MOVIE THEATERS

CANTUBA, CASSANDRA B.
MABINGNAY, VIVIEN JOY B.
 contents:
terminology
history
design
tips and considerations
movie houses in philippines
sm cinema
sources
TERMINOLOGY
A movie theater may also be referred to as a movie theatre, movie house, film house, film
theater or picture house. In the US, theater has long been the preferred spelling, while in the
UK, Canada and elsewhere it is theatre.

The latter terms, as well as their derivative adjectives "cinematic" and "kinematic", ultimately
derive from Greek κινῆμα, κινήματος (kinema, kinematos)—"movement", "motion". In the
countries where those terms are used, the word "theatre" is usually reserved for live
performance venues.

Colloquial expressions, mostly applied to motion pictures and motion picture theaters
collectively, include the silver screen (formerly sometimes sheet) and the big screen (contrasted
with the smaller screen of a television set). Specific to North American term is the movies, while
specific terms in the UK are the pictures, the flicks and for the facility itself the flea pit (or
fleapit). A screening room is a small theater, often a private one, such as for the use of those
involved in the production of motion pictures or in a large private residence.

The etymology of the term "movie theater" involves the term "movie", which is a "shortened
form of moving picture in the cinematographic sense" that was first used in 1896 and "theater",
which originated in the "...late 14c., [meaning an] "open air place in ancient times for viewing
spectacles and plays". The term "theater" comes from the Old French word "theatre", from the
12th century and "...directly from Latin theatrum [which meant] 'play-house, theater; stage;
spectators in a theater'", which in turn came from the Greek word "theatron", which meant
"theater; the people in the theater; a show, a spectacle," [or] literally "place for viewing." The
use of the word "theatre" to mean a "building where plays are shown" dates from the 1570s in
the English language.
HISTORY
Magic lantern shows

The earliest precursors to movies were magic lantern shows. Magic lanterns used a glass lens, a
shutter and a powerful lamp to project images from glass slides onto a white wall or screen.
These slides were originally hand-painted. The invention of the Argand lamp in the 1790s,
limelight in the 1820s and the intensely bright electric arc lamp in the 1860s increased the
brightness of the images. The magic lantern could project rudimentary moving images, which
was achieved by the use of various types of mechanical slides. Typically, two glass slides, one
with the stationary part of the picture and the other with the part that was to move, would be
placed one on top of the other and projected together, then the moving slide would be hand-
operated, either directly or by means of a lever or other mechanism. Chromotrope slides, which
produced eye-dazzling displays of continuously cycling abstract geometrical patterns and
colors, were operated by means of a small crank and pulley wheel that rotated a glass disc. Still
photographs were used later on after the widespread availability of photography technologies
after the mid-19th century. Magic lantern shows were often given at fairs or as part of magic
shows. A magic lantern show at the 1851 World's Fair caused a sensation among the audience.

Silent film

The next significant step towards movies was the development of an understanding of image
movement. Simulations of movement date as far back as to 1828, when Paul Roget discovered
the phenomenon he called "persistence of vision". Roget showed that when a series of still
images are shown rapidly in front of a viewer's eye, the images merge into one registered
image that appears to show movement, an optical illusion, since the image is not actually
moving. This experience was further demonstrated through Roget's introduction of the
thaumatrope, a device which spun a disk with an image on its surface at a fairly high rate of
speed. The French Lumière brothers' (Louis and Auguste Lumière) first film, Sortie de l'usine
Lumière de Lyon, shot in 1894, is considered the first true motion picture.

From 1894 to the late 1920s, movie theaters showed silent films, which were films with no
synchronized recorded sound or dialogue. In silent films for entertainment, the dialogue was
transmitted through muted gestures, mime and title cards, which contained a written
indication of the plot or key dialogue. The idea of combining motion pictures with recorded
sound is nearly as old as film itself, but because of the technical challenges involved,
synchronized dialogue was only made practical in the late 1920s with the perfection of the
Audion amplifier tube and the introduction of the Vitaphone system. During silent films, a
pianist, theater organist, or in large cities, even a small orchestra would often play music to
accompany the films. Pianists and organists would either play from sheet music or improvise;
an orchestra would play from sheet music.

