Dream Theatre

Dream theatre envisions a unique environment where guests can have an interactive, special experience that they will want to share with friends; one that goes far beyond the prototypical cinema hall experience that has remained largely the same for almost a century. This new theatre format takes advantage of emerging neuroscience technology to allow a limited number of guests to be “plugged in” to the movie experience as characters. The brain-machine interface interacts with their brain through an induced dream state and neurological stimuli to “play” the movie in their minds in the perspective a particular character. The brain-machine interface also reads their neurological response signals to determine each individual’s reactions and decisions within the movie environment. Screenwriters would be challenged to create compelling plotlines that are adaptive and respond to the inputs from the dreamers. Each person’s unique input would influence the story being told from the perspective of others. Artificial Intelligence would be utilized to assist in the generation of diverging plotlines in this game-like environment.

Audience members would also have an interactive experience in that they would be able to choose from a variety of different plotlines playing out in the same theatre. The screens would alternate between displaying the overall plotline and the individual character’s experience of it. Viewers would have the choice to stay with one screen and one character for the entire film, or to move around to different perspectives via mobile theatre seating on an integrated track system. A single person could see the same feature several times and have an entirely different experience with a different outcome every time. Contactless refreshments would also be available via the track system, allowing audience members to order and receive movie concessions without needing to leave their seat.

The building is arranged with an entry lobby where guests can get their tickets, gather with a group if they are meeting others, and purchase refreshments before the entering the cinema. The concession area is also where theatre staff can load mobile refreshment tables during the film, which utilize the track system that connects through to the theatre via small, curtain-sealed openings. From the lobby, viewers proceed down a corridor to the theatre entrance, which is placed in the center of the theatre rather than at either end to enhance the sense of immersion upon entry. From there they select a viewing area for one of six screens, each displaying the individual stories of the dreamers. The dreamers themselves proceed to individual pods which are located at the center of the cinema hall. After the film, since each viewer could potentially have a separate experience than the rest of the audience, an outdoor lounge and refreshment area is provided at the exit of the theatre to encourage patrons to discuss and interact with others. In this way, Dream Theatre would provide a semi-private viewing experience while also generating a sense of connection and community not available in a home theatre environment. The shared experience would generate excitement and perhaps entice guests to return several times out of curiosity for how the film could have turned out differently, or what different perspectives of the storyline are like, or even how the film is experienced from the perspective of a character.

The cinema hall of tomorrow must evolve to provide a one-of-a-kind experience that cannot be had from the comfort of a living room. This would not be a theatre where just any film could be shown. The venue would be just one piece in a new entertainment ecosystem where screenwriting would have to be purpose-designed for this specific environment and technology, and where multiple outcomes would have to be conceived to anticipate the possibilities generated by dreamer choices. Filming, production, artificial intelligence, and advanced graphic engines would be integrated to generate a distinctive experience within a special environment, restoring the character and relevance that cinema halls once embodied.