August 13th, 2020
Harkness Screens on Outdoor Screens
With cinemas having been closed for much of the past five months, we have seen a return of drive-in screens across the globe. Associate Director, Business Development, Andrew Emmott spoke to entertainment journalist Joe Harvey about outdoor screens and longstanding Harkness customer, Moviescreens Technologies.
With pop up outdoor cinemas making a return globally, cinemagoers are finally returning to the movies. As ever, the debate rumbles on over what is the best way to show movies. Both LED screens and more traditional projection are the main two options for exhibitors, with Andrew Emmott explaining why projection screens are generally the go to option.
“LED screens certainly have a place for certain outdoor screenings, but like in cinema, the days of projector and projection screen still prove to be the technologies of choice,” Emmott said. “Much of the available movie content is only allowed to be shown on certified cinema equipment setups, so the motion picture studios can maintain reliability, quality and technical performance for their movies.
“This means most LED screens are not allowed to play the movie. As projectors and screens are the cinema industry staple, meeting these certifications are far less of a problem. There are other factors too which support using projection, cost being a major one. Aside from being more cost effective, projection screens are easier to install and derig, especially if an inflatable frame system is used.”
Recently, Harkness has launched the Alfreso screen range for those who would like to carry on putting on movies outdoors. With a 1.0 gain and no maximum size available, Alfresco is an ideal solution for those wanting to make customers feel safe whilst experiencing the cinema again. Emmott explains more about the advantages of the Alfresco screen.
“The Alfresco material is 25% thicker than the regular Stagelite screen range, this thickness increases the durability needed for working outdoors whilst maintaining flexibility for ease of install and transportation,” Emmott said. “The Alfresco projection screen has a black backing to prevent ambient light bleeding through and the matt white face gives a superior image quality for the audience.”
For a quarter of a century, Harkness Screens has provided Moviescreens Technologies with screens for their inflatable frame systems. Moviescreens Technologies’ screens have been shipped worldwide and are the outdoor cinema screen manufacturer of choice globally.
“Harkness have been the leading provider of premium outdoor cinema screens worldwide for over half-a-century and in my meetings with Exhibitors in the USA, Asia and Europe in the last couple of years, it’s been clear how much a part of the movie-going culture this experience has always remained,” Emmott said. “Now, with even more Exhibitors turning to adding Drive-Ins temporarily or permanently during these challenging times our Al Fresco screen range is helping create a great outdoor movie experience in many more venues.”
You can learn more about outdoor screens by Harkness Screens and about Moviescreens Technologies by visiting their websites.
Harkness Screens
Harkness Screens™ is the world’s leading screen technology company, specialising in the design and manufacture of projection screens and supporting technologies for cinema and live events. From single-screen independent theatres to large multiplexes to large format immersive theatre experiences or live events, Harkness supplies thousands of screens every year helping provide outstanding presentation experiences to audiences around the world.
With global reach, Harkness is regarded as the world leader in cinema and has screens in more cinemas worldwide than any other manufacturer. With its industry leading 2D and 3D screen brands (Perlux HiWhite, Clarus XC and Spectral) along with an innovative range of presentation monitoring tools, digital surveying services and suite of cinema design and specification apps, Harkness continues to lead the way in screen technology for cinema.
Founded in 1929, Harkness has manufacturing facilities in the USA, UK, France, India and China and combines unrivalled experience with the latest technology and production methods to provide innovative solutions to the company’s key markets. For more information, visit the Harkness Screens web page at www.harkness-screens.com.
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