my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Last night of the change over? (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: Last night of the change over? Tom Petrov Five Guys Lover Posts: 1121 From: El Paso, TX Registered: Jan 2003 posted 05-01-2003 03:13 AM                    Well, last Tuesday was the final night of the change over at the local drive in. The films that were played were, Agent Cody Banks followed by Bullet Proof Monk. We have three outdoor cinemas, one was still a change over. The booth is at least 20 years old and probably has not seen much of an upgrade, anyhow the automation did not work even to shut down. We now have a new set of strong platters as were are awaiting our new projector. To tell everyone the truth having platters is much better, but doing a change over was alot of fun. I think I will miss it! Anyone on this board have stories of change overs still used or prjection booths that were originally changeover? Tom.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 05-01-2003 07:20 AM                        Call for Mr. Guttag!!! Actually, there have been quite a few threads on the subject, arguing the merits of platters vs. changeovers, and asking who still uses changeovers (more screens than you might think).  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 05-01-2003 08:34 AM                     You've got to be kidding! We just installed the American Film Institute's Silver Theatre complex (3-screens) all changeover. I'm heading down to Williamsburg, VA to upgrade their sound system...both screens changeover. The drive-in we service in Virginia (Dalke's Family Drive-In)...both screens changeover...in fact, Mr. Dalke only has one screen with a platter in any of his facilities...only one to go down too (static related problems). Those are just examples....about 90% of the theatres we service are changeover...only the mall-plexes are platter types. Steve  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 05-01-2003 09:07 AM                        Platters suck! Just ask Brad, he'll agree. BTW, who needs automation?  |  IP: Logged Don Sneed Master Film Handler Posts: 451 From: Texas City, TX, USA Registered: Aug 2001 posted 05-01-2003 10:09 AM                        I too miss the changeover days, although I'm no longer a projectionist (now service tech for the past 23yrs.)the reel to reel machines looked like a projector with real lamphouses (carbon or Xenon)not consoles...it is a pleasure to service a Reel to reel booth although I no longer get a chance to do...the projection staff today haven't a clue what it was like to do changeovers, most projectionist do not know the reel change cue mark are even on the film, if some do, they do not know what they are for....yes I am glad I came in on the tail end of carbon lamps, reels change ect in the early 70's before platters, xenon lamps,console...this was when a projectionist was a projectionist, NOW...they are film jockys !!! Even in my line of work now, I was once call "the sound engineer" now Iam a theatre technician....I hate to say it...but I miss the old days !!! But love the new digital technology...I remember when I 1st started in the booth, we had 35-50 watts mono amplifiers, when I went to work at another theatre that had a 100-watts amplifier...whooaaa weeeee I thought I had something, now I install 7,000 to 29,000 watts sound systems....what a difference 30 yrs makes !!!  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 05-01-2003 10:57 AM                     I still run changeovers. The only time I get to run platters are when I'm sent out to do premieres and media screenings away from my screening room. One of the Paramount executives I run film for still has carbon arc screening room at his home. I wish I could go back to running change overs on premieres.  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 05-01-2003 11:30 AM                     quote: 29,000 watts sound systems  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 05-01-2003 12:59 PM                     I think the Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon (A performing arts center) still runs Simplex E-7's and changeovers, I think. Haven't heard much if they have changed anything in the last three years. Hopefully, I'll have some pictures of the Lincoln for Brad to post.  |  IP: Logged John Spooner Expert Film Handler Posts: 186 From: South Australia, Australia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 05-01-2003 01:48 PM                     All of our theatres are change-over. We run 6000ft spools in all except one where we retained 2000ft spools and carbon arc. One great advantage of the 2 machines is that one fails for any reason, the show can still continue, unlike an automatic system with just the one machine. Regards. John Spooner.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 05-01-2003 03:02 PM                    Still changeover & 20 min reels at my screening room. Running with changeovers is the least laborious thing I do; correcting the damage done to prints by prior platter users is the most. Thus if they ever switched to shipping 6000' reels or full platter loads my workload would drop, not so much because I'd be spending less time at the machines but because I'd be spending far less time at the bench.  |  IP: Logged Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 05-01-2003 03:40 PM                     My upcoming project, and all that follow, will be changeover and carbon arc (as long as they keep making them).  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 05-01-2003 05:29 PM                     Today, I found out the Lincoln Theatrein Mount Vernon is, indeed, still running Simplex E-7's with manual changeover. The Peerless lamps (which I installed in the '70's) were retired about 2 years ago because carbon rods were getting too hard to come by. They were replaced by Xenon lamphouses. I think I know where they came from. The booth is still running 2,000-foot reels, though, and they have upgraded the sound system to a Dolby CP-65. I'll get some pictures of the theatre soon.  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 05-01-2003 06:13 PM                        The Cinerama Theatre was the last theatre in Consolidated circuit in Honolulu that had a change system because the resident projectionist felt it was easier to exhibit 70mm using a change over system as I was once told. With the demise of wide spread release of 70mm features, the Cinerama eventually went to a platter system and a single projector. I had mentioned this several times before but I also learned that the Waikiki theatres had to pass on 70mm prints of "THE RIGHT STUFF" and "GODFATHER III" because the platter system they had could not run the films without an intermission. I was told most platter can do it especially with DTS encoded prints because the prints lacks the thickness due to the absence of the magnetic tracks. God, how I miss 70mm films, especially the earlier ones that were photographed in 65mm! -Claude  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 05-01-2003 06:19 PM                  20 kW to 40kW of audio power is common in the the large format 1570/870 world, depending on theatre size. >>> Phil  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 05-02-2003 08:15 AM                     Still making 6000 ft. changeovers, and due to the large inventory of reels using small shafts too. Our equipment was installed in June of '53 in anticipation of the opening of the Robe in October of that year. If a mag print ever shows up again we can run that too.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.