NATIONAL ADVERTISING. Guidelines & Specifications

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NATIONAL

ADVERTISING

Guidelines &

Specifications

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DELIVERY INFORMATION

3 CINEMA CREATIVE OVERVIEW

Best Practices, Aspect Ratio & Action Safe

4 MEDIA SPECS

5 AUDIO SPECS

6 Appendix A: Comprehensive Digital Media Specs

7 Appendix B: Common Media Rejection Issues

8 Appendix C: Content Guidelines

G/PG Ratings & LEN

9 PG13 Rating

10 R Rating

11 National Advertising

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D E L I V E R Y I N F O R M AT I O N

UPLOAD via Aspera FASPEX

TM

_{digital delivery}

Visit

http://adspecs.ncm.com/national-advertising/digitaldelivery

for

instructions.*

SHIP your media

A Master Clone Tape or other acceptable media format (listed on page 4

of this document) should be shipped to the following address(es) for

processing. If you are advertising on both the Digital and Film networks,

separate media must be shipped to BOTH locations.

FOR DIGITAL CONTRACTS

NATIONAL CINEMEDIA, LLC

ATTN: Judy Duke, National Accounts

9110 E. Nichols Avenue, Suite 200

Centennial, CO 80112-3405

(303) 792-8702

FOR NON-DIGITAL / FILM CONTRACTS

CINEMA CONCEPTS

ATTN: Teresa Dickey, National Accounts

2030 Powers Ferry Rd., SE, Suite 214

Atlanta, GA 30339

(770) 956-7460

NOTE: DVD-R and Hard Drives are NOT an option for Cinema Concepts.

Delivery questions?

Call Judy Duke at 303-792-8702 or visit

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C I N E M A C R E AT I V E O V E R V I E W

NCM is America’s largest cinema advertising network.

We provide national, regional and local brands access to over 700 million moviegoers. Planning and buying is easy at a one-stop-shop that delivers your ad in the FirstLook pre-show across the nation. Including the movies in your marketing plan has never been more efficient, consistent and turnkey.

The visual and audio elements of cinema offer you the ability to tell stories, entertain, engage, and educate your audience in ways that no other advertising medium can.

Our goal is to make the execution of your cinema campaign easy and painless. The high-quality video content that you produce for broadcast TV, social media sites and/or other digital signage mediums will likely work very well as-is in cinema. As other advertisers have found out, our environment offers a considerably higher level of engagement than most other traditional media. Because cinema offers this unique value proposition, we are confident your existing campaign strategy will work well in the form that you originally produced it.

BEST PRACTICES

• Produce in High Definition 1080p from capture to delivery: This will enhance color space, resolution, motion, and image quality while reducing artifacts. If you shot in film and are doing a Telecine transfer, transfer to 1080p @ 23.98/24 fps.

• Use contrast to make the visuals “pop”: Use of dark colored backgrounds and light colored text is best. Ambient light in the theater auditoriums tends to wash-out ads that are very light. Use thick, bold fonts rather than thin, script fonts.

• Avoid long panning shots: While 60fps (59.94) allows for a much better pan result than film or standard video, large pans are hard on the audience, especially when the spot is mastered at 24fps for digital cinema system playback. If your content originated in film, long pans will accentuate negative motion effects.

• Mix your audio for the cinema: Refer to the “AUDIO SPECS” (page 5) along with the corresponding AUDIO TRACK REQUIREMENTS and AUDIO TRACK RECOMMENDATIONS.

ASPECT RATIO & ACTION SAFE

All media must conform to the 16:9 aspect ratio in order to provide a seamless cinematic entertainment experience to the audience.

Images SHOULD fill the full frame, but DO NOT place chyron, copy or other essential elements outside the Action Safe margin. Elements that fall outside of the Action Safe margin may be cropped.

Note about Letterboxing SD content:

DO NOT extend essential elements or graphics over the upper and lower black bars. 16:9 Aspect Ratio

Action Safe (10%) Aspect Frame Size Action Safe

16:9 (HD) 1920 x 1080 1728 x 972 16:9 (HD) 1280 x 720 1152 x 648

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M E D I A S P E C S

File Type Resolution Frame Rate Video Codec _ChannelsAudio _{(uncompressed)}Audio Codec Sample/bit rate

.mov 1920 x 1080 _(1080p) _{(23.98 / 24)}23.976 MAC: Apple Pro Res 422 HQ

PC: Avid DNxHD* ** 5.1 + Lt/Rt

MAC: PCM (.aif)

PC: PCM (.wav) 48kHz/24-bit

See APPENDIX A for ALL acceptable digital file formats/specifications.

