Cinema: Cityscoop in Belgium
At Cityscoop, in Roeselare Belgium, a visit to the cinema is not only about the latest films, but also about ultimate comfort and efficiency. Thanks to advanced technologies, the system cleverly adapts to visitors’ needs. For example, the climate and lighting are automatically optimised to provide an ideal viewing experience, while minimising energy consumption.
We were looking for a system that could automate our building while keeping the current situation usable. We were looking for a system that could reduce our operations and one that was also easy for our employees to understand.
Automation within cinema extends from welcoming the visitor to creating the perfect atmosphere in the screen auditorium. This makes every movie visit an effortless and comfortable experience, without the visitor having to worry about inconveniences such as too bright lighting or a room that is too hot. The result? A fully automated cinema that not only offers a pleasant experience, but also uses energy sustainably. This great project was realised thanks to Loxone Partner Q-Home.
Cinema automation explained step-by-step
Step 1: Cinema goers arrive
When customers arrive, they buy a ticket at the pay machines. When many visitors are expected, several payment terminals are automatically switched on. With fewer visitors, some payment terminals are switched off again. Upon payment, visitors receive their ticket.
Step 2: Scan ticket
Ticket scanning is integrated into the Loxone solution. As soon as a ticket is scanned for access to the screen, it is forwarded to the system. This is also visualised in the Loxone App at ‘places scanned’. As soon as it says 1 here, i.e. one person has scanned their ticket, the relevant room is automatically prepared. pre-heating or cooling is switched off and the occupancy heating or cooling is activated. Furthermore, the lighting adjusts itself to an appropriate lighting mood, adjusting the spotlights, lamps, letter lights and the pendants at the back of the hall. When no tickets are scanned for a screen, it is automatically switched off after a while.
Previously, an employee had to manually switch on and off each lamp in each room, today this is all automatically taken care of.
Step 3: Watch the movie
While watching the film, the auditorium takes care of everything by itself. The right temperature is maintained and the lights dim at the start of the film.
Step 4: End of the film
The projection box signals to the Loxone system that it has finished playing the film, that the credits have started and that the outro can begin. Again, the venue responds fully automatically by gently turning on the lights, turning up the music, etc.
Step 5: Cinema closed
When the cinema is closing and all of the screens movies are finished. The booths are turned off, lighting and heating or cooling switch off to save energy – ready to go the next day.
Everything at a glance
Info on the movie event
For the cinema owner, everything is very much simplified with all information being available centrally in the Loxone App. For instance, the film status per venue is tracked as well as age rating, film, director, genre, venue status, number of available seats and number of seats sold. They use this in a dashboard for staff, so they can also easily have all the information they need in view. Afterwards, these statistics are used to see which venue and which films are the most successful, all thanks to Loxone.
Energy metering
Everything that is controlled is measured and is controlled depending on those measurements. The owner can see the consumption per room. It is also very handy to be able to see per room how much each cinema cabinet consumes, which is almost 3 kW. All of this information was not previously available to the owner. This helps them think about replacing certain appliances or making business cases. Insights into energy consumption are thus enabled by accurate measurement of each room, from lighting to projectors. This ensures optimisation of energy management, with surpluses being used efficiently to switch on HVAC systems, for example. Of course, all this is also possible thanks to solar panel integration.
Bespoke lighting
Room lighting is automatically adjusted based on film requirements and visitor attendance. In addition, the central control ensures that both indoor and outdoor lighting adjusts according to opening hours. In Cityscoop, the lighting adjusts according to four phases: ‘cinema open’, ‘film in progress’, ‘film done’ and ‘film outro’. For those who like to step in with control, it is possible to control the lighting manually, this can be done in parallel via the old buttons.
Climate control for comfort and efficiency
The heating system operates according to the occupancy rate of the screens with comfort always being the priority. A link between Siemens Synco and Loxone provides integrated climate control. Moreover, ventilation is matched to projector activity to prevent overheating.
Life cycle-based optimisation
Perhaps most impressive of all is how Cityscoop understands the lifecycle of a movie goer to make predictions. This helps increase comfort and reduce energy consumption. Every aspect of the cinema, from lighting to climate, is thus automatically tailored to the needs of visitors.
The most challenging thing in this project was that it is an existing building, an existing situation. Everything has to work in parallel, including the old control buttons. The goal was and remains to automate everything so that the whole cinema operates as autonomously as possible with minimal staff adjustments.
Future plans
Currently, there is still not much audio integration. This will soon change though however through the likes of integrating waiting music in the corridors. Furthermore, the back entrance will be automated using an NFC Code Touch and NFC key fobs. This will further optimise everything for staff.
Take a look inside Cityscoop
Interested in Loxone?
Whether you want Loxone installed or you want to start offering your customers Loxone, speak to us about making that happen.