SGV Tribune: IMAX ‘transforms’ AMC Puente Hills 20

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune profiles the recent toy drive held at Puente Hills Mall to celebrate the newly opened digital IMAX theater at the AMC Puente Hills 20 in City of Industry, California:

AMC Entertainment, IMAX, 104.3 MYFM and Speedzone held a toy drive for the L.A. County Sheriff Industry station in front of the Puente Hills Mall entrance nearest the AMC Theaters on June 24. The event celebrated the opening of the new IMAX theater at AMC Puente Hills 20. (Staff Photos by Raul Roa)

The local theater held a toy drive on June 24 to celebrate the opening of the new “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” movie, as well as its new IMAX theater.

While moviegoers came out to enjoy music from radio station 104.3MYFM, they were also challenged to “transform” kid’s lives by donating new unwrapped toys.

In return, participants received AMC, IMAX and “Transformers” prizes. Special items included season passes to SpeedZone and gift cards to local stores.

The charity event was just part of the grand opening of the IMAX theater at Puente Hills Mall.

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GSCA announces annual marketing award winners

The Giant Screen Cinema Association announced today the winners of its Annual International Marketing Awards. The awards celebrate the best execution of ideas in promoting giant screen films and theaters.

Best Film Launch by a Theater was awarded to the Krungsri IMAX Theatre in Bangkok, Thailand, for the film launch of Wild Ocean.

Best Marketing Campaign by a Distributor was awarded to IMAX Corp for their submission of Under the Sea 3D.

Best Theater Launch was awarded to Science North, in Sudbury, Canada, for the re-launch of their theater.

The Big Idea Award was given to the Montreal Science Center in Montreal, Canada, for their unique ideas promoting U23D.

There was no award given for Best Educational Program by a Theater.

“We had a large number of entries this year and there were so many great ideas and execution of ideas that it was difficult to choose just one in each category,” said Gretchen Jaspering, President, GSCA. “Thank you to everyone who made the effort to enter the competition, I know that it’s a lot of work to put these presentations together.”

The actual awards will be presented at the GSCA’s International Conference and Trade Show this September in Indianapolis, IN. Details regarding these awards winners will be posted on the association’s website in late July.

Founded in 2006 and headquartered in St. Louis, MO, USA, the Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA) boasts membership of more than 300 corporations, institutions and individuals from 26 countries engaged in the production, distribution and exhibition of giant screen film experiences. For more information see www.giantscreencinema.com.

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BFI IMAX wows Kuwaiti blogger

The Q80 Mix blog reviews the BFI London IMAX theater:

Before I flew back to Kuwait I decided to catch the new Transformers movie and when I found out that they were showing it at the BFI IMAX in London , I thought what better movie to watch on the IMAX cinema ! As its been years since I was last in an IMAX theatre I forgot how enormous the screen is, when I walked in I was like WOW ! Considering it was an afternoon performance during the week, I was surprised how packed it was. Before the movie started we were treated to the trailer of the new Harry Potter movie which looks a lot of fun and looks stunning in IMAX (it opens on 15 July).

When the main movie started the film did not cover the entire screen, there was a bar on the top and bottom of the picture (a bit like when you watch a DVD in 16:9 mode), but the screen is so huge it really doesn’t make a difference. But the director Michael Bay filmed a major battle scene specifically for IMAX which meant that it covered the entire screen from top to bottom for about 10 minutes. And yeah, that made it even more amazing.

The sound is great and the picture crystal clear. You do definitely enjoy the experience more. The cost of the ticket is £13.50 which is around KD 6. When you consider that’s how much we pay here in Kuwait for the “VIP” cinema, its well worth the money.

Also check out Q80 Mix’s tips when visiting London’s IMAX:

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Sacto Bee: Sacramento’s Esquire IMAX to mark 10th anniversary with free movie

From the Sacramento Bee:

Esquire IMAX Theatre in downtown Sacramento is marking its 10th anniversary on July 11.

The theater will show the 45-minute film “[Adventures in] Wild California” for free every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is a pictorial tour of the state and appropriate for all ages.

