This is topic Modern Films in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.
To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=001245
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on March 27, 2009, 05:18 PM:
Just picking up on another topic I took a couple of photos last night waiting for the last movie to finish of our old "Bauer U4" projector gave it new belts and a tune up this week ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
going great, runs at least 12 hours a day and over 30 years old. I bet digital cant beat that, however back to modern movies "Australia" has been a big hit everyone I have talked to have enjoyed it and for the young ones "Twilight" and "Gran Torino" the other evening sessions all are doing very well. It seems strange that the bigger cinemas seem to be finding things a bit tough. ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
There is a good line up of new films starting Pink Panther2 this week is just one, with others like Night at the Museum 2 the trl of which looks really good.
The old "Bauer U4" still going strong "last night" after all those years imported from US Los Angles second hand around 1991.
last night screen shot from the Bauer projector of "Australia"
Graham. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Posted by Patrick Walsh (Member # 637) on March 27, 2009, 09:15 PM:
Hi Graham
The photos of the movie out the porthold look very good and as you said the Bauer is very good quality,
Just like a cinema near here (Geraldine)that has a pair of Zeiss Ikon Ernemann II projectors circa 1920s and they are still going well today! they don't build them like they used to! they used to be silnt machines then sound was added with a soundhead attached behind the projector head, lamphouses used are newer 1953 Ashcraft C70s carbon arcs.
The movie attendane I believe in NZ is not that bad compared to other countires however poor product means poor attendance and there has been alot of poor films around lately.
Pat
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
[ March 28, 2009, 01:21 AM: Message edited by: Patrick Walsh ]
Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on March 27, 2009, 11:02 PM:
Hey, it looks as good as my Sanyo 25 inch classic color TV!
(snicker snick snick!)
I must say, however, we did watch this movie on our DVD upconverter, and I must say, it was brilliant!
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on March 28, 2009, 07:11 PM:
Hi Pat
The Ernemann2 I use I guess is about 80 years old the the gears and intermittent are in excellent condition German engineering is superb and cant see any reason for it not to be still running for another 80 years.
The biggest killer to the cinema here is the weather if its like today sunny with clear blue skies the last thing people want to do is go to the movies, today we have the city to surf run at the moment a big family day out. I think the interest in the movies in general is on the decline "plenty of other things to do and cheaper" so I dont think 3D or Digital will save it and on that happy note time to get the fishing rod out like we did last week
Graham.
Posted by Patrick Walsh (Member # 637) on March 28, 2009, 07:38 PM:
Hi Graham
Yes very dead at the cinema here today no patrons at all so I have replaced all the blown bulbs in the place and done a bit of painting.
should pick up later on tonight?????
Pat
Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on March 28, 2009, 11:20 PM:
1920's era projectors still in use in the theater?
Good Lord Pat, I'd love to see that!
Posted by Patrick Walsh (Member # 637) on March 29, 2009, 12:07 AM:
They are indeed Osi!
I have some photos of the projector booth but I can't seem to load them up.
The projectors were made by Zeiss Ikon in Dresden, Germany in the 1920s, New Zealand was one of several countries that imported and used them, and most cinemas had them installed, the last models of Ernemann II machines were brough into New Zealand in 1939 then no more until after the war.
Ernamann projectors are still made today. Ernemann 15s I believe they are made in a place called Kiel in Germany (the Dresden factory was firebombed in WW2)
They are very well made and the men that made them probably never thought that their handywork would be still in use in 2009!
Pat
Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on March 29, 2009, 02:02 AM:
Our local cinema here in Worthing (The Dome) has some interesting old projectors. Not sure of the exact details but on the Saturday morning tour the guide gives a a date of 1936 for the installation.
They are still in continuous use and give a good account of themselves...
Mike
Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on March 29, 2009, 02:20 AM:
Just curious since this is slightly related, but am I alone in wondering if there is a connection between the fact that Hollywood studios are now all owned by media conglomerates and the coming switch from film to digital.
