Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Interstellar flickering

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Posted by Connor Wilson (Member # 6088) on 11-16-2014, 04:57 PM:

Having previously seen Interstellar in both 35mm and 5/70 film, I finally got to see it for a third time with my uncle at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly last night, which uses 15/70 projection. An odd thing I noticed about the presentation was that there was a noticeable flicker on the screen. And this didn't happen periodically, the flickering continued from the logos to the end. The 35mm Mosaic and 5/70 Ziegfeld shows had zero flickering whatsoever. Overall the presentation wasn't on par with 5/70, but the sound was a major step down from the Mosaic's sound system.

Could it be a large throw, bulbs at half-life, or IMAX being cheeky?

Another thing to note is that this theater, along with the two other Smithsonians in the DC area, will begin upgrading to IMAX's Laser projection system in January 2015, so I felt, faults aside, it was a nice way to send off 15/70, the end of an era.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-16-2014, 06:06 PM:

If the IMAX venue used a GT projector, that 15Kw bulb in that thing is ready for a good change out.

In fact, any flickering of the image means a bulb change is in order.

Laser Projection has its issues since it's still quite new.

Posted by Connor Wilson (Member # 6088) on 11-16-2014, 06:29 PM:

I'm pretty sure Udvar-Hazy has a GT, but can only play 2D films. I didn't check if they did have one last night. I wasn't able to see it.

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 11-16-2014, 11:11 PM:

Connor, the projector at the Udvar-Hazy is an SR projector. Was it the whole image that was flickering or was it just happening on certain parts of the screen?

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-17-2014, 02:18 AM:

SR's carries a 7500w bulb.

Posted by Ivan Plamondon (Member # 7637) on 11-18-2014, 09:56 AM:

I'm willing to bet it was a lamp issue. I have seen my share of flickering and it usually develops during the last week of the lamps life expectancy. Ours in Niagara is an GT with an air-cooled 7KW Superior or USHIO lamp.

Watched Interstellar at IMAX Mississagua with a fairly new lamp in their SR projector (15/70). Very little flickering and an awesome film to see!

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 11-19-2014, 06:39 AM:

You've seen the fashionably late Halloween version of Interstellar, with increased flickering for dramatic effect.

quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens
Connor, the projector at the Udvar-Hazy is an SR projector. Was it the whole image that was flickering or was it just happening on certain parts of the screen?

What kind of defect would cause a "partial flickering image" in a film presentation?

Posted by Mark Strube (Member # 4190) on 11-21-2014, 05:24 PM:

I've seen this "partial flicker" before with an IMAX in Houston. I'd imagine a dying bulb that needs to be replaced (or re-tuned until it can be replaced).

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 11-22-2014, 09:58 AM:

I saw very little flicker at all with the IMAX version of Interstellar I watched in Austin.

Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 11-23-2014, 11:10 AM:

No flickering at the Henry Ford Museum 15/70 Imax. The image was bright,clean and wonderful!
The sound levels were perfect!

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 11-23-2014, 03:43 PM:

quote: Mark Strube
I've seen this "partial flicker" before with an IMAX in Houston. I'd imagine a dying bulb that needs to be replaced (or re-tuned until it can be replaced).

Since a Xenon bulb is mostly a point source, deformed by lenses and/or mirrors, a "partial flicker" is all but unlikely.

Surely, flicker will be more evident in the bright parts of any image, but I cannot think of a failure mode where there would be more flicker, e.g. in the bottom left part of the image than the rest of the image.

Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 11-24-2014, 11:47 PM:

I didn't notice any flicker at the Smithsonian's Air & Space's Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater - I thought the overall experience was pretty spectacular (aside from the music score sounding like it needed to be heard from folk outside of the auditorium).

As to the Smithsonian conversion to laser projection - only Udvar Hazy and Samuel C. Johnson IMAX Theater (at the Natural History Museum) are closing in January - the Lockheed will remain 15/70 til the museum starts it's renovation that is supposed to be completed in 2016.

Posted by Mark Campbell (Member # 4411) on 11-29-2014, 01:10 AM:

No flicker at the Boeing IMAX in Seattle. 15/70 presentation was flawless.