IMAX Corp., based in New York City and Toronto, was founded in 1967. After multi-screen films were well received at EXPO ‘67 in Montreal, Canadian filmmakers designed a single projector that works like multiple projectors.

The IMAX projection system provides an “immersive” movie experience using such technologies as 3-D.

There are about 370 IMAX theaters around the world.

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Jakarta Post: IMAX film ‘Journey to Mecca’ proves to be enlightening

The Jakarta Post reviews SK Films’ Journey to Mecca: In the Footsteps of Ibn Battuta, a Giant Screen film that follows the great traveller Ibn Battuta on his first epic journey to Mecca.

We tend to come across most interesting gems in Jakarta by stumbling over them, often because of a lack of promotion or because reviews and information come through after the event, when it’s too late. Fortunately, it’s not too late to see Journey to Mecca, an IMAX film screening at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah’s Keong Mas theater.

. . .

Journey to Mecca is a dramatization of the pilgrimage to Mecca by Moroccan scholar and traveler Ibn Battuta in 1326.

Ibn Battuta was born in 1304 in Tangier, Morocco, and at the age of 21 he informed his parents that he would set out on his own to make his pilgrimage to Mecca. It took him an adventurous and arduous 16 months to make his way to Mecca and, once having completed the haj, it would be another 24 years before he eventually returned to Morocco.

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Harry Potter 6 IMAX to show in 3 theaters July 15th

Three IMAX theaters will debut Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on July 15, the film’s opening day for conventional theaters. FirstShowing.net reports:

Earlier this month it was discovered that the IMAX debut of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, with roughly 12 minutes of 3D footage, was going to be delayed two weeks due to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’s contractual 4 week IMAX run. However, IMAX did promise that it would open in three of their theaters starting on Wednesday, July 15th, the same day it hits regular theaters. Which three theaters? Collider has confirmed that these theaters are: AMC Century City 15 (in Los Angeles), Henry Crown OMNIMAX (in Chicago), and AMC Loews Lincoln Square (in New York).

Starting on July 29th, all remaining IMAX screens will start showing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

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UPDATE 1: More on Chicago’s Museum of Science’s score to show HP6 in their Omnimax theater from the Associated Press:

The Museum of Science and Industry plans to show the new Harry Potter film in its five-story high Omnimax theater.

The museum says it will be one of just three large-format theaters nationwide to show “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” on the day of the film’s world premiere, July 15. Midnight screenings of the sixth installment in the Potter movie series begin on July 15 and run through July 19.

The museum will continue to show the movie several times during the day until Sept. 27. That corresponds with the run of a Harry Potter exhibit that had its world premiere at the museum in May.

“Harry Potter: the Exhibition” features costumes and “artifacts” in a magical shopping strip based on author J.K. Rowling’s best-selling series of books.

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UPDATE 2: Harry Potter 6’s limited run gets covered on other new sources:

MTV: ‘Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince’ Gets Limited July 15 IMAX Opening

Right Cinema: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince IMAX Release

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Studio Daily: ILM Builds the Bots for IMAX Shots in Transformers Sequel

Studio Daily takes a look at the work of Industrial Light and Magic on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in IMAX:

There’s a sequence in DreamWorks/Paramounts’ Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in which the Devastator, a gigantic Decepticon robot, scales an Egyptian pyramid as easily as a gorilla climbing a tree and rips off the top. With over 52,632 parts and nearly 12 million polygons, the robot is the biggest model Industrial Light & Magic has built in its 30 years of model-making. And they built the bot for IMAX shots.

“What’s happened in this picture is that the scale and density of the characters, and the number of characters, have gone way up,” says Industrial Light & Magic’s Scott Farrar, who was visual effects supervisor for director Michael Bay’s 2007 Transformers and his 2009 sequel.

Two effects houses created the robots. There were 16 robots in the first film, and 59 in this one. Digital Domain handled 13 robots and ILM created 46, including the returning Autobots Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, the revived and somewhat altered Decepticon leader Megatron, an old robot named Jetfire, and the huge Devastator, among many others. Devastator and Optimus Prime, two of the most complicated robots, star in the two IMAX sequences, both created by ILM and both among the most complex in the film.