The term vertical integration takes on new meaning these days since the studios' parent companies not only control the production and distribution of the product, but no longer control the exhibition. THAT IS the exhibition on film. The fact that they have to produce film prints via companies they don't own, and those films get played on equipment they don't own doesn't bode well financially (especially since as you say a modern movie like AUSTRALIA can be played on equipment that is many decades old).
By switching film exhibition over to digital, not only does it inadvertently provide the parent companies additional revenue (ie: sony markets 4k projectors, Viacom/GE/Vivendi and others deal in transmission technology like TV/web) but it puts the control firmly back in their hands since the digital technology is ALL based on planned obsolescence. In regular intervals just like they have enjoyed with VHS/LASERDISC/DVD/BluRay they can dictate any type of format change and continue to resell the same product to the same consumers or new generation consumers. All secondary markets of used media will be worthless, people wanting to see a major film will only be able to do so however the studios dictate it will be available rather than playing it on equipment that is 50 years old.
Film is the only media that you can play on such old equipment, or play such an old film on new equipment.
For as long as I can remember you will find SONY at the heart of these format changes...First the VHS/BETA war that they lost, then there was VHS-C/8mm then Hi-8, then the whole series of D-1/D-2, etc. even video games with sony playstation going against Nintendo formats, and jump to present when they bullied away HD-DVD with their Blu Ray, basically they have been positioning themselves for this for years to be in the place of dictating media delivery...
Sorry for such a rant but given the fact that ALL video/digital formats have far less a shelf life than film it angers me that studios are destroying the very thing that has allowed those assets to survive this long, simply for a profit window TODAY that disregards TOMMORROW.
Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on March 29, 2009, 03:03 AM:
Nice pics, Mike.
They still do changeovers there in Worthing obviously?
That, in itself, has got to be a rarity.
Dino - interesting thought. There is more than a little truth in that, I would guess.
-Mike
Posted by Martin Jones (Member # 1163) on March 29, 2009, 03:44 AM:
I "worked" as relief projectionist (I was only 14) at the Astoria, South Norwood (near Croydon) in the 50's and remenmber clearly that the machines were "Walturdaw?" 5's, which I later discovered were "badged" Ernemann mechanisms. Very substantially built indeed.
Martin
Posted by Christopher Gillan (Member # 1440) on March 30, 2009, 08:01 AM:
I have to agree with Dino film is the only format that plays anywhere in the world no matter what total madness to replace.But i must say that in the past all the gadgets that come and gone over film history this could be another.
Chris
Posted by Patrick Walsh (Member # 637) on March 31, 2009, 12:30 AM:
Those machine in Mike's photo look to be in very good conndition, I am unsure of the projector make but the lamphouses are PEERLESS MAGNARCs these are very good quality arc lamps, many were/are in use here, the best are a japenese copy under the name HI CENTRAL these lamps have an auto cut off if the carbons move out to far and also an alarm goes off when the carbon rods are nearly burnt up.
Pat
Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on March 31, 2009, 02:32 AM:
Its a bit dark but, are they Century's, Mike?
Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on March 31, 2009, 02:59 AM:
Mike,
I just checked out the Dome Website and there's a page on there devoted to the projectors; http://www.worthingdomecinema.com/projectorgallery.php they speak in the past tense about them so I wonder if they were replaced during the recent renovation... ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
I'll try and get down there at the weekend and find out.
Mike ![[Cool]](cool.gif)
Posted by Christopher Gillan (Member # 1440) on March 31, 2009, 03:10 AM:
I think you will find they are Simplex
Chris
Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on March 31, 2009, 03:46 AM:
Nice pictures, Mike.
With the lights turned on, they don't even remotely look like the Century.
My betting is they converted to a platter or tower system. I'll be interested to find out.
