Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Who feels like being creative?

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Posted by Michael McGillion (Member # 493) on 08-15-2000, 06:32 AM:

Who wants to help out an Australian projectionist?

Here's the deal. In order to promote the upcoming Australian film "The Dish" (which is about Australia's involvement in the first moon landing, ie the first pictures were received from a satellite dish in a town called Parkes), my employer (Hoyts) is running a competition for staff only. (I think it's nation wide)

My mission, as I chose to accept it; me and 8 of my colleagues are to build a mock satellite dish, somewhere in my town (Penrith, if you were wondering - it's a bit of a hole but hey.) It doesn't have to be anywhere near the complex. It has to be obviously promoting the film. We have no budget other than our own pocket. It has to be LEGAL.

If we win, me and 8 of my colleagues each win a DVD player. There are other prizes.

Now, here's where you wonderfully inventive film-teckers come in. Who's got some good ideas? (Rewards for excellent ideas are negotiable, but small considering our budget )

Needless to say there'll be a plug for Film-Tech on it.

This message will self-destruct....later.

Kindest Regards and Advance Thanks,

Michael McGillion
33 Western Ave
East Blaxland
NSW 2774
AUSTRALIA
Ph: +61 2 4739 6051

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 08-15-2000, 07:57 AM:

Can a large obsolete satellite antenna be purchased as "surplus" from the military or a television network center? Moving a large dish might be a challenge however.

Perhaps 2-metre (C-band?) home satellite dishes are available from users who have upgraded to small dish DSS or DirecTV type systems.

If you have to make your own low-cost "dish", perhaps paper mache would be an appropriate medium. Scoop out a 2 to 4 metre diameter parabolic "bowl" in soft dirt or sand, and start building the structure with old newspapers soaked in wall-paper adhesive. At least 1 cm of thickness of the layered newspapers would be needed to give enough stiffness to the dish. Layering in some old polyester print film would give it tear strength. Let it dry in the sun.

An array of old speaker horns could look quite impressive as an "antenna", although it is not a dish shape.

Hope these ideas help in the brainstorming. Good luck.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

Posted by Colin Wiseley (Member # 247) on 08-15-2000, 10:44 AM:

Just take an old reflector and stick a piece of conduit or some other pipe through the center. The mirror surface of the reflector might make it look like it's capable of receiving something.

Better yet, use a platter deck. A shiny Super-Platter deck would look good.

------------------
Colin Wiseley
Lyric Theatre
Blacksburg, VA
www.thelyric.com

Posted by Michael McGillion (Member # 493) on 08-15-2000, 07:43 PM:

Thanks for the help - I like the idea of layering in the film stock, John - hadn't thought of that one yet.

Posted by Paul Cunningham (Member # 501) on 10-28-2000, 09:32 AM:

Well, who won and what did they do?

Paul

Posted by Andrew McCrea (Member # 674) on 12-26-2000, 04:38 PM:

How big does it have to be?????

You can't buy old satelites from television stations, radio stations or the army though. My dad owns a radio station and you can't get them for free from radio or television stations. He been in the business a long time though.

I don't know about the army. I'll ask my brother, he's in the local army force or whatever you call it.

Andrew
I'll Be back, forums!

Posted by Michael McGillion (Member # 493) on 12-28-2000, 06:46 PM:

Well, to tell the truth I don't know who won - we had several problems when we were building our dish. We built ours with wood and painted calico material, but a few hours after we put it up, a really big storm came along. Our "giant wooden windsock" snapped. (Bet you can't say that 3 times in a row.

) Then, while we were repairing it, I got hit in the head with one of the chunks of wood. While I was recuperating, the rest of the dish was stolen. (God knows why you'd want it.)

All up it was a bit of a wasted effort. At least I learnt a lesson from it - to quote Homer (Simpson) "You tried your best, and failed. The lesson is: never try."