Hosted by the Montréal Science Center andsupported by Famous Players, Inc., the GSTAInternational Conference featured filmscreenings, professional development sessions,

technical presentations, a trade show, numerousnetworking opportunities and the annual AchievementAwards ceremony.

The GSTA 2004 International Conference was ahomecoming of sorts—IMAX and the giant screen industryhave roots in Montréal. Several multi-image, multi-screenfilms, including Graeme Ferguson’s Polar Life and RomanKroiter’s Labyrinth, were hits at Expo 1967 in Montréal.The success of those films, combined with the technicalchallenges in making and screening them, inspired IMAXfounders Ferguson, Kroiter and Robert Kerr to design asingle projector that could fill a giant screen.

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G S TA’s 2004 International Confere n c eand Trade Show saw 583 attendees re p resenting 26 countries gather in the magnificent city of Montréal for thea s s o c i a t i o n ’s 27th annual confere n c e .

G S TA 2004 I N T E R N AT I O N A LC O N F E R E N C EA N D T R A D E S H O W R E P O RT

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A PRODUCTION DRY SPELLPerhaps most noticeable at this year’s conference wasthe relatively low number of new films shown. Ninenew films and one short were screened, the lowestnumber presented in 10 years. Two of those wereIMAX DMR films (Harry Potter and the Prisoner ofAzkaban and Spider-Man 2). Eight minutes of J a m e sC a m e ro n ’s Aliens of the Deep w e re scre e n e d , whichCameron personally introduced during theconference’s opening reception. Adventures inAnimation 3D (formerly titled Virtual Actors andThe Boxer), Forces of Nature, Mystic India, NASCAR3D: The IMAX Experience, Sharks 3D, Vikings andthe short film Hubble: Galaxies Across Space andTime were screened in their entirety.

Fifteen films in production and 29 films indevelopment were featured, some of which had beenpresented at previous conferences and two of whichare sequels to previous giant screen films (Bugs! 2and Return to Everest). According to dates publishedby the distributors, the films slated to be released in2005 are Buena Vista Pictures Distribution’s JamesCameron’s Aliens of the Deep, nWave’s Brainpowerand Wild Africa 3D: Search for the Big 5, IMAXCorporation’s Magnificent Desolation, MacGillivrayFreeman’s Mystery of the Nile and John LennonImagine Project, NFL Films’ Super Bowl to the Max,World of Mysteries’ Erich von Daniken’s World ofMysteries, VDL Productions’ Living with Man Eaters and Giant Screen Films’ We the People andMystic I n d i a . H o w e v e r, as has been the case inp revious years, funding and production delays couldaffect release dates. As of The Big Frame’s printdeadline, IMAX had not yet announced any 2005DMR releases.

Again this year, in an effort to improvecommunications between film buyers and filmdistributors, GSTA provided an audience responsesystem via wireless keypads to gather important data for Films in Progress and Films in Development presenters. The confidential feedbackis given to p roducers and distributors for the fil m sthey pre s e n t e d .

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONSOriginally scheduled as two separate sessions, “FilmProduction in Canada” and “Navigating Quebec’sGovernment Funding of Film” were combined topresent the benefits of producing giant screen filmsin Montréal and Quebec province. The regionprovides many varied locations for shooting, and thegovernment offers substantial tax credits for filmsproduced there, which makes it one of the most

sought-after locations in North America. The session also served as a showcase for productionservices provided by members of Canada’s GiantScreen Consortium, the majority of whom arelocated in Quebec.

Doug Keith, TNS Intersearch, and Mary KayeK e n n e d y, WGBH Enterprises and co-chair of the GSTAresearch and marketing committee, presented twosessions, both of which were a result of a consumerresearch work team recommendation to use theresults of the GSTA 2003 Worldwide Viewer andNonviewer Research to further benefit the industry.

The overall research results were presented at lastyear’s conference in Glasgow. This year’s sessions,“Profiling At-Risk and Likely Viewers” and“Identifying Best Film Research Practices,” provideddelegates with a more in-depth analysis of the results.

