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Author Topic: How Do Drive In Cinemas Work? Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-13-2007 09:27 AM                        I see what you mean Tim, but even though this all works out theoretically, I mean, like you say, the apparant size of the screen is about what most people would actually see at a drive-in relative to distance and how much of the screen takes up your field of vision, but I think the impact of the huge drive-in screen is its real calling-card. It's the wow factor rather than the actual relative size, just like you can sit two feet from a 19in tv set, but walk into a room that has a 52in flat panel wall screen and the latter is much more impressive than the former. As for porn not being seen from the road, I wish I could find someone who actually put in one of the super directional hi-gain DI screens which I only read about. The claim was that unless you were sitting pretty much on axis, the fall-off was so severe that you couldn't see the image from the road. A lot of super engineering going on just to stop people from seeing a little flesh. Show some tit and nipple and people want to tear the place down....show that tit and nipple getting sawed off with a buzz saw just before the beheading with a meat cleaver in a slasher-horror film....no problem. Strange creatures these humans --- so fond of fig leaves.  |  IP: Logged Floyd Justin Newton Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 559 From: Phoenix, Arizona, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 03-13-2007 10:33 AM                     Frank-- Ain't that the truth !  |  IP: Logged Scott D. Neff Theatre Dork Posts: 919 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Oct 1999 posted 03-13-2007 02:14 PM                        I've just started working for a drive-in company and don't know very much about what does and does not make a difference in the sound and presentation at a drive-in vs. a walk-in. I see that Jack's drive-in is equipped with all the digital systems you'd find at a walk-in. Does digital sound translate over the FM broadcasters well enough to really wow somebody in their car? Also, as far as lamphouses go, we're using old old ORC lamphouses, with what I GUESS is 4000 watt xenons. I have NO idea what the size of our screens are, or the length of our throw. I guess I'm asking just for an example of what other drive-ins might use to properly illuminate their screen, especially if there is a lot of ambient light from neighboring businesses and streets.  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-13-2007 02:39 PM                     The throw's not that important...only the area of the screen to guage the lamp size requirement. Also needed to take into account is the ambient light etc from neighboring properties etc. As far as 'naughty' movies being able to be seen from the roadway...when the Westline Drive-In was being built there was a letter to the editor of the local 'wrap-fish-in-it-on-the-day-it-comes-out' newspaper complaining that if ever there was screened a movie like 'Oh! Calcutta!" there would be a pile-up of cars a mile long on the highway. Well, they must have had access to the schedule or the booker read this newspaper because within the first month of operation it was on the screen at the Westline. No pile-ups though...just lots of on the screen and in the cars.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 03-13-2007 04:50 PM                       What John said. I don't know how many times it has been stated on this forum, but THE THROW DOES NOT MATTER with regards to screen illumination! It just looks like it matters. The throw is only important in calculating lens focal lengths. I'll see postings elsewhere by theatre owners, and they consistently state the length of their throws when they ask about lamphouses and such. Scott, there are no properly-illuminated d/i screens! quote: Frank Angel I wish I could find someone who actually put in one of the super directional hi-gain DI screens which I only read about. There never were any, to my knowledge. But lots of tests were made over the years, with small sections of various prototypes.  |  IP: Logged Scott D. Neff Theatre Dork Posts: 919 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Oct 1999 posted 03-13-2007 05:20 PM                        We seem to have installed a number of screens that are 36x76. Any suggestions for lamp power for one of those suckers?  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 03-13-2007 05:25 PM                        quote: Scott D. Neff I see that Jack's drive-in is equipped with all the digital systems you'd find at a walk-in. Does digital sound translate over the FM broadcasters well enough to really wow somebody in their car? A properly-tuned SR system will take FM about to its limits. Many would say that's good enough. On the other hand, I like how the digital sounds. The highs are cleaner and there seems to be less distortion. You'd have to listen for yourself, and you'd have to have a very clean FM system... but I think it was worth it. We weren't the first to do this... the second or third, I think. Since then, the Transit in Lockport, NY, and some of the new builds in Texas have installed digital. One database lists 9 or 10 of us that have the stuff. quote: Scott D. Neff We seem to have installed a number of screens that are 36x76. Any suggestions for lamp power for one of those suckers? Yah... the biggest you can get! The 7k bulbs may not get you up to industry standards, as far as light levels are concerned... but they look pretty darned good. 4k won't cut it. You need plenty of airflow through the lamphouse and a good reflector, but you can get a very good picture at a drive-in. If you have a good paint job, a hefty lamphouse and not much ambient light, nobody's going to walk up and complain about your picture. On the other hand, if the owner's using small bulbs with too many hours on a screen that looks more gray than white, then I guess you'd have some problems there! I personally think those old 4k ORC lamphouses are among the two worst boxes a drive-in could have... the other one being those old, blue Christie CH40's. The Christie SLC series, as well as the Strongs, Xetrons and Big Skys blow those lamps out of the water. There sure seem to be a lot of them still around, though. quote: Tim Reed Scott, there are no properly-illuminated d/i screens! How do you figure that, Tim? There are plenty of smaller drive-in screens that compare to indoor versions... at least as to square footage.