Final Report: A Roadmap for Giant Screen Research: Results of the Setting the Agenda for Giant Screen Research Workshop

This report is a product of the Setting the Agenda for Giant Screen Research Workshop held October 18, 2013 in Albuquerque, NM, which grew out of many years of discussions about the potential of the giant screen (GS) format to educate, engage and entertain, and in response to the multiple calls for research on GS films. Over the course of one day, invited participant thought leaders representing GS filmmakers, marketers, exhibitors and distributors joined with immersive practitioners and academic researchers to identify the key research questions for a GS research agenda. However, as the term “agenda” suggests a concrete research focus, we have decided to rename the outcome of the Workshop to A Roadmap for Giant Screen Research. This simple change of name recognizes that: (1) As an outcome of the Workshop, this report is a fluid, living document that should be aligned to the needs of the community, rather than driving the community needs. (2) This report is not a synthesis or final accounting of what should be done, but a “report out” of the day’s events that speaks to the need for giant screen research. (3) It was beyond the scope of this grant to set the agenda for research—rather, the goal of the Workshop was to redress the lack of research by generating the community focus needed to catalyze the establishment of a GS research program.