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Topic: Worlds Biggest Cinema Screen?

Ben Wales
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 602
From: Southampton. England
Registered: Jul 99

posted 06-01-2000 02:50 PM

I was reading a UK National paper last week on opening later in June the Expo 2000 in Hanover Germany,

A part of the 6 month of this exhibition is what claims to the worlds biggest cinema screen that measures 350ft wide!, the film/video showing is Transport through the ages.

Is there any German users who know of the technical side of this installation, is it film, muiti-projection or DLP projection etc?

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

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

posted 06-01-2000 02:54 PM

For years the world largest was 155 feet Imax screen in Jakarta Indonesia made by Harkness

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 06-01-2000 02:57 PM

Wonder if any of the multi-panel shows at Disney World / Epcot or Universal theme parks come close? (e.g., the EPCOT Exxon World of Energy show that used multiple 70mm prints).

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-01-2000 04:38 PM

The Circlevision installation at Walt Disney World has to be close to that size around. Also the Imax at Marriots Great America has a screen thats the same size as the one in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Mark

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David Kilderry
Master Film Handler

Posts: 355
From: Melbourne Australia
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 06-01-2000 06:30 PM

What about largest conventional screen for comercial release pictures. Are any indoor screens larger than our 110 foot drive-in screen?

I know bigger is not always better, many large indoor screens on 35mm offer a washed out, soft look.

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Ari Nordström
Master Film Handler

Posts: 283
From: Göteborg, Sweden
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 06-02-2000 04:08 AM

The Colosseum theatre in Oslo, Norway, is supposedly the world's largest THX-approved auditorium. Their screen is more than 22 metres wide (sorry, you'll have to figure out the conversion to feet without my help), but whether that's the largest conventional screen I don't know.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 06-02-2000 06:37 AM

Ari:

22 metres is about 72 feet. Many new theatres have a few screens larger than this. I had heard that the Specktrum (?) in Oslo was over 100 feet (30.48 metres) wide.

IMHO, any screen wider than 60 feet deserves the quality and luminance of a 70 mm print. As good as 35 mm film is, you just can't put enough energy to light a huge screen through a frame the size of a postage stamp.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

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Martin Frandsen
Master Film Handler

Posts: 270
From: Denmark, Europe
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-02-2000 06:45 AM

Take a look at the screen at the 'Spektrum' in Oslo, Norway.
http://hjem.get2net.dk/in70mm/cinemas/spektrum.htm

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 06-02-2000 07:27 AM

Martin:
Thank you for the link. Notice that somehow, the Spektrum was able to get 70 mm prints of movies like "Independence Day", "Godzilla", "Armageddon", "Tomorrow Never Dies", and "Jurassic Park - The Lost World"!!! It may be that they and theatres like Kinepolis make special deals with distributors to get the extra quality of 70 mm prints (note the involvement of David Kerr, European print manager for 20th Century Fox). At least the "Splendor of 70 mm" still lives somewhere in the world.

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Ari Nordström
Master Film Handler

Posts: 283
From: Göteborg, Sweden
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 06-02-2000 01:45 PM

John,

Thanks for the info. I sort of suspected that the Colosseum wouldn't have the largest screen, but the just pure size of that auditorium made me gasp. It's good to know that larger screens exist.

And Martin, thanks for the link. Didn't know that "Star Wars" (the Special Edition) screened in 70mm anywhere. I thought Lucas was more into video these days...

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 06-02-2000 03:30 PM

Those were special DTS 70mm prints. Personally, it seems like the trouble to blow the films up to 70mm would make the availability more here in the US, but that doesn't seem to be the case. As I understand it, all of those titles had ONE 70mmDTS print struck. What a waste. I would've liked to have played those titles in 70mm

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-02-2000 03:42 PM

This whole 70mm thing is sooooo stupid. There is no reason not to make 70's of the bigger films. Man, I know alot of chains that have offered to pay for 70mm prints only to be turned down. Just goes to show you that the Europeans definately have more class than we ever will. Thomas Huerslev e-mailed me a list of films playing in 70mm at the Norwegian film institute and the list reads like whats what in 70mm! And these are out of their private institute collection yet. Thats way cool. Perhaps I'll move back and live with Uncle Lars so I can attend these screenings too.
Mark

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Serge Bosschaerts
Film Handler

Posts: 70
From: Schoten, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 06-02-2000 04:28 PM

I've seen pictures of a drive-in in South Africa with a screen of 36m W x 14m H.
Apparently the projection throw was 90m and
they used carbon arcs on 160 Amps.
Projectors used where Bauer B12.

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 06-02-2000 08:28 PM

David Kilderry wrote:>>What about largest conventional screen for comercial release pictures. Are any indoor screens larger than our 110 foot drive-in screen?<<

Which Drive in are you talking about, David? Is this Coburg DI?

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"I heard a voice behind me say...'Reach for it, Mister'... I spun around...found myself face to face...with a six year old kid! Well I just threw my guns down, walked away... LITTLE BASTARD SHOT ME IN THE ASS!"

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Stefan Scholz
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 223
From: Schoenberg, Germany
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 06-04-2000 01:19 PM

Thinking of large screens, I d o have think of West-Berlin, Royal Palast. Fortunately still open, but who knows how long. During the 60's this was the largest indoor movie screen with 41 ft heighth and 120 ft width. Featuring about 1000 seats upfront this giant 70 mm screen, viewing distance about 100 feet. Quite impressing to watch a movie in there, but future uncertain.

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