The European Association for giant screen and institutional documentary films is proud to announce its next annual meeting, hosted by BFI IMAX in London 2nd, 3rd and 4th June more details here
The European association dedicated to the large format cinema industry
Euromax aims at advancing the production and exhibition of films made in 2D or S3D for giant screens theatres, bearing educational values and carrying advanced audiovisual technologies.
Euromax provides a platform for members to screen trailers and films, share information, experiences and expertise about of the large format industry.
The large format industry is the one of theatres, filmmakers, producers, distributors and technical services specialised in the 8/70, 10/70 or 15/70 film formats but also, with the advent of digital technologies, the one of equivalent players serving giant screens with live-long learning programs.
Euromax aims to hold several meetings a year to see new films, discuss film projects, meet colleagues, visit large format theatres and discuss issues and exchange new information. The Euromax Spring Meeting is the key event of the association.
April 2013,
o Update about our meeting in London – note from Simone Appleby
o Latest News: join Dimension 3 in Paris, 18-21 June
o Back From Galveston – note from Laurent Dondey.
o Industry News.
o London BFI meeting 2nd – 4th June
We have approximately 55 attendees confirmed and more registrations are coming in. The event is held at the H10 hotel on Waterloo Road. To get to the BFI is a 10mins walk maximum. The hotel still has some rooms available at the early rate of £130 incl. breakfast for a double room single use and a £150 pounds incl. breakfast for double use. They will hold them for us until next Friday 27th April. If you have not yet booked please contact Borja Ayllon at mice.hlw@h10hotels.com and cc me on administrator@euromax.org.
We have a great program (see next page) and I am sure that we will have many heated debates about our industry.
Euromax meeting London
June 2-4 2013
Schedule
I look forward to seeing you there and sharing industry news with you all.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me administrator@euromax.org or if you have urgent question +336 7673 5026.
See you in London,
Kind regards,
Simone.
0 Latest News: join Dimension 3 in Paris, 18-21 June
Euromax has entered a cross-visibility partnership with Dimension 3 where we believe S3D producers, distributors and passionate members of our industry will find great interest if not business to make. see :dimension3-expo
o GALVESTON’s digest
The GSCA’s Film Forum and Digital Symposium of Moody Gardens, Galveston, Texas which took place last March 18th to 21st, was a well attended and successful event, Euromax was well represented thanks to our registered members.
We all enjoyed a very good meeting, intensively scheduled, in a location where we all well stayed together, and indeed perfectly organised. For those who missed it, here is a short note before they read more in a specialised review of their choice or ask all kinds of questions to those who went.
The heart of the meeting was content and technology but it is difficult if not impossible or dangerous to comment trailers and films screened or the technical set up (mainly digital). However, I will be opinionated in saying it was a highly qualitative presentation both in film and digital on a very pleasing large format screen of 60×80-foot (18.3×24.4-meter) screen.
We had numerous presentations, more digital than film, the balance well tipping over in favour of digital with indeed first-rate results of such presentations in 3D and 2D on the giant screen of Moody Gardens:
o News from our members
January 2013,
- A note from the General Administrator
- A message from the President
- News from our Members
- Open Column
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- A note from the General Administrator
Dear Members,
Euromax is in the midst of moving from the Hague to Paris and we are working hard on preparing our June 2013 meeting at the BFI. Here we will have new films, special guests and discussions about the future of our industry.
We are pleased to announce that Onsight have been voted in as new associate members.
Please find attached a newsletter. I would like to wish you a Happy New Year.
Yours Sincerely
Simone Appleby
VP Productions & General Administrator.
Euromax
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- A message from the President
Dear friends,
Our winter in Europe has apparently well arrived with lots of thrills, nice feelings and thoughts, I am sure from and for all of us. I am gladly joining this process and forward my best wishes for the New Year. But it is Spring that Euromax team’s is thinking about, working on our meeting to come in London on June 2nd ,3rd and 4th.
We certainly expect to find absolutely all of you at the beautiful and most impressive BFI Imax theatre around new films, image and project presentations, guests and roundtables.
This event is gradually gaining weight with the executive committee, Dennis Laws and Lucy Jennings exchanging ideas and they shall reveal soon their first version of a schedule, do no hesitate to propose now some key point you believe need be addressed.
Among those key points, I already can announce that one of the roundtables will be centred on the future of our industry and the different roads we face. We will report on discussions at GSCA and summarise what is said in each and every of our offices (and booths).
