Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. I have a habit of going to see most D-Box released films with my buddies. Austin’s Galaxy Highland Theater was the first theater in the country to go entirely digital and were also the first in America, I believe, to invest in D-Box. They’re a bit ahead of the curve technology-wise. I love the William Castle aspects to D-Box, which is essentially just a moving chair. The idea is to add another level of involvement for the audience in a film by having your ritzy, more spacious and comfy big red chair integrated with full motion (it can sway, move backwards and forwards, rise and fall) and programmed in time with the movie. For example, my favorite D-Box encoded movie was Inception. During the zero-G Joseph Gordon-Levitt scenes the chair would seem to float in the action and jar you during the fight. I’ve had some poor D-Box experiences (Prince of Persia, but that was a horrible experience by itself, and The Final Destination 3-D come to mind), but when the right film is paired with this experience (like Inception) it’s just a really fun add-on to the theatrical experience. My favorite thing I’ve seen D-Box is the Tron Legacy trailer. The lightcycles plus D-Box equals happy geek smile. Can’t wait for the full movie that way! Anyway, I was able to shoot a few questions over to D-Box VP of Marketing, Gary Marcoux via email and thought I’d take the a little time to spotlight this experience. Enjoy
Quint: Where did D-Box come from? I know some amusement parks have used similar programmed seats for special attractions, but who's idea was it to code full movies to interact with the audience member's chairs?
Guy Marcoux: D-BOX is based in Montreal, Canada. About 15 years ago, we were a manufacturer of high-end speakers and subwuffers for Home Entertainment. The idea came about when customers would put 2 or 3 subs around their chairs to watch movies. They felt it was more immersive. So at that point, the idea to conceive a motion system that would enhance the movie experience started to take shape. It took 5 years of R&D to develop the hardware and software that would generate accurate, precise and smooth motion effects to the level we were looking for. Unlike the hydraulics systems you'll find in theme parks, D-BOX uses brushless electro-mechanical motors. They're like little robots we call, motion actuators that replicate as close as possible, everything you'd feel in real life.
Quint: I really enjoy the D-Box experience. It's an added layer of involvement in certain types of movies... for instance the gravity-less sequences in Inception really put a smile on my face. How do you guys determine what movie gets the D-Box treatment? Do you have deals with certain studios?
Guy Marcoux: In order for D-BOX to create Motion Code for a specific movie, we need to have the studio's support. Thus far, Warner Bros, Disney, Sony, Universal, Lionsgate, Focus Features, Summit and Overture have all agreed to enhance some of their movies with D-BOX Motion Code. The genre of movies we enhance will vary from Action, Sci-fi, Animated films, Thrillers, Horror, etc. That's why on the Home Theatre side of the business we've encoded over 1000 movies to date.
Q: How much input do filmmakers have in the D-Box coding? I've seen some movies (like Prince of Persia) that seemed to just have a few slapped together moments that didn't sync up, but then other films (like Potter and Inception) that really did feel like a thoughtful hand was behind the interaction.
Guy Marcoux: All movies that our motion designers work on have the same process. D-BOX fits in the post-production of the movie at this point. Once we get the content, our designers will create, frame by frame, all motion effects based on what's happening on the screen and what they hear from the sound track. All motion effects go thru a quality control process with each studio to make sure it blends well with the storytelling and the emotions intended for the movie. As we continue grow, we hope the added dimension of D-BOX will be thought of and created during the creative process of the film. In a year, we've done 19 films since we've equipped our first theatre with our MFX systems in April 2009.
Quint: Is there an extreme you guys won't go to out of fear of being viewed as a gimmick? I personally can't wait to see a horror filmmaker really take advantage of a moving chair to get some extra jolts from an audience. I wouldn't be afraid to embrace the William Castle-esque abilities of your technology.
Guy Marcoux: We always try to replicate, as close as possible, what you feel in real life. However, we¹re also are trying to match the intended emotions filmmakers are trying to evoke. For instance in a horror movie, motion effects would be more intense as we're trying to respect the sense of fear. We're trying to stay away from sensations that would resemble theme park rides. We want to blend in as much as possible with the movie and not distract moviegoers from it.
Quint: What's your personal favorite film that has been D-Box coded and why is it your favorite?
Guy Marcoux: I would have to say that Inception is way up there. First, it's a great story. And as far is D-BOX is concerned, the movie gives a very wide spectrum of motion effects. We're able to create superb sensations throughout the movie. From gravity-less scenes, to car chases, gun fights, under water scenes, free fall sequences, and slow motion sequences, you find a great range of how D-BOX can add another dimension to a movie.
Quint: How many theaters are D-BOX equipped at the moment? Are you expanding?
Guy Marcoux: We're currently in 30 theatres worldwide mainly in the USA and Canada, but also in Japan now as well. This growth happened in a year and we only expect to pick up speed and reach the 100 theatre mark by mid 2011 if all goes well. We also expect to have steady content from studios as we've have up to now.
Quint: There's a home version, right? I've noticed some Blu-Rays come with D-Box coding. I've never had the home D-Box experience. How close to the theatrical experience is it?
Guy Marcoux: We've been producing Home Theatre motion system for 10 years now. Our Motion Code is embedded in over 100 Blu-ray releases so far and D-BOX customers can download over 1000 motion codes in DVD and Blu-ray format. The D-BOX experience is the same except for the fact that you're sitting in a Home Theatre recliner in the comfort of your home.
Quint: Has there been any hesitancy from the studios or filmmakers in coming on board with this new technology? If so, have you been able to turn them around?
Guy Marcoux: Being a new technology, we needed to prove the business model first and that moviegoers would be willing to pay a premium for the experience. It was not an easy task to get things started as the number of theatres equipped was limited, but now it's much easier. I believe we've proven that we deliver a compelling experience and that it¹s a win-win model for studios, exhibitors and moviegoers. We have a satisfaction rate from moviegoers over 90%, we are getting content on a regular basis and we keep adding theatres equipped with our technology, so the consistency is there.
Quint: What titles are coming up that you're excited about?
Guy Marcoux: After Inception, we have commitment for The Expendables from Lionsgate and Tron from Disney. New movie announcements are to be expected soon.
I’m curious to see where the company goes from here. No disrespect to the hard-working D-Box encoders, but after Inception they have to step up their game. Like I mention in the interview, I’d like them to increase their involvement with filmmakers as I feel there’s a lot of creative integration of motion being missed. The horror example is perfect. I can see a jolting and moving chair really adding to the suspense… so far, The Final Destination and A Nightmare On Elm Street both were pretty lame. But it’s a technology with a lot of potential and, for my money, I get more value out of the D-Box up-charge than the 3-D up-charge. You can find more information at the D-Box website! -Quint quint@aintitcool.com Follow Me On Twitter
