Burbank, CA, USA (May 16, 2014) — Christopher Nolan’s next film, Interstellar, is believed by many to be the final Hollywood film to be shot and projected with IMAX 15 perforation/70mm film stock, as giant screen theaters prepare to undergo a transformation to laser-light digital projection systems. Nolan’s first feature incorporating IMAX-shot footage was The Dark Knight, which included 28-minutes captured on the specialty film stock. Its followup, The Dark Knight Rises, featured 72 minutes of IMAX footage. Nolan is promising more IMAX-sourced footage for Interstellar than either of his two previous efforts. Other Hollywood films that have incorporated IMAX-shot footage are Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Star Trek Into Darkness, and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The trailer’s world premier took place on May 5 at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater in Washington, DC, USA. The trailer features shots captured on 15perf/70mm film, which will appear in full 4:3 aspect ratio, filling the IMAX screen, during the film’s run. Those shots, however, have been letterboxed for the trailer to match scenes shot in other aspect ratios. According to Zarth Bartsch, Director, Theaters for the Smithsonian, “This is because switching back and forth between aspect ratios was deemed too distracting with the fast cuts between scenes.”
Nolan has told exhibitors that he expects Interstellar to play on at least 50 film-based IMAX projection systems during its theatrical run.
[quote]When you’re building the world’s best waterpark, you need the best of the best” — Chris Warhurst, General Manager, Wet’n’Wild Sydney[/quote]
Ottawa, ON, Canada — “ProSlide brought our vision to life with their innovation. They created complexes that are unique to us and that deliver huge capacities & impact,” says Chris Warhurst, General Manager, Wet’n’Wild Sydney.
By all measures, Village Roadshow Wet’n’Wild Sydney’s first season was a resounding success. Annual passes sold-out in the opening week and the park easily surpassed their attendance targets. ProSlide is proud to have contributed to their success.
Topping the park’s popularity chart are two massive ProSlide custom complexes with six blockbuster rides & a world-class KIDZ Zone. Together they can entertain over 9,000 guests an hour.
TORNADO thrills This complex is built around the world’s most recognizable water ride, the ProSlide TORNADO. It includes:
Bombora: ProSlide’s TornadoWAVE, the 40 ft wave-wall with the longest hang-times & zero-g forces in the industry
Tantrum: A ProSlide hybrid ride with three TORNADO 24’s in one ride path
T5: Australia’s only dark TORNADO 60
Classic Combo The second custom complex also delivers maximum family fun with:
Double Bowls-eye: A ProSlide hybrid ride that combines two massive BehemothBOWL 40s
Riptide: An enclosed MAMMOTH that opens up to an exciting TurboMAMMOTH run-out
The Curler: Alternating enclosed and open MAMMOTH sections that push riders through 500 ft (150m) of high banking turns
Wet’n’Wild Junior Another key addition to the park is the Wet’n’Wild Junior area with pint-sized versions of our iconic rides. The world’s first KIDZ Bowl, the KIDZ Tornado 24, KIDZ ProRacer, KIDZ Pipeline and KIDZ Twister were instant hits with the younger crowd.
[quote]Fertile Ground is just as interested in how the art came to be as it is in the art itself. These four moments arose from unique combinations of time, place, and personality. They were creative ‘hothouses’ which flourished, sometimes briefly, changing art in important ways. We hope visitors will recognize times when their own lives were energized by fertile ground.” — OMCA Curator of Photography & Visual Culture Drew Johnson[/quote]
Oakland and San Francisco, CA, USA — The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) combine their collections for the first time in Fertile Ground: Art and Community in California, an unprecedented exhibition that illuminates local histories and social forces that changed the face of art in—and beyond—the state of California.
Weaving together the museums’ unsurpassed holdings of California art and ephemera, the exhibition tells the stories of four creative communities active in the northern part of the state between the 1930s and the early 2000s. In each case, the exhibition shines a spotlight on artists who had their finger on the pulse of their time, and the grassroots conditions that allowed their ideas to flourish. The exhibition runs September 20, 2014 through April 12, 2015 in OMCA’s Great Hall and features an astounding mix of artworks and historical documents, from monumental paintings to handwritten letters, relating to four key moments in the history of California art:
Curated jointly by Drew Johnson, OMCA Curator of Photography and Visual Culture, and a team from SFMOMA including Janet Bishop, Caitlin Haskell, and Peter Samis, Fertile Ground interweaves the histories and friendships of artists, collectors, curators, and other individual and institutional collaborators against a backdrop of transformative social change. Viewed together, the materials assembled present a rare opportunity to consider what catalyzed these four remarkable outpourings of creativity, social awareness, and arts patronage.