Such discussions will contribute to a necessary and healthy process which is a key condition for the bright future of all players of our Industry and the one of likely newcomers which may join our association in particular at both ends, producers with new backgrounds and theatres or projection places with giant or no so giant screens.
Discovering Film in an extraordinary setup remains our first goal and I much look forward at BFI Imax theatre to enjoy very special experiences with you.
Best regards,
Laurent
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- News from our Members
MacGillivray Freeman Films
HIDDEN UNIVERSE takes audiences on a breathtaking tour of deep space. Our universe is brought to life on the giant IMAX® screen with unprecedented clarity through mesmerizing, real images captured by the world’s most powerful telescopes. Explore spectacular galaxies and travel the terrain of Mars; witness images of distant celestial structures including stunning images of our sun; and peer deep inside vivid clouds of nebula to see previously unseen forms. Journey back further into space to learn secrets that until recently were completely hidden, inspiring new theories about how the universe was formed. Discover amazing clues that reveal the stars in the night sky are not only tiny specks of light but actual opportunities for life to exist on other planets. In an age where space tourism has become reality, the film offers an inspiring story of human endeavor from a prime seat with a magnificent point-of-view.
HIDDEN UNIVERSE is produced by December Cinema Production and distributed by MacGillivray Freeman Films. Coming to IMAX, IMAX 3D, IMAX Dome and Digital Theatres Spring 2013. www.macgillivrayfreemanfilms.com
- National Geographic Cinema Ventures
YEAR-END NEWS FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CINEMA VENTURES!
MEERKATS 3D CONTINUES TO CHARM AUDIENCES WORLDWIDE
The perfect family film for all ages, MEERKATS 3D brings with it a full complement of marketing and education outreach support (and plush meerkats galore!). If you haven’t seen the audience reaction video for this film, go to “Audiences are Wild about Meerkats” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDICaAeWQNg.
FLYING MONSTERS 3D FLYING HIGH
This award-winning film continues to win audience raves on 2D, 3D and Dome screens from Milwaukee to Shanghai. Outstanding promotional support makes FLYING MONSTERS a winner for your theater, too. $9 million in box office, 80 leases, many happy theaters, and millions of enthralled customers all add up to a bona fide hit that will boost your box office (and is the perfect family entertainment for the holidays). Give your audiences the gift of a great adventure in the world of the magnificent and mysterious pterosaur.
ANNOUNCING WILDEST WEATHER IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM FOR DIGITAL 3D FLAT SCREEN THEATERS COMING IN 2013
Available in early 2013, “WWISS” takes audiences on a wild ride thru the solar system to discover the extreme weather that exists on other planets. Methane rain and dust devils the size of Mount Everest are just the beginning of this amazing story. You’ll be glad you live on Earth! Running time for this film is 23 minutes.
NGCV’S SLATE OF OUTSTANDING FILMS SET FOR RELEASE IN 2013
NGCV will showcase James Cameron’s historic dive to the Mariana Trench and make the invisible visible in 2013 with its exciting roster of films releasing next year. JAMES CAMERON’S DEEPSEA CHALLENGE and MYSTERIES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD will both take audiences to places they have never been, immersing them in worlds they can’t even imagine. Both films will be groundbreaking in their content, breathtaking in their visual impact, and outstanding in their ability to attract a wide range of audiences.
WANT TO BOOK TODAY? Call us at +1 212-224-8479 or email Mark Katz, mkatz@ngs.org.
The NGCV inaugural Museum Theater Leadership Symposium has been rescheduled (because of Hurricane Sandy) to February 11 & 12, 2013 in Washington, DC. Call Antonietta Monteleone at 212-224-8468 for more information.
AND FINALLY…
NIKKI LOWRY NAMED VICE PRESIDENT, INTEGRATED FILM MARKETING
It is with great pleasure that we announce that Nikki Lowry has been promoted to the position of Vice President, Integrated Film Marketing. This promotion reflects Nikki’s outstanding contribution to the marketing of distribution of NGCV’s award-winning library of films.
- Nwave
NWAVE WINS A PRIZE
Euromax would like to congratulate Nwave for winning the 3D Creative Art-Europa for their film The Little Prince. The film was awarded by the INTERNATIONAL 3D SOCIETY on December 6th. They received the award in Liège during the 3DMedia festival.
