8mm Forum: Super 8 Projected from a Booth?

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Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on July 03, 2012, 05:46 PM:

Sometimes I sit and imagine what my ideal home theater would be like. It would be down at basement level so it could be dark 24/7. The decoration wouldn't be like a commercial 35mm theater but some compromise of German Bier Hall and/or Adirondack Camp. (I can’t decide!)

There would be a sound and lighting console with switches, lights and knobs...because I like building things with switches, lights and knobs!

The thing is I imagine I would have a booth at one end with at least two ports and shelves inside for the machines to sit on, plus storage space for all my films.

The philosophical question is if you completely isolate your audience from the presence of the machines, why not just go another step and project digitally? It won't make any difference for them at that point. (Granted, it might to you.)

Maybe it's better if the film projectors are kept out in the room or are at least visible. Maybe the thing is not soo much a booth but a podium.

Thoughts?

Posted by Patrick McGrath (Member # 1210) on July 03, 2012, 06:04 PM:

I say you invite your guests over for a show, then after they are completely wowed by the quality of your "video" projection, you invite them into the booth for a look at the equipment!

"What? Super 8 film?! I thought that stuff died in the 60s!"

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on July 03, 2012, 06:09 PM:

It's a good thought, but I'd need new friends!

They all know about my films!

(Perhaps if I started inviting enemies!)

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on July 03, 2012, 06:19 PM:

Steve....I have a permanent set up in my basement. I have a "booth" but it is not enclosed it is out in the open. My screen is 4' X 6' with a 18' throw. My editing bench sits along the right side of the seating if you are at the projector. My collection is on shelves all around.

I find it very nice to just walk downstairs with a new or used print and put it on the rewinds for cleaning or right on the projector for screening. I don't have to set up anything. I have a dehumidifier running constantly and it is fairly cool so the enviroment is very nice for the collection.

I am single so it is nice to be able to have everything ready to go...my basement is set up for super 8 only and in my living room I have reg 8, super 8 and 16mm all set up on a smaller 2'X 3' screen. I joke to my family that my house is just like the local multiplex...but even better...I show FILM!

But I like the open booth because I can set down with guests and still keep close watch on the machine...and I like the click of the projector!

Bill [Smile]

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on July 03, 2012, 08:44 PM:

Bill,
How about posting some Pics of your set up?

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on July 03, 2012, 09:14 PM:

To be honest I dont care much for projector noise, I prefer to hear only the sound from the speakers with no other distraction. However when we run our own home movies I like to have the projector out of our wee projection box and sit next to it, as its more sociable so we can all chat away. [Smile]

Years ago a friend of mine had a very understanding wife "still has" who allowed him to have his large and beautifully restored 35mm projector with "20 minute reels" screwed to the floor in the lounge. The down side to it all, was if we watched a movie [Cool]

you really did not want to sit next to the thing without some ear plugs. [Smile]

Graham.

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on July 04, 2012, 06:17 AM:

Steve,

In my house in Indonesia, I have permanent set up like you meant. It has been posted in the designated section in this forum:

http://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001987;p=4

(right in the middle)

But it has an open booth. I could not leave my films be eaten by projector without me knowing it.

BTW, my theater can be turn into discotheque check it out! [Cool]

ps: while we are here, Patrick I have replied your PM, thanks for the offer!

cheers,

Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on July 04, 2012, 01:07 PM:

I agree with Graham. Why do you need to hear the projectors? The essence is in the difference between film and a digital image. To be honest, I wouldn't even be bothered whether or not the audience knew what they were watching.
It would definitely be a booth for me, given the chance.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on July 04, 2012, 01:14 PM:

That's a valid point Winbert: part of this business is keeping an ear open for a machine that's about to melt down and being ready to intervene. Projecting from a closed booth puts you more in the role of a theatrical projectionist: you watch the projectors and print, the audience watches the movie.

Most of the time we are both the "staff" and the audience! (I let my wife manage the popcorn: no joy in butter on my prints!)

I remember a story of my favorite filmmaker showing a print of his newest film to a friend and having the takeup fail early in the reel. When he went to change over to the next one he found 800 feet of brand new 16mm film had spilled off his back porch and into the dirt! This is the kind of thing that can happen when you let these things manage themselves.

It would also be interesting getting audio levels correct from within a soundproofed booth. I guess you'd need some speakers in there too. (Graham?)

