Press release from Haystac
Village Cinemas has announced that it will bring the biggest thing in movies to Victorian film-goers this Christmas, unveiling one of the world’s largest 3D screens at its Knox site this week, kicking off with an exclusive screening for key charity partners.
The result of many months of planning, Village Cinemas worked closely with international manufacturer Harkness Screens to secure the screen for the 747 seat cinema, a coup for the cinema chain which has sites across Victoria and Tasmania.
The new screen had to be specially air freighted to Australia from France in a crate more than 13 metres long, and weighing in at more than 500kg, crate and screen combined.
Offering the latest in 3D technology, the screen measures 28.230m wide x 12.015m high, meaning that getting it in place will be no mean feat for the team, requiring:
Two forklifts to lift the crate to the height of the upper level at Knox
A hole to be cut in the cinema wall to get the screen into the auditorium
20 people to manoeuvre the screen into position and secure it to the frame
Two projectors stacked to provide sufficient light to the screen for 3D capability
A custom steel frame platform to support the projectors, plus a custom 3D polarising solution
Five days work in total for the massive installation
To celebrate the brand new screen’s debut, Village Cinemas will throw the doors open to a very special group of movie fans who will be the first to see the giant 3D screen in action, enjoying an advance charity screening of Happy Feet Two on Wednesday, December 21.
Guests of The Smith Family, The Salvation Army and Whitelion will be treated to this great night out just in time for Christmas. The invitation-only event will spread some festive cheer to a very deserving audience, with door prizes on the night, plus pre-film entertainment for the kids.
Village Cinemas CEO, Kirk Edwards, commented, “We’re thrilled to launch this amazing 3D screen for film fans to really take their movie-going experience to the next level. At Village Cinemas we’re very proud to now offer the most impressive 3D experience available in Australia. We know our customers will be as excited about the screen as we are, and we’re delighted to be able to give back to the community by welcoming some very special guests to be the first to enjoy it.”
Following the charity screening, movie fans will be able to enjoy an array of fantastic films set for release across the holiday period on the 3D super screen from December 26.
Village Cinemas Knox is located at 435 Burwood Highway, Wantirna South 3152.