Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Harkins Bricktown 16 in Oklahoma City

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-22-2004, 02:53 PM:

I've been waiting to see what Harkins Theaters does with its first venture into Oklahoma with the Bricktown 16 in Oklahoma City, but the theater slated to open July 1 has had the opening date pushed back to end of summer or perhaps early fall.

There was an interesting tidbit I found in a news story about the theater on the Bricktown OKC website. Apparently the theater is being built with a different construction method from the usual sand-filled cinderblock we've seen in the past. The walls on this theater feature concrete walls up to 2 feet in thickness cast on site.

On the surface these thick, cast concrete walls (along with layers of sound proofing material and drywall) would seem to allow the potential for the screening rooms to have more beefy sound systems without much worry of sound leakage. However, "potential" doesn't automatically equal "follow through" for the appropriate hardware to be purchased and installed. An early press release about the Bricktown 16 claimed the theater would have the largest screen and seating capacity of any theatrical cinema screening room in the state.

I've never visited a Harkins' operated theater, although I understand they have had some good locations in their home market of Arizona. What are the opinions on Harkins and what can I expect with this theater? Naturally, I'm going to need to get some pictures of the place.

Here's a copy of the news story:
http://www.bricktownokc.com/press/pr57.html

quote:
Opening delayed for Bricktown’s 16-screen cinema
Steve Lackmeyer
03/18/09

The final walls go up today on a 16-screen Bricktown cinema, but the opening is being pushed back to early fall.

The $13 million Harkins Theatres cinema, a major anchor of the Urban Renewal project being built along the Bricktown Canal, originally was scheduled to open by July 1.

Spokeswoman Jackie Faubus said Wednesday the exact opening date is uncertain.

“We’re still hoping for the end of summer, but it could be early fall,” Faubus said.

Work also is almost complete on a $3 million improvement of the canal between Reno Avenue and Interstate 40.

City Engineer Paul Brum said a pedestrian bridge immediately south of the Sonic Corp. headquarters and new sidewalks through the area should be open within the next few weeks.

He said other improvements, including a vehicle bridge between the theater and Bass Pro Shops, and a plaza and fountain at the theater’s entrance, will open closer to the cinema’s completion.

This week was being hailed as a milestone for the theater, with the last of 130 concrete panels being installed today.

Weighing up to 250,000 pounds each, the wall panels are different from materials used to build most other theaters, Faubus said.

Instead of using cinder block and drywall, the Harkins walls were prefabricated on site and then raised by a crane.

The wall panels are up to 2 feet thick and include solid concrete at the core. They are surrounded by four layers of sounddeadening insulation before being covered with up to five layers of drywall.

“Harkins takes the movie-going experience seriously,” said Wayne Kullander, Harkins executive vice president. “These specially designed walls guarantee acoustically perfect auditoriums, which will be without rival in Oklahoma City.”

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 06-22-2004, 03:18 PM:

Hmmm sounds like the construction we where using on our standalone multiplex projects four years ago [Razz]

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 06-22-2004, 04:57 PM:

Often referred to as tilt-wall construction is a far superior way of construction auditoriums vs cinder block. The walls usually 6" to 8" in thickness (2 feet is near bomb shelter grade [Eek!]

)

In the Dallas area there are a few theaters that were built with this method. Ones that come to mind are:

AMC Grand 24
Cinemark Tinseltown Plano
United Artists Galaxy

You can pretty much do heavy construction work in one auditorium and not hear it in the next.

During construction of the AMC Grand they ran some tests running 90dB in one auditorium and not audible in the next auditorium.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-22-2004, 11:07 PM:

I didn't know the Grand 24 and Galaxy 9 theaters were made with this "tilt wall" method. I've never heard of theaters with walls built using this process, but have seen something similar to it with some large industrial buildings.

