Absolute Cinema at University of Sunderland

The Solution

The refurbishment was a collaborative effort, working alongside International Broadcast Consultancy Ltd & Design AV Europe Ltd, led by Damian Orritt and David Girdlestone, who played an integral role in delivering this project. The core of the cinema’s new visual setup is built around the Christie CP4415-RGB 4K DLP Cinema Projector which ensures crisp, vibrant images. The projector is paired with high-performance components, such as a Dolby IMS3000 media server, ensuring flawless playback of high-resolution content. This advanced setup guarantees an exceptional visual experience, with precision in both colour reproduction and image clarity. 

To match the projector's output, the cinema features a 8m wide 16:9 Matt Micro-Perforated Screen with full masking capabilities. The screen is designed to maintain both high visual fidelity and audio transparency, ensuring that sound from the speakers, placed behind the screen, reaches the audience without distortion. This system allows the screen to dynamically adjust for different content formats, ensuring that all films and presentations are displayed at the proper aspect ratio. A standout feature of the refurbishment is the Dolby Atmos audio system, providing a 360-degree surround sound experience. 

The audio system, driven by a Dolby CP950A Processor, features a combination of powerful line array speakers and subwoofers for deep bass, as well as wall and ceiling-mounted surround speakers for immersive sound. Paired with Powersoft Quattrocanali amplifiers and a QSC Q-Sys Core DSP, this system delivers high-impact, cinema-grade audio that enhances the audience's experience. The entire AV system is centrally managed through a Crestron CP4N processor, allowing operators to control everything from projection to audio and lighting with ease. The Crestron TSW-1070 touch panel provides a user-friendly interface for real-time adjustments, ensuring the system is flexible and adaptable to various events or content formats. This intuitive control system simplifies the operation of the complex AV setup, allowing seamless transitions between different setups, content types, and lighting configurations. In addition to the full 4K DCI, Dolby Atmos specification the space can also be used to support non DCI content from a range of sources including 4K Blu-ray, Mac Mini and Blackmagic Design Ultra Studio 4K.

Feedback

“The transformation is truly remarkable, and the end result is nothing short of exceptional. The new Dolby Atmos certainly enhances the experience, and I can say the finished product exceeds all expectations.”  
Shayne Swan - Head of Estates Development at University of Sunderland

“The significant upgrading of our cinema represents a vital investment in our industry-leading facilities and students will benefit immensely from working in such a place. It also demonstrates our commitment to a professions-facing curriculum which is an excellent preparation for graduate life beyond university. In time, our cinema will also become a great resource for local businesses, community organisations and residents.”  
Sir David Bell - Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive at University of Sunderland

"This project perfectly demonstrates the power of teamwork and advanced technology in transforming a vision into reality. The attention to detail across every phase has resulted in a cinema that truly exceeds expectations and we look forward to working with Damian and David on future projects."  
Craig Pickard - Director of Projects and Innovations at Roche AV Pro

"IBC are delighted to have been selected to work in partnership with Roche AV to design and implement a flagship project which will grow the Universities capacity to engage with the Film Industry via the planned Fulwell 73 Film studios, the local community via BFI film festivals and screenings of blockbuster films to commercial cinema standards, and allow for students to show their productions to very exacting DCI and Dolby Atmos accredited standards - these stringent standards ensure that digital movies are presented with unparalleled quality and consistency across theatres equipped with cutting-edge digital and LED projection systems."
David Girdlestone - Managing Director, International Broadcast Consultancy Ltd

‘What a transformation! As soon as I first saw the space, which was then a tired video room, the thought of implementing a full 4K cinema system paired with Dolby ATMOS sound was exciting but being immersed in the final solution is absolutely sensational. It shows how truly amazing a cinema room can be and Design AV are proud to feature a flagship of this technology.’
Damian Orritt - Design AV Europe Project Manager

