https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/how-new-led-cinema-screen-could-change-filmmaking-moviegoing-1104745
How the New LED Cinema Screen Could Change Filmmaking and Moviegoing
The first LED cinema screen in the U.S. was unveiled Friday at Pacific Theatres
Winnetka in Chatsworth, a suburb of Los Angeles, where Warner Bros.’ Ready
Player One will be the first movie offered on this exhibition system, starting
Saturday. The Samsung LED Cinema Screen marks a radical shift from the theater
projection systems that have been used since the birth of cinema. Instead, the
LED screen is more akin to a giant television screen, and its use would render
the projection booth a thing of the past.
At its unveiling Friday, Samsung shared new details about content creation for
the screen — and what it might mean for both studios and filmmakers.
Why switch to LED screens? Samsung vp Stephen Choi argues that “there hasn’t
been anything new to draw audiences into the theaters,” and they need “a new
experience, to provide the ‘wow’ factor.”
So far, the images that the screen produces have impressed many in Hollywood,
including Jerome Dewhurst, senior color scientist at postproduction facility
Roundabout Entertainment. He contends that the LED screen’s “pure black is much
deeper" than other systems.
It remains to be seen whether the non-expert eye of the average moviegoers will
see a noticeable difference, and whether audiences would then be willing to pay
a premium for it. At launch, Pacific Theatres Winnetka is not charging a
premium for the LED auditorium. But, in time, theaters may choose to charge a
premium ticket price to watch movies on a LED screen.
In order to prep movies for exhibition on the new LED screen in theaters,
Samsung hopes to outfit post-production facilities so that filmmakers can view
their work on an LED display. The first color grading (digital intermediate)
postproduction suite to offer a Samsung LED Screen in North America has now
opened at Roundabout’s Santa Monica facility. It offers a 17-ft. screen that
can play 2K resolution, standard or high dynamic range, 7.1 surround sound, and
offers a Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve color grading system. Samsung hopes to add
its screens in more post houses.
According to Samsung, its Cinema Screen can play a standard DCI-compliant
Digital Cinema Package (the digital equivalent of the film print) if the images
are standard dynamic range. But for a high dynamic range (HDR) grade it would
require a separate version, meaning that the studios would need to make another
deliverable. Studios are already creating multiple versions of their films,
including digital 2D, digital 3D at different light levels, Imax, Dolby Cinema,
and local languages. The more deliverables, the more time and expense films
must spend in postproduction.
The reason for the new HDR version — meaning that the images have a wider range
between the whitest whites and blackest blacks — is that the LED screen is
brighter than what is typically projected in theaters, which is 14
foot-lamberts (a measure of luminance in cinema). In comparison, the LED screen
has a peak brightness level around 300 nits (a measurement of brightness),
which Samsung estimates could display roughly 88 foot-lamberts.
The new Samsung LED Cinema Screen in Chatsworth is 34 feet wide and 18 feet
high with all of the features of the smaller screen at Roundabout, but it can
additionally support 4K resolution.
When introduced to the press on Friday, the theater presented trailers of Black
Panther and A Wrinkle in Time, in standard dynamic range; various Amazon
trailers including Life Itself, in HDR; and some ARRI-provided demo material
shot with its new Alexa LF large format camera, also in HDR.
Ready Player One was screened in its entirety in standard dynamic range and
Samsung confirmed that it therefore didn’t create a new version of the film.
But on the HDR front, this screen does underscore a concern voiced by many
cinematographers last week at NAB, that in the digital realm, their images can
be manipulated and changed all too easily in postproduction. In fact, Ready
Player One cinematographer and two-time Oscar winner Janusz Kaminski lamented
that cinematographers are losing control of the images they shoot.
The cinematographers’ participation in color grading can vary, as some DPs have
guaranteed involvement in their contracts while others do not.
Roundabout’s Dewhurst emphasized that he encourages the DP’s involvement. “It’s
Roundabout’s view that an HDR theater requires a dedicated grading session, not
an automated system, to create the deliverable,” he added, recommending that
the LED HDR grade could be the master version, used as the starting point for
other versions of a movie.
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L.A. Theater Debuts First LED Video Wall in U.S.
He also revealed that Roundabout has already started to invite members of the
American Society of Cinematographers to see the screen and discuss the creative
work.
Samsung has additionally been showing their LED screen to filmmakers and
Hollywood studio execs. The screen might be of particular interest to James
Cameron, Ang Lee and other filmmakers exploring the use of higher frame rates.
Ready Player One was screened on the Samsung system at 24 frames per second,
the standard in cinema. But the tech manufacturer contends that it’s working to
get the system up to a high frame rate of 60 frames per second.
The question of how to handle the sound has been a topic of discussion for the
past year, since Samsung first announced its LED Cinema Screen plans. This is
because in traditional cinema, there are speakers directly behind the screen,
which is not doable with LED panels.
For this theater auditorium, Samsung-owned Harman International developed a JBL
Professional cinema sound audio system that can accommodate up to 7.1 Surround
Sound. Harman’s cinema solutions manager Dan Saenz explained that the new
configuration places the front speaker directly above the screen and
incorporates some filtering technology, designed to make it appear as though
the sound was coming from the screen; and it places an additional speaker in
front that bounces high frequency sounds off the screen and into the audience,
also aimed at creating the sonic experience of a traditional theater.
Still, the biggest hurdle to a rollout could come down to the cost. Samsung
said the cost of a screen could run anywhere from $500,000-$800,000, a hefty
price for a theater owner. Pete Lude, chief technology officer of engineering
firm Mission Rock Digital estimates that in comparison, top of the line laser
projectors generally cost between $150,000 to $300,000.
Samsung argued that there are other benefits that could help offset some of the
cost, citing as an example that the LED Cinema Screen’s life span is estimated
to be a 17 years. “And we’re looking at financial companies to see if there are
options available,” said Samsung’s Choi.
The company also pointed out that unlike projection systems, a LED screen could
be used with ambient light in the room, potentially making it an attractive
option for dine-in theaters, gaming or other such users.
While Pacific Theatres Winnetka is the first U.S. theater installation, the
Samsung LED Cinema Screens are available in several international venues,
including two in South Korea, and one each in Zurich, Bangkok and Shanghai.
Samsung expects to have at least 10 installed worldwide by the summer, and
roughly 30 by the end of the year.
While currently focused on 34-foot screens, Samsung is also working on a
46-foot 4K LED screen, which it aims to introduce in late 2018.
The Samsung LED screen will be on display next week at theater owners
convention CinemaCon. And Sony will show its Crystal LED cinema screen during
the confab.