Cinema Technology Magazine - December 2007 by Cinema Technology Magazine

Vol 20 • No 4 • December 2007

B•K•S•T•S The Moving Image Society

Training for projectionists David Lean Foundation sponsored courses

Adventures in Oslo

Norwegian Film Institute refurbishment

Electric Palace reborn Profile of Bridport’s classic cinema

Digital projection supplement Visit to e-cinema manufacturers projectiondesign

The leading specialist publication for cinema industry professionals

Bell Theatre Services THE UK’s Leading Supplier and Installer of Digital And Film Projection Equipment.

DIGITAL PROJECTION:

FILM PROJECTION:

Recent Digital Premieres:

Recent Installations:

Fred Clause Music And Lyrics Pirates of the Caribbean

Cineworld Didcot The Empire Leicester Square Sound System The Soho Screening Room Vue @ The O2 Greenwich

Our Equipment Includes: Barco DP90 and DP100 NEC iS-8/Nc800 NEC NC2500 NEC1600

Digital Installations Include: Odeon Southampton Odeon Blackpool Odeon Braehead Vue@The O2 Greenwich (3 Screens) Framestore CFC Empire High Wycombe (All Digital) Odeon Hatfield (All Digital) Odeon Leicester Square Columbia Pictures Preview Theatre 20th Century Fox Preview Theatre

Dailies Equipment Rental: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Inkheart ; Sweeny Todd Golden Compass Bourne Ultimatum Blood Diamond 10,000BC and Casino Royale

The UK’s largest stocks of Spare Parts, Consumables and Xenon Lamps All major manufacturers represented and supported,with same day despatch.

9 B Chester Road, Borehamwood, Herts. WD6 1LT T: 020-8238-6000 F: 020-8238-6060 E: sales@bell-theatre.com W: www.bell-theatre.com

cinema technology

BKSTS THE MOVING IMAGE SOCIETY The Society exists to encourage, sustain, educate, train and provide a focus for all those who are creatively or technologically involved in the business of providing moving images and associated sound in any form and through any media. The BKSTS works to maintain standards and to encourage the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of moving image and associated sound technology, in the UK and throughout the world.

contents Volume 20 • Number 4

December 2007

The Society is independent of all governments and commercial organisations.

SPONSOR MEMBERS DIAMOND Odeon Cinemas

GOLD

Newsreel

David Lean Foundation training courses for projectionists 10

Autodesk• ITN • Kodak Limited • Pinewood Group

A message from BKSTS President Roland Brown

SILVER

Adventures in Oslo - the Norwegian Film Institute

Bridport’s Electric Palace reborn

Christmas Quiz

The Karlsruhe, Germany Todd-AO 70mm Festival

Annual Publications Index

Avid Technology Europe • Deluxe London • Digital Theater Systems Dolby Laboratories • Filmlight • Hyperactive • Lee Filters • Lee Lighting Shooting Partners Ltd • Slater Electronic Services Soho Images • Technicolor • Vantis

BRONZE Aardman Animations • Arri (GB) Ltd • Barco plc • Desisti Lighting UK Ltd Electrosonic Ltd • Film Distributors Association Film & Photo Ltd • Framestore CFC Harkness Screens • Moving Picture Company • Panasonic Broadcast Europe Quantel Ltd • RTI (UK) Ltd • UGC Cinemas

DIGITAL PROJECTION SUPPLEMENT

SOCIETY SUPPORTERS

Digital newsreel

Digital cinema - the next generation

Vue’s first UK/European all digital cinema

Projectiondesign lead the way in e-cinema

Screens for 3D cinema

Meet the chief

Notes from a movie engineer’s diary

Prrojectionists’ profile - Loïc Ledez

Diary of a projectionist

Views expressed in this journal are not necessarily the views of the Society. © BKSTS - The Moving Image Society

The adventures of George the projectionist

Publisher

Obituary - John Pytlak

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Bucks SL0 0NH, UK e: info@bksts.com www.bksts.com

Obituary - Mervyn George Howell

Editorial

Feedback

17 Winterslow Road, Porton, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 0LW, UK T: +44 (0) 1980 610544 F: +44 (0) 1980 590611 e: editor@bksts.com

Home cinema

Association of Motion Picture Sound • British Film Institute British Society of Cinematographers • British Universities Film & Video Council Cinema Exhibitors Association • Cooke Optics • CST • Focal International • SMPTE Skillset • Society of Television Lighting Directors • UK Film Council The Society gratefully acknowledges the support of the above Companies and Organisations. Enquiries regarding Sponsor Membership of the BKSTS should be addressed to: Roland brown, President BKSTS - Moving Image Society, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Bucks SL0 0NH, UK e: info@bksts.com www.bksts.com

CINEMA TECHNOLOGY Cinema Technology - ISSN 0995-2251 - is published quarterly by the BKSTS - The Moving Image Society. It is mailed to all members of the BKSTS and is also distributed to the major cinema chains and independents to reach virtually every cinema in the UK and many in Europe and worldwide. It has a circulation of about 4000, in 55 countries around the world, achieving an estimated readership of 13,000.

BKSTS - The Moving Image Society

Jim Slater, Managing Editor

Advertising / Design / Production Bob Cavanagh

Caixa Postal 2011, Vale da Telha, 8670-156 Aljezur, Portugal T: 00351 282 997 050 M: 00351 962 415 172 e: bobcavh113@yahoo.co.uk

Subscriptions

Cinema Technology is mailed free of charge to all BKSTS Members. Please contact the BKSTS for subscription payment details or further information.

cinema technology - december 2007

On the cover: Memories of Amsterdam and Cinema Expo 2007 - the spectacular Beowulf promotional set caused quite a stir when it provided the setting for a trade show luncheon. Over the top? ... not according to the rave reviews the film received on its November launch. See story page 37

page 3

newsreel

TRIUMPH FOR KINORAMA PROJECTION TEAM AS KINOTON SCREEN NAPOLEON EPIC WITH FIVE PROJECTORS AT COLISEUM

After reading Billy Bell’s description in the last issue of Cinema Technology of how the restored Able Gance movie ‘Napoléon’ had been shown at the London Film Festival in 1980, it was a pleasing coincidence to discover that the Colosseum in Rome recently provided a spectacular setting for the French epic silent movie. The demanding screening of Abel Gance’s 1927 masterpiece was the highlight of the 30th Estate Romana annual cultural event. 210 years after being invaded by Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops, Rome was once again conquered by the great Corsican. Backed by the Orchestra di Roma e del Lazio performing the live film music written by Carmine Coppola, the filmic story of the rise of Napoleon I of France mesmerised a vast audience. The 3,000 seats of the open air cinema were nowhere near enough for the heavy rush of people – in fact, about 8,000 cineasts flocked to the place, acknowledging the filmic event with lots of applause. Napoléon is one of the most innovative works of the French pioneering filmmaker Abel Gance (1889 – 1981). The monumental cinematographic opus includes several hand toned scenes as well

page 4

as a triple side-by-side projection of the final reel presenting a staggering battlefield panorama. Abel Gance had called this procedure Polyvision, anticipating subsequent panoramic film formats such as Cinerama or Cinemascope. The original movie was restored by the film historian Kevin Brownlow in 1980, providing the material for Francis Ford Coppola’s 1981 reedited version which was used at the Colosseum. The challenging projection was carried out by Kinoroma, a partner of Kinoton GmbH. Kinoroma used two Kinoton FP 30 E film projectors for the first 12 reels and a further three FP 25 E film projectors for the final triptych scenes presented in a 33 m wide frame-accurate parallel projection of three adjacent pictures 11 m x 8.5 m each. The screening was carried out entirely by hand without any automation. The Kinoroma projectionists had to stay highly concentrated throughout more than four hours of screening to assure a precise change-over presentation of all 12 reels and the 17 minutes of three-reel parallel projection. www.kinoton.com

cinema technology - december 2007

Whether Film or Digital,...

Our film projection systems have been on the forefront of technology for more than fifty years, and we are constantly making sure they will stay there in the future. And our Digital Cinema Projectors have been especially designed for cinema requirements, guaranteeing extraordinarily bright and stable pictures. So count on us, whether for classic film or digital projection – and you’ll see the difference!

Industriestrasse 20a 82110 Germering / Germany Phone +49 (0) 89 / 89 44 46-0 Fax +49 (0) 89 / 8 40 20 02 E-mail: welcome@kinoton.de Internet: www.kinoton.com

The DLP Cinema® components of our DCP Digital Cinema Projectors are supplied by Barco. DLP Cinema is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments.

DCP 70 Digital Cinema Projector and FP 50 D Film Projector

...your audience expects – and deserves! – the best in picture and sound. The safest way to insure this superb projection quality is to rely on the best in cinema equipment.

newsreel

WHICH? AT THE CINEMA - SEEING OURSELVES AS OTHERS SEE US...... A new Which? study has found that cinema-goers prefer smaller independent cinemas to big chains, such as Odeon or Vue. The research took a look at cinemas across the UK and found that while the bigger chains have high picture quality and comfortable seating, they lacked in the range of films and the personal touch that independent cinemas have. The research also found that ticket prices across the UK can cost anywhere between £3.50 and over £12. These price differences are present within regions as well, tickets vary by over £2 in Manchester, £2.50 in Cardiff and £4 in London. A Which? Inspector visited 25 cinemas in July/August 2007, five in each of the following British cities – Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Birmingham and Manchester. In each location, they chose examples from the three major chains plus some from smaller chains and independents, assessing them for cleanliness, comfort, cost and accessibility. In general, Picturehouse cinemas were the inspectors’ favourites. Which? also analysed the range of films being shown and the food and drinks on sale. The report looked at prices in towns in various regions around the five cities and in Belfast. In addition, in June 2007, 864 Which? Online panel members completed a survey to tell about their recent experiences of going to the cinema. Many members showed a clear preference for the independent cinemas. For full details and how to buy the report look at www.which.co.uk There is currently a free 30 day trial offer for £1.

page 6

WATCHING ON WATER - THE FOGSCREEN

I was interested to read about the FogScreen™ projection screen which produces a thin curtain of “dry” fog that serves as a translucent projection screen, displaying images that literally float in the air. The resulting displays are being used at product launches, trade shows, restaurants, nightclubs, museums, casinos and other venues, but not yet in cinemas. The basic idea is simple - using nothing more than tap water and ultrasonic waves, FogScreen pro-

jection screen machines employ a patented technology to create a smooth foggy airflow that captures images just like a screen. You can walk right through a FogScreen projection screen without getting wet. The microscopic fog droplets actually feel dry to the touch, just like air. Anything you can see on a projection screen or computer can now float in the air. Otherwise it’s like any ordinary projection screen, and installation is simple – as the manufacturer says “Just replace your conventional screen with FogScreen projection screen.” It works with still pictures, moving images and lasers, and with two projectors, different images can be shown on both sides of the screen. The FogScreen projection screen is available in two models, the largest providing a screen size of 2 metres (79”) wide by 1.5 meters (59”) high, but units of the smaller 1 metre (39”) wide unit can be linked to form a seamless projection screen of any width, almost without limit. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that CT

had reported on a waterscreen before, and it turned out that in ‘Wet Screens in China’ in September 2000, Cinema Technology Committee member Nigel Shore’s NSS Imagineering company had described how he used two Cinemeccanica Vic8s (water-cooled as it happened!) to project movie images onto a huge semi-circular fan-shaped wall of moving water with a radius of about 17 metres. Nigel described the water screen (pictured below) as coming from a high-pressure water main, so it was obviously on a very different scale to the FogScreen, and you certainly couldn’t walk through the Chinese screen without getting wet!