I guess the thing that concerns me is what kind of sound system gear (and perhaps projection gear) will be put into the auditoriums on top of the high end wall treatment. I remember watching "Die Hard With A Vengeance" at the Grand 24 when it opened in 1995 and distinctly recall a good amount of echo in the 400+ seat auditorium. Harkins' specs indicate larger amounts of drywall and sound proofing carpet than THX specifications normally demand so maybe that might show some promise. Still, they're not going to have really good quality installing the typical, small speaker systems I usually see in stadium seated theaters. With the boasts about "the largest movie theater screen in Oklahoma" in the press releases, I will be disappointed if I don't see some large enclosures in the room. IMHO, for stadium seated theaters it seems only IMAX theaters have decent sound systems. It is rare to come across a theatrical screen featuring stadium seating that also features good sound.

Harkins Theaters has a very good opportunity to make a bold statement in the Oklahoma City market. The other large theaters there (AMC Quail Springs 24, Cinemark Tinseltown 20 and Regal's Crossroads Mall 16) are okay, but not outstanding. I can watch a movie at one of those places and still feel smug about my home theater setup. When I encounter a great theatrical sound system then my home setup just seems stupid. And that should be the goal for movie theaters to hit. C'mon! Tromp it, biatch!

Does anyone out there have any experiences watching movies recently at a Harkins branded theater? What can I expect?

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 06-23-2004, 11:10 PM:

The echo problems that you experienced at the AMC Grand is a result of their current design. There is NO sound aborbing materials on the wall, rather they are built at angles that in "theory" will defuse echoes. In addition there is only 1" of sound absorbing material at the rear of the auditorium. Add to this the convenient parabolic microphone placed at the front of the theater, called a HITS screen.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 06-24-2004, 12:22 AM:

Dickinson's Starworld 20 was built with tilt-up walls. The only auditoriums that did not bleed sound were the four large ones that did not share common walls with any other auditorium.

Posted by Mike Pennell (Member # 1692) on 06-24-2004, 01:57 AM:

Bobby wish i could help you but Harkins has not ventured down to Tucson. If they did im sure it would be an all out war between them and Century (who have pretty much cornered the market). Will Kutler and the other Phoenix guys should be able to fill you in. [beer]

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 06-24-2004, 01:02 PM:

Maybe I should clarify my statements regarding the wall construction. The tilt wall method buildings that I referred to also used these walls internally between auditoriums.

The Cinamark Tinseltown in particular was frustrating for various contractors, as they were not permitted to drill any holes in these walls between auditoriums. Making various wiring jobs and some HVAC jobs more difficult as all lines had to be run all the way to the back of the auditorium and back to the front of the adjancent theater if needed. But the end result was pretty good.

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 06-24-2004, 03:41 PM:

I was an assistant manager at a Harkins Theatre for about three and a half years. I've always been impressed with the way their auditoriums have sounded and their company-wide commitment to presentation standards. When I worked there, they rolled out their new "model" theatre complex with the Arrowhead Fountains 18. If memory serves me, it was built with double thickness cinderblock walls and all theatres were built to THX specs, though, I believe the company stopped paying for the certification. At the time I worked at Centerpoint and the remodeled Valley Art, Harkins was also looking into switching from Christie booths to Kinnoton setups. Not sure if this happened company wide though.

Is this Harkin's first venture out of Arizona? They were talking about California when I left about three years ago. Anyway, Harkins as a company is very focused on the sights and I know personally that the VPs are big sound buffs, so I would only expect the best. Good luck to them.

-adam

Posted by James Pope (Member # 1189) on 06-24-2004, 05:01 PM:

All the walls and risers at the redstone are built out of Styrofoam. Go Figure, I actually watched them do this. The booth floor is Styrofoam too, they lay out big chucks of it, skin them down and put a layer of concrete over them, the walls, they just drywall them over. Didn't intend to steal your thread just remembered. Didn't think it was that usual of a build.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-24-2004, 06:08 PM:

quote: Adam Wilbert
Is this Harkin's first venture out of Arizona? They were talking about California when I left about three years ago.