-Mike
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on March 31, 2009, 08:08 PM:
Dino
Interesting comments sadly their is a lot of truth in what you say.
Mike
Good photo it would be interesting to know if they are still using carbon arcs or were converted to Xenon.
Quote "It looks as good as my Sanyo 25 inch Color TV" well that prompted me to take a photo here are a couple. The first is the projection room, one day I am sure it will be digital its the way things are heading and the days of the projectionist will be gone. Its strange that when we show people around the projection room they always say, thought you had gone video and when they see the film projectors they go "wow" thats amazing they think its great, gone soon will be the days of letting the birthday boy or girl start the projector and leave with strips of 35mm film, all those things are part of our three screen cinema. Its the personal touch that will disappear the other two projectionists I work with really enjoy what they do I guess there is a bit of showman in us all well I better get focused and post those photos.
A general look at the projection room
Cinema 2 The screen is about 24 foot wide in Scope, top and bottom masking stays the same, only the side masking moves
no curtains or coloured lighting "pity" however people like coming here "friendly staff" nice seats.
Graham.
Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on April 01, 2009, 01:25 AM:
Looks like a great theatre, and I love the look on the kid like its a robot or something.
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on April 01, 2009, 03:44 AM:
Thanks Dino
The other cinema "number one" is similar in layout the third screen is a bit smaller and uses a Kinoton 35mm projector. I think this theatre was the first multi-plex back in 1991 in this city, things have changed a lot since then, myself I been involved here for about 10 years and getting payed for doing something that I enjoy is great, we have two full time thats including myself and one part time projectionist. Its a cinema that does not seem to suffer from complaints like the others and thats mainly due to the good staff that we have got. The kid you refer to is our "part time projectionist" and is often rostered on a 12 to 14 hour shift and runs everything on his own, one last photo of "cinema one" the simplex projector. I have posted this projector before "hope you dont mind" but this photo is better with more detail
The digital reader is on the top, the film is threaded and is ready for closing the lens turret for starting, with three different types of projectors you have to have your wits about you, its good experence though.
Graham.
Posted by Lars Pettersson (Member # 762) on April 01, 2009, 06:06 AM:
Beautiful projector, Graham!
Are those ISCO lenses?
Cheers
Lars
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on April 01, 2009, 01:52 PM:
Hi Lars
The lenses are ISCO and are excellent quality, I also fitted a new ISCO backing lens to the Bauer a few years ago a big improvement in particular the colours.
Graham.
I better make this the last photo but I thought I would show you that as well as the cinemas the projection room is also kept neat and tidy, a couple of years ago the cinema was closed for a few weeks so myself and the other projectionist took the opportunity to re-paint "we picked the colours". The owners were very good about this and gave us the money to buy what we needed, also there is a bit of carpet on the floor as well as the odd movie poster on the wall. As its an area we spend a lot of time in its nice to have it look good. There is quite a lot of room as far as a projection area is concerned but not enough for a pool table as yet, although we are working on that one The shopping mall directors are also the owners of the cinema and were impressed on our paint/clean up job when visiting on our re-opening night.
[ April 01, 2009, 05:35 PM: Message edited by: Graham Ritchie ]
Posted by Patrick Walsh (Member # 637) on April 01, 2009, 06:51 PM:
I had the honour of working at Graham's cinema for a while and it is a very good workplace.
Pat
Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on April 02, 2009, 11:53 AM:
Graham, a photo and description of Cinema 1 would make the set complete!
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on April 03, 2009, 01:36 AM:
Thanks Pat
Look forward to catching up very soon
Hi Bill
I will take a photo over this weekend to finish it off.. I think
Well its been exactly nine months since I trained up our Part Time Projectionist, it only took 14 hours from scratch "new nothing about projectors or film" to his first solo night running this stuff I was impressed how quickly he picked things up.... handed over the keys and left. I sat at home like an expectant father waiting for that late night call to say all is well "it came and it was" might be that I am a "Jedi Master Film Handler" though I doubt it Over those nine months of projecting on his own he has never made a mistake "that I know of" which is an amazing achievement and is now working three nights a week after school on a fixed roster...... and my nerves have finally settled down. In a few weeks he will turn 16 and is looking forward to being able to watch R16 films legally it might be time for that Jedi Master to retire
Graham.
