Conference Program
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Professional Development Sessions
Partnering for Success
Session organizers: Diane Carlson, Giant Screen Cinema Consulting; Paul Fraser, Blaze Cineworks
Distributor/Theater Presenting Partners:
- Gina Glen, Director, Film Distribution IMAX Corporation
Neale Johantgen, IMAX Theatre Manager Indiana State Museum
Webb Space Telescope IMAX Documentary
- Antonietta Monteleone, President of Film Distribution, Cosmic Picture
Alexandra van der Zee, Head of Marketing and Program Manager, Museon-Omniversum,
The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness
- Amber Hawtin VP of Sales and Marketing, SK Films
Ryan Holota, Chief Operating Officer, Saskatchewan Science Centre
Wings Over Water
Post COVID, many giant screen theaters have been challenged to revive attendance to their documentary films. How can theaters and distributors work together so both succeed? How can distributors best position theaters for success? And how can theaters maximize the opportunities of a film to build and sustain audience interest? Hear directly from your peers about best practices that include using social media, selling the experience, and using tried-and-true basic tactics. Included will be examples of leveraging internal resources across institutional divisions. Smart and cost-efficient approaches are the core of these marketing solutions for success. Join us for an informative and energizing session with valuable actionable insights. For a PDF of the slides, please contact kelly@giantscreencinema.com.
Gen Z: Opening Our Doors to the Future
Session organizer: Caroline Borgudd, Cosmonova, Swedish Museum of Natural History
Presenter: Sarah Bean Sherman, MSc, PhD, Science Education Specialist in Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia
Gen Z Panelists: Mason Hull, Zoe Seldon, Max Spradlin, Jillian Starr
The future is Gen Z. If you want to understand the future of our industry—whether it’s exhibition, production, or distribution—you need to understand Gen Z. Born 1997–2012, Gen Z is engaged and entering the work force and our theatres as we speak! They are expressing their opinions and rewriting the norms. Members of Gen Z are resourceful and independent learners who value diversity, inclusivity, and authenticity. They are passionate about social impact and environmental responsibility, and their top priorities include wellbeing and mental health. Do you want to keep up with the social media trends and new content development? Do you want to engage the next generation of decision makers now? Then you need to understand how Gen Z navigates the world, what is important to them, and what makes them tick.
You will hear from members of Gen Z in this inspiring and thought-provoking crash course that will tap into their values, beliefs, and motivations. We’ll share the latest research and provide tips that will make you rethink the way things have always been done. For a PDF of the slides, please contact kelly@giantscreencinema.com.
How Alternative Content Works for Us
Session organizer: Darren Durocher, TELUS World of Science- Edmonton
Presenters: Jenn Bentz Borcherding, Pacific Science Center; Patty Collins, MacGillivray Freeman Films; Rachael Kiphart, Museum of Science and Industry-Chicago; Alexandra van der Zee, Museon-Omniversum
The big takeaway from how we approach alternative content is that it must have an experience attached to it to be successful. Anyone can show alternative content and likely have a decent enough crowd, but consistent sell-outs for the content on its own is unlikely. Theaters need to find that unique hook, leverage the other areas of their institutions to offer guests something unique that they can’t get anywhere else, or find community partners. The presentation will also include results from the GSCA Alternative Content Survey conducted in 2022. For a PDF of the slides, please contact kelly@giantscreencinema.com
Innovations Sessions
Digital Camera Comparison
Session organizers: Michael Daut, Michael Daut Productions/K2 Studios; James Neihouse, ASC
In July 2023, the GSCA Innovations Committee conducted a test to show the strengths of six higher-than-6K-resolution cameras to show filmmakers how each performs in challenging situations. Under the direction of GSCA Innovations Committee Co-Chair Michael Daut and with renowned cinematographer James Neihouse, ASC, serving as director of photography using a wide variety of cameras, lenses, shooting situations, and locations, this test will provide invaluable information to filmmakers as they decide which equipment to use for different types of shoots. This is a follow-up to the camera tests conducted in 2014 for the Bring Back Our Wide Shots (BBOWS) presentation, 2017 for the Saving Our Aspect Ratio (SOAR) presentation, and the 2018 8K Digital Camera Comparison.
The session recording as presented on the dome screen in Cincinnati is not available for viewing here, but it will be shown on the flat screen at the GSCA Film Expo in Los Angeles, March 11-14, 2024.
Read the white paper about the test, written by James Neihouse
You can also watch a behind-the-scenes video here (no login required):
6 Habits of Highly Effective Theaters
Session Organizer: Darren Durocher, Manager, IMAX Theatre, Telus World of Science-Edmonton
Presenters: Richard Cox, Clark Planetarium; David Gioia, Saint Louis Science Center; Amy Louise Liedel, The Henry Ford
Presentation of giant screen films is paramount to setting the experience apart from what a regular moviegoer experiences at a multiplex. A 1986 IMAX service manual stated, “The combination of a dedicated theatre staff and the IMAX system can provide a spectacular experience for audiences. To maintain this level of achievement, the staff and equipment involved in this unique communication process must function at optimum efficiency. This is the challenge of every performance.” Truer words have never been spoken, and as we see multiplex screens get ever larger, and increased competition for guests’ spending, the experience in a GS theater must remain unique and special. How do we achieve this?
This session will explore the various aspects of the GS Theater Experience and how to make it special. Featuring speakers from various theaters, we will follow a typical family as they experience a GS theater for the first time. From their entry into the facility, how do theater managers ensure the best possible experience? Once the guests are seated and the lights go down, seasoned theater operators will take over and guide us through best practices to ensure the best possible presentation on screen each and every time. For a PDF of the slides, please contact kelly@giantscreencinema.com.