Cinema's Salvation ....... TV

In what could be the biggest turn of events in cinema history, the next big boost in cinema box office could be TV shows !

In a first-of-its-kind presentation, and what may be the ultimate in alternative content for cinemas, HBO and IMAX teamed up to exhibit two episodes of HBO's very popular 'Game of Thrones' series. Running on the largest in-door screens available (IMAX's 72' x 53' screens) between January 29th - February 5th the concept is contrary to the heretofore notion that small screen productions are not exhibited on big screens.

"The passionate  'Game of Thrones' fans have helped make the series a worldwide phenomenon and we are always looking for new, innovative ways to get them excited for the upcoming season" Pamela Levine, HBO's chief marketing officer, stated. "We thought the IMAX promotion would be a fun way for fans to come together, on a national level, and experience the show in a way that has never been done before."

In addition to two episodes from Season 4, the presentation included the worldwide debut of a 'sneak peek' trailer for the upcoming Season 5, which was created exclusively for the IMAX presentations.

Tickets went on sale January 16th but due to the overwhelming and unanticipated response, the shows were delayed a week to let IMAX increase the number of theatres scheduled to exhibit the show - the final tally was 205 theatres out of a total of 430 domestic IMAX cinemas.  The show carried an 'R' rating.

"IMAX is always looking for ways to provide audiences with something different and unique, said Lorne Orleans, SVP of production at IMAX, "and this relationship with HBO, Warner Bros., and 'Game of Thrones' achieves just that. 'Game' is a truly epic series and the scope, scale, and production value are remarkable and will really highlight what the IMAX experience is capable of."

Fortunately, 'Game' is shot in HD 1920x1080 format using JPEG2000 codecs which is a part of the cinema standard for DCP (digital cinema package) files, although, the picture was slightly cropped for the IMAX presentations.

The exhibition of very popular TV shows will allow fans to engage in a new and unique way.  This is really about a very different kind of communal viewing experience that was not available previously and it demonstrates how popular these screening could become and how good the box office generated. In my opinion, this is the beginning of a new cinema audience market as many TV shows are very popular and carry widely different demographics, making for a huge audience base.

This type of programming is giving TV show fans an experience they can't find anywhere else and a reason to leave their homes.  There is something special about being part of a presentation where you are surrounded by people that enjoy what you do - and that is an experience you can't get at home in front of your TV.

For its part, IMAX is in talks with other entertainment companies about exhibiting other popular TV series - and why not, the first weekend it showed, 'Game of Thrones' grossed over $1.5 million for IMAX.

TV may be the shot-in-the-arm the cinema needs.  The content is available, of high quality, and has a built-in fan base ready and willing to go to the cinema to view their favorite episodes. This is all good and a real win-win all around.

Best
Jim Lavorato