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 03-13-2007 07:00 PM                       By and large, d/i's are under-illuminated. Certainly, there are exceptions... note my  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 03-13-2007 07:24 PM                        Ahhhhh... how could I have missed that?!  |  IP: Logged David Kilderry Master Film Handler Posts: 355 From: Melbourne Australia Registered: Sep 1999 posted 03-14-2007 06:14 AM                        Several generations of Australians grew up with drive-ins. We perhaps had more than any other country outside the USA with around 350 (did Canada have more???). Australia has good climate, lots of land, a love of movies and a very strong car culture - all required for drive-ins to be successful. Yes ours too fell to porn in the 1970's and 1980's but the ones that survive today, inlcluding ours, have not run porn for over 20 years. The families are back! We still love our cars and movies and whilst land is not cheap anymore, the climate seems better than ever! GM-Holden, Ford and Chrysler all sell large V8 and 6 cylinder cars here (Ford and GM still make them here too). These large sedans are important in that families need space in a car to enjoy a movie. I can understand why they never expanded in Europe to the extent of here; in addition to high land value, and poor climate in northern countries, the cars were just too small. We are all FM now, if we put speakers out on the ramps they would all be stolen, they are collectors items now. We have just a few out for display in the garden in front of the projection building. Our screens are just over 80 ft wide and zinc-alum panel on a steel tower. They are painted pure white. We run 5,000 watt Strongs behind our Philips DP70 and Century DAW2. Light here is very good for a drive-in, especially compared to places I once worked at with 110 ft wide screens. With smaller fields these days enormous screens are just not required; good light is more important. We still run pre-show and interval clocks. Tim and John, you would not be surprised to hear how often I am asked "wow you are so far away from the screen, you must need powerful lamps" and that is from projectionists who should know better! Drive-ins are part of Australian culture and a great way to experience a movie. For those that don't know, most people on warm nights sit on or outside their cars on deck chairs or blankets. Vans, 4wd's and wagons park backwards with the tailgate open and there are utes and convertibles too. We have seats outside our cafe with speakers for customers to listen to the movie, even the toilets have the sound piped through! David  |  IP: Logged Dave Bird Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 777 From: Perth, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jun 2000 posted 03-14-2007 11:11 PM                        Did Canada have more? I have a listing from 1988 that suggested that 250 existed at that time. There may have been a few more at some point, especially in the cities "back in the day". Drive-ins.com suggests that 80 are still open, I'd put it between 65-75 of them. As for the climate, families showing up again and the fun? I'd have to agree based on what I've seen. These places may be more fun than ever, many have added screens, the movies are new (and appropriate) and though it's true that there's alot of competition for the entertainment dollar, it seems as though most of the "simple, good-old family fun" venues are gone. If you're looking to show the family the "way it was", then these 60-odd drive-ins(mainly in rural or vacation regions) are often the only game in town. The "new build" phenomenon has even been seen here in a couple cases (Vancouver and Toronto).  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 03-15-2007 03:12 PM                        How much lamp?? Even a small screen should require 4500 watts or more. Light means you can open early; and that means DINNER! Most drive ins have the vertical angle (and sometimes the horizontal angle) wrong which costs about 80% of the light. It is not impossible to have in excess of 16 ft/lamberts if the equipment, screen, and architecture "works." Jack & Tim are completely correct on picture and sound. Louis  |  IP: Logged David Kilderry Master Film Handler Posts: 355 From: Melbourne Australia Registered: Sep 1999 posted 03-16-2007 10:58 AM                        I can't understand how some US drive-ins use only 2k xenon lamps; what must the image look like with such low power? In Australia most big carbon lamphouses like the Ashcraft Super Core-Lite etc, gave way to Xebex or Strong 5k xenon lamphouses. Regular xenon alignment, reflector cleaning and fresh lamps go a long way to a good on-screen image. I start our 5k lamps at 135 amps and move them up slowly to the max 150 amps before removal. I do not rotate the lamps any longer as the manufacturers state that the necessity is greatly reduced these days due to great advances in the quality of the quartz envelope and its resistance to blackening. I find the larger the lamp, the more acute the light output is as it reaches 100% life. David  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 03-16-2007 03:01 PM                     To those of you who are in major metro areas anywhere, how far is it to the nearest operating drive in? The nearest one to Richmond, Va. in in Fork Union, VA., 60 miles away. It is open Memorial Day to Labor Day, Friday and Saturday nights only. Plays current second run.  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 03-16-2007 03:14 PM                     quote: Scott D. Neff We seem to have installed a number of screens that are 36x76. Any suggestions for lamp power for one of those suckers? Steve G. has previously recommended 13*h^2 for a flat image. That would be almost 17,000 watts for that size screen, which is way more than the film could handle without damage. You'd be stuck using 7K in a decent lamphouse and with decent optics and hoping for the best.  |  IP: Logged

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