Talkies

A "talkie" or sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically
coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected
sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before sound motion pictures were
made commercially practical. Reliable synchronization was difficult to achieve with the early
sound-on-disc systems, and amplification and recording quality were also inadequate.
Innovations in sound-on-film led to the first commercial screening of short motion pictures
using the technology, which took place in 1923. The primary steps in the commercialization of
sound cinema were taken in the mid- to late 1920s. At first, the sound films incorporating
synchronized dialogue—known as "talking pictures", or "talkies"—were exclusively shorts; the
earliest feature-length movies with recorded sound included only music and effects. The first
feature film originally presented as a talkie was The Jazz Singer, released in October 1927. A
major hit, it was made with Vitaphone, which was at the time the leading brand of sound-on-
disc technology. Sound-on-film, however, would soon become the standard for talking pictures.
By the early 1930s, the talkies were a global phenomenon. In the United States, they helped
secure Hollywood's position as one of the world's most powerful cultural/commercial systems
(see Cinema of the United States). In Europe (and, to a lesser degree, elsewhere), the new
development was treated with suspicion by many filmmakers and critics, who worried that a
focus on dialogue would subvert the unique aesthetic virtues of soundless cinema. In Japan,
where the popular film tradition integrated silent movie and live vocal performance, talking
pictures were slow to take root. In India, sound was the transformative element that led to the
rapid expansion of the nation's film industry.
DESIGN
Traditionally a movie theater, like a stage theater, consists of a single auditorium with rows of
comfortable padded seats, as well as a foyer area containing a box office for buying tickets.
Movie theaters also often have a concession stand for buying snacks and drinks within the
theater's lobby. Other features included are film posters, arcade games and washrooms. Stage
theaters are sometimes converted into movie theaters by placing a screen in front of the stage
and adding a projector; this conversion may be permanent, or temporary for purposes such as
showing arthouse fare to an audience accustomed to plays. The familiar characteristics of
relatively low admission and open seating can be traced to Samuel Roxy Rothafel, an early
movie theater impresario. Many of these early theaters contain a balcony, an elevated level
across the auditorium above the theater's rearmost seats. The rearward main floor "loge" seats
were sometimes larger, softer, and more widely spaced and sold for a higher price. In
conventional low pitch viewing floors the preferred seating arrangement is to use staggered
rows. While a less efficient use of floor space this allows a somewhat improved sight line
between the patrons seated in the next row toward the screen, provided they do not lean
toward one another.

"Stadium seating", popular in modern multiplexes, actually dates back to the 1920s. The 1922
Princess Theatre in Honolulu, Hawaii featured "stadium seating," sharply raked rows of seats
extending from in front of the screen back towards the ceiling. It gives patrons a clear sight line
over the heads of those seated in front of them. Modern "stadium seating" was utilized in IMAX
theaters, which have very tall screens, beginning in the early 1970s. Rows of seats are divided
by one or more aisles so that there are seldom more than 20 seats in a row. This allows easier
access to seating, as the space between rows is very narrow. Depending on the angle of rake of
the seats, the aisles have steps. In older theaters, aisle lights were often built into the end seats
of each row to help patrons find their way in the dark. Since the advent of stadium theaters
with stepped aisles, each step in the aisles may be outlined with small lights to prevent patrons
from tripping in the darkened theater. In movie theaters, the auditorium may also have lights
that go to a low level, when the movie is going to begin. Theaters often have booster seats for
children and other short people to put on the seat, to sit higher, for a better view. Many
modern theaters have accessible seating areas for patrons in wheelchairs. See also luxury
screens below.

