Articles by Sam Cavitt

Sam is the founder and CEO of Paradise Theater, a company that provides comprehensive private cinema design, engineering, and project management. Sam focuses his efforts on maintaining the highest standard of excellence and sharing the pleasures of fine private cinema with the industry and the world. Sam also spearheads Cinema Connoisseur, the name of our blog but more importantly, an initiative to build a community of enthusiasts - “cinema connoisseurs” - both professional and public to embrace and enhance the world of private cinema and film.

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Luxury Week: Are You Experienced in Selling Luxury Private Cinema?

The process of selling true luxury home theaters is not the same as sales in any other market. My friend, Tim Sinnaeve, director of Barco Residential, has a way with words. He also has a passion for private cinema and luxury experiences in general. We share a quest to express both those passions to others…

Left to right: Noah Jupe plays Marcus Abbott and John Krasinski plays Lee Abbott in A QUIET PLACE, from Paramount Pictures.

Panel Discussion: The Importance of Sound in Movies like A Quiet Place

In the Cinema Sommelier review of the inaugural issue of The Cinema Connoisseur, we feature the 2018 hit movie, A Quiet Place starring John Krasinski and Emily Blunt. The film is very unique in the way it uses sound, or the lack of sound, to enhance the fear factor. This film truly showcases the importance of sound in movies. It…

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Building the Best Team

When founding Paradise Theater, my vision was to do it all. After all, I had been in the building industry, an integrator, a designer, and one of the first private cinema designers. I was one of the best and with absolute control of every detail, I would assure absolute quality for every client. My wife,…

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So, How Is the Home Theater Business?

Good is the enemy of great.”  This quote by Jim Collins, author of Good to Great sums up the state of the home theater industry.  That’s why I almost titled my article “Doing well, could be better!”  To repurpose another Collins quote, That is why we have proportionally so few great home theaters, because we have a lot of…

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Romancing the Cinema

The movies change us. When we are transported, as good movies will do, to another place and time, even into another person’s life, we are beguiled and can’t think of anything else.  When we share that experience with friends and family it is even better.  What other experience can do that? It is rare. In…

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Building A Private Cinema Community

I like movie analogies. They usually involve memorable movie quotes that are central to a film’s theme or plot.  Magic moments from the art form that is all about such moments. Analogies are all about emphasizing a point. So, if I want to make a point, what better source than the movies? The art form…

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A Residential Cinema Renaissance

Renaissance can refer to many things.  European history between the 14th and 17th centuries, a reawakening of something that has been dormant or a period of new growth or activity, usually referencing a specific item or interest.  The latter is my hope for private cinema.  Either way, a renaissance is preceded by provocative events.  The 14th century renaissance,…

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Planning in the Pursuit of Perfection

Johann Sebastian Bach was the master of the technique “theme and variation”.  His compositions initiating with a simple “hook” that he would repeat with subtle differences throughout a composition.  These variations maintained the listeners’ attention throughout, as Bach explored the theme and succeeded in getting his musical idea across.  Much more effective than just repeating…

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Quality Content is the ‘Fine Wine’ of Private Cinema

In 1992 Bruce Springsteen released a song titled 57 Channels (And Nothin’ On).  Who knew just how foretelling that would be?  Now, when we could all use some compelling and fulfilling diversion, we find ourselves in front of on-screen menus offering many times 57 choices and, arguably, still nothin’ on!  Not only that, there is nowhere…

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Home Theater in the Spotlight

A recurring theme of my ramblings has been some version of “what can we in the private cinema industry do to attract the attention of the public?”  Oh sure, everyone knows about home theater in one form or another, but how can we get the message out about what we really offer?  Well, it seems…