TNS identified a subset of the giant screen vieweraudience as “at-risk” and a segment of the nonvieweraudience who are most “likely” to become giantscreen viewers. During the session “Profiling At-Riskand Likely Viewers,” Keith said the research resultsindicate that viewers who have seen three to ninegiant screen films enjoy the films less and less,which is leading them to become nonviewers. Nearly62 percent of lapsed viewers stopped coming afterseeing two or three films. The research has provideddata on how to identify those at-risk viewers, what isdeterring them from visiting, what will attract themand how to satisfy them. It also has provided datathat, hopefully, theaters can use to retain and satisfycurrent viewers and recruit and convert likelyviewers. (Please see the fall 2004 issue of The BigFrame for an in-depth analysis of at-risk viewers, or e-mail bigframe@smm.org for a PDF of the article.)

The sessions “Profiling At-Risk andLikely Viewers” and “Identifying BestFilm Research Practices” were aresult of a consumer research workteam recommendation to use theresults of the GSTA 2003 WorldwideViewer and Nonviewer Research tofurther benefit the industry.

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Keith pointed out that while the overall findings arerelevant to the industry in general, theaters have localissues that need to be researched and addressed aswell. Gretchen Jaspering, then vice president ofmarketing and communications at the St. LouisScience Center (SLSC), shared how SLSC has used theresearch results to make significant programming andoperational changes. Jaspering said the research resultshave helped SLSC get broad support from its boardmembers. SLSC recently made sweeping facilitychanges, spending $3 million on lobby and theaterrenovations in 2003. Programming changes wereimplemented, including showing IMAX DMR films forthe first time with Harry Potter and the Prisoner ofAzkaban. SLSC is experimenting with different kindsof films and programming, targeting content to whenniche audiences are likely to attend. SLSC marketingis now segmented by audience, and advertisingemphasizes both film content and the experience, withdifferent tag lines being used for different audiences.

SLSC, which took part in both the GSTAworldwide study and the local market add-on study,conducted further surveys after programming andoperational changes had been implemented todetermine their impact. Jaspering said that as a resultof the changes, SLSC has seen substantial gains insales in the science center, and a new audience hasbeen attracted to the theater.

GSTA’s goals in holding the session “IdentifyingBest Film Research Practices,” the second sessionbased on the GSTA research results, were to ensurethe industry is conducting research with valid results,increase the understanding of the research process,create some uniformity in the industry and encouragethe use of research to increase the chances for success.A number of theaters, producers and distributors arealready doing basic level market research, includingtitle, topic and film testing, but there is disparity inthe type of research done across the industry.

The session focused on the research resourcesavailable to ensure film producers choose the besttopics, produce the best films possible and choose thebest titles for the films produced.

Keith outlined a methodology for designing aresearch program, including how to determine theresearch objectives and the information that should beobtained; how to choose the sample design and size;and how to collect, tabulate and then analyze data tomake decisions and design marketing plans.

The session “Educational Materials: MeasuringEffectiveness in Education” was moderated by WayneLaBar of Liberty Science Center and Tracey Guiry,who was with the IMAX Theatre At-Bristol at the timeof the conference and is now at the National MaritimeMuseum in Greenwich. Barbara Flagg of MultimediaResearch, who has been involved in evaluating theeducational effectiveness of 13 giant screen films,

presented the three methodologies for conductingresearch at the different stages of a film’s production.Front-end research is conducted in the early stages of aproduction to help shape the film; formative researchshapes the details as the film is in production; andsummative research evaluates the finished film’seffectiveness and whether it met its goals. (The spring2005 issue of The Big Frame will include an article byFlagg focusing on summative methodology and ameta-analysis of a number of evaluations done on U.S. National Science Foundation-funded giant s c reen fil m s . )

GSTA will be holding an educational symposiumsimilar to the 1999 Giant Screen Films and LifelongLearning Symposium at the 2006 conference inGalveston, Texas. Significant work has been donewithin the industry on what people are learning andthe educational impact of giant screen films, but theinformation is dispersed and in some casesconfidential. GSTA’s goals for the symposium are tounderstand and define educational effectiveness,collect information and review what the industryknows already, set goals for the future, and thendevelop and implement initiatives.

TECHNICAL SESSIONS“Digital Evolution of 15/70,” presented by industryconsultant Charles Poynton, served as a primer on thebasics of digital film—from image capture to digitalpostproduction and projection—and related how it hasand will continue to influence the giant screen industry.

