Alumnus Christian Lee Offers New Audio App for Outdoor Movies
After the pandemic shut down movie theaters and slowed business for his film company in Singapore, Christian Lee (B.A., history, ’90) co-invented a new way for fans to enjoy films on the big screen.
Lee and his partner at Singapore-based BananaMana Films, Jason Chan, developed Cinewav, a patented technology that makes it easy for event organizers to set up pop-up cinemas without expensive speaker systems.
Since then, Cinewav has allowed event organizers to show movies around the world — on the observation deck of a 56-story luxury hotel and in a migrant neighborhood in Singapore, in a gymnasium in Italy, and on a beach in South Africa — using only a projector, a screen, an internet connection and a laptop.
Viewers download the app on their phone, buy their ticket via the app, and listen to cinema-quality audio with their own earbuds in exact sync to the picture.
Noise- and echo-free outdoor movies
Lee likened the product to “Netflix plus Eventbrite meets Pop-up Cinema,” and said it could be used to show movies in a variety of environments, from shopping malls to campgrounds, without creating noise pollution.
He and Chan learned of the difficulties in syncing audio for large events while screening their 2017 feature film, Jimami Tofu, outdoors at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
With audiences exceeding 2,000 people, sound reaches the back of a venue later than the picture, he said. “You have to have an array of speakers that speed up the audio for the back, but that causes a bit of an echo. We said there's got to be a way to fix this.”
Patented technology
The duo put together a team of engineers and developed the app after coming up with the idea. Last summer, they were issued a U.S. patent.
Cinewav offers a library of previously released movies from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, 20th Century Studios, Sony, Fox Network Group, as well as international films. With movies that have been dubbed in other languages, Cinewav viewers can switch from one to another with a tap even as the movie runs.
According to Lee, the technology makes it easy for grassroots organizations to show movies for fundraisers with little equipment, staff or know-how, while giving independent producers like him broader reach for their movies.
A sky-high assist from David Beckham
Last summer in Singapore, he and Chan screened several films atop the 56-stories-tall Marina Bay Sands hotel overlooking the city’s skyline.
For the “Movies in the Sky” series, Lee and his company placed Cinewav’s logo onto the back of the reclining floor sofas. That led to a publicity boost from former English soccer star David Beckham, who attended a showing of Free Guy. Beckham posted a photo on Instagram and tagged lead actor Ryan Reynolds, prompting a brief exchange between the two friends.
Applications beyond cinema
Other uses for Cinewav include fireworks displays, drone light shows, walking tours and other immersive events synced to music, narration and other audio recordings.
Cinewav is the audio partner for Australia’s Vivid Sydney Light Festival, one of the biggest light and music festivals in the world. In 2022, audiences listened to audio using Cinewav while enjoying the 3D projection mapping experience on iconic downtown Sydney buildings and watching drone shows.
“Last year’s Paramount+ drone show was so successful, with over 3,000 people connecting to Cinewav for the audio, that this year’s festival will feature 10 3D projection mapping experiences, seven drone shows and six audio walking tours with a life audio presentation on the opening night — all using Cinewav,” Lee said.
The company is also working with Sentosa Development Corporation at their Fort Siloso museum in Singapore, a former British military outpost, on an immersive audio experience of World War II battles against invading Japanese forces.
Lee, who went by first name Joel growing up in Davis and while attending UC Davis, returned to his hometown this winter to visit relatives and his alma mater. During his trip, he contacted Student Housing and Dining Services and the Cal Aggie Alumni Association about a possible Cinewav movie screening this spring. “If there's a way to do a screening for the students and faculty, I would love to offer that to my alma mater.”