ISRAEL: NEW CINEMATRIX SYSTEM ALLOWS CINEMAGOERS AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE WHEREBY FILM CAN BE PHYSICALLY FELT.
Record ID:
858088
ISRAEL: NEW CINEMATRIX SYSTEM ALLOWS CINEMAGOERS AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE WHEREBY FILM CAN BE PHYSICALLY FELT.
- Title: ISRAEL: NEW CINEMATRIX SYSTEM ALLOWS CINEMAGOERS AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE WHEREBY FILM CAN BE PHYSICALLY FELT.
- Date: 21st January 2005
- Summary: (L!3)HAIFA, ISRAEL (DECEMBER 15, 2004) (REUTERS) VIEWERS WEARING GLASSES WATCHING FILM IN MOVING CHAIRS FAN ON THEATRE'S CEILING VIEWERS BEING MOVED IN CHAIRS SMOKE BEING DISPERSED IN THEATRE
- Embargoed: 5th February 2005 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: HAIFA AND TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
- City:
- Country: Israel
- Topics: General,Quirky,Technology
- Reuters ID: LVABXOETR7WN2QZ5FJKSJS3XIYR9
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Multi-sense cinema blows theatre-goers minds.
Israelis may soon be able to smell a good movie when they see one.
Seventy years after novelist Aldous Huxley envisioned in his landmark book "Brave New World" a nightmare future where moviegoers are over-saturated with sensual stimulation in a hi-tech viewing environment, a team of Israeli scientists have given the idea an educational spin by creating an interactive film technology called 'Smart' - a movie theatre which allows viewers to feel and even smell the action on screen.
At the National Science Museum in Haifa, children of all ages come to view a documentary film about the origins of the universe. But unlike a normal cinema, the images are three-dimensional and the 48 seats in this prototype auditorium are packed with gadgetry designed to engage the viewer fully.
"'Smart' is the next generation of cinema entertainment or edutainment (education + entertainment) process. Why 'Smart'? Because in one room we have all the sensors that can affect or be felt during the show. For example we are moving with the movie, we have 3-D glasses, so we can see everything in 3-D, we can touch the picture. We have other effects that touch us, here and there, we feel water, wind, and we can even influence the movie by using our remote control, that everyone in the hall, everyone as a group and as individuals can influence the movie" said Ori Yardeni, creator of 'Smart'.
The new technology offers a lot of stimulation: moving chairs, unlimited types of smell, easy-going punches on your back, and splashes of water in your face - adding up to a full sense environment which illustrates the educational story.
So far production costs are quite prohibitive -- $1.2 million dollars for four half-hour films -- and the project innovators do not anticipate a rush to adapt the technology for mainstream movies. But they say that there has been some interest from foreign clients who are also interested in experimenting with the world of so-called "edu-tainment". According to Yardeni, technologically speaking his innovation can be perfectly suitable for 'regular' commercial features.
"Using this technology you can do all kinds of films.
You can have some kind of an actor asking us what to do, what should be his next step. You can use it for dramatic or whatever humorous shows" Yardeni added.
If the audience response is anything to go by, the project has a future.
"It's more fun, because at a regular movie you just sit and you don't do anything and you just you see it in the place of the movie, and it doesn't go out, anything, and the chair doesn't move" said a child who seemed to enjoy the ride. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.