Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Last night of the change over?

This is topic Last night of the change over? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=004840

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 05-01-2003, 03:13 AM:

Well, last Tuesday was the final night of the change over at the local drive in. The films that were played were, Agent Cody Banks followed by Bullet Proof Monk. We have three outdoor cinemas, one was still a change over. The booth is at least 20 years old and probably has not seen much of an upgrade, anyhow the automation did not work even to shut down. We now have a new set of strong platters as were are awaiting our new projector. To tell everyone the truth having platters is much better, but doing a change over was alot of fun. I think I will miss it!
Anyone on this board have stories of change overs still used or prjection booths that were originally changeover?
Tom.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-01-2003, 07:20 AM:

Call for Mr. Guttag!!! [Big Grin]

Actually, there have been quite a few threads on the subject, arguing the merits of platters vs. changeovers, and asking who still uses changeovers (more screens than you might think).

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 05-01-2003, 08:34 AM:

You've got to be kidding!

We just installed the American Film Institute's Silver Theatre complex (3-screens) all changeover. I'm heading down to Williamsburg, VA to upgrade their sound system...both screens changeover. The drive-in we service in Virginia (Dalke's Family Drive-In)...both screens changeover...in fact, Mr. Dalke only has one screen with a platter in any of his facilities...only one to go down too (static related problems).

Those are just examples....about 90% of the theatres we service are changeover...only the mall-plexes are platter types.

Steve

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 05-01-2003, 09:07 AM:

Platters suck! Just ask Brad, he'll agree. [Smile]

BTW, who needs automation?

Posted by Don Sneed (Member # 955) on 05-01-2003, 10:09 AM:

I too miss the changeover days, although I'm no longer a projectionist (now service tech for the past 23yrs.)the reel to reel machines looked like a projector with real lamphouses (carbon or Xenon)not consoles...it is a pleasure to service a Reel to reel booth although I no longer get a chance to do...the projection staff today haven't a clue what it was like to do changeovers, most projectionist do not know the reel change cue mark are even on the film, if some do, they do not know what they are for....yes I am glad I came in on the tail end of carbon lamps, reels change ect in the early 70's before platters, xenon lamps,console...this was when a projectionist was a projectionist, NOW...they are film jockys !!! Even in my line of work now, I was once call "the sound engineer" now Iam a theatre technician....I hate to say it...but I miss the old days !!! But love the new digital technology...I remember when I 1st started in the booth, we had 35-50 watts mono amplifiers, when I went to work at another theatre that had a 100-watts amplifier...whooaaa weeeee I thought I had something, now I install 7,000 to 29,000 watts sound systems....what a difference 30 yrs makes !!!

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 05-01-2003, 10:57 AM:

I still run changeovers. The only time I get to run platters are
when I'm sent out to do premieres and media screenings away from my screening room. One of the Paramount executives I run film for still has carbon arc screening room at his home. I wish I
could go back to running change overs on premieres.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 05-01-2003, 11:30 AM:

quote:

29,000 watts sound systems

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 05-01-2003, 12:59 PM:

I think the Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon (A performing arts center) still runs Simplex E-7's and changeovers, I think. Haven't heard much if they have changed anything in the last three years.

Hopefully, I'll have some pictures of the Lincoln for Brad to post.

Posted by John Spooner (Member # 1565) on 05-01-2003, 01:48 PM:

All of our theatres are change-over. We run 6000ft spools in all except one where we retained 2000ft spools and carbon arc.
One great advantage of the 2 machines is that one fails for any reason, the show can still continue, unlike an automatic system with just the one machine.
Regards. John Spooner.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 05-01-2003, 03:02 PM:

Still changeover & 20 min reels at my screening room. Running with changeovers is the least laborious thing I do; correcting the damage done to prints by prior platter users is the most. Thus if they ever switched to shipping 6000' reels or full platter loads my workload would drop, not so much because I'd be spending less time at the machines but because I'd be spending far less time at the bench.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 05-01-2003, 03:40 PM:

My upcoming project, and all that follow, will be changeover and carbon arc (as long as they keep making them). [thumbsup]

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 05-01-2003, 05:29 PM:

Today, I found out the Lincoln Theatrein Mount Vernon is, indeed, still running Simplex E-7's with manual changeover. The Peerless lamps (which I installed in the '70's) were retired about 2 years ago because carbon rods were getting too hard to come by. They were replaced by Xenon lamphouses. I think I know where they came from.

