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Topic: Supplementary Projection

Lila King
Film Handler

Posts: 2
From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 10-18-1999 07:55 AM

Hi, I'm working on a project for the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. We're writing about our original brenograph machine and slides, and I'm doing some preliminary research. Unfortunately, I don't know too much about projection or film history in general. I'd like to know about supplementary projection in motion picture theatres -- has it always been common for theatres to have a secondary projector for advertising slides? I know that when I go to the movies now, there are always slides of advertisements projected before the movie begins. Do theatres use a second projection machine for this? Have they always? Any help you might be able to provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

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Rob Brooks
Film Handler

Posts: 57
From: NY, U.S.A.
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 10-18-1999 10:10 PM

Slides are relatively new for intermissions in theaters. Probably about 5 years or less in most theaters. Years ago most theaters had a curtain and that was what the audience looked at between shows. For many years up to five years ago, United Artists had a swirling disc that flashed color patterns on the screen. It was so weird, straight out of an LSD hullucination from the 60's. The current slides are shown on a commmon slide projector mounted on a stand by a port glass to the side of the projector. Since the slide projector is not especially made for theaters and is on several hours a day, it tends to go through a lot of bulbs.

------------------
Rob

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Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-18-1999 11:18 PM

Having installed way too many slide projectors in my life, I can tell you that the lamps in the slide projectors last, at most, 300 hours. Compare that with a Xenon lamp that can last 3,000 hours.

The slide projector lamps cost around $15 each. The xenon lamp costs perhaps 400 for a small one.

Well I can't make my case for the slide projector costing more than the cinema projector, but it does cost a lot. I hope the ad revenues are good.

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Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99

posted 10-19-1999 02:32 AM

From what I hear, they are really good.

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William Hooper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1879
From: Mobile, AL USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-19-1999 03:50 AM

>United Artists had a swirling disc that
>flashed color patterns on the screen

I'd love to find one of those things to put up on the screen before some '60's or 70's film. The older members of the audience would scream with recognition & temporal disorientation.

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Rick Long
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 759
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 10-23-1999 02:03 PM

Slide machines were used to some degree back in the '50s and early '60s, not so much for advertising, but as a message system between the theatre and the audience (letting someone know they had left their headlights on, paging a doctor, ect.).

The "Radio-Mat" system consisted of a gell with carbon paper in a small envelope. The manager would type the message onto the envelope, and remove the gell. The projectionist would place it between two layers of glass, place it into the slide machine and project the message.

While doing a few days relief work at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope, Ontario, years ago, I came across some of these old gels. My favourite was a warning to the audience that "ANY MORE CHEERING AND STOMPING WILL RESULT IN NO CARTOON BEING SHOWN NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT".

There were also brass plates with the message "MON-TUE-WED" or "THUR-FRI-SAT" stenciled into them so that this message would be projected at the bottom of the screen during the trailers. (Three days was about the limit of play for a small town, there being no Sunday shows in those civilised days).

One of our projectionists, when the slide didn't come on, simply lifted the glass out of the observation port, stuck his head out and yelled "COMING THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, FOLKS!".

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