Read the full article by following the link below:

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Amazon is ‘gorgeous’ on IMAX screen

The Milford Daily News offers their review of Giant Screen film, Amazon, now playing at Mugar Omni theater at the Museum of Science in Boston.

“[I]n the Amazon,” observes actress and narrator Linda Hunt, “reality is more amazing than mythology.”

In just 40 minutes, this gorgeous informative IMAX film, “Amazon,” proves that claim.

While many big-screen films employ dazzling in-your-eyeballs close-ups, director Kieth Merrill has the good sense and confidence to satisfy viewers’ imaginations and intelligence.

Just minutes into the film, Hunt details the natural wonders of the Amazon Rainforest as the camera soars above rushing cataracts and through broadleaf trees to scenes of prowling jaguars and flamboyant toucans.

Read the full review by following the link below:

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Transformers has record-breaking box office weekend

Here’s a round-up of the latest articles on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’s big weekend box office where it took in $200 million in domestic tickets sales since Wednesday. IMAX screens contributed with more than 7% of the total box office.

Associated Press: ‘Transformers’ takes to sky with $112M weekend

The Hollywood Reporter: Imax breaks 5-day record with ‘Transformers’

Washington Examiner: ‘Transformers’ soars with $201.2 million in first 5 days, record at IMAX

CBS News: “Transformers” Triumph At The Box Office

KFMB Channel 8: B.O. Analysis June 28: Transformers 2 morphed five days into $200 Million

TheHDRoom: Transformers 2 Demolishes Harry Potter’s IMAX Box Office Record

MovieWeb: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Breaks IMAX Record

IGN: Transformers 2 Record-Breaking IMAX Debut

Film Gecko: Transformers scores IMAX record with $14.4 million

craM!this: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Has Record Breaking IMAX Debut

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Stock analyst upgrades Regal, IMAX, Carmike after Transformers release

From Associated Press:

An analyst at Merriman Curhan Ford upgraded shares of Regal Entertainment Group and raised estimates for Imax Corp. and Carmike Cinemas Inc. Monday after the Paramount Pictures film “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” took the top spot at the box office during its opening weekend.

. . .

[Eric] Wold reiterated his “Buy” rating and increased his second-quarter estimates for Imax, pointing out that the “Transformers” movie generated an estimated $18.3 million in its first five days of playing on the company’s large screens. Imax had said on Sunday that the movie showed “exceptionally strong opening results.”

Wold had expected Imax’s second-quarter box office results to total $59 million, but said with the success of “Transformers” he now expects $75 million in the quarter. He added this estimate might still be conservative by $4 million or $5 million.

“In addition, the movie could help drive upside to 3Q box office expectations,” he said.

The analyst now thinks Imax will report second-quarter earnings of 4 cents per share on $38.2 million in revenue, compared with an earlier estimate of a penny per share on $35.7 million.

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UPDATE: More on IMAX’s positive stock outlook:

Epiphany Investing: Welcome Back To The Land Of The Viable, IMAX

The Hollywood Reporter: ‘Transformers’ primes exhibitor stocks

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: The IMAX Experience Posts Biggest Opening in IMAX History

IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ: IMAX; TSX: IMX) today announced that the Paramount Pictures release Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: The IMAX Experience, directed by Michael Bay and featuring scenes filmed with IMAX® cameras, posted exceptionally strong opening results, with an estimated $14.4 million coming from 169 IMAX® theatres domestically, for a per screen average of over $85,000 during the five-day opening from Wednesday, June 24 through Sunday, June 28. The IMAX release contributed more than 7% of the film’s $201 million total on less than 2% of the screens.

The film continued to play well in IMAX theatres internationally, grossing approximately $3.2 million, bringing the international total to $3.9 million from 60 screens since opening on June 19. The IMAX release continued to set records for the biggest IMAX opening in international markets including China, Australia, and France. The film’s worldwide IMAX total has reached $18.3 million.

“The IMAX release of this film has delivered exceptional results,” said Rob Moore, Vice Chairman, Paramount Pictures. “The film looks and sounds incredible in IMAX and we’re so pleased to see a growing number of moviegoers taking advantage of the opportunity to experience the film in this unique way.”