I'm pretty sure this would be Harkins first build outside Arizona, if the theater listings on their website are any indication.

Harkins came into this deal late after Edwards Cinemas' plans to build an OKC Bricktown theater fell through. I'm not sure what caused that deal to fall apart (it was either squabbles with the OKC city council or just plain financial problems with the company). That was fairly disappointing because Edwards had said their Bricktown complex would sport 24 screens and possibly an IMAX 3D theater. The new Harkins build will be a somewhat more modest 16-plex without any IMAX theater.

quote: Mike Pennell
Bobby wish i could help you but Harkins has not ventured down to Tucson. If they did im sure it would be an all out war between them and Century

Century is one of very few circuits left who make bold use of THX. All of their new theaters have THX certification for every screen. There are a couple Century sites in Texas, but places like Corpus Christi are a little far for me to drive just to check out a movie theater.

I was pretty disappointed when Century decided not to build a 16-plex in Wichita Falls, TX (just an hour's drive from my home). Wichita Falls has to be one of the most under-served small cities in the country when it comes to movie theaters. All they have their is the Sikes Senter Mall 10 and Century City 6 theaters, both run by Carmike. Both are old theaters, but the Sikes was remodeled in 1997 from a small six-plex to a 10 plex with even smaller screens (all but two of which have this suck-ass fixed 1.85:1 type screen that crops the sides of 'scope shows). The Sikes had two THX screens, but they lost their certification not but a couple years later. The Carmike in my town is nearly 10 years old but still a much better theater. It would be EASY for a competitor to come into Wichita Falls and completely own that market immediately. I would encourage Century or any other chain with good presentation standards to rethink building there. I'm really surprised there's not already a Cinemark build there. Most markets (even my town) are over-screened. Wichita Falls is one of the few exceptions.

Posted by William T. Parr (Member # 677) on 06-25-2004, 11:53 PM:

Bobby I opened up the Century 16 in Corpus Christi 4 years ago. It is the only THX theatre in Corpus and it was a nice place to see a movie in back then. However on several subsequent Visits I have been slightly disaapointed in the the sound. Not so much as they are not THX qaulity as muchh as it is the sound level as been reduced to a rediculous level. When I ran the booth we ran all features at 6 to 7 on the fader, When I went down a couple of years ago and watched Meet the Parents in Aud 16, THX/DTS presentation, I went into teh booth aftewards to find the fader set at 4, surrounds were not even noticable, and the bass was very faint. Looking at the rest of the theatres fader settings most were inbetween 4 and 6 when I inquired as to why the were set so low, the person who was in charge of teh booth said the new manager wanted them there because she was no longer getting the occasional complaint about the sound being too loud. Century did not build any THX auditoriums in Oddessa and the only 2 theatres in Abilene had them. Both were built about the same time and look identical on teh outside. Both predated my theatre by 2 years so I am not sure when Century adopted the all THX/ all Stadium/ all Digital/ all the time attitude, but it happened between 1997 and 1999.

Posted by Mike Pennell (Member # 1692) on 06-26-2004, 01:35 AM:

William, didnt you guys have a pretty bad hurricane around the opening of the Corpus Christi?

Posted by William T. Parr (Member # 677) on 06-26-2004, 11:24 AM:

Mike, Yes 1 month after opening Hurricane Brett slammed into the Texas coast 60 miles south of the theatre. We had no damage execpt for a few water leaks in the roof. Other than that the theatre was not harmed.

