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

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Advice Needed For Historic Theatre (Page 2)

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

Author Topic: Advice Needed For Historic Theatre Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-19-2007 09:39 AM                     I usually pitch ch consoles they are not worth the cost of maintaining them. The rectifiers tend to get noisy with age In fact I try to avoid consoles as much as possible  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-19-2007 09:52 AM                        Will this be a full-time cinema or a multi-use PAC type of facility with occasional film programming? What type of film programming will you be presenting: first-run mainstream titles, late-run mainstream titles, art-house, repertory, festivals, something else? If you are running film only occasionally, where will you find your operators and what type of equipment are they most familiar with? What is the balance of cost vs. quality? Do you want the best presentation that money can buy, or do you want something cheap that can (hopefully) be upgraded in the future as funds allow? All of these considerations will affect what you need to buy.  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 12-19-2007 11:04 AM                     Get rid of equipment that you can't get parts or service for on a phone call. If you're running a platter that is even more important since you will be closed until parts can be found. As for those parts machines, forget them, at the cost of service time do you want to be paying the tech do do the job twice? (Once for the machine being repaired and once for the disassembly of the donor machine). Additionally, there is good chance those old machines were taken out of service because they are broken. Not going to be a service warranty on those used parts either. Got a boat? Use one of them for an anchor.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-19-2007 11:25 AM                     Also on the issue of consoles some may not fit through older doors and if it is a historical building you probably will not be allowed to remove door frames or open new openings to get one in  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 12-19-2007 11:39 AM                     quote: Brian Guckian 70mm would give you commercial leverage in terms of a "unique selling point" that multis would find hard to emulate. There is a fine libary now of classic product, and it has the "wow" factor that would draw people in. 70MM does draw people in, but you are limited to what worn 70MM prints that are available. The newer restored prints are only available to Special venues that are change-over and that have a Great track record on films from the studios.  |  IP: Logged Brian Guckian Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 594 From: Dublin, Ireland Registered: Apr 2003 posted 12-19-2007 02:13 PM                     Sure - my comments were made in the context of putting in twin machines (even Kinoton MP75E's!) and it is understood one would need proper training and some kind of accreditation to get the prints. But it can be done. If the attitude is right, and if the respect and appreciation is there, then it can be done. But only if the venue is suitable! Otherwise 35mm and DLP would be just fine.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-19-2007 06:19 PM                       quote: Mark Gulbrandsen Tim, Now you're beginning to show ignorance Well, that's a two-way street, my friend! What Gordon said.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-19-2007 06:54 PM                     I can't think of a renovaton or rebuild of an existing theater that actually didn't install new doors and windows, granted its warmer where he is and he may not need thermal pane windows. He's not in Canada... he's in the land of the free where they let ya do stuff like that if ya want to....as long as it meets local buldng code. We even had a 10X10 hole cut in a roof once to get 15/70 equipment in by crane. Mark  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-19-2007 07:51 PM                       Well, well. Here's that ignorance thing working back at you, Mark. I just did a renovation in NJ, and none of this happened as you say. We had to finagle the old equipment out and new (standard pedestals) in through existing (narrow) booth openings. No such luxury.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-19-2007 08:21 PM                     Mark any building that has a historical landmark status can not be altered I have even had to conceal surround speakers into the walls behind old brocade fabric because os a desigination (even in many theatres I have done in the USA)  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-19-2007 08:45 PM                     There are two types of restoration done... true to original, and restoration done to make better use of the existing property. A building still holds it's "Historical" status if done either way although I've been told that the Historical Status folks will certainly whine about it. While the people doing the renovation might want to keep things as they were... the Historical Satus ONLY holds in regard to the buiding exterior. Many a theater building has been drastically altered inside to accomodate among other things a complete working stage and or fly, stadium seating, elevators, HVAC, electrical, and so on. I can think of at least three Historical Sites, one in SLC, one in Orem UT that had flys added to the buildings, the Orem location had a second theater (screen) added attached to the south end of the "Historical" building. The Ogden Egyptian Theater restoration is also another good example of this where the main stage, dressing rooms, and too many other aspects to mention here were either altered or added to the interior. The projection booth was drastically altered and offices were built upstairs an elevator added and so on. All three of these sites still have "Historical Landmark Status". Should I list others... Oriental Theater Chicago...Oriental Theater Milwaukee, twinned... Palace Theater Chicago... Chicago Theater and on and on... all these locations maintained their major significent features but they also underwent major use, upgrade, and safety changes, and many changes to allow the operators of these buildings to make money to keep em going. Mark  |  IP: Logged Jack Theakston Master Film Handler Posts: 411 From: New York, USA Registered: Sep 2007 posted 12-19-2007 11:30 PM                     Don't get hooked into 70mm unless you are ready to commit to buying DTS equipment. Unless you want to be running mag with red prints, all of the new prints of 70 flicks are DTS. Also, if you're planning to do repertory, you MUST run reel-to-reel, unless you want to limit your selection of classic films to a few dozen titles. Prints are expensive and most studios will not book to you if you're running platter. If you're a PAC, my guess is that you will have little to no money to spend on this. Get yourself a good set of Simplexes, which can be had at a reasonable price, and make damn well sure you have a good set of lamphouses and lenses to go well with any projectors you get. No one pays for a dim image.  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 12-20-2007 01:21 AM                     quote: Jack Theakston Don't get hooked into 70mm unless you are ready to commit to buying DTS equipment. Unless you want to be running mag with red prints, all of the new prints of 70 flicks are DTS. But there are more 70mm titles available in mag than in DTS, and not all are red. 'Hamlet' was mag, and that was long after low-fade stock was introduced. There have also been odd mag prints produced since then. I think anywhere that plans to run 70mm today really needs to be equipped for both.  |  IP: Logged Jack Theakston Master Film Handler Posts: 411 From: New York, USA Registered: Sep 2007 posted 12-20-2007 01:55 AM                     Indeed, you're correct, Stephen. There were a number of post-LPP titles that were released in 70mm, but my understanding is that the number of these prints that exist are quite slim (do any studios even have runnable prints of these titles for booking?). But if someone wanted to run, say, SOUND OF MUSIC or OKLAHOMA! (the titles that people would rather see in 70mm), they'd either have to settle with a faded 70mm from original release, or run the new DTS 70mm (and with the latter, be able to run 30 fps). Of course, they could always run interlock, but that's a task in its own and I wouldn't recommend it unless they've got some super technicians and projectionists. I also agree that a good booth should be set up to run any number of formats, but my point was that a theater on a budget that is just starting out might be limited in the amount of equipment they can purchase. A good theater starts small and works its way up. So to purchase 35/70s for the booth may be a good idea if this theater plans to invest in more equipment, but if they're just looking to start something up in general, it makes more sense to pick up a couple of 35s and upgrade later if it works out.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-20-2007 05:01 AM                        There's a 70mm DTS print of Oklahoma? I thought that there was only one 70mm print of this title and that it was an early '80s LPP mag print (I've seen that one).  |  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

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

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.