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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » AMC StoneBriar 24 Equipment (Page 3)

 
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Author Topic: AMC StoneBriar 24 Equipment
Pat Moore
Master Film Handler

Posts: 363

Registered: Mar 2000

- posted 08-04-2000 03:12 AM      Profile for Pat Moore   Email Pat Moore   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Oops -- found me again.
Actually, there has been a project to redo this area of the soundhead. It was part of a project to make a single hybrid of the Simplex and Century designs. Too many things and too little time so though it's not a dead project, it's not one we are jumping all over either, to be honest.
I have talked with our engineering guys and we'll visit this again when I get back to Omaha. I don't think it should be too difficult to make this a tight-loop system.
That said, is that G1985 roller that hard to clean? I've heard of occasional claims of film damage but let's also remember there are >25,000 of these things out there.
I'll let you know in a few days on this -- or if I don't, throw me a gentle reminder, okay?

Pat

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Jason Burroughs
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 654
From: Allen, TX
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 08-04-2000 10:53 AM      Profile for Jason Burroughs   Email Jason Burroughs   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I can always tell when a film has been run through a Simplex soundhead. It has a skidmark down the center of the image throughout the entire movie. Its not that its hard to clean, but with the popcorn projectionists out there, they DON'T get cleaned. Plus the flat spot factor that Brad mentioned. Other than that its a darn good soundhead

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

- posted 08-04-2000 04:42 PM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
I have found when cleaning up older prints that I can tell if it was ran through a Simplex soundhead (or an SH-1000 or any soundhead with that idler roller on it) because generally after a single pass of cleaning, there is a nice clean edge (projected right side) of the picture and the middle of it still is crudded up with embedded dirt into the emulsion, coincidentally always exactly the same width as that idler roller. It always takes many, many cleanings to get that embedded dirt out.

Pat, I really don't think changing the soundhead completely over to a tight-loop design is all that important. Just change that idler roller to a spacer that won't come into contact with the film. The modification I described previously workes quite nicely. Give it a shot in the factory and let me know what you find.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 08-04-2000 05:18 PM      Profile for Gordon McLeod   Email Gordon McLeod   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Pat
personally of all your soundheads you make I like the Model 7 the best

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Pat Moore
Master Film Handler

Posts: 363

Registered: Mar 2000

- posted 08-06-2000 02:24 PM      Profile for Pat Moore   Email Pat Moore   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks, Gordon. There are a few Model VII fans out there -- nice simple soundhead and it's operating characteristics aren't too bad. I think the fact that it's driven by the projector (in Ballantyne installations) helped that performance and reliability -- there just wasn't too much to go wrong.

Pat


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Gregory Brannon
Film Handler

Posts: 28
From: McKinney, TX, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

- posted 08-22-2000 08:33 PM      Profile for Gregory Brannon   Email Gregory Brannon   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Paul, Does the Stonebriar 24 has Dolby Digital and DTS equipped auditoriums or is all of the auditioriums equipped for SDDS only. I saw Hollow Man in Auditorium 17 the first week and I believe there was drop out in the print. The picture faded to a blueish tint and the volume started to decrease slowly until it was only coming from the center channel and was barely audible. Did you happen to check it out and notice it. Other than that the presentations there of Coyote Ugly, Space Cowboys and The Cell has been great. I also notice that the surrounds are located at the top of the ceiling like older AMC's. They are located almost mid level along the wall now. I still detect a slight echo in the auditoriums but not as bad as previous builds of AMC's.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

- posted 08-23-2000 05:38 AM      Profile for John Pytlak   Author's Homepage   Email John Pytlak   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Gregory Brannon said: "I saw Hollow Man in Auditorium 17 the first week and I believe there was drop out in the print. The picture faded to a blueish tint and the volume started to decrease slowly until it was only coming from the center channel and was barely audible."

From Greg's description, this print had severe safelight fog, which usually shows up as a "blueish tint", and may interfere with the soundtracks. The defective reel should have been returned for replacement.

Labs handle unexposed print film in darkrooms lit with low levels of amber-colored light from low pressure sodium vapor (589 nanometres), amber LEDs, or Kodak Series 8 safelight filters. If the film is accidently exposed to the light for too long (e.g., during a machine stop), these safelights can fog the magenta and cyan layers.

FYI, if unexposed print film is accidently exposed to red light (e.g., red LED status displays on equipment), the fog is cyan in color. White light would produce yellow or dark brown fogging.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 08-23-2000 08:22 AM      Profile for Paul Konen   Email Paul Konen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I don't work there but know a couple of the UB's.

All auditoriums are SDDS only.

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Dave Cutler
Master Film Handler

Posts: 277
From: Centennial, CO
Registered: Jun 2000

- posted 08-24-2000 11:21 AM      Profile for Dave Cutler   Email Dave Cutler   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
All the auditoriums are SDDS only? I find that strange. I thought that all AMC megaplex's had SRD or DTS (sometimes both) in all of the center houses in addition to SDDS-8. That way when certain movies come mandated "must play in ***" they were covered.

