Deluxe Digital Cinema
(Deluxe) and Shortcut have introduced a point-to-point digital delivery network,
Deluxe Connect, to Nordic cinemas.
The Deluxe Connect network is powered by HP,
in collaboration with Deluxe.
Deluxe Connect is the latest breakthrough innovation
in content management from Deluxe, a company with more than 100 years of
service to the media and entertainment industry. Deluxe Connect is in line with Deluxe’s aim
of providing customers with a solution for point-to-point delivery covering every
aspect of preparation and distribution of content for theatrical release.
The Nordic region has a strong theatrical
market with healthy admissions for both studio and domestic film product. Deluxe
is working with category leader Shortcut to facilitate the roll out of Deluxe
Connect in the region. Like Deluxe,
Shortcut also enjoys a long history of expertise in post-production and content
delivery.
Deluxe Connect provides tremendous localisation
and flexibility, so cinemas can swiftly and accurately receive the exact
content they require whether it is a current feature, advertising, local
content or titles from an archive.
For
content owners, the broadband delivery system offers an exceptionally efficient
distribution model capable of handling even the widest release. Deluxe’s collaboration with HP, one of the
world’s leading technology companies, allows Deluxe Connect to offer
connectivity speeds that enable content delivery to occur entirely electronically
on a timely and error-free basis.
Since Deluxe Connect launched in November
2013 it has distributed high profile titles from three major studios as well as
independent domestic product including: Twentieth Century Fox’s 3D feature
WALKING WITH DINOSAURS, Sony Pictures Releasing THE ZERO THEOREM, Paramount Picture’s NOAH and
Nordisk Film Distribution SORG & GLÆDE.
In total, Deluxe Connect has sent nearly 1000 deliveries across multiple
territories with this number escalating quickly week by week.
Paul
Higginson, Executive Vice President for Europe the Middle East and Africa at
20th Century Fox International said, “20th Century Fox is committed to being at
the cutting edge of distribution technology and Deluxe’s expertise in providing
industry-leading entertainment services in the film industry makes them our
natural partner.”
“Deluxe Digital Cinema set itself an
ambitious target to get Deluxe Connect up and running before the end of last
year,” said Mark Burton, DDC Managing Director for Europe, the Middle East and
Africa. “We achieved that, and now, most
importantly, this means that distributors and Nordic cinemas can start to reap
the benefits of a more flexible and efficient digital delivery model.
“We are also delighted to be working with
Shortcut as a strategic partner on the rollout,” Burton added. “With its long
history in post-production services it was an obvious alliance for our business
on this project.”
Ulrik Rasch, Managing Director Shortcut
said:
“Deluxe and Shortcut both have
a long history in the business and over a number of years we have built a
strong strategic partnership within Nordic Cinema Distribution.
There is a natural strategic
fit, which makes the choice of entering into the Deluxe Connect partnership as
an easy choice for Shortcut. Deluxe is an International player, with a great
industrial network, Shortcut is a solid local player well connected within the
Nordic post production industry. I’m convinced that Shortcut are able to
support the local cinema roll out of the best industrial Digital Cinema Network
solution.
Shortcut are delighted to
continue our strong relationship with DDC as a strategic partner, on the roll
out of the Deluxe Connect solution across the Nordic territory and secure high
quality delivery standards to all cinemas.”
The scalability of the infrastructure Deluxe
has put in place with the help of HP means Deluxe Connect has the capacity to
deliver a day and date release across many territories whilst at the same time
transferring a single piece of content to a single site. The economies of scale which arise from
building this technical solution across multiple territories allow Deluxe to
offer competitive prices for distributors.
In short, this is a long term, ultramodern solution for an industry
focused on reliability, security and quality of service.
“While working with Deluxe we saw a huge
opportunity to bring innovation to the theatrical film business on a very large
scale and to use technology to help them revolutionize one of their fundamental
business processes,” said Graham McAlister, global account director for
HP. “The electronic distribution network
which we have built with Deluxe and other leading technology partners focuses
on a point to point delivery with cloud storage, security and large data
packages. The solution has the capacity to reach cinemas in multiple territories
whilst maintaining the highest quality of service to both distribution and
exhibition, so films hit the big screen exactly as the Director intended them
to.”
Deluxe intends to roll out Deluxe Connect
to over 8,000 cinemas across Europe, the Middle East and Africa over the next
five years. And with secure third-party
facilities in a number of territories across the region, the widespread
dissemination of Deluxe Connect is already well under way.