The conference again included a technical sessionthat allowed GSTA members to present advances ingiant screen production technology. Corey Mandel,post audio supervisor at Technicolor Toronto, hasmixed 22 giant screen features and presented asegment asking how much sound a giant screen filmrequires. The most successful films, he said, are theones that engage the audience emotionally, and soundplays a vital part in achieving that goal. Mandel playeda clip from the 1996 film The Hidden Dimensionthree times—first with a temporary soundtrack, thenwith the complete sound design, and again with thecomplete soundtrack plus orchestration—to illustratehow layers of sound immerse audiences in the sceneand involve them emotionally. He then showedfootage from NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience,

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW REPORT

GSTA will be holding an educationalsymposium similar to the 1999 Giant Screen Films and LifelongLearning Symposium at the 2006conference in Galveston, Texas.

first with all the sound design except the car engines,which allowed the audience to realize all of theelements that had been added to the soundtrack. The second time Mandel played the scene the chest-pounding roar of the car engines was added.

Daniel White presented footage shot with a new 3D camera Big Films is developing with Gord Harrisand Nox Leavitt. The first phase prototype wassuccessful, and the final rig is nearing completion.Giant Screen Consortium is providing financialsupport, and Big Films is seeking additional funding to finalize the project.

Phil Streather of Principal Large Format discussedthe 3D camera system developed to shoot theupcoming Man-Eating Sharks. He explained the threebasic systems that can be used for filming 3D, whichrequires the two camera lenses to be 2.5 inches apart:a single camera system, mirror rigs with twocameras, or two small cameras used side by side. Bob Talbot, director of photography on the film,chose a film-based side-by-side system designed bySean Phillips.

David Keighley, DKP 70MM, Inc., discussed ultrahigh-resolution film scanning and recording, showingimages from Mystery of the Nile, Sacred Planet,NASCAR 3D, the Mars Spirit Rover, a Matrix domeshrink test and the Hubble Space Telescope.

Rick Gordon, RPG Productions, showed a clipfrom the Academy award-nominated 1986 Expo filmRainbow War that had undergone digitalintermediate postproduction. He also showed a flatscreen trailer of Roar: Lions of the Kalahari, whichwas shot in different film formats, scanned at 4Kresolution, given a uniform look in the computer andrecorded on 15/70 negative. He pointed out thatworking in the digital realm allowed the three effectscompanies to work simultaneously on differentsegments of the film, but the final look is seamless.Gordon also showed footage from a dome-customizedversion of Roar. RPG, with the help of Sean Phillips,mapped out a custom dome curvature for each frameso it would fill the screen and adjusted color forcross-reflectance. Gordon said National Geographicand Destination Cinema went to extraordinarylengths and expense to create an entirely separatedome version, which represents their commitment to the entire industry.

Greg MacGillivray’s presentation addressed thephilosophical side of filmmaking, saying thatcreating a plan and schedule and building a team canbe far more important for producing a good film thannew equipment. He used Mystery of the Nile, whichMacGillivray Freeman Films (MFF) is producing withOrbita Max, as an example. MacGillivray saidshooting a difficult action film in three third-worldcountries in remote regions on a limited budget of $5 million at first seemed impossible. MacGillivray’ssolution was to start with a full script, break the film

down into segments, pick the teams to handle eachsegment, and then have the crews working on thesegments simultaneously. The film was shot on timeand on budget.

MacGillivray also dispelled the myth that it’simpossible to shoot sync sound in giant screen filmsbecause the cameras are too noisy. He said MFFshoots sync sound most of the time with its W4camera, which was remachined to make it quieter.MacGillivray says it’s the quietest camera in theindustry and is capable of shooting sync lines withcharacters only three feet away. Digital noisereduction techniques in postproduction are alsouseful when shooting sync sound, he pointed out.

GSTA ACHIEVEMENT AWARDSFilms, lifelong learning and marketing were honoredat the eighth annual GSTA Achievement Awards,held at the International Conference in Montréal.

Celebrating creative talent and excellence in giants c reen filmmaking, GSTA Film Aw a rds were pre s e n t e din four categories. Pulse: a STOMP Odyssey wasawarded Best Film, Coral Reef Adventure wasrecognized for Best Cinematography, NASCAR 3D:The IMAX Experience received the award for BestSound, and Stephen Low was honored with a SpecialAchievement Award for his work on Volcanoes of theDeep Sea. GSTA member organizations vote for theBest Film, Best Cinematography and Best Soundwinners, while the GSTA production and technicalsubcommittee selects the recipient of the SpecialAchievement Award.

