Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Movies at Aloha Stadium

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-26-2009, 02:07 PM:

The Aloha Stadium Authority who operates the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu for the state of Hawaii is planning to show movies in the parking lot at the Stadium to generate extra income during the time when the facility is not being used. The stadium is working with the local franchisee of Maryland based Fun Flicks to run the movies as reported by the Honolulu Advertiser this morning. The showing will be held in the parking lot of the stadium and will be like a drive in theatre with space for 500 cars and 3000 people. People in cars are expected to use their car radios because exterior speakers like the kind at drive in theatres will not be provided. If people do not want to view the movies in their cars, the stdioum plans to allow moviegoers to lounge on artificial turf in front of the screen. Movies will be projected on a 40 foot screen and the article did not state what kind of projection equipment will be used. The article also did not mention if the showings will be first run movies or older films that are now available on DVDS and Blu-Ray.

In my humble opinion, this project is doomed from the beginning especially if the showings will consists of 2nd run movies. The city government is already showing free 2nd run movies at Waikiki Beach as part of the Sunset at the Beach program almost every weekend and I doubt people will be willing to pay to see them at the stadium.. They might have a better luck with first run movies but even this is questionable when one can see them in comfortable theatres with great picture and sound.

-Claude

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 12-26-2009, 03:08 PM:

Let's see...

Generate extra income

Space for 500 cars

or 3000 people

using a 40' screen, 'er postage stamp.

BWAAHAHAHAHAHA!

You're killing me.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 12-26-2009, 03:48 PM:

They tried this in the parking lot of the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. It lasted two months.

http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/27782.html

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-26-2009, 04:00 PM:

If they had a 400 foot screen then they'd have something.

Posted by Jake Spell (Member # 5294) on 12-26-2009, 08:29 PM:

The local Cinebrre does something similar during the summer months, they bring out their inflatable screen in the parking lot and run the midnight movie of whatever is opening on it. Its kinda like a big bbq, local restaurants bring to food, they bring the popcorn candy and beer/drinks. Everyone sits on their own lawn chairs, towels , or whatever else they bring. Seems to do good business.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-26-2009, 08:48 PM:

Are the movies first run or old films, Jake? Also, are they using 35mm film projectors with a change over or is the movie program on video?

-Claude

Posted by Jake Spell (Member # 5294) on 12-27-2009, 01:45 AM:

It is the midnight show of first run movies run out of their custom trailer which has a 35mm projector and platter show onto their own inflatable screen.

You can check out their myspace page Cinebarre Myspace

I remember for the midnight of Whip It, all the wait staff dressed up like derby girls and skated around, pretty cool stuff.

Posted by Paul J. Neuhaus (Member # 3205) on 12-30-2009, 03:23 PM:

quote: Claude S. Ayakawa
Movies will be projected on a 40 foot screen

People would be better off watching pay per view in their hotel.

[dlp]

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-31-2009, 03:55 PM:

I agree, Paul [Smile]

-Claude

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 12-31-2009, 05:30 PM:

40 feet is still a pretty big sail to put up.

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 12-31-2009, 08:35 PM:

People come to these for the experience of hanging out with other people...the movie is just an excuse.

In New York City, there's a weekly film festival every summer in Bryant Park. They project 35mm from a truck, but the screen is way too small, they don't get all the nearby buildings to shut off their lights and the mono sound sucks, especially since the sound bounces off the main branch of the New York Library system, so dialogue intelligibility is very poor. But people love it and almost every show is mobbed. These are the same movies that would get an audience of 15 in a sub-run or revival theatre.

People aren't allowed on the grass until 5pm. At 5pm, security lets people in and people rush in and grab a spot and wait for their friends to show up with food, etc.

The attached pic isn't great (3 pics from my iPhone merged together), but it will give you the idea.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-31-2009, 10:11 PM:

Actually the Open Air Cinema Blow Up Screen Guys whom are located down in Lindon, You-Taw make some really huge screens up to 65 feet wide... Blow Up Screen Guys .

The Maui outdoor showings used one of their screens...

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-01-2010, 02:52 AM:

True, for this gimmick to work, there has to be a gimmick that can win the people over...but, it has to be free to the public.

Wow, how about outdoor 3D movies?

What about restroom facilities and ins liabilities?

Sadly, a 65ft wide screen for a 300 car yard is way too small. Needs to be almost a hundred plus wide to make it a decent go.

-Monte

Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 01-01-2010, 03:46 PM:

I thik a 65ft would be fine for 300 cars, 100 ft screens are just too dark at close to 4 footlamberts. It would probably be 1.77 ratio unless its the German built "Air Screen" which is avaliable in all ratios (1.33, 1.77, 1.85, 2 and 2.35.) Plus are avaliable in sizes over 100 ft wide!

Many 100 ft drive in screens originally had over 700 car spaces. From memory Barry Floyd when he built his drive in he used 65ft screens because he could get a nice bright image and also the smaller the screen the closer you can park to it and the bigger it looks!

From the photo's of the inflatable screen drive ins that I have noticed, the most obvious problem I see is that the cars are never parked horse shoe shaped but just like a regular carpark in straight rows which would seriously suck unless you sit in the middle of the lot. I suspect thast most of the audience probably leaves their cars and watch the movie from the space infront of the screen.

Posted by David Zylstra (Member # 4230) on 01-01-2010, 04:44 PM:

A local company here did a multi screen drive-in using an old football stadium's parking lot. They were successful enough to open a second drive-in in another local arena's parking lot.

I don't recall thier screen sizes or if they do first run titles; I also don't know if the first location is still open, but I think the second location still runs titles (during the summer, of course)

If the rent deal is based on management giving the property owner a simple percentage of the profits it could be a decent enough deal to stay open as long as there is mediocre attendance.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-01-2010, 10:28 PM:

Ya, I was thinking of the radius setup and the length of the yard per the size of screen. Whereas true, I know of a Drive-In in this area that has a 85 ft wide screen in a 275 car yard. The radius isn't that all wide, yard plenty long enough and the back three rows....who watches movies clear back there anywhos... [Big Grin]

Posted by Brian Guckian (Member # 1678) on 01-24-2010, 07:17 AM:

Here are some movies in stadia [Cool]

:

"Pearl Harbor" Tokyo Premiere, 2001

Screen size recorded as 115ft x 50 ft approx.

and:

ID4 Oslo Screening 1996

Screen size recorded as 131ft wide, for 4500 spectators

IMAX DMR has also been recently suggested for giant stadia screenings.

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 01-24-2010, 01:29 PM:

Six to eight scaffold sections high does not equal 88 meters.

Posted by Brian Guckian (Member # 1678) on 01-26-2010, 08:13 PM:

(Re. Pearl Harbor)

Most likely a dropped decimal point - 8 point 8 meters high would come to 28ft 10ins approx., consistent with the photos and the quoted screen height of 50ft.

Posted by Tony Gallimore (Member # 5358) on 02-23-2010, 10:55 PM:

Claude,

Has the swap-meet been discontinued or is the movie venue just being squeezed in? When I lived there the swap-meet took up most of the first circle of parking. Guess it's worth a try though!