• *The Avid DNxHD Quicktime codec is available for free at http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/download/en423319

• **If video was shot and edited at 1080p, export your video using the 1080p/23.976 DNxHD (RGB 444) 360 10-bit preset. If this selection is not available, export your video using the 1080p/23.976 DNxHD 175 10-bit preset.

NOTES FOR DIGITAL FILES

1. Digital files DO NOT require color bars, slates, additional black, tones or 2-pop. However, if submitting more than one ad, a Title Slate is helpful. 2. Audio tracks are typically included as a complete file, but separate files are accepted.

3. Accepted physical media: Data DVD/CD, USB Thumb Drive, Portable Hard Drive (with cables and power supply as needed)

PREFERRED DIGITAL FILE SPEC

TAPE SPECS FRAME SIZE (Resolution) FRAME RATE (fps) AUDIO

Type 1080p 1080i 720p 480p 480i 23.98 29.97 59.94

H D

HD-D5

•

Audio Quality: PCM .wav or .aif

Sample Rate/Size: 48 kHz/24-bit (44.1kHz/16-bit accepted)

Channels: Discrete 5.1 and/or Lt/Rt (Stereo accepted) HDCAM SR

•

HDCAM

•

HDV

•

S D DigiBeta

• •

•

NOTES FOR TAPES:

* 5.1 discrete audio can be provided on the tape or on a separate disc in 48kHz, 24-bit .wav or .aif. , as long as there is a 2-pop video sync on the provided tape. ** SD formats may be 16:9 anamorphic (preferred), Letterboxed (preferred), or Full Frame 4:3 raster.

- Anamorphic 16:9 techniques in SD capture and post production supports 80 extra lines of resolution which can be helpful in creating a better quality spot. - Full frame 4:3 will be subject to cropping and/or stretching.

All tapes must contain :30 of color bars before spots play, 1kHz tone, 2-POP sync point, spot slate, and :02 of video black before & after each spot.

PLEASE NOTE:

All media will be converted for playback in the theatre environment by NCM’s expert staff using state-of-the-art production tools. NCM’s conversion process minimizes unwanted artifacts or interlaced video fields which often occur with software NLE up-conversion methods.

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A U D I O S P E C S

Discrete

5.1 Channel*

*Down-mixes to LT/RT in theater environment Best Quality

Providing discrete channels allows for better control over the audio. Channel Designations:

1=Left, 2=Right, 3=Center, 4=LFE (sub), 5=L-Surround, 6=R-Surround (Optional but preferred: 7=Lt, 8=Rt)

If you have ONLY 5.1 discrete audio (and not Lt/Rt) please provide. If you cannot provide a 5.1 mix on tape or as a digital file please submit as individual mono 48 kHz .wav files on disc, but clearly identify each file as to the channel it represents (i.e. L,R,C,LFE,Ls,Rs)

Dolby Pro Logic

LT/RT

Very Good

Consists of 2 channel audio encoded with Dolby Pro Logic. This audio will provide both Left total (Lt) and Right total (Rt) sound channels, and decode into Left, Center, Right and Mono Surround on the fly.

Stereo

Good Consists of 2 channel discrete audio. If submitting for a 5.1 live event, the content must be converted or up-mixed to surround. Stereo sound may not enable all speakers in the theater.

Dual Mono

Poor

DO NOT USE!

Dual Mono is often confused with stereo, but in fact it is the same signal in both left and right channels, caused from not panning tracks prior to export. Mono will only come out of the center channel speaker. Either will result in low quality playback in the cinema and may be rejected.

Mono

Note: NCM does not require a Dolby® certified mix in any case.

AUDIO FILE FORMATS

Format: PCM .wav or .aif (preferred) / .mp3 (accepted) Sample Rate: 48 kHz (preferred) / 44.1 kHz (accepted) Sample Size: 24-bit (preferred) / 16-bit (accepted)

Channels: Discrete 5.1 and Lt/Rt (preferred) / Stereo (accepted)

AUDIO TRACK REQUIREMENTS

There must be some form of audio on every ad - it cannot be silent.

Any client/agency providing audio tracks must have appropriate distribution, sync and/or licensing rights and must be able to provide documentation to that end.

AUDIO RECOMMENDATIONS

• Provide 5.1 discrete audio as well as an Lt/Rt mix.

• When mixing Lt/Rt, it is recommended that you boost the surround channels an additional 4dB in order to fill out the surround channels better in the large environment.

• Many auditorium subwoofers are set up on crossovers of 120Hz or lower so take that into consideration when setting up your bass management.

• Final playback in the auditorium will be 75-78 dBc average on an SPL meter. NCM recommends using this as a guide when mixing your audio.

