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Author Topic: Lots: screen damage, possible new screen & future of digital in Australia John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-15-2005 01:03 AM                     Silver screens...I hate them. Put a few more bucks into what's driving your light and get a matte screen for an OVERALL good spread of light on the screen. With a silver screen you can walk from the left and see the hot-spot on the left, then walk across to the right and the bloody thing will follow you. If plans were afoot to release EVERYTHING (not just 3 features) in 3D I'd think differently, but to sacrifice quality on 99% of your product to satisfy 1% of product makes little sense. Matte all the way. John  |  IP: Logged Peter Castle Expert Film Handler Posts: 220 From: Wollongong University, NSW ,Australia Registered: Oct 2003 posted 12-15-2005 06:58 AM                     I see your point, John(s). Our venue is very large but is often fully occupied. There are parts of our audience with angles of up to 65 degrees off normal for the far side of the screen. BUT, what is the future of these cinemas if 3D does hit it off (and I can see it happening with digital) ? We can't afford to go with liquid crystal shutter glasses (900 sets at $50US is just too much) We have tried to keep on the leading edge with cinema technology - what's the answer?  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 12-15-2005 08:51 AM                        The answer is to have two screens. Add the 3D screen over the old screen when needed. (Yes, I know it will hurt the sound, but that is waht is done in the States.) An alternative would be to put 3D in a long skinny house only. Louis  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 12-15-2005 10:54 AM                        At present, single projector 3D systems are limited for screen size due to poor light efficiency. For your large screen, definitely go with a properly curved, moderate gain screen. Use a silver screen for 3D only in a theatre where the viewing angles are more narrow.  |  IP: Logged Kevin Baglow Expert Film Handler Posts: 135 From: Yeppoon Qld, Australia Registered: Dec 2000 posted 01-02-2006 11:18 PM                        Email me - for a quote for a new screen! screens@filmtheatres.com  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-02-2006 11:42 PM                     (psst, Kevin. Take your email address out and make a note to email you through your profile section...a no-no posting emails in these forums..)  |  IP: Logged David Kilderry Master Film Handler Posts: 355 From: Melbourne Australia Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-04-2006 01:14 AM                        Peter, go with the mid or even high gain white screen - Pearlux 1.8 gain is an excellent choice. A silver screen certainly drops off on the sides dramatically and can cause all sorts of problems when curved (moving hot spot). After the 3D craze of the early 1980's, silver screens were left installed at various theatres. GU Rapallo Melbourne, Hoyts Cinema Centre 3 and Frankston 3. I worked in all three after 3D had come and gone. Only Frankston 3 had consistent light across all seating positions, as it was a narrow, long auditorium with only mild slope on the seats. The other two suffered from various hot spots and reflections due to their width and in the Rapallo's case, stadium seating. I have seen Chicken Little 3D at Village Jam Factory Cinema 7 and when they change from 35mm to Digital the light just falls off. They have a silver screen and it is a wide auditorium, but they need all the extra light they can muster. As long as glasses are required, 3D will not become widespread in my opinion.  |  IP: Logged Peter Castle Expert Film Handler Posts: 220 From: Wollongong University, NSW ,Australia Registered: Oct 2003 posted 01-04-2006 07:30 AM                     Thanks for your comments. I'm off to see "Chicken Little" (and their silver screen) at Castle Hill on Friday to see what the problem is with a silver screen. We do not have a curved screen frame so we'll still not have one upon replacement. I'll post my comments after the visit.  |  IP: Logged John Koutsoumis Master Film Handler Posts: 261 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Registered: Aug 2003 posted 01-04-2006 06:26 PM                     As a side note just out of interest "The Polar Express" is screening in 3D at the IMAX Theatre Melbourne. Not sure if it's on also in Sydney. Quite a good turnout for last Saturdays 12pm show. Despite being matted to 2.35 or so it's very bright and sharp and on a huge screen! And the Sound system... . I'll be dragging myself off to see Chicken Little in 3D some time soon. But something tells I won't be impressed. We'll see.  |  IP: Logged Peter Castle Expert Film Handler Posts: 220 From: Wollongong University, NSW ,Australia Registered: Oct 2003 posted 01-12-2006 04:00 AM                     OK. Following the visit to Castle Hill and a look at 3D with "Chicken Little", we've decided to replace the screen with a hi-gain screen. The 3D was quite impressive and I do see a future, provided that producers avoid all the pitfalls of 3D that cause headaches (too high a range of depth, excessive "through the screen plane" effects). It may in fact advance d-cinema expansion BUT . . . There has to be a solution for cinemas which cannot install a silver screen like us - due to width of venue. Has anyone heard anything from In-Three, the other company promoting 3D (at least at last year's Showest). Their solution involved shutter glasses. Has this system been installed anywhere and used for screening "Chicken Little". And maybe a solution for non-digital cinemas.  |  IP: Logged Steve Maggs Film Handler Posts: 22 From: Brisbane , Australia Registered: Apr 2000 posted 07-31-2006 09:17 PM                     I have only recently come back to film-tech (my apologies) so this reply is a little overdue. I co-manage the cinema in Brisbane that installed the Christie Digital projector. It is located in the Hawthorne Cinemas (www.cineplex.com.au). This is a family owned independent cinema. Cinema 1 is the original Cinema which was built in the 1940's and currently seats 510. An additional 2 screens were added many years ago (seating 190 and 110). The digital image is projected onto a 56' wide curved screen and looks excellent. I sat and watched Pirates last week and it looked great. Whilst I am not involved with booking the films it seems that we can only get digital copies of films through BVI. The first film screened in digital was Narnia, followed by Casanova, Shaggy Dog, 8 Below and now Pirates.  |  IP: Logged Cameron Glendinning Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 845 From: West Ryde, Sydney, NSW Australia Registered: Dec 2005 posted 08-01-2006 06:21 AM                     Most of 3D's headache problems were caused by out of frame joins wern't they? as one couldnt tell which 1/2 frame was left or right, so often the left eye was out of sync ie one frame in advance with the right. I'm sorry but I cannot think of the future of cinema and mentally see that 50's postcard of a cinema filled with people wearing cardboard glasses. I tend to think of 3D as a gimmic, even IMAX 3D. A serious future for cinema I think not, but some quick cash perhaps. Not worth punishing your regular audience with a hot spotty and uneven silver screen I know I've said it before, but once they get rid of the glasses we will have 50 - 60 frames per sec? no motion blur and the sharpest pics yet! move over showscan. Perhaps this will be the future of cinema. Meanwhile while we wait for hollywood to come up with a fresh idea.......... how bout superdopper extrawidescope for police academy 12?mmmm smellovision re release of Star Wars? here in sydney IMAX dicovered, it is much cheaper (and a noticably brighter image) to use old fasioned cardboard glasses rather than have to constantly clean the expensive hi tec shutter ones.  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-01-2006 09:52 AM                     A silver screen gives you a wicked hot spot that will follow you as you walk across a row of seats with any projected image. The only advantage is the ability to show polarized 3D films, the overall image quality is diminished in my opinion.  |  IP: Logged Kevin Baglow Expert Film Handler Posts: 135 From: Yeppoon Qld, Australia Registered: Dec 2000 posted 08-02-2006 12:58 PM                        Replace it with a silver screen! I can get a quote from the Chinese factory, and have it shipped to you. kevin.baglow@filmtheatres.com  |  IP: Logged Cameron Glendinning Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 845 From: West Ryde, Sydney, NSW Australia Registered: Dec 2005 posted 08-03-2006 09:52 PM                     If chinese screens are as cheap as well chinese cinema seats, buy 2 screens! silver and low gain Dolbys 3d doesnt require a silver screen thank god.  |  IP: Logged

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