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Author Topic: Studio Movie Grill Houston - Review Rick Raskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1100 From: Manassas Virginia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 06-20-2006 02:50 PM                     Congratulations Brad. Good to see a first class cabling job on the sound racks. I've seen too many spaghetti factories in the past.  |  IP: Logged Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 06-20-2006 03:02 PM                        Other than interlocking, I really don't see the advantage of having all of the platters in the same area? It just seems like ALOT could go wrong possibly effecting multiple auditoriums at once by having the film flying everywhere. I do have to admit, it really does look cool though.  |  IP: Logged Dan Lyons Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 698 From: Seal Beach, CA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 06-20-2006 05:51 PM                     What the hell!! They ruined a warm and inviting lobby and turned it into something cold and sterile that reminds me of a hospital waiting room. They didn't even leave the great wood panelling or the fun curvy wall with the movie stars on it. Who wouldn't want to walk into a theatre and see Marilyn giving you a lascivious look. And that great lighting arrangement over the candy stand...all gone. They could have easily turned the candy stand into the bar and left everything alone.  |  IP: Logged Scott D. Neff Theatre Dork Posts: 919 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Oct 1999 posted 06-20-2006 06:25 PM                        While I love me a good cheesy 80's lobby as much as the next guy, I can see why they did everything they did. At least the lobby is a place to interact, at Studio Movie Grill in Plano, the lobby isn't very welcoming. What I'd like to see is auditorium photos BEFORE they were remodelled. Were the auditoriums in decent 80's Loews shape? Were any of them respectable in size or were they all less than 250? (I'm not from an area plentiful in those Loews designs) As far as the booth goes, I've been to Brad's booth in Plano and it's similar in concept and equipment. Luckily Loews builds bigger booths than UA did, so there's much more room to spread out here. The first time I saw Brad's platter array I was dumbfounded, it is truly an amazing thing to behold. Though once you watch people use it for a few hours, it loses it's novelty. I've argued and debated Brad as to the benefits and drawbacks of the platter array, and ultimately concluded that he's right, it's a great idea. The thing that gets me though is that apparently moving movies was just sooooo much work that something had to be done to alleviate the burdens of moving films!!! Though in the end it has allowed Brad to setup the booth to run with little worry. As long as the equipment is maintained and the cues are placed properly, the automation starts the projector as long as it's threaded. Brad even has Plano setup so the work-lights shut off over the projector when the movie starts. Thanks to the automation monitor, you can sit at his desk (which I've done!) and see what cues have gone through the projector. Brad has a lot of nifty ideas that if I were still running a booth, I'd want to put in place. However many of us don't have the knowledge/budget/permission to try some of the things he's done. I'm sure back at Cinema West if I told the owner I wanted to wire the work lights into the automation he'd cut my hands off to make sure I never attempted any such thing. Ultimately I wish I had some sort of movie tavern around Northern California... we have nothin... a beer and pizza place at an awkwardly twinned single screen is as close as we get. The presentation in Plano was excellent, and the food looks damned good. But everybody please... I beg of you... don't go arranging platter arrays at all your theatres. Movies were meant to be moved.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-20-2006 06:46 PM                        quote: Scott D. Neff What I'd like to see ....is some booth pictures taken with flash or decent lighting so some detail can be seen.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-20-2006 06:54 PM                     Brad has his platter central...I still prefer all 2-projector rock-n-roll projectors. As for rack cabling...it was alright but I wouldn't go to the 1st class statement...definately better than a rats nest. Rack neatness has been discussed here. You can even have a contest on counting how many wire-ties Gordon uses in a typical rack I know Brad practically killed himself getting this one open. The amount of time and effort on this job is what is really impressive (in addition to the picture and sound quality which I'm sure are top-notch). Steve  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 06-20-2006 07:06 PM                        quote: Mikey What I'd like to see is some [sic] booth pictures taken with flash or decent lighting so some detail can be seen. Camera flashes are pure evil. They make virtually all pictures look like complete crap. Maybe a sightly longer exposure could have been used, but I don't think you'd see too much more details in pictures that small. There are only 260,000 pixels in each picture. There was some talk of increasing the picture size, but I don't think anything was ever done. Even if it were, not too much more detail would be discernable. It might be cool to be able to click on the 625-pixel wide images and it opens up a new window with the 7.2 megapixel originals. Would that be enough detail for ya?  