Posted by David Park (Member # 123) on April 03, 2009, 03:34 AM:
The really old projectors at the start of this thread how good with sound are they?
Still on mono optical? ( with or without Dolby noise reduction.)
If stereo added how far they got please?
Right up to date with Digital DTS perhaps.
Sound improvements have made great improvements to the cinema experience over the years.
Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on April 03, 2009, 11:23 AM:
Quite true, David.
Though it's interesting how few new changes to sound there have been. Except for surround sound in the 70's, I really don't count digital as a big breakthrough.
With crowd noise, you usually can't really enjoy great digital sound. That's where the home cinema really comes into play. There, you can really catch all the subtle things that you can't capture with "background noise' (crowd).
It's hard to believe that stereo first came about in theaters with "Fanta-sound", which Disney brought about for the first 1940 release of Fantasia. Very few theaters were equipped with the ability to play back Fanta-sound, but it was a startling innovation, when you think that people were still using 78 rpm records, (and would for quite awhile).
Even by today's standards, that original soundtrack, restored to it's original 1940's clarity on the special edition of Fantasia, sounds amazingly good. Not the same exact sonic quality as todays DTS and all, but amazing, just the same.
Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on April 03, 2009, 04:04 PM:
Hmmm... Osi, I think the regions we live in have a bearing on this discussion. Digital sound made such a difference when it first came out that I would drive to a different part of the city for a movie if it meant that the sound was state-of-the-art. I've infrequently been disappointed. I even remember going to a show with my wife in the early days of digital and lamenting how mushy the sound was at our screen. When exiting, some of the doors to other auditoriums were actually open, show-in-progress, and I remember noticing how clean, crisp, and clear the dialog was on another screen with the exact same film we'd just seen. It was digital sound, of course. Ours had been analog. More recently we've caught our local cineplex (you know, the one that I've ranted about because their equipment is WOW stuff but their prints keep getting killed for some unknown neglectful reason) running analog sound on a movie nominated for a sound Oscar. Nothing special in analog. But you should have heard that screen running Ratatouille in digital. Whoa.
In the right context the difference was, and is, readily apparent. The only pre-digital technology worthy of comparison was hearing Imax 6-track from a mag dubber (standard on all Imax screens in those days). Though now defunct, that's still a formidable top-quality audio format.
At the heart of David's question is a basic technological curiousity. It's true that technology hasn't changed a lot very often. Analog tracks did improve over the years in frequency response and the addition of stereo and surround. But bear in mind that nobody had to throw out projectors to make those changes. Just like adding a Dolby Digital reader to the top of the stack now, those analog readers were retrofitted. And have been again lately for red readers for cyan analog tracks (see www.dyetracks.org). So Graham's projectors could be old as the hills doing beautiful Dolby SR analog surround, or whatever, alongside digital.
For good stuff on technology changes over the years, visit http://www.widescreenmuseum.com.
Posted by Lars Pettersson (Member # 762) on April 04, 2009, 02:56 AM:
Bill,
are you serious in saying that the only pre-digital sound technology worthy of comparison was 6-track from a mag dubber? I feel all those 70mm releases in the 70s and 80s (Star Wars, Close Encounters, Blade Runner, Apocalypse Now) all sounded sensational.
And I feel modern analog Dolby SR sounds really good, too. The added dynamic range and the "silence" in digital is often compromised -as was earlier pointed out- by audience noise.
Cheers
Lars
Posted by David Park (Member # 123) on April 04, 2009, 04:56 AM:
Lars and Bill thanks for your replies just a bit confused though.
