On Wednesday morning, DCM and The Screen converged in the fabulous Dolby Screening room to update the cinema industry on the progress of digital and the new opportunities it affords advertisers.
Speakers included Michael Kali, Head of Corporate Sales and Advertising at Vue, who gave an update on the roll out of its digital operations. He explained how the transition from analogue to digital has freed up the cinema chain, made them more flexible and able to respond to changes in cinemagoers tastes more effectively.
Chris Forrester, Commercial Director, Primesight detailed the rise of the digital screen in cinema foyers and extolled the uniqueness and value of the space to advertisers. He gave examples of campaigns, including O2 tracks, which utilised the UK top 40 music chart in foyer for the enjoyment of cinemagoers.
Joe Evea, Commercial Director, DCM, spoke about the benefits to advertisers of cinema being digital, including reduced production costs and lead times.
Then, Tom Dodgson from Dolby introduced us to Dolby Atmos, a completely new platform for cinema sound. It provides full creative freedom for filmmakers and ensures that cinemagoers hear the soundtracks exactly as their creators intended. The technology allows filmmakers to place sounds anywhere in the theatre, utilising the 360 coverage of the speakers.
Tom Linay, Film Specialist at DCM rounded out the session with an update on the 2014 film slate. He reiterated the importance of family films, citing the success of Despicable Me 2, the most successful film in the UK box office so far this year. He also spoke about the upcoming awards season contenders, such as The Railway Man, The Monuments Men and 12 Years A Slave.