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Ultimate Wave 3D coming to Chattanooga's Ultimate Screen

10/13/2010 3:29:28 PM

Above image: Nine-time surfing champion Kelly Slater makes riding a giant wave look easy in The Ultimate Wave: Tahiti 3D.
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       Contact: Thom Benson 423-785-3007
Aquarium’s Theater Certified by Giant Screen Cinema Association
Ultimate Wave: Tahiti 3D Opens Friday on Chattanooga’s Ultimate Screen
 
Chattanooga, Tenn. (October 13, 2010) – The Tennessee Aquarium IMAX® 3D Theater has become one of the first official “Certified Giant Screen” theaters in the world. The new certification program was announced during the Giant Screen Cinema Association’s International Conference which was recently held in Chattanooga. “We wanted to provide members a certification to help accentuate their unique theater characteristics to consumers, setting Certified Giant Screen theaters apart from a crowded marketplace of new projection alternatives,” said Tammy Seldon, GSCA executive director.
 
A survey of 4,700 consumers conducted by GSCA, online and in theaters, revealed that people want movies on a bigger screen. Nearly 70% said knowing they could see a film on a “certified giant screen” would impact their theater-going decision.
                         
To receive certification, a theater must meet specific technical criteria laid out by the GSCA regarding screen size, viewing area and distance of seats from the screen plane.
 
The criteria include having a screen that is a minimum of 70-feet wide or at least 3,100 total square feet. All seats must be within one screen width of the screen plane.
 
At 89 feet wide and 66 feet tall, the Aquarium’s IMAX® 3D Theater has one whale of a screen that almost doubles the size requirements needed to earn the title as Chattanooga’s only Certified Giant Screen. “Today audiences have so many viewing choices from smaller, multiplex screens to 3D flat screen televisions at home,” said Cindy Todd, the Aquarium’s marketing director. “This certification helps define the premium experience visitors enjoy at theaters like ours that were designed specifically for giant screen productions.”
 
To enhance the guest experience, the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX® 3D Theater recently added a new digital audio system and new seating throughout the theater.
 
Beginning Friday, audiences will be amazed when waves six-stories tall wash across the giant screen in The Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D.
 
This high-energy film follows nine-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater to the tropical paradise of Tahiti in search of the perfect wave. This quest is sometimes misunderstood by those not immersed in surf culture or uninformed about the ocean and waves. The Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D aims to connect audiences with the ocean science behind massive waves like Tahiti’s legendary Teahupo’o. As key personalities in the film, Slater and famed Tahitian waterman, Raimana Van Bastolaer, help to explain where waves come from, why they are important and how communities and people far from the ocean shore are affected by the ocean’s interplay within our ecosystem. With the use of advanced animation techniques and science support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other authorities, Slater’s hands-on wave experience is woven together with profound scientific insights.
 
Also showing is Hubble 3D, which follows NASA Astronauts on their historic, final mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
 
For more than 14 years, the non-profit Tennessee Aquarium IMAX® 3D Theater has taken audiences on virtual trips from the ocean depths to the edge of the known universe. “Our giant screen theater complements the Aquarium experience for our guests. In turn, ticket sales help support our education and conservation programs,” said Todd. “Our priority is showing films that both entertain and illuminate.”