Lifelong Learning Awards were presented in twocategories this year. Bugs! received the Best Film forLearning award, which is selected by GSTA theatermembers. The Henry Ford IMAX Theater wasawarded the Best Educational Program Award for itsAmerican Trailblazers MAX-imum EducationProgram. This marks the first year the GSTA haspresented an award for the Best Educational Program,which recognizes the program that best representsthe development and presentation of a completeeducational experience utilizing giant screen film,exhibits, educational materials and other media ormaterials. The winner is selected by the GSTA

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This marks the first year GSTA haspresented an award for BestEducational Program, which recognizes the program that bestrepresents the development andpresentation of a complete educational experience.

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Learning and Education committee. The Marketing Awards (formerly the MAC Awards)

recognize exceptional marketing campaigns and are judgedby a panel of industry peers. Best Marketing Campaign bya Distributor was awarded to IMAX Corporation forNASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience. The Ontario ScienceCenter won Best Film Launch by a Theater for its launchof Coral Reef Adventure. (See page 56 for photos of theaward winners and page 58 for summaries of the award-winning campaigns.)

ASSOCIATION MEMBER MEETINGSRob Lister and Greg Foster of IMAX Corporation delivereda presentation to theater members, first reviewing thecompany’s activities over the past 12 months, including areport on the capital structure and financial situation. TheIMAX theater network now includes 240 theaters in 35countries. China and India are the fastest growing markets,and IMAX says it will urge the new theaters to becomemembers of GSTA.

Lister acknowledged that some in the industry areconcerned that DMR films have diminished the IMAXbrand; however, IMAX is adamant that the opposite is tru e .The brand, Lister said, continues to attract loyal and newaudiences, and consumers are still willing to drive fartherand pay more for the IMAX experience. Institutions’reputations are still intact, and they have the potential toincrease membership by showing DMR films, he said.

DMR films enhance the IMAX brand and in some casescontribute to the brand power and allure of institutions.

Lister pointed to The Polar Express as the perfectcrossover film that has good entertainment value with aliteracy message and said the issues facing the industry canbe overcome if the two sides (institutional and commercialtheaters) work together. He said a greater acceptance of thecommercial aspect of the industry could help solve someof the funding and promotional challenges that theinstitutional side of the industry is facing. Lister usedDisney, Tom Hanks and Warner Bros. as examples ofHollywood heavy hitters who entered the giant screenindustry with converted 35mm releases, bringing tens ofmillions of dollars in promotion for the industry, and havegone on to produce more traditional, documentary-stylefilms for the format. Companies and individuals who enterthe industry should be embraced and encouraged topromote the industry, Lister said. Using their mediaoutlets to promote the industry will result in promotionalcampaigns and outlets for all giant screen films.

Greg Foster stressed IMAX’s commitment to all theatersand the industry as a whole, stating the company isworking diligently to produce a wide range of product.Foster also acknowledged the difficulty theaters have in

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A) Derek Threinen, New England Aquarium; and Francois Mantello, 3D Entertainment. B) Truett Latimer, Truett LatimerProductions; and Charlotte Brohi, Houston Museum of Natural Science. C) Kazuyo Takehara, Denstu Tec; YoshikazuMatushita and Kozue Mukai, Suntory Museum. D) James Hyder, Cinergetics (LF Examiner); and Sky High EntertainmentViking. E) Susan and Paul Novros, Graphic Films Corp. F) James Cameron, Lightstorm Entertainment; John Lowry, LowryDigital Images; and Graeme Ferguson, IMAX Corporation. G) Independent film distributors party hosts Robert Kresser,Patricia Brandino, Goulam Amarsy, Charlotte Brohi, Mark Katz, Don Kempf, Greg MacGillivray, Toby Mensforth, JonathanBarker and Stephen Low. H) Munro Ferguson and Paul Morstad, National Film Board of Canada. I) Mark Katz, JohnWickstrom and Antonietta Pennella, nWave Pictures. J) Catherine McGrath, National Museum of Photography; Alex Page,

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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW REPORT

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Science Museum, London; Simon Jones, IMAX Theatre At-Bristol; Doug Keith, TNS Intersearch; Mary Kaye Kennedy,WGBH Enterprises; and Jason Bainbridge, BFI London IMAX. K) Jessica Christensen, Swedish Museum of Natural History;Bing Broderick, WGBH Enterprises; Gregory Roy, TFX Animation; Michael Boeckmann, Science Museum of Minnesota; Jim O’Leary, Maryland Science Center; Toby Mensforth, Smithsonian Theaters; Mary Kaye Kennedy, WGBH Enterprises;Philippe Bergeron and Robert Landry, TFX Animation. L) Berend Reijnhoudt, Omniversum; and Tracey Guiry, NationalMaritime Museum. Photos B, D, E, F, K by James Hyder. © 2004 by Cinergetics, LLC. Photos A, C, H, I, J, L by Kelly Germain. Photo G courtesynWave Pictures.

