quote: Aaron Sisemore

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but aren't the Cinerama screens masked down for 4/35

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quote: David Kilderry

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The Village Knox Cinemas (16 screens) in Melbourne have a 100 ft screen in their V-Max auditorium. It is 70mm equipped, but runs 35mm scope at the full width of 100 ft. It has a Cinemeccanica Vic 8 with refrigerated water-cooled gate. It was running a 10,000 watt xenon lamp, but has been reduced to an 8,000 watt unit. The 70mm projector is a Bauer U3.

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quote: Andrew McCrea

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What kind of lamphouse is running 35mm with an 8k xenon, while filling an 100' screen? How is the film not melting or warping?

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Heat damage:

Kodak Heat Damage Article Part 1

Kodak Heat Damage Article Part 2

An excellent SMPTE Paper by Kodak's Paul Preo was published in the September 1983 SMPTE Journal: "Projection Performance of Theatrical Motion-Picture Films Using Xenon Short-Arc Lamps". The paper notes that blistering of B&W silver image film occurs at a power intensity of 0.7 to 0.8 watts per square millimeter, and scorching of color films occurs at 1.00 to 1.15 watts per square millimeter. The most frequent cause of excessive power intensity is misfocusing the lamp to a "hot spot", or inadequate heat filtration (needed to remove damaging infrared energy from the light).

Interestingly, this month will see the first major silver-image B&W release in a few years, "Good Night, and Good Luck", so care will be needed to be sure proper heat filtration is in place, and lamps are properly aligned and focused.
 

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Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 142) on 10-14-2005, 12:23 AM:
 
Andrew, V-Max is a complete Cinemeccanica setup, lamphouse included. Lamphouse filters are in place and it requires absolute precision in xenon alignment. A combination of both laser alignment and manual adjustment occurs. A Spectra Cine light meter is used along with electronic (laptop) driven system for light readings.

A good deal of research was conducted during initial design to push the boundaries as far as possible. A large amount of it consisted of Kodak and SMPTE data and papers, along with older research conducted into lighting 130 foot-plus drive-in screens with 35mm. Early tests (on test film - junk prints) certainly resulted in buckling and scorching/fading of prints. The combination of a refridgerated water cooled gate along with a dichroic reflector, Isco Ultra Star HD Plus lenses, filters and precise alignment combine to deliver the current presentation.

Until recently, Village were the largest cinema operator in the world outside of the USA. If you every have the chance to grab a ticket to one of the 800 seats in V-Max, do so it is amazing.
 

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Posted by John Koutsoumis (Member # 1855) on 10-14-2005, 08:18 AM:
 
I have not personally visited the V MAX screen, there are now 2 here in melbourne. But I have heard some pretty damning reviews about the awful picture. Apparently they are also not worth running in terms of costs. Village City Centre #1 was big enough for me but now the presentation there is awful. Used to be awesome for a 60-70 ft screen. Why don't Village Roadshow Distribution strike a 70 mm print of new feature and do a trial. See if they can pull in the masses, I doubt they would loose money. No point in saying a new Cinema is 70 mm equipped and not run the format
 

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Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 142) on 10-14-2005, 10:23 AM:
 
John, with respect, you can hardly comment without seeing them for yourself. Knox V-Max measured 12fl on scope and 10.5fl on w/s with new lamps in 2003. I can't comment with actual specs today as I no longer work for Village. Last time I saw a film in there it was down on light a little, but there are several complexes belonging to Village's competitors that are so dark a dolphin torch would do better!

There would be over 100 screens in Melbourne with less light than that regardless of screen size.

In terms of size, VCC 1 was good in its day (1986) and is still not bad, but Village alone in Melbourne have larger screens at Jam Factory, Southland, Knox, Century City, Karingal, Sunshine and Fountain Gate.

With regard to 70mm prints, we can only hope. Village equipped Rivoli 1 and Knox 1 with 70mm to be ready in case another Titanic or Hamlet came along. A blow up as a one off would cost the earth, the only lab doing mag today that I'm aware of is in France. A DTS track needs more than just a local distrib. on board to organise.

Knox in my opinion is Australia's best multiplex. V-Max, Gold Class, Europa and the mainstream screens are all of a very high standard. The Wow factor starts at the front and the foyer is massive. It is well worth a look.
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 10-14-2005, 10:56 AM:
 
Generally, any hope of having 70mm prints of a current release depends on prorating the cost of multiple prints to make the required blow-up 65mm duplicate negative and DTS time code negative. Since the prints are made on slower printers and processed on slower processing machines, the per-foot cost of actually making each print is somewhat more than twice that of 35mm prints.

Kodak sells 70mm print film for essentially twice the price per foot of 35mm print film. Most of it today is used for 15-perf format 70mm prints.
 

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Posted by Phillip Grace (Member # 2262) on 10-14-2005, 10:33 PM:
 
A bit off-topic, but I think that the high cost of a 70mm print could be well justified, based on a choice of feature with a long release life, printed on polyester base low-fade stock and with a durable digital sound format of some kind. Dare we hope that 70mm prints would only find their way into venues where the operators had sufficient skill to screen them for extended seasons without damage?
Our big screen is about 60ft x 50ft, but we dont use that much of it every day. It does have quite an elaborate masking system (24 presets) to cope with all shapes and sizes of picture. The curved truss for the bottom masking for that span is, I'm told, made of carbon fibre.
 

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Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 142) on 10-15-2005, 08:09 AM:
 
Phil, I heard you were running Poltergeist last night in 70mm. Could it be the same print you and I worked on all those years ago on its initial release in Russell 6?

I share your concerns about experienced 70mm projectionists, but I thought something like the LOTR Trilogy or even the upcoming King Kong would lend itself to the format.
 

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Posted by Phillip Grace (Member # 2262) on 10-15-2005, 10:13 PM:
 
Hi, David. Yes I reckon its the same copy all right. Its gone a very fetching shade of magenta. Definitely a "Heritage Print".
I think it contains my first ever 70mm cement splice, made under the close supervision of Bob Costello.

LOTR would be a good choice for 70mm release. Extra light and added depth to the magnificent landscape! That production will surely be around for many years yet. How about a re-release including all the exta footage? (and an Intermission) Cant wait to see he's done with King Kong.
Cheers.
 

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Posted by John Koutsoumis (Member # 1855) on 10-16-2005, 06:46 AM:
 
David you are right, I can't comment on V Max but i'll try and get out there sometime. VCC#1 is still the biggest for in terms that it feels big when your there. No other Cinema in Melbourne feels like that, v-max excluded.
But forget Village the Forum Theatre upstairs (rappalo?) is the best. Bright picture and top notch Klipsch soundsystem that patrons going to village and hoyts can only dream about. I spent quite a bit of time up in the box during MIFF this year. If only the screen was bigger.

In regards to striking 70 mm prints, well you gotta spend money to make money. Isn't the Box office here down 14% or so. I used to go 2-4 times a week to Cinemas now since coming back from overseas in mid may I have only been twice, once for Sin City at Sunshine, where I missed two key scenes because I had to sprint a mile to ask for obvious probelms to be corrected and secondly was 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Astor Theatre. At least that was in 70 mm and George Florence personnaly been the wheels ensured a smooth show. Great night

Poor choice of films and presentation equally have kept me away.
 

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