Multiplexes and megaplexes

Canada was the first country in the world to have a two-screen theater. The Elgin Theatre in
Ottawa became the first venue to offer two film programs on different screens in 1957 when
Canadian theater-owner Nat Taylor converted the dual screen theater into one capable of
showing two different movies simultaneously. Taylor is credited by Canadian sources as the
inventor of the multiplex or cineplex; he later founded the Cineplex Odeon Corporation,
opening the 18-screen Toronto Eaton Centre Cineplex, the world's largest at the time, in
Toronto, Canada.[13] In the United States, Stanley Durwood of American Multi-Cinema (now
AMC Theatres) is credited as pioneering the multiplex in 1963 after realizing that he could
operate several attached auditoriums with the same staff needed for one through careful
management of the start times for each movie. Ward Parkway Center in Kansas City, Missouri
had the first multiplex cinema in the United States.

Since the 1960s, multiple-screen theaters have become the norm, and many existing venues
have been retrofitted so that they have multiple auditoriums. A single foyer area is shared
among them. In the 1970s many large 1920s movie palaces were converted into multiple
screen venues by dividing their large auditoriums, and sometimes even the stage space, into
smaller theaters. Because of their size, and amenities like plush seating and extensive
food/beverage service, multiplexes and megaplexes draw from a larger geographic area than
smaller theaters. As a rule of thumb, they pull audiences from an eight to 12 mile radius, versus
a three to five mile radius for smaller theaters (though the size of this radius depends on
population density).[14] As a result, the customer geography area of multiplexes and
megaplexes typically overlaps with smaller theaters, which face threat of having their audience
siphoned by bigger theaters that cut a wider swath in the movie-going landscape.

Drive-in

A drive-in movie theater is an outdoor parking area with a screen—sometimes an inflatable

screen—at one end and a projection booth at the other. Moviegoers drive into the parking
spaces which are sometimes sloped upwards at the front to give a more direct view of the
movie screen. Movies are usually viewed through the car windscreen (windshield) although
some people prefer to sit on the hood of the car. Sound is either provided through portable
loudspeakers located by each parking space, or is broadcast on an FM radio frequency, to be
played through the car's stereo system. Because of their outdoor nature, drive-ins usually only
operate seasonally, and after sunset. Drive-in movie theaters are mainly found in the United
States, where they were especially popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Once numbering in the
thousands, about 400 remain in the U.S. today. In some cases, multiplex or megaplex theaters
were built on the sites of former drive-in theaters.

Other venues

Some outdoor movie theaters are just grassy areas where the audience sits upon chairs,
blankets or even in hot tubs, and watch the movie on a temporary screen, or even the wall of a
building. Colleges and universities have often sponsored movie screenings in lecture halls. The
formats of these screenings include 35 mm, 16 mm, DVD, VHS, and even 70 mm in rare cases.
Some alternative methods of showing movies have been popular in the past. In the 1980s the
introduction of VHS cassettes made possible video-salons, small rooms where visitors viewed
movies on a large TV. These establishments were especially popular in the Soviet Union, where
official distribution companies were slow to adapt to changing demand, and so movie theaters
could not show popular Hollywood and

The smallest purpose-built cinema is the Cabiria Cine-Cafe which measures 24 m² (258.3 ft²)
and has a seating capacity of 18. It was built by Renata Carneiro Agostinho da Silva (Brazil) in
Brasília DF, Brazil in 2008. It is mentioned in the 2010 Guinness World Records. The World's
smallest solar-powered mobile cinema is Sol Cinema in the UK. Touring since 2010 the cinema is
actually a converted 1972 caravan. It seats 8-10 at a time. In 2015 it featured in a Lenovo advert
for the launch of a new tablet. The Bell Museum of Natural History in Minneapolis, Minnesota
has recently begun summer "bike-ins," inviting only pedestrians or people on bicycles onto the
grounds for both live music and movies.

3D

3D film is a system of presenting film images so that they appear to the viewer to be three-
dimensional. Visitors usually borrow or keep special glasses to wear while watching the movie.
Depending on the system used, these are typically polarized glasses. Three-dimensional movies
use two images channeled, respectively, to the right and left eyes to simulate depth by using 3-
D glasses with red and blue lenses (anaglyph), polarized (linear and circular), and other
techniques. 3-D glasses deliver the proper image to the proper eye and make the image appear
to "pop-out" at the viewer and even follow the viewer when he/she moves so viewers relatively
see the same image.

