My Permanent setup

[Steve Lee]

A couple of months ago I decided to treat myself to a decent scope lens for my 16mm projector, as my old lens has seen better days, and would never focus sharply. So I have only got round to trying it out today. And while doing so decided to take some pics of the results.
Wow! Wow! I have never seen these 16mm prints looking so sharp. But with all of the excitement I have discovered a couple of problems that need to be fixed.
First is the new lenses compression is just slightly less than my old lens, so I need to bring in the side masking, which is not too much of a deal. But the other problem is going to be a nightmare to fix.
My ceiling mounted DLP projector is in the way of the 16mm beam, and skims the top of the picture. I guess I am going to have to cut a large hole in my ceiling, in order to raise the DLP out of the way, fortunately the projection beam from it does project downward so it shouldn't be an issue.
The room was originally an old barn with a blacksmith's forge, in which I converted many years ago with the intention of building it as a cinema. With a purpose built projection room at the rear to house my Kinoton FP18.
Over the years there has been many changes and re-fits to the main room. The original screen was a mat white perforated with speakers positioned behind, it also had variable side masking which was great.
Unfortunately one night when my cats were kitten' s they found a way around the back of it, and climbed to the top of the frame and with one almighty rip divided the screen into two! ( I was not happy ).
Screen No 2 was a 16:9 electric which was great for using with a DLP for watching T.V and blu rays. But meant I could no longer show 16mm on it. Due to many years of searching for a lens that could accommodate the throw and screen size.
So last year I decided to restore the screen back to it's original form. as I was never happy with the electric one. The new screen is a micro perforated mat white, with the speakers behind it once again. The black masking is now fixed, as I am not going through that again.
My kinoton has also had a bit of a makeover over the years, as some of the old hammerite paint had been scratched and was peeling off. So I gave it a respray. The sound from the 16mm is fed directly from the cell into a Dolby CP45 processor for use as a preamp, this also allows the use of Dolby A noise reduction. From the processor the signal which is duel mono, is fed to my AV receiver that sits under the screen at the front of the room.
The next job in the future will be to cut another port in the back wall, so it is possible to permanently install super 8.

[Douglas Meltzer]

Steve,

What an impressive set up! Congratulations on your (relatively) new scope lens. I can think of a few instances here on the Forum that have shown that cats like to take out their aggressions on film and film equipment!

[Janice Glesser]

Outstanding setup Steve! Kitties can raise havoc with film equipment. My cat has more than once thought film that has inadvertently fallen on the floor was a new play toy to roll in. Projecting to a wall has proven to be my cat-proof screen Thanks for sharing your photos...they are very inspiring!

[William Ferry]

You are living the dream! Wonderful setup!

[Mark Mander]

Looks great Steve,nice looking machine too,Mark

[Lee Mannering]

Nice juke box making me remember I had plans to illuminate the sides of my Hammond organ I oft play before a film show.

[Steve Lee]

Thank you for your kind comments.
I have just managed to dig out some photos of the original construction ( I must have been mad to do this looking back. )
The photos below are of the skeleton frame for the rear port-hole wall, trying to work out where the ports needed to go. By aligning the projector to the center of the screen and then building the port around the beam.


Below is a photo of the front wall, with my wooden screen frame and my Health Robinson moveable side masking, made out of two curtain tracks from the DIY shops bargain bin. The bed sheet was used to see if the masking would move in enough for 1.33:1 ratio whilst showing a film on it.


The room stood like this for about seven years, but this was never how I had intended the room to be. One night I had the great idea of lowering the ceiling. and stepping it up as it passes down the room. If I had only knew what I had let myself get into by doing this.

Here below is the boarded ceiling with some of the steps. In the middle is where the furnestest chimney stood and could not be removed, so I had to box it in somehow and make a feature of it.


Over the years I have meet them all, the second they hear that you worked in the film industry they are over you like a rash!.
'Oh darling you must come over and see our home cinema it's tremendous!'
You are lead into a room, in which the walls are covered with photocopies of film posters and plastic fake film reels. Is this to prove that it is a cinema room? To find hanging on the wall a 75'' TV! How are you supposed to hide the expression on your face of total underwhelment at the sight of this?
This is normally followed very qwickly, by them telling you how much money they paid a company to create this. It has to be the finest cinema because of how much money it cost! ( Crazy!!)

