Our (Public) Role in Digital Cinema

MKPE has been active in digital cinema since the 90's, not only advising clients, but often playing a public role in moving the industry forward.

• Pacific Bell in the Mid-90's

  Based on industry interest in electronic projection and the potential to leverage the company's distribution capability, Thomas MacCalla, as Pacific Bell's Director of Entertainment Technology, led their exploration into digital cinema. After some experimentation, the effort was abandoned when it was felt that the projection technology would not be ready in a reasonable time frame.

• ETC Digital Cinema Lab

  As COO of USC's Entertainment Technology Center, Thomas MacCalla conceived the idea of the ETC Digital Cinema Lab, and convinced the then seven major film studios to fund it. Thomas led the ETC DCL in its early years.

• First Public Digital 3-D Demonstration

  In late 2004, Peter Jackson, while working with In-Three, suggested they organize the industry's first major demonstration of digital 3-D projection. It was a good fit for MKPE. We conceived and initiated the world's first public presentation of 3-D at ShoWest 2005. Supported by five major film directors, the presentation was a success, convincing a skeptical audience that 3-D could become the missing value-add for digital cinema. Soon afterwards, Disney issued an RFP for converting the movie Chicken Little to 3-D for its Fall 2005 release.

• "The Chasm"

  In 2006, amid rosy reports that digital cinema penetration was growing, Michael Karagosian warned that the reports of unbounded growth were misleading, and that the industry was heading into a chasm. (A chasm results when the technology is not ready for major market adoption. This can be caused by any number of factors.) The signs were obvious: the sales rate was well-behind the installation rate. While MKPE's clients were prepared, much of the industry ignored the warning and was surprised when sales came to a halt in 2007.

• Digital Cinema Packaging

  The motion picture industry required a flexible distribution format unlike any distribution format before it. Recognizing the need, Michael Karagosian assembled the first meeting of select industry experts in December of 2001 to determine the best path forward. This became the first meeting of what was to become the SMPTE DC28 Packaging Ad Hoc Group. 90% of the distribution format now standardized was conceived in that first meeting in December. As chairperson of the effort, Michael gave the first industry presentation on digital cinema packaging at the NAB Digital Cinema Summit in 2002, and his written work in SMPTE became the basis of the Packaging chapter in the original version of the DCI specification.

• Automated Security Key Delivery

  Security keys are married to equipment. Equipment moves, or new equipment could be installed, and a means was needed to synchronize security key fulfillment centers. Michael Karagosian proposed the Facility List Message concept to DCI members in early 2005, later writing the standard in the industry's first step toward automating security key delivery.

• Closed Captions

  To meet the intent of the US Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), digital cinema needs to be much more capable than film in supporting those with visual and auditory impairments. In late 2006, Michael Karagosian organized and continues to chair the SMPTE ad hoc committee responsible for developing Closed Caption standards for cinema. Unlike the closed captions of television, closed captions in cinema will allow specially equipped patrons to view captions without impacting the movie-going experience of others. With standards in place, the barrier to entry for emerging and competing closed caption technologies will be signifcantly reduced, bringing choice to exhibitors and to audiences.