Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: CDC or IWERKS???

This is topic CDC or IWERKS??? in forum Large Format Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Stewart Anderson (Member # 1809) on 09-04-2003, 10:26 PM:

I am a projectionist at the North American Museum of Ancient Life (CDC - 3D 15/70), I noticed some conflicting/funny information between this site and CDC's (http://www.cinemadevelopmentcompany.com).
CDC claims they did an OmniDome theater in Oklahoma City. If you take a look at that page (http://www.cinemadevelopmentcompany.com/omni-dome.shtml) under their "customers" tab, you will notice a striking similarity between those pics and the pics on this site (OmniDome in the large format section of the pictures page). You may also notice that the pics on CDC's site look like they have been cropped and angled just right such that you don't see the Iwerks signs...

I have worked with CDC for the past year and I think this is pretty consistent with a few other things:

- If you click on their movie data base (main page) it will take you to a promo for Space Station 3D (IMAX only)

- You may notice Ontario Mills is still listed as one of their clients. As I understand it, that projection system was taken out of there three years ago, then put in a garage for two years, and then we had it installed here about a year ago.

I've been told Iwerks and CDC worked on the "15/70 rolling loop project" together, and then "went their seperate ways" (at least that is what I was told), but it still seems that something isn't right here...

Posted by Paul Trimboli (Member # 1509) on 09-05-2003, 08:28 AM:

Hmm that is interesting! Also isn't OMNI a copywrited word with IMAX? Or is the word OMNIMAX copywrite? They also claim on their FAQ that no dome screen system has ever been built in 3D!? What about IMAX SOLIDO, and the Iwerks site has a 3D dome system.

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 09-05-2003, 09:04 AM:

I remember dealing with Omni films, a special venue provider in the 1970's, so I think the name is available.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 09-05-2003, 10:29 AM:

Neil Johnson who owns CDC originally made the first cloned rolling loop with Keith Merril under the trade name Ultra70 for the World Odessy company
Neil later left and founded Cinema Technology and built the rolling loop machines for Iwerks with the excellent redisgn work by ace engineer Phil Hill [Big Grin]

Now he is back on his own with CDC
World Odessy basicaly became Advanced Image Systems and marketed the failed Maverick projector

In Florida there were 2 8 perf large format companies one was Omni Films and the other wa2 super70 films booth used a CFS modified Pro35/70

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 09-05-2003, 11:06 AM:

Omni was based in Sarasota, Florida and also built motion simulator platforms......I had a client get sick [puke]

five minutes into a presentation riding a "motorcycle" over cobblestone streets ( on film ).

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-05-2003, 06:11 PM:

Stewart,
Can't answer the questions you posted. You should really call Neil on those. He's a really nice guy and I'm sure he'd talk it over with you. In fact CDC does now maintain all of the Iwerks 15/70 installations so far as I know. I know Oklahoma City is one they maintain as I talked to the head projectionist there last week. CDC also recently installed a brand new 15/70 dome system in Athens, Greece, and is also installing another used 15/70 dome system here in the U.S.. That used system was removed from the childrens museum in Indy. Since Neil, and Hamid actually did build those projectors for Iwerks I see no reason those photos shouldn't be posted on the CDC site. As for the Ontario Mills site.... I don't see why it shouldn't be mentioned. It was a big job and was quite sucessful till Edwards stepped in at the location. On top of that, that same system is now running just fine at your museum.

The system at Zion so far has been the most reliable of them all and still has yet to suffer any mallfunction of the rolling loop projector since its opening. They got 5000 passes from their first print of "Zion Canyon". Neil now uses that print for test running systems and it still runs fine but the color has faded.

Mark @ CLACO

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 09-05-2003, 06:29 PM:

quote:
Isn't OMNI a copywrited word with IMAX? Or is the word OMNIMAX copywrited?

I don't know if Omni Magazine has a trademark on the word "Omni", but I think IMAX does have a ® on "OMNIMAX" (although I usually see them refer to that process as "Imax Dome" in their literature).

quote:
They also claim on their FAQ that no dome screen system has ever been built in 3D!?

That's funny. The "Race to Atlantis" ride at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas is a 3D ride using IMAX projection onto a domed screen.

Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 09-06-2003, 07:51 AM:

There is a 3-D Anaglyph Omnimax (later Imax Dome) film called "We Are Born of Stars", released in 1985.

Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 09-06-2003, 09:43 AM:

IMAX SOLIDO was the two-strip 3-D IMAX dome-screen format.

[added after posting: Oops. I should have reread the entire thread instead of responding to a quoted selection. This information was already posted.]

Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 09-06-2003, 10:44 AM:

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego's Balboa Park is the home of the first Omnimax (now IMAX Dome) system, installed in 1973.

quote:
I don't know if Omni Magazine has a trademark on the word "Omni", but I think IMAX does have a ® on "OMNIMAX" (although I usually see them refer to that process as "Imax Dome" in their literature).

A small handful of products and services used the Omnimax name at one point because, unless another holder of an identical mark objects, companies can secure trademarks or service marks only covering the product or service being marketed (IMAX's trademark on "Omnimax" is still valid). Yes, "Omni" is indeed a registered trademark for the magazine, but it doesn't necessarily mean they have sole dibs on the term for other products unrelated to magazines. (Visit <www.uspto.gov> to research these names; unfortuantely, the URLs for the search results expire after about five minutes and cannot be posted.)

Posted by Stewart Anderson (Member # 1809) on 09-06-2003, 01:20 PM:

As I stated above; the things I mentioned were just things that I had heard.

I was just frustrated with CDC on the day that I posted the above statement. And the more I thought about what was going on, the more I thought about all of the other stuff I have gone through with CDC.

I really can't say much more then this for fear of loosing my job, but as I have said more then a couple of times before in this forum; this is just what I think or have been told, not necessarily facts.

Foregive me if I have offended anyone...