The exhibition will include works by Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Mark Rothko, Edward Weston, Peter Stackpole,Maynard Dixon, Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, David Park, Clyfford Still, Jay DeFeo, Joan Brown, Richard Diebenkorn, James Weeks, Robert Arneson, William T. Wiley, Roy De Forest, Wayne Thiebaud,Bruce Nauman, Manuel Neri, Deborah Butterfield, Barry McGee, Margaret Kilgallen, Rigo 23, and many others. The texture of time and place will be evoked through historical film footage, media stations containing interviews with artists, and “community lounges” where visitors can browse books, ephemera, and other resources. Artifacts, media, and interactive experiences will be placed in dialogue with artworks to situate these objects within larger historical and cultural moments and trends such as the Great Depression, World War II, and the sixties counterculture. A visitor-activated “Family Tree” will convey the interconnected relationships among artists, patrons, museums, teachers, curators, and other personalities during each era.
Murals, Public Art, and Diego Rivera’s Allegory of California
During the heart of the Great Depression, the muralist Diego Rivera and his young wife, painter Frida Kahlo, moved from Mexico to San Francisco. Although they came to the city for Rivera to paint the monumental fresco Allegory of California (1930-31) at the Pacific Stock Exchange, the couple arrived to find a community of like-minded, socially-aware artists that included Dorothea Lange, Sargent Johnson, and the Coit Tower muralists—artists who insisted on the primacy of workers and the rights of the unemployed even as they executed commissions for the Federal government.
David Park, Portrait of Richard Diebenkorn, circa 1953. Oil on canvas, 21 x 15.25 in. Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, gift of Mrs. Roy Moore.
Postwar at the California School of Fine Arts
In the years immediately following World War II, artists and administrators active at the California School of Fine Arts (CSFA; now San Francisco Art Institute), played a decisive role in shaping national conversations about advanced painting. CSFA became a critical site where, even after the tenures of the great Abstract Expressionists Clyfford Still and Mark Rothko, debates about the continued relevance of the human figure spurred surprising innovation in the work of David Park and Richard Diebenkorn.
Mimi Jacobs, Robert Arneson, Sculptor, 1975; Gelatin silver print; 12.5 x 10.75 in; Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, Gift of Mimi Jacobs
UC Davis Founding Art Faculty and Students
In the late 1950s, the agrarian town of Davis was shaken up by a brand new University of California campus, which included a studio art faculty with painters and sculptors such as Robert Arneson, Wayne Thiebaud, and William T. Wiley, and students including Bruce Nauman. During the remarkable tenure of the founding art faculty, the formerly sleepy town of Davis became a haven for new freedoms of expression, often sourced in the pop objects and imagery of a brand new consumer society.
The most recent moment highlighted in the exhibition takes us to San Francisco’s Mission District during the dot-com boom of the 1990s, when a renegade band of artists including Margaret Kilgallen and Barry McGee formulated an aesthetic of resistance born of handmade traditions, the better to reject the tech-based, capital-intensive society that they feared would steamroll not only their neighborhood, but the human spirit at large.
“It is exciting to be able to share stories in Fertile Ground that can be told in richer, more nuanced ways through our two collections than either museum could tell on its own,” says SFMOMA Curator of Painting and Sculpture Janet Bishop. “SFMOMA has learned a tremendous amount from OMCA’s multidisciplinary approach.”
Fertile Ground: Art and Community in California is made possible in part by generous support from the Oakland Museum Women’s Board.
ABOUT THE OMCA/SFMOMA COLLABORATION
Fertile Ground: Art and Community in California is part of SFMOMA’s On the Go program of collaborative museum exhibitions and other off-site presentations taking place while its building is temporarily closed for expansion construction through early 2016. While OMCA and SFMOMA have partnered on projects in the past, Fertile Ground represents the deepest collaboration in the shared history of the two institutions.