cinema technology - december 2007

newsreel

SECURITY 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

TWO TYPICAL PRINT LABELLING SYSTEMS

TITLE Title followed by year indicates re-make

Print checking starts before the cans are opened EDGE LUBRICATION Wound roll wiped with cloth that has been sprayed with furniture wax

TOTAL REEL TALLY Verifies total number of reels in the print

ASPECT RATIO SCOPE 1:2.39 FLAT 1:1.85, 1:1.66, 1:1.38

PRINT COPY NUMBER Can include territory data

Magenta Dye Layer

Cyan Dye Layer

Yellow Dye Layer

SOUND FORMAT Dolby A, Dolby SR, Dolby SR•D, Dolby SR•D•EX, DTS, DTS-ES, Mono, SDDS, SDDS 8-Channel

Flat 1⁄4 ins

A Lightbox or illuminated panel is recommended for print examination

Lubricates, reduces shedding, removes any extraneous dirt

RECOGNISING & PREVENTING FILM DAMAGE 30ft x

COLOUR PRINT FILM STRUCTURE (SIMPLIFIED)

Scope 1⁄2 ins

Anti-Static Layer

REEL SHAFT & BORE SIZES Shaft / Bore Size 1⁄2 inch 3/8 inch 9mm

Drive Method Pin Pin Pin

5/16 inch

Square Shaft

35mm Sepmag: Assistant Editor makes sync marks on film and mag stock Long horizontal lines allow for easy location of marks Punched hole may additionally be used

Carrier

Dia.

c.15 ins

Plastic / Metal Cans; Plastic / Cardboard / Fibre / Metal Box

c.15 ins

Plastic / Metal Transit Cases

Reels

SMPTE Universal Leader 35mm Optical: Academy Leader has diamond mark 20 frames preceding each number to permit accurate synchronisation 1

1:2.39 (Upper) SDDS S-track

1:1.66* (Upper)

1:1.85 (Lower)

Emulsion has a raised profile and matt surface, whilst the base is flat and glossy

STEREO OPTICAL (Stereo Variable Area – SVA) Sound records differ, especially in passages with music and / or effects

MONO SDDS P-track

SPLICING TAPE

Pre-perforated tape - tab Used on splicers originally designed for cement joining

Non-perforated tape – roll To suit different film gauges and applications Should be sufficiently strong, and not tear or leave residue when removed

STORAGE & ARCHIVING Film editing equipment remains in use for print checking and conforming

“Digital silence” data blocks prevent reversion to analogue

BUTT JOIN For single performance or workprint Also required for 70mm

PERFORATION PITCH Splices will jump in projector gate when perforation pitch across the join is either too short or too long; particularly evident with incorrectly set adjustable splicers

IDEAL BLANK SPACING

TYPES OF SPLICE

A well-made splice should curve smoothly when flexed (1), and not “jacknife” (2) or be too rigid (3)

2 3

Pre-perforated tape - roll

Tail leader on trailers and short films should be cut at the first visible frameline after the last credit, etc. (1) Framelines on Leaders may often be fainter than normal and should be carefully looked for using a lightbox (2) If there are no framelines a frame counter should be used, or if a longer run-out is desired the film should be cut one frame in advance of the ‘Finish’ frame on the leader (3) Care should be taken not to inadvertently include areas of varying print density in the lengths of leader that appear black; a lightbox is essential to prevent this occurring (4) Short guide marks made every four perforations on the non-soundtrack side of the film prevent incorrect out-of-frame cuts where there are no framelines, and serve to assist the next Projectionist (5)

TAIL

SPLICING A single-sided splice when returning prints makes leaders easy to remove at the next venue and greatly reduces damage around splices

1000 2000 3000

Colour stock for true black image (B/W is grey) Mylar spacing (leader) on head of platter rolls or tower reels performs mechanical task of relieving start-up tension and indicates soundtrack position for threading Mylar should also be used on acetate prints CEMENT SPLICER Includes scraper blade for removing emulsion and binder. “Hot Splicer” has heated platen to reduce drying time of solvent

SPLICE MARKING

Cement splices now used for specialised joining of acetate print material

50 mins 100 mins 150 mins

1000 2000 4000 6000 14000

11 mins 7 secs 22 mins 13 secs 44 mins 27 secs 66 mins 40 secs 155 mins 33 secs

70mm 5/70 1121⁄2ft/min @ 24fps

1000 2000 4000 6000 14000

8 mins 53 secs 17 mins 47 secs 35 mins 33 secs 53 mins 20 secs 124 mins 27 secs

FT 1000 2000 4000 6000 14000

70mm 15/70 IMAX 336ft/min @ 24fps 2 mins 59 secs 5 mins 57 secs 11 mins 54 secs 17 mins 51 secs 41 mins 40 secs

Tail section marked whilst on core

Relative Humidity (%) 55 +/- 5

3 INCH DIA.

Photos courtesy: Avcom Ltd. Christie Digital Systems, Inc. CIR srl. Goldberg Brothers, Inc.

35mm to 2000ft (preferred) 16mm to 1000ft 70mm

d Ed

ges

ACETATE

Line ABRASIONS Intermittent

” CU

E MA

S RK

Full Width CROSS-SCRATCHING Partial

EOM “H ES AM FR nuity G IN Conti SS MI ss of Lo

4 INCH DIA.

35mm to 2000ft (preferred) 16mm to 2000ft

red

ded

Magenta

Cri

ges

rfs Pe rks ken Ma Bro Teeth h wit

ing

Cyan

ckl

rfs

EMULSION ABRASION 1

POLYESTER

Yellow

1 Magenta layer removed leaves Cyan + Yellow = Green 2 Magenta + Cyan layers removed leaves Yellow 3 All three layers removed leaves transparent Base Film may also be damaged by oil and adhesive deposits Automation cues should be applied to a layer of splicing tape for later residue-free removal

EMBOSSING – Excessive heat energy expands picture area

Abrasions are caused by obstructions in the film path, sticking rollers on the projector and / or platter, tension on loose film windings (cinch marking) and misaligned parts Rollers can be marked with a small white dot to easily check rotation, and regular checks of the film path, careful handling and threading as well as a clean environment ensure no damage occurs

SPOKING Occurs when film with Curl is wound with low tension

S-BENDS – Kinked film layers occur when loose film roll is tightened

TRAINING

PLATTER ROLL IDENTIFICATION Outer winding carries taped label providing identification for prepared roll: TITLE ASPECT RATIO SOUND FORMAT(S) COPY NO. DISTRIBUTOR

The BKSTS is active in providing Training for Projectionists (www.bkstsctc.org)

FEED & TAKEUP

FILM PREPARATION FRAME COUNTER

UNDERSLUNG REELS In conventional 35mm practice soundtrack is always towards the Projectionist when projector is being threaded

FILM CLEANING MEDIA CLEANER Uses disposable cloth pads in roll form

PLATTER COVER Prevents dust settling on prints overnight

Mounted on Projector Low position for safer handling

ENDLESS LOOP PLATTER

Can display footage or footage / frames Indexes frameline for accurate splicing

It publishes the Projectionists’ Manual and the Current Film Formats Handbook, and a large range of Technical Wallcharts

SPECIALISED PRINT HANDLING Older, acetate base prints require careful attention to equipment tensions Polyester or mylar base leaders should always be used on the Head of acetate prints Great care should be taken using hand or motorised rewinders, or platter make-up tables

Can be used to apply commercial cleaners and lubricants such as Film Guard

TOWER Single- or double-sided

SPECIALISED ASPECT RATIOS PARTICLE TRANSFER ROLLERS (PTRs)

DTS-70 1:2.39 FORMAT

MOTORISED REWINDER 1 Continuous presentation of non-feature length material can also be achieved through the use of Loop Cabinets similar to those used in Laboratories

Placing reels on lower tower spindle tails out, then rewinding, avoids having to lift reels to upper spindle

CARLSSON SYSTEM Moves platter rolls between auditoria safely using special film cassette (1) and lift mechanism

Heavy 35mm long-play reels and 70mm reels should be lifted by two persons or by chain hoist, etc.

GOLDBERG PLATTER REEL Allows print transfer from platter to rewinder and vice versa, and from screen to screen, or between cinemas. 35mm and 70mm versions

Omnex Pro Film Ltd. Imaging Philip Rigby & Sons Ltd. Sound Associates Ltd. Kinetronics Europe GmbH Steenbeck BV Kinoton GmbH NFPPI

Jack Roe (CS) Ltd. Kodak Entertainment

she

RAISED EDGES Caused by unevenly wound film reel

CORRECT ENVIRONMENT Spotlessly clean, controlled projection room environment essential Positive air pressure in room suppresses airborne contaminants

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ANTI-STATIC FLOOR COVERING

(1) IMAX PLATTER With Offset Plates

Three, four or five Plates Dia. 42in / 44in / 48in / 52in / 55in Various centre ring diameters 35mm / 70mm / IMAX versions (1)

Sponsored by Bell Theatre Services Ltd. Kodak Entertainment Imaging Steenbeck BV

35mm to 300ft max 16mm to 500ft 8mm All Cores 1 Inch Bore with Keyway

Bypass lacing of projector from platter keeps film away from floor and free from dirt contamination when threading

FILM-TECH PLATTER SAFETY RING Prevents thrown prints

With spooling plates, keeper arms, tension roller and interchangeable shafts or adaptors 16mm / 35mm / 70mm

Polyurethane low-energy rollers lift dirt particles off film surface Rollers easily removable for routine washing

Utilises frame area on the left and right formerly occupied by magnetic tracks Requires appropriate aperture plate. Standard ratio for 70mm is 1:2.21

Endless loop units have also been developed for other gauges

1:1.19 (Upper) IDEAL CLEANER DEPLOYMENT

MAKE-UP / BREAK-DOWN TABLES Vertical & Horizontal

TER-TO - HU ME

REEL

2 INCH DIA.

FILM CORES

Specially-marked proprietary splicing tapes also available

ked

Negative curl (-): Emulsion softens due to high humidity

COMPRESSED AIR SUPPLY

Outer winding should be of blank opaque spacing, of 20-30ft in length, to allow for satisfactory end of show and to prevent damage to outgoing frames as tail leaves platter

