WOMEN IN DIGITAL CINEMA
Laura Trentinaglia
Head of Programming, Furlan Cinecity Group, Italy

I have been working for the Furlan Cinecity Group for 18 years and over this long period of time I have experienced, together with my company, all the transformations that have made it into what it is today – one of the leading Italian groups in the cinema exhibition industry.

In this respect, our investment in digital cinema – which began towards the end of 2004 – is certainly one of the most important and “courageous” turning points, particularly when taking into account the “pioneer” spirit in which the Furlan Group started out on the long path to the new technology, which in practice represents the future of cinema.

At present, in our four Cinecity multiplexes (in Silea, Pradamano, Trieste and in the most recent complex in Limena, opened in December 2005), 11 digital systems exist, allowing us to offer all the films released in digital format in Italy up to now, always with exceptional results in terms of admissions and approval from our audiences, who are now used to the quality of digital, especially for the more “spectacular” products. In addition, at the time of writing we are completing the upgrade of our digital equipment in the Limena Cinecity where, as from 8 June, it will be possible to see “Meet the Robinsons” in the new Disney Digital 3D digital format – for the first time in Italy.

By using a series of devices and optical “illusions”, this system makes it possible to add a sense of depth, adding a third dimension to what we are used to seeing on the screen.
In general, 3D vision is obtained by projecting a double image: one for the left eye and one for the right, which, when superimposed, create the sense of depth.

The incredible effect of Disney Digital 3D is ensured by the use of active electronic lenses – comfortable, light and which can be worn over any sort of eyeglasses – that are regulated by remote control thanks to an infra-red transmitter. The latter, placed inside a projection booth, transmits the signal to 2 emitters located at the sides of the screen which, in turn, bounce it back to each single pair of lenses in the theatre.

Unlike what happened in the past, electronic control of the image eliminates faults like “ghost images” (due to the left eye catching a fragment of a frame destined for the right eye and vice-versa), spatial or temporal misalignment of the 2 images and excess eye strain.

I believe that constant investment in digital cinema – however costly – is of vital importance for achieving customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, and that it represents a necessary step towards the Group’s prime objective: complete digitalisation of its cinemas, making it possible – in what we trust will be a not too distant future – to propose all films (as well as alternative content) in the only format able to guarantee top performance in terms of quality and economy of management.

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