The first stereo films I came across were 4 track magnetic on cinemascopes, the 4th being surround but nothing much heard think they just created atmosphere.
Next came 70mm with 6 magnetic, of course 3 strip cinerama with a whole 35mm of magnectic tracks.
Then we had Dolby Stereo optical followed by variations through to Dolby Digital 5.1 as used in allmost all cinemas today.
I believe all this information is contained on the 35mm print. With the digital squeesed on and if it fail the cinemas system will default to the optical.
DTS is therefore a seperate disc, again if the DTS disc fails a default to optical occures.
Both digital system have variations from the 5.1 to 6.1 think these reffered to as ES.
Maybe the film you saw at the cinema did not have digital or defaulted.
The restored versions of the old 70mm films I have seen recently have had sound on DTS.
The problems with magnectic were cost of applying the coating and drop outs.
To me each new system improves on the old.
Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on April 04, 2009, 09:27 AM:
As a projectionist on many 70mm films, I can tell you the sound was simply incredible. Many preferred it to todays compressed Dolby Digital. We had Dolby CP 200 processors and 30 inch subs in one theatre I worked at, 70mm six track was very impressive.
David
Posted by David Park (Member # 123) on April 04, 2009, 11:48 AM:
Hi David.
Have you heard the restored 70mm prints with DTS sound?
How you think they compare?
I aggree first time round the 6 track magnetic was a great step forward and impressive, but towards the end I understand the inner left and right tracks were not reproduced by the cinemas in order to use 4 amplifiers, the others which were faulty not being repaired.
In those days all the surround was mono, but then the digital system added left and right, and the Star Wars etc have left, right and rear.
I'm not sure just when the film makers started to make surround more than atmosphere and make it part of the action. Maybe it was at the time of Dolby stereo starting.
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on April 06, 2009, 04:40 AM:
Hi Bill
Well here is cinema one similar to two in layout
and another look towards the rear
Entry is from the back, what the projectionist does here is to come in just at the start of the feature and adjust the volume. There is a volume control situated in a small box near the door and what I usually do is wait for some dialogue and adjust it to that, the volume is also set to the age and size of the audience, you soon get to know the movies and the best settings and that is checked every session. The rostered projectionist does not work behind the counter downstairs, but is responsible for everything thats going on in the projection room and the cinemas themselves eg a slight adjustment on the focus or anything else, thats his job "presentation" by doing this over the years there has been no complaints of the sound being to loud or quiet and I put this down to the projectionist doing his best for the paying public.
a photo of cinema two sound system.
A quick rundown starting from the top
A DA20 Digital sound processor
six channel monitor
Ultra Stereo sound processor
and the rest are BGW 750F/G and QSC USA 850 Power amplifiers.
both cinema one and two are fitted with Dolby Digital 700 readers. and the old Bauer had been modified years ago to a Kelmar analog reverse scanning "IR/LED"
Although much of this stuff is probably "old had" by todays standard it can still kick butt, The amps are connected to a very good speaker system and the sound in the theatres no matter the size of the audience can be very effective.
Well one more on this post
The old Jedi master looking a bit stuffed tummy bug all weekend and Junior Jedi projectionist still in uniform from working downstairs that night. If you are rostered on projecting you can wear what you like.
Well I have done my dash... I do have a couple more photos that might be of interest but only five are allowed on each reply.
Graham.
[ April 30, 2009, 05:12 AM: Message edited by: Graham Ritchie ]
Posted by Lars Pettersson (Member # 762) on April 06, 2009, 06:34 AM:
Well done Graham,
Highly entertaining post!
Cheers
Lars
Posted by Stewart McSporran (Member # 128) on April 06, 2009, 01:31 PM:
It looks like a fun place to work. Wish I'd found somewhere like that when I was a teenager.
I did ask at a couple of local cinemas but they weren't interested!
