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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: Need some advice on restoring a single screen Drive In
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Jack Ondracek
Film God
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Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 05-26-2008 08:29 PM
Well, first, I wouldn't let the soundtrack being down make me think of quitting... big deal... turn it around... it's fixed.
What you describe as a booth isn't unheard of in small, single screen Mom & Pops. Most of them were winging it when they built the places to begin with.
There's nothing wrong with a Century setup. Like John says... clean them up and make sure your lubrication is taken care of. The alpha platter is fine for a drive-in, and you don't need more than one makeup table for one platter.
I'd want to build a bench, assuming you can't get them to spring for a Kelmar. You can find manual rewinders around for inspection purposes and mount them on a sheet of melamine... done deal.
Hopefully, your lenses, lamphouse and sound system are decent. Past that, just clean the place up, keep it simple & have some fun. You'll develop a better plan to upgrade things, if necessary, after you've been around for awhile and learned what you the customers and owners will support
Get a film cleaner & Film Guard. Drive-ins are notoriously dusty. If you can't get the airflow filtered (most don't), this stuff will keep your film looking like new.
Congrats on your new job!
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Frank Angel
Film God
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Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 05-27-2008 02:48 AM
I had a carpenter make a lens box for me. He did a great job....lined it with bright red microfiber felt. Sometimes you can get away with home-made, which sounds like that's the way this booth was put together.
Thing is, once you get some shows under your belt, you'll get yourself a list of items that you need and things that need maintenance attention. When you've got a good list, tell the owners that they need to purchase the stuff on the list and most importantly, they need to call in a qualified tech to do a yearly preventative maintenance and alignment. Even if you've got the place running and there aren't any super serious problems, you will want a tech to come in anyway.
You will want him to do a thorough sound system alignment so everything is to spec. My guess is that probably hasn't been done since the red reader was installed, and even that might be questionable.
He needs to make sure the lot is getting good radio transmission strength at all car positions and that sound is balanced in both left and right channels as its heard IN AN FM RECEIVER.
The lamphouse especially should be thoroughly, properly aligned to make sure that you are getting the most light out of it as is possible. Light on a DI screen is gold and you can't afford to loose not a single lumen of it.
Let him check the anamorphic lens focus and preset alignment. You don't want to take the lens out only to find that when you put it back it isn't properly preset. You will want him to check the front distance adjustment ring to make sure the focus is a good as it can be on your scope films. I suggest you read the instructions in the TIPS section of this forum Focusing Anamorphics. Your tech should perform this alignement. If you see him just looking at the footage markings on the lens barrel and he doesn't do a check on the screen with a target film as per the Film-Tech instructions (you'll have them printed out and ready to hand to him), hand him the printout and ask him politely if he wouldn't mind doing it as per the instructions. The procedure in the TIPS is the best way to get as perfect a focus as you can with an anamorphic lens, which is very critical to begin with.
And yah, best of luck to you. You'll make changes in the booth, get everything so you feel comfortable with it and before you know it, it will be YOUR booth.
Oh, PS. I have found the BEST way to get owners to actually purchase the stuff you need, rather than just telling them and expecting them to follow through, a better way is to make a list of all your items and next to each item, put all the information the owner will need to place an order with a simple phone call. Give the item name, part number or identifier, list the vendor for the item, their contact information - phone number, website, etc., the item's price and how many/much you need. In other words, do the footwork yourself. If you're able to hand the owner a list that allows him to just place the order or orders without needing to do research himself, there is a much better chance that items will be ordered in a timely manner.
We have just such a consumable product/vendor list which we keep adding to as the need for items comes up -- keep it as a database in the computer. Everything from splicing tape to lens cleaner to hold-down artist tape is listed. When the time comes, you just fill in the number of pieces that you need of any item on the list and hand it to the owner. Oh yah, and next to each item we also have a box that can be checked: [ ] Urgently needed/Time sensitive. I find using this comsumabls/vendor's list works better than any other method that I have tried in the past. [ 05-27-2008, 11:16 AM: Message edited by: Frank Angel ]
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Frank Angel
Film God
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Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 05-27-2008 10:38 PM
Justin, what was the reflector you put in? Was it that Techni something (I can't recall the exact name of the company), but supposedly they modify lamphouses, mostly it's the new mirror and they claim a dramatic increase in light thru-put. But I also have heard conflicting reports of how this magic is achieved or if it's just allot of hype and slight of hand.
I am running 4500w in our outdoor "Walk-In" on a 55ft scope screen. The light is nice enough -- haven't measured it yet, but I would guess it's around 12 - 14 ftl -- but if I could get and extra 20% more with nothing more than this upgrade and still be able to keep the same lamphouse and rectifier, and allow them to start a little earlier, I think they would be interested in such an upgrade. We always have the same battle every show. I say it's too light to start, they say constantly pester me to go up, "Come on, Frankie, why can't we start?!" And every show I have to make up stuff like, "Just give me a few minutes guys -- there is something wrong with the light." Under my breath: "Yah, the freakin SUNLIGHT, you dumbasses -- it hasn't even set yet!"
20% brighter would be a good thing.
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