D-BOX: Bringing movies to life through motion for 25 years

As moviegoers worldwide enthusiastically return to cinemas, premium theatrical options are increasingly in demand. Having spent nearly three years watching movies from home, consumers are craving an elevated experience only found in movie theaters!

Nikki Daniel, Marketing Manager, D-BOX

While more popular than ever, these enhanced formats that keep people coming back for more aren’t actually new. As a matter of fact, D-BOX—an immersive premium experience—is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year!

For nearly three decades, D-BOX has used haptic technology to bring movies to life through a unique combination of movement, vibration and texture hand-coded by haptic designers to synchronize perfectly with the onscreen action and sound. With over 65,000 haptic effects, movie-goers feel as if they are truly part of the movie, not just a passive observer. They can experience the action, excitement, thrills and drama first-hand, regardless of whether a movie features heavy duty explosions or superheroes swaying through the sky.

Based in Montreal, D-BOX launched its theatrical business on one screen in Los Angeles with the release of Fast and Furious in 2009. Fourteen years later, D-BOX has coded 2,500 films – including this year’s 10th installment of the Fast franchise – and are featured in over 500 theaters (820 screens) in 39 countries worldwide. This year alone over 60+ films will be coded more than any other premium format!

With 19,400 seats equipped globally, D-BOX is a leading supplier to top exhibitors including Cineplex (Canada), Cinemark USA, Cinemark International, Hoyts (Australia), Kinopolis (Germany), Cinesa and many more.

To ensure high-quality experiences, D-BOX’s haptic team works meticulously with film-makers and major studios, including Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Lionsgate and Studiocanal, as well as specialty companies like anime house Crunchyroll and various regional distributors in China, Germany, India, and more. Through these strategic and artistic partnerships and with the evolution of D-BOX’s technology, the haptic theatrical experience has comfortably exceeded initial expectations.

Started by a group of five individuals with a shared passion for music, D-BOX was named after ‘the box’ subwoofer speakers that the company first developed and commercialized. With clients such as Club Price (currently known as Costco) and other independents, the speaker’s launch was a clear success.

Inspired by the vibration created by the speakers’ bass when placed near a chair, the D-BOX team quickly set their sights on something bigger and bolder: cinema. To differentiate themselves and to avoid getting classified as just another speaker company, the D-BOX team realised this unique vibration and movement could add an extra dimension to the moviegoing experience.

They believed D-BOX technology could go beyond just entertaining the consumer, but also add a significant layer to the storytelling itself. Just as a movie’s audio track helps to immerse people in the film, they knew their haptics could add an additional layer or immersion when synchronised with the action.

While the box speaker funded their research and development, the team began to build the first cinema prototype out of deconstructed printers. After nearly four years of trial and error, they finally had their very first deliverable in 2000: a one-size-fits-all platform that slid under seats and provided motion, ready to enhance the theatrical experience.

Shortly after they finished the first platform, D-BOX decided to hit the Canadian stock market and went public with an IPO they hoped would allow them to develop and commercialize more products. Extremely successful, the IPO brought in a $40 million CAD, which the team used to continue to innovate and improve their product offering.

With the IPO funds in the bank, D-BOX was able to assemble an even larger creative team. Collectively, these minds developed products similar to the current generation of technology: a signature haptic system comprised of actuators and cables.

As with any technology startup, there were still obstacles to overcome. As we all know, content is king, and D-BOX needed to provide a proof-of-concept with an actual feature film. This led to creating haptic tracks for their first two movies: The Terminator and Lost in Space.

Knowing that coding content was going to be a key factor in convincing potential clients to partner with them, the D-BOX team hired a team of haptic designers,all with backgrounds in music. These new designers helped to code new titles and to ensure haptics were perfectly synchronised to effects, including film scores, soundtracks, and on screen action. This ensured the motion was extremely realistic during any type of applicable scene, from a heavy-duty car chase to the gentle sway of a boat sailing over calm seas.

Fully equipped with a functional prototype, sufficient funding, and an experienced coding team, D-BOX took on the biggest challenge in what is now its 25 years of experience: securing enough quality Hollywood films to provide exhibitor partners with D-BOX-enabled content for 52 weeks a year.

Having flown around the world to demonstrate the fresh prototype for prospective partners and having demonstrated their technology at trade shows, Universal Pictures provided the opportunity for which D-BOX avidly searched: the greenlight to code Fast and Furious in 2009 for that one screen in Los Angeles. As they say, the rest is history.

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With growing success, D-BOX refused to limit itself to the theatrical industry. A burning desire to become a greater hybrid model led to the company branching out into five other business sectors: sim racing, professional simulation and training, gaming, home entertainment and attractions.

With world renowned partners in every applicable business sector, including Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes AMG, the FIA, John Deere, The United States Military, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Cooler Master, and many more, D-BOX has established itself as a world leader in haptic technology. They have a global reputation for providing the most realistic motion experience for every project, whether for entertainment or professional training purposes.

The Canadian company even recently came full circle: in partnership with RSEAT and Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes AMG with D-BOX releasing a haptic platform that can be seamlessly placed under any seat, sofa, or sim racing rig to provide an immersive entertainment experience to anyone, anywhere.

The company that started with a haptic platform and one coded movie is now recognized worldwide for its precision, quality, and passion. D-BOX is proud to celebrate its 25th anniversary with an all-new, Mercedes-branded platform and the release of every global tentpole film this summer and beyond.

D-BOX has coded over 2,500 films

What has undoubtedly contributed to D-BOX’s success is its people with every single person who comes through the doors leaving a positive impact on the company, contributing to revolutionising entertainment through haptics. Every role, every task, and every project continues to help to move the world of entertainment forward. It is these contributions that have enabled D-BOX to transition from speaker to platform, from platform to actuator, and from cinema to five other industries. With this experience, expanded technology, and a lineup of exciting potential partners in all sectors, the next 25 years look just as bright as the first 25, so who knows where they’ll move next.