D3D Cinema, a leading provider of immersive experience solutions and services for the museum cinema and attraction industry, enjoyed a busy year in 2022 with several new installs, taking the company to over 100 delivered projects. The firm has also grown its team as it continues to expand and will be delivering new film content as the year progresses.
Last year, D3D completed four new cinema museum installations, adding to the growing network of D3D and Cinefolio theatres.
Four new projects for Q4 2022
Firstly, Discovery Park of America in Tennessee has upgraded its former Starship Theater, transforming it into a new Discovery Theater with a cutting-edge laser-illuminated 4K Digital 3D projection system.
With the most recent high-efficiency laser projector currently available, cutting-edge surround sound technology, and a sophisticated alternative content system, the theatre now has access to a wide range of new programming capabilities. Also, Discovery Park has joined the Cinefolio theatre network, giving its community access to more than 75 titles.
In Ohio, D3D has partnered with the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in order to offer two new, immersive, science-focused storytelling experiences to guests. This includes a state-of-the-art 3D laser cinema and two Birdly VR flight simulators. In the newly upgraded 3D cinema, visitors can enjoy films from D3D’s Cinefolio portfolio, while the Birdly VR units complement the offer with a choice of flying natural history avatars.
“Our new immersive cinema experience and the VR flight simulators will provide us with versatile opportunities to augment our exhibits and engage our guests for years to come,” says Meenakshi Sharma, senior vice president & chief strategy officer at the museum. “We are excited to partner with D3D and bring these enhanced guest experiences to our audience.”
D3D Cinema has also replaced the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s IMAX Digital system with a high-tech laser-illuminated 4K 3D projection system. This project was part of a generational upgrade of the giant-screen theatre, which also included a renovation of the seating and other public areas.
Finally, D3D worked with the New Bedford Whaling Museum to introduce a new Cinefolio 3D theatre called BIG BLUE PICTURES. This immersive experience is the first and only 3D theatre on the south coast of Massachusetts. For this project, the firm designed and installed the new laser-illuminated cinema system, which will help the museum to achieve its mission.
With the completion of these four new theatres, the company has now completed over 100 cinema installations, including 35 giant-screen digital upgrades.
“For fourteen years, D3D has been at the forefront of technological innovation, with numerous ‘firsts’ along the way, as we work to make the world’s most memorable immersive cinema experiences affordable and accessible to museums of all sizes,” says Derek Threinen, SVP of distribution and business development at Giant Screen Films/D3D Cinema.
“With over 100 installations under our belts, including 35 giant screen theaters, we’re very pleased with the momentum D3D has achieved in our mission to drive the vitality and growth of museum cinema,”
D3D team expands
As D3D continues its work in growing a vibrant museum cinema network, it has also added to its leadership team, welcoming industry veterans Rob Chaney and Chris Roles.
Roles has taken on the position of vice president of operations, where he will apply his considerable knowledge and experience to the firm’s projects management and logistics efforts. As well as playing a key role in day-to-day operations, he will also manage D3D’s post-production facilities.
Roles previously worked for D3D supplier Christie Digital Systems, Inc. for almost 20 years, where he held a variety of progressive roles, from field service and service management to technical sales management and sales account management. He is based in Roseburg, Oregon.
Chaney joins D3D as vice president of systems engineering, bringing a wealth of knowledge from his previous position at X20 Media and more than a dozen years of expertise with D3D supplier Barco, Inc. in senior technical and product applications engineering roles.
In addition to supporting the systems engineering and training team, he will work on developing new ancillary capture-amplifying technologies for D3D’s museum clients, including networked point-of-purchase, wayfinding, and promotional signage. Chaney is based in Sacramento, CA.
“I couldn’t be more excited about Chris and Rob joining our team,” says Art Mercurio, SVP of technical services at D3D Cinema. “Their experience and talent are an invaluable addition as D3D strives to stay on the cutting edge of presentation technologies.”