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 06-20-2006 07:46 PM                     I'm still entertaining the idea of creating larger images, but at least for right now the 625 pixel standard remains. I couldn't agree more with Joe though, flashes are pure evil and I only use them when I have to. Jason, I like your idea of using L5-20P connectors on the platters. I may just go back and swap those out. The future buildings though are having the sockets mounted in the slab underneath the platters, which feed from the UPS power racks, so it's probably not going to be an issue on any of the future buildings. For that matter I am putting everything in the floor for the future buildings to eliminate the sealtight and EMT on top of the sound racks. As far as the platter array, it's definitely not for everyone. You can't throw a bunch of kids up there without some solid training, however I will point out that the 3 "kids" running it right now were pulled right off of the street having never touched a piece of film before, and even at the ages of 23, 20 and 16, they are all doing excellent work and have no issues running the system (and can all do an interlock with one print through all of the projectors no problem). Steve, what I wish QSC would do is provide 12 inch power cords. I really hate bundling up 6 foot cords that only need to be 6 inches long. Anyway, the rack pictured wasn't finished, but it's a general idea. I stopped trying to wire up racks that were perfectly pretty because I found they were more hassle down the road when changing out components or tracking down problems. The approach I've been following more recently is to make them "serviceable", such that they are tied up relatively neat, but effortless to troubleshoot. I'm always open to new ideas and approaches though. Scott mentions neat features, well check out these two which I had in the original plans, were nixed, but are now being added back in. #1 the mighty CA21s will handle powering on and off the booth. Essentially the CA21 will look at the CALink program (which gets it's data from the ticketing system) and says "hmmmm, the next show isn't for more than X number of hours, so this is the last show of the day" and then at a preset number of minutes after that last show tails through the projector, the entire auditorium powers off and permits the janitors access to their lighting controls. The reverse is true in the mornings, where the CA21 will power on the auditorium a preset number of minutes before the first show of the day in there (say, 45 minutes). This is an energy management thing and also helps to preserve the video projector's bulb life for the preshow by not burning it when it isn't needed. Of course the overhead threading lights will be tied into an always on panel, so as to not hinder earlier threading. (And yes all theaters have automated threading lights. Why flip the switch when you don't have to???) #2 I am tying the HVAC into the CA21s to control the system's set points in relation to each individual auditorium's schedule, thus actually saving even more money than an energy management system like Novar can. I'm surprised there haven't been any comments on the status panels in the sound racks. Most projectionists who walk into there can't get over the convenience factor of them. (Scott, I've got pictures of the auditoriums pre-SMG somewhere, but I couldn't find them when I was assembling the picture tour page. I will update it when I find them.)  |  IP: Logged Jon Miller Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 973 From: San Diego, CA, USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 06-20-2006 08:07 PM                     I was wondering about the purpose of the flat panel display mounted at the top of the screen #2 sound rack; now that I know what they're for, it's a great idea. And the thing I like most about the booth: not a CP-2000 projector in sight! Well done, Brad!  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 06-20-2006 08:16 PM                        I like the CA Link monitors in each sound rack, but what if the projectionist is between projectors? He's screwed and the whole theater could grind to a halt. The only way to fix this huge flaw is with CA Link LCD goggles. One eye allows the projectionist to see what is around him and the other has a permanent CA Link status screen in front of it. It should be wired so that the projectionist cannot punch in on the timeclock until he has the goggles on, and cannot remove them until he clocks out. This is the ONLY way to be sure.  |  IP: Logged Chad M Calpito Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: San Diego, CA Registered: Apr 2006 posted 06-20-2006 10:34 PM                        When I saw the pictures of the Projection Booth, I was really impressed with the layout and concept of the Platter Array. I think it is really neat and impressive, including the soundracks and projectors, etc. I'll have to one day make a trip out there to experience a movie at the theatre.  |  IP: Logged Brian Michael Weidemann Expert cat molester Posts: 944 From: Costa Mesa, CA United States Registered: Feb 2004 posted 06-20-2006 11:40 PM                        With the central platter system, when a film ends, I imagine you will have the entire tail leader (a long one, I presume) draping loose as soon as it tails out of the projector. Is that all wound back by turning the platters by hand? And how much drags along the floor? OR ... is it just all cued so it won't tail out, and you unthread and walk the tail back to the platter as it accumulates? I'd get a kick out of just watching daily operation in that booth.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 06-20-2006 11:44 PM                        The film returns to the platters via rollers along the ceiling. The tail can easily be taken up just by pressing a bit on the Christie take-up arm for the particular disc. I had a custom CA-21 program that I made myself that kept the return deck spinning for 30 seconds after the movie dropped, but Pennywise didn't incorporate it into Brad's chip since I copywrited my code and demanded lots of $$$.  |  IP: Logged Brian Michael Weidemann Expert cat molester Posts: 944 From: Costa Mesa, CA United States Registered: Feb 2004 posted 06-20-2006 11:47 PM                        Well, from convenience, luxury, and just plain clever-idea standpoints, that booth sure is a work of art in itself.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 06-21-2006 01:15 AM                     quote: Brad Miller I'm always open to new ideas and approaches though. Hey Brad - have you looked into these right angle computer power cord connectors retrofit so you can cut down those QSC power cords to size? Color code for these plugs would be - Brown-hot, Blue-neutral and green/yellow for ground - from the cord. Yea, saw the pict of that amp rack and do agree: an excellent job of doing a good wire harness assembly and the proper use of ty-wraps. (Got the Thomas and Betts , or the Panduit version for a ty-wrap gun??) Granted, seen so many amp rack wiring jobs that looks like a horrible 'spiders nest' in there - really makes you wonder how that could ever have passed code... thx-Monte  |  IP: Logged

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