[quote]Though we have achieved much over our first decades, we are not resting on our laurels. To the contrary, we are embracing these changes enthusiastically as we design a future that will ensure we remain relevant to our audience of the next 30 years.” — John Racanelli, National Aquarium CEO[/quote]
Baltimore, MD, USA (May 14, 2014) — The National Aquarium is taking bold strides to define its future through an ambitious, far-reaching strategic process called BLUEprint. Launched last fall, the BLUEprint process is designed to ensure a healthy future for the nonprofit institution and its animals through focus on four key areas of inquiry: the future of aquariums worldwide, reimagining the National Aquarium experience, designing a new role in the nation’s capital, and the future of dolphins at the National Aquarium.
“In the 33 years since the era of modern aquariums began here in Baltimore, our team has made quantum leaps in terms of the care we offer our animals, the science that informs our work, and the evolving role of aquariums in the nation and world,” said Bob Carter, Chair of the National Aquarium Board of Directors. “A key part of the BLUEprint inquiry is to identify the core elements of this desired future state and map out the steps we will take to attain it.”
In partnership with world-renowned design and architecture firm Studio Gang Architects and predictive intelligence company IMPACTS Research & Development, National Aquarium leaders have been working with their community and experts around the world to gain new insight and understanding that will help shape the organization’s future.
Specifically, BLUEprint is focusing research and recommendations on the following:
The future of aquariums worldwide – Since its opening in 1981, the National Aquarium has transformed itself from an aquarium attraction with a nascent conservation program to a nationally recognized conservation organization that operates a world-class aquarium. Through BLUEprint, the Aquarium is taking the next step in pursuing its vision to change the way humanity views and cares for the ocean by identifying the core elements of this desired future state and mapping out the steps it will take to attain it.
Reimagining the National Aquarium experience – As it has evolved, the Aquarium facility has become more diffuse, with three very different exhibit experiences. Separated by water and differing exhibit approaches, these experiences have been challenging to unify. This is the central work of the BLUEprint: to weave these exciting but disparate parts together to tell a powerful story of aquatic conservation. Some of the ideas now in the concept stage include: a “perched wetland” in the slip between Piers 3 and 4 to depict the Chesapeake Bay watershed’s quintessential habitats while demonstrating what a healthy, thriving urban waterfront might be; a series of interactive exhibits that will celebrate the Chesapeake Bay and mid-Atlantic seashores, among other aquatic treasures; a more cohesive visitor pathway; public access to back-of-house zones traditionally off-exhibit, such as the animal care center, marine animal rescue facilities, veterinary lab and food preparation space; and a fresh approach that could make the bridge between the piers an exhibit experience unto itself.
Designing a new role in the nation’s capital – When the original National Aquarium in the Department of Commerce Building in Washington, D.C., closed last fall, the National Aquarium pledged to find a way to have a presence in the capital. Since then, two compelling ideas have emerged and are being explored: (1) An “ocean embassy” idea envisions a program spearheaded by the National Aquarium to bring together ocean advocates, aquarium leaders and policymakers to perform for the ocean what embassies do for nations: debate issues, promote mutual welfare, negotiate disputes and represent the interests of their constituents, and (2) potential collaborations with the Smithsonian Institution.
The future of dolphins at the National Aquarium – With a heightened understanding of the emerging science and an intimate knowledge of the eight dolphins in the National Aquarium’s care, the National Aquarium is studying and evaluating all possible options for providing them with the best possible living environment in the years ahead. A Dolphin Summit will take place at the National Aquarium later this month that brings together experts from the aquatic world to determine the feasibility of a variety of potential solutions, including designing and building a dolphin sanctuary in an ocean-side setting and exploring in detail the requirements for operating such a facility.
Over the recent months, the groundbreaking process of BLUEprint caught the attention of The New Yorker magazine, which, in its May 19 issue, features some of these ideas and concepts in a profile of Studio Gang founder Jeanne Gang.
National Aquarium Board and staff, Studio Gang, IMPACTS and other Aquarium stakeholders will be working together in the coming months to refine the elements that will be included in the final BLUEprint plan.
