70mm Presentation Screen Sizes

[Paul Finn]

It would be informational to know what size screens modern (last 4-5 years) 70mm feature films are being shown on today. For those locations still regularly showing 70mm films, please give us some information to fill in this missing part of the 70mm presentation picture.

Thank you, Paul Finn

[Stefan Scholz]

Not that large in meters, ours is 8 meters wide, from a viewing distance up to 13 meters, and that's exactly the 3/5 room length given in the original specs of Todd AO.
The Delphi Berlin is 14.5 meters wide, with a hall length of 40 meters... A rather small image in comparison.
My former 1957 Todd AO theatre (Type 1 room) used to feature a curved 21.9m/ b65 ft of screen width, at a viewing distance at the end of 36.5m / 110 ft, about the same ratio as our remaining small town room.
Comparing screen sizes just by the screen size is like high school boys talk in the bathroom. According to equipment vendors at the time a mid sized screen and room is way more immersive, than large rooms with large screens. And it's way easier to reach the initially stated 30 fl for 70mm presentations, which was a very important factor in the perceived, special image quality at the time.

[Terry Monohan]

Seems like the grand old days of larger huge deep curved screens for 70mm film are long gone.

I am shocked to see some of the very small flat screens around that show 70mm these days.

While they do look clear and sharp for a 70mm showing It's not what this format did look like in the mid 1950's on a giant curved wrap a around screen with curtains and adjustable masking,.

Each circuit has their XD ,RPX , baby Imax, plus all kinds of names but it all boils down most are not that big or curved, many are almost flat with no masking at all. Just another way to bring in more money at the boxoffice. You sit and watch a scope movie on a big square with white screen at the top and bottom.

I have seen a few nice size wide semi curved Dolby Cinema® screens that look very nice. Most of these auditoriums are not set up for 70mm film just DCP.

Let's hope some day in the USA some brave new movie circuit will forget about putting in 12 screens mostly the same size with square screens and make at least 5 spaces wide with a deep curve and masking to open on the sides from 1.85 to 2.35..

Bring back the days of showmanship with curtains that go up or sideways and some color lights on the drapes and side walls. The public will pay to be entertained with something better that the average auditorium that we see today!

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

My first Home setup had a 12 foor wide screen. And man was the 70mm stuff ever sharp. Has a number of shot in 65mm films including Krakatoa and Oklahoma.

[Jerry G. Axelsson]

Our larger screen for 70mm is about 12m wide with a 19,5m throw.

[Jim Cassedy]

70mm at my current venue is 43ft x 19.5ft (13.1m x 5.9m)
With a 77ft (23m) Throw

[Kyle Mikolajczyk]

Our theater is:

Width: 28’ 9’’
Height: ~10’
Throw: 56’ 6’’

It is a small screen installed in a lecture hall. 70mm still looks fantastic however!