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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Topic: Lucas composes Star Wars Episode 3 for shitty theaters
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William Hooper
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1879
From: Mobile, AL USA
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 04-06-2005 01:50 AM
Others might disagree with me, but I don't think a fixed-height screen is good for theatres like yours. You need adjustable vertical masking (for scope) & adjustable horizontal masking (for flat formats). Fixed-height is sort of disappointing to the audience; it *does* reduce picture sizes from what they could be, & leaves lots of obvious non-picture space.
Remember for the top masking, the masking is only a 6" to 8" wide strip, so the rest of that should be something that matches/works with the decoration of the theatre. The 2' at the top of your screen is going to be covered if you put in horizontal masking, so look at your screen, & think about what would look good over the top 2'. It can be either a flat, decorated panel (painted or with fabric glued to it), or a valance curtain (not so straightforward to attach to movable masking, but can be done). You don't even have to think about the masking until you've made the decision about what would look good over the top 2', because the masking is just 6" or 8" of black hanging at the bottom & is visually irrelevant. The main thing is to make a design decision about what you think would look good there. Remember, for flat movies, it will all be gone anyway, moving out with the masking.
If you go for a valance curtain, PLEASE don't make it a "straight valance", i.e., a piece of fabric going straight across with vertical pleats. They look like short shower curtains at movie screen scale. The problem is that the pleats go the wrong way (vertically) when it's hung across the top. To minimize the appearance of masked space, the divisions should be vertical. Like a panel with painted vertical sections going all the way across.
The key to misdirecting from unused space is to make it look "busy", & to direct the eye toward the inner space. Drapes around old theatre prosceniums did it with tons of swags, loops, fringes, & cords; in deco-type theatres (yours is more like that), its done by arranging geometric shapes (longitudinally, when over the screen). Think of the concentric circles on the opening logo for Looney Tunes, & how much space they use around the center space with the WB shield. Square that image, & you get concentric, longitudinal divisions running across the top & bottom, concentric divisions running up the sides. I dunno if I'm making this clear. Lines run horizontally across the top & bottom, vertically on the sides. It doesn't matter if you're just doing the top or sides, that's the way the lines need to run.
For the masking that comes in at the sides, the lines should run vertically, but that happens anyway because the pleats in the drapes run vertically. I don't know how big your screen is, but at 2:1, the masking won't come in far. If it was a 20' high screen, & 40' wide, 1.85 would mean that you'd need a 37' wide screen & you'd only be biting off 1.5' at each side. Only 6" or 8" of that would be black, so that's about 1' of colored drapes over the screen at each side (your numbers may be even smaller, especially if the screen isn't 40' wide). Drapes are ordered as x% fullness, that is, to hang in pleats, you need more fabric than just that 1' you're covering. You'll still want AT LEAST 100% fullness when they're all the way in, so they'll hang in pleats.
http://www.sewwhatinc.com/Custom_Sewing/Finishes/Curtain_Finishes.htm
Theatre curtains typically look best at 150% or 200% fullness. Otherwise, they look sort of skimpy household-curtainy brought in.
In the black part, you'll have that pocket for a board to maintain the straight edge (both in the horizontal & vertical masking.
I don't know who you may order the screen masking from, or if you'll DIY there, but you'll need something fireproof & sheer like scrim material to let sound through at the sides. You don't need heavy velours except for the black edges on side or top masking, because the aperture plate & black masking edges keep the light from reflecting off the screen through the sheer material.
I really believe you should think hardest to create what you want for looks for the top panel. That's what will most affect audience satisfaction, & distraction from masking. I'd try to come up with something that was segmented horizontally all the way across that works with your present interior. And if it was me, I'd then put something absolutely fascinating in the center to boggle people when it was in - that's why the old proscenium valances had big center swags & tassels. In a deco theatre, I'd make it a horizontally segmented panel, with a great big RCA meatball right in the middle. Others might want something else.
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