Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Screen dressing

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Posted by Andy Frodsham (Member # 4061) on 02-24-2007, 04:39 AM:

We want to do something to improve the presentation in our small university based (212 seater) theatre. At present we screen films using dimmable house lights and our electrically adjustable (bottom and side masking screen). Because of the lack of space on each side of the screen we are unfortunately not equipped with tabs.

We would like to add some sort of inexpensive flood or spotlighting to 'dress' the screen before and after a screening. We already have a spare channel available (25 amp) on our automatic dimmer but just need the lights. I recently saw some very effective screen lighting in a multiplex using LEDs.

We don't have the option of numerous large floodlight battens as the auditorium is used as a lacture theatre during the day. Something using smallish PAR type lanters would be ideal.

Our scope screen measures approximately 20 by 8ft.

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 02-24-2007, 07:16 AM:

Andy,

It sounds like you are trying to "dress up" your theatre, a great idea. Happy you are not considering commercials for the bookstore and coffee shop. [Smile]

The General Cinema Theaters in our area had screens that were lighted from above by blue floodlights. The screens were evenly lighted and "glowed" whenever there was no image projected on them.

If you have an area in front of the screen, you might try three floodlights of different colors from the center of the ecreen. This might look like a peacock tail. The instruments could be mounted on a board and easily removed from the area when they are not needed. A similar idea would be like the 20th Century Fox opening where lights from the sides are crossed toward the center of the screen. These colors could be different as the mood of the film changed from week to week.

If the booth is not too far from the screen, you could use a Leko with a Gobo to project a pattern on the screen. A colored gel would add some character to the light and if you soften the focus of the Gobo, it might look very interesting. Try a washing flood light of one color with a pattern of white or a different color superimposed over it.

Don't be afraid to try things. Let us know what you are doing. we applaud your desire to improve the "show".

Hope this is of some help.
KEN [thumbsup]

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 02-24-2007, 08:31 AM:

The leko with a blue gel was used locally by General Cinema. It was programmed to illuminate whenever the changeover was closed and was mounted on the front of the booth. (Wiring minimized.) Louis

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 02-24-2007, 09:17 AM:

GCC started using those booth-mounted units as a cheap alternative to the banks of PAR 64's down front. Like Kenneth said, the effect from the PAR's was very striking. Those screens were SO blue, they could've been used to shoot traveling mattes! [Big Grin]

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 02-24-2007, 02:41 PM:

The blue or soft red lights are a good idea.

Another idea that I have done is to make a slide with the theatre's logo on it and project that on the screen between shows. Get a dissolve unit for the slide projector so that you can make it fade up and down at will. If you have the logo in an electronic file, you can send it to the people at http://www.slides.com/ and have a slide made fairly inexpensively. Get glass mounts.

There's a way to do something like this using theatrical lighting equipment instead of a slide projector, but someone else will have to describe what type of instrument you need and where to get the custom "slide" pattern made. This will probably be brighter and more convenient to use. I've seen this done at various live theaters (usually projected onto the curtain).

Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 02-24-2007, 04:14 PM:

The biggest screen at Odeon Camden has a 'tropical' silhouette through several different colour spot lights. Looks pretty good if not a bit cheesy. Could achieve something similar through one light positioned at the back or side of the audiorium.

Might want to talk to your university theatre society and see what they could come up with in terms of lending you lighting for each performance.

Failing that you could always set up a slide projector and rent screen space out to companies. Doesn't make the cinema look better, but brings in revenue you could spend to improve other areas.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 02-25-2007, 09:31 AM:

I assume you have already ruled out curtains. Well, barring that, then your next best bet as the guys have suggested, would be to use special lighting as a way to avoid what the Interstate Theatre chain's Theatre Operation Manual called "the mortal sin of cinema presentation -- i.e., an audience entering a theatre and seeing a NAKED SCREEN!" So I am glad you instinctively know how bad a naked screen looks and how it distroys the magic and mystery and should be avoided whenever possible, unless of course you are a commercial multiplex who have to sell movie ads because they are not making enough money with the $8 Coke and $10 popcorn and the incredibly high wages they pay their employees otherwise they will go into bankrupcy.

So to that end, light is a very effective way of "dressing up" that sad, naked screen. There are quite a few fairly inexpensive lighting instruments that will not only bath your screen in multicolor lights in various patterns depending on the unit, but most have built-in movement that is articulated by the preshow music. They are designed for use in clubs, but there is no reason why they cannot be commandeered to dress up a movie screen.

American DJ has a full line of these units in various price ranges, each with it's own particular effect. They are compact units that use halogen bulbs in the 150w to 250w range which produce intense moving lights in various patterns. They are small enough to install in the cieling above the screen or even on the lip of the stage. Price for the least expensive is under $100. Full Compass carries a full line of these units and worth checking out -- clickie here

The thing I like about them the most is that they sync to the music. Some don't even need an audio feed, they use a built-in mic to pick up the sound in the room.

Even though we do have a curtian -- cream color satin so it picks up light nicely -- we had a theatre tech build two lighting units that we used on either side of the stage to light the curtain. He used a 100w 12v hallogen aimed at slowly rotating color wheel which reflected off another very slowly rotating piece of crinkled up metalic mylar and then boxed the whole thing. The effect was many slowly moving shapes of light in a misty-looking background of changing color. Very sweet. And it was all constructed from junk parts too.

Another route would be, if you have a video projector that will accept computer video, you can just hook it up to your vid project and play any one of the many music light show programs (Psych, Kalidascope, etc) from these guys: clickie Project them on your screen and your patrons won't want your preshow to stop. You can even use the "visualizations" that come with Windows Media Player or WinAmp or RealPlayer. Just be sure to get them to play full screen sans the toolbars.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 02-25-2007, 11:04 AM:

Did a Miami world premiere in the 70's; they had a silver lame' curtain with gold and white lighting. Air movement made the curtain change continuously. It looked so good, no one wanted the film to start! Louis

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-25-2007, 07:23 PM:

We use some low-voltage spotlights on our screen. This pic was taken with flash so it looks better in person, but you get the idea.

Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 02-26-2007, 03:57 AM:

Nice one Mike [thumbsup]

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 02-26-2007, 07:14 PM:

(even though I've never been to Mike's little Roxy, still the most good looking, small town theatre that I've ever seen ...with all the time and money put into that place)

Still, my kudos to Mike - Monte

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 02-28-2007, 03:49 PM:

Andy,

Can you show us a photo of the screen and room you are working with? If the ambient light on the screen is not too great during the "house lights up" time, I have another idea that could create the illusion of pleated curtains lighted from the bottom and by sequencing the lights you could make the "tabs" appear to open or close.

KEN

Posted by Andy Frodsham (Member # 4061) on 03-16-2007, 01:52 PM:

So sorry about the delay in replying and many thanks for all the help given so far.

I attach a picture of our theatre (taken with a flash) which hopefully gives you some idea of what we're dealing with.