4DX
4DX is a 4D film format developed by CJ 4DPlex, a subsidiary of South Korean cinema chain CJ CGV. It allows films to be augmented with various practical effects, including motion seats, wind, strobe lights, simulated snow, and scents. First introduced commercially in 2009, it presents films in both 3D and traditional 2D formats.[1]
CJ has licensed the technology worldwide. As of September 2019, CJ 4DPlex operates 678 4DX theaters in 65 countries through partnerships with more than 80 cinemas, including Wanda Cinemas, Cineworld, Regal Cinemas, and Cinépolis. The company recorded an annual growth rate of more than 50 percent from 2013 to 2018.[2]
History
South Korea
The 4DX technology has made its commercial debut at the CGV Sangam theater in Seoul in 2009.[3] Following the success of Avatar, the technology expanded to more theaters in South Korea.[4]
Mexico
In June 2011, Mexico-based Cinépolis have invested $25 million and made an agreement with the CJ Group to bring the 4DX technology to its 11 locations in the country, with the first opening in a theater in Mexico City.[5] It marked the technology's debut in the Americas and outside the Asia region, and the technology expanded throughout Mexico since its debut. In 2019, the company announced that they would install the "4DX Screen" theater, a theater with an expanded multi-sided screen with the 4DX theaters, in the country in the summer season of 2020.[6]
South America
In 2012, Cinépolis has expanded its 4DX reach to South America, opening its first location at a theater in São Paulo, Brazil.[7] The company later premiered the 4DX theater in Colombia at the El Limonar Shopping Center in Cali in July 2013.[8][9] Cine Hoyts (now part of Cinépolis) opened the first 4DX theater in Chile in 2013.[10]
United States
At CinemaCon in March 2009, CJ 4DPlex announced that it had reached an agreement with AEG and Regal Cinemas to introduce the country's first 4DX auditorium at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.[11] In 2011, CJ and Regal's new parent company Cineworld announced that it planned to expand 4DX to at least 79 Regal locations.[12] As of 2020, there is an approximate total of 33 locations throughout the United States, primarily from various Regal locations, one Marcus Theatres location in Gurnee, two Cinépolis locations, and CGV's second U.S. at The Source OC in Buena Park.[13][14][15]
Canada
Cineplex Entertainment premiered a 4DX auditorium at one of its Toronto locations on 4 November 2016.[16] It opened a second location in Calgary in August 2019.[17]
Japan
Since opening its first theater in partnership with Korona World Cinemas in April 2013, the theater chain has seen an increase in the installation of 4DX theaters. It operates 4DX theaters nationwide in partnership with large theater chains such as Aeon Cinemas and United Cinemas.[18]
Europe
In 2017, CJ 4DPLEX partnered with France's Pathe and Norway's Nordisk Film Kino to open its first 4DX theater in Europe.[19] It quickened its expansion in Europe by signing partnerships with Austrian theater operator Hollywood Megaplex in February 2017 and Cineworld in the United Kingdom.[20]
China
CJ 4DPLEX started integrating 4DX within the Chinese market in cooperation with its parent company CJ CGV in 2006. In 2013, it signed contracts with UME, a local theater operator in China. In 2014, CJ 4DPLEX made partnerships with Woosang More, WoMai, Beijing Jinbo, and Golden Harvest. In December 2014, CJ 4DPLEX formed a partnership with Wanda Cinema, a Chinese theater operator.[21]
South Africa
In 2015, CJ 4DPLEX and Nu Metro Cinemas entered a partnership to open 5 4DX theaters in South Africa, making its debut in the African continent.[22] It opened the first 4DX auditorium in December that year with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the V&A Waterfront theater.[23]
Australia
At CinemaCon 2017, 4DX signed a contract with Australian theater operator Village Cinemas to open its first 4DX theater within a year.[24] It opened at the Century City theater on 27 October 2017 with the release of Thor: Ragnarok.[25] It was the first time that the company entered Oceania and the Australian continent, and it made the technology available to all six continents.[26][25]
Box office performance
In August 2019, 4DX reached 2.7 million moviegoers. The top three performing films for 4DX in August were Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, The Lion King, and Aladdin. The local films The Bravest and One Piece: Stampede performed well in China and Japan.[27]
As of 6 August 2019, the top five movie titles of 4DX global box office hits in the first half of 2019 were:
- Avengers: Endgame ($34,705K)
- Aladdin ($24,759K)
- Aquaman ($21,301K)
- The Lion King ($16,841K)
- Captain Marvel ($14,133K)
In 2018, the company attracted a cumulative 24 million viewers a year, recording $290 million in box office revenue. In July 2019, the company attracted 3.07 million viewers and $38 million in ticket sales globally.[28]
Variations
4DX VR
The 4DX technology has expanded to virtual reality, also known as 4DX VR, which utilizes a set of specific 4DX model seats consisting of VR headsets, similar to that of virtual reality amusement rides, and is described to be the "world's first VR cinema".[29] First showcased at the AAE 2017 and later IAAPA Attractions Expo 2017, it plays exclusive virtual reality-produced films, short films, as well as games and movie trailers.[30][31] There are at least six versions of the 4DX VR technology brand: Disk for horizontal rotation, Ride which consists of four-to-eight seats on a 6 axis motion platform, Racing for presentations focused on the racing genre, Sway and Twist in which seats enable twist and side movements, Motion Chair which is a singular 4DX chair consisting the VR headsets, and Sports for sports-focused presentations with specific bike, snowboard, and kayak designs.[30]
4DX Screen
The 4DX Screen technology (formerly 4DX with Screen-X) combines the multi-screen projection, known as ScreenX, and the motion seats in a singular theater. It was first introduced in 2018 and made its debut in CinemaCon 2018.[32]
Awards
- 2014: 4DX won the I3DS (International 3D and Advanced Imaging Society) "Cinema Innovation of the Year" award.[33]
- 2015: 4DX won the Edison Awards, Silver Prize for Media and Visual Communication Entertainment Category.
