Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
ie8 fix

theatre

Apple's venue all dressed up for 'little' event on Tuesday

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Ahead of its much-anticipated news event tomorrow, Apple has already prepared the outside of the venue.

That event, which is widely expected to bring the smaller version of the iPad, is being held here in the California Theatre.

Unlike its events at the Moscone Center or the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in downtown San Francisco, the outside signage here is minimal. Apple has simply put "Apple Special Event" on the outside marquee, along with colorful posters donning the company's logo.

CNET took a field trip to snap a few shots of … Read more

Celtx brings media preproduction into the digital age

In media, "preproduction" generally means drawing stuff: sketching out ideas on storyboards, whiteboards, legal pads, and even cocktail napkins. Greyfirst's Celtx is a free tool that finally brings preproduction into the same century as the media it creates, with some old-school touches, too. It includes Project Templates for planning and creating Film, Audio-Visual, Theatre, Audio Play, Storyboard, Comic Book, and Novel projects. Sample projects help get you started. Celtx integrates with free online and cloud-based resources and syncs with your mobile devices, so your creative projects are always available and safely stored online in the cloud, as … Read more

Unlimited movie-going with MoviePass

For a cool $50-a-month subscription fee, MoviePass gets you into the movies whenever you want, as often as you want. Think of it like a Netflix for theaters. Following up on our coverage earlier today, CNET had a chance to get on the phone with MoviePass co-founder, Hamet Watt, to get some of the nuts and bolts of the all-you-can-watch service.

Officially launching to private beta June 29, MoviePass will only work at select theaters in the San Francisco Bay Area at first. However, with more than 43 percent of movie theaters already signed on, the company is set to roll out to additional select markets throughout the summer and launch nationally in the fall.

So how's it work? First, use your phone to reserve your seat at any of the supported theaters. Then, when you get to your selected theater, just flash your screen at the box office and receive a ticket, just as though you had paid. You don't have to print anything out at home, and you can use it as much as you want, as long as you pay the monthly subscription fee. For now, that's a simple $50-per-month, but according to the folks behind MoviePass, the company is experimenting with additional pricing tiers as well as a surcharge for IMAX and 3D titles.… Read more

Cirque du Soleil's new 'Iris' blooms in Hollywood

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--The cast of "Iris," Cirque du Soleil's new movie-themed show at the famed Kodak Theatre here, took the stage Thursday to preview the upcoming production's mix of elite acrobatics, audio visual technology, and live music and dance for a select crew of press, corporate reps, and local government officials.

Cirque artists performed 20 minutes of the massive stage production--Cirque's 27th to date--for the eager crowd. When "Iris" opens later this year, it will settle into the Kodak Theatre as a permanent attraction, stepping aside whenever the Academy Awards or other shows require the space.

After opening comments from Cirque executives, the audience enjoyed what could prove to be the opening of the finished production. Performers filled the stage in mini-vignettes highlighting the invention of cinema and the earliest days of Hollywood. A human kinescope danced amid aspiring starlets, blue-collar crew workers, silent film stars, and well-dressed executives.

Technological magic merged with the human elements. Independently animated and radio-controlled "creatures" like studio lights and cameras danced with their human counterparts. The opening number climaxed with an aerial act of two male rigging dancers literally flying about and bouncing off the walls of the Kodak Theatre. … Read more

ArcSoft updates TotalMedia Theatre

Ditching that premium cable subscription and bulky television in favor of accessing video content on the PC isn't for everyone, but software solutions like ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre are aiming to make that option more attractive. The multimedia program developer updated its all-in-one media player today, bringing it to version 5 with plenty of new features designed to appeal to early adopters. And what is the hot video feature of the moment? If you guessed 3D, you're right on the money.

One of the main focuses of ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre 5 is to incorporate plenty of new 3D functionality. … Read more

Kodak's answer to Apple TV: The Theatre HD Player

I'm not sure whether I should call the new Theatre HD Player Kodak's answer to Apple TV, but that's the best analogy I can come up with on short notice. Whether it is or not, Kodak is doing its best to get into your living room with a little Wi-Fi-enabled black box that connects to your HDTV, displays images and other multimedia content, and links directly to Kodak Gallery, the company's online photo-sharing service, and Flickr. Due to roll out in September, the Theatre HD Player will retail for $299.99 and continue to add features … Read more