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

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » How far do you dim the lights and when? (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: How far do you dim the lights and when? Gary Davidson Expert Film Handler Posts: 101 From: Santa Monica, CA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 01-30-2006 10:20 AM                     As your theater moves through its sequence of slides, rolling stock, trailers, then feature, how far do you dim the lights and when?  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-30-2006 11:49 AM                        There's at least a few threads on this topic. But as long as I'm typin' .... we go half-off during the previews, full off for the feature. If there is a particularly important trailer that we're debuting at a blockbuster movie (like when we ran the Star Wars III preview during a Lord of the Rings movie, I think) I'll place that trailer last and turn the lights off at the beginning of that trailer for dramtic effect.  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 01-30-2006 12:17 PM                     We do it the same as Mike. Here's a couple more threads that might be of use: Regarding sconce lighting and the importance of dimmer levels and cleaning crew/cleaning lights policies  |  IP: Logged Jim Ziegler Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 753 From: West Hollywood, CA Registered: Jul 99 posted 01-30-2006 02:02 PM                     Half for trailers, almost - but not totally - off during the feature, back to half during credits.  |  IP: Logged Gary Davidson Expert Film Handler Posts: 101 From: Santa Monica, CA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 01-30-2006 04:18 PM                     Do you go half-off when rolling stock hits the screen, or just trailers?  |  IP: Logged Anslem Rayburn Master Film Handler Posts: 476 From: Yuma, AZ, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 01-30-2006 05:44 PM                     Lights full during intermission (with slides). Lights half for trailers, down (not completely out, but close) during feature. Lights up during credits. We have done lights half during credits, but received many complaints about it being too dark when exiting. Since 99.9999999999999999999999999% of our guests do not stay for credits, we erred on the side of caution with regards to injuries, etc. We do have a few guests that stay through credits, but have never had a complaint about the lights coming on.  |  IP: Logged Jesse Skeen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1517 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Aug 2000 posted 01-31-2006 03:28 PM                     They don't complain, they just don't come back.  |  IP: Logged Anslem Rayburn Master Film Handler Posts: 476 From: Yuma, AZ, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 01-31-2006 04:36 PM                     And the same would be said for those that try to leave during the credits but trip or run into walls for the sake of keeping the lights down for 1 person.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-31-2006 06:07 PM                        quote: Anslem Rayburn We do have a few guests that stay through credits, but have never had a complaint about the lights coming on. quote: Jesse Skeen They don't complain, they just don't come back. We put the lights half-up during the end credits. I haven't had one complaint about that in 27 years. Anyone who would "not come back" simply due to some lighting during the credits must not have a life to start with. In today's lawsuit-happy world, it just doesn't make sense to have 200 people tripping over each other trying to get out while two or three uber-fans sit and watch the credits in pitch blackness.  |  IP: Logged John Koutsoumis Master Film Handler Posts: 261 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Registered: Aug 2003 posted 01-31-2006 07:41 PM                     quote: Anslem Rayburn We have done lights half during credits, but received many complaints about it being too dark when exiting. Well that must be lighting done wrong. Never been in a auditorium with half lights where you couldn't see clearly. No offense but maybe 99.9999999% of your patrons have bad eyesight. I might not be the lights coming on during the credits that bother those select few but rather that they come on as soon a the last shot fades or cuts. It's too quick and obtrusive. As i've seen at one location here where during the credits the auditorium was half lit but you hardly noticed the lights come up at all. I actually had to turn to the side to see if they were actually on. That's lighting done right. And yes you could see very clearly for exiting. In any case the aisles should be lit enough to see where you going without been intrusive. One cinema chain here, if there is any kind of image during the credits for the first minute or 2 will keep all the lights off. But the aisles are lit and nobody has problems getting out. Actually people usually stay in their seats and talk about the film etc when this is the case. I only do screenings for critics and film societies and I judge it how it goes. If I see people start to get up I bring up the lights softly (no automation here) but on most occasions they stay and the lights stay all off until I see say, a Dolby Digital logo or something like that. Although there have been times with a very emotional or imapctful film that the lights stay off until the dowser is shut. But again I don't work in a commercial environment so it's a bit different.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 01-31-2006 07:59 PM                     quote: Gary Davidson Do you go half-off when rolling stock hits the screen, or just trailers? Screw rolling stock and all ads! Lights stay FULL UP during that crap.  |  IP: Logged Dan Lyons Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 698 From: Seal Beach, CA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 01-31-2006 08:29 PM                     No trailers or ads. ever. Dim houselights,sconces, and curtain spotlights - completely off by the time the logo hits and curtain opens. Wall neon turned off after studio logo fades out when curtains are fully open. At credits, sconces brought up to full, wall neon on, house lights to half. For roadshow films, I follow the the guidelines from The American Widescreen Museum  |  IP: Logged Anslem Rayburn Master Film Handler Posts: 476 From: Yuma, AZ, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 01-31-2006 11:57 PM                     quote: John Koutsoumis Never been in a auditorium with half lights where you couldn't see clearly. No offense but maybe 99.9999999% of your patrons have bad eyesight. Probably, but my patrons are the only one I'm concerned with. They don't like the lighting down when exiting during the credits, they outnumber the credit watchers by 200 to 1, their request does no harm to anybody, they get their way.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-01-2006 04:09 AM                        A well designed auditorium should have lighting that even when the main house is at "show" level during the movie, isles and crossover rows, step lights, etc. should all be lit well enough that patrons can move about the theatre safely. This is done with a variety of long-proven lighting techniques such as well-aimed down lights on the isle areas, LED tubes in the isles and on the step edges, etc., none of which impact the screen. If this kind of proper lighting design is used, then even if no house lights are brought up during the credits, people should still be able to exit the room without any trip-and-fall issues (primary concern of the insurance companies and how sleezeball lawyers get their own home theatres). Ideally, where houselights are brought up during credits, they should only be raised to a glow (and very gradually as John said) and never so high as to negatively impact image contrast. In addition, well designed house lights should be well focused so that they do not directly shine on the screen. In lesser designed houses, patron safety should be the primary concern, and next a protocol of lighting changes before and after the show that interfers least with the screen contrast.  |  IP: Logged John Koutsoumis Master Film Handler Posts: 261 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Registered: Aug 2003 posted 02-01-2006 08:08 AM                     Keep in mind that your eyes adjust to the darkness of the Auditorium by the time the films over, but since most end credits are black your eyes then adjust to that resulting in not seeing very well ahead of you, well I think that's how it works. Hence some people having a hard time removing themselves. Just keep those damn cleaners lights off till everyone has exited. I've had them turned on me a few times and one time the cleaners laughed and ran away, after turning them back off. I saw one of them after in the lobby and was going to suggest to him that he should change the name on his name tag to "dickhead" but I just kept walking and have not been back there.  |  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.