SPLIT REELS Wire type 16mm / 35mm / 70mm

Chinagraph Heated panel prevents flaking

Narrow opaque tape Typically 2 perforations in length Applied on non-soundtrack edge

lit

3:1 Preferred FILM SECURING METHODS Onto cores or reels via slots provided Outer winding secured with camera tape with tabbed end for easy removal and prevention of residue / dirt buildup Small rolls secured with elastic bands

Uses ionisation to reduce static attraction between film surface and dust particles, facilitating their removal via gentle brushing and/or vacuum action FLOATING HUB REELS Hub moves independently of reel flanges at large capacities, greatly reducing torque and easing starting tension

Edited by Tony Iles FBKS Compiled by Brian Guckian MBKS Dedicated to John P Pytlak MBKS 1948 - 2007

Prints should be made-up using 6000ft reels on a rewind bench prior to loading onto a platter or tower system, to permit inspection and good handling (likewise when breaking down) Care should be taken when handling Leaders

PTRs or Media Cleaner

Electrostatic Cleaner

1. Removes embedded dirt 2. Removes lighter material shed in projector gate

Film handling equipment used with magnetic soundtracks (70mm 6-track, 35mm 4-track etc.) should be regularly degaussed to prevent damage to magnetic tracks. Magnetic soundtrack prints must be kept well way from equipment while degaussing is taking place, and kept away at all times from magnetic fields such as generated by motors and transformers, from magnetisable tools and accessories, and from magnets and magnetic materials

With thanks to: Dion Hanson FBKS & BKSTS Cinema Technology Committee Grant Lobban FBKS Eric Bastin FBKS Mike Taylor MBKS Paul Rayton

1:1.33 (Lower)

FOX MOVIETONE (Early sound-era ratio) Silent frame cropped horizontally via addition of optical soundtrack*

Temperature 21˚ C Maximum (70˚ F)

Cru

Nic

Positive curl (+) : Emulsion shrinks due to low humidity

TI O RA

Relative Humidity (%) 20-30 20-50 20-30 20-50

Recommended Working Conditions for Film Prints

Nic

EMULSION

–

Film Type Temperature Colour on polyester base 10˚ C (50˚ F) ** B&W on polyester base 25˚ C Maximum (77˚ F) * Colour on cellulose acetate base 10˚ C (50˚ F) ** B&W on cellulose acetate base 25˚ C Maximum (77˚ F) * * Storage at less than 20˚ C (68˚ F) preferred ** For short-term storage 21˚ C (70˚ F) at 40-50% RH is adequate

ELECTROSTATIC CLEANER

TAPE SPLICER Perforates tape with punch and die Adjustable guillotine for accurate film cutting 8mm / 9.5mm / 16mm / 35mm / 70mm versions Additional diagonal guillotine used for 16mm & 35mm magnetic sound film for inaudible splices

Recommended Storage Conditions for Film Prints

CURL

BASE

n Pe

Cross-section through width of film

PLATTER

Std 16mm / S-16mm 36ft/min @ 24fps 27 mins 47 secs 55 mins 33 secs 111 mins 7 secs 166 mins 40 secs

Special needle point correction fluid. For use on join only Perforated steel can with absorbent liner for optimal long-term storage

Caused by changes in moisture content of emulsion relative to base

55 mins 33 secs 111 mins 7 secs 166 mins 40 secs

35mm 90ft/min @ 24fps

LABORATORY STOCK JOIN Print stock join Often lies in picture area Usually ultrasonic

1 15 microns dia. 2 7 microns width 2

FILTERED AIR SUPPLY

Super 8mm 20ft/min @ 24fps

CinemaScope frame lines - invisible on screen for Flat and ‘Scope ratios

IMPACT ON THE AUDIENCE Magnification of dirt particle and line scratch on 30ft screen

Std 8mm 18ft/min @ 24fps

1000 2000 4000 6000

HEAD / TAIL SPLICE One frame left on Head and Tail Leader for identification Offset cut to permit overlap join between reels

nof

FILM HANDLING EQUIPMENT FOOTAGE AND RUNNING TIME Determines equipment capacities

1000 2000 3000

OVERLAP JOIN Multiple performances Narrow overlap (c.0.75mm) adds strength and mutes join in analogue soundtrack

4.750mm +/- 0.010mm 0.1870in +/- 0.0004in

BASE & LIGHT EMULSION ABRASIONS APPEAR BLACK HEAD

CYAN DYE TRACK Read with Visible Light (Red) Cannot be played on soundheads using tungsten halogen (exciter lamp) lightsource

HI-MAGENTA TRACK Interim format designed for both tungsten halogen and red LED light sources. Appears identical to traditional variable area track on colour stock, except for Magenta edges

DOLBY SR / DOLBY A Analogue photographic sound record

Except in the case of reversal film, the emulsion faces the projector lamp

(5)

CHANGEOVER CUES (SMPTE STANDARD)

Changeover Cues: First cue (Motor Cue) is placed commencing 198 frames (12ft 6fr) from the tail and is 4 frames in duration Second cue (Changeover Cue) is placed commencing 22 frames (1ft 6fr) from the tail and is 4 frames in duration The interval between the end of the Changeover Cue and the tail leader is 18 frames (1ft 2fr)

Film Type All

1:1.38** (Lower)

MONO OPTICAL (Variable Area) Sound records are identical

Data Blocks DTS / DTS-ES Optical timecode

Do.; can also be Variable Density type

16mm: Emulsion faces the observer when the film is heads up and the perforations are on the left 8mm (Reversal): Emulsion is away from the observer when the film is heads up and the perforations are on the left

VISUAL CHECK OF SOUND FORMATS

DOLBY DIGITAL SR•D / SR•D•EX

Counts in seconds; alters cueing in changeover operation In all cases the First Frame of Picture follows frame 47 of the blank section of leader as counted from ‘3’ on the Academy Leader or ‘2’ on the SMPTE Leader. One frame left on feature print Head and Tail leaders aids correct identification / matching when breaking-down

Tail Leader

A number in the picture gate with its corresponding diamond mark against the soundhead scanning point will ensure correct synchronisation (1) - Very large auditoria require non-standard picture and sound separation

70mm: Emulsion faces the observer when the film is heads up and the frame index holes are on the right

** Some 1:1.85 prints are masked as 1:1.38 for video transfer purposes. Care must be taken with framing these prints in projection to avoid microphones in shot, etc. 1:1.38 ratio often referred to as 1:1.37

Counts in feet (16 frames per ft 35mm)

Plastic / Metal Transit Cases

Cores Reels

EMULSION AND BASE ORIENTATION PRINT FILM 35mm: Emulsion faces the observer when film is heads up and the soundtrack is on the left

* The difference in frame area between 1:1.66 and 1:1.85 aspect ratios can be difficult to see from visual inspection of the film. If in doubt, a reel should always be screened

Occurs when new film is wound loose, emulsion-in, under dry air conditions

Tor

COVING

VISUAL CHECK OF ASPECT RATIOS

HEAD & TAIL LEADER CUTTING POINTS

Enclosure

c.24 ins

2000ft ( 1000ft ‘Singles’ still used in some territories ) 2000ft

6000ft

Any film damage discovered during examination should be advised to the Distributor. Many cinemas draw up Print Reports for this purpose

TWIST

A single print can be run over two thousand times without visible degradation

Film damage is easily avoided through training, correct equipment specification, alignment and maintenance, and good operational procedures

OTHER TYPES OF FILM DAMAGE

Scope 2 1⁄2 ins width

WASHABLE REWIND BENCH

As well as assessment, print examination also involves removal of any laboratory stock joins, and if the print has been previously run, automation cues

Academy Leader & Variants

SHIPPING FORMATS

Wound Length

Recommended manual inspection method using lint-free glove

MAKE-UP & BREAK-DOWN

LEADER SYNCHRONISATION MARKS

Application 35mm / 70mm 35mm 35mm 35mm Preview & Dubbing / 16mm 16mm

Pin / Keyway

5/16 inch

Information is also printed on Head and Tail Leaders

ANTI-PIRACY MARKING COPYRIGHT NOTICE Indicates print is marked with Legal notice of Copyright Refers to International Agreements CAP coding or other form of anti-piracy mark

Demonstrating correct way of holding the film for removal from the can and replacement All wound rolls will slacken during storage

12ft 6ins

Flat ø 1 1⁄4 ins

WASHABLE PAINT FINISH

Alternatively, some cinemas apply commercial products such as Film Guard

FLATBED EDITING MACHINE Steenbeck

VUE EXPANDS - TWO MORE NEW SITES

PRINT EXAMINATION

All print deliveries / collections via secure courier only Print movement instructions in writing via email or fax Personnel collecting prints must provide ID Keep prints in secure areas (locked rooms) at all times Maintain Print Movement Log (Date In / Date Out, etc.) Ring dispatch if print is not delivered or collected on time Prints should not be kept at cinemas when run is over Projection Rooms kept locked at all times No unauthorised personnel Be alert to suspicious behaviour CAP Code on prints locates individual cinemas

BASE POLYESTER

1. Correct title? 2. Correct no. of reels? 3. Correct reels?

LANGUAGE

ACADEMY SILENT Full Aperture

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION BARCODE Machine-readable data for dispatch and print tracking use

EMULSION

Invitations will be sent out early in December - if you don’t receive yours and would like to come contact Chairman Dion Hanson - dionhanson@btinternet.com Party kindly sponsored by Bell Theatre Services Projection Team of the Year award sponsored by Dolby Labs

FILM HANDLING FOR THE PROJECTIONIST PRINT CHECKING

DYE-COUPLED SILVER HALIDE GRAINS IN GELATIN SUBSTRATE

The Cinema Technology Committee Christmas Party will be at the Odeon Leicester Square on Monday 17th December 12 noon - 4pm, including the presentation of the PROJECTION TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD to the team from The Apollo, Redditch and the FRANK LITTLEJOHNS award for an outstanding contribution to the art and craft of Cinema Projection to Michael Weinert from the Odeon Kensington.

NEW BKSTS WALLCHART DEDICATED TO JOHN PYTLAK OF KODAK

Platter or Tower

PROJECTIONISTS CHRISTMAS PARTY

BFI IMAX Cineworld Cinemas www.film-tech.com Jack Roe (CS) Ltd. Warner Bros. Entertainment UK

* Not to be confused with 1:1.38 (Academy Sound) ratio

Published by BKSTS – The Moving Image Society © 2007 Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire SL0 0NH, UK www.bksts.com info@bksts.com Designed by: Janto McMullin – Blueprint Reprographics Printed in England by: Graphic Techniques Ltd.