“We’re very happy with the performance of the film across our growing network, and Paramount Pictures has once again delivered a blockbuster to IMAX theatres,” said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. “These box office records are driven by the continued expansion of our network and the strong consumer appetite for The IMAX Experience® in new markets.”

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GSCA: Swiss Transport Museum Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary

Via Giant Screen Cinema Association:

The Swiss Museum of Transport, Switzerland’s most popular museum, currently attracts more than 820,000 visitors a year and is celebrating its 50th anniversary. With the “VHS 2009″ investment project covering approximately 50 million Swiss francs, the management of the Swiss Museum of Transport launched and completed what might well be a record-breaking new building and attraction-enhancing program with a long-term impact on both the premises and content of the museum.

On June 27, 2009, the 50th birthday of the Swiss Museum of Transport, the new two-storey Road Transport Hall with a spectacular display store, an interactive car theater, and exciting theme islands will be officially opened to the public. At the same time, the multifunctional open-air arena with a children’s traffic training area and a road-building arena, as well as the new documentary center with archive and reference library, will be opened. And, of course, the anniversary will be appropriately celebrated on this day. These are just some of the exciting attractions and events awaiting visitors of the Swiss Museum of Transport in its anniversary year.

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Hindu covers Harry Potter IMAX 3D showings in India

The Hindu reports on India’s theaters that will be able to show Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in IMAX 3D:

The 3D version of ‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince’ which is premiering at a multiplex here on July 15 promises to give audiences such a close experience.

But only a 30-minute portion of the film will be in 3D version and the rest in a digitally remastered version.

“It will be a 30-minute ‘inthru’ three-dimensional experience where you can see the breathtaking episodes, including the climax, happening around you as you feel like interacting with them,” Aeren Imax Director Jim Patterson told PTI here.

While Aeren-IMAX will be the only theatre to release the film in 3D version on its six screens in the country, two of them in Kolkata and Hyderabad, the 2D version will run concurrently in its other theatres, Patterson said.

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The Atlantic: IMAX Maximizes Growth, Minimizes Costs

The Atlantic Business Channel analyzes IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond’s recent appearance on Fox Business:

Domestic growth in IMAX theaters is staggering. Over the past several years, Gelfond says that his company averaged around 20 new IMAX system installations per year. Now, it is opening two to three new theaters per week.

Yet, IMAX movie tickets tend to be 30% to 40% higher than regular movie tickets. Is there really demand for a premium experience, especially in a recession like this? After all, their growth would be in vain if domestic demand did not warrant more IMAX theaters.

It does. Gelfond says that, while 2% of the new Star Trek movie’s screens were IMAX format, IMAX revenues accounted for 20% of its North American box office business. Moreover, all 160 midnight shows of Transformers on Wednesday night were sold out.

But their growth isn’t just domestic. IMAX has a focused expansion into key foreign markets, including China and Japan.

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IMAX Corporation Closes Over-Allotment Option

IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ:IMAX; TSX:IMX) announced today that it closed the sale of an additional 1,470,000 of its common shares at the public offering price of $7.15 per share pursuant to the over-allotment option exercised in full by the underwriter of its recently completed public offering. The exercise of the over-allotment option brings the total number of common shares sold by IMAX in the offering to 11,270,000. Including proceeds from the exercise of the over-allotment option, gross proceeds for the offering were $80.6 million.

IMAX intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for the repayment of debt, including a portion of its 9.625% Senior Notes due December 2010, and for general corporate purposes. On June 9, 2009, IMAX announced that it repurchased $44.3 million of its 9.625% Senior Notes due December 1, 2010, at $0.9775 cents on the dollar.

Roth Capital Partners, LLC acted as the underwriter for the offering.

The common stock was offered pursuant to an effective registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Offers and sales of the common stock will be made only by the related prospectus and prospectus supplement. Copies of the prospectus and prospectus supplement relating to this offering may be obtained from Roth Capital Partners by e-mail to rothecm@roth.com, by fax to (949) 720-7227 or by mail to 24 Corporate Plaza Drive, Newport Beach, CA, 92660, Attention: Equity Capital Markets.

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