Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Studio Movie Grill Houston

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Film Handlers' Forum » Studio Movie Grill Houston - Review (Page 4)

This topic comprises 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Author

Topic: Studio Movie Grill Houston - Review

Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 06-21-2006 06:21 PM

Panduit GS2BL gun with three tension settings for different ty-wrap sizes, good for scaring off muggers since it really looks like a hefty gun [Big Grin]

.....personally Phoenix connectors / XLR over VGA connector/cables anyday...but we will build it to whatever the client's techs are comfortable with [thumbsup]

| IP: Logged

John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 06-21-2006 09:01 PM

I'm thinking the platter array formula will be copied a bit from here on in. Excellent idea and a just great install full-stop.

John

| IP: Logged

Brad Miller
Administrator

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

posted 06-21-2006 09:21 PM

John, if you are going to copy the idea, you might want to go with another design I came up with. Essentially you put the platters right beside each projector, as would be found in a conventional multiplex. The tree is away from the auditorium wall toward the master film track and slide bars as they are positioned here, but essentially the film threads into the track, flies about 10 feet, then turns to head into the projector. This way most of the time the threading path is very short, but when needed, the platter can feed to another projector on the fly and can also takeup from another projector.

The major con with this design over the one shown in the Copperfield picture tour is that you end up potentially using much longer leaders because they have to be long enough for that "worst case senario". We use 150 feet of junk trailers on the tail ends of our prints just to be safe, although it's rare for more than the last 20 feet to hit the floor.

Anyone who actually wants to set up a platter array needs to be prewarned of these points.

*You NEED dual payout! Trust me, if you are "crossing" prints between two auditoriums and one movie is a 90 minute feature and the other is a 2 1/2 hour feature and they both start at 1:00, that short feature is going to need to restart before the first movie is over!!! Essentially, you will be stuck and unable to run the shorter movie unless you pick up the print and carry it back to the originating platter, at which point then you have to do the same thing to the long movie, and then again to the short movie, and so forth as the day continues. The Christie AW3 platter is the only platter I am aware of that can be easily modified do this simply by adding extra rollers on the payout side. The Kinoton platter can only have one center feed installed at any given time whereas most other platters rely on the takeup speed to derive payout speed. Neither design works in this situation. Does that leave any other platter? (Not that you would want to be using any other model of platter, but I ask just out of curiosity.)

*You will need a drop ceiling. Without that, mounting all of the slide bars will be a major pain.

*You will need a decent automation. By this I mean one with a start cue or run-down cue. This is a mandatory feature, as your leaders will be fairly long and your projectionists don't have the time to stand by the projectors "motoring down" the leader.

*You will need leader...lots of it! I make my own. Just imagine the costs if you went out and bought thousands of feet of regular frameline mylar! [Eek!]

*You will need rollers, and there are different kinds of rollers that must be used for different parts of the array. In addition you need clips and other hardware. It turns the project into a fairly expensive date, so make sure your theater has a genuine need for the pretty much unlimited functionality.

| IP: Logged

Mike Olpin
Chop Chop!

Posts: 1852
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 06-21-2006 11:02 PM

Wow. That theatre looks excelent. I'll have to make an effort to drop by next year and check it out. I must admit that I'm becoming more and more in favor of platter arrays. My GM plays around with house placements a lot, and the advantages are becoming increasingly clear. (My booth could never actually support a platter array system, as it is spread across three rooms with a publicly accessable hallway in between each).

With all of the automated funtions in that booth, I imagine it must be a joy to operate. Just thread and the automation handles everything else!

Seperated at Birth: The Film-Tech Logo and the Studio Movie Grill Sign?

| IP: Logged

Chad M Calpito
Master Film Handler

Posts: 435
From: San Diego, CA
Registered: Apr 2006

posted 06-21-2006 11:31 PM

I would also have to point out as well, that, in my location, a Platter Array would not be feasible due to three seperate booths for all ten screens as well as due to not a whole lot of space. But, I am leaning towards the awesome thing of having a Platter Array.

| IP: Logged

Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 06-21-2006 11:55 PM

quote: Brad Miller
The Christie AW3 platter is the only platter I am aware of that can be easily modified do this simply by adding extra rollers on the payout side. The Kinoton platter can only have one center feed installed at any given time whereas most other platters rely on the takeup speed to derive payout speed. Neither design works in this situation. Does that leave any other platter? (Not that you would want to be using any other model of platter, but I ask just out of curiosity.)

Why I LOVE Christie. Those AW3's are quite the something platter to have in a booth. Couldn't even think to do all of this with STRONG platters - being so horribly controlled by that one variac in the base...

That automation that Brad is talking about is that very simple 3Q, cue based automation....default automation for the SLC(45) consoles..

| IP: Logged

Brad Miller
Administrator

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

posted 06-22-2006 12:41 AM

The 3Q would do it, but the CA21 is a true automation and that is what I am talking about.

| IP: Logged

Ron Curran
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 504
From: Springwood NSW Australia
Registered: Feb 2006

posted 06-22-2006 01:20 AM

Yes, that last couple of metres of film - after the tail - hitting the floor happens in our booth.We are trying to devise a solution now.

However, there is no evidence that it carries dirt into the film roll, as it would at the head.

| IP: Logged

Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 06-22-2006 09:40 AM

The Strong SCDC has independent payout heads and does not reference the take up. For the Kinoton, perhaps the ST400E or ST500E would make it more fessable but not nearly as "easy" as you have done it with the Christie (not that it is easy at all). Don't the MIT and Big Sky platters control their own speed on the payouts?

| IP: Logged

Steve Scott
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1300
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 06-22-2006 10:23 AM

What about the SPECO LP-270 4 deck? It has dual variacs.

| IP: Logged

Jason Burroughs
Jedi Master Film Handler

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

posted 06-22-2006 10:35 AM

quote: Rick Raskin
Pretty, Yes. IMHO, the tails on the tie wraps should be trimmed; and closely so that they do not protrude and present a sharp edge that'll cut you.

In my other life, equipment installers preferred to use lacing twine because they felt tie wraps could cut into cables if installed to tightly.

The tie wraps were left long, as there are frequent changes in cabling, and also as you could see, the rack isn't full yet, [Wink]

| IP: Logged

Rick Raskin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1100
From: Manassas Virginia
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 06-22-2006 03:15 PM

I take it then that you used removable tie wraps. We never had such luxuries. What used to get me was when the installer would tie wrap cables, cut the tails with a pair of dikes, and leave about 1/16" of sharp protruding plastic. Its almost impossible to work in such an environment and not emerge without at least one annoying cut. As part of the acceptance test procedure I'd insist the tails be re-cut flush. The tie wrap guns mentioned earlier are supposed to eliminate such hazards and close the band without excessive pressure.

| IP: Logged

Brad Miller
Administrator

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

posted 06-22-2006 04:12 PM

quote: Steve Guttag
The Strong SCDC has independent payout heads and does not reference the take up.

Are you SURE about this? Normally I would never doubt you, but we're talking about platters here. [Razz]

(The issue is moot to me anyway since I would never install a Strong platter, but curiosity on the subject is interesting regardless.)

| IP: Logged

Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-22-2006 07:12 PM

Steve is correct on that, just completely rebuilt one that was water damaged. Be sure to get the Strong software if you ever work on one!

Mark

| IP: Logged

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 06-22-2006 07:15 PM

Any platter that needs software should be avoided.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.