Bell Theatre, Kodak and Steenbeck make film handling wallchart possible

Vue Entertainment has invested £6.5million in two new multiplex cinemas in Kent and Scotland. The £4m development at Westwood Cross in Thanet and the £2.5m complex at Forthside in Stirling boast impressive selections of the most up-to-date facilities and advanced concepts that signal the future for cinema. The new cinemas will feature the latest concept in auditorium design called ‘Evolution’ which has already been successfully trialled at one of Vue’s other cinemas - Cinema Technology reported on the Vue Thurrock site recently. In Evolution, customers can choose from enormous beanbags, two- or four-seater sofa pods for couples or families and individual premium seats, creating a unique environment in which to enjoy an outstanding leisure experience. The Evolution concept promises to continue to progress and evolve to meet the needs and expectations of both its customers and the leisure industry. At a time when a lot of competitors are concentrating on existing sites, Vue are expanding their portfolio, delivering the Vue experience to more and more people, providing new, multi screen, all stadium seated multiplexes, with luxury seating, extra stretch leg room and large wall-towall, floor-to-ceiling screens. The state-of-the-art auditoriums provide the ultimate cinema experience, enhanced by the most progressive projection and Dolby Digital Surround Sound technology. The inclusion of 2K digital projectors for some screens will enable a wider range of movies to be shown with the highest possible viewing quality, and satellite links are also planned to enable Vue to continue to pioneer its unique screenings of live music, comedy and sporting events. The Thanet multiplex will also benefit from ‘Vue Superior Seating’, Club-class style leather seats forming two or three expertly placed rows in each auditorium to provide the best seats in the house. A reserved seating option will also be available at the cinemas, allowing customers to choose their seats when they book their tickets. Once at the cinema, the customer experience is further enhanced by extensive foyers with licensed bars, cafes with comfortable seating areas and comprehensive facilities for disabled customers. cinema technology - december 2007

Brian Guckian (right), who led the team involved in creating a new BKSTS wallchart which will be of special interest to projectionists, writes: “This new addition to the Society’s range of educational Wallcharts - ‘Film Handling for the Projectionist’ - is intended to complement information already available via the Projectionists’ Manual and Handbook, and we hope it will be a very useful guide to Projectionists, whatever their skill level and working environment. It will also be followed by a companion chart on D-Cinema, so that together, both charts should provide a comprehensive overview of best practice in Cinema Presentation today. I would like to thank Tony Iles for being the inspiration for the chart and for his patient and dedicated editorial work thoughout the design process. I also wish to thank Dion Hanson and the Cinema Technology Committee for their valuable input and assistance, and to the other contributors who gave of their time and experience to ensure the chart could be as accurate and comprehensive as possible. I further would like to thank the many companies who supplied photographs, often to demanding requirements. The chart follows the pioneering work of Grant Lobban and we are very happy that he approved of it. It is also dedicated to the late John Pytlak of Eastman Kodak in the US,

who was a member of the Society and a marvellous inspiration to Projectionists and Filmmakers worldwide for his commitment to what he always referred to as “Film Done Right”. Not least, I wish to sincerely thank the chart Sponsors, Bell Theatre Services Ltd., Kodak Entertainment Imaging and Steenbeck BV for their generosity and recognition of the value that training and education makes to the Industry, and without whose support this initiative would not have been possible.” The official launch of the new chart will be at the Cinema Technology Comittee Christmas Party at the Odeon, Leicester Square, on Monday 17th December from 12 noon - details at the top of this page. Come along and see the new chart for yourself - Brian will be ready to take your orders, and there is no doubt that every projection room should have one!

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exhibition

THE END OF A CLASSIC - FINAL CURTAIN FALLS ON COSHAM’S CARLTON CINEMA Ben Wales writes ... The last remaining Cinema for Cosham to the north of Portsmouth in Hampshire closed for what may be for the final time on Thursday 1st November 2007. The Carlton, a luxurious Art Deco cinema of its time, was opened by Jack Buchanan on 28th February 1934 to a packed house of 1,000 patrons. During the Blitz in 1940 the Cinema took a direct hit by a German bomb killing 3 people and the Cinema remained shut for a year while major reconstruction took place. After the war the Carlton came under the control of Essoldo and was renamed Essoldo Cosham, later becoming part of the Classic Cinemas chain. In 1982 the cinema received its first major refit as two extra screens were created in the former Circle and new projection equipment was installed, including Westrex 7000 projectors with long play towers in all three screens. In 1990 the Cinema sustained major Roof damage and the interior was refitted following hurricane force winds. At this time the Cinema was under Cannon Cinemas control and then was renamed ABC Cosham and remained that even under Odeon Cinemas ownership, until it was sold to Reeltime Cinemas in 2001. The Cinema was given back its original name “Carlton” by Reeltime, but in May 2005 the Cinema closed due to falling admissions and the slowly declining state of the Building. However, the Cinema was reopened within weeks by Cineplex Cinemas and then taken over by Star Cinemas, owned by Mr M. Kahn from Portsmouth. With the ever increasing number of modern multiplex cinemas opening in the area and a further decline in admissions and the uncertain future of the building the operator gave notice that the Cinema would close on Thursday 1st November 2007 and the Cinema Fixtures & Fittings would be sold off. For what is most likely the Carlton’s last film and also marks the end for one of the last of the Classic Style Cinemas for Hampshire, the final special screening was the film “The Majestic” to an emotional night audience of 142

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people. After the final Cinema ticket was sold, the Carlton’s cinema Manager Mark Tehnsuko took to the stage with applause and cheers and gave a moving speech. “The cinema wouldn’t have survived as long as it has if it wasn’t for your patronage. I’ve been asked a lot over the past few days if this really the end, unfortunately it looks like it is, there is no Knight in Shining Armour to save it.” He went on to thank all the staff past and present that worked for the cinema, and a bouquet of flowers was presented to Rose Fradgley, an employee for 27 years. Various Classic Trailers were shown, and ending with “A Perfect Day” and then “The Majestic” opened in Screen One with the Curtains opening for the last time. As the final film Credits were shown Mark Tehnsuko shouted “Thank You & Good Night” and then made his way to the front of the Cinema to shake hands with departing filmgoers. Postscript: The other classic style Cinema for the Portsmouth area, the four-screen Odeon in North End, which opened in 1936, closed on Thursday 15th November 2007.

The North End Odeon and One of the Carlton’s dedicated Part Time Projectionists for 10 years, Paul Robinson ready to start for the last screening.

cinema technology - december 2007

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projectionist training

Jim Slater reports on the 2007 BKSTS David Lean Foundation Training Courses for Projectionists, which were arranged and presented by the BKSTS Cinema Technology Committee

Heard any good movies lately? Following on from last year’s courses, which had concentrated on helping projectionists to provide the best possible picture quality for their customers, Cinema Sound was the theme for this year’s training, and under the very appropriate banner ‘HEARD ANY GOOD MOVIES LATELY?’, groups of projectionists in Glasgow, Newcastle on Tyne, Birmingham and Swindon came together to hear a series of lectures on a wide range of topics related to cinema sound.

THE DAVID LEAN FOUNDATION The David Lean Foundation was established in 1997, and its trustees are Anthony Alan Reeves and James Gilbert Moore. The Foundation’s principal income is royalties in connection with four of the major films directed by Sir David Lean. Objectives of the David Lean Foundation are to promote and advance education and to cultivate and improve public taste in the visual arts by stimulating original and creative work in the field of film production and by encouraging and promoting high standards in the arts, sciences and techniques of film.

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During September and October the Odeon cinemas in Glasgow and at New Street Birmingham, and the Empire cinemas in Newcastle and Swindon were made available by their managements free of charge, in itself a very positive contribution to projectionist training, and an interesting mixture of projectionists from a wide range of venues, ranging from multiplexes to art-house and small independent cinemas, and even from outdoor ‘drive-in’ cinemas, came along and enjoyed the day. Some came in their own time, some were paid by their employers, but all were given free access to the courses thanks to a generous grant from the David Lean Foundation, without which it just wouldn’t have been possible to put on the courses. The numbers attending varied, with the Birmingham event bringing in a creditable 30 people, and 20 coming to Swindon, but it was disappointing that Glasgow and Newcastle couldn’t muster more than a dozen each. The Cinema Technology Committee is really keen to know what it must do to encourage more projectionists to attend its courses - the price couldn’t be cheaper, the feedback we have had suggests that those attending love what is put on for them and really appreciate the chance to talk to senior people in the industry as well as to socialise with their peers, but still only a handful of the many hundreds of projectionists who might benefit from such courses choose to attend. We advertise the courses in CT months in advance, film distributors have been kind enough to send out ‘flyers’ with their film cans and spares suppliers with their lamps and spare parts. The CTC would be grateful for advice from projectionists about how best to publicise future training courses.

I went to the Empire Swindon for the last of the 2007 courses, and was delighted to see that as well as the twenty projectionists, a significant number of Cinema Technology Committee Members, all attending in their own time and at their own expense, had come along to support the occasion, some as speakers, some as panel members. The pre-course coffee session was a very sociable affair, as were the other coffee breaks - whenever projectionists gather it is as though they all belong to some exclusive club, and they can’t wait to swap information about other projectionists that we all know - who has moved to where, and why, who has been promoted, who has retired? Susan Hanson, who earned Honorary Membership of the BKSTS some years ago for all the dedicated service she has given and continues to give to the Society, was handing out the refreshments, and those of us who know these things cinema technology - december 2007

projectionist training

appreciated that, in the absence of a BKSTS administrative office, she had been responsible for all the ‘admin’ behind the course, everything from booking in the delegates to preparing the certificates that they were to receive at the end of the course - and she manages to keep Dion in order, too, although with varying degrees of success! Dion Hanson (pictured above) welcomed the delegates to Screen 6 (there are twelve screens at the Swindon Empire, ranging from 94 to 329 seats, with a mixture of Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby SR sound systems) and explained about the David Lean Foundation that had sponsored the training course, saying that Sir David Lean was one of the people in the film making business who really understood the importance of the projectionist. He had described the projectionist as the last link in the film-making chain - all the production effort that had gone before could be ruined if the film wasn’t shown on the screen to its best advantage. Dion began his presentation with an illustrated potted history of film sound, claiming ‘three centuries of 35mm film’, since it had started in the 1800s, continued through the 1900s, and into the 2000s. He showed a good many historical pictures, including one showing Lauste’s projector (above centre) which had separate lamphouses to illuminate the sound part of a film and the picture part. He also showed an early sound film (above right) where about half the film area was given over to sound, speculating on how good our current sound could be if we were allowed to use such a high percentage of the film area. We were given a whistle stop tour - I hadn’t realised that film sound on disc had only lasted for about five years - through all the different sound systems, including Perspectasound, where a mono sound track was switched from L-R-Centre by control tones, the multiple magnetic and optical sound systems, and the Dolby analogue systems. The pros and cons of all the various digital sound systems were explained, and then the reasons for the move to Cyan analogue tracks were clearly spelled out. We were then given a rundown of the many different widescreen processes that the business has seen over the years, and even a look at some 3D systems, too. Dion’s presentation was a great ‘tour de force’ - like having all the contents of an encyclopedia on film sound presented to you in an hour! cinema technology - december 2007

