Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Film screenings at a live music venue?

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Posted by Douglas Carmichael (Member # 1930) on 12-15-2003, 02:10 AM:

I was reading an article in Mix magazine about tips for club/small venue sound engineers, and they had a bit about setting up for a film or video screening and the audio needs of it. Now, I could think of using video projection in a venue like that, but film? (From what I've seen from pics on the Warehouse, I always think of a real 35mm setup having a dedicated booth or makeshift booth (as in Glastonbury) because you need to vent the heat from the lamphouse, have space for the platter/digital sound processing, etc.)

Also, aren't there _very_ specific standards for film presentation vs. live PA? (ie. the X-curve and THX standards.)

Just curious.

--Douglas

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 12-15-2003, 03:46 AM:

I have done 35mm in several 'live performance venue' situations, both indoor and outdoor, using both 6000' reel changeovers and platters. In the indoor venues, the xenons were either vented into the booth or vented out the booth door into the suditorium or a hallway. The outdoor venues vented the xenons directly to the outside air.

If the venue's acoustics allow, you should be able to get the proper EQ curve to work out with little trouble. Sometimes the venue's design or size throws a few little problems into the mix such as time delay (which in very long throw situations would cause a small loss of sync due to the difference in the speeds of light and sound) and in extreme cases a second set of speakers driven by an amp fed by the signal sent thru a delay line may be necessary to correct a sync problem.

THX standards for sound and acoustics would be totally irrelavent as most live venues are nowhere even close to the same ballpark as most commercial cinema auditoria. THX standards for picture and light would still be applicable for 'Film Done Right' in these venues.

If you have the means to pull it off, you can also have surround channel(s) in thee situations as well- You would likely need a ridiculous number of surround speakers to get full coverage in a very large auditorium though.

-Aaron