General Cinema Debuts Kodak ScreenCheck Experience And New DVS/DTS Sight-And-Sound System For Moviegoers

General Cinema and Kodak are debuting two new programs designed to improve and expand upon the fun of movie going. The announcement was made at the 1999 ShoWest convention in Las Vegas, on March 10. General Cinema announces more than 50 of its auditoriums nationwide will be a part of the Kodak ScreenCheck Experience program, which indicates optimum presentation. And the magic of movies is coming alive for moviegoers with hearing or vision loss at the Pacific Place 11 Theatre in Seattle thanks to new technology supported by Kodak. General Cinema and Kodak will launch the Kodak ScreenCheck Experience in Seattle this month and as the first step, roll out to more than 50 additional auditoriums throughout the spring. The Kodak ScreenCheck Experience represents an active move by the company to partner with cinemas to enhance theatrical motion picture presentation. ""We have been involved in manufacturing the actual film used in movie production since the beginning,"" notes Robert Mayson, General Manager of the newly formed Cinema Operations group at Kodak. ""Advancements in film technology allow Kodak to continually improve film stocks to expand filmmakers' creative options. In order to ensure that audiences are getting the most out of the latest advancements, we are partnering more closely with theatres,"" he says. ""The Kodak ScreenCheck Experience logo signifies Kodak and the theatre have fine-tuned the presentation so audiences see bright, crisp, beautiful pictures the way they were meant to be seen."" Thanks to Kodakís support, the new DVS Theatrical and Rear Window Captioning systems are designed to help people with hearing or vision loss more fully enjoy first-run films. General Cinema first installed the equipment at theatres in Los Angeles and Chicago, and Seattle is the third such first-run movie theatre where the equipment is available. ""Our partnership with General Cinema represents a total commitment to involvement in the exhibition industry,"" says Mayson. ""Being a partner in this sponsorship helps bring the movie going experience to those who havenít previously been able to participate. We thought this was terrific idea as soon as we heard about it. We are proud to participate in this imaginative and innovative initiative by General Cinema.""The unique technology was developed by the WGBH Educational Foundation as part of its Motion Picture Access Project to provide increased access to moviegoers with hearing or vision loss. Instrumental in this effort was DTSÆ (Digital Theatre Systems), which manufactures the digital equipment on which the technology relies. ""When we tested the DVS and closed captioning systems in Los Angeles, some people traveled for more than two hours to come to these movies. Many were attending a movie for the very first time,"" says Bill Doeren, President and CEO of General Cinema. ""They love the access this technology has given them. ""Movies are a large and important part of our culture, and itís exciting to give people who are deaf or blind a chance to go to the movies just like everyone else. We appreciate Kodakís participation in helping to make this technology available and their commitment to improving the overall movie going experience for all film fans,"" says Doeren. ""The ultimate goal for Kodak and General Cinema is to expand and enhance the entertainment experience for the audience,"" says Kodak's Mayson. ""The audience is clearly the winner with both the Kodak ScreenCheck Experience that ensures picture quality and the new DVS and Rear Window Captioning programs for people with hearing or vision loss. We hope to identify more opportunities for collaboration in the future."" At the screening in Seattle, Sharon Keeran experienced the system for people with vision loss. She commented, ""So many films rely on a certain look as part of the film, and this technology allows people with vision loss to participate in the enjoyment of that look with visual descriptions."" Marlaina Lieberg, who attended with her seeing-eye dog, added, ""This makes the movies accessible to people who are blind and want to have the full film-going experience. I want to see it in every movie that comes to the theatre."" How the DVS and Rear Window Captioning Systems work: Rear Window Captioning displays reversed captions on a light-emitting diode (LED) text display that is mounted in the rear of a theatre. Patrons who need or desire captions use transparent acrylic panels attached to their seats to reflect the text so it appears superimposed on the movie screen. The reflective panels are portable and adjustable, enabling the caption user to sit anywhere in the theatre. The patented Rear Window System was co-developed by WGBH and Rufus Butler Seder of Boston, Mass. DVS Theatrical delivers descriptive narration of key visual elements such as action, characters' appearance, settings, and scene changes, via an infrared or FM signal, making movies truly come to life for people with vision loss. The descriptive narration is delivered to the user through a wireless headset, which can be used in any seat in the theatre without disturbing other audience members. ""This project has truly been a collaborative effort,"" says Judith Navoy, Manager of WGBHís Motion Picture Access Project. ""DTS made it possible for us to bring the Rear Window and DVS Theatrical systems to conventional movie theatres. And by taking a pioneering role in adopting these technologies, Kodak, General Cinema and Sony Pictures will help us realize our goal of making it possible for more people to experience the magic of the movies."" For additional information on the Internet about Kodak visit www.kodak.com/go/motion, General Cinema Theatres, visit www.generalcinema.com and WGBH Public Television, visit www.wgbh.org. Or contact Brian Callaghan, General Cinema at 617 264 8233 and Judith Navoy, WGBH at 617 492 2777 x 2488.