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 08-24-2000 12:03 PM      Profile for Paul Konen   Email Paul Konen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
If I remember correctly, they all were SDDS. What they want is DTS or SRD on a cart to move around if they need it.

Paul.

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Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1129
From: Marietta, GA
Registered: Jul 2000

- posted 08-24-2000 07:26 PM      Profile for Mike Spaeth   Author's Homepage   Email Mike Spaeth   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Is this the new AMC in Plano? If so, I understand that it had a VERY soft opening. Can anyone confirm or deny? I was just wondering how well they were cutting into Cinemark's home turf. From what I understand, we own Plano... But I could be wrong...

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 08-25-2000 08:18 AM      Profile for Paul Konen   Email Paul Konen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
From what I have heard, that it hasn't really cut into Tinseltown that much.

Cinemark has 2 theatres with 44 screens in Plano, a 20 Screen Tinseltown and a 24 screen (where I work).
Plano also has:
10 screen sub run (formally Cinemark)
11 screens / 2 threatre Loews Complex
7 screen Studio Movie Grill

It used to have a 7 Screen AMC, 6 GCC, and a 8 screen UA that is now the 7 movie grill above.

Hope that helps you.

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Gregory Brannon
Film Handler

Posts: 28
From: McKinney, TX, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

- posted 08-25-2000 08:34 AM      Profile for Gregory Brannon   Email Gregory Brannon   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I've heard just about the same comments as Paul mentioned. I visited the theatre every weekend since it's Aug. 4 opening. And it seems to have the traditional mall crowd with customers catching a movie as an addition to their shopping trip to the mall on which it sits atop. The customers I've noticed there have brought in their shopping bags and bring their kids. So it hasn't established a pure movie crowd yet( if there is a such term). Plus the conversations that I've heard from people while sitting waiting for a feature to start ranges from "The auditorium is nice but the seats don't rock and recline like Cinemark Tinsletown down the street." I personally like AMC theatres(I know that will illicit a bunch of hate mails). I like them because of the movie watcher programs which rewards people like me who catches 2 to 3 movies a weekend and I like the curved screens in all auditoriums where Cinemark biggest auditoriums have curved screens. Don't get me wrong. I think Cinemark Theatres are nice especially The Cinemark Legacy which is one of their new designs. But I'm in equal distance to both of Plano's Cinemark Theatres and the AMC in Frisco. But I've been visiting the AMC Stonebriar because the two Plano Cinemark are very crowded on weekends. If you don't get tickets in advance at those theatres for a weekend show. You forget seeing a movie. Where as the AMC Stonebriar has yet to my knowledge have a sell out on the weekend. I've heard that the theatre industry will be watching the performance of AMC Stonebriar since it is 5 miles from Tinsletown and 9 from The Legacy. I questioned why AMC didn't build it as a free standing Megaplex. Personally I'm not a big fan of mall based theatres because they seem to be exceptioned in design. I don't know if it's my imagination but Paul give me your opinion. But the AMC Stonebriar seems to have a lower floor to ceiling ratio compared to their other 3 Megaplexes in the Dallas area. Anyway, I'm starting to ramble on. But I hope that I have answered you're question.

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Jason Burroughs
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 654
From: Allen, TX
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 08-25-2000 01:26 PM      Profile for Jason Burroughs   Email Jason Burroughs   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Not to mention that Stonebriar is not very visable and is not obviously easy to get to, its also on the 3rd FLOOR of the mall, all by itself. I've only seen the lobby of it, and to say the least I'm not impressed, Extreemly little lobby floor space, It seems obvious that AMC did not plan this theater very well, especially if they wanted it to be a big hit. I can't speak for other parts of the country, but AMC does have a BAD reputation here in Dallas, they are well known for poorly treated prints and buildings.

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Brian Lange
Film Handler

Posts: 1
From: Tulsa, OK, USA
Registered: Aug 2000

- posted 08-25-2000 01:34 PM      Profile for Brian Lange   Email Brian Lange   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I used to be the booth manager of AMC Southroads 20 in Tulsa OK. AMC uses such large port glasses because they figure they can knock out the slide proj. window, proj window and projectionist window out all with one window. They used to not have a light problem since they used to run their booths dark, using only spot lights on the projectors. Eventually we didnt like working in the dark so we desided to go buy some black material and cover our port glasses so that we could then turn the lights on while the booth was in operation. Eventually corperate came through and liked out idea and made it manditory for all theaters to have them. Yes, thats right, I am the inventor of the black curtain of AMC theaters. Its quite simple really. We just hang the curtain up and shine the lamp on the curtain and then cut out a hole for the lamp to shine through. We stapled the curtains up with a staple gun. Thats right! We rigged them. Give me some staples and tape and i can do anything in booth. I cant forget about my Gerber knife. The Gerber keeps you from having to find those tools that managers steal from you to take to concession.

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