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Topic: Rear projection cinemas

Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 04-19-2002 09:58 PM

Sure, Mark, this is part of "America" up here, from the Arctic Oceon, way down to Chile!

Gord once mentioned that the 5-Drive-In Oakville Ontario was built as an OUTDOOR rear-projection setup. I still wonder if it was the only one ever attempted and why. The huge "shadow-box" building is still there.....

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-20-2002 02:46 AM

I ran relief operator at a local in Oakland a number of years ago. It was not rear projection, but the projection booth was under the stage. Two big mirrors were used. One to direct the projection beam through a big hole on the stage floor, and another mirror was on the stage floor which directed the beam to the screen.

I can't remember the name of the theater, but it was on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland, California. The projectors were VIC 4's.

The system worked well, until something knocked the mirrors out of alignment.

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James Robertson
Film Handler

Posts: 40
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: May 2001

posted 04-20-2002 05:21 AM

When I was ship's projectionist on P&O's S.S.Himalaya the cinema was
a converted public room and due to the requirement of having an exit at each end the screen was plonked in the middle of the room with seating either side! A pair of speakers was placed at the edge of screen either side. We had a good picture on both sides but of course for the poor buggers on the wrong side everything was reversed---

Bizarre.

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Howard Johnson
Film Handler

Posts: 87
From: Felpham , West Sussex, UK
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-20-2002 02:57 PM

Thanks for all your coments. The main constraint, apart from being a historic building is the law on disabled access for new construction and conversions in the UK. The crazy thing is the original auditorium has easy access for wheelchairs to the front. In the proposed 2nd auditorium the space for the projection room at the back is needed for wheelchairs behind the last row of seats. I will point out all the problems to them and perhaps there is another way of doing it.

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Steve Kraus
Film God

Posts: 4094
From: Chicago, IL, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 04-20-2002 05:08 PM

Yeah, a 2nd hand telecine and a DLP.

(ducking)

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Steven Gorsky
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 146
From: Frederick, MD, USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 04-20-2002 05:27 PM

Would it be possible to build a small enclosed balcony? I have no idea what this would cost, but then you don't have the hassles of rear projection.

Steven Gorsky

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Howard Johnson
Film Handler

Posts: 87
From: Felpham , West Sussex, UK
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-21-2002 07:23 AM

Thanks Steve for your perceptive analysis!!Perhaps I could persuade Sony to put in a system free as a demonstration! I'm working this afternoon so I will have another discussion so I can point out all the problems.

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Arthur Allen
Film Handler

Posts: 99
From: Renton, WA, USA
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 04-21-2002 09:13 AM

Quote: Didn't Kalee build a reversed projector for rear projection WITHOUT the mirror??. ie The soundtrack ran on the inboard side.

At the former AMC Sea-Tac 6 South, due to height limitations in a mall, all the projectors are on the floor on the same level as the back seats and project up onto a single mirror and to a screen than anyone standing in the front third of the theater can cast a shadow on. They have three seperate booths, and I've seen the door open at least once. The projectors seem to point straight up onto a single mirror, so they would seem to have been built to show movies "in reverse." Don't know the model number, but I did see a memo from Warner Brothers telling the personnel there to stop scratching prints of "A Little Princess." Did I mention this was AMC?

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Bernard Tonks
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 619
From: Cranleigh, Surrey, England
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 04-21-2002 11:18 AM

Just a thought Howard, why not go and have a look at the 2nd auditorium screens at the Plaza Dorchester and Orion Burgess Hill, as they have periscope projection from the original projection boxes to the floor below. In your case if is was possible, to the floor above I believe. I have seen this done at the Prince Of Wales Lewisham (now closed), the mirrors from the observation porthole also worked sufficiently. With that large foyer the Dome Cinema has, I would have thought that it was possible to twin the existing auditorium as well. But perhaps not if it means removing the established drinking hostelry named ‘The Projectionists Bar’ (for real)!

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