For me personally it's about the fun of building something with my own hands, out of nothing. Trying to find a way of creating something on a very tight budget, but delivering the end result, that's where the fun is and don't happen over night.
Anyone can wave a wad of cash under someone's nose and click their fingers, but where's the fun in that!

My last few experiences of going to a cinema have not been happy ones, in fact pretty horrendous, It's not a pleasurable experience anymore, all of the magic has gone!
I would say, what I have spent on my room over the past few years, is no more money than purchasing ten cinema tickets.
To be able to have it all at home.

[Paul Adsett]

Wow, a mammoth project indeed Steve! But as you say, most of the pleasure is in doing the job yourself and the resulting satisfaction of knowing it all turned out as planned. It all makes your film viewing a unique personal experience which can also be enjoyed and appreciated by other people.
A great looking screening room, and I love the Wurlitzer juke box!

[Lee Mannering]

Truly amazing and a great project with some plasterboard at 2x2. Goes to show what we can achieve at home well done. Can I recommend a Eumig or Elmo next to that projector?

[Tom Photiou]

A simple film room set up for us, recently refurbed due to an unfortunate water leak , luckily the film room didn't get it, but only just, a strip out, clear out and a re paint, followed up by a professionally fitted plush red carpet with a decent underfelt for very soft feel under the feet.
A de humidifier within the lower ground floor now keeps the humidity at 50/55. Before all of this, it often ran up to 70-80 which after twenty years explained a few small problems that were creeping in. It's now a place i like to spend a lot of time either viewing, servicing or cleaning/repairing films.

Still a few bits of old junk to go through, but it's a whole vast improvement on what it was before.
Built in screens and projection booths are not for me.

[Paul Adsett]

Looks great Tom, well done!
That picture hanging behind your projector is also present in my own home cinema. In my case it is in the form of a 1000 piece puzzle, which took my wife and myself (with additional help from my grandson) almost 6 weeks to complete. Its a great picture,perfect for any screening room.

[Steve Lee]

Hi Tom.
I have to thank you so much for sharing your screening room photos with us. While viewing them I had a penny drop moment. You have solved my problem for me. It's been staring me in the face.
The two photos of the different screen ratios, in the same room with the same projection distance has made me realize what I need to do.
I must find the exact position on the ceiling in my room where the dlp 16x9 projection fills the screen side to side, with half of the picture on the floor and ceiling. In theory if I play a 2.35:1 blu ray through it, the letterbox image should fill the scope screen. At the same time missing the 16mm beam. In order to watch the TV on it, I simply use the digital zoom to bring it in to 16X9.
Thank you
Steve.

[Tom Photiou]

I'm glad i have been of use Steve,
When i refurbished the room i made a point of not going overboard with the screen size, this often has the opposite effect. My 4:3 is standard 50inch screen, my widescreen is a home made effort that i bought from Roger Lily of Movieland International here in Plymouth at least 30 years ago. It measures approx 80inches in width, The screen material itself is the standard white screen material. To set between the two is so simple, the 4.3 screen simply unclips from the tripod by a spring loaded clip, push down gently and the screen (rolled down), literally just pops off. Leaving the tripod set exactly as it is, i simply hang the widescreen by its hanger on the top of the tri pod, very simple and quick to do. I would love to do the built in screen with motorised boarders and curtains, but this is a little bit past my ability for DIY. This set up works perfect for us.
With Len's we have, i could easily fill the 100inch tripod screen but as most of you will know, in a small room you can be too close to a huge screen which could be uncomfortable to watch. The sizes we use means your not on maximum zoom and therefore get a better contrast image.

Paul, the picture we have lights up, it was purchased as a present for my film room some years ago, It looks quite nice when the lights are dimmed down, very colourful. The lights on the pillars have a variable sequence, the bright blue of the torch looks very bright in the images but it isn't as blinding as it looks.

Those leatherface heads also glow very nicely when plugged in, these were bought from the states.

[Paul Adsett]

I love the lights on the picture Tom. I am going to have to investigate if I can implement them into my framed picture.

[Tom Photiou]

They do bring it to life.