Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 3-D Projection info needed

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Topic: 3-D Projection info needed

Bob Furmanek
Film Handler

Posts: 7
From: Clifton, NJ, USA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 10-07-1999 12:48 AM

Hello everybody! We are in the process
of writing a book about the 3-D films
of the early 1950's. We are looking to
interview any operators who had
experiences projecting the dual-strip
prints. If there are any veterans out
there who worked in theatres at that
time, we'd love to talk with you. Also,
we're looking for any projection
artifacts for our 3-D archive. Things
like Polaroid sync monitors (especially
the deluxe electronic unit - model 21),
focusing filters, etc. Please let me
know what you may have. Thank you very
much.
Bob Furmanek, Curator
3-D Film Archives
"Preserving Our Stereoscopic Film
Heritage"

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Art Averett
Film Handler

Posts: 14
From: Orlando, FL
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 10-08-1999 12:00 AM

Bob, I did work in a theater in Alexandria, VA. I don't remember the name but it was owned by Nieghborhood Theaters, a chain that has it's head quarters in Richmond,VA. I kick myself for not taking pictures if the booth. It was set-up for 3D and between the projectors was a motor controller. You could advance or retard the projector motors to maintain sync in the picture. If you don't, then the actors start to "float". Very annoying and causes head aches. Also, there are the polaroid sheets in front of the lenses that have to be adjusted a certain way to get rid of "ghosting images" on screen. Hope this helps. You might want to contact the above mentioned chain to see if they could help, also. Don't know if they are still around. Art.

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Jim Bedford
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 597
From: Telluride, CO, USA (733 mi. WNW of Rockwall, TX but it seems much, much longer)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-08-1999 01:00 PM

Chapin Cutler at Boston Light and Sound (www.blsi.com or contact chapin@blsi.com) put together a retrospective of 3D at the 25th Telluride Film Festival in September 1998. It was a wonderful two hour program with lots of "lost" and restored clips. Leonard Maltin and Murray Lerner gave the presentation. Chapin is very knowledgable about 3D and BL&S has a lot of 3D equipment.

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Bob Furmanek
Film Handler

Posts: 7
From: Clifton, NJ, USA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 10-08-1999 01:25 PM

Thanks Art and Jim. Our 3-D Film Archive provided many of the clips shown at the Telluride festival. I wasn't able to attend, but everyone told me that it was a big hit! I'm glad that you enjoyed the presentation.

The Polaroid sync control that you described was their "economy" model, designed for smaller theatres. It was wired between the two selsyn motors, and allowed the opertor to advance either machine if he was having trouble with the synchronization. It was a clever device, but came a little too late in the 3-D cycle to make much difference. By that time, the damage had already been done. From our research, it seems that one of the primary reasons 3-D died so quickly was due to out-of-sync presentations. I talked with one service rep who worked for the Skouras theatre chain in New York. He was assigned the job of spot checking theatres that had 3-D shows. He told me it wasn't unusual to find films running two or three frames out of sync! This would cause havoc with your eyes, and give you a terrible headache. When Polaroid introduced these 2 sync control units in November of 1953, many people had seen so many poor 3-D presentations, it was hard to get them back to the theatres. If they had only developed these units 6 months earlier, 3-D would have probably lasted a lot longer!

By the way, I have a mint, never used copy of this sync control unit in the archive, but I have never been able to find the deluxe electronic version, which was model # 21. This was a much more expensive unit ($500.00, as opposed to $95.00), and was designed for the larger movie palaces. I would love to find one of these. If any one is working an older booth that goes back to the early fifties, keep your eyes open for me. I would pay a good price if this unit becomes available.

Thanks again for your letters. If anyone has any questions on 3-D films of the 1950's, just drop me a line.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-08-1999 07:38 PM

Over the years one of the most important things were have learned in 35 twin machine systems is the syncornising of the shuuters so they open and close togather not cause a l/r beating effect (Imax does it at a much higher rate)
We also equip most of the machines with stepper motors to guarentee sync

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