The earliest 3-D movies were presented in the 1920s. There have been several prior "waves"
of 3D movie distribution, most notably in the 1950s when they were promoted as a way to offer
audiences something that they could not see at home on television. The first decline in the
theatrical 3D craze started in August and September 1953.

In 2009, movie exhibitors became more interested in 3D film. The number of 3D screens in
theaters is increasing. The RealD company expects 15,000 screens worldwide in 2010. The
availability of 3D movies encourages exhibitors to adopt digital cinema and provides a way for
theaters to compete with home theaters. One incentive for theaters to show 3D films is that
although ticket sales have declined, revenues from 3D tickets have grown.[19] In the 2010s, 3D
films became popular again. The IMAX 3D system and digital 3D systems are used (the latter is
used in the animated movies of Disney/Pixar).
The RealD 3D system works by using a single digital projector that swaps back and forth
between the images for eyes. A filter is placed in front of the projector that changes the
polarization of the light coming from the projector. A silver screen is used to reflect this light
back at the audience and reduce loss of brightness. There are four other systems available:
Volfoni, Master Image, XpanD and Dolby 3D.

IMAX

IMAX is a system using film with more than ten times the frame size of a 35 mm film to produce
image quality far superior to conventional film. IMAX theaters use an oversized screen as well
as special projectors. Invented by a Canadian company, the first permanent IMAX theater was
at Ontario Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. At the IMAX cinema attached to the National
Media Museum in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, in the United Kingdom, visitors to the
museum's sixth floor can observe the IMAX projection booth via a glass rear wall, and watch
the large format films being loaded and projected.
TIPS AND CONSIDERATIONS
Related Codes & Standards:

Reverberation Time (RT 60)

Noise Criteria (NC)

Sound Transmission Class (STC)

Cinema

Goal: To limit noise-related distractions and properly use absorption that works in conjunction
with the sound system.

 Recommended reverberation time: 0.8-1.2 seconds.

 Background noise levels should be kept to a minimum. Three primary potential noise
sources are mechanical equipment (HVAC), noise from adjacent theaters and lobby, and
outdoor noise.
 HVAC noise, which is often overlooked, can negatively impact the usability of a space. To
help protect your design, the NC level should not exceed 30 to 35. When specifying NC,
specify an actual rating, such as NC 30, rather than a range, such as NC 30-35. Although
specifying a lower number will ensure minimal background noise, it might be cost
prohibitive to achieve. Be realistic about the amount of acceptable noise and the
project's budget when specifying an NC level.
 Noise from the lobby area can be disruptive. Be sure openings such as doorways are
properly sealed. Consider a vestibule door system.
 Excessive room length should be avoided.
 Beware of potential outdoor noise impacting your space. For example, is your location
near a flight path, a railroad or freeway? If so, you might have to pay critical attention to
blocking this noise. To do so effectively, you must address not only the STC or isolation
quality of the exterior wall, but also for the possibly weaker building elements, such as
the windows, doors and HVAC systems.
 A common, and often ineffective, practice is to use absorptive materials only on the
back wall of a cinema. This is meant to reduce slap back; but slap back impacts the
performers, which, in this case, are actors on a movie screen. Primary concern should be
given to the audience. Although absorption on the back wall might be necessary, the
critical areas are the side walls. Walls, except possibly those closest to the screen,
should be absorptive.
  It is vital to control the noise transfer between theaters. Nobody wants to hear the
booming of cannons from the movie next door during the pivotal love scene in the
movie you paid to see. The STC rating should be at least 60-65, but keep in mind that
STC ratings only address noise isolation from 125 Hz to 4000 Hz. This range is fine when
considering speech frequencies, but gives no information for sounds that register at
lower frequencies, such as the base notes of the music or explosion sound effects, which
often register below 125 Hz. In such cases, be aware that the STC rating might not
accurately describe how well that particular wall will work at that noise level.
 There are various certifications and programs (such as THX®) that have their own
acoustic related criteria for cinemas (for example, NC level, STC rating and reverberation
time).

