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Topic: Humidity in Booth Causing Chaos

Brent Mahaney
Film Handler

Posts: 43
From: Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA
Registered: Dec 2001

posted 01-24-2002 12:48 AM

When I arrived at work this afternoon, I noticed things didn't feel quite right in the booth. Outdoors, the temperature went from 30 degrees and clear to 60 degrees and rainy in a matter of 48 hours or so. Indoors, the humidity was so high in my booth that I could feel it when I walked in the door. I've never dealt with anything like this. The platters felt sticky, the film felt sticky, and I KNEW I was in for it. I cleaned VERY thoroughly, yet several prints began shedding so profusely that the build-up in the gate was causing my picture to go out of focus. I literally had to stop Lord of the Rings mid way through to clean the gate. Yes, it was BAD, BAD form...but what choice did I have? I opened the booth window, apologized to the patrons, and explained to them what I was doing. Luckily, we had no complaints.

What do I do? I don't even know where to start. They aren't going to buy me a dehumidifier. They aren't going to buy me a film cleaning unit. The fact is, they aren't going to buy me anything. So without any extra equipment, is there anything I can do to control this? I would appreciate any suggestions...

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James R. Hammonds, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 931
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 01-24-2002 01:01 AM

Is there another theatre in your area?
If not can you move far,far, away?
That theatre sounds like it blows ass.
No place for someone who cares.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

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

posted 01-24-2002 01:51 AM

Run your air conditioner and wipe the edges of your prints with FilmGuard and the problems you listed above should be substantially reduced or stop altogether.

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Jerry Chase
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1068
From: Margate, FL, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 01-24-2002 09:30 AM

Heat will reduce the relative humidity, the air conditioner will act as dehumidifier, just like in an automobile. Run one then the other.

Unless there is a leak somewhere or something else going on, I don't understand why the humidity in the building would rise so quickly.

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John Pytlak
Film God

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

posted 01-24-2002 09:34 AM

Brad's suggestion of using the air conditioner (which condenses moisture from the air, acting like a dehumidifier), and treating the prints will help. Putting a layer of FilmGuard or hard wax (e.g., Carnauba) on the film-contacting rails in the gate will help handle film whose emulsion is softened by excess moisture. Heating cold/damp air will reduce the relative humidity, so turning up the heat or using portable heaters would help dry things out too. If it is damp and wet outside, do NOT open the windows.

------------------
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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Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 01-24-2002 12:53 PM

Again, I'll qualify this by saying I'm NOT in the business. But as a businessman, I just don't get it. You have a problem that is causing film to go out of focus, causing you to stop the show even. They won't buy a dehumidifier? Am I thinking of the wrong thing here? What, 50-100 bucks for one like you'd use in your basement? Unreal.

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 01-24-2002 01:01 PM

In the Puget Sound area of Washington State, we are practically in a rain forest. All it does is rain.

We do not shut off the heat in the theaters when we leave. We maintain an unoccupied night temperature of 58 to 60 degrees year round.

Under these circumstances, I never recalled having any serious humidity problems in the booth ot theater.

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Rory Burke
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 181
From: Burbank, CA, USA
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 01-24-2002 03:13 PM

Yep!!!!! Sounds like big blow to your operation!!!!!

Do what it takes to combat the hummidity in that booth!!!!

Good Luck and keep us posted!!

Rory

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Frank Angel
Film God

Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 01-25-2002 03:14 AM

For whatever reason the humidity in the booth at the museum is so high that metal surfaces rust -- no one there has every been able to adaquately explain to me the reason for this. I have to put a coating of oil on everything. Luckily they gave me a consumer dehumidifier which takes out about a three gallons of water every four or five days. At least they didn't give me a hard time about the dehumidifier -- all I did was walk in with a spindle from the Kelmar rewind and showed them the shaft coated with rust...told them the projector heads had parts looking just as rusty. Now all I have to do is convince them that they need to put a sump pump in the bottom of the dehumidifier so that I don't have to lug pails of water downstairs.

I was always thought that in a museum, humidity would be very low and highly controlled. Evidently not. Never had problems with film sticking though.

So Brent, this theatre management would rather you stop the show of LORD OF THE RINGS (full house I am imagining) rather than install a $100 dehumidifier? How bout you tell them the print will get damaged and you can't start the next show until the humidity is lowered.

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John Pytlak
Film God

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

posted 01-25-2002 11:15 AM

FWIW, Fuji print film was used for LOTR.

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Brent Mahaney
Film Handler

Posts: 43
From: Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA
Registered: Dec 2001

posted 01-27-2002 11:35 PM

Thank you all for the suggestions. I think one of the main problems is that the fire escape doors at each end of the booth have huge gaps at the top and bottom. I'm going to do whatever I can.

It is a SHAME that there are still theater owners and managers who can't grasp the concept that PEOPLE ARE THERE TO SEE MOVIES, NOT STUDY THE FLOOR OPERATION. It's amazing that I have the presentation I have considering the fact that I'm basically on my own upstairs.

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