[quote]We are proud that this Museum fulfills our obligation to tell the story of what happened on September 11, examine the historical context that led up to the attacks and chronicle what followed in their wake, including the extraordinary response from uniformed rescue personnel, recovery workers, New Yorkers, Americans, and the world community.” — Alice Greenwald, 9/11 Memorial Museum Director[/quote]
New York, NY, USA (May 15, 2014) — The National September 11 Memorial & Museum yesterday recognized the completion of the 9/11 Memorial Museum, upholding a commitment to honor the heroes, remember the victims and preserve the history of the 9/11 attacks, their precursors and aftermath for generations to come.
A tribute-filled, days-long Dedication Period, which includes a ceremony and Museum previews, began this morning and lasts through May 20 for 9/11 families, 9/11 rescue and recovery workers, active duty first responders, survivors and lower Manhattan residents and business owners. Keeping the Museum’s doors open for 24 hours during this period will also serve as a small tribute to the thousands of Ground Zero rescue and recovery workers who worked around the clock in the aftermath of 9/11 as the city, the nation and the world supported them. The Museum then opens to the public on May 21.
“The opening of the 9/11 Museum is an important milestone for our city and our country,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, Chairman of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Philanthropist and Mayor of New York City from 2002-2013. “The Museum tells heartbreaking stories of unimaginable loss, but also inspiring stories of courage and compassion. Its opening honors the commitment we made to 9/11 family members and to all future generations: That we would never forget those we lost or the terrible lessons we learned that day. So many people from across the country and around the world made the Museum possible — including New York City school children who donated their pennies — and they all have my deepest gratitude.”
“The 9/11 Memorial Museum is here for the world to come reflect on one of the most pivotal moments in history. Ultimately, this Museum will express what those who attacked us did not understand–that the ties that bind us strengthen in the most extraordinary ways when we are faced with the most unimaginable circumstances,” said 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels. “[The] 9/11 Memorial Museum dedication marks a historic moment, and sharing this institution first with those so deeply a part of 9/11 history is a tremendous honor for all involved in the Museum’s creation. Thank you to the thousands of men and women who have made this Museum a reality.”
“Throughout the development of the 9/11 Memorial Museum, we have very consciously applied the idea that an emotionally safe encounter with difficult history, experienced through the lens of memory, can inspire and change the way people see the world and the possibility of their own lives,” said 9/11 Memorial Museum Director Alice Greenwald.
“We kept our promise to build a museum that honors the loved ones we lost, that speaks to our collective response in the face of barbaric actions and that will be a place where future generations can come to hear how we found hope in a time of unimaginable loss,” said Pat Foye, Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.
Davis Brody Bond is the lead architect on the Museum below the Memorial plaza. The Museum’s entry pavilion was designed by Snøhetta. The Museum’s 110,000 square feet of exhibition space tells the story of 9/11 through multimedia displays, personal narratives and a collection of monumental and personal artifacts. The space includes two core exhibitions at the archeological heart of the site: the memorial exhibition, called “In Memoriam,” and a three-part historical exhibition that explores the day of the attacks, what led to them and their aftermath. The exhibition designers include Thinc, Local Projects and Layman Design.
“The magnitude of the historic importance of the site and its symbolism made it essential for us to find a balance between the collective and the individual experience,” said Steven M. Davis, FAIA, founding partner of Davis Brody Bond. “We relied on four principles to guide our work: memory, authenticity, scale and emotion, hoping to provide the most sensitive, respectful and informative experience for visitors.”
“As a reflection of the present, the Museum pavilion we designed serves as a bridge between the memory of past events embraced by the Memorial design and the trust in the future, signified by the neighboring office towers,” said Craig Dykers, founding partner of Snøhetta. “Visitors are connected by the many reflections of themselves, of others, and the surrounding architectural features emphasizing the value of the present moment in time. Its unique reflective façade and dramatic atrium seem to grow light providing orientation to all those who visit the site and a sense of optimism for the future.”
“The stories and objects we’ve encountered in designing the exhibits connect us to a breadth of experience that touches something deeply human in ourselves,” said Tom Hennes, principal of Thinc Design. “Opening the Museum finally makes this material available to everyone in a place to reflect on this history and thoughtfully engage with the world that is its result.”