Theater

Goal: To properly balance absorption and reflection to provide a favorable acoustical

environment. To address both the need to hear and understand speech, and to enhance
musical performances, if applicable.

 Recommended reverberation time is 1.0-1.3 seconds (might be higher for some

theaters, particularly for music performances).
 Although the seating area will provide absorption, thereby reducing the reverberation
time, you will most likely need to add absorptive materials to the other surfaces within
the space.
 Control the reverberation time on the stage. Ideally, the reverberation time in the stage
area should be the same as in the house. Since the stage area might have a higher
ceiling than the rest of the theater, more absorptive materials might be required in this
area. Frequently, the back wall of the stage, and possibly one or both of the side walls, is
treated with an acoustically absorptive material, typically black in color.
 It is vital to control the reflections from the back wall. If you don't control them, the
presentation could reflect off the back wall and "slap back" to the presenter(s). This
won't necessarily impact the audience, but could be disastrous and distracting for the
people on stage. Because of this, it's usually necessary to treat the back wall with an
absorptive material. A concave back wall could compound this problem. If you can't
avoid a concave back wall, it's imperative that it be treated with absorptive material.
 If there is a balcony, consider adding an acoustic treatment to its face to avoid slap back.
 Splay or use irregular surfaces on the walls to avoid flutter echoes. Parallel reflective
surfaces can allow sound to "ricochet" back and forth between the surfaces. This
potentially annoying condition is referred to as standing wave or flutter echo. It is
 avoided by constructing non-parallel surfaces or by adding absorptive materials to the
surface(s).
 Consider faceting the ceiling to help with sound dispersion.
 Remember the space will be less absorptive when only half full, since the audience itself
is absorptive. By using absorptive seating areas, the reverberation time will remain
more consistent regardless of the audience size.
 Noise from the lobby area can be disruptive. Be sure openings such as doorways are
properly sealed. Consider a vestibule door system.
 Persons seated deep under a balcony might experience auditory distortion. To avoid
this, the balcony should be no deeper than twice its height. Ideally, the balcony should
not be any deeper than its height.
 Even if everything else is controlled perfectly, the space might not be usable if the
background noise (e.g. HVAC system) is too loud. To help protect your design, the NC
level should not exceed 20 to 35. When specifying NC, specify an actual rating, such as
NC 20, rather than a range, such as NC 20-30. Although specifying a lower number will
ensure minimal background noise, it might be cost prohibitive to achieve. Be realistic
about the amount of acceptable noise and the project's budget when specifying an NC
level.
 Beware of potential outdoor noise impacting your space. For example, is your location
near a flight path, a railroad or freeway? If so, you might have to pay critical attention to
blocking this noise. To do so effectively, you must address not only the STC or isolation
quality of the exterior wall, but also for the possibly weaker building elements, such as
the windows, doors and HVAC systems.

Home Theater

Goal: To create a space that provides the best acoustical environment possible for speech and
music in the home.

 When analyzing a critical listening room or home theater, it is important to examine the
ratios of the room's dimensions in addition to the room's reverberation time and any
potential problematic reflection (such as from concave, reflective surfaces or
peaked/domed ceilings). Certain room dimension ratios are better suited than others
for achieving a rich acoustic environment. The goal is to find ratios that allow even
distribution of sound across the frequency spectrum. When this happens, tones are
reinforced equally and the least amount of "coloration" occurs. Colorations largely
determine the quality of sound in a smaller room (such as a studio or home theater).
These colorations, caused by room resonances (modes), can degrade the quality of
 music and speech, creating an unnatural and monotonous emphasis at certain
frequencies.
 Assuming any transmitted noise is controlled, the primary noise concern is from the
HVAC system (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning). All mechanical equipment
should be controlled to about NC 25-35. Excessive HVAC noise is best addressed in the
design phase, as it is difficult to control after construction. A system upgrade might be
the only post-construction solution.
 Excessive room length should be avoided.
 Walls, except the side walls close to the screen, should be absorptive. It is not necessary
to cover every surface in the home theatre with a sound absorbing material. This would
create an acoustically "dead" environment with too much bass sound. To create the
optimum acoustic environment, a balance of absorption and diffusion should be
considered. There are several commercially manufactured products for both absorption
and diffusion.
 One of the biggest acoustic concerns in a home theater is the transmission of noise
either from the activities of the home into the theater, or the noise from the home
theater impacting the rest of the home. The majority of the noise will always be
transmitted through the weaker point (for instance, doorways). Before any effort is
spent improving the isolation quality of the wall, the noise path should be controlled
through the door. At least add weather stripping to the door, even though it is an
interior door, and consider a drop seal.
 Sound isolation is achieved with massive construction, an airspace, and elimination of
any structural connections that may transmit sound. Because of the low frequency/bass
music, it can be difficult to properly isolate sound when building a home theatre.
 MOVIE HOUSES IN THE PHILIPPINES
The Establishment of Movie Houses