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 06-26-2004, 08:51 PM:

quote: Bobby Henderson
I'm not sure what caused that deal to fall apart (it was either squabbles with the OKC city council or just plain financial problems with the company

It was probably the latter. Edwards pulled out of several locations here in California, including one that was nearly finished (The Bridge). This was when they were in Bankruptcy protection. They were in such dire financial straits that they actually had to get court permission to spend money to restock their snack bars! It's a pity! They had some really creative designs, and I loved the way each auditorium in a complex had a different look, but they overbuilt to an excessive level that pitted a lot of Edwards Theatres against other Edwards.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-26-2004, 10:19 PM:

"The Cinamark Tinseltown in particular was frustrating for various contractors, as they were not permitted to drill any holes in these walls between auditoriums. Making various wiring jobs and some HVAC jobs more difficult as all lines had to be run all the way to the back of the auditorium and back to the front of the adjancent theater if needed. But the end result was pretty good. "

That is normal in most theatre specifications that there may be no impengment in the walls between theatres at any point
even a small hole for a conduit can let a large amount of sound bleed through

Posted by Adam Tallman (Member # 2485) on 06-27-2004, 04:15 PM:

Most of the Harkins Theatres have very good sound systems. Especially during our screenings when we turn the volume up higher than we do for regular showings. The compay is also expanding to several Texas and California locations as well. Plano is the only one I remember off hand.

Posted by Manuel Francisco Valencia (Member # 710) on 07-01-2004, 04:50 PM:

Grand Opening and ceremonies Sep. 24, open to the public Oct. 1 are the dates I have heard.

Posted by Manuel Francisco Valencia (Member # 710) on 07-26-2004, 09:29 PM:

I am proud to say that I have accepted the position of booth manager at the Harkins Bricktown 16 theatre. This will be a really great experience seeing as how I have never helped opened a theatre before. If I am allowed I will most definitely send in some pictures ASAP. Perhaps even a video from construction all the way to grand opening. I hope that you will come to the opening Bobby, it will be really great to finally meet a fellow okie film-techer.

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 07-26-2004, 10:26 PM:

Congrats on your new position!

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 07-26-2004, 11:57 PM:

I'm looking forward to visiting the completed theater. I've seen a few glimpses of it in various stages of construction (either from driving by on I-40 or bar hopping in Bricktown). Hopefully the new management there will be open to forum members getting some snapshots of the booth, lobby and auditoriums.

It would be cool to attend the Grand Opening party, but I guess an invitation would be required wouldn't it? Last party like that I attended was one of the shindigs for opening the Cinemark 17 (LBJ & Webb Chapel) in Dallas.

Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 07-27-2004, 01:05 PM:

I went to Harkins Superstition Springs last week, which was my first ever visit to a Harkins.

I found it very ineteresting to see a Simplex/Strong/AW-3 "open booth" constructed over the box-office with a film showing in the lobby.

The trailer presentation was the worst I had ever seen! The lights were almost full up, the trailers shown were not correctly formatted for the screen, not to mention an excessive amount of trailers! With the lights up as much as they were, it almost looked like the bulb was drastically underfocused, with the typical screen effects associated with an underfocused bulb.

The presentation was so-so. The lights were not completely down, but with reduced auditorium lighting the underfocused bulb effects eased up...but there was noticable bulb flicker.

Picture quality was so-so. Some reels were very clean, while others were noticably dirty with intermittent light black scratches in the picture center. The projector was either a Century or Simplex, could not tell, but there was a very noticable vertical unsteadiness, problably from an incorrectly adjusted gate.

No sound complaints, but it almost sounded like the entire show was in analog? The film was everyones favorite M.M. picture. Dolby was the advertised digital format.

Stadium seating layout was similar to Century Theatres. But where Century only uses reclining seats every other row, each row here seemed to recline, and was more comfortable than Century!

Posted by Manuel Francisco Valencia (Member # 710) on 08-24-2004, 02:27 AM:

I am currently in Arizona and have been training here for a week now. So far the folks here at Harkins have been nothing but helpful and courteous. The company is rather small so it still has that family environment to it. At first I did not realize how big the opening of the Bricktown theatre was going to be until I spoke with many of the senior managers and GMs. I knew Harkins was expanding and building outside of AZ for the first time but I did not know that the Bricktown theatre would be the first to go up. I soon realized how monumental this was and all the high hopes everyone has for this theatre. But with the way they treat their customers and the equipment they are putting into the theatre, those hopes are going to become a reality. Now on to the good stuff...

