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Topic: Article about Cinesphere And Gord Mcleod

William Hooper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1879
From: Mobile, AL USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-04-2001 10:50 PM

Great article!

And the most accurate piece of theater-tech oriented journalism I've seen. Nice work on getting over the straight story, Gordon.

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Tao Yue
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 209
From: Princeton, NJ
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 07-05-2001 08:48 AM

Very interesting article. Accuracy seems to have be helped by the fact that Brian Florian actually knows something about theatrical motion picture projection, unlike the stereotypical newspaper reporter.

One thing I found strange, though -- if he's been keeping up with film and projection, how come he didn't know about the Lawrence of Arabia restoration? Even if he didn't hear about it when it came out about ten years ago, the title of the film gets back into the news every time the Harris/Katz team releases another restoration.

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Tao Yue
MIT '04: Course VI-2, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Projectionist, MIT Lecture Series Committee

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David Kilderry
Master Film Handler

Posts: 355
From: Melbourne Australia
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 07-07-2001 04:36 AM

Ron Jones invented one of the few real breakthrough motion picture projection advances of the last 50 years. The rolling loop enabled IMAX to have the steadiness, clarity and giant images that it does so well.

Ron was an Australian, who worked as a projectionist in Brisbane I understand, and loved to tinker. The irony today is that the Brisbane IMAX theatre is closed and at last report was just gathering dust.

David Kilderry

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John Wilson
Film God

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

posted 07-07-2001 07:15 AM

Not true, David. It is open.
Click here

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-07-2001 01:10 PM

More interesting was that Ron got the idea for the rolling loop while stuck in traffic on his way home and was worried he would forget the idea before getting home.
He apparently stayed up all night to build the prototype

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Brian Florian
Film Handler

Posts: 2
From: Fredericton, NB, Canada
Registered: Jul 2001

posted 07-16-2001 05:40 AM

It is so very gratifying to see that article meets with the approval of you folks in the cinema community. Thanks for the positive comments.

Jerry, I'd love to work on an animation of the Rolling Loop. Just got to figure out how best to do it. Probably with Flash or something.

Tao Yue, thank you for noticing. I think I'm pretty unique in that even though our web-zine is "home theater" oriented, I am very much an advocate of cinema, always relating back to it.

From the age of 9 to 19 my family was actually in Kenya, which at the time was just coming into it's independence and still had a lot of "colonial England" around. I grew up in th 80s attending cinemas which belonged in the 60s: Grand, enormous movie houses with balcony et all! I remember James Bond was real popular over there and they would frequently re-run them so unlike most my age, I've seen them all on the ~big~ screen.

When I returned to North America and saw the generally poor state of pill-box theaters, I took it upon myself to be versed in motion picture technology.

As far as Lawrence of Arabia, part of that was to keep the article moving along and interesting. I admit though, I had completely forgotten about the restoration until Gord mentioned it. I'm just sad I'm not in one of the 20 cities which will get the dye transfer prints of Apocalypse Now Redux this fall.

Cheers and above all, happy watching!

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Brian Florian
Editor, Canada

Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity http://www.hometheaterhifi.com

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John Wilson
Film God

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

posted 07-16-2001 05:52 AM

Hi Brian

Welcome aboard.

Very good article indeed. I particularly like the visual of Gordon 'gliding' over the front of the mammoth projector.

(Not that I'm doubting that would happen though, Gordon)

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Oscar Neundorfer
Master Film Handler

Posts: 275
From: Senoia, GA
Registered: May 2000

posted 07-16-2001 07:06 AM

Hi Brian,

Welcome to Film-Tech. I thoroughly enjoyed the article on the Cinesphere and Gordon.

Anyone interested in home theatre should check out the site for which Brian writes. http://www.hometheaterhifi.com

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Oscar Neundorfer
Chief Engineer
SMART Devices, Inc.

oscar@smartdev.com

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-16-2001 10:39 PM

Welcome aboard Brian now you will have to come back and visit us in the booth again

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 08-10-2001 11:04 PM

Back to the top. This article about Gordon's booth is referenced in the "IMAX Basics" thread.

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Brian Florian
Film Handler

Posts: 2
From: Fredericton, NB, Canada
Registered: Jul 2001

posted 08-11-2001 07:15 AM

Where is that thead at?

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Brian Florian
Editor, Canada

Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity http://www.hometheaterhifi.com

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-11-2001 07:48 AM

Well today is Ontario Places 30th anaversary and also serial #1's 31st birthday
may the loop keep rolling
today's events
special screening in 70 5perf A Place to Stand (double system mag)
Graeme Ferguson one of the 3 founders of Imax will make a special presentation on the making of North of Superior and then the restored print will be screened
Then a reception for all old staff and the IMAX gang and a lot of booth visitors
Happy Birthday

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 08-11-2001 08:47 AM

Brian, the thread is here in the Film Handler's Forum.

Gordon, happy anniversary to all at OP and to s/n 1! If I didn't have to work today, I'd be there!

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-11-2001 06:41 PM

Well the party went off without a hitch
In the morining the screening of A place to stand was well recieved.
Graeme's presentation on North of Superior was excellent with Bill Shaw also present. Before the film Bill Houston who wrote and sang the title song was here to perform it live.
Later in the day we also screened Nomads of the Deep and Silent SkyDavid Keighley was here with his family the helicopter pilot who did the areials for Nof S was here as was the theatres first projectionist
I think most people had a good day

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