Film showing was not resumed until 1900. The man who opened the first hall exclusively for
movie viewing that year was a British named Walgrah who naturally called his establishment
Cine Walgrah, located at No. 60 Calle Santa Rosa in Intramuros. The second movie house was
opened in 1902 by a Spanish entrepreneur, Samuel Rebarber, who called his building, Gran
Cinematografo Parisien, located at No. 80, Calle Crespo, Quiapo. In 1903, Jose Jimenez, a stage
backdrop painter, set up the first Filipino-owned movie theater, the Cinematograpo Rizal. This
was located on Azcarraga street, in front of Tutuban Train Station

The assurance of abundant and continuous supply of films at cheap introductory prices brought
a landslide of movie theaters. The first of these was Cine Anda which opened on August 8,
1909, operated by two American Manila Policemen, Frank H. Goulette and Eddie Teague,
others followed: It, Paz, Cabildo, Empire, Majestic,Comedis, Apollo, Ideal, Luz and Gaity
appeared between 1909 and 1911. Zorilla, the vanguard of zarzuela and opera presentations,
switched to showing films in late 1909, while Grand Opera House began to include movies in-
between vaudeville number in 1910. Likewise, moviehouses mushroomed in the Provinces
which had electricity . To date, among Asean countries, the Philippines has myriad moviehouses
established from the urban to the remotest rural areas.

The First Movie with Sound

The first picture with sound reached Manila in 1910, using the Chronophone. But, remember,
the silent movies were never shown in silence starting with the first show in 1897. There was
always a gramophone, a piano, or a quartet, or when Caviria was shown at the Manila Grand
Opera House– a 200 man choir.

By 1930, the talking pictures was already one year old in the country with the showing of
Syncopation, the first American sound film, in Radio theater, Plaza Santa Cruz. The event
naturally incited competition among local producers and filmmakers as to who would create
the country’s first talkie. On December 8, 1932, an article came out in Graphic magazine
featuring the movie, Ang Aswang (The Vampire). The feature enthused that the said film will be
the country’s first talkie. Apparently, as attested by those who remember, the film did not turn
out to be a completely sound film. In all likelihood, the honor of having made the very first
talkie properly belongs to Jose Nepomuceno. His Film Punyal na Guinto (Golden Dagger), which
premiered on March 9, 1933, at the Lyric theater, was credited as the first completely sound
movie to all-talking picture.
 Eight New Movie Houses in Manila
1. Ayala Malls The 30th Cinemas
Opened last January, Ayala Malls The 30th is the latest go-to place when in Pasig. Ayala
Malls The 30th Cinemas are located at Ayala Malls The 30th, Meralco Avenue, Ortigas
Center, Pasig.

2. Ayala Malls Vertis North

Ayala Malls Vertis North features the country’s largest movie screen and even private
skyboxes. Two other theaters have fully reclining seats with tables that make it easier to
eat while watching. Ayala Malls Vertis North Cinemas are located at 4/F Ayala Vertis
North, Mindanao Avenue corner North Avenue, Quezon City.

3. SM City East Ortigas Cinemas

SM City East Ortigas Cinemas are located at SM City East Ortigas, Ortigas Avenue
Extension, Sta. Lucia, Pasig.