Nigel Shore (above right) from NSS Imagineering began by explaining all about red-light analogue sound track readers and giving examples of the early laser readers. He detailed the pros and cons of the different types of reader, saying that LED readers are now almost universal, and he showed how ‘forward scan’ and ‘reverse scan’ systems can be fitted to a wide range of projectors. Nigel showed how the forward scan systems can be vulnerable to mechanical damage from the flying ends of film, and illustrated how the reverse scan system, where the light source is moved directly behind the film (in the place that the photocell used to be) renders the LED less susceptable to damage. Another advantage is that there is less cross-talk between tracks, since the sound track is effectively being projected through a lens, so that the image that hits the cell is bigger, making it easier to distinguish between the sound tracks. It is also possible to combine a reverse scan reader with a digital reader, which makes life simpler around the projector head.

several extra stages. The redeveloper is precisely applied with a narrow applicator wheel just to the sound track area, and after redevelopment is removed by a spray rinse. Redevelopment is tricky, especially with high-speed processing machines, and the redeveloper can be hazardous. There are other environmental issues, as a large amount of chemicals and water end up going down the drain and the silver track in the print becomes an environmental issue when prints are destroyed after use. Replacing the redeveloped silver sound track with a track using a cyan dye already existing in colour print film means that the redevelopment stage can be eliminated, but white-light sound readers in projectors do not “see” a cyan dye sound track very well, so it is necessary to change to sound readers that use red light, since red light is absorbed by the cyan filter (then appearing

Nigel provided a brief history of the reasons why the industry had needed to change to cyan sound tracks, and why red light readers had become necessary. With the introduction of colour, the dye images of the colour print film would not modulate the infrared light picked up by the projector photocell, so it was necessary to provide a silver sound track along with the colour dye picture images. This was achieved by re-developing the silver image of only the sound track portion of the film, a complicated procedure requiring page 11

projectionist training Forward scan

Reverse scan

black), while other colours are unaffected. Variations in the amount of cyan dye, as in a variable-area sound track, modulate the amount of red light transmitted by the track and received by the reader. In a section deceptively called ‘LED Astray’ we were treated to a wealth of good practical information about LEDs, with lots of hints and tips about getting the best performance and longevity from LED readers. What we refer to as the LED is actually 24 separate LEDs in two rows of 12, and Nigel showed examples where two or three of these individual LEDs could be faulty (they look black) without affecting the overall quality of the sound, but this could be taken as an early warning that a replacement LED unit will be required soon. LEDs generate heat, and it is important to get rid of this, so projector LEDs are usually fitted with substantial heat sinks. The key messages were to run LEDs at the lowest possible current, to minimise heat, to turn off the LED with the projector motor - repeated turning on and off will not shorten its life. LED units don’t die suddenly, so if there is a sudden sound failure the LED unit is unlikely to be the cause. Power supplies for LEDs generally produce about 2 volts, and common problems can be with the connector plug, and can sometimes be cured by squeezing with a pair of pliers! Nigel gave tips about adjusting LEDs - it is an analogue device, and more light means more sound output. He explained the need to set Dolby levels using the Dolby test film, saying that the processor needs to see the reference level, and he explained the comprehensive procedure to be used to set things up so that the LED unit is used most efficiently. Too high a level is as bad as too low. If there is a difference between L and R levels on the pre-amps this can indicate that the LED is out of alignment. Nigel then went on to show the group how to examine a Dolby digital data block (above right), telling us that there are 5500 Fixels (the F is for film pixels) per block and 96 blocks pass the read head (effectively a one-line CCD camera) per second (5760 blocks/minute). A typical film might page 12

have 35 million bits of data to be decoded and turned into sound. Each block is scanned several times, and the data is sent from the reader to the processor as an analogue video signal. Nigel explained why it is vital to use an oscilloscope to align the digital reader, and it was interesting to learn that the data in the four corners of the block is most important. Dolby CAT 702 readers have a three-colour LED signal level indicator, which should have its level adjusted with the film running until the LED shows green.

The CP650 processor has a set of LEDs that help with alignment problems, and Nigel explained how to use this important diagnostic tool. In general though, it is important for a projectionist to keep the LEDs and any lenses clean (dry cotton buds and compressed air) and vital that none of the circuit boards are touched, since static electricity can damage them. Another useful tip was the reminder that all the different digital readers derive their power from the actual processor, not from the projector, so it is important to be sure that the digital processor is switched off before working on the reader. The first two sessions had obviously been of great interest, as questions about the fine details of the Dolby digital system came thick and fast, and our lecturers had to explain how sound continues at the end of a reel - data for the ends of reels is pre-stored earlier on, each block having a unique block number which the processor can identify and use in the correct order, irrespective of its physical position on the film. Every 47th block is effectively a spare, which can be used for many purposes, including software upgrades. We also learned that if more than four bad data blocks are read, perhaps due to dirt in the gate or a faulty print, the sound reverts to analogue, and that after a further 30 seconds of good digital

data has been received, an automatic switch back to digital takes place. After coffee, those of us who know Dion well and have listened to his not always complimentary views on digital cinema were in for a shock, as he first provided a superb rundown on the basics of digital sound technology, from sampling, through quantising to error detection and correction and then went on to provide a brilliant introduction to many of the practicalities of using Alternative Content in the cinema. His message was totally focused on the projectionists, telling them that if they take the trouble to learn how to make the best use of any Alternative Content that they may be presented with, they will always be in demand for their practical technical skills and knowledge. Those projectionists who worry that the long-predicted coming of the end of film projection will see them unemployed need have no fears for a technical job so long as they have learned about the new techniques, and these jobs will carry with them the advantage that they probably won’t involve humping film reels! Dion gave examples of the sort of ‘Alternative Content’ that a projectionist might suddenly be presented with, and he described various bits of equipment, from DVD players of the domestic to the professional type, and common digital videotape recorders. Using the DVD player as an example, he showed how a less knowledgeable projectionist might provide some sort of cinema sound by simply taking the analogue audio outputs from the player and connecting these to the cinema’s amplification system or the non-sync inputs on the cinema processor. He took the audience through the various different input options on a typical CP650 processor and on the phenomenally useful Dolby DMA8 Digital Media Adaptor, which allows you to connect almost any source, including a PC, to a digital projector. He showed how the CP650 can take a non-sync input and be persuaded to provide a pro-logic surround signal, and said that although something similar can be done with a CP65 it would take an engineer to change the processor. By connecting from the 5.1 analogue outputs of the DVD player to the ‘six channel audio input’ on the cinema processor ‘proper’ 5.1 sound can be obtained in the auditorium, and, even better, cinema technology - december 2007

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projectionist training and provided a wealth of information about getting the best possible audio quality in a cinema. He spoke about cinema acoustics, of the need for low ambient noise levels (measure this against standard NC noise curves) and the need for good isolation between theatres, and told tales of builders having left holes in walls through which sound can pass. He reminded projectionists to check after contractors have left the site to see that speakers haven’t been moved or cables disturbed.

Denis Kelly then introduced the members of the Q&A panel - Dion and Nigel were joined by Richard Huhndorf, Technical Manager of Warner Bros, Nigel Wolland, and Jim Slater, and it was great to see that there was absolutely no embarrassing waiting period - the questions came thick and fast on a wide range of topics.

1. Typical CP650 processor

2. Dolby DMA8 Digital Media Adaptor

you can use the digital outputs, co-axial (S/PDIF) or even optical (TOS-link) from the DVD player and connect them to the appropriate inputs on the processor or DMA. I had never known what the ‘option card i/o’ connector on the back of a CP650 was for, so was interested to learn that many CP650s have an internal card fitted to take the S/PDIF signals, and that this is the appropriate input to use. Dion explained that on the DMA8 the ‘1xAES’ BNC connector is equivalent to a S/PDIF input, and went on to explain the advantages and disadvantages of balanced and unbalanced signal paths and connectors, stressing that appropriate baluns should be used to convert between them, and that cables with the correct impedance should always be used. For digital signals co-axial or optical cables are best over long runs. He stressed the need to avoid ‘bodged’ connection leads, and said that the projectionist wanting to adopt a professional approach to Alternative Content should build up a toolbox of leads and connectors, so that whenever a request to connect some alien bit of gear to a digital projection setup is received it can be dealt with in a straightforward manner. He went on to show how a typical digital videotape player could be connected to a cinema processor in a similar manner. The people who had made the programme on tape had obviously made it with the intention that it be played back with the appropriate number of digital sound channels, and it would be wrong and non-professional to provide just an analogue stereo performance. Deliberately using the word ‘professional’ many times during his talk, Dion said that making proper connections and knowing what the correct ways of making interconnections are, taking account of signal levels and impedances shows a professional approach. He re-iterated that there really is a future for today’s projectionists, but they need to get the knowledge. Questions from the audience asking how to learn what is required led to praise for the Multimedia Box training courses run at the BFI Southbank, and it was good to hear that some projectionists in the audience had been on that course, with one lady projectionist saying that she had actually paid the costs of going on the course herself, and really page 14

felt that it had given her the knowledge to cope with connecting different inputs to digital projectors. Other questions from projectionists related to practical problems of connecting domestic DVD players and the signal levels to be expected from the various outputs, and to dealing with delays between sound and vision when using digital cinema projectors. The Dolby DMA8 allows for different delays to be programmed in for different inputs. Dion used this section to provide a wealth of general information about cinema sound. He showed how Sound Pressure Levels have increased over recent years, with 104dB at 3% distortion being typical these days, and explained the need for processors and amplifiers with plenty of headroom, and for modern amplifiers to have at least 500 watts per channel. Audio systems should match the ISO 2969 frequency response curves for stage loudspeakers, the idea being that a movie should sound the same whether shown in a small or large auditorium. Taking us behind the screen (with appropriate health and safety precautions) he showed how loudspeakers should ideally be mounted in a wall forming an infinite baffle, and explained why and how modern systems use active crossover units and bi-amplification. Recent systems use three-way systems to make the dialogue clearer and more distinct. He showed how to check for rattles and buzzes during the performance, and encouraged busy projectionists to spend some time in the auditorium ‘just listening’. High quality sound is very important to the customer experience - bad quality sound turns people away. Although it is important not to have the sound too loud, and Dolby 7 is perhaps too much for some audiences, neither must it be too soft, or the dynamics of the movie can be lost. Never go below 51⁄2. Audio distortion is annoying, giving people headaches and making them decide not to come again, so, if you possibly can, spend some time in each auditorium, really listening to the sound quality. Although Dion said that he realised that a projectionist generally has no say in the design of an auditorium, he gave useful tips on speaker positioning and alignment, including the positioning of sub-bass speakers, showing how to avoid structural vibrations, perhaps using isolating pads,