“This is a Museum that listens and shares the stories of 9/11 with visitors. Whether survivors, witnesses or those who felt the impact around the world, visitors will come to this hallowed site and hear the story of 9/11 from those who made history on that day,” said Jake Barton, media designer and principal of Local Projects. “Throughout the space, visitors will find opportunities to engage with the exhibit through interactive technology tools that bring the stories to the fore – from remembrances of victims by their families and those of first responders – and provide opportunities to leave their personal 9/11 story behind and make it a permanent part of the Museum.”
“Standing on sacred ground in the footprints of the Twin Towers, the Museum begins its mission to bear witness to 9/11. This place of violence is resurrected into a place of peace; a safe gathering place to mourn, comfort, heal and think,” said David Layman, founder and principal of Layman Design. “The Museum will allow us to look back and remember. It will also serve as an essential vantage point from which we will be able to look forward.”
As part of the Dedication Period, the 9/11 Memorial will host a 24-hour “Pop-Up Community” on Greenwich Street next to the Museum, with refreshments and information about lower Manhattan. It will be open to the general public from 6 p.m. tonight, May 15 through 9 p.m. on Sunday, May 18.
[quote]We have worked diligently with our partner to identify the best theme park concepts and potential locations in the region and are moving forward into the next stage of the project.” — Jim Atchison, President and CEO of SeaWorld Entertainment[/quote]
Orlando, FL, USA (May 14, 2014) /PRNewswire/ — SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS) today reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2014.
“The first quarter, which historically represents only 12%-15% of our full year attendance, came in as expected with the shift of Easter and the Spring Break holiday period into the second quarter. Based on the successful launch of our 50th Anniversary celebration, a strong mix of new attractions yet to open, the ongoing benefits of our pricing and yield management strategies, and a strong start to the second quarter, we remain on track to deliver our fourth consecutive year of record financial results,” Jim Atchison, President and Chief Executive Officer of SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. said today. “As a result, we are reaffirming our fiscal 2014 revenue guidance to be in the range of $1,490 million to $1,520 million and our Adjusted EBITDA guidance to be in the range of $450 million to $465 million.”
“Our business development efforts are moving forward,” Jim Atchison continued. “The Company recently entered into an exclusive six-month Memorandum of Understanding to assess the viability of a multi-park development in the Middle East with a partner who has an established track record of opening and operating world-class attractions, and to finalize the terms of the agreement.”
“In our media business, I am excited that our Sea Rescue television series, which has been seen by over 141 million viewers since its debut in 2012, was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Children’s Series by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences,” Jim Atchison added.
For the first quarter of 2014, the Company generated revenue of $212.3 million, a decrease of $26.3 million, or 11%, versus the first quarter of 2013. Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $15.8 million, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $11.1 million in the first quarter of 2013. The Company reported a net loss of $49.4 million, or a loss of $0.56 per diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2014. Adjusted Net Losswas $49.1 million, or a loss of $0.56 per diluted share. In the first quarter of 2013, the Company generated a net loss of $40.4 million, or a loss of $0.49 per diluted share. Free Cash Flow was a deficit of $33.8 million for the first quarter of 2014 compared to a deficit of $8.1 million in the first quarter of 2013 primarily due to an increase of $14.5 million in capital expenditures related to future attractions.
The decrease in revenue was primarily driven by a 13.0% decrease in attendance, partially offset by a total revenue per capita increase of 2.2% from $68.19 in the first quarter of 2013 to an all-time record of $69.72 in the first quarter of 2014. Attendance in the first quarter was impacted by a shift in the timing of Easter into the second quarter of 2014, which caused a shift in the Spring Break holiday period for schools in many of the Company’s key source markets. Attendance was also impacted by adverse weather, particularly above average precipitation in the Florida market as well as below average temperatures in the Texas market for the first quarter of 2014.
Admission per capita, defined as admissions revenue divided by total attendance, increased by 3.6% from$43.56 in the first quarter of 2013 to $45.12 in the first quarter of 2014 primarily as a result of higher ticket pricing and the mix of ticket products sold. In-park per capita spending, calculated as food, merchandise and other revenue divided by total attendance, remained relatively flat at $24.60 in the first quarter of 2014 compared to $24.63 in the prior year quarter.
