All different, all digital
by Elisabetta Brunella

This column hosts portraits of cinemas in Europe and the rest of the world which are quite different from one another but have in common the fact that they have all adopted digital projection.

Michigan Theater

Any U.S. town that respects itself has broken at least one record, proudly quoted in publications and on websites: Ann Arbor, halfway between Detroit and Lansing, the capital of Michigan, boasts one of the very few cinema organs that have remained exactly where they were originally installed in the ‘Twenties. The prestigious and fully operational Barton, a survivor of the army of seven thousand cinema organs destined to accompany silent films, is hosted by the Michigan Theater, situated right in the heart of the city center, just a few steps away from its most famous institution, the highly esteemed University of Michigan.
Conceived in 1928, re-designed in 1956 and saved by the local community from the demolition that was to have been its death sentence during the burst of speculation in the ‘Seventies, the Michigan Theater offers its audiences - mostly university students or the greying cultural élites – a range of films that are decidedly unusual outside metropolitan areas like New York or Chicago. The programming, on its two screens, ranges from the work of independent Americans and foreign language films, from all over the world, to milestones in the history of the seventh art. Thus, in the space of only a few weeks, a classic like Nosferatu may alternate with an evergreen like Singing in the Rain, visions of distant worlds with the Tajik Tulpan and The Stoning of Soraya M., set in Iran, and militant documentaries like Food Inc. or Under our Skin, which bring to light everyday events relegated to second place by the mass media, such as the dangerous links between politics and economic speculation involving in one case the food industry and in the other the pharmaceutical business. The Michigan Theater’s “look” has nothing in common with the multiplexes that tower over the vast parking lots of the suburbs: this is why it can be considered a “luxury” version of cinema-going in the American provinces. The brightly lit marquee, an auditorium seating 1,704, decidedly “oversize” compared to present standards, the eight-sided ticket office made of wood and glass, gilded ceilings and Corinthian pillars, as well as the imposing staircase leading to the gallery evokes the days of the “movie palaces”, adding the splendour of their interior decoration and the charm of the setting to the enjoyment of cinema-going.
And yet, beneath this old “skin” some avantgarde technology is hidden: since spring 2009 the Michigan Theater has equipped itself with a 4K digital system which, thanks to RealD technology, is also suited to the screenings of 3D that began on 29 May with Up, more or less the day after its world première at the Cannes Film Festival. This is a particularly important step for an institution like the Michigan Theater, not only a symbol of the cinemas of yesterday, but also an oasis for quality films. To avoid misunderstandings over possible changes in its programming philosophy, on announcing this recent technological leap the Michigan Theater confirmed its loyalty to the policy it had followed up to that time: quality and independence. Russ Collins, the soul of the Michigan Theater, appointed Cavaliere della Repubblica for merits obtained in the dissemination of Italian cinema in the United States, told us: “We are and we continue to be a cultural institution, not just a commercial cinema: but this is no reason for us to remain segregated outside the boundaries of technological developments. And so, the analogical projectors we use for 35, 70 and 16mm films and also for silent films, have been joined by the best available in technological innovation today, to keep up with the times and the demands of audiences. We started the digital transition when we became fascinated by the quality of 2K and now we have decided to take another step forward: I don’t think the quality of 4K will be improved upon for at least 10 years”. An important and demanding step on the financial front: the Michigan Theater is in fact managed by a non-profit organization only 60% dependent on income from ticket sales and concessions. The rest comes from an intense fund-raising campaign, ranging from members’ subscriptions to voluntary work and from donations to sponsorships. One of the not so numerous contributions of the Federal Government went to the Michigan Theater a few years ago and was actually used to launch digital projection. Now a crucial role is played by the Bank of Ann Arbor, which has made it possible to purchase a 4K projector, thanks to the concession of a 5-year loan.
Proof that in the United States, too – and even in Michigan, land of the crudest forms of capitalism exposed by Michael Moore who was born right there – exists an awareness of the cultural, social and economic role that a historical cinema in the center of town holds for the whole community.

This article was published in Italian in the “Giornale dello Spettacolo” no. 21, 27 November 2009

News on the development of digitalisation in the world
by Marcello Mazzucotelli

After signing an agreement in April 2009 whereby GDC became a distributor for RealD’s 3D platform in Asia (taking care of sales inquiries, technical support, maintenance, installation, marketing support and on-going cinema operations), the two companies recently announced newly signed deals including Broadway Circuit and UA Cinemas (Hong Kong), Blitz Theaters (Indonesia), Ambassador Cinemas (Taiwan) and Shaw Cinemas (Singapore). The partnership to date has accounted for close to 100 additional RealD 3D installations in Asia.

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Reel Cinemas has signed an agreement with Arts Alliance Media to digitise Reel’s entire circuit in the UK. The VPF based deal covers all 60 of Reel’s screens throughout the country, across 15 sites. The deal also covers the installation of 3D in 20 screens, meaning there will be at least one 3D screen in each site, to take advantage of next year’s slate of around 15 3D releases.
Arts Alliance Media will also be providing satellite systems for each of Reel’s 15 sites, allowing the cinemas to show live alternative content and also to receive feature and trailer content via satellite.

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Emerging Pictures’ official website: www.emergingpictures.com

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