• NCM prefers content that does not exceed -10 dBFS peaks. If using an LKFS meter it should not exceed -24 LKFS. The VO track should start no sooner than :01 and end no later than :01 before the end of the spot to avoid clipping. All audio tracks are subject to quality and content review.

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A P P E N D I X A :

Comprehensive Digital Media Specs

VI

D

E

O

File Format Frame Size (Resolution) Frame Rate Video Codec .mov .avi .mp4* 2K Flat (1998 x 1080) 2K Full Container (2048 x 1080) 2K Scope (2048 x 858) (2048 x 854) 1080p (1920 x 1080) HDV (1440 x 1080) 720p (1280 x 720) SD (720 x 486) (720 x 480) SD Widescreen (720 x 404) (720 x 405) (720 x 406) 23.976 23.98 24 29.97 30 59.94 60 Animation Apple Animation Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) Apple ProRes 422 (LT) Apple ProRes 422 Apple ProRes 4444 AVC Coding AVdn Avid DNxHD DVCPro HD 1080i/60 DVCPro HD 1080p/30 DVCPro HD 720p/60 H.264* HDV 1080i60 HDV 1080p30 HDV 720p30 HDV 720p60 Sony XDCAM Uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2 Uncompressed 10-bit Uncompressed 8-bit 4:2:2 Uncompressed 8-bit None V210

WRAW YUV422

AUD

IO

File Format Channels Compression Sample Rate Sample Size

.aif .wav .mp3 5.1 + Lt/Rt 5.1 Lt/Rt Stereo

PCM (Uncompressed) 48 kHz _{44.1 kHz} 24-bit _16-bit

The following list is intended for use when submitting a completed ad or video assets. See Page 4 of this document for the ideal spec. ANY formats NOT listed below will be rejected.

All files are subject to review and may be flagged/rejected for issues beyond basic file format. The FirstLook pre-show is shown in a 16:9 aspect ratio. Any video formats not using a 16:9 aspect ratio will be minimally stretched and/or cropped.

* Must be rendered using the Highest Quality setting and should be rendered at a CONSTANT bit rate. Failing to do so may require NCM to reject the content.

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A P P E N D I X B :

Common Media Rejection Issues

P R O B L E M S O L U T I O N M E D IA

Unsupported Digital Media

Supply media per NCM specs See Appendix A

Unsupported Physical Media

- Tapes and other physical media must match those listed on NCM specs sheet.

- Player DVD’s are not accepted due to high compression / low quality

VI

D

EO

Pillarboxed Video Placing a 4:3 aspect ratio file within a 16:9 aspect ratio Frame

Action Safe

Critical elements like logos and text outside of the Action Safe frame will likely be cropped by the theater screen masking

Place all critical elements like logos and text within the Action Safe frame to avoid cropping.

See p. 3 of this document for more info.

Review and reformat your media per NCM media specifications found on p. 4 of this document.

- Re-render - Re-edit

- Check Video Signal & Equipment - Check Time Code

- Check Frame Rate

A

U

D

IO

Audio Drop Out - Check Audio Signal and/or tape for damage _{- Provide audio files per NCM Audio Specs and Appendix A}

No Audio NCM will add stock music unless directed otherwise.

Audio Levels NCM does not have a loudness measurement requirement, _{however, we prefer content that does not exceed –10 dBFS.}

C

O

NT

E

NT Content Violations

Some content may rating restricted but occasionally some content is not permissible and will result in a Rejection.

Review Appendix C: NCM Content Guidelines

Pillarboxed Video (not accepted)

Logo

Text and critical visual elements cannot extend beyond the Action Safe zone.

Action Safe (10%)

SD

720x480 full frame 4:3

aspect ratio, not reduced in size

SD Letterboxed 720x480 full frame, 720x406 cropped video HD Full Frame 16:9 aspect ratio

Interlaced Video Digital Video Hit

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A P P E N D I X C :

“G/PG” RATINGS and LEN CONTENT GUIDELINES

Signifies that the film rated contains nothing most parents will consider offensive for even their youngest children to see or hear.

PROHIBITED SUBJECT MATTER: TONALITY AND TEXTURE:

Adult-oriented subject matter. Any stylistic approach that presents a dark, threatening, scary, aggressive or alarming style may be deemed inappropriate for G-rated audiences.

