Arts Alliance Media Sends Green Day to Cinemas Via Satellite in A European First

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: 21^st 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: 21^st 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