On March 4, 2014, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.20 per share, which was paid on April 1, 2014, to all common stockholders of record at the close of business on March 20, 2014.
On April 9, 2014, selling stockholders affiliated with The Blackstone Group L.P. completed an underwritten secondary offering of 17,250,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, including 2,250,000 shares that were offered and sold by the selling stockholders pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares. The selling stockholders received all of the net proceeds from the secondary offering and no shares were sold by the Company. The Company incurred approximately $0.7 million in expenses related to this secondary offering in the first quarter of 2014. Concurrently with the closing of the secondary offering, the Company repurchased 1,750,000 shares of its common stock directly from the selling stockholders in a private, non-underwritten transaction. These repurchased shares will be held by the Company as treasury stock at a cost of approximately $50.7 million.
On May 13, 2014, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a 5% increase to the quarterly cash dividend and declared a cash dividend of $0.21 per share, payable on July 1, 2014, to all common stockholders of record at the close of business on June 20, 2014.
NOTE: Photo is of model of Worlds of Discovery, a Busch Entertainment Corporation project announced in 2008 for Dubai’s Palm Jebel Ali. Worlds of Discovery, at the apex of the Palm, would have featured SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, and Aquatica parks, along with a retail district and resort hotels. The project was discontinued in February 2009. As of date of posting, the Palm Jebel Ali remains undeveloped.
UPDATED 5/15/14 10:00 AM PDT: The 400-acre Poinsettia Fire is now 60% contained. Damage assessments continue to be conducted throughout the city. The Carlsbad Museum and Art Center, LEGOLAND California, and SEA LIFE Aquarium are all open to the public today, however the city is limiting travel in areas closest to the blaze.
CARLSBAD, Calif. (5/14/14) – A brush fire is currently burning in Carlsbad around the area of Poinsettia Lane and Alicante. Mandatory evacuations are in progress. LEGOLAND California was affected by several power outages today caused by the fires nearby. LEGOLAND has been evacuated to ensure the comfort and safety of Park guests. SEA LIFE Aquarium has been evacuated as well. As of now, LEGOLAND Hotel has not been evacuated and is only accepting guests tonight with existing reservations. No decision has been made as to whether LEGOLAND California and SEA LIFE Aquarium will open tomorrow. InPark will continue to post updates from LEGOLAND California Resort and the City of Carlsbad as they become available.
[quote]There has never been a more exciting time for TEA. The number of themed entertainment projects in development has never been greater, and the world looks to our industry for solutions. Growth, technology, and creativity make the possibilities boundless.” — Steve Birket[/quote]
Burbank, CA, USA (May 14, 2014) — The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) today announced that its next International Board President will be Steve Birket, PE, of Birket Engineering. Birket officially became TEA President-Elect by a unanimous vote of the Board on May 13. In November, he will succeed sitting President Christine Kerr of BaAM Productions in the position.
Steve Birket has been active within TEA for more than 10 years, and part of the leadership since 2006, serving with the TEA Eastern Division Board two years as Secretary and two years as President, and then stepping up in 2010 to the TEA International Board, where he currently serves as Treasurer.
As Director of Birket Engineering, Steve is responsible for the company’s business development and industry relationships. Birket Engineering is a system integrator, designing and producing the hardware & software controlling some of the world’s best known rides & shows. Steve Birket has worked in themed entertainment since 1979 and has held project management, engineering, and entertainment positions at Universal Studios and The Walt Disney Company.
He holds an MBA from Rollins College and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Central Florida. He is licensed as a Florida Professional Engineer and Florida Limited Energy Systems Specialist, and as an FAA Private Pilot.
Says Christine Kerr, “Steve Birket is ideally suited to be TEA’s next President and take a larger role in helping steer the organization on its current path of growth and international expansion. Steve and his company are part of the fabric of our global community. He has been very active in the Asia-Pacific region, where our industry is growing the fastest. His knowledge and experience of visitor attractions is wide-ranging, including the entertainment and cultural sectors, museums, large scale show installations, and theatrical production. As a business development professional, he understands TEA’s directive to serve the needs of membership. In addition, he is universally liked. His calm demeanor and engaging personality will serve us well as he takes on the challenges of leading TEA.”
