Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: A huge thank-you to the Heights Theater

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 11-16-2004, 01:32 PM:

As some of you may know, I've been spending the last week at the annual convention of the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) in Minneapolis. This is an international body representing just about anyone and everyone involved with film and video preservation. This year the members' screening night - in which around 20 member archives contribute a 6-minute piece from their collections - took place at the Heights Theater, north-east of the city. My friend Katie Trainor, who organises the evening each year, asked me to lend a hand in the booth this time, and I'd just like to say how much I enjoyed being there and to thank everyone at The Heights for making us so welcome, putting up with two strangers (one of them a limey!) running around in their booth and much else besides. A special mention is due to Tom Letness, T.J. Hopland, Graybow Communications for the video projection, to Film-Tech's very own Bill Carter, who rode shotgun on the Heights' amazingly neat auditorium remote fader... and of course Skippy! Thanks again, folks. This show consisted of 24 clips, 11 on 35mm, 5 on 16mm, 5 on Beta SP, 2 on DVD and one on VHS. These covered a range of formats from 1.85/SR to full-gate 18fps, and the presentation was incredible throughout. Katie tells me that at the closing night reception afterwards, AMIA veterans were commenting that this year's screening was the smoothest and best presented they'd ever seen, and we certainly have you guys to thank for that.

That's the good news. The bad news is that there is a theatre somewhere in or near Austin, Texas which Katie and I will be invading around this time next year. Book your vacation now! [Big Grin]

Leo and Katie cueing up the reels for projecting the right clips. As you can see, I'm in 'red eye avoidance mode'! And no, I don't normally dress like that in the booth. I was showing a film from our collection that night, and had to look reasonable when standing up at the front to introduce it. Besides, it was the end of the week by then and apart from my suit, all my clothes were in need of the washing machine.

Katie and Bill Carter in front of the organ console. The Heights has a full-scale Wurlitzer which was played for us before the screening and in the closing film, a Max Fleischer cartoon from the Library of Congress in which the audience was invited to sing along.

A very appreciative AMIA crowd at the closing reception after the screening. People were telling us throughout the evening how much they enjoyed the screening and being in that theatre. [thumbsup]

It was also great to meet Joe Beres at last, and furthermore to rope him into joining an AMIA group which Katie and I are forming to advise and help the membership on archive projection and presentation issues. All in all a great week.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-16-2004, 02:02 PM:

Thanks Leo. I missed being there this year. [Frown]

My co-workers Steve Hallatt, Greg Arnold, and Paul Wood who staffed the Kodak exhibit and attended the ACVL Dinner really enjoyed the week in the Twin Cities.

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 11-16-2004, 05:48 PM:

Leo, I'm working with T.J. Hopland at the Monticello Theatre for the next few weeks. I'll pass along your thanks to him. He's talked up the Heights a lot in the past week. They use three Norelco AAII's, wired for automated changeovers or platter operation via a Super Maxi 8 automation system. CP200 with 6 channel SR capability and a 22 foot screen.

He showed me some photos of the 70mm Russian print of War and Peace they ran some time back. Twenty-some reels on changeovers... [Eek!]

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 11-17-2004, 01:04 PM:

Leo,

I've worked with Katie at the Telluride Film Festival. She's a hoot! I've worked with her for 4-years at the Galaxy theatre in Telluride.

Posted by John Stewart (Member # 989) on 11-17-2004, 03:33 PM:

Leo,

Any idea what theater in Austin, Tx. you plan to invade? Should I move away before your visit? My guess is either The Arbor at Great Hills, one of the Alamo theaters, the Paramount or all of the above. You've got me worried. If you come to the Paramount, I'll see you there.

John

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 11-17-2004, 03:51 PM:

Ask the lady above - she's in charge!

Seriously, I'm not sure if the screening night venue has been fixed yet. The AMIA conference committee (which Katie is on but I'm not) usually does a site visit around Easter time, when the venues for the conference events and screenings are fixed up. If you've got any ideas, we'd love to hear them. Being kitted up to show 16mm and 35mm, all ratios and speeds down to 16fps is essential because the screening night consists of around 20 short pieces submitted by AMIA member archives, which come in all shapes and sizes. But, basically, I really don't know what the score is with the venue as yet.

Posted by John Stewart (Member # 989) on 11-18-2004, 09:00 AM:

Leo,

Talked to our programer and he did say he had talked to someone about it some time ago but he is retired and is out of the loop at the moment. We don't have 16mm set up but I'm sure it can be had. We can run 35 down to 15fps and up to 31fps on Century JJ's. Sounds like fun. We have a neat theater which was built in 1915.

John

J

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 11-18-2004, 01:23 PM:

That sounds great. I know that the conference organisers try to find a historically interesting theatre 'with atmosphere' for the screening night, and will definitely mention this to Katie the next time we swap e-mails (always assuming she's not lurking here!).

And there's no need to worry really - film archivists can be a bit weird sometimes (sniffing all those nitric acid fumes, probably), but we don't bite!