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Author Topic: Justifying a curtain purchase Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-16-2015 06:50 PM                        Thanks everyone for the replies. You all feel the same way I do about curtains. Just a little more FYI, the quote I got is from Franklin Designs of Mississippi; we've known the owners for several years, they are a long-time reputable company and will do a good job. The fabric they are proposing is "Starlette" fabric sewn in a box pleat pattern, which I don't know anything about, so I would appreciate any comments on that too, good or bad. They will also make a pre-install trip out here to survey the location and make sure the installation will work out as intended. As for the masking... it is true that we crop the scope picture, but if it's necessary (if subtitles or credits get cut off) we can run it slightly letterboxed. If I do that, there's less than a foot of white at the top and bottom of the screen. Flat is pillarboxed and has been that way since Day 1 so I'm not as worried about that -- and heck, if the format used in Jurassic World becomes the new standard, we'll have a perfect shaped screen. Moving masking would be a huge project to install due to the way our screen area is built (just ask Mark Gulbrandsen, he's seen it up close). The screen is curved but there is no frame; the anchors are just J-hooks, screwed directly into the walls, floor and ceiling and there's no space behind, above or along side it. So I've made peace with the fixed masking issue. The screen IS masked to 2:1, so the lacings don't show.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-16-2015 07:30 PM                        Frank--that all makes perfect sense in your case, especially since yours is a city building. I know that, at least in Mass. and R.I., the fire marshalls tend to be pretty strict about things like curtains, aisle lighting, exit signs, and the like, although I don't know the specific requirements (which vary by city/town, anyway). I think that this is largely a result of the nightclub fire in Rhode Island about ten years ago. No one wants to be responsible for another event like this, so current fire inspections are now quite strict. In general, I think that this is a good thing, and will improve fire safety in all public buildings.  |  IP: Logged Geoff Jones Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 579 From: Broomfield, CO, USA Registered: Feb 2006 posted 06-16-2015 07:36 PM                        Mike, do you run pre-show ads, or just trailers and the feature? If you run ads, I don't think the curtain is worth the expense. Sure, you can stop the ads a minute before the showtime, close the curtain, and then reopen it, like Harkins does in their big Cine Capri screens, but to me this is cheesy. You can't have your cake and eat it too. However, if your intention is to have the curtain closed with lights shining on it and some appropriate film score playing in the background up until showtime, then dim down the lights, fade out the music and have the curtains open onto your first trailer or a welcome screen, then I think that would be spectacular and would help you stand apart from your competitors, including both home theaters and other cinemas. $0.02  |  IP: Logged Michael Putlack Expert Film Handler Posts: 187 From: Fort Collins, Colorado Registered: Sep 2011 posted 06-16-2015 08:45 PM                        If you get the curtain installed, you can have a "Grand Re-Opening" weekend and make a big deal about it. It would be great to do it to coincide with the new Star Wars or something else big!  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-16-2015 10:57 PM                        quote: Geoff Jones Mike, do you run pre-show ads, or just trailers and the feature? If you run ads, I don't think the curtain is worth the expense. Sure, you can stop the ads a minute before the showtime, close the curtain, and then reopen it, like Harkins does in their big Cine Capri screens, but to me this is cheesy. You can't have your cake and eat it too. We do run ads, but we generally open the doors 20 minutes before the showtime. The ad package is about 10 minutes, so I would plan to open the curtains for the ads, close them for a couple of minutes after the ads and reopen for the main show. I would do some stuff with the ceiling lights too, maybe having them on during the ads, then when the curtain closes, lower them to half before the trailers start and drop the curtain-warmer lights as the curtain is opening. Believe me I would love to not run ads, but that money is going into my next-generation-digital-projector savings account. There are times when even an ancient theater has to bow to the circumstances of today.  |  IP: Logged Terry Monohan Master Film Handler Posts: 379 From: San Francisco CA USA Registered: May 2014 posted 06-17-2015 11:07 AM                     Mike your customers will love a curtain. The most important thing is to light them with COLOR lights. From the bottom start with LED lights that you can change the color every so often. A dark Blue/Red color looks great along the bottom shooting up. Are you going to put in the side to side type or waterfall going up type curtain? Don't forget to start the image of a film on the curtain then open them up. Don't open on a white screen like so many candy projection mangers do. Also put in a close tab after the trailers and open the curtain again on the main feature. Send us some photos when you get them up and going.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 06-17-2015 11:24 AM                        Firstly, would sponsorship be something that could be investigated? From my experience in non-profits I've seen that it's much easier to interest a potential sponsor in a specific, visible item or project than in contributing to general running costs, because it gives the sponsor easy and good PR - e.g. "The July 4 classic movies weekend, sponsored by your local Chevy dealer" - that sort of thing. If there are any local businesses around (and especially local branches/presences of big businesses that could be looking for a tax writeoff), it might be worth working up a specific proposal, explaining how the sponsor would be getting positive PR from their partnership with you (e.g. an ad played at the start of each show for a year after the curtain goes up - that sort of thing). Secondly, in terms of justifying the cost, instead of pitching it as a $20k investment (a big, scary number), pitching it as $4 per show for the next three years - half the hourly cost of the concessionist - might be less likely to scare your wife?  |  IP: Logged Scott Jentsch Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1061 From: New Berlin, WI, USA Registered: Apr 2003 posted 06-19-2015 03:58 PM                        Your intention to put in a curtain is laudable. Even if your customers don't notice it specifically, I think it's one of those things that adds to the moviegoing experience that people will appreciate, even if not directly because of that one single element. I think the comparison to having a nice kitchen table or cleaning up the house before company comes over is a good one. Not because you are justifying this to your wife, but rather, it follows with your approach to showmanship. When we have family over for Thanksgiving dinner, we use the good china and silverware we received as wedding presents. Would the meal taste as good if we just used our everyday plates and silverware? Sure, but the impression it leaves with our guests is worth the work of washing all that fancy stuff by hand instead of throwing the daily stuff in the dishwasher and hitting "turbo-wash." When I have been most impressed with theaters, it has been because the finer details have been considered. Sure, the baseline should always be an excellent presentation of picture quality and sound quality. The bathrooms and lobby and auditoriums should always be clean and presentable. But after that (assuming that those expectations have been reached, of course), it comes down to the friendliness of the staff, the condition of the building, and the various design elements. If someone were to accuse you of running a classy movie theater, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Having a screen open before the show is a class act thing to do. It's one of the things that you can do to set yourself apart from the multiplexes of the world. One final thought, and this depends entirely upon your relationship with your wife. In my situation, I just purchased a big-ticket item that I've been wanting for many years. I followed many eBay auctions and local sales and learned as much as I could about what a fair price is, and what was worth buying and what to avoid. The opportunity presented itself just recently, and my wife was completely supportive, even though she was nervous about the expenditure. When I expressed some "what the heck did I just do" doubts, she became concerned, but then I reassured her that I was confident about what I did and why, but I was just somewhat surprised that it finally happened. She had confidence in me that I was making a good decision, and supported me, even if it didn't have nearly the same value to her. Your wife may be counting on you to exercise the proper due diligence and responsibility, and will allow that faith in you to carry her through what she considers to be a possibly unnecessary expense. If you are confident, exude that confidence and exercise it accordingly. Good luck, and I look forward to seeing the installation!  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 06-19-2015 05:45 PM                     The council-owned place that we operate has it's curtain operable again since Wednesday morning for the first time in a number of years. It will be used properly for the first time for the festival screenings of David Lean's 'Summer Madness', AKA 'Summertime' next Thursday. This evening I was projecting for the end of year show for the work of students from the college where I used to work, and I did close it at the end of the show.  |  IP: Logged Per Hauberg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 883 From: Malling, Denmark Registered: Jul 2000 posted 06-20-2015 11:44 AM                        A single screener is the reel thing, opposed to the film supermarkets. A single screener is cosy - and the moving curtain is a part of beeing cosy. Go for it ! Per  |  IP: Logged Jim Cassedy Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1661 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Dec 2006 posted 06-20-2015 12:37 PM                     quote: Leo Enticknap Firstly, would sponsorship be something that could be investigated? That's in interesting thought that might be worth investigating. Last year, I "adopted" the neon sign of a local non-profit theater when I noticed some of its' neon was out and it needed some other repairs. Their budget has been extremely tight since their conversion to digital, so they had no money to take care of the sign. I made a proposal to the owners to "adopt" the sign. We worked out a written agreement, renewable yearly, and with a price cap, and also a liability release. (If the sign came crashing down during a storm and landed on top of a car or a little old lady, or I didn't want to be held legally or financially liable.) The repairs I funded cost under $2,000, and since the theater is operated by a non-profit, they gave me paperwork to take it off my taxes next year, so it sorta works out well for both parties. Maybe you can find a sponsor or generous patron to help fund your curtain installation.  |  IP: Logged John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 06-20-2015 02:01 PM                     Hey Mike. Haven't posted in eons, but this post caught my attention. By all means, go for it!! I know you are the only game in town and it doesn't make sense from an economic standpoint, but if you have the money to do it, by all means indulge yourself. I have not been in a commercial theatre since the one I worked at got taken over three years ago and ended my time in the theatre business for good. But, if you were near me it would get me back for sure. There are precious few single screens left, and they ALL deserve a curtain.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-21-2015 12:48 PM                        quote: John T. Hendrickson, Jr There are precious few single screens left, and they ALL deserve a curtain. Spoken like a true showman, John; thank you. I am going to print it under a picture of my proscenium on 11x14, put in frames hang up one in my office and another in the rewind room first thing tomorrow morning!  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-21-2015 01:42 PM                     If you don't mind a little humor... You'll probably never convince a woman who doesn't want to hang curtains!  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 06-21-2015 03:08 PM                     quote: Leo Enticknap instead of pitching it as a $20k investment Ummm, did Mike actually say his quote was going to cost him $20k, or did you just pick a random number to prove a point? If that's going to cost $20k then something is definitely wrong. Maybe Joe would be willing to make you a custom intro that you could play on top of the curtains as they open. It could have your logo on screen with a kazoo band fanfare . Man that would be sweet. Mike, I seriously do applaud you for considering this and I do hope you are able to make it happen (just don't jeopardize the relationship). There are so few people around who seem to care anymore. I'm not like Guttag in saying that without a curtain there is no presentation quality, but anyone who actually goes to the effort and expense of adding a curtain...very admirable! If you ever are able to figure out a way to get motorized masking in place, be sure to do top/bottom as well as side masking. This way you can shrink down the size of your screen during preshow. Customers would walk in and sit down, not really paying any attention to the content anyway (because it's preshow), then the curtains would close, there would be a nice bit of silence to get everyone's attention, the house lights start to dim (with the curtain lights still on bright to further attract attention to the stage) and then a few moments later the curtains start to open and suddenly the picture is noticeably bigger because it's the REAL show. And don't forget to run your preshow ads in mono too.  |  IP: Logged

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