4D Stakeholders Battling For U.S. Cinema Market

[dfergie]

Two "4D" cinema theaters — that is, a theater that augments the viewing experience with features such as fog, rain, wind, scent or seat movement — open this weekend in Southern California

CJ 4DPlex and AEG unveiled a "4DX" 4D theater — the first U.S. installation from 4D company CJ — at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live Stadium 14 in Los Angeles on Thursday. And the first U.S.-based "4D Motion EFX" theater from 4D company MediaMation is set to open Friday at the Oxnard Plaza Stadium 14.

Seoul-headquartered CJ and Torrance, California-base MediaMation, along with a third company, D-Box, are all vying for the emerging 4D market and the U.S. is of course a key battleground. "The U.S. is very important to us as a strategic market — and L.A. is the center of the movie industry," CJ's chief marketing officer Brandon Choi told The Hollywood Reporter, adding that the company started in foreign markets to refine the technology before trying to enter the U.S. exhibition business.


The 104-seat CJ theater at L.A. Live comes with an $8 premium, meaning that a general adult 3D ticket price is $26.80. General ticket prices for the 108-seat MediaMation theater are $21.25 for a 3D movie or $18 for a 2D movie.

Both theaters are opening with Transformers: Age of Extinction. According to Fandango, the first three L.A. Live shows sold out.


MediaMation's president Alison Jamele told THR that upcoming 4D movies that will be offered for their theaters include Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Lucy, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Choi declined to name upcoming titles. Each 4D system is different, meaning each film needs to be mastered specifically for the system or systems that will be used to project the given title.

hollywoodreporter.com

 

[mike123abc]

I do not know a lot of theater goers that would want to get wet...

 

[navychop]

I do not know a lot of theater goers that would want to get wet...

I suspect that $8 difference will increase. I wouldn't mind fog, but I sure wouldn't want rain. And I hope they realize the Smell-O- Vision idea stinks.


Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App!

 

[dfergie]

I saw a fluff piece on one of the shows (inside edition?) yesterday, looked pretty cool except for the mist in the face.

 

[mike123abc]

I saw a fluff piece on one of the shows (inside edition?) yesterday, looked pretty cool except for the mist in the face.

I can imagine the "my makeup is melting" issues...

 

[dfergie]

It squirted the guy (in a suit)right in the eyes...

 

[mike123abc]

I understand it is the same as Disney's experience, but when you are at Disney you need to get wet every now and then, and it would be mild compared to the log ride.

 

[dfergie]

It's basically D-Motion with 3D on steroids.

 

[Don in CT]

So people have stopped going to the movies and hate 3D, so lets make it worse! That will get them back into the theatre.

 

[meStevo]

So people have stopped going to the movies and hate 3D, so lets make it worse! That will get them back into the theatre.

Which people? 3d is why box office totals are getting so high. Especially overseas last I read.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[Don in CT]

Which people? 3d is why box office totals are getting so high. Especially overseas last I read.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

I thought receipts have been down.

 

[dfergie]

Theater stays packed here (we only have 3 screens) often 2 out of the 3 are showing 3D movies, 22 Jump Street is on it's 3rd week here on one screen(usually 1 week and out).Theree are plans for a cineplex with stadium seating and 9 screens, can't wait! Plus we have a drive in with 3 screens with movies Thursday thru Monday nights.

 

[meStevo]

Pretty sure last year was record setting or something, so this year is down, or summer is.

Next year with Avengers, Mockingjay p2, Fast and Furious, and even Ted will make another ridiculous box office year.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[Don in CT]

Pretty sure last year was record setting or something, so this year is down, or summer is.

Next year with Avengers, Mockingjay p2, Fast and Furious, and even Ted will make another ridiculous box office year.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

Was it record setting because of 3D, or because people didn't have a choice. 3D is still a chore with the glasses.

 

[meStevo]

I think you're connecting things that aren't directly related. 3D isn't why box office is flat/down. In fact: http://variety.com/2014/film/news/box-office-3d-stages-a-revival-again-1201220911/

Films such as “Edge of Tomorrow” and “Godzilla” didn’t match “Gravity’s” 80% 3D take — but they racked up roughly half of their opening weekends from 3D screenings, while “The Amazing Spider-Man 2? brought in 43% of its debut haul from 3D engagements. That’s in sharp relief to the 34% market share “World War Z” carved out from the format in its initial frame or the 30% “The Wolverine” earned from 3D in its first weekend of release.

I'll just leave it at that, as a response to what I was replying to, in bold:

So people have stopped going to the movies and hate 3D, so lets make it worse! That will get them back into the theatre.

 

[navychop]

Interesting to follow this trend to see if it has legs.

And I suspect UHDTV will give a boost to home 3D, as I read it makes a notable difference.

I'm not very interested in 3D, and my wife hates it (vision) but we might give it another try someday, if I can get over my distaste for filthy, sticky floors and teens using cell phones during the movie.

And I can't shake the idea that 3D at home isn't going to make it, as the porn industry never adopted it. They seem to have a pretty good track record at picking winning technologies.

4D? No way, for me.

Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App using an iPhone.

 

[Need]

I don't really like 3D that much. When there are 2 versions of the movie (3D and non 3D), I would pick the non 3D one to watch in a theater. We were just in Seoul last month and decided to try out a 4DX movie in one of the CJ movie theater. It was amazing! It was like a 90 minutes ride of Star Tours (but better) in Disneyland. It really put you in the movie. When bullets are flying, you feel the air puff by your head. You move with the plane, robots, etc...and feel the wind as you are flying. When the actor dives into the sea you get a mist in your face (you can turn off water effect). Both my wife and kid loves it too. We are planning to see the one in LA Live.

It is not worst than 3D for sure. One warning is that if you are very prone to motion sickness, you may want to think twice before going. I got a little motion sick when I was watching the preview of How to train your dragon 2.. all those slow flow flying.. But after that when we watched Edge of Tomorrow, it was fine.

 

[Kraven]

Hopefully the porn industry stays was from 4D or else the audience would be ducking for more than half the presentation


Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App!

 

[mike123abc]

Hopefully the porn industry stays was from 4D or else the audience would be ducking for more than half the presentation

Unfortunately I bet it would be a big draw... I have a feeling Virtual Reality when it gets released will be quickly seized upon by the porn industry.