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on July 04, 2012, 01:26 PM:

Yes...in my theater I am the projectionist and part of the audience so I like the open booth approach. The sound of the films is louder than the projector so it doesn't interfere. Well I don't need to hear the projector but I do and I have grown to like it! I don't even notice it really unless I make it a point to.

Paul I will put some pics up in the screening room section.

Bill [Smile]

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on July 04, 2012, 04:58 PM:

Hi Steve
When I am running films especially for others I sit on a "bar stool" just inside the door which stays open so I can both listen to and adjust the volume. When we built it, I used the old timber from the previous projection set up to build a box within a box, to try to contain the noise of the projectors as much as possible and still allow me to be part of the audience and to be able to get at the volume at the same time. Because the 8mm and 16mm has to be projected down the centre line of the screen building that stand worked out well. Even at the cinema where I last worked, we had a volume control at the back inside each cinema, so once the feature had just started I would for a moment sneak in, listen and adjust things if needed to the size and age of the audience.

I think you still have to be part of it even at home to get that volume right...well hopefully.

What I did with my box within a box idea, was to go to the demolition yards and get some of cuts of carpet and underlay to try to dampen the the projector noise as much as possible.

This is where I sit on a bar stool most or the time with the door open the amp is just on the right and the volume control for the Ernemann is the white box just up and next to the door.

Opposite side, "box within a box" I used old carpet underlay. I used up all the old left overs of wood to build it. I think in the end it worked out well.

Of cuts of carpet glued to the blockwork, it all helps to quiet things down...well thats the theory [Roll Eyes]

Graham.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on July 05, 2012, 03:40 PM:

So many points of view here and I sympathize with all of them. Well, except for brand new film spilling into dirt. I had a spill last year but not that bad.

With no permanent place to put equipment, my shows are both infrequent and labor-intensive. Unless it's a quick-and-dirty preview of something that's just come in the mail, or a home movie with no sound, that is. But for "serious" shows, I take advantage of over-sized windows in our family room and having projectors on one side and the audience on the other side of the glass. If the weather's good, isn't that the best? Well...

It really surprised me when a friend told me, after a rainy show with equipment and audience together in the room, that he liked the racket and commotion because my threadings, adjustments, and other jugglings were interesting to watch!

Graham's way of thinking appeals to me - I hate the noise but want the audience to know a little of the charm of running the equipment. Sitting at the doorway with a barstool or a separate monitor speaker is a must.

So Steve, I would recommend a large, over-wide single port window big enough for people to see what's going on in the booth, and a door opening into the room that makes possible additional viewing and/or barstool sitting.

Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 67) on July 06, 2012, 06:53 AM:

I have a permanent setup...with a very large port to accomodate two 16mm machines, two super 8's and a regular 8 machine. To monitor the sound level from the booth, I use an old baby monitor from when my daugther was an infant. If the folks in the screening room want to see what's going on , they can look back and see me threading than fiddling around. I had always wanted a booth set up to duplicate the theatrical experience, so when we moved to our current home 13 years ago, I was finally able to set things up to do just that.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on July 06, 2012, 01:59 PM:

I actuallly had a "booth" of sorts once. We used to have a back porch with sliding doors. I once tried moving the machines back through the doors into the porch to deaden the projector sound a little. One of my discoveries from this is putting them in another room was a pain in terms of small adjustments in focus and sound settings that are needed quite often.

My typical viewing spot is on a couch about 10 feet from the screen with the machines another 10 feet back. Throwing in another 10 feet and putting a doorway in the middle made the commute back a little excessive!

Still the same, if I had the chance at a real booth I'd do it. I'd just have to keep these considerations in mind.

I don't think I'd do small ports, but a large, glassless window. The machine noise could be cut down with accoustic materials inside even if it didn't kill it off entirely.

Maybe all the adjustment issue requires is a nice chair right outside the door!

(t'aint happening at this house anyway!)

Posted by Ken Finch (Member # 2768) on July 14, 2012, 10:48 AM:

Hi, I use a booth/projection romm on my home cinema which is purpose built in a large cedarwood 24ftX12ft garden room, (see "Armchair Odeons DVD}. This is mainly because of the noise generated by the projectors! and also because I have all the sound, lighting and curtain controls their. When projecting video I star the film and then join the audience. There is no door to the projection area so it is easy to move in and out. The front wall of the booth seems sufficiently well insulated to deaden the noise. Ken Finch.

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