Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Drive-In Screen Repairs

This is topic Drive-In Screen Repairs in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Donald Brown (Member # 5427) on 04-24-2013, 09:12 PM:

I was contacted by the new operators of Vermont's Randall Drive-In Theatre who were looking for a regional screen service contractor.
Is anyone familiar with a contractor that does drive-in screen work in New England?
I once had work done by a gentleman from Maine, Rocco (Rocky) Cioe, who repaired and built screens throughout the region, but I haven't been able to locate him in well over a decade.
Thanks,

Don Brown

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 04-24-2013, 10:30 PM:

Contact the drive-in theatre association at www.uditoa.org or Selby Products Screen Towers PO Box 267 Richfield, OH 44286 330-659-6631 or 800-647-6224. Perhaps they can help you.

Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 04-25-2013, 09:38 AM:

Saw the similar post on the UDITOA message board forums this morning. Since the particular screen in question is a wooden structure, can they not find a "pole barn contractor" or someone similar up in that area of the country?

Our first screen is a Selby, but our second screen is a wooden structure erected by a pole barn contractor from a small farming community about 20 minutes up the road. Our Selby is a great screen, but our wooden screen structure is built like a freaking tank.

Posted by Donald Brown (Member # 5427) on 04-27-2013, 05:26 PM:

The Screen at the Randall Drive-In Theatre is an old wooden structure. I suspect that it is the original screen that was erected wen the theatre was built, since the construction materials are distinctly of that vintage.
Evidently, several panels fell off during the winter, and the contractor who assessed the work suggested removing all of the remaining remaining panels and re-strapping the entire screen face. This wasn't feasible given the term of the operator's contract and their anticipated seasonal revenue.
I thought that I might find one of the local UDITOA members who encountered similar circumstances, but my post there generated no response.
Thanks,
Don Brown

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 05-02-2013, 01:32 PM:

Barry, do you know of any DI that has built a concessions/rest room building and used one wall as the screen? I seem to remember seeing one configuration like that when I was a kid. The "main" building wasn't the projection booth/concession building, but the concessions/screen building. The projection booth was a much smaller building than conventional DIs. It only housed the projectors. Now with digital, I imagine that could be a very small building indeed.

The advantage is I image with this kind of configuration would be that high winds would present much less a danger of screen damage.