Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Big Sky Equipment

This is topic Big Sky Equipment in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 09-20-2002, 12:12 PM:

I was wondering what the general opinion of film-techers is of Big Sky Equipment. My personal experience with their platters hasn't been that great and I wanted to know if people have had similar problems. You see, I have a friend that may be buying some of their equipment soon and I have only worked with their platters. I didn't know if the rest of thier equipment 'worked just as great' (a bit of sarcasm there). Please - do not hold anything back on what you think of their stuff.

Also has anyone on here worked with these companies affilated with Big Sky:

Cloud Industries
CinemaTown USA

THANKS

------------------
"Running through life at 24 frames per second"

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 09-20-2002, 12:21 PM:

*groan* I left those platters behind right after Big Sky announced a brain fix, so I don't know what they are like now. Before the fix, though ...

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 09-20-2002, 01:10 PM:

I'm in the same boat as Adam. Without the fix, I had several decks that would continuously wrap one or two layers, and run like that the entire show. This scratched the

out of many prints. However, I don't know what the fix is like, and I no longer work at that theater.

Their automation is very simple and easy to work with. It's nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. Same with the dimmer and lamphouse. I do like the Irem rectifiers that Big Sky uses with their lamphouses.

Please, at all costs, avoid their cue detectors!! They require that the cues be placed in the center of the film, so they are highly visible on screen! Yes, they are supposed to be placed on the frame line, but you can still see them, especially with scope films. Although I have only seen Big Sky cue detectors used with Big Sky automation (I'm sure they're sold as a package), you can probablly use whatever cue detector you want.

My bottom line opinion: Automation, lamphouses, and dimmers are fine. I've never had a major problem with these. If possible, avoid the cue detector and platters.

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 09-21-2002, 12:49 AM:

I appreciate all of you bumping the old posts up. I think the general concensus is that there a lot of issues with Big Sky - especially their platters. I will have a talk with one of their higher-ups soon and let him know that there seems to be major problems.

Thanks

Dennis