Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Best shape for a cinema?

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Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 12-02-2006, 11:48 PM:

I have been wondering what thoughts film-techers have about auditorium shape. does anyone have an ideal?

I have suspected that the following shape would be very good as it is the typical shape of a speaker box so acousticly would be good (which is also same shape as the Egyptian bricks used in the Pyramids).

Hight 0.6
width 1
depth 1.6

variations of less than 10% seem to have little effect

This shape would also allow a for a good sized big screen. Cubes typically have a bad sound so do tunnels, seven and eleven sided shapes sound even better Any thoughts and ideas?

What shape is your favorite cinema? sound is not the biggest isue just one [Big Grin]

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 12-03-2006, 12:42 PM:

The very best shape is probably not going to happen again: shell shaped with the screen at the small end.

The aim is to avoid rectangular spaces, which have as their only advantage: economy. Louis

Posted by Christian Appelt (Member # 1067) on 12-03-2006, 02:45 PM:

There is an excellent book by Russian film technican E.M. Goldowski about widescreen systems and theatre design that has some good design theories and propositions regarding viewing angles and room shapes. I believe there was an English translation, but I don't know the title.

Original title:
Goldovskij, Evsej Mihajlovic:
Ot nemogo kino k panoramnomu

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 12-03-2006, 05:35 PM:

quote: Louis Bornwasser
The very best shape is probably not going to happen again: shell shaped with the screen at the small end.

That works well, at least with larger auditoria, but it's not good for silver screens, and therefore no good for 3-d, if that makes a comeback in polarised form.

Is anybody even talking about making any new live action 3-D films, or is all the new digital stuff computer generated animation so far?

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 12-04-2006, 11:02 AM:

A number of people have said that they'll make live-action 3-D movies, including James Cameron, George Lucas, Robert Zemckis, Robert Rodriguez, and Peter Jackson.

Louis, with the shape you described, would seats fill the entire auditorium? What would be the ideal seat location?

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 12-04-2006, 11:53 AM:

Phillips published a very good design book called Designing the Cinema back in the 60s

Posted by Jim Bedford (Member # 4) on 12-04-2006, 12:42 PM:

The Phillips 32 page pamphlet I have is called "Planning a Cinema," "a publication of the Electro-acoustics Division of Philips (sic), Eindhoven, The Netherlands." ®1964. This is probably the one Gordon referred to.

It deals with the "Cinematographical part," the "Acoustical part," and the "Lighting part" of room layout and projection. It's filled with drawings, calculations and lists many "rules" one should stick to. I would say it recommends against a rectangular box auditorium, which of course, most are.

I'll check with Brad and see if we can get it scanned for the manuals section if appropriate.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 12-04-2006, 02:59 PM:

Thats the one
The screen curvature ccalculations are interesting