I've drawn the plans for an extension to the house; funny that there's a little room, on a raised floor, with small windows into the neighbouring room
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on April 07, 2009, 03:27 AM:
Thanks Lars
Stewart
Its a pity you did not get a chance, a lot of young people are more than capable of doing the job given the opportunity.
Well the last photos.
This is where most of the work is done changing adds, trailers making up films etc, The cinema runs 12 hours 7 days a week, with only one projectionist on at a time. The three of us thats including our part time projectionist work to our own fixed roster, thats the calender next to the clock, a few years ago I made a light box, cut a hole in the bench and placed some sand blasted "Lexan" over it, one 60 watt lamp and a strip of cooking tin foil to help reflect the light.
There are two Alpha platters down this end the three deck for cinema one and the five deck for cinema two. The five deck is the important one as films can run up or down the roof to cinema three and at the same time the other decks can be used for the Bauer projector. There is a lot of film movement and we can screen up to 10 different features in one day so with roof rollers film can be going all ever the place, we can lift films of the decks by sliding them onto a large circular sheet of plastic with a hole in the centre for holding the downstairs staff are really good at helping out.
This is cinema three its a "Kinoton" forget video projection this 35mm projector will run forever its really quiet, note those rollers on the roof the platter is a five deck Christie.
a closer look and thats the DTS reader all the amplifiers are "QSC USA 850" and both analog and DTS sound is very good.
Its interesting to note that I could fit both Dolby Digital or DTS readers to my 80 year old Ernemann projector "from the silent era" and run this stuff. strike up the carbon lamp if it still worked and "bingo" better picture and sound "or very close to it" than the latest cinema video instalation.
Well... this is the last photo hope you did not mind the tour.
Posted by Lars Pettersson (Member # 762) on April 07, 2009, 10:22 AM:
Keepīem coming, Graham!
I enjoyed the photos.
Cheers
Lars
Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on April 07, 2009, 03:11 PM:
Though the Ultra stereo or six track sound came about in the early sixties (I believe), the stereo soundtracks made for the early 1950's films were second to none. For instance, I believe the film was "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (or was it, "How to Marry a Millionarre"?), was one of the first official streo releases of the fifties, and they had a whole intro to show off the sound quality ...
... and sound quality it had ... in spades!
Perhaps this was because it was a new technology (in general) and so they wanted to show it off as much as possible.
That doesn't mean that the films of today don't do a good job of it. To be quite frank, sometimes the audio mix is the best part of the whole film, hearing stuff from all around you, while the actual film is total crap!
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on April 11, 2009, 10:01 PM:
Just jumping back to topic on modern films, has anyone else seen "The Boat That Rocked" about a pirate radio station in the 60s. I watched it last week at the cinema not a bad movie although it might not be to everyones taste. I thought the "DJ" comments over the radio, giving the ships coordinates in the North Sea for "help" as they were quickly sinking ![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
was well done as with the rescue of "I think his name was Bob" and his collection of records
Graham.
Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on April 11, 2009, 10:11 PM:
Reminds me the Tom Petty song "Last DJ" from a few years back ...
There goes the last DJ
Who plays what He wants to play
and says what he wants to say ...
Hey hey hey!
There goes your freedom of choice
there goes the last ... human voice.
There goes the last DJ.
(Tom Petty)
I believe it was about a DJ that went to live in mexico, where he started up his own pirate radio station that still dared to play LP records.
I know that's slightly off track, but I'm quite fond of the song.
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on April 15, 2009, 11:17 PM:
Jumping again here are a couple of photos of my 80 year old 35mm Ernemann 2 projector fitted with a modified Zeiss Ikon soundhead almost as old as the projector itself.
The soundhead has been modified to reverse scan "IR/LED"
I spent a lot of time making it all fit, with the use of test loops an old amp and headphones to monitor the Solar Cell adjustments I was making it worked out well. The initial problem of "hum" was fixed by better earthing of the solar cell, pre-amp and the analog power supply. I spent many many hours getting things right before connecting to my main Yamaha amp. The end result is good clear quality sound from both L/R channels so there you have it, the age of the projector means nothing..... now where can I fit that "Dolby Digital" reader
Graham.
