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In a tiny private theater in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts, filmmaker Douglas Trumbull is screening one of his latest creations. At first, the movie looks familiar: it's footage of astronaut Chris Hadfield singing David Bowie's "Space Oddity" in a clip that went viral on YouTube a couple of years ago. But halfway through the song, the film shifts from Hadfield strumming his guitar in the International Space Station to 3-D shots of planets and stars so detailed that I feel as though I'm on the ISS itself, looking through its cupola windows. A huge image of Earth fills my field of view and begins rotating. I'm wearing 3-D glasses, but the picture is far brighter and sharper than is typical in 3-D movies. Next to me, people mumble things like "Completely unreal" and "Awesome."
This is Magi, a system that captures images in 3-D and "4K" ultrahigh resolution and displays the resulting frames at five times the usual rate. Trumbull developed the technology as a way to create movie experiences more immersive than regular 3-D or giant-screen IMAX—and restore the joy of going out to the movies.
[...] The movie industry could use some magic. North American box office receipts have been relatively flat for years. Many consumers prefer the convenience and affordability of watching movies on their TVs and mobile devices, especially since manufacturers keep developing sharper, brighter, more color-accurate screens.
To develop something far better, Trumbull built a studio on his sprawling Berkshires property; hired a multitasking crew that ranges from four to 50 people, depending on the project; and produced a series of demos that tested new cinematic techniques, such as how to combine different frame rates and resolution levels in one movie. On top of all that, he has created a new type of movie theater optimized for showing Magi films.
Presumably, not showing 45 minutes of TV commercials before the feature is not on the list of things that could bring some magic back to the movie industry...
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Thexalon on Friday October 07 2016, @01:39PM
The thing about movie theaters is that they are no longer necessary for most films. I mean, which would you pick?
A. Drive to some strip mall, choose one of the relatively small number of possible movies to see, shell out at least $10 to get in, spend at least $5-10 on food and drink that would have cost less than half of that had you bought it somewhere else, and sit in an uncomfortable chair in a room with a sticky floor with a bunch of often-annoying strangers for several hours. Total cost: $25, each time you want to do that.
B. Order a pizza, sit comfortably on your couch with the people you actually wanted to watch a movie with, flip through the what's being offered by one of your online accounts, and watch any one of hundreds of things you might enjoy. Total cost: $10 a month, plus $10 every time you want to do that.
Let movie theaters go the way of other largely defunct industries, where maybe a few are kept around as historical curiosities.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday October 07 2016, @03:08PM
You don't get searched before watching the movie.
Pizza is not the only option. In fact, you have more snack options available than the theater concession stand. If you go for popcorn, it's very cheap. Candy. Soda. Frozen treats of all kinds. Whatever you find at your local grocer.
If you or any of the people you are watching with decide it's a good time to pause for a "break", that is a flexibility you do not get at the theater.
Oh, did you miss something? Rewind and catch it again.
Closed captioning if you need it to catch some difficult to hear dialog.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Friday October 07 2016, @03:32PM
I was trying to emphasize the "Never even have to leave the house" aspect of it when it came to food, but yes, that's all absolutely true.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 3, Funny) by DannyB on Friday October 07 2016, @04:28PM
If you don't go to the theater, you are negatively affecting the reproductive opportunities for bed bugs.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 07 2016, @06:52PM
You don't get searched before watching the movie.
With all the terrorism/mass shooter fearmongering, that might change. They'll look for guns, and while they're doing that, food. Maybe.