Conclusion

The David Puttnam Media Centre now stands as a beacon of innovation at the University of Sunderland, supporting courses such as Film Production and Screen Performance, which rely heavily on professional-grade facilities to prepare students for careers in the media and entertainment industries. With enhancing student experience at the heart of this investment, the cinema will become an integral part of the experience enjoyed by future filmmakers and producers studying at the University – from screenings and lectures, to premiering students’ work. Lee Hall, Head of School of Media and Creative Industries at the University, concluded: 

“The Media Centre cinema is an amazing resource for our students, who can experience film and their own content in a stunning environment. We’re extremely grateful to Film Hub North for supporting our ambition for the cinema to also become a community space. The cinema can play host to screenings and add to Sunderland’s vibrancy. We have big plans to show films celebrating the north-east and regional talent as well as everyone’s favourite films."

First Public Screening

In January 2025, the cinema is screening its first film to the public - audiences will be able to watch Napoleonic war epic The Duellists (1977), directed by Ridley Scott and produced by the University’s former Chancellor Lord David Puttnam. The film, which kicks off Ridley Scott Season, is being shown as part of the Film Hub North screening programme. The University has received funding from Film Hub North as part of their Spotlight Sunderland campaign. This will support a series of public screenings at the relaunched venue to celebrate independent cinema, north-east filmmakers, and the wider region.

Huttson Lo, Partnership Manager at Film Hub North, said: 

“We are delighted to be partnering with the University of Sunderland to offer a new cinematic experience to the people of Sunderland, and to highlight the breadth and depth of north-east filmmaking, past, present and future. We look forward to helping the University to build audiences and to nurture future film talents through inspiring programming and innovative screen content.”

Lee Hall, Head of the School of Media and Creative Industries at the University of Sunderland, added: 

“Our new screening programme is an opportunity to demystify independent cinema and introduce audiences to brilliant films that may not be on their watchlist – as well as some more familiar titles. Sometimes people think of independent films as inaccessible and ‘not for them’, but with the help of Film Hub North, we have a brilliant line up of movies people will love. We hope people come along and discover our wonderful cinema and fantastic films.”

World Obesity Day

To mark World Obesity Day (March 4), Academics from the University of Sunderland are inviting both students and members of the public to explore the issue of weight stigma and the power of film to challenge perceptions in an innovative research collaboration. Professor Yitka Graham, Head of the Helen McArdle Nursing and Research Institute, and Lee Hall, Head of the School of Media and Creative Industries (both pictured below), will host a free screening of The Whale (2022) where they will explore and challenge the film’s themes around obesity stigma. The film stars Brendan Fraser who won Best Actor at the 2023 Oscars for his portrayal of an English Professor living with obesity.

Prof Graham said: “Society values a thin or normal size body shape, and this is deeply ingrained into societal discourse.  Excess weight is often blamed on the individual when in fact the reasons for this are complex and multifactorial. Biological, genetic, environmental and economic factors are just some of the reasons at play.  Weight loss cannot often be achieved by eating less and burning more calories - this is an outdated and superficial way of thinking. As a result, people living with obesity are often subject to stigma, which often results in social isolation, poor quality of life and these can prevent people living with obesity from sources of support and help seeking. Many people living with stigma do not want to speak out for fear of judgement and scrutiny.”

The event is the first in a series of public screenings aimed at exploring the role of filmmaking in challenging and sometimes reinforcing stigma. 

Lee said: “Film has a power to influence audiences and humanise complex issues. It can provoke empathy and is a powerful tool in the hands of filmmakers. Cinema can dismantle harmful views but there is also the risk of sensationalising and marginalise misunderstood communities. The purpose of our screening programme is to give audiences pause for thought and it is also an opportunity for us to understand the impact of film, which will of course be personal to the individuals in the audience.”

This screening was funded by Film Hub North as part of a wider programme which opens up the University’s state-of-the-art cinema to people in the city.

(Photography: David Wood, Irfan Ul Haq & Shayne Swan at University of Sunderland and Design AV Europe)