Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: IMAX drive in theatre

This is topic IMAX drive in theatre in forum Large Format Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Matthew Bailey (Member # 601) on 11-02-2000, 02:15 PM:

I am wondering if someone plans to build
an IMAX drive in theatre,what would the
screen dimensions,etc. be compared to an
indoor version?

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-02-2000, 02:34 PM:

The aspect ratio of the IMAX projector film format is 1.434:1. So the screen would ideally be built in that ratio. The image size on the print is 2.74 x 1.91 inches (69.60 x 48.51 mm). AFAIK, 15,000 watt water-cooled xenon lamps have been used, although most theatres use smaller lamps.

Likely that anything wider than 100 feet would need a larger lamp to get enought light on an outdoor screen that has low gain.

Perhaps John Wilson or others with IMAX theatre experience can add to the discussion.

Has 15-perf or 8-perf 70 mm ever been projected on an outdoor screen? AFAIK, 5-perf 70 mm has been used at some drive-ins, and outdoor venues with good results.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 11-02-2000, 06:49 PM:

How would the cars stay on the 45 degree slope?

How would the cars get up the stairs?

Would you look at the film through the sunroof?

Posted by Dave Bird (Member # 490) on 11-02-2000, 09:12 PM:

Hey, Barry, THAT would create some buzz! Let it out you're building the first and only IMAX drive-in! Wouldn't even need to be true, but you'd get your name and location in every paper!

IMAX is only 1.4-1 ratio? Must be able to put alot of light through it.

But speaking of outdoor theatres, the decline of DI's has been fairly slow to even stable, but what of those which spawned both indoors and DI's, the Airdomes? Do any of those still exist, even in ruins (and I'm thinking permanent purpose-built, not bandshell or park set-ups). Probably a dumb question, but you never know.

Posted by John T. Mellor (Member # 468) on 11-02-2000, 09:38 PM:

Size does matter IMAX drive sounds interesting . Some folks are under the misnomer that drive ins are declining in number insome areas that may be true but the count of open drive ins has stayed the same the last few years with some old ones reopening. While at Showeast I challanged the Digital people to fill a drive in screen 52 ft by 120 ft 350 ft throw if they can do that maybe then digital may look alright on an indoor screen.
If anyne needs info on the status of drive ins please let me know I currently am the vice president of THE United Drive In Theatre Owners Assn.
Our association is growing and will be holding our second anual convention in Florida this comming Febuary
Regards,
John

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-02-2000, 10:23 PM:

If I may ask, what do Drive-In Theatre owners do in the fall and winter?

Okay, I've seen a lot of places that have flea markets and such during the fall or on Sundays but what about the middle of February?

Do they just depend on making as much money as they can in the summer and maybe put some money into investments to tide them over till the summer? I'm sure that D.I. owners aren't depending on just that income. They have to have something else, right?

It's just one of those things I've always wondered about, like "Where does the road end?"

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 11-03-2000, 03:31 AM:

Forget the slope etc what about the six track sound? As the guys from Sonics,IMAX's sound subs

Also one of Imax's main features is that the image on the screen fills the end wall of the theatre and almost fills your field of view with the minimum peripheral interference.

Sitting in your car peering out through the windscreen hardly satisfies this requirement.

As regards lamp size John P is right.

The largest lamp that Imax use is a 15kW watercooled xenon. This is used in most of the dome/omnimax thetres and on the larger vertical screens . the big screen 3D theatres use a twin rotor twin lamp (2 x 15kW) projector.

The most unusual proposal for using a 1570 projector I heard of was a suggestion by the staging company that put together the sets for Pink Floyd concerts.They came to me to discuss the possibility of synching the projector to their effects track just after we ran the Rolling Stones Imax movie in 1991.

They wanted to buy/rent two Omnimax projectors and put them in 40 foot trailers and use them to project in to a dome screen suspended above the musicians heads.

The trailer would be backed into the forward portion of the stage with the trailer roof level with the stage floor.

The reason they wanted two was so they could leapfrog venues. They toured with two complete stage sets!

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 142) on 11-03-2000, 03:43 AM:

Dear Ranky,

In most parts of the world, like here in Australia, drive-ins have always run all year round. I could not imagine how drive-ins survive just in the Summer.

Over half of the 23 drive-ins Melbourne once had (now only one triple screener that can run 70 on its screens), were equipped with 70mm facilities. The light did improve, but only a little. The largest screen at the Coburg triple is over 110 feet which is wider than the indoor IMAX screens here that use the 15k lanmps. I would sure like to see 15 put onto our drive-in screen!

