The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), the worldwide leader in motion-imaging standards and education, today announced that Chris McGurk, the Chairman and CEO of Cinedigm, will address the breakthrough monetization opportunities for the entertainment industry created by the transformation of theatres from film to digital; Cinedigm is a leader in digital cinema theatre conversion and independent film and alternative content distribution.
McGurk’s keynote at the Technology Summit On Cinema (formerly Digital Cinema Summit), co-produced by SMPTE at the 2012 NAB Show on April 15th at the Las Vegas Convention Center, is scheduled to take place at 1:45 p.m. in Room 222 of of the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Program and registration information are available here.
“The digital theatre transformation is a complete game changer โ not just for the exhibition community, but for the entertainment industry as a whole โ because no longer is there one tried-and-true way to approach business, nor one way to make profits,” said McGurk. “With the nimble and flexible programming options provided by digital cinema, we can now use theatres in new and unique ways. From programming theatre screens like TV channels and premiering recurring, relevant content – such as Kidtoons, our on-going kids matinee series – aimed at bringing niche customers to theatres in off-peak time periods, to creating unique primetime events – like our quarterly LIVE 3D UFC bouts – to offering independent films and documentaries to avid, underserved audiences, we have barely scraped the surface of the opportunities provided by digital cinema.”
A two-decade entertainment industry veteran, McGurk has held senior leadership positions at MGM Studios, Overture Films, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Universal Studios, and Disney Studios. Today, he leads Cinedigm as it converts analog theaters into digital and networked entertainment centers โ and as it partners with Hollywood movie studios, independent movie distributors, and exhibitors to distribute movies and alternative content in digital cinema format to audiences across the country.
“Chris understands not only the impact of the worldwide digital cinema conversion but the need to focus, now, on new and unique business models that exploit this digital ecosystem,” said Dr. Paul Hearty, the program chair for the summit and Editorial Vice President at SMPTE. “We are delighted to have him address attendees at this year’s Technology Summit on Cinema at the 2012 NAB Show.”
The annual Technology Summit On Cinema, co-produced by SMPTE for the 2012 NAB Show, brings together the world’s leading motion-imaging researchers, scientists, practitioners, and manufacturers. This year’s event will also include filmmakers, movie theater operators, manufactures, and other experts focused on advancing the state of the art in cinema.
The two-day summit will focus on a number of critical cinema topics, including high frame rate stereoscopic 3D production, the state of laser projection, content protection, 4K production updates, cinema sound advances, content accessibility, LED lighting, tools for independent 3D filmmaking, the impact of multi-screen viewing, and digital deployment and standards updates.
Complete program information is available here.
About SMPTE
The Oscarยฎ Award-winning and Emmyยฎ Award-winning Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) is the leading technical society for the motion imaging industry. As an internationally recognized and accredited standards-setting body, SMPTE develops standards, recommended practices and guidelines, and spearheads educational activities to advance engineering and moving imagery. Since its founding in 1916, the Society has established close to 600 standards, including the physical dimensions of 35mm film and the SMPTE-time code. More recently, it crafted the Digital Cinema Standards, which paved the way for digital movie theaters. Learn more at www.smpte.org
About CINEDIGM
Cinedigm is a leader in providing the services, experience, technology and content critical to transforming movie theaters into digital and networked entertainment centers. The Company partners with Hollywood movie studios, independent movie distributors, and exhibitors to bring movies in digital cinema format to audiences across the country. Cinedigm’s digital cinema deployment organization, state of the art distributor and exhibition software, and marketing and distribution platform for alternative content and independent films are a cornerstone of the digital cinema transformation. Cinedigmโข and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corpโข are trademarks of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp www.cinedigm.com