The booth is still running 2,000-foot reels, though, and they have upgraded the sound system to a Dolby CP-65.

I'll get some pictures of the theatre soon.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 05-01-2003, 06:13 PM:

The Cinerama Theatre was the last theatre in Consolidated circuit in Honolulu that had a change system because the resident projectionist felt it was easier to exhibit 70mm using a change over system as I was once told. With the demise of wide spread release of 70mm features, the Cinerama eventually went to a platter system and a single projector. I had mentioned this several times before but I also learned that the Waikiki theatres had to pass on 70mm prints of "THE RIGHT STUFF" and "GODFATHER III" because the platter system they had could not run the films without an intermission. I was told most platter can do it especially with DTS encoded prints because the prints lacks the thickness due to the absence of the magnetic tracks. God, how I miss 70mm films, especially the earlier ones that were photographed in 65mm!

-Claude

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 05-01-2003, 06:19 PM:

20 kW to 40kW of audio power is common in the the large format 1570/870 world, depending on theatre size.

>>> Phil

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 05-02-2003, 08:15 AM:

Still making 6000 ft. changeovers, and due to the large inventory of reels using small shafts too. Our equipment was installed in June of '53 in anticipation of the opening of the Robe in October of that year. If a mag print ever shows up again we can run that too.

Posted by Don Sneed (Member # 955) on 05-02-2003, 09:49 AM:

Stephen, I have (2) theatres in Japan that was all THX, the power rating for these SDDS theatres were 18,000 - 29,000 watts (5)-screen channels, (22) surrounds, (4-6) subwoofers, a total of (17) amplifiers...most theratres we do today in the states are 7,500 watts total power (at full volume course).

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 05-02-2003, 03:44 PM:

Don wrote:

quote:

most theratres we do today in the states are 7,500 watts total power

What size auditorium would this be for, and how is that power divided between screen channels, surrounds and sub woofers?

Most of the places I see, leaving aside the few still on mono, seem to have from 100 to a few hundred Watts per main screen channel, I'm not sure about the sub-woofers, they obviously take a fair amount of power, but I'm sure the total would be well below the figures you quote, I would have thought maybe 500 to 2k total. This would be for auditoria of from about 50 to 500 seats, dating from 1910 to late 1990s, all independant, mainly art-house type places.

Posted by Michael Harlow (Member # 1353) on 05-02-2003, 03:51 PM:

My hall is 480 seats (used to be 750) and my sound system is 9kw inc subs and surrounds, we have 8 amplifiers 3 stage stacks 2 bass bins, 16 surrounds. needless to say i do not run the system flat out.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 05-02-2003, 04:29 PM:

Michael, I can't imagine there are many cinemas in Faversham, is this the place that was still running pre-war BTH projectors with 1950s Kalee President arcs and Varamorphs a few years ago? The 'New Royal', I think it was called. If so, I visited it with the CTA, we saw 'Cinema Paradiso' there. Ex Odeon I think it was.

I seem to remember that the auditorium was quite large compared to the places I am used to, the difference in volume of the auditorium would account for some of the extra power you have installed, but, per cubic metre, you still seem to have a higher power installed than I am used to. If this is the cinema I am thinking of, this system must have been installed quite recently, maybe that accounts for part of the difference. Also, are you running digital sound?

Posted by Michael Harlow (Member # 1353) on 05-02-2003, 04:48 PM:

Stephen, Yes we are the one! we upgraded in 2001 to Platter, Kinoton FP20, Dolby CP55, QSC and Peavey amps. 2kw xenon. I have a DA20 which is waiting to go in... If you're down our way, please pop in.

Michael

Posted by Justin West (Member # 920) on 05-03-2003, 09:20 PM:

Two changeover houses I enjoy are drive-ins: the 34 DI at Earlville, IL and the Macon DI at Macon, MO...both also use carbon arc lamphouses...and if you visit either one, you might feel like you have stepped back in time. They are both worth visiting. [Cool]

A side note, Tim Reed also did changeovers, just for intermission trailers, then back to the platter for the features while running the show at the defunct South Park Drive-In (Louisville, KY). That's where I learned about the cue marks!