quote: Jesse Skeen

---

During the 80s 3D revival, all movies were shown in 2D at drive-ins. Are drive-ins still not capable of showing 3D, from either film or digital?

---

There's a drive-in outside of Dallas that does digital 3D. I remember being told they more or less puts in the brightest bulbs they can get and burn them at above warranted levels and swaps them out quite early.

Wish I'd remembered to ask about getting a look at that booth before I had to absolutely head out. Oh well.
 

---

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 06-27-2012, 01:28 AM:
 
We also got a drive-in print of Dark Shadows. Didn't ask for it, either. It specifically said "drive-in print".

As for 3D at these places; it's been talked about a lot. The Texas drive-in is the only one that's done it, as far as I know.

There are all sorts of problems with the idea of silvering a drive-in screen. Several sources claim to have a paint that will work. If you could do it however, you'd have the issues of the gain eliminating the usable sides of your fields. Even then, 3D doesn't work all that well when the screen doesn't take up most of your field of vision, as is common at a drive-in.

The Texas theatre uses the Dolby system. They say it works ok, but they do have to post field personnel at the entrance & exit to retrieve the glasses.

I don't know of any other drive-in that's inclined to go 3d... it's not really something that our patrons are looking for out here. That's probably just as well, because the cost of converting is a big enough challenge for a lot of us.
 

---

Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 06-27-2012, 04:26 AM:
 
Is it acetate?
 

---

Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 06-27-2012, 05:12 AM:
 
I have to check what it was, but we got a print just recently marked 6FL. I'm not sure if it was a drive-in print, but I wondered if it was a drive-in print.

I'll have to check with our booker to see if drive-in prints will be available for Dark Knight Rises. If not, I'm not sure it will be worth playing.
 

---

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 06-27-2012, 08:11 AM:
 
It was the same "consistency" as our leader that we use. It wasn't acetate, but a heavier polyester.
 

---

Posted by Richard P. May (Member # 3598) on 06-27-2012, 09:51 AM:
 
Kodak's catalog list only two color print films: Vision Premiere (2383) and Vision (2393). Both have the same base thickness. The only difference is the Premiere has hight contrast image.
Could the film which seems thicker be possibly Fuji, or some other brand? It should be printed into the outer edge of the film. If it is Kodak, does it have stock number other than above.
 

---

Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 06-27-2012, 10:57 AM:
 
That drive-in in Texas is the Galaxy, just outside of Dallas in Ennis, Texas. I was there back in November of last year when I attended the DITA meet. Brad Miller was actually at the Galaxy that night to show us the digital projectors in the booth. I'm converting to digital over the winter this year, but have no desire to do 3D. I think I'll reserve the option to do it, but don't plan to install it.
 

---

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 06-27-2012, 12:56 PM:
 
I don't know if it has been mentioned in this thread, but polarized 3D won't work inside a car due to the tempered glass.
 

---

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-27-2012, 07:18 PM:
 
Same thing with a "silver" drive-in screen.

At a drive-in, it is either Dolby or nothing.

Martin's going to let me setup dual projector Dolby 3D...come back and check that sweetness out. Right Martin?
 

---

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 06-29-2012, 03:54 AM:
 
Sam, I had heard about the problem with polarization and car windows so I did a little test, albeit not very scientific and not on any other car windshields except my Corolla, but I broke apart a pair of RealD glasses and had my honey hold one eye piece outside the window and I had the other eye inside the car. I slowly rotated my filter completely around and the polarization effect still worked - it still blocked out all of the light coming through the filter at a certain point. Her filter turned black at the null point. Rotating my some more and the light came through it again. That tells me that, at least with the Corolla windshield, the glass does not muck up the polarization. Polarization was just as strong and blocked light even with the windshield inserted between the two filters.

I think Jack's observation is right on the money -- 3D is hardly worth it if the screen isn't large enough (or your close enough) to get into at least part of your peripheral vision. At the huge distances from the viewer that are typical in a DI, you can barely get the feeling of depth. I am not sure exactly at what distance, but there is a point where we don't see 3D at all in real life. Look at a landscape and off in the distance you are no longer seeing 3D. I would imagine the same thing applies watching 3D from 300 feet away; while we may still perceive some 3D at DI screen distances, I don't think it would be nearly as pronounced as it is when you are sitting 30 feet from the screen.
 

---

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 06-29-2012, 08:43 AM:
 

quote: Justin Hamaker

---

I have to check what it was, but we got a print just recently marked 6FL. I'm not sure if it was a drive-in print, but I wondered if it was a drive-in print.

---