Posted 3/13/09. Originally published in LF Examiner, March 2009.

Industry reaction to Point 9

After the joint communiqué was released, LF Examiner asked Imax Corporation and the Giant Screen Cinema Association several questions about Point 9, which raises Imax’s concerns about the presence of media in GSCA’s members’ meetings.

 

Imax did not reply. Nor did it send us copies of the two updates mentioned in Point 3 that IMAX VP Therese Andrade had reportedly sent to GSCA members. (We obtained them elsewhere.)

 

The GSCA’s president, Gretchen Jaspering, responded by saying that since Imax asked for “clarification” of the association’s policy, its response was that “GSCA does not have an official press policy. We’ve been very open and welcoming to the press who attend our events,” and added that they didn’t have a comment on the point raised by Imax in the communiqué.

 

LF Examiner will be permitted to submit a written statement for the GSCA board to consider when it meets in Los Angeles this month. That statement appears, in its entirety here. But Jaspering said, “We believe this is going to be a very short conversation…. We really just don’t think this is a big issue.”

 

Before receiving this response from GSCA, we sent an e-mail to about 2,000 industry professionals, including subscribers, GSCA members, and others, asking for their thoughts on allowing media in the members’ meetings. We received more response to this issue than any other in recent years, with over 50 people replying, some at length, and most agreeing to be on the record.

 

We expected a range of opinion, but were somewhat surprised to find a virtually unanimous consensus in our favor. No one supported Imax’s position without reservation.

 

The comments we received were almost embarrassingly supportive.

 

Sheila Grinell, former director of the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix, said, “Your presence, and reporting, is a tremendous boon to everyone in the giant screen industry, including Imax. You help us all make better decisions and thus promote the sustainability of the entire endeavor. If you were not present, and thus accurate, timely information were not available, we’d all waste time and energy playing the telephone game with our personal contacts — and everyone knows “telephone” produces distortions of fact and opinion. Whatever Imax says at a meeting is not privileged information and will get out. Might as well get out accurately, thanks to your good work.”

 

Todd Bridgford, CEO of the Virginia Air and Space Center, wrote, “The members’ annual meeting should most definitely be open to you and any other media that has an interest in our industry. Any information presented at that formal meeting should be available to all members, whether in attendance or not. The media is one way the members not in attendance are conveyed that information. Any sensitive dealings and strategy discussion between GSTA and Imax should be done at the committee level and the results presented in an open fashion.”

 

Michael Needham, CEO of Simex/Iwerks, wrote:

 

“For many years, your presence at GSCA members meetings has been accepted, perhaps encouraged. Your diligent and honest reporting has been seen by most in our industry as a major benefit, something most small industries lack and wish they had.

“The LF Examiner adds distinction to the LF Industry and in a world in which we are encouraged to seek transparency, you provide it for all those in our Industry.

“My view is that you should be allowed, indeed encouraged, to continue to attend GSCA members meetings as you have in the past.”

 

Beyond simply supporting openness in general and LF Examiner in particular, some writers spoke of the risks of not permitting open communication. Journalist and author Ray Zone: “As it is, there is little coverage of Imax and large-format cinema in the general press and on the Internet. This is, in my opinion, largely a result of the intellectually guarded posture of Imax and many in the GSCA community, exhibitors included. By not communicating more openly with the press, creating greater conduits for visibility, the LF world has ghettoized itself with specialist thinking, fragmenting its own market.”

 

Needless to say, we are gratified by these responses and by the regard in which we are held, not only by our subscribers, but also by others in the industry.