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Author Topic: does your theatre meet industry "standards"? Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-25-2010 03:20 PM                        Subject says it. Specifically, see the TAP guidelines. Ignore the parts that do not apply to picture and sound quality (e.g. restrooms, concession stand, etc.). Does your theatre conform to these guidelines? Or, for those who service or work in multiple theatres, what per centage of auditoria meet these specifications? As for me, personally, I have worked in a few venues that come very close to these specs, but I don't think that any would actually satisfy the entire list. I wonder if there is any commercial theatre (open to the public, not a screening room, not a nonprofit), anywhere, that actually is fully "correct."  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 06-25-2010 03:33 PM                     I think that a lot of venues got offended by the TAPS since it came out in 1983 for the release of "SW:EP-VI" and figured it was just George Lucas wanting venues to conform to this list for this Star Wars release. I know that our parent company out of California, when this TAPS came out, wasn't too crazy on this TAPS thing, thus quite ignored it since they've been basically doing what was on the TAPS list anyway long before anybody even heard of Lucas or even knew who he was. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 06-25-2010 08:37 PM                     I have asked Mr. Lucas to personnaly inspect our toilets, am awaiting his reply  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 06-26-2010 01:33 AM                        Amazingly I think we meet most of the specifications most of the time. Our auditoriums were designed during the theater mall boom of the late 70's, so there isn't a whole lot that can be done about room acoustics and sound leakage (auditorium doors open up directly into an auditorium behind it with no barrier walls, etc). The film presentations definitely match except in instances where the shape of the screen isn't the correct aspect ratio due to a combination of improper lens sizes and improperly filed plates. Also, 5 of our auditoriums do not have subwoofers. The managers don't run the film cleaners, unfortunately, so there is some dirt accumulation. Sometimes they manage to scratch a film, badly. Those are things that are out of my control. But generally I'd say our films are cleaner than most if not all theaters in the Denver metro area, bar none. I also seem to be the only person in the state who doesn't rely on zebra tape (which either covers part of the image or part of the Dolby Digital track).  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-26-2010 09:40 AM                        The topic should be change to "TAP standards". I think the current "industry" standards are much much lower And it appears almost all of the TAP standards are SMPTE, so why bother with two sets?  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-26-2010 10:19 AM                        I don't see anything unreasonable in the TAP standards. I just picked that list because it incorporates SMPTE standards for picture with Dolby (etc.) standards for sound. I'm just curious about how many venues actually meet these standards in real life. It always seems that picture, sound, or both get compromised, especially in older venues or multi-purpose venues.  |  IP: Logged Edward Havens Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 614 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Mar 2008 posted 06-26-2010 12:46 PM                     I was a TAPper back in the late 1990s, so I can say with more than a fair degree of certainty that the theatre I started at yesterday not only meets but exceeds TAP standards, with the sole exception that we do not have an outdoor marquee.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Mehocic Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 804 From: New Castle, PA, USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-26-2010 06:39 PM                     quote: Joe Redifer I also seem to be the only person in the state who doesn't rely on zebra tape (which either covers part of the image or part of the Dolby Digital track). I quit using zebra tape about twelve years ago. One theater I work at still requires it for make-ups, but I find the booth staff cannot understand the concept of how to properly use it. Moreover, they are too lazy to switch back to clear tape during the week and will, of course, fix all their breakdowns with that crap too.  |  IP: Logged Richard Hamilton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1341 From: Evansville, Indiana Registered: Jan 2000 posted 06-26-2010 08:00 PM                     quote: It always seems that picture, sound, or both get compromised, I got call from a theater one afternoon from the service company we used. The tech explained that all the CP500s were messed up. I told them not too touch anything and I was on my there. 6 hour drive later, I get there as the evening shows were playing and took a listen to all the movies. The first three that they worked sounded like shit. They had tried to eq them and completely turned down all the frequencies from about 500hz up. They said that when they ran pink noise their analyzer was pegged on those freqs. They didn't think it was odd until after the 3rd one. Needless to say they got an earful and were asked to leave. It was one tech who was fairly new (6 months tops) trying to teach a new guy. I had made the mistake of not password protecting them during the install  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-26-2010 10:26 PM                     More importantly, is your technician capable of bringing your theater to TAP specs? I'd be willing to bet that at least half of them of them out there working today don't even know what TAP is and that 2/3 are not capable of verifying most of it. I've heard stories of techs being hired for large service companies that don't even know the basic functions inside the Windows OS!! Mark  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 06-27-2010 08:05 AM                        When I started servicing theatres, the theatre had a list of "problems" for the tech. Now, as a tech, I have a list of problems. Occasionally I am allowed to fix one or two. More likely, I do this as a sneak when I am there fixing something else. The issue is the bill. They want it low and they liteerally don't know or care about standards/quality, etc. I have been told many times that they don't apply to this theatre. Louis  |  IP: Logged

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