Posted by Patrick Walsh (Member # 637) on April 15, 2009, 11:43 PM:
soundhead looks good Graham.
Those German machines are very good quality and will be running long after we are gone, I think the men who built those machine would of never dreamt that they would be in use still today!
Pat
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on April 16, 2009, 05:07 AM:
Thanks Pat
It still amazing that the Ernemann 2 is in such good condition and that there appears to be no wear in the intermittent or any of the other working parts. The screen image is rock steady, its interesting that the projector could be bought as either a Left or Right handed machine. The Ernemann 2 was first manafactured in 1925 in Dresden in Germany and it was in March 1928 that it was first used in NZ, the last Ernemann 2 imported into NZ was in June 1939.
There is no doubt in my mind this projector will last forever another 100 years at least although I will be long gone ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
. when you think that the latest VP electronic marvel of a projector might last 5-8 years if you are lucky its really a bit of a joke compared to 35mm projection equipment. I was asked lately what was the point of training young people in 35mm when things are going video.. well video might be the future but what a thrill to say one day to your children or grandkids when you take them to the movies, that you used to be a cinema projectionist running that stuff that was once called film.
I was amused the other day when "Junior Jedi Projectionist" had just watched Dragonball "he made up the film". I asked what was the movie like, his reply was just OK.... but added....my splices looked good, he was more interested in his splices than the movie "almost as bad as me" I cant think of anything worse than sitting in a theatre with someone watching out for the reel changing dots etc.
Graham.
Posted by Lars Pettersson (Member # 762) on April 16, 2009, 05:14 AM:
Graham,
Movie prints may get a slightly prolonged lease of life since they make life so much more difficult for pirates, compared to anything digital which can just be put on the Internet and -presto- the production you just paid $200M to make is now free for all to watch!
Cheers
Lars
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on April 18, 2009, 04:15 AM:
Hi Lars
Interesting point, I wonder how the present Digital cinema is protected against piracy? as more cinemas make that move to video projection world wide I guess the risk of piracy must also increase. It would be nice for 35mm to continue for a few more years yet
Graham.
Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on April 18, 2009, 04:23 AM:
Absolutely.
How easy will it be for projection-room staff, or any other employee of the cinema for that matter, to copy a digitally stored movie?
-Mike
Posted by David Park (Member # 123) on April 18, 2009, 06:33 AM:
Is the digital print on a disc now?
When I first heard about the digital system I was told the film owner whould feed the film to the cinema, (via satellite?) and the cinema would have it in thier system and it would only replay there and for a pre booked number of times.
Thus a better security.
Posted by Lars Pettersson (Member # 762) on April 18, 2009, 07:58 AM:
Over here they use a system consisting of a box containing hard drives and a GPS transponder, thus this "film" can only be run in the geographical area where itīs supposed to run. Here this system is used mainly in the countryside, where earlier the alternative was very worn prints or no cinema at all, therefore for us itīs an improvment. These countryside cinemas have also -very succesfully- "screened" opera performances live from the Metropolitan in New York, since obviously the equipment is well suited for that.
The big cinemas in the cities all run 35mm prints however, Iīm happy to say.
Cheers
Lars
Posted by David Park (Member # 123) on April 19, 2009, 06:09 PM:
Went tonight to see a film and not been to a multi-plex for quite a while, are they dying or maybe dead?
At 8pm less than 50 cars in carpark. In our cinema there were 12 seats taken!
I think that means if average of 3 people per car 150 people in total spread over the 13 cinemas. But there is a Fitness center as well so some of my estimated 150 would be in there!