ADNAME1/3 VERT

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A DI N D E X

Big Films, Inc. ..............................................45

Big Frame, The..............................................64

Consolidated Film Industries......................19

Dentsu Tec, Inc. ............................................11

Destination Cinema, Inc. ........................8, 9

DKP 70mm, Inc. ..............Inside back cover

Eastman Kodak Company ..........................13

Euromax ........................................................66

Giant Screen Films ......................4, 5, 23, 43

Giant Screen Theater Association ..........52

Graphic Films Corporation ......................2, 6

IMAX Corporation ........................Back cover

Innerspace Cases ........................................65

K2 Communications ....................................27

MacGillivray Freeman

Films ................................Inside front cover, 1

Maryland Science Center ..........................34

MegaSystems/Ballantyne............................51

Museum of Science and Industry ............33

National Wildlife Federation ......................21

nWave Pictures Distribution......................35

Perfect Projections......................................66

Science Museum of Minnesota ..........26, 49

SK Films, Inc. ....................................15, 36, 37

Sony Pictures Classics, Large Format......12

Summerhays Films........................................17

Superior Quartz Products ............................3

The Stephen Low Company ......................25

Ushio America ..............................................16

WGBH Enterprises........................................53

White Oak Associates, Inc. ......................65

making programming decisions asquickly as the relatively short noticeof DMR film releases to daterequires and said IMAX is workinghard to get things turned aroundquickly on what is an expeditedschedule by Hollywood standards.Clearance issues resulting when a35mm cinema has exclusivity rightsto a film have also been problematic.Lister said it’s a new way of doingbusiness and that IMAX is workingto see that all parties’ needs are met.Foster also said he expects studios toparticipate more in GSTA and theconference in the coming year.

Also reported at the associationmember meetings, GSTA has amendedits bylaws to expand the board from17 to 21 voting members. The movestems from efforts to make the boardmore reflective of the association’sglobal membership and to giveassociate members a bigger voice inthe decisions. (See page 14 for a fulllisting of GSTA’s board members.)

The Global Affairs and MemberServices Committee reported thatGSTA membership currently standsat 279 members, including 115theater members, 36 developing and128 associate members.

The Learning and EducationCommittee reported it is discussingways to gather research that hasalready been conducted regardingeducation and giant screen films andprovide the information on-line. Thecommittee is also tweaking criteriafor the learning-related GSTAAchievement Awards.

The Development Committee istaking inventory of past and currentfilm funding resources, as well assponsorship initiatives, with an eyetoward developing a fund sufficientto provide gap financing for film

development and production.The Conference and Meetings

Committee is working on contentfor the Midwinter CommitteeMeeting being held in Vi rginia Beach,Virginia, on February 3–5, 2005,hosted by the Virginia Aquarium andMarine Science Center.

Dave Duszynski, chair of theResearch and Marketing Committee,presented the GSTA theaterattendance reporting project, whichallows theater members to inputattendance data confidentially on asecured area of GSTA’s Web site on amonthly basis. Theaters are thenable to access a number of reportsthat contain data averages forparticipating theaters as a whole.This ongoing statistical analysisallows participating theaters toaccess and review reliable trends fortheater attendance in a secureenvironment for the purposes ofbenchmarking and internalreporting. The program was in apilot phase and is now expanded toinclude associate members.

GSTA’s 2005 InternationalConference and Trade Show will beheld in Osaka, Japan, September 26-30, 2005, hosted by Suntory. TheHyatt Regency Osaka is theconference hotel, and GSTA was stillin the process of negotiating hotelroom rates at press time. Visitwww.giantscreentheater.com forconference updates. The 2005International Conference in Osakawill be another homecoming ofsorts. The first IMAX projector madeits debut 35 years ago at the 1970Expo in Osaka. n

Kelly Germain is editor of The Big >>>>>Frame and can be reached atbigframe@smm.org.

GSTA’s 2005 International Conference and TradeShow will be held in Osaka, Japan, September 26–30,hosted by Suntory. Visit www.giantscreentheater.comfor conference updates.

GSTA 2004 International Conference and Trade Show Report continued from page 51