Fresh Air Flicks Makes Outdoor Movie History with First Digital 3D Screening Presented in RealD.

July 15, 2010 — The crowd, donning black plastic 3D glasses let out a simultaneous 'wow' at the opening scene of Monsters V. Aliens in 3D, marking the first time that digital stereoscopic 3D has been projected at an outdoor movie. More than five thousand people had squeezed onto the lawn of the newly minted Pier 1 Park in Brooklyn, NY to witness cinema history.

Brooklyn, New York-based Fresh Air Flicks provided the technical services for this history-making event as part of the weekly Movies with a View series put on by The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy.

The movies are normally viewed on a 40'x22' inflatable Airscreen, with Christie LX1500 projection. But when the client inquired about doing something different, Technical Director, Glen Sanders knew it was the right time to bring digital 3D to an outdoor venue.

'Producing the first outdoor digital 3D screening presented a special set of challenges.' explains Sanders. 'It involves a technology primarily used indoors for an audience of a few hundred, and moving it outdoors for an audience of thousands.'

The 43'x18' stereoscopic screen was framed on-site and hung on the downstage flypoint of an SL260 mobile stage. The mobile stage was used instead of truss because of limited space and anchoring solutions.

'The stage gave us the flexibility we needed in a challenging environment,' says Sanders. 'When we discovered the screen was actually 10 feet longer than ordered, we were able to move it to the downstage fly points and stack the line arrays behind the screen.'

Bob Deutsch of Outdoor Movies, Rockville, MD provided the Chistie CP2000 digital cinema projector, Doremi 2k4 server, and the JBL Vertec line-array for sound.

'Bob is one of the most knowledgeable guys in outdoor movies today. His investment in top-of-the-line equipment and his dedication to producing top notch shows make him the perfect partner for this history making event,' Sanders explains.

RealD of Beverly Hills, CA provided the Xl Cinema System. One reason the production team opted for the RealD solution over others on the market is because the REALD Cinema System mounts on the front of the projector and doesn't require an invasive installation.

Mayor Mike Bloomberg made a special appearance to kick off the event. SyFy channel, Time Out New York Magazine, and AT&T sponsored and provided 5,000 free pairs of RealD glasses.


About Fresh Air Flicks:

Fresh Air Flicks provides professional outdoor movie rentals for communities and organizations throughout NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA, VT, DE, and RI. A movie under the stars on Fresh Air Flicks inflatable movie screen is a safe, fun, community event that brings back the nostalgia of the drive-in movie. Fresh Air Flicks outdoor cinemas have brought people together in large numbers at international film festivals, corporate events, sports simulcasts, and history making events. www.FreshAirFlicks.com

About the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy:

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy is an independent citizens organization working to ensure the creation, adequate funding, proper maintenance, public support, and citizen enjoyment of Brooklyn Bridge Park through partnership with the public sector, development of programming, and active promotion of the needs of the park and its constituents. www.bbpc.net

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