For more information please go to www.3dstereomedia.eu
- Camera Lucida
Camera Lucida in Production
LEONARDO DA VINCI, A journey A life 3D
(in production) Produced by François BERTRAND – Camera lucida productions
Directed by François BERTRAND
An extraordinary immersion in the incredible world of the most creative mind in human history: engineer, scientist and artist. A 3 Dimensional discovery on giant screen from sketches of his inventions to his paintings considered as a master‐pieces in the art history.
Dassault Systèmes, « the 3D Experience Company », has decided to come onboard as co-producers on Camera lucida’s LEONARDO DA VINCI, A journey A life 3D project. Dassault Systèmes is the world-leading company in 3D design software and 3D Digital Mock-Up.
- Open column
Personal Reflections on the preparation of 70mm film projection for Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film ‘The Master’.
by Jean-René Failliot
When in September we were was asked by the film’s Post Production Supervisor Erica Frauman, to seek out what screens were capable of still projecting 70mm we were excited. We had wanted to bring 5/70mm back to french screens for some time, via festivals or restoration prints but to little avail. The French public was not interested. We therefore hoped that this may be the film that will start the process. Very quickly however, the reality of the possibility of 5/70mm projection loomed large. Paris was once home to a dozen 5/70mm film theatres but many had been dismantled and sold for scrap metal!
As we began enquiring we discovered that there were only two theatres left: The Max Linder and The Harlequin. After several attempts to revive their projector, the Max Linder theatre gave up. Rumour has it that the projector will be sold for spare parts and scrap metal some time next year. A real shame for what was once the Mecca of 70mm in Paris. Will this happen to Imax’s film projectors in 2014?
The Harlequin (once Jacques Tati’s film theatre that played Russian large format films) is therefore now the only ‘official’ film theatre in Paris that can still run 5/70mm film. Even though their 35/70mm ran like clockwork much work was needed (brightness, new lamp, evenness of new lamp, projector stability, aspect ration, the elimination of reflections, etc …) so that the film could be projected in pristine conditions. When one is used to the stability of digital projection, it becomes harder but not impossible for film projection to be technically up to scale.
The quality of the projection was what all film projections should be, perfect. The film itself is mesmerising. Watching film in the right conditions I was able to enjoy the film and not be distracted by reflections, unstable projection etc., I therefore rediscovered the beauty of film; its contrasts, the nuances of color so rarely seen on today’s screens. Skin textures, especially in close-ups are amazing. Landscapes and wide shots were breath taking in their accuracy of color detail. I am thinking particularly of the scene of the motorcycle in this vast desert with mountains in the background is stunning. This was film in it’s purest form and highest art
SACRAMENTO EUROMAX GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday, September 20: GSCA Conference Day 3
8:00 am – 9:00 am
Sheraton Hotel conference room: Compagno
Breakfast Buffet
AGENDA
1 – Situation of the association
Presentation of accounts and current budget
2 – New organization and projects
Change of organization; vote for the General Administrator position
Projects
Spring meeting
3 – 2013 Budget
Vote
4- Industry discussions
MFF – Greg MacGillivray: “MacGillivray Freeman’s commitment to the large format documentary model.”
IMAX – Mike Lutz: “Organisation in Europe and more”
GSF – Don Kempf and Andy Wood: “Giant Screen Films and D3 Cinema Industry Outlook”
National Geographic – Mark Katz: “Commitment to product and outlook on trending of business”.
Round table on trends on Industry challenges in Europe in particular
5 – Other
GSCA Board meeting feedback – Dennis Laws
Feed back Dome Alliance 9am.
Dear members,
As you are aware of, our administrator Anine van den Hurk has left her Euromax position for personal matters. We have thanked her dearly for her contribution to the association and wished her luck with her new life. With the important position of General Administrator being vacant, the Executive Committee has discussed this issue at length with Berend Reijnhoudt, Omniversum.
From our discussions, Omniversum who has housed the Euromax administration for many years has expressed a desire for this role to be passed on. We would therefore also like to take this opportunity to thank Omniversum for their dedication and support towards the association.
It is therefore time for Euromax to rethink its structure and to re-organise itself in order to function effectively and efficiently for all its members keeping high its goal of providing a unique platform for distributors to meet European theatre executives in an intimate way, for theatre’s teams to discover films, marketing materials and develop deals, for technical industries to best understand expectations and propose solutions, for all to share information and discuss at the occasion of our meetings and in between them.