4. Cinema ‘76
Cinema ’76 is located at 160 Luna Mencias St., Addition Hills, San Juan.

5. Uptown Cinemas
Uptown Cinemas are located at 4/F Uptown Place Mall, 36th Street corner 9th Avenue,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

6. Director’s Club Cinema (S Maison at Conrad Manila)

The Director’s Club Cinema can only accommodate 40 people per screening, making it
the perfect option for those who hate crowded and noisy movie theaters. All seats are
La-Z-Boys and you can adjust the leg rest, headrest, and lumbar settings to suit you
preference. Director’s Club is located at S Maison at Conrad Manila, Seaside Boulevard
corner Coral Way, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay

7. UP Town Center Cinemas

UP Town Center’s 4DX cinema has reclining seats that moves and tilts in time with
whatever is happening on the silver screen, giving the audience a more realistic and fun-
filled experience. The cinema also has some environmental effects so don’t be too
surprised if you suddenly feel a splash of water or if you smell something different in
your surroundings. UP Town Center Cinemas are located at 3/F Phase 2, UP Town
Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
8. SM Mall of Asia Cinemas 7 and 8
Mall of Asia’s Cinemas 7 and 8 are the mall’s latest, fully digitized additions to its
cinemas. They’re also what is being called the Cafe Cinema. If you’re wondering what
makes a Cafe Cinema different from your regular movie theaters, the Cafe Cinema has a
spacious lounge area where moviegoers can relax and eat a meal before catching a flick.

Aside from the Cafe Cinema concept, Cinemas 7 and 8 each have 153 seats (some of
them are stadium-type glide seats!) and are PWD-friendly!

SM Mall of Asia Cinemas 7 and 8 are located at 2/F, Entertainment Mall north side, SM
Mall of Asia, J. W. Diokno Boulevard, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay
SM CINEMA
SM Lifestyle Entertainment Incorporated or SMLEI is the lifestyle and entertainment solutions
company of SM Prime Holdings Inc. that offers the best in movies, events, and leisure. Starting
with SM Cinema, the largest cinema exhibitor in the country, as its sole marque, the company
grew into major entertainment brands.

Currently tucked under its belt are: SM Cinema, Director’s Club Cinema, IMAX Theatre, WM
Cinemas, XD: 4D Cinema, DX Laser Projection Cinema, Mall of Asia Arena, and Blink. SMLEI
complements its entertainment services as it ventures into leisure, food service, educational
brands and technology. Also under the SMLEI company are: SM Skating, SM Bowling and
Leisure Center, Exploreum, Snack Time, ePLUS, and SM Tickets.

SMLEI aims to promote bonding activities among Filipino families and friends, through
entertainment and leisure facilities, while advocating the ease of use and personalized service
created to complement the Filipino lifestyle.

Major Brands:

The pioneer brand of SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc., SM Cinema began in 1986 as

SM’s household brand for movie-watching. Now with 267 fully-digitized theatres in 48
branches nationwide, and three big brands under its name, SM Cinema is the country’s
leader in movie entertainment. Website: www.smcinema.com

SM Cinema

A recent acquire of SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. and under SM Cinema, WM Cinemas

operates in six branches in Luzon, equipped with fully digitized screens and projectors that
render clarity to both image and sound.

IMAX

Under the SM Cinema chain and open in eight branches nationwide, the IMAX is an
international franchise famous for its state-of-the-art projection system, earth-shattering
surrounds sound system, and crystal-clear lifelike images.
 Director’s Club Cinema

The intimate and deluxe choice for movie watching, Director’s Club Cinema offers the best in
comfort and style as it offers plush leather seats, butler service, and a menu created just for the
theatre’s guests.

GALLERY

IMAX

DIRECTOR’S CLUB
SM CINEMA
SOURCES:
 http://ncca.gov.ph/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/cinema/history-of-
philippine-cinema/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movie_theater#History
 http://www.acoustics.com/theater.asp
 http://smlei.ph/about-the-company/