Archive for the 'Blogging' Category

My Return to Commercial Cinema

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
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by John Sciacca

For a variety of reasons, I haven’t seen a film in a commercial movie theater since The Dark Knight. Don’t get me wrong; I love movies. In fact, my wife and I probably watch three movies a week. It is the commercial theater experience that I’m not so in love with.
It seemed that whenever I went to the theater, there was something to gripe about. Ticket prices, food costs, volume level too low, discourteous patrons, etc. Then, after we had our daughter three years ago, a night out only became more difficult. So, I did what any theater-hating/movie-loving person would do; I built my own home theater. I think the result is pretty kick-ass and it never fails to impress me when we fire it up. (You can read about my install here: http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/features/3094/my-diy-home-theater-makeover.html)
But, despite what you might have heard, my heart isn’t entirely cast from stone, and I realize that the theatrical experience can exceed the one had at home. Between the giant screen and the shared communal experience, when done right it can be magical. (I’ll briefly share two experiences of mine. A midnight crowd in Berkeley, California getting up and dancing to Stop Making Sense. And an opening night crowd breaking into 16 years worth of heartfelt cheers and applause as the main titles rolled for Star Wars: Episode I.)
Lately I’d been reading the hype about a certain film. Not only reading it, but voluntarily getting swept up in it.  Would it be a colossal success or an epic fail? A film by a director whom I really respect. A film that cost a speculated half-billion dollars. A film that was supposed to put 3-D on the map and get people to come back to the theaters again. A film called Avatar.
So, I put an end to my nearly 18 month hiatus and headed back to the cinema to see Avatar opening weekend, and this was my experience….
Prior to even stepping foot in the theater I used a little technology for a bit of research. Not on the movie itself, but when to run to the bathroom if need be. With trailers, this movie clocks in at nearly 3 hours and if the urge to go came, I wanted to know when to make my break. I used a Website called runpee.com. This tells you the best time to go in order to miss the least “good parts,” as well as a synopsis of what happens while you’re gone. (For the record, I made it the whole movie. My wife took one runpee suggested break.)
Second, I was hit by the ticket price. $10.50. Times two. I guess it is a small price to pay for doing my share to fund Cameron’s opus, but it equates to an entire month’s worth of Netflix. Luckily we ate before the film so I was spared the concession stand.
Our Imax neglects to show any current films, so we went to the newest theater in town. This meant that everything was in great shape. Nice faux-leather chairs that had a bit of rocking action with cup holder arm rests arranged in stadium seating so every seat had an good view of the screen. Speaking of the screen, I was totally disappointed to see that it was in Academy Flat (1.85:1) aspect instead of Scope (2.35:1). This meant that when they ran the masking to show the film, the screen would get smaller. Sad face….
As the movie started, I immediately heard a crackling sound from one of the front channels. Blown speaker? Bad amp? Loose wire? Who knows. But once heard, I couldn’t un-hear it and it worked on me like Chinese water torture for those three hours. I envied those around me who seemed oblivious to it. At least they played the movie near reference volume, which helped drown out the crackle during the battle scenes.
Then I noticed that they had left the light on in the projection booth. Whenever the screen went dark, a nice shadow of the projector showed up on the screen.
As far as the film goes, I was totally impressed. The visuals are spectacular. Cameron expertly used the groundbreaking technology and 3-D as tools to tell a better story instead of beating you over the head with them Lucas-style. I never felt the 3-D was a gimmick, but used to provide a more immersive experience offering a sense of depth that further drew you into the experience. I can’t wait to see it again…on Blu-ray.
All in all the experience told me two things. I love movies. But I love them even more at home.

Posted in Blogging, Projection Screens, Projectors, Speakers, Surround Sound | 2 Comments »

Technology: The future is Twitter

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
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By: John Sciacca
One day, we will all share a Borg-like collective mentality that will render face-to-face, actual human interaction unnecessary. Until that day arrives, Twitter is stepping in to become the preferred means of communication for many. For those unfamiliar with Twitter – say if you just got out of a 20-year prison hitch or are coming back from a particularly unpleasant alien abduction – Twitter is a social network that lets you instantly share with everyone exactly what you’re up to in 140 bite-sized characters. And since everyone is so interesting, this process is usually repeated frequently throughout the day. For many, these “tweets” are just random, meaningless bits of information, such as what John Mayer is having for lunch or Miley Cyrus’ latest boyfriend crush/crisis.
However, two companies are looking to leverage Twitter’s popularity/power to automate your Twittering, letting your tech update the world as to what you are watching and listening.

IBM – yes, stodgy old Big Blue – recently filed a patent for a new remote control that would automatically blog and/or microblog what you’re watching. This would allow your groups of friends/followers to stay in the know as to what shows you’re keeping up with, and provide you an easy outlet to let the world know exactly how you feel about Lauren from The Hills. On the flipside, it would also eliminate any plausible deniability when you say you haven’t been keeping up with Ruby. (“What the helicopter?!?”)

The second solution comes from distributed audio manufacturer, Sonos. I’ve personally reviewed the Sonos system twice and I thought it was incredibly user friendly and easy to use. The Twitter app is in Beta testing right now, but it will soon be part of the Sonos System 3.1 software. Once active, it will allow users to post about the music they’re enjoying on their system.

According to the Sonos announcement, “Music always has been and always will be social.  Conversations taking place on social networks about music are always a very popular topic among social networking users. With Twitter on Sonos, customers can now start musical conversations using their Sonos Controller.  Songs discovered during listening often present ‘inspired’ experiences to tell friends about it.  Jamming to that favorite track from high school brings back memories you want to share. With Sonos, you will be able to share those musical light bulb moments with your friends and followers. With one click, users can post the name and artist of the track they’re listening to on their Twitter feed.  They can also edit the contents and add any personal flair/messaging to the tweet.”

For fans of Twitter, these developments will likely be met with glee – probably delivered in the form of multiple tweets. For others uncomfortable with the idea of sharing their every TV and music moment – “So and so is watching the scrambled adult channel again” –these features can undoubtedly be turned off. To Tweet or not to Tweet? Leave a comment about your thoughts.

Posted in Blogging, Social Networking | No Comments »