“Would the distributors re-introduce cue dots on prints for the benefit of those cinemas still using 2000ft reels?”. Richard explained that this wouldn’t generally be possible, saying that such users now represent only a tiny proportion of cinemas, but he did agree to discuss with the questioner whether it might be possible for special arrangements to be made for a few small cinemas and preview theatres. There were several questions relating to piracy deterrent measures on film - some projectionists had noticed untoward buzzes from soundtrack watermarking. It was explained that distributors are now including such markers both in picture and on sound tracks, and that they shouldn’t be noticeable for more than the briefest instant. Projectionists were encouraged to discuss any problems with the distributors, who obviously want to get things right, and don’t want to compromise the moviegoing experience. There was feedback from another couple of projectionists who felt that they had been unfairly blamed when their cinema was identified as a source of piracy, and general agreement that it is the cinema management that should be ultimately responsible. There was some discussion about the various technical measures that are currently being taken to discuss piracy, and an understanding that such technical information needs to stay ‘in the family’ so as not to help the pirates who are doing so much damage to the industry - none of us can afford to lose the battle. Dion was able to help with various questions about sound faults that produced clicking from the surround speakers and sub-woofers moving when they weren’t supposed to have any input - both faults often disappear when the system is re-booted. The advice was to get the service engineer to check that all the relevant software updates and chip upgrades had been made, and Dion gave details of the latest updates. The panel, all BKSTS CTC members, were able to provide full answers to questions about print digital audio error rates that rise just a few days after the first showing, since this has been a topic that the CTC has been addressing for the last year. Possible causes include the print stock, the quality of the printing of the digital data and whether this is related to the processing speeds, the cleanliness of the projector, and the precise alignment of the sound reader. cinema technology - december 2007

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projectionist training

The panel: Nigel Wolland, Nigel Shore, Dion Hanson, Denis Kelly and Richard Huhndorf

An unusual question came from the owner of a ‘drive-in’ cinema, who wanted to know what would happen if analogue FM broadcasts are turned off - his ‘in-car’ listeners rely on being able to tune in to an appropriate FM frequency. He was re-assured that there are currently no plans to turn off FM services, so any such problems will be a long time coming, and told that the introduction of digital sound might well lead to a whole host of new problems due to different sound delays on different types of receiver. Another question related to the problem of getting ‘Scope pictures from digital projectors without reducing the image resolution, and this gave rise to quite a discussion, involving expensive anamorphic lenses and the use of larger image sensors in the future.

There were several questions relating to future careers for projectionists, and although Dion reiterated his ‘Get the knowledge, become your cinema’s technical king-pin’ advice, some people asked what they could practically do to improve their skills, and they were advised about digital projection courses run by equipment manufacturers and by the BFI. The Q&A session could have gone on much longer, but as Denis Kelly reminded the group, Screen 6 needed to be opened to its paying audience!

Thanks to Empire Cinemas’ André Mort and Trudy East and their Swindon projection team, to Susan Hanson for all her dedicated administrative work, and to The David Lean Foundation. Jim Slater

It was a measure of the success of the day that the discussions carried on long after the sessions had closed, and there was a general friendly ‘buzz’ about the whole day that made it plain that the family of projectionists really enjoys coming together to talk about the job. If you missed these sessions, look out for those coming in 2008.

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bksts president

Message from the BKSTS President The society is turning the corner and getting back on the right path!

REMINDER... The new addition to the Society’s range of educational Wallcharts ‘Film Handling for the Projectionist’ will be launched at the the Cinema Technology Comittee Christmas Party at the Odeon, Leicester Square, on Monday 17th December from 12 noon - see page 7. FILM HANDLING FOR THE PROJECTIONIST SECURITY 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

TWO TYPICAL PRINT LABELLING SYSTEMS

TITLE Title followed by year indicates re-make

Print checking starts before the cans are opened EDGE LUBRICATION Wound roll wiped with cloth that has been sprayed with furniture wax

ASPECT RATIO SCOPE 1:2.39 FLAT 1:1.85, 1:1.66, 1:1.38

PRINT COPY NUMBER Can include territory data

PRINT EXAMINATION

Magenta Dye Layer

Cyan Dye Layer

Yellow Dye Layer

SOUND FORMAT Dolby A, Dolby SR, Dolby SR•D, Dolby SR•D•EX, DTS, DTS-ES, Mono, SDDS, SDDS 8-Channel

Flat 1⁄4 ins

A Lightbox or illuminated panel is recommended for print examination

Lubricates, reduces shedding, removes any extraneous dirt

RECOGNISING & PREVENTING FILM DAMAGE 30ft x

COLOUR PRINT FILM STRUCTURE (SIMPLIFIED)

Scope 1⁄2 ins

BASE POLYESTER

1. Correct title? 2. Correct no. of reels? 3. Correct reels?

TOTAL REEL TALLY Verifies total number of reels in the print

LANGUAGE

Anti-Static Layer

REEL SHAFT & BORE SIZES Shaft / Bore Size 1⁄2 inch 3/8 inch 9mm

Drive Method Pin Pin Pin

5/16 inch

Pin / Keyway

5/16 inch

Square Shaft

Carrier

Dia. c.24 ins

Plastic / Metal Transit Cases

Cores

c.15 ins

Plastic / Metal Cans; Plastic / Cardboard / Fibre / Metal Box

Reels

c.15 ins

Plastic / Metal Transit Cases

Reels

SMPTE Universal Leader 35mm Optical: Academy Leader has diamond mark 20 frames preceding each number to permit accurate synchronisation 1

1:2.39 (Upper) SDDS S-track

1:1.66* (Upper)

1:1.85 (Lower)

MONO Do.; can also be Variable Density type

1:1.38** (Lower)

Emulsion has a raised profile and matt surface, whilst the base is flat and glossy

MONO OPTICAL (Variable Area) Sound records are identical

STEREO OPTICAL (Stereo Variable Area – SVA) Sound records differ, especially in passages with music and / or effects

HI-MAGENTA TRACK Interim format designed for both tungsten halogen and red LED light sources. Appears identical to traditional variable area track on colour stock, except for Magenta edges

CYAN DYE TRACK Read with Visible Light (Red) Cannot be played on soundheads using tungsten halogen (exciter lamp) lightsource

SDDS P-track

Except in the case of reversal film, the emulsion faces the projector lamp

Pre-perforated tape - tab Used on splicers originally designed for cement joining

Non-perforated tape – roll To suit different film gauges and applications Should be sufficiently strong, and not tear or leave residue when removed

STORAGE & ARCHIVING FLATBED EDITING MACHINE Steenbeck Film editing equipment remains in use for print checking and conforming

“Digital silence” data blocks prevent reversion to analogue

BUTT JOIN For single performance or workprint Also required for 70mm

PERFORATION PITCH Splices will jump in projector gate when perforation pitch across the join is either too short or too long; particularly evident with incorrectly set adjustable splicers

IDEAL BLANK SPACING

TYPES OF SPLICE

A well-made splice should curve smoothly when flexed (1), and not “jacknife” (2) or be too rigid (3)

Pre-perforated tape - roll

TAIL

SPLICING A single-sided splice when returning prints makes leaders easy to remove at the next venue and greatly reduces damage around splices

FOOTAGE AND RUNNING TIME Determines equipment capacities

1000 2000 3000

SPLICE MARKING

Cement splices now used for specialised joining of acetate print material

50 mins 100 mins 150 mins

11 mins 7 secs 22 mins 13 secs 44 mins 27 secs 66 mins 40 secs 155 mins 33 secs

70mm 5/70 1121⁄2ft/min @ 24fps

1000 2000 4000 6000 14000

8 mins 53 secs 17 mins 47 secs 35 mins 33 secs 53 mins 20 secs 124 mins 27 secs

FT 1000 2000 4000 6000 14000

70mm 15/70 IMAX 336ft/min @ 24fps 2 mins 59 secs 5 mins 57 secs 11 mins 54 secs 17 mins 51 secs 41 mins 40 secs

Tail section marked whilst on core

Relative Humidity (%) 20-30 20-50 20-30 20-50

Temperature 21˚ C Maximum (70˚ F)

Relative Humidity (%) 55 +/- 5

2 INCH DIA.

FILM CORES

Narrow opaque tape Typically 2 perforations in length Applied on non-soundtrack edge

Sponsored by Bell Theatre Services Ltd. Kodak Entertainment Imaging Steenbeck BV

Specially-marked proprietary splicing tapes also available

Photos courtesy: Avcom Ltd. Christie Digital Systems, Inc. CIR srl. Goldberg Brothers, Inc.

35mm to 300ft max 16mm to 500ft 8mm All Cores 1 Inch Bore with Keyway

3 INCH DIA.

35mm to 2000ft (preferred) 16mm to 1000ft 70mm

Per

she

d Edg

ACETATE

Line ABRASIONS Intermittent

ANTI-STATIC FLOOR COVERING E-M

RAISED EDGES Caused by unevenly wound film reel

CORRECT ENVIRONMENT Spotlessly clean, controlled projection room environment essential Positive air pressure in room suppresses airborne contaminants

E”

E MA

S RK

Full Width CROSS-SCRATCHING Partial

OM “H ES AM FR nuity ING Conti SS MI ss of Lo

Buc

Shr

Magenta

Crim

4 INCH DIA.

35mm to 2000ft (preferred) 16mm to 2000ft

Per

kled

Edg

fs Per rks ken Ma Bro Teeth with

Cyan

POLYESTER

Yellow

EMBOSSING – Excessive heat energy expands picture area

SPOKING Occurs when film with Curl is wound with low tension

S-BENDS – Kinked film layers occur when loose film roll is tightened

TRAINING

PLATTER ROLL IDENTIFICATION Outer winding carries taped label providing identification for prepared roll: TITLE ASPECT RATIO SOUND FORMAT(S) COPY NO. DISTRIBUTOR

Bypass lacing of projector from platter keeps film away from floor and free from dirt contamination when threading

FILM-TECH PLATTER SAFETY RING Prevents thrown prints

(1) IMAX PLATTER With Offset Plates

Three, four or five Plates Dia. 42in / 44in / 48in / 52in / 55in Various centre ring diameters 35mm / 70mm / IMAX versions (1)

The BKSTS is active in providing Training for Projectionists (www.bkstsctc.org)

FEED & TAKEUP

FILM PREPARATION FRAME COUNTER

UNDERSLUNG REELS In conventional 35mm practice soundtrack is always towards the Projectionist when projector is being threaded

FILM CLEANING MEDIA CLEANER Uses disposable cloth pads in roll form

PLATTER COVER Prevents dust settling on prints overnight

Mounted on Projector Low position for safer handling

ENDLESS LOOP PLATTER

Can display footage or footage / frames Indexes frameline for accurate splicing

It publishes the Projectionists’ Manual and the Current Film Formats Handbook, and a large range of Technical Wallcharts

Can be used to apply commercial cleaners and lubricants such as Film Guard

TOWER Single- or double-sided

SPECIALISED ASPECT RATIOS PARTICLE TRANSFER ROLLERS (PTRs)

DTS-70 1:2.39 FORMAT

MOTORISED REWINDER 1 Continuous presentation of non-feature length material can also be achieved through the use of Loop Cabinets similar to those used in Laboratories

Placing reels on lower tower spindle tails out, then rewinding, avoids having to lift reels to upper spindle

CARLSSON SYSTEM Moves platter rolls between auditoria safely using special film cassette (1) and lift mechanism

Heavy 35mm long-play reels and 70mm reels should be lifted by two persons or by chain hoist, etc.

