Düsseldorf and Berlin (Germany), Paris (France), 23 March 2017/ CinemaNext, the European specialist in cinema exhibitor services, is pleased to announce that it has equipped 25 screens in 13 cinemas across Germany with EclairColor technology. In conjunction with these installations, Ymagis Group’s content services arm, Eclair, has overseen the EclairColor mastering of the film “The Lost City of Z”, opening in cinemas in Germany on 30 March. The film from critically-acclaimed director James Gray is distributed by StudioCanal in both Germany and France.
A revolutionary new digital high dynamic range (HDR) color solution that combines an innovative mastering process with the optimization of select projection technologies readily available today through CinemaNext, EclairColor provides cinemas with unparalleled image projection technology. EclairColor is available to all German cinema exhibitors, regardless of screen or type. The equipment can be used to play EclairColor mastered content (4K or 2K) as well as standard DCI content. The proprietary HDR technology will be showcased at a specially-built, 16-seat screening room at the upcoming CinemaCon convention from March 27-30 in Las Vegas (Nevada).
To date, a total of 45 screens are equipped with EclairColor in Germany (25 - see below), France (19) and Tunisia (1).
1. Nuremberg, CineCitta Multiplexkino - 6 screens
2. Bochum, Union - 5 screens
3. Bremerhaven, Passage - 2 screens
4. Schweinfurt, Filmwelt - 2 screens
5. Munich, Arena - 2 screens
6. Berlin, Titania - 1 screen
7. Berlin, Eiszeit Kino - 1 screen
8. Berlin, Filmrausch - 1 screen
9. Elmshorn, Cineplex - 1 screen
10. Neumünster, Cineplex - 1 screen
11. Regensburg, Garbo - 1 screen
12. Schwerin, Capitol - 1 screen
13. Stuttgart, Gloria - 1 screen
“EclairColor offers cinemas the opportunity to significantly improve projection quality at an affordable cost as well as benefit from flexible planning since EclairColor projection systems can be used to play content in both standard format (DCI) and EclairColor,” explains Karl-Joachim Lohkamp, General Manager of CinemaNext Germany. "With ‘The Lost City of Z’ in EclairColor, beautifully filmed by director of photography Darius Khondji, audiences will discover unprecedented image quality with richer colors and heightened details.”
“We are delighted to see German cinema exhibitors embracing our EclairColor HDR technology so rapidly after the re-release of ‘LA LA LAND’ back in February”, explains Jean Mizrahi, Founder and CEO of Ymagis Group. "As I indicated before, Germany is key to our European EclairColor roll-out strategy and with 13 cinemas and 25 screens, we believe it’s a great achievement for our teams and sign of confidence in our proprietary process.”
“Cinemas, from the earliest days, have been on the cutting edge of image and sound innovation, and they must remain an experience unlike any other,” explains Till Cussmann, Senior Vice President of CinemaNext. “The significant advantages that EclairColor provides are clearly visible to both audiences and exhibitors, which should greatly ease the adoption of this new technology by cinemas since we have rendered this process compatible with a range of existing projectors, allowing for virtually immediate access to our solution.”
THE LOST CITY OF Z
In Germany – Release date: 30 mars 2017
In France – Release date: 15 mars 2017
Directed by James Gray
Director of Photography: Darius Khondji
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Charlie Hunnam, Sienna Miller
Synopsis: At the dawn of the 20th century, British explorer Percy Fawcett journeys into the Amazon, where he discovers evidence of a previously unknown, advanced civilization that may have once inhabited the region. Despite being ridiculed by the scientific establishment, which views indigenous populations as savages, the determined Fawcett, supported by his devoted wife, son, and aide-de-camp, returns to his beloved jungle in an attempt to prove his case.
EclairColor is a registered trademark of Ymagis Group.
ABOUT ECLAIR AND CINEMANEXT (YMAGIS GROUP)
Ymagis Group is a leader in advanced digital technology services for the cinema industry. Through CinemaNext and Eclair, the Group provides innovative solutions to movie exhibitors, distributors (feature films & event cinema), producers, cinema/TV advertising networks, rights holders, broadcasters, VOD/S-VOD platform operators and video publishers. Founded in 2007, Ymagis Group is headquartered in Paris and has offices in 23 countries with nearly 700 employees. Our core business is structured around three main units: CinemaNext (exhibitor services: sales and field services, software solutions, customer service/NOC and consulting), Eclair (content services: post-production, theatrical delivery, digital distribution, versioning and accessibility, restoration and preservation) and Ymagis (financial services). For more information, please connect to www.ymagis.com, www.cinemanext.com or www.eclair.digital
ABOUT SONY DIGITAL CINEMA 4K: HDR-READY PROJECTION
Sony Digital Cinema 4K is currently the only manufacturer of affordable cinema projection equipment that meets image brightness and contrast requirements for the presentation of movies mastered using the EclairColor High Dynamic Range (HDR) process. Offering light output levels ranging from 9,000 lumens to 60,000 lumens to suit every size of screen, all Sony’s SRX-R500 Series 4K projectors are ‘HDR-ready’ as standard with an industry-leading average contrast ratio of 8000:1. This exceeds the specification set for screening movies mastered using the EclairColor solution. Developed by CinemaNext and Eclair (Ymagis Group), EclairColor is a proprietary mastering process that optimizes content for presentation at reference light levels of 30fL for 2D projection. This allows EclairColor-certified cinemas operating Sony SRX-R500 projectors to play films with an expanded range of brightness levels for an impressive HDR entertainment experience.
Source: Eclair and CinemaNext | Ymagis Group
CinemaNext Equips 25 Screens in Germany with EclairColor HDR Technology for 30 March Release of James Gray’s The Lost City of Z