Please Note: Access to recordings and presenter materials from the professional development sessions is a benefit of GSCA membership.

Click on "login" in the upper right-hand corner of this page and enter your user name and password. Once you have logged in, the materials for each session and the delegate list will appear on the screen below beneath the session description. If you do not have a GSCA login or have any problems accessing the files, please contact Kelly Germain at kelly@giantscreencinema.com.

The fine print: Although we encourage use and distribution of these materials for the purposes of providing professional development, promoting best practices, and strengthening the position of the GSCA community, we request that those interested in reproducing materials observe the following guidelines. Materials are a benefit of GSCA membership, and you may not post, publish, transmit, or disseminate any GSCA material in digital or electronic form by means of the World Wide Web, e-mail, online services, or any other medium without prior written permission from GSCA. To obtain permission, please contact Tammy Seldon at tammy@giantscreencinema.com.

Program

Click here to download a PDF of the conference program. 

Click here for a Word version of all the new film, film in production, and project in development descriptions. 

Awards

Click here for photos of the GSCA Achievement and IMAX Maximum Image Award winners.

Click here for the GSCA YouTube channel to watch the presentations and acceptance speeches for the GSCA Outstanding Achievement Awards presented to Toni Myers and Wendy MacKeigan (accepting on behalf of Jonathan Barker).

Jonathan Barker tribute video produced by Tyler Mifflin.

Photos and Videos

Click here to see photos from the conference.

Professional Development Sessions

Once you log in with your GSCA member user name and password, the documents and audio recordings will appear on the screen below each session description.

Blockbusters! Enhancing the Fundamentals of Programming, Marketing & Sponsorship for Maximum Success

When exhibitors program a film launch as a blockbuster event, the results can be astounding. Focusing on 1-2 films per year with targeted marketing, promotional and media partnerships, sponsorship and advertising can drive record numbers. See how it has helped these major institutions attract and retain audiences year after year.  

• Marlene Janetos, Museum of Discovery and Science, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, discusses their innovative marketing campaign for Pandas.

• Julie La Roche, Montreal Science Centre, Montreal, discusses how to value your institution and leverage film/museum sponsorships for best results.  

• Joanie Philipp, Discovery Place, Charlotte, North Carolina, discusses their museum-wide programming of Year of the Engineer and Dream Big.

• Ursula Phillips, TELUS World of Science-Edmonton discusses their programming and marketing for Extreme Weather.

Session organizer: Patty Collins, MacGillivray Freeman Films

Session moderator:  Alan Nursall, President and CEO, TELUS World of Science-Edmonton

Social Media Audit: A Case Study

GSCA received strong positive feedback for the GSCA Marketing Symposium sessions “Practical (and Creative) Ways to Increase Ticket Revenue” and “Social Media Tips and Trends” presented by Brian Siddle of Strong Coffee Marketing. Because of this positive feedback and increasing member interest in digital marketing, Brian conducted social media audits with the Tennessee Aquarium and Ontario Science Center this summer focused on audience identification, online monitoring, review monitoring, competitor analysis, social media opportunities, and other information identified during the audit process. He then developed an action plan for each theater, helped them implement some of the key changes, and  monitored analytics over the summer.

This session looks at what was learned during the audits, recommended changes, results based on the changes made, and further expectations.

Giant Screen 101

Giant screen veterans and newcomers alike have high praise for this ongoing series of discussions with knowledgeable and approachable industry experts. This session is a great kick-off to the conference and is a safe and comfortable space for all questions. 

Session organizer: Diane Carlson, Giant Screen Cinema Consulting

Session moderator: Paul Wild, Theatre Director, IMAX Victoria in the Royal BC Museum

Presenters: Mark Bretherton, December Media Distribution; Marlene Janetos, Museum of Discovery and Science, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Patricia Keighley, IMAX Corporation; Kate Piasecka, IMAX Melbourne

Links to audio recordings and PowerPoint will appear below each Giant Screen 101 presentation description once you log in with your GSCA member user name and password.

Maximize Global Distribution Potential

Patricia Keighley, Chief Quality Guru, IMAX Corporation

You’ve captured the images, recorded the sound, edited the film, and created the marketing campaign—and now you want to go global. An overview of how to maximize global distribution opportunities through localization with dubs, subtitles, censor-cut edits, CC, VI, HI, and more. How do you remotely modify an OV DCP to a censor-cut, subtitled version with an email? These insights from a variety of distributors, while helpful to producers and filmmakers, also provide a view for exhibitors into the challenges of global distribution.

Theater Launches: A Collection of Big Ideas

Marlene Janetos, VP Visitor Services, Marketing & Communications, Museum of Discovery and Science & AutoNation IMAX 3D Theater, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Discover  a collection of big marketing ideas from several theaters that have launched new theaters or introduced a new projection system. You’ll discover marketing tactics, such as advertising, public relations and promotional activities that worked for other giant screen theaters. Find out what promotions yielded the biggest impact.

We Are All In This Together

Mark Bretherton, Head of Distribution Giant Screen Cinema, December Media

Distributors cannot live without theatres and theatres cannot live without films. We often joke about distribution as the “dark side,” so what happens when an exhibitor makes the transition to the dark side? Mark Bretherton ran theatres in Australia for 20 years, including the Sydney theatre, one of the best performing theatres in the world. In 2017 he made the transition into distribution. He wasn’t the first and won’t be the last, but he can offer a fresh perspective on how the business looks from both sides and why it is important to understand that no matter what side of the business you are on, we are all in this together. 

How To Deliver a Cracking Film Launch Campaign  

Learn how carefully planned, creative, targeted and integrated marketing and communications strategies will result in smashing your targeted admissions. The Australian theatre was awarded the juried GSCA Best Film Launch by a Theatre award in 2017 for the campaign in support of A Beautiful Planet. Kate discusses the team’s work on behalf of A Beautiful Planet, Pandas and various Hollywood titles.