Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Stadium Sight Lines

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Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 07-17-2005, 12:23 AM:

I was just thinking. Looking at some pictures of sloped floor auditoriums, I remembered (haven't been in one in a while) that the seats were normally angled towards the center of the screen with slightly curved rows. I have never been in a stadium auditorium where the rows were anything but perfectly straight. So, do stadium theatres actually have worse sight lines than sloped (especially as you get near the sides of the auditorium)?

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 07-17-2005, 12:30 AM:

I agree with you, but the reason is - it's more expensive to make rows curved.

I have always felt that, properly done, sloped floor auditoriums are generally better than stadium seating.

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 07-17-2005, 01:38 AM:

Hi Folks:

Most stadium theatres are only worth it if you can sit in the center or at least near the center. Getting stuck on the sides is just as bad, if not worse, that sitting directly behind someone on the conventional sloped floor design.

Mike

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 07-17-2005, 07:23 AM:

Our "first" (Goshen Indiana) features curved stadium seating all the way to the rear; (front 50% conventional)

"Modified" stadium (Front 50% normal/back 50% stadium) it is possible to curve the front and to leave the back straight. It is most certainly a compromise; done in the interest of economy.

Louis

Posted by Mark Hajducki (Member # 1732) on 07-17-2005, 08:07 AM:

Curved seating is more important if your auditorium is fan shaped (with seats not directly in front of the screen). Many modern multiplexes are built with wall to wall screens and rectangular auditoria.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 07-17-2005, 09:22 AM:

Act III's "Stadium Riser" setup used curved rows throughout and only had a 7-inch height difference between rows. Their marketing compared it to an amphitheater layout and emphasized sight lines. Megaplex 17 (Salt Lake City) is also curved, the only two-tier stadium setup I know of to be built this way. Here's a pic, but it might be hard to tell...

But for the most part, straight is the design standard. Given the quality of the equipment in most builds today, and the level of "concern" patrons seem to have, I probably wouldn't bother with curving either.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-17-2005, 11:58 AM:

quote: John Walsh
"....but the reason is - it's more expensive to make rows curved. .."

Now, a simple question: Why would the seating arrangement in the radius (curved) setup be more expensive to install than a straight setup? I didn't know that there was a cost difference with either setup.

I know of a 6 screener back in the mid-west that had all of their seats set straight across, square to the screen, in their auditoriums.

The front row so close to he screen where you can actually touch the bottom of the screen by reaching out with arm's length.

Some of the auditoriums were of the "continental with wings" setup. Others were the "shotgun" - center aisle setup (which I can't stand).

The floors were of the conventional, sloped variety.

I always felt sorry for the poor customers who had to sit in those straight "wing" chairs and have to sit at an angle to be somewhat centered -facing with the screen. How unconfortable this was.

The owner of this 6-screener definitely doesn't know how to please his customers with comfortability with this kind of seating setup.

-Monte

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 07-17-2005, 06:40 PM:

Remember the owners of these theatres are sometimes first-timers and sometimes financial people who do not understand why a slight additional expense can help so much.

It is usually the architect's job to marginalize EVERY OTHER person on the job so as to retain power. Power equals money this way.

Recently I "lost" the THX-style sound walls in a rural 5-plex since the architect said it would add $22,000 to the cost of each room. (The builder said $4,000.)

Louis