Projection

MiT Platters!

MiT Consoles!

After all the discussion about MiT's products here at FT I am very excited to be working with these.

Kinoton PK60D projectors

The location I am currently at has these projectors. I now know why people said Christies are loud. These things run very smooth and quiet. The reverse scan readers do a great job on reading the soundtrack and so far I have not experienced a problem with bad Dolby Digital tracking. The film gate is definitely different but I have noticed that shedding is not as bad as it is with the P35GPS. I do not like the fact that the the lens turret is stationary. Overall it appears to be a solid projector.
Digital Slide Projectors
These things just rock!

Auditoriums
CineCapri
This is the big screen everyone is going to be talking about. It is 35mm and is a duplicate of the original that existed here in AZ. Mr. Harkins loved the old one, so much in fact that he creates the duplicates in a few of his theatres. It will seat 700+ people and will have a vintage style to it. The curtains will either be a tan or beige color from what I remember. I do not know the exact dimensions on the screen but the one here in AZ is very big.
the rest of the auditoriums will be like many of the other theates, reclining chairs, love seats with the flip up arm rest etc.

Lobby
Harkins really likes to go all out on the look of thier lobby and hallways. We will have a projector in the lobby above the box office showing trailers. There will also be a plasma screen at the concession stand and in the hallways. The only thing that could be a negative is there is not a whole lot of room to create a line for any sell out shows but I have seen that it can be done as long as the staff is very organized and efficient.

There is a lot more that I am forgetting but it is getting late so I am not entirely awake. I will probably post again in about a week or two with more details. If any one wishes to know anything else please send me a private email.

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 08-24-2004, 03:06 PM:

Manuel,

what location are you training at? Who is your GM?

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 08-24-2004, 08:16 PM:

I was in downtown Oklahoma City a little over a week ago. I took a stroll through Bricktown and around the outside of the new Harkins location. It is in quite a sweet spot along the Bricktown Canal. The theater faces north toward the SBC Bricktown Ballpark and the Mickey Mantle restaurant.

I took some photos around the outside of the site. Didn't get any interior shots. I'll e-mail some of the pics to Brad. Looks like they still have quite a lot of construction to get finished to make that October 1 opening for the general public.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 08-24-2004, 08:39 PM:

quote: Bobby Henderson
I'm really surprised there's not already a Cinemark build there. Most markets (even my town) are over-screened. Wichita Falls is one of the few exceptions

There is one slated for opening in November 2005. Cinemark will be building a 14 screen.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 08-24-2004, 09:53 PM:

Wow, apparently this Cinemark build for Wichita Falls was a pretty recent announcement. I did a quick search and found an article from the Wichita Falls Times Record on the deal.

A rather dubious tidbit is also in the article. The Wallace Theaters chain, notorious for having trashy theaters, says they'll build a new complex along Kell Freeway a couple miles west of the new Cinemark build. I'll believe that when I see it. This is similar to a situation years ago when Century Theaters was wanting to build a site in Wichita Falls; Starplex chimed in and said they would build as well. Neither site materialized.

Hopefully Carmike will respond to this news by improving their Sikes Senter Mall 10 theater. The new Cinemark theater will certainly force the issue.

Here's a copy of the newspaper article:

quote:
Another theater to open in '05

Cinemark to build in Parker Square

By Angel Riggs/Times Record News
August 14, 2004

Cinemark USA, Inc. announced Friday it plans to open a 14-screen theater in Parker Square around Thanksgiving of 2005.

The Cinemark theater will resemble the old movie palaces of Hollywood's golden age with an art deco design, accented with muted reds, bronze and gold colors, said Terrell Falk, vice president of marketing and communications for the Plano-based company.

The announcement comes a week after Wallace Theaters of Oregon released plans to build a theater on Kell Freeway near Lowe's Home Improvement Store.

Falk said her company is aware of Wallace Theater's plans. However, she said, "our plans are firm."