GOLDBERG PLATTER REEL Allows print transfer from platter to rewinder and vice versa, and from screen to screen, or between cinemas. 35mm and 70mm versions

Omnex Pro Film Ltd. Jack Roe (CS) Ltd. Kodak Entertainment Imaging Philip Rigby & Sons Ltd. Sound Associates Ltd. Kinetronics Europe GmbH Steenbeck BV Kinoton GmbH NFPPI

edd

EMULSION ABRASION 1

Outer winding should be of blank opaque spacing, of 20-30ft in length, to allow for satisfactory end of show and to prevent damage to outgoing frames as tail leaves platter

SPLIT REELS Wire type 16mm / 35mm / 70mm

Chinagraph Heated panel prevents flaking

Recommended Working Conditions for Film Prints

ked

With spooling plates, keeper arms, tension roller and interchangeable shafts or adaptors 16mm / 35mm / 70mm

Polyurethane low-energy rollers lift dirt particles off film surface Rollers easily removable for routine washing

Utilises frame area on the left and right formerly occupied by magnetic tracks Requires appropriate aperture plate. Standard ratio for 70mm is 1:2.21

Endless loop units have also been developed for other gauges

1:1.19 (Upper) IDEAL CLEANER DEPLOYMENT

ELECTROSTATIC CLEANER

Recommended Storage Conditions for Film Prints

Nic

Negative curl (-): Emulsion softens due to high humidity

COMPRESSED AIR SUPPLY

MAKE-UP / BREAK-DOWN TABLES Vertical & Horizontal

TER-TO - HU

Edited by Tony Iles FBKS Compiled by Brian Guckian MBKS Dedicated to John P Pytlak MBKS 1948 - 2007

PTRs or Media Cleaner

Electrostatic Cleaner

1. Removes embedded dirt 2. Removes lighter material shed in projector gate

With thanks to: Dion Hanson FBKS & BKSTS Cinema Technology Committee Grant Lobban FBKS Eric Bastin FBKS Mike Taylor MBKS Paul Rayton

1:1.33 (Lower)

FOX MOVIETONE (Early sound-era ratio) Silent frame cropped horizontally via addition of optical soundtrack*

Special needle point correction fluid. For use on join only Perforated steel can with absorbent liner for optimal long-term storage

it Per

EMULSION

–

PLATTER

Std 16mm / S-16mm 36ft/min @ 24fps 27 mins 47 secs 55 mins 33 secs 111 mins 7 secs 166 mins 40 secs

1000 2000 4000 6000 14000

Spl

Cross-section through width of film

55 mins 33 secs 111 mins 7 secs 166 mins 40 secs

35mm 90ft/min @ 24fps

LABORATORY STOCK JOIN Print stock join Often lies in picture area Usually ultrasonic

Caused by changes in moisture content of emulsion relative to base Positive curl (+) : Emulsion shrinks due to low humidity

Super 8mm 20ft/min @ 24fps

CinemaScope frame lines - invisible on screen for Flat and ‘Scope ratios

Cru

FILTERED AIR SUPPLY

n Per

BASE

IMPACT ON THE AUDIENCE Magnification of dirt particle and line scratch on 30ft screen

Std 8mm 18ft/min @ 24fps

1000 2000 4000 6000

HEAD / TAIL SPLICE One frame left on Head and Tail Leader for identification Offset cut to permit overlap join between reels

e Nic

FILM HANDLING EQUIPMENT

1000 2000 3000

OVERLAP JOIN Multiple performances Narrow overlap (c.0.75mm) adds strength and mutes join in analogue soundtrack

4.750mm +/- 0.010mm 0.1870in +/- 0.0004in

Edg

CURL

BASE & LIGHT EMULSION ABRASIONS APPEAR BLACK HEAD

(5)

CHANGEOVER CUES (SMPTE STANDARD)

Film Type All

VISUAL CHECK OF SOUND FORMATS

DOLBY DIGITAL SR•D / SR•D•EX Data Blocks DTS / DTS-ES Optical timecode DOLBY SR / DOLBY A Analogue photographic sound record

Tail Leader

70mm: Emulsion faces the observer when the film is heads up and the frame index holes are on the right

Counts in feet (16 frames per ft 35mm)

2000ft ( 1000ft ‘Singles’ still used in some territories )

EMULSION AND BASE ORIENTATION PRINT FILM 35mm: Emulsion faces the observer when film is heads up and the soundtrack is on the left

* The difference in frame area between 1:1.66 and 1:1.85 aspect ratios can be difficult to see from visual inspection of the film. If in doubt, a reel should always be screened

off Tor

COVING

VISUAL CHECK OF ASPECT RATIOS

HEAD & TAIL LEADER CUTTING POINTS

Enclosure

2000ft

6000ft

Any film damage discovered during examination should be advised to the Distributor. Many cinemas draw up Print Reports for this purpose

Occurs when new film is wound loose, emulsion-in, under dry air conditions

Run

1 15 microns dia. 2 7 microns width

WASHABLE REWIND BENCH

As well as assessment, print examination also involves removal of any laboratory stock joins, and if the print has been previously run, automation cues

Academy Leader & Variants

SHIPPING FORMATS

Wound Length

Recommended manual inspection method using lint-free glove

MAKE-UP & BREAK-DOWN

LEADER SYNCHRONISATION MARKS 35mm Sepmag: Assistant Editor makes sync marks on film and mag stock Long horizontal lines allow for easy location of marks Punched hole may additionally be used

Application 35mm / 70mm 35mm 35mm 35mm Preview & Dubbing / 16mm 16mm

Information is also printed on Head and Tail Leaders

ANTI-PIRACY MARKING COPYRIGHT NOTICE Indicates print is marked with Legal notice of Copyright Refers to International Agreements CAP coding or other form of anti-piracy mark

TWIST

A single print can be run over two thousand times without visible degradation

Film damage is easily avoided through training, correct equipment specification, alignment and maintenance, and good operational procedures

OTHER TYPES OF FILM DAMAGE

Scope 2 1⁄2 ins width

WASHABLE PAINT FINISH

Alternatively, some cinemas apply commercial products such as Film Guard Demonstrating correct way of holding the film for removal from the can and replacement All wound rolls will slacken during storage

12ft 6ins

Flat ø 1 1⁄4 ins

ACADEMY SILENT Full Aperture

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION BARCODE Machine-readable data for dispatch and print tracking use

Platter or Tower

PRINT CHECKING

EMULSION

cinema technology - december 2007

Roland Brown President, BKSTS

ATIO

During August I had took the

I am delighted that The Pinewood Group has become a Gold Sponsor of the Society and will continue to provide the Society its registered office. Pinewood is the premier production centre for the UK, and it is only fitting that we the premier Technical Society for the Industry should be located here. The Society has seen both good times and bad at Pinewood, but with a new-found vigour that is coursing through the organisation, I am looking forward to building on our relationship with Pinewood and to making more use of its facilities for events. I look forward to seeing you at Pinewood soon.

Your Council is getting the finance under control following the closure of the old Pinewood office. The Society is fast embracing ‘new fangled’ technology so that services can be better and more efficiently delivered to sponsors and the membership. I know that none of us likes change, but unless we adapt we will end up as a note in a history book.

During IBC the BFI (NFT, Southbank, London) generously sponsored the new BKSTS Website which will bring benefits for all members; easier access to events, journals and your membership details. I am also pleased to announce that the BFI will be a ‘drop-in’ place for BKSTS members to meet, chat and buy Society products. We will use this venue for events and meetings as appropriate. I hope to meet you

During IBC there was a meeting of Presidents SMPTE’s Bob Kisor and the BKSTS’s Roland Brown - at which it was mutually and amicably agreed to end the current discussion relating to uniting the two Societies. The Societies will continue to co-operate where appropriate for the good of the industry. In addition, because of the continued state of exchange rates between the US Dollar and UK Pound, it was agreed that the Joint Membership deal would cease to be available after January 1st, 2008. Members renewing their membership after that date will be asked to renew with each Society on an individual basis.

DYE-COUPLED SILVER HALIDE GRAINS IN GELATIN SUBSTRATE

I also thank the Council members for their patience, guidance and support during my first 100 days as President and not least the sponsors and membership for your helpful suggestions and encouragement. I am pleased to advise you that I believe the Society is turning the corner and getting back onto the right path.

At IBC at Amsterdam in September, the Society had a stand which was operated by members of Council and me. It was encouraging to have many (Local and International) ‘up and coming’ people from the industry approach us for information about the Society and asking how to become members. Also lots of sponsors and members offered practical help. We sold some ‘Wallcharts’ for cash, and following on from that we have received many orders for merchandise. Thank you to everyone who helped to make IBC a success for the Society.

SMPTE and BKSTS

there sometime for some refreshment.

First and foremost I would like to thank Wendy for her long and devoted service to the Society before standing down on the 14th September. I know that her knowledge of the industry and kindly words have been appreciated by all the membership. I am sure that you will all join with me in wishing her every success in her new business venture. She will be missed by all.

opportunity to visit ‘Zefferellis’ Cinema at Ambleside in the Lake District and I was afforded a very warm welcome by the Chief Projectionist who proudly showed me the digital projection equipment. This small Cinema has adopted new technology to meet the demand of its audiences for varied Content with improved and consistent image reproduction. I believe it has brought a bright future for this Cinema, do go and have a look on your next visit to the Lake District.

REEL

Summer has been and gone - I must have blinked as I did not notice it and now we are well into Autumn and winter fast approaches. Since my first communication as President a lot of work has been done to ensure that the Society goes forward and is relevant for our 21st Century industry.