VIOLENCE:

Realistic or excessive violence, brutality or scary imagery including, but not limited to: • Blood, wounds, torture, dismemberment, mutations, mutilations, cadavers

• People in jeopardy, being abused, punched, beaten, bound or gagged, references to the death of a child and/or parent, cruelty to animals

• Disturbing or frightening scenes, depictions of violence, excessive gunfire and weapons, guns pointed directly at on-screen characters or the audience, people set in explosions

WEAPONS:

Children or youth handling weapons, including, but not limited to guns, knives, hatchets, toy weapons that are realistic in nature. SEXUALITY:

Sexuality, sensuality, nudity, references to rape, molestation, black bars or mechanisms used to conceal inappropriate images for all audiences. Sexual slang, display or discussion of sexual acts or sexual diseases, mention or visuals of birth control methods LANGUAGE:

Offensive gestures, language (including mouthing of), profanity, use of sound bleeps, sacrilegious language referring to religious figures i.e., “Jesus Christ”, “God Damn”, etc., reference to bodily functions

GENERAL:

• No shock advertising

• Illegal activity, alcohol, tobacco and/or drug usage, gambling

• Demeaning references or depictions relating to gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, ethnicity, national origin, physical or mental handicaps

• Religious advertising, with the exception of local places of worship that can exhibit service times and location, as well as displaying a 3rd party pass-through logo

• Movie Release DVD’s and Video-On-Demand until 3 months after movie release date

• Use of MPAA Green Banner or similar reproductions without the written and signed consent of approval from the MPAA for the use thereof

• MPAA Red Band Movie Trailers are strictly prohibited

• Promoting theatres, or other entities that are competitive with circuits or would violate any circuit beverage agreements or exclusive contractual relationships

• Anything that can be perceived as a negative experience relating to any movie theater circuit or adversely affects attendance in the view of NCM’s movie theater circuits reasonable discretion

• 3rd party advertising pass-through that has not been pre-approved

Ads promoting a movie with a specific rating will only be shown to audiences of the same rated movie (or higher) or one rating below PROMOTIONAL TAGS:

Promoting dates and times is acceptable, with the exception of “Friday” and/or “Saturday” spelled out. An acceptable usage for promoting dates and times is “Coming September 12th at 5pm on [insert call name]” or “Coming Tuesdays on [insert call name]” APPROVAL PROCESS:

If your creative has content that you feel is questionable for all audiences, or the rating specific to your contract, please bring it to our attention early on in the creative process, so we can review and provide feedback. You may send storyboards, a rough cut, or even a storyline concept for advanced review. A member of NCM’s approval committee will notify you immediately with any questions or concerns.

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A P P E N D I X C :

“PG13” RATING CONTENT GUIDELINES

Parents Strongly Cautioned -- rough or persistent violence and/or sexually-oriented dialogue or nudity is prohibited; limited showing of drug use and/or minimal use of sexually-oriented dialogue may be allowed.

PROHIBITED SUBJECT MATTER: TONALITY AND TEXTURE:

Adult-oriented subject matter. VIOLENCE:

Depictions of strong violence and brutality including, but not limited to:

• Gratuitous images of blood, dismemberment, mutations, mutilations including cadavers • People in jeopardy, being abused, tortured, beaten, bound, burned or gagged

• Disturbing and/or intensely frightening scenes or images, depictions of rape and molestation, animal abuse, promoting usage of weapons and firearms

SEXUALITY:

Nudity, explicit sexuality, sensuality, nudity, references to rape, molestation, Sexual slang, display or discussion of sexual acts, positions, practices, diseases, birth control methods in any form

LANGUAGE:

Offensive gestures, language (including mouthing of), profanity, use of sound bleeps, sacrilegious language referring to religious figures i.e., “Jesus Christ”, “God Damn”, etc., excessive references to bodily functions

GENERAL:

• Minors participating in illegal activity, using alcohol, drugs, gambling, sexual situations

• 3rd party advertising pass-through that has not been pre-approved PROMOTIONAL TAGS:

If your creative has content that you feel is questionable for “PG13” audiences, or the rating specific to your contract, please bring it to our attention early on in the creative process, so we can review and provide feedback. You may send storyboards, a rough cut, or even a storyline concept for advanced review. A member of NCM’s approval committee will notify you immediately with any questions or concerns.

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A P P E N D I X C :

“R” RATING CONTENT GUIDELINES

An “R” rating may be assigned due to a film’s use of language, adult themes, violence, sensuality, portrayal of drug use, amongst other things.

PROHIBITED SUBJECT MATTER: VIOLENCE:

Extreme graphic gore, excessively strong and gruesome violence SEXUALITY:

Excessive use of explicit sexual content, language and/or profanity GENERAL:

• 3rd party advertising pass-through that has not been pre-approved PROMOTIONAL TAGS:

If your creative has content that you feel is questionable for “R” audiences, or the rating specific to your contract, please bring it to our attention early on in the creative process, so we can review and provide feedback. You may send storyboards, a rough cut, or even a storyline concept for advanced review. A member of NCM’s approval committee will notify you immediately with any questions or concerns.