Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Major Earthquake in New Zealand

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Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 09-03-2010, 04:53 PM:

A major quake struck N.Z. this morning at 4:35 local time, 12:35 U.S. eastern time. Lets hope everybody fared well, especially our Film Tech friends.

Posted by Sally Ann Burgess (Member # 4746) on 09-04-2010, 02:24 AM:

Thanks, Bill.
Being in Queenstown I didn't actually feel anything, but it's just a miracle no-one died given the damage caused. I rang my friends who manage a multiplex, and when they went over this morning to check it out, one of the digital projectors had fallen over, another one (35mm) was leaning over. Crazy.

Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 09-04-2010, 09:09 PM:

I am 75 km from the epicentre. Lots of shaking, but little damage here possibly because we live on an alluvial plain - basically the county is an old riverbed.
Christchurch cinemas are mostly not open, due to power/water/sewer outages. 1 death due to a heart attack.

Posted by James Falloon (Member # 1933) on 09-05-2010, 06:20 AM:

I live approx 30km (19 miles) from the epicentre, I've had plenty of 5's and a 6, but this was much worse than that, this was a real "oh my god if this thing doesn't stop soon the house is going to fall down" kind of shake. It was rough and kept on going. The whole house was shaking and rumbling and bouncing around. I've never felt that kind of fear before. The tremors are slowly thinning out after nearly two days. For most of Saturday I kept thinking the ground was still moving but was probably just my heart racing. Just had another little jolt as I type this on Sunday night.

Some parts of Christchurch were severely affected, mostly brick/ stone structures and lots of damage in areas with sandy soils; burst water mains, lamp posts toppled, and lots of chimneys collapsed through roofs and lots of "mud volcanoes" etc. Ironically my area, Hornby, the area of Christchurch closest to the epicentre suffered little damage, power and water stayed on, no problems with phone or internet, there was even mail in the letter box. We got off very lightly. Probably as David pointed out we are on alluvial plains and not reclaimed swampland as the more affected parts are. A state of emergency was declared and there was a 7 till 7 curfew on the central business district to stop looting and general safety concerns about buildings collapsing. Bridges were checked for integrity, the airport was closed while runway was checked. There was major flooding in some areas and a few lucky escapes. Two people seriously injured and one death due to heart attack (very surprised it wasn’t more)

Driving to work on Saturday morning to check for damage looked like any ordinary day, the sun was shining, roads were fine. In the candy bar some (about half) of the glass shelves had fallen down and broken, scattering stock all over the floor. But nothing major major. Looked pretty bad but once tidied up actually didn't loose much. A few things in the kitchen had toppled over.

Upstairs trailers had fallen off shelves and rolled all round the projection room, one of the platters moved about 2 inches from where it was supposed to be, some projectors had gone for a small slide. Cupboards were open with contents spilled out; I have no idea how the split real ended up where it did. Fortunately none of the films had come off the decks, although one did come close. Again we came off far better than I expected. The other cinemas I have a bit to do with have reported similar situations, nothing important damaged just need a bit of time to get the projectors lined back up again.

We had everything sorted out by lunchtime on Saturday, but with continuing after shocks and uncertainty over water quality it was decided not to open.

So this folks is what a 7.1 magnitude earthquake does to a projection room. (Apologies about the craptacular quality of my phone camera.)

That was lucky, Ill be leaving the brains in from now on I think.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-05-2010, 03:31 PM:

Fun pics! Although the brains will help, the trick is not to remove the center ring. If you don't have enough to go around, order more.

Actually I don't buy the whole earthquake-slid-my-prints-around bit. This probably wasn't the earthquake at all. It was probably just the prints trying to flip themselves over so they are soundtrack up. [Razz]

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 09-05-2010, 04:00 PM:

I don't buy the "earthquake" either...they just keep their projection booths VERY sloppy!

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 09-05-2010, 04:55 PM:

That was a close one with that Shrek print. It obviously needs some help. Any volunteers? If it had been me, I probably would have just pushed it off to have the satisfaction. Ahhhhh... [Razz]

Glad you are all OK though. I have an Aunt in Christchurch. They started out with no power, water etc then it all came back on but now the water is off again, I hear because of concerns for its contents. She said the quake lasted about a minute. Yikes! She also says she'd had about 50 aftershocks and this was Saturday afternoon. [Eek!]

Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 09-05-2010, 09:56 PM:

Thats why I got off so lightly, soundtracks were up.

Posted by Warren Smyth (Member # 1838) on 09-06-2010, 08:00 AM:

I have been editing footage of the quake for TVNZ. It is hard to believe that there was no loss of life and with few exceptions, minor injuries only. This was largely because of the time the earthquake struck, when residents were asleep. Also, the standards requiring earthquake resistance in the design of buildings no doubt helped.

Many of the older buildings have been strengthened over the years even outside of the earthquake zones. When the Auckland Civic was restored (thats the theatre King Kong demolishes in the film), a large part of the 40 million restoration dollars went into bracing and strengthening.

Does anyone know if the old Odeon in Christchurch was damaged?

We are thankful the loss wasn't greater. Now the cleanup has begun, we are aware of the devastating impact it is having on the lives of so many including children, who have lost their homes. Our thoughts are with them.

Posted by James Falloon (Member # 1933) on 02-21-2011, 08:19 PM:

6.3 aftershock at 12:50pm local time
5KM deep, signifigant damage

Multiple fatalities reported, two busses crushed by collapsing building

multiple Buildings collapsed / fires
power out to 80% of city

people trapped in buildings

a day of very black news for some
local state of emergency declared
Central city evacuated

will keep everyone informed

(see pics above - approximately the same)

people being rescued
no comminication from Banks Peninsula

Airport closed

described as the nightmare that didn't happen in september

Billions more damage, people need help

Massive aftreshocks still occouring

hospitals are only taking serious cases. search and rescue being deployed, no figures on number trapped, injured, or building dammaged/ collabsed. known to be signifignant

roads damaged

aircraft used to rescue people from buildings
emergency services being bought in from other towns

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 02-21-2011, 09:10 PM:

Terrible news, James. I hope you and your are all safe and well.

Posted by James Falloon (Member # 1933) on 02-21-2011, 11:33 PM:

65 confirmed dead

Littleton (close to epicenter) described as "it looks like it's been bombed" 60% of houses destroyed

Was very scary in the projection room. projectors shifting, stuff falling over, no lamps exploded but must have come close. i was between a kinoton FP20A and sound rack and I was hanging on. the kinoton must have been swinging 4 inches side to side at the top, the picture was off the screen in parts. glad the lamp didn't let go.

I'm very fortunate that after the september earthquake an extra brace was added from the top of the kinoton to the ceiling otherwise it probably would have toppled over with me under it.

And it kept going. very nearly threw the film. those stick on rubber pad things do nothing in a 6.3 earthquake.

The two other projectors (bauer U4 and simplex millenium) went for another slide across the floor, and they keept going too, and those prints were seconds away from hitting the floor as well.

Shut everything down, straightened the films out, and figured I'd motor through the rest of the movies to not get late for the next set. and see how badly out of whack everything was.

After the 2nd aftershock, we GTFO

just left, films still threaded, will have to go in tomorrow morning and sort it out.

no other damage to our cinema, no ceiling tiles fell down, we were very lucky, we had babies and wheelchairs.

Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 02-22-2011, 12:38 AM:

Shit, what a difference 75km makes. Sounds like a job well done in Hornby.

Posted by Jim Henk (Member # 3628) on 02-22-2011, 02:09 AM:

I assume the Red Cross is scrambling for blood (and other) donations? Will check here.

Posted by Marc Jensen (Member # 3561) on 02-25-2011, 05:09 PM:

The NZ Hoyts website has this to say on it's front page:

quote:
Due to the recent events in Christchurch we are sorry to report that the following cinemas are closed:
Hoyts Moorhouse
Hoyts Northlands
Hoyts Riccarton
Regent on Worcester
Hoyts will undertake to return to normal operating hours as soon as possible

I haven't heard the extent of the damage to the various cinemas around Christchurch yet, but so far it sounds mostly material where the cinemas and cinema employees are concerned. Structure damage and flooding/liquifaction have been reported.

