After years in development, the Directors Guild of America is unveiling its new state-of-the-art theater, a 600-seat high-tech motion picture exhibition space at its Los Angeles headquarters. Conceived with the future of cinema in mind by a consortium of leading film directors, the new theater is designed to vividly showcase the contours of every visual element, sound, and nuance devised by filmmakers in the creation of their art – providing the ultimate theatrical experience for member and industry audiences.
Unlike most theaters, which are conceptualized by architects and engineers, the new DGA theater reflects the vision of a Guild committee of top filmmakers – including Michael Apted, Jon Favreau, Shawn Levy, Michael Mann, Christopher Nolan, and Betty Thomas – who were involved in every phase of the process. The idea was to create a theater by filmmakers for filmmakers, something never before done anywhere on such a scale. Every decision was made with future generations of Guild members and the broader entertainment community in mind. To bring their vision to life, the Guild worked with the premier names in the theater-construction business, including the leading theater design experts at Gensler and the top audio visual specialists at Dolby.
"Technological innovation is allowing filmmakers to tell stories in a way they never could before,” said Jon Favreau. “Having a theater that is designed to showcase their films with the most cutting edge systems available allows their stories to be seen in the way they were intended.”
“The new DGA Theater is the best home on the planet for generations of members to immerse audiences into their cinematic worlds,” said Christopher Nolan. “In addition to offering all the technological bells and whistles, it was important that our theater also remained a home for the analog brilliance of 35mm or 70mm, so that we’re fully equipped to showcase every feature as its director intended it to be experienced.”
“The new DGA Theater is unique in that it was created by filmmakers for a filmmaker-designed, embracing and impactful experience,” said Michael Mann. “From customizing cutting-edge projection, to auditioning full speaker systems in the space before selecting the Meyers, to determining the interior materials, every decision was made by directors. The new DGA Theater is designed to be the most optimum experience possible.”
Included among the all new features of the theater are:
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A custom-built, state-of-the-art Dolby Vision laser projection system.
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A custom Dolby Atmos immersive sound system, equipped with over 70 newly installed Meyer speakers for the optimal sound experience.
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Upgraded 35mm and 70mm capabilities.
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A new top-of-the-line 50-foot projection screen.
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A complete overhaul of fine details for the theatrical presentation – from the masking and rigging to the curtains – to create the most seamless experience.
“The new DGA Theater pushes the theatrical experience to an entirely new level, melding art and innovation,” said Doug Darrow, SVP, Cinema Business Group, Dolby Laboratories. “For Dolby, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience working with the Guild’s top filmmakers in the conceptualization and installation of the best we have to offer. We’re thrilled with the finished product, and are excited to share the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos experience with the DGA.”
“By collaborating with top filmmakers throughout the design and implementation processes, we were able to see every aspect through their eyes, from the design, innovations and custom solutions to addressing all issues together,” said Lee Pasteris, Design Director and Principal, Gensler. “The result speaks for itself: it’s a theater that’s designed to serve and represent directors for generations to come.”
About the DGA
In the 83 years since its founding in 1936, the DGA has fought for the economic and creative rights of its members; protected their ability to financially benefit from the reuse of their work; established strong pension and health plans; and established jurisdiction in new technologies and distribution platforms. Today we represent 18,000 directors and members of the directorial team working in film, television, commercials, new media and other audiovisual media.
