Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Cinerama presentation (the *real* thing) in Seattle

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Posted by Randy Rock (Member # 454) on 06-03-2000, 09:28 AM:

As part of the 26th Seattle International Film Festival, a special "Cinerama" day was presented at the newly-refurbished 800 seat Seattle Cinerama Theater.

John Harvey made the journey to Seattle with his vintage compilations of "This is Cinerama" and "How the West Was Won".

The Seattle Cinerama retained its original "three booth" configuration during its recent renovation. All major original Cinerama equipment was long removed from the theater. An abused and decrepit set of Cinerama projectors was located (in Peru!) and refurbished/rebuilt by American Cinema Equipment of Portland, Oregon. A vintage sound reproducer was also located and rebuilt. New 7K Knisely xenon lamps were provided, and a new true-to-the original strip screen (in addition to a "standard" 65-foot screen for 35 and 70 presentations). Other than mag reproducer, all sound equipment is new, but JBL horn-loaded screen speaker systems are used, updated versions of the designs used for the original 50's Cinerama systems. (The "normal" sound system for 35 and 70 presentations uses EAW speakers, but a "special" speaker system is also permanently installed at the theater *just* for Cinerama presentations. It helps to have a billionaire financing things.)

I'm one of the regular projectionists at the Cinerama, and am very familiar with what "normal" 35 and 70 look like. I'd never seen "real" Cinerama.

The presentation in Seattle was stunning. Yep, everything they say about how wonderful Cinerama was (technically, I won't start in on the artistic merits/lack thereof of HTWWW)is true. All the "best" aspects of Cinerama- brilliant image, sharpness, depth- were evident. Sound quality was breathtaking, particularly for HTWWW. I've shown and seen a lot of film, but "Cinerama" is one of the high points of my cinema experience.

There were only two minor flaws in the presentations, both correctable. A vintage Eprad double MUT (NOT rebuilt/furnished by American Cinema Equipment) failed at one point, causing the show to come to a halt, and the building HVAC system causes a pressure differential between the front and back of the screen, causing some strips to waver so much in the ensuing air currents that there is the appearance (in projected image) of many, many base scratches.

Hats off to Seattle International Film Festival, Mr. John Harvey, American Cinema Equipment, and Mr. Paul Allen/Vulcan Northwest for a truly memorable presentation of Cinerama, the way it was meant to be.

Check out www.cineramaadventure.com.

I've also posted a review of the documentary "Cinerama Adventure" in the "reviews" area of this site.

Posted by Ari Nordström (Member # 288) on 06-03-2000, 03:42 PM:

As the projectionist at a former Cinerama theatre in Sweden, where the signs of Cinerama still are all over the auditorium and the booth, let me just say that I'd kill for a chance to run a Cinerama presentation.

<sigh>

Posted by Christopher Seo (Member # 7) on 06-03-2000, 04:28 PM:

As far as flaws in the presentation go, I'm wondering how noticeable the "seams" in the picture were between the three projected images. I remember reading that some comb device was used to slightly blur the edges of each image so that they would blend more easily.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 06-03-2000, 07:15 PM:

In the interest of highest quality I'm surprised that they have not adopted the Cinemiracle method of doing the joins. This makes them almost invisible and would be easy to do, much easier than the jiggilos in the projector heads. The left and right images are bounced off mirrors with mocrometer adjustments. Needless to say the fine alignment possible with this method is far superiou to moving the actual projector around.
Mark

Posted by Christopher K. Williams (Member # 418) on 06-04-2000, 02:43 AM:

Randy,

Are any more Cinerama presentations scheduled this year, or was that it? I wanted to attend, but wasn't able to get there this weekend (AAARRGH!).

Posted by Randy Rock (Member # 454) on 06-05-2000, 10:36 PM:

In response, but not in order:

No more Cinerama presentations in Seattle scheduled at the moment that I am aware of. Will post if I learn anything.

Cost of "converting" theater to Cinerama and back again is huge. Remove "regular" 65 foot screen, remove "regular" curtain, remove "regular" speakers. Rig Cinerama screen, curtain, speakers. Move projectors around in booth. At times a crew of about 20 was on hand. Reverse all when done. Lose a day or two of screen revenue for set-up and break down each.

Currently we have *four* projection devices in a too small booth (along with two sound racks, Kelmar bench, storage cabinet, platter, film storage cabinet, terlet, sink):
Kinotone DP75, used for every day 35mm presentations. With outboard water/refrigeration-type gate cooler. The electronic pulldown does blast a lot of light on screen from the 7K Kinotone lamp. Haven't used it for 70mm yet.
Christie 35mm projector with Strong Super 80 lamp, "backup" in event heavily-electronic microprocessorized Kinotone burps and parts aren't on hand.
Cinerama/Century projector with Kniesley 7K lamp. Pushed to side and stored.
Norelco AA2 w/Strong Super 80. Pushed to side and stored. Was the dedicated 70mm projector before Kintone, current fate uncertain. *I* thought it would make a swell 35mm backup projector, but it is deemed to formidable for management staff to operate when a "regular" projectionist is not on duty.
A big rented video thing, for Seattle International Film Festival. Used for some documentary presentations, going away soon. Includes VTR piled on case next to projector.

With regard to Cinerama "lines":

When all is adjusted properly, and cinematograpy is *just so*, the lines disappear. That is (used most effectively in How the West Was Won) when the "lines" have been deliberately made to fall on tree trunks and other vertical elements of picture.

When lines fall on large uniformly colored areas with no texture (blue sky) they are noticeable, at least to me. But, hey, I see changeover cues when I'm not looking for them.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 06-06-2000, 11:04 AM:

Randy,
I know what you mean about them hiding the lines on trees and other places. they did a pretty good job of that in HTWWW. I was told by operators that ran Cinemiracle that the Cinemiracle system was far better than the Cinerama jiggolo system of blending. The mirror system just let the light fall off the edge of the mirrors and the micrometers were used to set the position on the screen. This is alot more accurate and simpler to do once the mirrors are made and setup.
I can only pray that they will take that stupid second screen out some day and leave it out!! Then it would be nice to see a film there....any film. I will go back there then, but for now there are any number of theaters in L.A. that are actually far better.
Mark