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Author Topic: Any Changeover Houses Left? Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 12-26-2002 10:33 AM                        It all boils down to what a cinema shows and how. A newly released film shown four times a day for a week is far better off on a platter. It uses staff time more efficiently and, assuming that the film path is kept clean and well-maintained, is kinder to the print than constant rewinding. If your venue has a high throughput of prints which only do one or two shows each (e.g. the programming pattern of a typical arthouse venue), then changeovers make far more sense. The last company I worked for as a projectionist had a policy of integrating mainstream and arthouse programming, and for that reason equipped its new sites with both two projectors and a platter, so that we could choose long-play or changeovers, as appropriate to the show.  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 12-26-2002 11:37 AM                     Bernie wrote: quote: Ian, in your list you include the Stanford in Palo Alto. I was out there a few years ago, and it's a magnificently restored movie palace. They seemed quite proud to be running carbon arcs. Don't tell me David Packard had those taken out and xenon installed? Bernie, quite a few places that "seemed quite proud to be running carbon arcs" have converted recently, the Plaza, Oxted and the Byrd, Richmond are two which spring to mind, but there are several others. Elsewhere in this thread were mentioned a venue whhich was soon to convert, and three others which had recently done so. The Byrd reported poor quality in available carbons, and National, one or the few remaining manufaturers of them, are to cease production just about now. Do you really think that anywhere will be able to continue much longer? I very much doubt that anywhere will be using them in five years, and only a handful of places (in single figures) in two years. I think even flashbulbs, which I still use with my Speed Graphic camera, have a brighter future (parden the pun) than carbon arcs. At least there is a company in Ireland still making them. I have heard reports that carbons are being phased out in China, I think they are still just about being made in Japan and France. Does anyone know about India, it was the largest film-making nation on Earth, is it still? And does it still have as many cinemas, or have they been wiped out by home video, like most of the many Indian cinemas which we had in this country a few years ago. Are they still making carbons there? I know we have at least one gentleman from India amongstour members, does he know?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-26-2002 12:21 PM                     There are carbons made in India and they have a vibrant cinema industry with a multiplex building boom on http://www.schutzcarbon.com/prod1.htm  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 12-26-2002 12:43 PM                     quote: they have a vibrant cinema industry I'm glad to hear it Gordon. Over here we had many Indian cinemas some years ago. I visited several old, run-don cinemas which had been closed by the main chains, and had been taken over and re-opened by independant Indian operators, often families, showing mainly Indian films. They worked hard to smarten the places up, made improvements, and ran them successfuly for a while, but then the business was wiped out by home video. A pity.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-26-2002 01:36 PM                     Toronto has a triple and a twin complex as well as several single screen hindi houses  |  IP: Logged Christopher Seo Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 530 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-26-2002 02:01 PM                     The Stanford in Palo Alto was still running carbons as of January of this year. I got to see them running a nitrate print in the booth... a very serious two-man operation. It would be a shame if they converted as the light was excellent. Also there's the Paramount Theatre in Oakland which only runs movies occasionally... but it's a magnificent place to see a movie. 2000' reels, 3 Simplex XLs, 4-track mag equipped, Ashcraft lamps, plus one or two 16mm (Eastman 24?) machines, also with carbon arc. Not to mention a couple carbon arc spotlights. Talk about a magnificent booth, too.  |  IP: Logged Charles Everett Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: New Jersey Registered: May 2001 posted 12-27-2002 07:11 AM                     The Film Forum in New York -- because it plays a lot of repertory titles. In the big hall (#2) you can see the reel-to-reel transport through the porthole on your way in/out. In the small hall (#3) I could always tell when R3 was about to begin: From my seat underneath the overhang, I could hear the motor start when the motor cue appeared at the end of R2.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-27-2002 07:20 AM                     Sorry Leo, can't agree with you there...even shown 4-times a day for a week or more, I'll take the changeover house. Steve  |  IP: Logged Jon Miller Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 973 From: San Diego, CA, USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-27-2002 07:26 PM                     Add to the list the Ken Cinema in the Kensington district of San Diego. To this day, they still run 2000' reels and carbon arcs...a pair of Super Simplexes on SH-1000s (now sporting red-LED reverse-scan readers) with Peerless Magnarcs. The Ken used to offer a repertory program (and, for a while, midnight RHPS screenings on Fridays and Saturdays). Nowadays, week-long engagements of independent, foreign, and classic films are the norm there.  |  IP: Logged Justin West Master Film Handler Posts: 271 From: Peoria, IL, USA Registered: Jul 2001 posted 12-27-2002 10:18 PM                     Two drive-ins I patronize: Rt. 34 Drive-In at Earlville, ILL and the Macon DI at Macon, MO each use 2000' reels, carbon arc changeovers (using Strong Mighty Nineties at both places on both pairs)! Lost art form connosieurs take note!  |  IP: Logged Michael Harlow Expert Film Handler Posts: 170 From: Faversham, Kent, UK Registered: Jul 2002 posted 12-28-2002 11:51 AM                     Hi, We no longer run on carbon arc. We did from Feb 93 to June 2001. We have now thankfully gone to xenon ! ~MWH~  |  IP: Logged Chris Markiewicz Expert Film Handler Posts: 209 From: Glenaviegh, County Tipperary, Ireland Registered: Aug 2002 posted 12-29-2002 12:24 AM                     The Palace Theatre in Hilo, Hawaii (mixed film and live use) has 2 Simplex E-7s and RCA 9030s converted to CE reverse-scan LEDs, and Ashcraft Suprex lamphouses, still running off the old motor-generators.  |  IP: Logged Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 12-29-2002 02:39 AM                     Hallelujah!!! It looks as if there is hope for me after all!  |  IP: Logged Christopher Seo Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 530 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-29-2002 02:43 PM                     Hi Chris, I believe I met you when I visited the Keauhou 7 a few years ago... I was working at the Waikiki 1-2-3 at the time. Aren't there quite a few rural theatres left on the Big Island that may not run every day but still run carbon arc?  |  IP: Logged William Bunch Film Handler Posts: 87 From: Misawa, Japan Registered: Nov 2001 posted 12-29-2002 07:49 PM                        From page three... Adam Martin, the response from John Eickhof pretty much says it all. He is correct on almost every account with the possible exception of the 'volunteer' projectionists overseas. I know of a few like that in the remote areas of the Korean DMZ but not many elsewhere. Most are paid positions. I cannot speak for Europe since Pacific is my region. There are no military secrets. Just a lot of humble operations. Two weeks ago I was doing some maintenance at Schofield Barracks Hawaii. This auditorium is a historical monument as it has been in use since long before the war. There is a full balcony. The screen throw is 150 ft and the curved screen is 18 x 32. 1,200 seats. This auditorium is used daily for all sorts of functions. When the full theatrical stage is needed the screen just pulls up into the attic and the speaker stands roll to the sides. One thing for sure about the military theaters is that there are no two alike. I can only speak for the Army and Air Force in the Pacific. The Navy has their own system and I have only seen the inside of a few. The one at Atsugi, Japan is a living monument to the 50's. Bill BuncH Army, Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) Misawa, Japan  |  IP: Logged

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