All the 70mm drive-ins here that i know of were/are either Cinemeccanica Victoria 8 or Norelco EL 4000 (Philips DP70). All machines I worked on were water cooled and ran Ashcraft Super Cinex or Corelites or were later converted to 5k xenons.

I have a recording on CD that was recorded straight out the back of the rack at a drive-in with 6 track magnetic sound. It contains most memorable 1950's/60's musicals scores.

We just opened a new multi in Tasmania where the largest screen is over 55 ft in width and the light is good. It is amazing what a 7k lamp can do - scope is just brilliant. We are running Kinoton FP50 with 7k lamp at 165 amps, Kinoton water cooled head runs nice and cool all day. Platter is Kinoton ST200E - best platter I've seen, Dolby CP500 D in all screens and Pennywise CA 100. A great place to see a movie.

David

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-03-2000, 06:12 AM:

Randy:

I was projectionist at the Grandview Drive-In in Angola NY, about 50 miles up the road from you when you lived in Erie PA. I worked my way through college, 1967-1970. Happily, the Grandview is still in operation

We typically opened in mid April, and closed in early October. We didn't have in-car heaters. I remember a few nights with snow on the ground and only a handful of die-hards watching the movie, (or cuddling to stay warm ) risking asphyxiation in their running automobiles.

We were located in a resort area along Lake Erie, with lots of summer cottages. So the summer months were busy and very profitable. Although the drive-in owner had a "day job", he loved "show-business", and treated his employees well .

Posted by Dave Bird (Member # 490) on 11-03-2000, 06:15 AM:

Don't get me wrong John T., I'm a drive-in nut, they're very stable up here in Ontario, in fact, about 3 have re-opened this year, making around 25. In fact, I plan on joining you when I find the right location!

Posted by Matthew Bailey (Member # 601) on 11-03-2000, 12:55 PM:

I figure that someone would encode or
decode all six audio channels into two
audio channels and then FM broadcast
them to the vehicles.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 11-03-2000, 03:32 PM:

An IMAX Drive In? By the time you parked the car, got your hot dog, went to the loo, sat down again and adjusted your speaker (yes, speaker(none of this radio garbage) the 40 minute film would be over.

Imax do run an 18kw lamp in some locations, but there is a problem with this from overheating the image. It's at the extreme.

IMAX would have to make a movie of feature length with a real story to make it work in a DI. A journey to Alaska or Egypt won't cut it.

Interesting thought though...

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-03-2000, 04:17 PM:

John,

You might have thrown me out of the booth there in NY!

When I was a kid, my parents had friends in NY and we went to visit them once in a while.
I would always go out to get popcorn but would spend most of the time trying to sneak into the booth.

My dad was P.O.'ed but not because I was getting tossed out of the booth. It was becasue I was gone for half the movie and didn't bring back any popcorn!

Posted by Randy Loy (Member # 112) on 11-05-2000, 02:17 PM:

Randy, I know exactly what you mean about always trying to get into the booth. My wife has gotten accustomed to me doing the same thing when we go to drive-ins and vintage main street movie houses now. Often times we know the owners and she's just as familiar with their booths as I am, but when we travel to yet unexplored areas and visit a theatre that's new to us, I often disappear when I make a trip to the snack bar. Somehow I just can't make it through the evening without spending time in the booth. I need that fix!

Debrean always knows where to find me when I get lost. After waiting about a half hour without any sign of me, she usually heads straight for the booth to remind me that she's still waiting for her food. Of course there are also times when she beats ME to the booth. I sure am lucky, our marriage was a match made in heaven. Fortunately for me she's just as passionate about the biz as I am.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-06-2000, 06:51 AM:

Randy Stankey:

Small world!!! So you were that pesky kid! .

You may remember we had Century C projectors, RCA soundheads and sound system, and Ashcraft 11 mm carbon lamps. The screen was 42 x 100 feet. AFAIK, we had the first radio sound drive-in in New York state --- I built the AM transmitter myself.

I worked at the Grandview from May 1967 to June 1970, until I graduated from the University of Buffalo and began working at Kodak. The other projectionist was Carl S., who fancied himself a cool dude, and always dressed in black from head to toe. His day job was as a MOPAR (Chrysler) auto mechanic.

Lost track of Carl S. in the early 80's. Has anyone seen a 57 year old "cool dude" who likes to wear black in the booth? Probably driving a Dodge Viper, if I know Carl.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-06-2000, 09:56 AM:

You know, that Ashcraft rings a bell.
When I went up to the booth at the Warner theatre I knew there was something familiar.

Although the one at the Warner is a "Super Cinex" and burns 13.5mm I bet it looks pretty similar.

One of those drive-ins is where I probably saw it first.