The company submitted plans Friday to the city's Building and Code Administration office for an informal review.

The theater construction is part of a second wave of renovations and development in Parker Square at the corner of Kemp Avenue and Kell Freeway.

"By the time it's all said and done, Parker Square will have a completely different look," said Michael Cox, a civil engineer for Corlett, Probst & Boyd, which is working on layout site and civil site design work for the project.

"We're re-doing parking lots and landscaping and planting more trees."

The theater is planned for the east side of Parker Square near Judson Court Circle, he said.

The theater will offer wall-to-wall movie screens, stadium seating, digital sound and chairs that rock and have cup holders, Falk said.

"We give a lot of space between rows," she said. "You know when you're seated in the theater and somebody has to leave ... and everybody has to standup? You don't have to do that in our theaters."

There's plenty of room to walk through, she added.

"We have been looking at Wichita Falls very quietly for about the past two years and have found what we think is a great location," she said.

Cinemark owns nearly 300 theaters. Texas is home to more Cinemark theaters than any other state, Falk said. The company is currently building six more theaters in the state.

For more information, log onto www.cinemark.com.

Business reporter Angel Riggs can be reached at (940) 763-7536, or with e-mail at riggsa(at)timesrecordnews.com.

Posted by Jeff Stuckey (Member # 1718) on 08-25-2004, 02:45 PM:

There is a link on the Harkins' website where you can watch a live webcam of the construction in Bricktown. Here is the link:

Harkins' Bricktown 16 Webcam

I met with Jackie Faubus (Director of Marketing for Harkins' Theaters) last week, and they are all really excited to be here in Oklahoma City. She was a little worried about the place being finished on-time, but that's typical. I am sure it will be fine for opening.

I have one huge concern about this theatre that will probably come to light more as the opening weeks progress...PARKING. Bricktown is absolutely notorious for not having any parking available anywhere. And if you can find a spot, it's about $5.00. Jackie told me that they are going to validate parking, which will be good. However, I tend to think that many people are going to be put off by the parking situation. But that's just me.

Another thing would be the possibility of the drunks from the Bricktown bars causing problems at the theater late Friday and Saturday. But then again, how is that different from any other theater ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! [Smile]

I am sure it will be a great success. Grand openings are always such a pain. But the theater will be on auto-pilot once they have established their loyal group of customers. And I am happy that they will bring more art product to OKC. We need someone to step up and bring in these films that ordinarily we would never see.

Now the only question will be...which theatre will close first. Hmmmm.

Posted by Manuel Francisco Valencia (Member # 710) on 08-26-2004, 01:00 AM:

Adam

I am at the Chandler Fashion mall location. It is rather easy to find out who the GM is for this location but I still would rather not mention his name here without his consent. He is a very good GM though. He is definitley on top of his game.

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 08-26-2004, 02:31 PM:

Manuel, good point. [Wink]

If its who I'm thinking of, I worked with him and his wife at Centerpoint in Tempe. Anyway, congrats on the position. I'm sure you'll love the company. If you haven't made it over to the Valley Art yet, do yourself a favor. Its my absolute favorite theatre.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 08-26-2004, 05:22 PM:

Harkins is building a pretty decent sized parking lot for the Bricktown 16 theater. It runs to the east of the theater toward the new Bass Pro Shops superstore. The parking lots for both places is separated by the Bricktown canal as it winds under I-40 over toward that big indoor rock climbing facility (a former grain silo).

From the look of things, I doubt you'll have to pay to park in the theater parking lot. But I wonder how long that will last. Visitors to Bricktown may avoid the pay parking sites and clog up the lots of Harkins and Bass Pro Shops, forcing them to put in pay systems.

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 08-26-2004, 09:50 PM:

...or, more likely, a pay-to-park-unless-you-saw-a-movie system. If it's anything similar to the systems they've used in Arizona, they'll validate parking for 2.5 hours. Unfortunantly, the lots were managed by an outside company that weren't sympathetic to patrons who saw two movies, or who got 2.5 hour validations at the theatre and 1 hour validations at a restaraunt. (you'd think that entitled them to 3.5 hours, right?)

