Arts Alliance Media’s latest
theatrical release, Green Day - 21st
Century Breakdown, has scored a European first in being transmitted by
satellite to a significant proportion of sites across Europe where it is
playing from today, November 15th.
It is the first time cinemas have been able to receive a film in
multiple countries simultaneously without the need for the transportation of a
physical print. The film is being released in conjunction with Cinema Events LLC,
MTV World Stage, Warner Bros. Records and Reprise Records.
Arts Alliance Media (AAM), Europe’s leading digital cinema company, in
collaboration with partners Arqiva Broadcast & Media, transmitted the
feature to over 50 sites in the UK and France, including sites of Apollo
Cinemas, Cineworld, and CGR Cinemas. The film, which is being released entirely
in digital, was mastered by AAM’s in-house Content Services division, and then
transferred electronically to Arqiva’s Chalfont Teleport, where it was uplinked
to satellite and transmitted simultaneously to multiple cinema sites. Once the
film is downloaded centrally in a complex, the sites Theatre Management System
allows the content to be transferred to, and played out from, any screen. The
trailer was also delivered via satellite to many sites.
Victoria Galloway, Content and Distributor Services Director of Arts
Alliance Media explained “Being able to transmit films by satellite is not only
technologically exciting, it’s also tremendously efficient, and we’re thrilled
to be the first to achieve this milestone. Being able to deliver the film DCP (Digital
Cinema Package) to the cinema for it to be available for every screen without
the need of a physical DCP hard drive saves both the distributor and the
exhibitor time, effort and money.”
Many cinemas that have been equipped with digital equipment have also been
fitted with satellite systems, which allow exhibitors to screen live events,
such as concerts, director Q&As, plays and sports, as well as receiving
traditional content without the need for hard drives. The content transmitted
is a complete DCP, in full 2k digital cinema quality, and is transmitted fully
encrypted to the cinema. In order to be played out in a screen, the content
also requires a valid KDM (Key Delivery Message) from the distributor.
Arts Alliance Media first used satellite technology to transmit features
two years ago, when the Palme D’Or winning film
Entre Les Murs was sent to CGR Villenave d’Ornon in Bordeaux as a
successful test transmission. The release of
Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown is the widest release
to date in Europe to be sent to cinemas in this way.
Recorded by MTV at the OlympiaHalle Munich, Germany during the band’s
amazing 21st Century Breakdown tour,
Green
Day: 21st Century Breakdown presents Green Day in all their
glory on the big screen, in high definition digital cinema and with surround
sound audio. Featuring all the hits including 21st Century Breakdown,
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, When I Come Around, American Idiot and many more,
the film is playing across Europe for one night only, in over 250 screens. For
full cinema listings, please see
http://greenday.mtv.com