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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Topic: Your DREAM Theater...
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Scott Jentsch
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1061
From: New Berlin, WI, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 01-07-2014 12:38 PM
If I were to create my dream movie theater, the first thing I would do is tour every single location that everyone here is involved in. You're here because you give a damn, and those personal conversations and site visits would provide invaluable information.
From a styling standpoint, I would do something that combines art deco and craftsman/prairie style. It would not be casual but it would also not be faux-stuffy.
I think people respond to the atmosphere, and will act differently when going to a nicely appointed theater with well-dressed, mannered staff than they do when attending a discount house that has ripped carpeting and staff the looks like mental zombies.
I would mix large auditoriums with smaller ones to handle the variety of movies and audiences effectively. But every room would perform the same. Sight lines, viewing angles, and sound quality should be equivalent in every auditorium. THX standards would be the starting point and then hopefully improved from there.
I would want enough auditoriums to show the current new releases, but then also have a room or two that would have lesser-known material and/or classics, etc.
I would pay to clone Robert Osborne and have him introduce every movie. That man represents movies in my mind. (Is it possible to have a theater where Turner Classic Movies is playing 24/7?) If I can't have him in person, then I'd like to have him do his intro on-screen in lieu of advertising, which there wouldn't be any. Maybe one or two relevant trailers after the lights dimmed and the curtain opened.
Did I not mention the curtain? Every screen would be covered by a curtain.
The ceiling would be painted by this place: Night Sky Murals
The front of the building would prepare people for what was inside. I believe the moviegoing experience starts at the curb, so I would want to impress people from the start. The marquee would be tastefully done, but feature electronic signage that would be filled with custom images created by Bobby or some other skilled person that would put in the kind of effort that the carpenters of old did with their custom work on the marquees.
Staff would be attentive and professional. Random auditorium visits would ensure sound quality, picture quality, and audience behavior standards. I would expect finding and retaining quality staff would be the biggest challenge to my theater.
Operations-wise, I think I would go all-digital, with the centralized service that Brad supplies. From what I have read, that seems to be the best way to go for a worry-free and efficient operation from the technical side of things. A NOC that can detect, diagnose, and possibly solve remotely, and then dispatch technicians when necessary seems like a given in a modern operation to me.
Concession-wise, I would offer the traditional options, with edible popcorn that was the best possible. I would charge the usual high price as the other chains, but it would have to be remarkable when compared to the others. I would find out if Garrett's would do licensing, as that stuff is incredible!
I would not offer in-theater dining, as I think it's too difficult to do that well and not create all kinds of issues. I went to a movie recently where the people in front of us had 15x15 pizza boxes that they kept flipping open, which was distracting and it looked very clumsy for them to handle. I've enjoyed getting a burger and fries at a local theater, but it's difficult to eat that in a darkened auditorium, so I'd rather offer a food court of sorts in the lobby that offered dining options instead. Lou Malnati's Pizza, Kopp's Frozen Custard, the aforementioned Garrett's Popcorn, and the like. Those food court options could be accessible to the public as well, which would help drive traffic to them and the theater, and the ticket gate would have to be set up so that handling that traffic wouldn't be a problem.
So, who wants to front me the money? ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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Scott Jentsch
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1061
From: New Berlin, WI, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 01-08-2014 10:13 AM
quote: Mike Blakesley
This is an illustration of where I have the occasional quandary. I want to outfit our place with the best stuff I can afford, BUT I want to keep the nostalgic/classic feel. I'd love to have an electronic marquee but I'd probably still keep the static letters - no fancy moving or colored images. It would distract from the rest of the building which is still all-original looking on the outside.
That is a difficult balance to strike, but in the right situation, I think it could be done. The biggest thing, in my opinion, is restraint in what is shown on the display. I wouldn't want it to look like a billboard that flashes a new message every six seconds, or look like something that would be on the strip or Fremont Street in Las Vegas with bright flashing images and maybe even video clips.
The El Capitan is what came to mind when I mentioned the marquee, even though I've only seen it in photos. I like the combination of neon, light bulbs, and the electronic signage. Does it feature a static image or is it more flashy/frenetic?
I wonder if it would be possible with the current technology to replicate the look of the Wagner letters and signage to create the look, if not the texture of that era of signage? For the right movie/situation, I could see that being pretty cool to do, even if it wasn't the best way to show off everything the expensive technology can do. Again, restraint would pay dividends.
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Geoff Jones
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 579
From: Broomfield, CO, USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 01-20-2014 11:48 PM
- Four auditoriums, all identical, so that you don't have to worry about whether your film is on the good screen.
- Curved 80' wide screens with full curtains and side masking.
- Projection equipment for 70MM, 35mm, 4k digital with money in escrow to upgrade to 8k or better.
- Thunderous sound system with all available formats including 64 channel Atmos surround sound.
- Enough soundproofing that you never hear the film next door.
- 800 seat sloped seating with rows wide enough to walk down without disturbing those around you.
- Aisles down the sides - no center aisle.
- Before showtime, relevant film scores play over the sound system and colored spotlights animate gently on the curtains.
- Two or three trailers per feature and an appropriate sound system trailer.
- Filmmaker appearances once or twice a month for Q&A following the feature.
- 1-strike policy for talking, texting, cell phones, etc
- Showing a mixture of classic and current films.
- Basement - an environment-controlled 500 film storage vault with room for expansion and pristine prints of every great blockbuster and classic. (Plus one-sheets)
- Sub Basement features a laboratory capable of striking new 70MM and 35mm prints.
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