Posted by Lars Pettersson (Member # 762) on April 20, 2009, 01:53 AM:
David,
Iīve had that experience too, I was ALONE in a cinema watching P.Jacksonīs King Kong a couple of years ago -but in general it seems to depend on what movie you go to see. Kong is probably a piracy/download nightmare (noone in the cinemas), Mama Mia was drawing huge crowds (lots of middle aged women who wouldnīt dream of downloading a film), Wallace & Gromit = full house (both children and parents want to see it in a cinema), Quantum of Solace = good crowd, 90% male, again seeing it in a cinema is virtually a must.
Cheers
Lars
Posted by David Park (Member # 123) on April 20, 2009, 02:54 AM:
Yes maybe 'The Boat That Rocks' is not a crowed puller but surely the other 12 screens could have more than 10 to 12 people each.
50 cars if all full would mean only 250 people in total over 13 screens and Fitness Center.
Posted by Lars Pettersson (Member # 762) on April 20, 2009, 03:27 AM:
Iīm sorry to hear the title was 'The Boat That Rocks' as this appears to be targeted at the Mama Mia crowd, and should be doing better...
Perhaps what multiplexes may start doing in the future is diminishing the number of screens? The opposite to how it all started...
Cheers
Lars
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on April 22, 2009, 04:16 AM:
"The Boat That Rocks" has not done well out here compared with a film like "Australia" which even up to its last screening was getting about 50 people on the Saturday night which is not bad for an old movie, at present we are in the middle of the school holidays so its kids films like "Monsters vs Aliens" etc thats doing well after the holidays I am going to bring back for a short trial "Australia" again at 7.30pm and see how it goes, also try an early 7.45pm session on the "Boat That Rocked" other evening films are "Wolverine" and "Fast and the Furious" "full session to that one tonight" sub is working well...got your ear plugs a bit of a mix for everyone....for me I will be content to run some Super8 or 16mm at home
I think one of the downsides of going out to the movies is that a multi-plex is very impersonel and as much fun as visiting a airport departure lounge and thats something we try as much as possible to avoid, getting people to come back you have to make them want to return and if the downstairs staff and not forgetting the projectionist "who runs the engine room" are friendly then this usually works. It has been mentioned in the past that "Video Projection" instead of 35mm would bring people back with so called better picture and sound, I doubt that will be the case as many people think we run "Video" anyway The cinema industry should spend more money on better training for both downstairs and projection staff and foget video... anyway thats just my theory for me the last 10 years has been really good, in particular the projection side the other two projectionists I work with have been great "one has just turned 16 this week" we could not run this place without them and even though the country is in a reccession the owners have just renewed all our employment contracts that included a pay rise for everyone so I guess we are doing something right Its hard to say what the future of the cinema industry will be but no matter what, for myself and the others I work with it has been an experience that we wont forget.
Graham.
Posted by David Park (Member # 123) on April 22, 2009, 04:55 AM:
The Boat That Rocks I would not expect it to do well outside of the UK, unless in a country that did have or has pirate radio ships.
Personally did like the film as this ships type of broadcasting was not that type back on the likes of Radio Caroline etc. eg the sexual words and chat on air. I went to see it expecting a more historicaly correct story.
My post wasn't about this film but lack of bussiness at the multi-plex overall at a weekend peak time.
Yes it not like going to the cinema in the old days.
One person takes money issues tickets, friendly yes.
You go upstairs a girl sat tears your ticket in two pionts you down corridor to your screen number.
Thats all the humans you see.
Old days, well greeted by doorman at the street, opens door for you. Buy tickets at box office, manager in long tailed jacket greets you in foyer, head to stalls or circle when there an usherette at each door assists you to seat if required
At intermision or break in programme offers you ice cream etc.
By the way at least one usherette in for the show.
On leaving the manager wishes you good night.
Visit www.film-tech.com for free equipment manual downloads. Copyright 2003-2019 Film-Tech Cinema Systems LLC
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2