I'm concerned about the ongoing employment side of this catastrophe too. Job losses are highly probable, and evacuations and relocations will likely reshape the market, regardless of how well the complexes pull through. Matt Jones, a union organiser for cinemas in the area has been out delivering supplies and is contactable where Unite members are concerned.

The city in general isn't in good shape though. An hour ago the numbers were 123 deceased, and over 200 still missing. [Frown]

Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 02-25-2011, 08:01 PM:

We had some concerns for Lang and Maureen at the Hollywood Cinemas. Have found out they are shaken, but OK. As is their cinema.
Still uncomrirmed that rooves are caved in at Regent on Worcester and Rialto.
Northlands was closed last time for months, and the damage this time may be worse.

Posted by Andres Briano (Member # 4621) on 03-02-2011, 09:41 AM:

quote: Warren Smyth
Does anyone know if the old Odeon in Christchurch was damaged?

Warren: I´m glad to hear that you are ok. [beer]

I have emailed you on both addresses I have of you and both kept bouncing back. I have also sent you a PM. I trust Doug Harley and the rest of the Film Buffs are Ok. Please get back to me.

Andrés

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 03-02-2011, 01:50 PM:

So James, are you OK? How did your home and work fare this time?

Do you have more photos?

So sorry to hear of all the damage and loss of life.

Posted by James Falloon (Member # 1933) on 03-02-2011, 03:42 PM:

Hi, John and everyone

Yes I'm ok, Lang and Maureene are fine but don't have water at the moment. Sumner cinema is mostly ok and can be quickly bought back on screen when power is restored. Pat at the Regent Rangiora is ok, suffered no damage from this quake, and as soon as i'm over my flu I'll help get him back on screen (just a few days more work)

Hornby has been back on screen since Monday, suffering no damage other than somebody stealing the lollipops while we were closed [Roll Eyes]

I haven't taken any pics of Hornby, since there wasn't really anything to see, some reels fell over and trailers ended up on the floor. Bauer shifter maybe a inch and the simplex half an inch. once straightened up we were away again.

I know readings cinema at shirly had ceiling tiles fall and a pipe leak in one of there cinemas, as well as the mall suffering lots of broken glass.

I have no information on how any or the other cinemas have faired, I can only hope that nobody was hurt.

It is however with much sadness that I inform everyone that Trever King passed away on the same day as the quake, though weather from the quake or natural causes i'm not sure.

Posted by Warren Smyth (Member # 1838) on 03-03-2011, 05:31 AM:

Thank you for you concern Andres. We are fine as we live a long way from Christchurch. Some friends have lost their house but otherwise ok. Sadly there have been horrific injuries and loss of life unlike the earlier quake in Sept. They are still recovering bodies but the chances of finding anyone alive sadly are slim. I have sent you a message Andres.

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 5226) on 03-03-2011, 10:41 PM:

Hi James hope you are getting over the flu.

I was watching a movie at Reading in Shirley when it struck I was sitting in the back row getting thrown around, it was a very violent shake that seemed to increase in intensity as it went on. Watching the ceiling tiles drop and water pipes breaking was terrible. After the shake stopped people including myself were almost in a state of shock. Leaving the cinema at the Palms shopping mall it looked like a bomb had gone off with glass everywhere. The roads around the area where we live were badly damaged flooding etc. Our house seems to be sinking on one end with cracks everywhere. The damage to the East side of the city is bad, water, sewage and power in fact anything that runs underground has had it. We have just got power back "overhead cables" and the diggers are outside fixing the mains. We removed around a foot of smelly silt around our place that had come up a few days ago, while I was dumping it on the street a voice behind me asked did I want a hand. It was the farmers "The Farmy Army" they had come to town to help, these people were brilliant and I cant praise them enough. This weekend we hope to get chemical toilets they are coming from China. The rescue teams from Aussie the US etc and everyone involved here have done a fantastic job. Things in time will be fixed but its the people who have lost there lives that I feel for. The after shocks have decreased but for many including myself still feel very much on edge.

Graham.

Posted by Warren Smyth (Member # 1838) on 03-04-2011, 06:24 AM:

So pleased you are ok Graham. I have been editing some of the footage for TVNZ and have seen the worst. Its heartbreaking. Our thoughts are with you all. Give Brian and Dawn our love.