8mm Forum: Home Projection Booth Size

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Topic: Home Projection Booth Size

Stewart McSporran
Master Film Handler

Posts: 272
From: Glasgow, Scotland
Registered: Nov 2003

posted April 06, 2009 01:38 PM

After reading Graham's post about his proper cinema I've gone back to my wishful thinking drawings of an extension to my house. The ground floor of which will be primarily a combined library / cinema.

I made some estimates for the depth of the projection booth based upon my Elmo 16CL with 2000' reels, but what if the impossible happens and I acquire a pedestal 16mm projector, or even a 35mm machine? I'd hate to find out that I needed to move a wall to accommodate them.

Does anyone have opinions as to how deep a projection booth should be while still keeping it as small as possible?

Stewart

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Chip Gelmini
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1733
From: Brooksville, FL
Registered: Jun 2003

posted April 06, 2009 03:31 PM

Assuming you have projectors and not platter systems (i.e. 35mm) you should be OK with 10 x 10 (feet) but even with that it would be a little tight for space. Mine is super 8 only with DVD projection and it is 9 feet wide by 3 feet thick. VERY SMALL one person only during a showing....

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Christopher Gillan
Junior
Posts: 22
From: Bridestowe Devon
Registered: Jan 2009

posted April 06, 2009 03:36 PM

Hi Stewart

The best thing is to it as big as you can,i would make it a minimum of 12ft from the front to the back wall its very hard to get what you want i had to make my old projection room much bigger.how much room do you have in total for the hole thing.

Regards Chris.

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted April 06, 2009 04:21 PM

If I ever did this I would want enough room for projection equipment, film storage and a film handling bench too.

We are partway through a pretty heavy-duty renovation right now. What this basically means we are still tearing down and haven't really rebuilt very much, so the house looks kind of like a medium sized war has recently passed through.

I figured in the midst of all the chaos I might be able to slip through changing the dining room into a projection room/studio.

-gave my wife a good chuckle!

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Jean-Marc Toussaint
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: France
Registered: Oct 2004

posted April 07, 2009 01:14 AM

My booth is "T" shaped, roughly 12ft wide by 4 ft deep for the upper bar of the T and 6ft wide by 3ft deep for the lower section. The lower section contains all projectors. The upper bar holds the Dolby sound rack, the 35mm vertical transport, the 16+s8 long play unit and a few storage elements for lenses, splicing tape, spare bulbs, etc.
Inspection and cleaning of films is done in my garage, which has been turned into a film storage area. Temperature is always cool there (my car sleeps outside).

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The Grindcave Cinema Website

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David Kilderry
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 963
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Feb 2006

posted April 07, 2009 09:06 AM

My projection room is 13ft x 13ft. It has 35mm, 16mm, 9.5mm, Super 8 and Std 8. It also has most of my film storage, but a lot of 35mm is in the garage along with the 35mm rewinds and bench. Spares and other equipment is also in the garage .............. and at work too.

I am still able to keep two cars in my triple garage, the rest is film, pinball and amusement games and of course a jukebox.

If you are planning 35mm allow at least 10 - 11 ft from front wall to back, more if you are running a Double MUT, Tower system or platter. These can however all go alongside the projector if you have the width!

David

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Stewart McSporran
Master Film Handler

Posts: 272
From: Glasgow, Scotland
Registered: Nov 2003

posted April 07, 2009 05:26 PM

Thanks guys,

Guess I'll have to curb my enthusiasm. The floor area for the whole extension will be a max of 8m x 4m. I can't eat into the width, so if I want a 4m throw then that leaves a max of 4m for the booth - and the utility room that the other half wants!

My house is largeish by UK standards, but small by most US or Australian ones. So no 13' x 13' for me!

Guess I'm looking at a 6 foot depth, but that should be practical.

I like Jean's idea of a T shape - I could raise the floor by the height of a 2000' reel and store films under it.

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David Erskine
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 230
From: Letchworth Garden City, Herts
Registered: Aug 2008

posted April 08, 2009 04:26 AM

Our last house was a Victorian villa. The two front reception rooms had been knocked into one so it was 35'x18'. I had projectors at the back of the room and elec screens at the front - and my lady sat there with a G&T and a bag of nuts, like Lady Muck! I also had a 22 x 18 garden room as well as use of the top landing and even did shows from the conservatory to the end of the garden. Now (with a bungalow), I have a 18'x12' cinema in the garden - and I still haven't enough room, really, as I've 35mm, 16mm with a tower, super 8, std 8 and 9.5 and VPs. There's probably a folk saying that "more is never enough" (and if there isn't - there ought to be). Cheers, DE

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I've NEVER let failure go to MY head!

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