In one of many IBC announcements related to the celebrated film director, James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment has signed a five-year agreement with Christie Digital that is designed to accelerate the development of next generation 3D cinema technology, writes David Davies.
The agreement will encompass the exchange of research, testing, development and technical support relating to 3D digital cinema technoloy.
“I selected Christie for this ‘journey of discovery’ because the company is fully committed to my vision and shares my dedication to continually push the boundary of digital cinema,” said James Cameron.
“Lightstorm is committed to realising the full potential of 3D and high frame rate technology to fully immerse audiences in the world of the movie before them,” said Craig Sholder, vice president, Christie Entertainment Solutions division. “This alliance promises to spark a new wave of excitement, creativity, and innovation in film-making that will provide audiences with an unparalleled sense of total immersion in the movie-viewing experience.”
As part of its agreement with Lightstorm, Christie will supply the latest Solaria Series of 3D-capable projectors, ongoing access to emerging research and development on 3D, and input into Lightstorm’s mission-critical engineering related to 3D and high frame rate innovation. Christie will also assist in outfitting Cameron’s new production facilities, including two screening rooms that will serve as virtual production sites for the next two instalments of Avatar.
In exchange, Lightstorm will share with Christie its findings into 3D, high frame rates and the enhancements, format, and colour space requirements for achieving the optimal viewing experience. The company will also provide sample content for testing and demonstration of technical enhancements, for the overall promotion of Christie’s 3D technology.
Sholder added: “With the right server technology, our Series 2 projectors are already fully capable of being upgraded to deliver higher frame rates. Further collaboration will provide us with a wealth of information from Cameron’s award-winning production studio that will allow us to rapidly advance our pace of innovation in the development of 3D. Cameron demands – and delivers – nothing less than perfection in all of his movies, which do more than break global box office records. They are true cultural phenomena that mark new milestones in visual entertainment.”
The Lightstorm and Christie agreement also provides Lightstorm with 24/7 access to the Christie Network Operations Center (NOC), call centre support, and replacement parts.
www.christiedigital.eu