Concerning the key position of General Administrator, we are happy (and lucky) to inform you that Simone Appleby as of today volunteered to act as the Temporary General Administrator and that Berend Reijnhoudt and his team have agreed to a gradual and facilitated move.
Our plan is to propose to you during the Euromax Meeting at the up-coming GSCA conference, the approval of a new, permanent organization. The meeting will take place on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH at 8:00 AM, location yet to be confirmed.
In that perspective, we hereby invite individual candidates and/or organizations to fill in the position of General Administrator.
Please find attached a job description of the administrator’s role. If interested to apply, please send a simple email to the Executive Committee before September 12th describing how you feel you would manage the Activities. Please address your email to exec@euromax.org .
The Executive Committee will then meet to prepare its recommendation to be presented to the members on September 20th.
The Executive Committee remains the same with Jessica Christensen (Vice-President Theatres), Simone Appleby (Vice-President Production and Treasurer) and I, whilst Dennis Laws represents Euromax at the GSCA board.
The organization of our association is moving in many ways. Though we are seeking a new administrator we believe that change is a good thing. The executive committee and Omniversum are therefore continuing our endeavours to make Euromax a successful platform for our members.
Best regards;
Laurent
Att: Euromax General Administrator job’s description
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EUROMAX GENERAL ADMINISTRATOR
Summary
The role of a General Administrator is an important key position to the Euromax Association, in that it ensures its economical sustainability in managing subscriptions and making it attractive to members, in particular in undertaking or implementing all appropriate projects (film conferences).
The General Administrator is the one contact person of the Association for all members and third parties, the function identifies and forwards all important matters to the President and the Executive Committee with whom he/she works closely to manage development projects (sponsorship, alliances, film conferences, etc.).
The General Administrator works with the Euromax Executive Committee comprised of three members including the Treasurer with whom it shall maintaining very close relationship to ensure most controlled accounts, the Association strictly requiring balanced operations.
As an association where most work is done in a benevolent manner and relies on generosity and goodwill to serve common interest and an great care for the Giant Screen Cinema industry as a whole, the General Administrator acquires great knowledge of people and business matters and contributes actively to communication initiatives, in particular the drafting of Eurofax newsletter.
The General Administrator is preferably based in one of the members’ company.
Description
Provides administrative and general support to the Association in managing/coordinating:
• General Administration matters such as subscription follow-up, website, Eurofax, executive meetings minutes, data collection, relationship with GSCA’s team, sponsorship development which amounts to about 50 hours a year
• Accounting and budget reporting which represents about to 50 hours a year
• Organizing and attending a Euromax Conference about 100 hours and 70 hours for a GSCA conference
• Subscriptions payments
Work hours a year tend this to differ between 250 – 400 and budgets are set-up accordingly.
Skills
Customer service, Quality, Professionalism, Communication, Stress management, Using initiative, Handling calls, Managing workload and prioritising, Office relations, Following instructions, Creativity, Flexibility, Information technology, Working in teams, Organisation,
Extensive knowledge of Giant Screen Cinema market and evolution. Business language is English.
Education
Preferably a degree in Administration, certainly appropriate training and experience in small Organization and Event management.
Compensation
To be discussed, according to existing budget, with individual and/or member organization.
Dear Euromax members,
Following the GSCA-EUROMAX Film Expo in France, I am happy to finally reach out to you to thank you formally for your votes, to congratulate in writing those who made this Euromax meeting run so smoothly technically, logistically and economically (I saw long hours).
These last weeks have allowed me to realize how controlled and organized, calm and collected our association proves to be, a sign of great wisdom which impresses me. I am much thankful to all of you and in particular the presidents before me to have instigated such qualities to our association and I will certainly be cautious to maintain this.
The timing is now right for me I suppose to propose a few topics we might want to grasp together. I hope we can examine them before or during the next GSCA’s conference and of course during our next Euromax meeting in Europe in 2013.
In times of much economic pressure and questioning about the level of brightness of our future, there are in my opinion three major issues and one obligation which could be stated as follows:
1) Ensure and develop better understanding for Europe with producers and distributors
2) Optimize our present business models
3) Prepare intensively for a new digital paradigm, source of more attendance and revenues
4) Take care of Euromax members and manage the association accordingly
This means:
1) Plan a next Euromax meeting
It is essential to maintain our Euromax meetings. We need and deserve very special attention and care from Giant Screen Producers and Distributors at our very specific European level; both for flat screens and domes.
