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This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
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Author
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Topic: ROADSHOW PRESENTATION.
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Tom Fermanian
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 101
From: Sainte Adele, Quebec, Canada
Registered: Dec 2001
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posted 01-20-2002 07:16 PM
With most cinemas without curtains and title curtains (remember those), It could still be great!!, Having worked on such titles as Fidler on the Roof (long version) Grand Prix, Ryan's Daughter, "2001" , Ben-Hur, Sound of Music and so many others, it was nice then that any picture over 140 minutes had an intermission built in to the film, We even had a short intro music at the begining, this was to be run with house lights half dimmed when people where sitting down in the auditorium, at a certain cue point, the feature started, we then dimmed the house lights down all the way opening the curtain, this was run WITHOUT previews or anything else to make the presentation a special feel for the attending audience. Later on at a chosen spot The Intermission would then arrive permiting us to stop for people wanting to stretch their legs,attend the restrooms or go for refreshments, We then had another 5 minute or more "walk-in" music that was run at lights hald down to permit people to re take their seats,(these walk-in bits where on black film no picture with only soundtrack) the picture then resumed until the end credits, in those days, only specials had long end credits.It gave I believe the perception that people where seeing something special, it would be great for some of the long expensive pictures today, and it would help theatres at the concession! Tom   ------------------
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Paul Linfesty
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1383
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 01-20-2002 08:43 PM
While I only saw one "true" roadshow as a kid (Sound of Music), I saw plenty of the regular runs of these roadshows in 35mm 4-track mag with the overtures, intermissions, entracte, and exit music intact. For a very BRIEF time, the overture was revived in 1979 for both Star Trek and the Black Hole, although without the curtain to cue the audience, Im afraid they would think there was something wrong. Showmanship is DEFINITELY missing today. There are still a few theatres in LA (mostly Mann theatres like the Chinese, National, etc) that actually DO still use curtains and DO close them between the previews and main attraction (amazing how many of those actually still have the curtains and won't close them between their slide show and film). Landmmark doesnt even use slides and yet has stopped using their curtains. And as Hart's page pointed out, automation doesn't limit this. The El Capitan in Hollywood has THREE curtain openings and MANY light changes for this "pre-show" and yet it is fully automated. Slides and those movietunes with the "DJ" announcements should go, too.
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Christopher Seo
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 530
From: Los Angeles, CA
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 01-21-2002 04:39 AM
I think "...from a platter" is also a stock reference to the fact that platters were a chief tool of the theatre companies in removing a dedicated (changeover) projectionist from the booth.Well, I think closing and immediately opening the curtain can indeed look a little silly, especially if it's a slow curtain that takes fifteen seconds to trundle back and forth. Too many open/close cycles can become tiresome. But it's all in the timing, really. Timing makes all the difference in how any aspect of presentation is received. Probably the worst curtain usage I've ever seen was at the Loew's Astor Plaza in New York City, of a 70mm print of "2001" last month. Here was an opportunity to recreate the true roadshow feel, but what happened? We hear the overture ramping up because someone threaded it past the mag head, then the curtains immediately part to reveal... the black image area printed for the overture. Only it's not black, but gray, with notable negative dust throughout. Nobody in the audience said a word (well, except me). I really hope they didn't walk away from that showing thinking that Kubrick wanted them staring into the deep, deep gray of space during the overture. (Also no need to mention the scratches on this newly struck print, mysterious missing intermission, etc.)
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John Pytlak
Film God
Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 01-21-2002 06:22 AM
Although technically not a "Roadshow", the current large format re-release of "Beauty and the Beast" at least is something special to see. By their nature, large format theatres usually have a dedicated projectionist to keep an eye on things, and most of them have a "pre-show" touting the "IMAX Experience" or something similar, which points out the special equipment in the theatre. No curtains though  .------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
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Jerry Chase
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1068
From: Margate, FL, USA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 01-21-2002 07:04 AM
I always found the open close cycle of curtains between previews and feature to be hokey. IMO, the simple corporate snipe and fanfare after the previews and prior to the feature was an improvement. The current hyperactive rollercoaster/snack bar ads are an abomination that distract from the sense of entering the story. Class is often the ability to remain understated.Another reality of curtains was that the introductory and entre acte music was horribly muffled unless the theatre had the ability to play that music outside the normal behind-the-screen speakers or had a working scrim. Most of those main curtains were thick and had been made purposely so with the intention of deadening sound from live acts setting up on stage. I don't remember scrims being properly used (or even available) in any but the best theatres. One of the better ideas from the last days of curtains was Pike's logo snipes with the waterfall curtain background. The first theatre I worked had a red traveller and it was possible to do a near-seamless dim of curtain lights, fade-in of the logo and opening of the curtain. The audience got the impression that the main curtain was opening and revealing a scrim, which then dissolved into the previews or feature. Another visual trick that was always appreciated was to open the main curtain just beyond the masking for the flat previews, and then sneak them open full during the fade in of the feature and let the masking slowly widen to full screen width. "Mom! The picture is GROWING!!! Cool!"
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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!
Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 01-21-2002 08:10 AM
I have often debated the close/open portion of the show (aka the "Curtain Call"). At the Uptown, I have used it and as our curtain became a liability (the LH side started to tear at a seam)I ceased to avoid excess wear. The GM of the company saw one of my shows where I did the curtain call and smiled and proclaimed I "deluxed the show." So some clearly like it or remember them. With today's short transistion from previews/ads to feature, the curtain call looks a bit silly. If there was a pause between each segment, it would look a bit better. Now where I would most definately do a curtain call is a varient on Jerry's comment. That is, if the theatre has motorized maskings and a curtain...I will close the curtain on the flat previews. Once the curtain closes down past the masking, open the masking to scope, reopen the curtain to the scope/70mm feature. Instead of the "growing picture" it merely gets bigger by magic! The last time I had the opportunity to do this was at the K-B Cinema (alas, the Uptown does not have motorized side maskings). Of course, back then most all previews were FLAT (early-mid '80s)so the previews were uniform. It made the feature much more dramatic. Back then also the preveiws were mono and the feature often stereo so even the sound got wider and bigger. Steve ------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"
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David Stambaugh
Film God
Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 01-21-2002 10:24 AM
Jerry said: quote:
Another visual trick that was always appreciated was to open the main curtain just beyond the masking for the flat previews, and then sneak them open full during the fade in of the feature and let the masking slowly widen to full screen width. "Mom! The picture is GROWING!!! Cool!"
The Edwards flagship "Big Newport" in Newport Beach CA used to do this all the time. After the huge success of Star Wars (played there in 70mm 6-Track Dolby for 1 year), the Big Newport ran 70mm prints almost all the time for many years. This was the 70mm 6-Track Dolby "golden age" in Southern Calif. Many many films I can remember and some I've forgotten. And the theatre always made a show of "making the screen bigger!!" for the scope feature, which was so cool to see on a screen as large as that one (reportedly 80 feet wide). Of course at that time I had no idea there were different aspect ratios -- to me, it just looked like they were making the screen bigger for the feature. To their credit, Edwards installed waterfall curtains in all their new construction right up until at least 1990 (when I left CA). Too bad the theatres themselves were often lacking in some other respects. ------------------
- dave
Crab juice, or Mountain Dew?
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