has accelerated interest in exploring fulldome as the digital path forward for many domes.”
Los Angeles, CA, USA (January 12, 2015) — Electrosonic has promoted Bryan Hinckley to head of the worldwide Entertainment business, which includes the museum, theme park, visitor center and retail markets. The post was previously held by Chris Conte, who was recently named head of the new U.S. Business Development team.
Hinckley has been managing Electrosonic’s themed environments and attractions business in the U.S., where he was responsible for maintaining and growing the business as well as managing and supporting its U.S.-based sales team.
“Bryan’s promotion to lead the Entertainment business comes at a very exciting time for Electrosonic and for the AV market as a whole,” says Jim Bowie, President of Electrosonic Group. “As one of our key talents, Bryan is assuming new responsibilities at which I believe he will excel and help move the company forward.”
Hinckley says, “As Chris Conte moves to lead the Business Development team, he leaves big shoes to fill. I’m looking forward to taking on an expanded role at Electrosonic where I get to work with one of the most talented teams in the industry. I also look forward to bringing my 15 years of Electrosonic experience to our new and existing customers located throughout the world.”
Hinckley joined Electrosonic in 1999 as a project engineer. He later served as a project manager for Electrosonic projects in Taiwan, Japan, New York City and other locations throughout North America. Prior to his recent position leading the themed entertainment business in North America, Hinckley’s roles at Electrosonic have included managing the Electrosonic Products Division in the U.S., and managing the Electrosonic Design Consulting team.
