Waverly Cinema
Mount Waverley, Melbourne, Australia
The Waverley Cinema has remained an independent cinema since it’s opening in 1974 by Brian Jean, a Cinema parts supplier with a dream. It was originally a single creen house with seating to accommodate 300. The Thai restaurant above the cinema was converted into two small cinemas each seating 52, while the 300 seater as converted into an 80 and 187 seater. We are a second run house but often book first release films especially for holidays. Despite fierce competition from nearby hains such as Hoyts and Village we do quite well.
Entrance, located in pinewood square
Upstairs Box office (only used Friday/Saturday nights)
Cinema 4 (52 seats) Identical to Cinema 3
Cinema 4 different angle
Entrance to cinema 3 and 4
Cinema 3 / 4 projection room, notice the different levels
Cinema 3 / 4 Share a four deck Speco LP 270
Dual take up elevators one for each cinema
These two cinemas alone may play up to 12 different films per day, and with no spare decks prints need to be changed after every show. This is done very easily with our custom storage rack and hand cranked lift. A film is being loaded onto the lift in this shot.
It is moved to the appropriate deck.
Another shot of lift different angle.
Both cinema 3 and 4 are equipped with Cinemeccanica Victoria eight’s with lens turrets, Dolby digital and analogue basement readers, and a foil sensor.
Panalogic CA2000 automation below port windows.
Close up of Panalogic automation (Very Reliable).
Cinema 3 and 4 also share a sound rack, 2 x Cp 500’s, 4 x 4 channel QSC Amps, 2x Monitors, CD player for non-sync music.
Close up of CP 500’s
Close up of QSC Amps
All prints are labeled with the name, the aspect ratio, Sound Format and the show number. The show number is entered on the automation, the automation has 10 different shows programmed, each show has different properties ie volume levels, lens/masking change.
Cinema 2 projection room, similar set-up but with Centrex projector.
Close up of Centrex projector , with Dolby Cat 701 Reader
Cinema 2 sound rack, alongside the slide projector, digital data projector and DVD player connected to the data projector via component BNC connection.
DVD Player with a little contraption that upon receiving a signal from the automation or when you press the red button, pushes “play” on the DVD. This system has been in use for the last 13 months (today is the first of February 2003) playing only one movie “Dalkeith”. While the big distributors may have Showed little interest to the producer of the film, a digital transfer to DVD and an open minded cinema like Waverley, that has first hand experience of competing against big corporations gave the film a second chance. The film has been incredibly popular with an advertising budget of virtually nothing. It has been the longest film played at this cinema now, Still showing for the last 13 months and beyond. Cinema 2 holds 80 seats and has a smaller than average screen so the picture is bright and has excellent quality.
Hearing aid amplifier, Panalogic Automation, CP 500, SA-10 Surround Ex adapter, sound monitor.
Cinema 1 projection room. Storage rack in background with hydraulic lift on wheels.
All cinemas have cameras in them so the projectionist and front of house staff can see what is happening inside each cinema, (although each show will have an usher at the door or and usher showing people to their seat if the show is allocated seating.)
All projection rooms and foyer/lobby’s are equipped with cameras so that the projectionists can always see what’s going on in other booths.
Special thanks to Matthew Peters for the pics.