Steve Birket, TEA President-Elect and Jennie Nevin, TEA COO, along with many other TEA members, will attend the IAAPA Asian Attractions Expo in Beijing June 18-20; TEA and the TEA Asia Pacific Division will exhibit and hold a reception there.
“The dogs are bred to move livestock. In this case, the fearless canines are trained to handle massive elephants. They charge and nip at the elephants’ feet and trunks. The elephants have such respect for the dogs that even if they hear a handler say the name Major or Zeta, they take notice.
“They are very alert when they hear the jingling of the dogs’ licenses as they come running around the corner.”
[quote]We’re really proud to have our theater represented as a pioneer in digital cinema and invite all museum executives to visit for a demonstration.” — John Zendt, CEO of Moody Gardens[/quote]
Galveston, TX, USA (May 13, 2014) — Christie and D3D Cinema are pleased to announce that the world’s first museum-based 4K 3D giant screen 6P laser projection system will be installed and premiering at the Moody Gardens MG 3D Theater in Q4 2014. The system design and configuration will further distinguish Moody Gardens’ theater as one of the world’s most premier cinema venues.
“This is the game-changing milestone that the museum giant screen industry has longed to achieve for many years,” said Don Kempf, president and founder of D3D Cinema. “Moody Gardens’ audiences will be the first in the world to have a 6P giant screen laser experience, unarguably the future of cinema presentation. The DCI and DIGSS-compliant Christie laser solution, coupled with 6P glasses technology, will be unparalleled in terms of image quality. D3D has always been committed to designing first-rate giant screen solutions that are built on a more economically viable business model. It’s a great thrill to be able to achieve this goal AND be first to market with such a premium solution.”
John Zendt, CEO of Moody Gardens agreed. “D3D Cinema has proven time and again that they can deliver the goods first, better and more efficiently. We thoroughly researched all known laser options and the D3D/Christie solution beats the competition across the board – including, significantly, the price. We’ll own this laser system outright, which is important to us, saving significant operating dollars over the life of the laser modules.”
The upgrade will replace Moody Gardens’ existing 4K xenon system with a state-of-the-art pair of Christie 4K laser projection heads, a 6P modular laser light farm with fiber-optic delivery, Christie 4K 3D high-bitrate server, new giant screen 6P laser glasses, and a new premium white screen. “Our 6P laser design is a huge step forward for the industry,” said Don Shaw, senior director, Entertainment Solutions, Christie Digital Systems. “This particular system is designed to achieve up to 14 footlamberts onscreen in 3D, far exceeding any ‘ultra-bright’ industry standards. Our non-flashing 6P architecture is by far the most light-efficient 3D technology on the market, providing incredible brightness, enhanced color gamut and a remarkable contrast ratio. On a speckle-free premium white screen, Moody Gardens will deliver a peerless cinematic presentation to their audience. It’s a real feather in our cap to have Moody Gardens as a flagship theater.”
This latest collaboration between D3D and Moody Gardens builds on a longstanding partnership. In January 2011, D3D and Moody co-hosted the first annual Digital Cinema Symposium, showcasing 4K projection technology on a giant screen for the first time, including the first 4K vs. 70mm split screen shootout. The following year, at the 2012 Digital Cinema Symposium, D3D showcased the first 4K 3D demonstration, 11.1 3D audio, high frame rate 3D as well as a prototype laser on a giant screen, all industry firsts. The 2012 event was a milestone, marking the first time that industry professionals overwhelmingly acknowledged a digital presentation exceeded the quality of a 70mm film in a side-by-side comparison. A case study was recently published by D3D & Moody Gardens illustrating the financial benefits and qualitative success of digital presentation and rebranding.
Moody Gardens marks the first giant screen laser deal of many for D3D and Christie. “Lasers raise the bar,” added Kempf. “After Moody Gardens, our first laser dome system is around the corner, which will save our dome clients hundreds of thousands in operating costs per year. The giant screen industry is about to look quite a bit brighter.”