In times of implementation of the IMAX – MFF’s agreement illustrating concentration of production and distribution in our industry, of its further shifts in favor of theatrical digital flat screens playing long feature Hollywood films or of much interested looks at 3D TV screens or 3D small venues (with 1.9 aspect ratio instead of 1.44), it is very important that we put forward in Europe our preferred documentary-immersive-giant screen model and the good revenues it generates.
Beyond the great screenings and deal making sessions they host, our meetings are thus essential because they bring together firstly those who care much about this “classic” model.
Euromax shall indeed encourage collective loyalty i.e. be most welcoming to producers who are making giant screen meant documentaries bearing in mind the European flat and dome screens and be a place where the digital shift is discussed a lot so that a smart transition happens. This transition indeed shall not see institutional theaters go commercial but on the contrary shall allow our producers to find as good if not better returns tomorrow for their giant screen European meant digital documentaries.
With the move to digital, production costs will go down whilst wonderful image capture will be achieved, postproduction will be easier and shorter and dome versions perfect, “print” and logistic costs will be negligible, but most importantly for Europe “versioning” will be easier.
There will likely be a closer, more opened and reactive relationship from script finalization and editing to voice picking, different versions of a film depending on territories or zones, a very flexible way of managing marketing and educational materials.
As a whole, this represents a great development opportunity for our industry and a special chance for the European market in particular.
2) Speak about business models
European people are not easily talking about money or sharing their book of accounts, I propose we go a little beyond general finance conversation and share some general economical data whilst obviously following best business ethics.
This is a small but helpful project for two reasons. The first one is about lightening the effects of the economic crisis that hit us all in Europe in sharing good ideas and numbers to counter attendance decline or reduce costs, the second one is about exchanging our ideas and some documents about financing and convincing stakeholders for our digital shift plans.
A small but not so easy project to run, I believe one levy would consist of launching a small benchmark survey along with a few conference calls. A report with some spreadsheets could then be delivered in the weeks following the study and be useful for many of us.
3) Provide a specific platform to help the technical transition
My proposal is that Euromax provides a platform to share experience and authorized information about key data concerning our move to new digital projection solution, from technical requisites, business plans, to programming ideas and projects.
We could gather such data on our website and recommend best useful links and hints for those undertaking a digital conversion project, in particular to GSCA studies, technical committee reports, DIGGS referential, etc. Having Euromax members on the Board of GSCA members of different commissions will help.
A technical workgroup might be necessary therefore amongst Euromax members.
4) Take care of Euromax
Our association is healthy; it is managed with care, commitment and professionalism. I shall be very considerate of this situation and of the time spent by individuals for us as well as encouraging new persons to contribute in a way or another to the dynamics of Euromax.
I hope this exercise and project planning is agreeable to you and will certainly appreciate your comment to progress on this first approach.
I will come back with a more detailed plan and proposals in the coming weeks,
Best regards,
Laurent
National Geographic Cinema Ventures (NGCV) announces the release of “Meerkats 3D,” the first in a series of films developed for digital cinemas in museums worldwide. “Meerkats 3D,” which will roll out to theaters internationally this spring and summer, was developed through a partnership between National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) and SKY3D in the U.K. NGCV will distribute a 40-minute and a shorter version of “Meerkats 3D,” both adapted specifically for the cinema.
3D Entertainment Distribution announced today that actor Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furiousfranchise, Takers) will narrate Air Racers 3D, the first‐ever IMAX 3D theatre film devoted to the fastest race in the world: the legendary Reno National Championship Air Races. With stunning aerial photography filmed entirely in 3D and unprecedented access granted to the course, AirRacers 3D takes audiences into Nevada’s Valley of Speed to experience the intensity and high‐speed thrills of a sports event like no other combined with spectacular air show entertainment.
Laurent Dondey, CEO of La Géode (Paris, France) has been chosen as the new President of EUROMAX. Current President, Christian Scheidegger, will step down as from March 20, 2012. The official transition of Presidents will take place during the Euromax meeting on Tuesday, March 20: European Film Expo Day 1.
We are very happy that Christian is able to attend the European Film Expo to say goodbye to all members in person. He will be with the Swiss Transport Museum until the end of March.
We wish Laurent lots of success in his new position and we thank Christian for his hard work over the last couple of years.
