I hope you're ready for some ch-ch-changes at the cinema, because Alamo Drafthouse has announced that upon christening their 38th location, set to open in downtown Los Angeles, the next-gen theater will be the very first of many markets to feature the company’s new Vertical Format standard, VerticalVision.
According to the initiatives official press release:
Rather than the typical aspect ratios – 1.85:1 and 2.39:1 – used in theatrical exhibition today, VerticalVision literally flips the script and screens content vertically at 1:1.85 and 1:2.39. A typical Alamo Drafthouse screen is 50’ wide, but VerticalVision is 50’ tall.
“If you talk to any of the top directors in Hollywood, they’ll tell you that the format they’re most excited about is vertical,” says Tim League, Alamo Drafthouse founder and CEO. “For us, this is truly a matter of watching where the puck is going.”
Once construction on the new-fangled theater is complete, Los Angeles' VerticalVision auditorium will have 205 recliner seats and 41 rows. It will utilize a state-of-the-art sideways-mounted Barco VTS-50L Laser projection system optimized for very tall screens, and the ability, via the Alamo Drafthouse app for iOS and Android, to dynamically add virtual stickers and GIFs to the screen on the fly.
While this news is all very exciting, as the theater-going experience is long overdue for an upgrade, I'm not convinced that all aspects of the VerticalVision plan will be well-received. Would you like an example as to why? I thought you would. What if I told you that Alamo is looking into making cell-phone use a part of the show? If you're weraing a hat, I suggest that you hold onto it when reading this next quote:
“We’re considering adjusting our ‘no cell phone’ rule for certain VerticalVision screenings,” League says. “That way our guests can literally react to the movie in real-time using thumbs up, hearts, and, for documentaries and foreign-language films, even crying face emojis.”
I'm not going to lie, and I refuse to supress my thoughts about this aspect of VerticalVision when I say that, I can't think of a more obnoxious addition to the theater-going experience. Virtual GIFS and stickers? What's to stop them from including sponsor ads as well?
With their design patent firmly in place, Alamo has also shared that they won't be making the VerticalVision experience exclusive to their theater locations. In fact, the company plans to make the bold, new format available for museums, theme parks, government institutions, and other exhibitors via a franchise model.
For the moment, Alamo is currently massaging filmmakers and studios (not in an alert HR way, mind you) to produce cropped versions of upcoming and existing films. In fact, one Hollywood alum who is totally on-board with the upcoming tech is PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE and BOOGIE NIGHTS director Paul Thomas Anderson.
“What I love about VerticalVision is just how tight the frame is, allowing you to focus on just the one thing you want the audience to see,” Anderson recently remarked. “For too long filmmakers have been saddled with the constraints and extraneous details of widescreen – long live tall screen.”
What's more is that Anderson is currently in the midst of developing his first native VerticalVision feature LONG TALL SALLY, starring Elizabeth Delbecki. He's also toying with the idea of bringing other projects to the format, such as JUMPIN' JACKS, LONGING TO FALL, and HOW HIGH THE SKY.
Alamo Drafthouse plans to open its new Los Angeles location before the Summer blockbuster season really heats up. In the meantime, you can check out their VerticalVision booth at the 2019 Cinemacon convention in Las Vegas, April 1-4.
Alright people, I want you to sound off in the comments section below and let us know what you think of the VerticalVision format. Are you ready for selfies, emojis, stickers, and who the hell knows what else to accompany the film's you've already paid an arm and a leg to see? You know where to leave your thoughts, so do the thing.