This also raised concerns with patrons who did not have enough money for snacks when $5.00 was being held by the parking garage. In rare cases, i'd accept the parking voucher as $5.00 at the concession stand, then walk out to the garage between shows and cash the voucher with the parking attendant.

Posted by Jeff Stuckey (Member # 1718) on 08-30-2004, 11:38 AM:

Just was down in Bricktown and got an upclose look at the theater. It's pretty nice looking from the outside, but it also looks like it still has a long way to go before opening.

I parked in the lot right next to the theater that is next to the U-Haul place. It's my feeling that all of those lots are owned by the same company, and I hope they have already established some partnership with the theater. You are right Bobby that they have built parking for the theatre, but it is no where close to any amount to accommodate 16 possibly sold out screens. If you have ever been to Quail Springs Mall on a holiday (when the mall is closed), you will still notice the ENTIRE parking lot is completely filled. And that's just for the theater. With this being a new place to check out, it's going to be a mess for at least a couple months. And whenever there is a ball game, an event at the Ford Center, an event at the Bricktown Events Center and some big Bricktown-wide event...ugh.

Posted by Manuel Francisco Valencia (Member # 710) on 10-05-2004, 03:15 PM:

Well we are finally opened. Some things went smooth and some things did not go so smooth. It was a really hectic weekend with all the media and the corporate executives all over the place. Not to mention the fact that all the managers worked at least 100 hours that week.

There was a lot of fun in the booth. After working with the MIT equipment I have found some things I like and some things I definitely don't like, particularly the rings. Bevan came down for the installation and he told me right off the bat "people are not going to like these rings." The lamphouses though are awesome. Changing bulbs should be very easy since for one they are easy to get to and the up/down, right/left, for/aft is all motorized. I would go on but this is not a review. I hope I will see some of you OKC guys drop by. Until then it is back to 16 hour shifts!

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-05-2004, 06:21 PM:

Will it be okay to bring a digital camera and get some booth, auditorium and lobby photos?

Posted by Manuel Francisco Valencia (Member # 710) on 10-06-2004, 11:35 PM:

Sorry Bobby. I already talked to my GM about pictures and he says Harkins does not aprove photography inside the theatre or on the grounds. I would have really liked to send in a bunch of pics of the construction. There were plenty of photo oppurtunities. I also think a lot of people were wanting to see the cine Capri auditorium and the MiT equipment. Maybe someday.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-07-2004, 12:01 AM:

Oh well, I'm not too surprised. Carmike has the same kind of policy. The theater here in my town is now undergoing a stadium seating conversion in some of the auditoriums. But I wouldn't want to risk getting my friend, Jack, the top-notch manager there, in a bunch of trouble over getting some pictures.

No photo policies are a shame. Movie theater circuits should absolutely brag about their good theaters and publicise the hell out them instead of trying to protect some kind of secret about what's in the booth. Really, what would be in there that wouldn't already be common public knowledge and fully available to any other movie theater circuit?

If I ran a top notch movie theater I would make it possible for people to get dime tours of the booth or at least have some way to see what goes on up there. Hell, why not have a balcony above the lobby where customers could actually see the projectors, platters and other inner workings of theater projection? I think they might find that a bit fascinating. Plenty of IMAX theaters do something similar to that with their glassed off partitions that allow customers to view the booth happenings.

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 10-07-2004, 11:45 AM:

Not sure if they have this at bricktown, but Harkins generally puts a fully-functional projector and platter system in their lobbies to show trailer reels on a screen mounted above the concession stand. For what its worth, I think that setup blows away any tv-fed lobby entertainment by far. And it accomplishes exactly what bobby suggests, gives the general public a look at how things are actually run.

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 10-07-2004, 11:59 AM:

I'd like to see some pics of that. How do they do the sound for the trailers?