- 2017: 4DX was chosen as one of "The Most Innovative Companies of 2017" for the Live Events Category by the magazine Fast Company.[34]
- 2018: 4DX and ScreenX won the Edison Awards, Silver Prize for Media and Visual Communication Entertainment Category.[35][36]
- 2018: 4DX won the "Innovation Technology of the Year Award" at Big Cine Expo.[37]
- 2019: 4DX and ScreenX won the iResearch Award, Originative Cinema Technology Category.[38]
- 2019: 4DX was chosen as one of "The Most Innovative Companies of 2019" for the Live Events Category by Fast Company.[39]
Films
Gallery
References
- Sharp, Jasper (21 June 2012). "4DX: Here come the feelies". Sight & Sound magazine. British Film Institute. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
- Foster2019-09-24T12:10:00+01:00, Alana. "CJ leads next-gen cinema experiences with 4DX". IBC. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- "The goal of exporting CGV 4DX to 50 countries". CJ NOW. CJ.NET. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- Sunhee, Han (5 February 2010). "'Avatar' goes 4D in Korea | Variety". Variety. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- García Sánchez, Rubén (2 June 2011). "Cinépolis presenta sus salas más costosas". El Economista. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
- "Cinépolis to be the First to Bring the Innovative and Award-Winning '4DX with ScreenX' Format to LATAM". PR Newswire. PR Newswire Association LLC. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- "Sala de cinema 4DX chega ao Brasil". 1 July 2012. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- "Llegó a Colombia la primera sala de cine 4DX". Kien y Ke (in Spanish). CONTENIDOS DIGITALES K. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- "Cinépolis inaugura la primera Sala 4DX en Colombia". Colombia.com. Interactive Advertisement Bureau. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Teperman, Johnny (19 July 2013). "Cadena de Cines Hoyts dio a conocer la primera sala 4DX de Chile". biobiochile.cl (in Spanish). BioBioChile. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- "CinemaCon 2009: '4-D' theater coming to Regal Cinemas L.A. Live". Los Angeles Times. 24 March 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
- N'Duka, Amanda (23 April 2018). "CJ 4DPLEX & Cineworld Group Expand Pact To Boost Number of 4DX Theaters – CinemaCon". Deadline. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
- "'Fate of the Furious' Will Open on All 9 4DX Theaters". TheWrap. 14 April 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
- "Korean Theater Chain CGV Opens Second U.S. Multiplex in Buena Park". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
- "4DX Locations: Find a 4DX Movie Theater Near You". 4DX. CJ 4DPLEX. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- "Effects you can see, feel and smell at Canada's first 4DX cinema". Toronto Star. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- "4DX theatre opens at Chinook Centre". CTV News Calgary. 12 August 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
- "CGV 4DX, 일본서 '승승장구'..연내 50개 목표". www.fnnews.com (in Korean). 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- "[CGV소식]4DX, 유럽 공략…노르웨이·프랑스 진출". 스타투데이 (in Korean). Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- "CJ 4DPLEX Expands 4DX Footprint to Austria with Debut at Hollywood Megaplex Gasometer". Celluloid Junkie. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- POP, 헤럴드 (31 August 2015). "CGV 4DX, 中 확장 가속화…완다·따디와 파트너십 체결". pop.heraldcorp.com (in Korean). Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- Hyo-won, Lee (24 June 2015). "4DX to Debut in 5 South African Theaters". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media, LLC. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- Groenewald, Yolandi (27 December 2017). "SA feels the force as 4DX draws movie buffs away from home theatres". fin24. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- "Village Cinemas to Launch 'Australia's first and only 4DX Cinema Experience'". Film Ink. saso.creative. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- "First 4DX Opens in 50th Country with First Theatre in Australia". PR Newswire. Cision. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- "4DX announces Australian debut through new partnership with Village Cinemas | Film Journal International". 7 August 2017. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- CJ 4DPLEX. "4DX Draws Highest August Performance With 2.7 Million Attendees, $32 Million in the Global Box Office". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- "4DX & ScreenX Off To Promising Second Half In 2019 - Top 10 Films". Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- "4DX VR: Motion Seat Technology Meets Virtual Reality". 4DX. CJ 4DPLEX. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- "CJ 4DPLEX to Debut New 4DX VR Product at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2017". PR Newswire. Cision. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- Dager, Nick (22 March 2018). "CJ 4DPlex to Launch 4DX with ScreenX and 4DX VR Cinema". Digital Cinema Report. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- ""4DX with SCREENX" to Make Worldwide Debut at CinemaCon 2018". BoxOffice Pro. The BoxOffice Company. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- 기자, 김정태. "[기업동정]CJ CGV 4DX '올해의 시네마 혁신상' 수상(기업) - NSP통신". (주)NSP뉴스통신사 (in Korean). Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- "The World's 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2017". Fast Company. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- "Edison Awards™ - Honoring the Best in Innovation and Innovators". www.edisonawards.com. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- CJ 4DPLEX. ""4DX with ScreenX" Wins Big and Takes Home Silver at the Edison Awards in NYC". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- "CJ 4DPLEX's 4DX Format Receives 'Innovative Technology of the Year' Award at Big Cine Expo 2018". Boxoffice. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- CJ 4DPLEX. ""4DX With ScreenX" Recipient Of Prestigious 2019 iResearch Award For Originative Cinema Technology". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- "CJ 4DPlex: Most Innovative Company". Fast Company. Retrieved 27 September 2019.