During the GSCA Marketing Committee’s conference call this month, the team discussed the recent opening of the Sphere in Las Vegas, and what insights, if any, we can leverage for the giant screen theater industry. Lori Rick, Senior Director of Marketing and Commnunications at MacGillivray Freeman Films, shares a few takeaways.
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It is my privilege to bring to you this year's chair report to the membership meeting. I can't underscore enough the importance of membership to the association. 2023 has been a very busy year for the Association, of which the members have benefited greatly. From the Film Expo to camera testing to webinars to the do’s and don'ts of best practices, the GSCA has provided the membership with countless pieces of data, tidbits, and information that have allowed us all to improve the operation of our theater.
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I have nothing but pride as to how this Association conducted itself through COVID. There were many different association voices and opinions at the outset of COVID, many of which involved shrinking or even suspending operations entirely. The Association chose a much more compelling course–a brave commitment to finding every way possible to continue its core mission–to create value for its members. Read more
As giant screen theaters regroup and reopen post-COVID,
there are valuable lessons from the successful operation at IMAX Victoria that can
contribute to the success of other venues, including the theater's groundbreaking Annual Pass program. Diane Carlson (Giant Screen Cinema Consulting) talks to Paul Wild, former director at IMAX Victoria; Destination Cinema CEO Bob Perkins; and Great Bear Rainforest director Ian McAllister to gain insight and perspectives on the theater's success. Reprinted from LF Examiner, with permission from James Hyder and Diane Carlson. Read more
The need for creative strategy and support from partners is greater than ever, and Samantha Reaves from the Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee shares tips on how to achieve results.
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Stronger together. Collaboration is key. There’s no “I” in “TEAM.” Chances
are, you’ve heard these before, as well as many other tropes touting
the importance of teamwork. There’s a reason for it: organizations who
work together effectively achieve better results. As our theaters reopen to the public, there is one thing I do
know—partnerships and collaborations will be more important than ever.
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Giant screens provide the world’s most immersive and educational cinema experiences for audiences of all ages to explore the universe and our planet. In the past year, over 15 million people experienced a giant screen presentation in one of the Giant Screen Cinema Association’s member theaters. GSCA members are encouraged to use their platform to join the global effort celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22.
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Member Services Committee Co-Chair Mary Jane Dodge of MacGillivray Freeman Films has been helping us capture interviews with giant screen veterans to help us celebrate the industry and the association. Now, we've turned the camera on her to find out how she collected the autographs of all three Apollo 11 astronauts. It's also a look back at her career in the biz, told with the enthusiasm that is uniquely Mary Jane.
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The Foundation Museum Support Company (FMSC), a
division of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, which operates
revenue-generating attractions at the National Naval Aviation Museum, is
always exploring new attractions technologies. Since 2015, FMSC has been carefully navigating
the potentially tricky introduction of the VR world into the museum.
“Simply setting up a set of chairs where museum
visitors can experience VR in the museum has never been the right
concept for us," says Phillip Crabtree, General Manager of FMSC. “I
wanted to bring VR into the museum that not only provided an amazing
experience for the visitor actually wearing the VR headset, but also for
the visitors observing those wearing the headsets. That’s where the
idea for this new Apollo 11 VR Experience was born.” Read more
Screening documentaries that run 40-45 minutes has long been the norm at giant screen institutional theaters, but some theaters are experimenting with shorter versions
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Screening documentary films that run 40-45 minutes has long
been the norm at giant screen institutional theaters. In addition to
technical and projection considerations, that length allowed time
to rethread the 15/70 projector and program films on the hour. With the
arrival
of digital projection, several theaters are now experimenting with
including
shorter versions of documentary films on their schedule. Marlene Janetos asked theaters, producers, and distributors what they think about this trend.
Giant screen programming expands the opportunity for member and donor engagement
There is generally a lot of discussion about how giant screen (GS)
films can be linked to education or exhibit programming. There has not been as
much discussion of how the theater can link to other endeavors of its host
institution—specifically with the development (fundraising) and membership
units. Members
and donors are a strategic stakeholder group, and it is beneficial to the
institution as a whole for them to have a special relationship with the GS theater
that transcends the transactional act of buying a ticket.