Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 2800 sq ft conversion

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Posted by Greg McGuire (Member # 10524) on 08-25-2018, 04:31 PM:

Hi everyone, newer caller, long time listener here. I'm going through a long debate with my colleagues about cinema design and I thought I'd come here to the internet and ask you guys your opinions.

We have an attached building next to our cinema that's come up for sale and are looking at possibly converting that into an additional screen. Using public records and the Google Maps, the building is about 2800 sq ft and has 15' ceilings.

What we're trying to figure out is how big the auditorium needs to be, what size screen we can get for it, and what types of seating to use, regular, stadium, power recliner, or something non-traditional, and finally how many seats to put in.

I'm of the opinion that because of the size of the building as well as, for lack of a better term, "how far it is from the main concession area," we should treat it more like a private screening room and have a pre-function area outside the auditorium for parties/events/etc. I also think that since we were one of, if not, the first digital cinemas in our region, and because it's 2018, we should try and get/stay ahead of the game and put as many power recliners in there as possible.

So, as I realize I haven't really asked a question yet, in your opinion(s), do you think a 2800 sq ft building that has a 15' tall ceiling can support a single screen? Furthermore, can it support maybe 35-50 power recliners?

Thanks in advance.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 08-25-2018, 05:23 PM:

You didn't post the actual dimensions (length and width) of your room.

My auditorium is 25 feet wide, 60 feet long and has a 16 foot ceiling. My screen is 20 feet wide by 8.something (whatever makes up a "perfect" scope sized screen) and I have 153 seats and two wheelchair parking spaces.

Posted by Greg McGuire (Member # 10524) on 08-25-2018, 05:29 PM:

Thanks for the reply Frank. The building is literally a big rectangle and is about 28’ x 100’.

Posted by Muhamad Taufiq (Member # 8868) on 08-26-2018, 12:22 AM:

How many screen do you have right now, and do you often encounter problem in scheduling different movies with the amount of screen you have?

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 08-26-2018, 01:40 PM:

As far as seating, you can't really do stadium seating. If your back row has an 8' distance to the ceiling, you only have 7 feet to work with for risers. Even at 12" steps that only allows for 8 rows of seats. With 100' length, you will have more than 8 rows unless you have huge leg room.

Posted by Greg McGuire (Member # 10524) on 08-27-2018, 03:11 PM:

Hi Muhamad, we currently have one screen and the consensus is that we should add a second screen. The general thought is that if we'll be able to get movies closer to the break.

Hi Lyle, thanks for the information. It's very helpful.

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 08-28-2018, 12:41 AM:

I have no doubt that you can put a cinema in there. You have some problems, though: a 15' ceiling does not give much leeway for a screen where you don't have sightline issues.
Recliners pretty much have to be on steps, you can't force everyone to recline fully and the sightlines get messy as an upright one is pretty high in front of a reclined one. A high screen could work with a flat floor ... but you only have 15'.
Are you planning to add a connection between buildings to share boxoffice, concession, and washrooms?
If you don't need lobbby and washroom space you may be better off to do two rooms back to back, entrance and a booth between them, with around 40' throws. You could do probably 3 or 4 stepped rows of recliners, with projection near the ceiling it may work out OK. I think you can fit at least 8 seats in a row... haven't measured but the twin recliners must be around 5' wide?
Otherwise use a fair bit of the depth for a party room, games room, washrooms (you may have to add some depending on local policy, I think we have some kind of seats/stall rule here), or whatever - lay out the best seating arrangement for having OK sightlines and make the cinema that size?

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 08-28-2018, 09:31 AM:

A few theatres near me have recliners on a sloped floor.

Aquarius Twin Theatre (Palo Alto)
Regal 9 Santa Cruz
Century Rowland Plaza 8 (Marin County, CA)

So it is possible.

Mike

Posted by Greg McGuire (Member # 10524) on 08-28-2018, 12:26 PM:

Hi Dave,

What do you, or anyone else, think a good height for the auditorium is? While making the physical building taller is probably cost prohibitive, lowering the floor is probably something that can be achieved.

My thought would be to punch a hole in the common wall and connect the two buildings and share the BO, concessions, and facilities but also have one or two generic, "family bathrooms," in that area. I was thinking about suggesting splitting the building into two screens but we don't currently have a dedicated, "party area," and I'd love to include it in here if possible.

Mike, are those fully raked floors or do they go flat in the seating row? I'm sure the feet/base on the recliners compensate for the rake but my mind is still stuck on the thought of sitting in a recliner and being forced to lean forward.

Again, thanks everybody for your input I really appreciate it. It's great to know that there's a group of end users that don't mind giving input and having ideas bounced off of them.

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 08-28-2018, 03:51 PM:

I'd consider putting in a smaller screen and leave the rest of the room for possible further expansion with a third or even fourth screen if you can't afford such a build-out right now.

I think that in current market conditions, it's more profitable to be able to show more movies than to have very big rooms that almost never sell out.

With smaller auditoriums, it should also not be a problem to put in stadium seating, even with the limited height.

Concessions are an important source of revenue, so you should definitely make sure that everybody passes by the concession stand in your traffic routing through the building.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 08-28-2018, 06:47 PM:

Could mini stadium that small house since you have a flat floor. Build terraces up from the floor and shotgun seat the house so the projector can fire down the middle over the terrace steps.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 08-28-2018, 07:05 PM:

The fact that it's a flat floor doesn't mean that it has to remain so.

My theatre used to be a paint and wallpaper store. When I made the auditorium I got long stage rafters that go from zero up to maybe two feet(? I can't remember the exact height but it's something like that). They sit on the original floor and I built a sloped floor on top of that.

Posted by Muhamad Taufiq (Member # 8868) on 08-28-2018, 07:08 PM:

If you use regular seating (not recliner) it seems 15' ceiling is enough. If you use stepped seating you can get clear line of sight.

*I'm not quite sure what is the usual seats dimension in the US, but I just assume 4' as the length of each step and seat height of 4', which is what I usually found over here.

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 08-29-2018, 11:06 AM:

Greg, the theatres I mentioned have a raked floor.

Mike