BFI IMAX Cineworld Cinemas www.film-tech.com Jack Roe (CS) Ltd. Warner Bros. Entertainment UK

* Not to be confused with 1:1.38 (Academy Sound) ratio

page 17

european cinema

Alan Haigh MBKS describes the new sound system installed for the Norwegian Film Institute

Adventures in Oslo When I was asked to help out with the refurbishment of the Norwegian Film Institute last summer, I was very happy to have the opportunity to work somewhere that was a little different from what you’d find in your average multiplex. The Norwegian Film Institute has 2 screens where they show a variety of Norwegian, international and old archive films on all formats, including 70mm. Sharing the premises are a small museum, a shop, a library and a nice cafe. The Institute also funds Norwegian features and children’s films, and houses the national film archive. I was lucky enough to be working with two excellent people, Jan Olsen, the technical manager at the NFI, and Torkell Sætervadet, author of the book “The Advanced Projection Manual” which was reviewed to high acclaim in Cinema Technology last year. Jan and Torkell are cinema

fanatics, who have set up cinemas as far flung as Cuba and Gaza, where they met Yassir Arafat. A refurbishment was long overdue. They had had many problems with background noise and tremendous hum, and many of the speaker drivers were faulty. As the room is often booked by major distributors who tend not to have their own screening rooms in Norway, and by independent film makers wanting to check their films, it was important to do as good a job as possible with both the sound and picture. The large room (Tancred) is very well equipped. It has 195 seats and a 11.3m screen. They have 2 Philips DP70s plus a Sony 4K SRX-110 projector with LMT100 media block. There’s a video rack with a Sony HDCAM SR machine (used a lot by the archive department and external clients), plus Betacam SP, DVD, DVCAM etc. The sound rack has a Dolby DA20, a DTS XD10

and ES unit, a Panastereo CSP-4600 70mm processor and a Sony D3000. Speakers were Electrovoice original Variplex 3 ways with Crest amplifiers. Taking a look at the sound and video racks on arrival, I could see that the place had suffered from a “get it working and leave it” policy. Over the last 10 years equipment has been added, altered and removed, and the resulting wiring was a mess of connectors, various adapters and unlabelled cables hanging freely. The plan was to completely replace the two sound racks and rewire where possible. The hot and noisy Crests would be replaced with BGW amplifiers and we would remove the ES unit - none of us really felt that is was beneficial to use matrixed surrounds in a large room. We had bought some shiny new racks from Bryant Broadcast which are self assembly and “can

Projectors - The Sony SRX-110 and the 2 Philips DP70s and the 195 seat “Tancred” auditorium This has an 11.3 m Harkness mini-perf super preview plus a permanently installed 11m silver roller screen for 3D.

page 18

cinema technology - december 2007

european cinema

be put together in about 30 minutes with a number 2 pozidrive screwdriver” according to the catalogue. Three hours later we had the racks built and set about installing our secret weapon... The Yamaha DME64N is an amazing device. It is basically a DM2000 digital mixing desk, but without the traditional control surface of knobs and faders. The user can define up to 999 “Scene Memories” using a computer interface. You literally draw the required signal routing, and add components such as EQ, crossovers, delays etc. as necessary to each set up. It is normally used in large live sound and “conference” style installations, but I first saw it used in a cinema at the DTS screening room in Twyford where it had been installed by cinema pioneer Anders Uggelberg. Anders is constantly striving to push forward technology and quality in cinemas. When Torkell described what was needed at the NFI, the DME64N seemed perfect, although I was wary of possible pitfalls

as it was not designed primarily as a cinema processor. Indeed, the amazing Finnish cinema installers, Finnkino, have used the baby sister to the DME64N, the DME24N in their cinemas solely as a loudspeaker management unit. They still use Sony D3000s and Dolby CP500s as their main processors. We removed the existing racks completely, leaving just a bundle of cables. An electrician had been and installed some heavy duty 16mm² earth cables. These were attached to a rail at the bottom of the new racks, and an individual 4mm² earth cable was connected to the chassis of each device. This may seem like overkill to some, but there are two reasons for this. Firstly, the earth in the mains plugs on the continent is not as robust as that used in the UK. It relies on two springy pins on the sides of the sockets which can lose their springiness over time. Secondly, making sure each device is as close to earth potential as possible is a good way to reduce background noise and hum. By

using this “star” arrangement of earthing, each device goes straight to earth without going past another unit, which can cause interference problems. It sounds like magic, but it really does work. We then simply connected all audio shields at both ends where possible. Every article and book I have read about audio earthing schemes says you should only connect chassis earths at one end of the audio cable otherwise hum loops may occur. I have always looked upon this as curing a symptom and not the problem itself. If two pieces of equipment are at the same potential in the first place, then a current will not flow in the audio shield. Also, this arrangement was acceptable for transformer balanced equipment, which has a limited HF bandwidth, but for modern electronically balanced equipment there is a dangerous side effect. In this case the single ended shields can act as radio aerials and can cause no end of problems. I’ll just say the two words “mobile phones” and leave it at that! While we were busy with racks and earths, some of Torkell’s colleagues at Unique were removing the old screen. Jan had spent a long time persuading Harkness to make a special, large sized, Mini-perf Super Preview screen, so that the benefits of the Sony 4K projector could really be appreciated. These screens are really designed for reference rooms, grading and QC checking facilities, and are therefore not normally made in this size. I have to say that the new screen is absolutely incredible. There are no visible seams and the holes are invisible from the front row even if you look for them in the subtitles. And, of course, it is matt white (screen gain of 1). Anyway, as suspected we found some very unwell speaker drivers waiting for us behind the screen. Several of the bass units had blown, and one of the centre bass units had actually left its mounting and was hanging on by 2 wires only! The original plan was to change the HF

The Philips DP70s with Strong Ultra 80 lamphouses and matched mirrors. The lenses are Isco Ultra Star HD Plus, f-stop 2.7 75mm in Scope with Blue-Star Anamorphic attachment and 47.50mm in Ws 1.85:1 and (right) what we found when the screen came down.

page 20

cinema technology - december 2007

european cinema

The HF and midrange unit with the new BMS coaxial compression driver installed and the front wall with new bass drivers. Note how close the Left and Right are to the corners. The JBL PA speakers are also visible in the ceiling elements, add a passive crossover and use the Yamaha DME64N to cross over the bass and mid/HF. The HF drivers were woefully inadequate and also rolled off at 7kHz! I’m always saying to anyone who will listen that cinema is a professional audio environment. In these times of digital cinema and alternative content, I think it is very important to maintain as big a distinction as possible between cinemas and domestic set-ups. So, to improve on the frequency response, we decided to replace the loudspeaker HF units with BMS 4590s. When we saw the state of the bass drivers, we then decided to replace all 10 of these too, with BMS 15” drivers. (BMS by this time was being referred to as “Buy More Stuff”.) You may ask why we didn’t simply replace the loudspeakers completely. Well, this was considered, but the problem was that the “baffle wall” into which the drivers are mounted is actually load bearing concrete with 7 floors above it! Cutting different sized holes would have presented a new set of structural problems. Once we had the new system up and running, we found we got much better results by bypassing the midrange drivers altogether and crossing over the HF horn and bass at 550Hz. The BMS drivers are fantastically good

cinema technology - december 2007

value for money. The HF units are actually 2 way with a passive crossover and a coaxial super tweeter, so you can get them down to 500Hz and up to 17kHz with a decent horn. Unfortunately, the horn wasn’t all that decent, but we did our best and I think we got a good result. Both Torkell and myself have become increasingly less impressed with the use of graphic EQ for B chain alignment. So often we see systems where the engineer has simply looked at each band on an RTA and moved the graphic EQ up or down until it was correct. This usually results in adjacent bands being 6 or 10dB apart all the way up, and causes all manner of horrible phase problems. The end results looks great, but sounds harsh and tiring. The DME64N enables you to use parametric EQ, and displays a useful graph of any resulting phase errors on the screen while you are doing it. Whoever designed this obviously shares our views! Torkell’s colleagues were also busy adding surround speakers. John F Allen and others have worked out that the best results are obtained when each listener is in equal proximity to at least two speakers. This meant adding two rear corner speakers and a couple more in the back corner areas. We then time aligned the side surrounds with those at the rear (the Yamaha

coming in useful again here). This made a really big difference, and was well worth doing. While we were EQing the system, we spent a long time using pink noise, and even longer playing the soundtrack of Casino Royale from a Blu-Ray. Both Torkell and I know this film very well, as we were sound consultant engineers for the London and Berlin premieres. I have also had the pleasure of seeing this film over 50 times whilst checking show prints and QCing soundtracks. Basically, we were very familiar with it. It was mixed by mixing genius Mike Prestwood-Smith, and as such, is fantastically well mixed, particularly with reference to the quality and clarity of the dialogue. Once we had got the speech sounding good in the new set up, we knew it was going to work. There is provision for using up to 4 audio cards in the DME64N. We had a 16-way AES i/o card for the Sony server and the HDCAM SR, plus three 8-way analogue i/o cards for the Sony D3000 (with flat EQ), the DTS XD10, and a wonderful Violet Audio professional AV decoder with balanced professional audio outputs. We used the DME64N outputs to send to the amplifiers, again at +4dBu. The result was almost zero hiss, and no hum whatsoever. It is actually quite shocking how little noise there is when you play a digital film; you really suspect

page 21

european cinema that it is muted until it starts. Please remember and repeat my motto on cinema being a professional audio environment! We managed to provide some very useful features to the users of the screening room by careful programming of the DME64N. In addition to the B chain EQ and crossovers, surround and projector delays, we stored a separate “Scene Memory” for each different set up that we thought was likely to be needed. When each Scene Memory is selected, the input signal in the Yamaha is switched, and other external devices can also be switched to the required mode by the use of GPIO automation pulses. Examples of different set ups include: 1. Playing back DTS 70mm discs, which have 6 tracks of audio that can be assigned in various ways. Some are in 5.1, and some older films have 5 front channels and one mono surround. We provided a Scene Memory for each of these set ups. 2. Playing back from HDCAM SR video. The 6 tracks of audio in this case should normally be in the standard AES layout of L R C Sw Ls Rs, but sometimes are in the Dolby film layout of L C R Ls Rs Sw, and by using the Scene Memories, it was possible to switch between the necessary routings at the press of a button. Both of these switching nightmares are very difficult with a normal cinema processor. One feature which Jan requested was to be able to use the inner two speakers, (Left Centre and Right Centre) instead of the fully Left and Right speakers on occasions when this would sound better. This would include the playing back of videos with only stereo soundtracks, and also for playing back flat films (with a narrower aspect ratio of 1.85:1) where the full width of the screen is not used. The Left and Right loudspeakers are right at the edges of the full screen and it can sound unnatural to hear the sound coming from outside the visible screen area. We simply made 2 “soft” function keys on the front panel and remote called “wide” and “narrow”. Very easy! Whilst not wanting to sound like a advert, all in all we were very impressed with the Yamaha, its ease of setup and the incredible tech support to get us going. I imagine that this or the DME24N will be used a lot in the future in “digital video only” cinemas. To me, something like this is almost essential in a modern multi-use screening room. I think it is important to keep pushing forward in the way we set up installations for the future. We need to use what’s available creatively, and not just to lazily follow what everyone else is doing, or did in the past. Balanced, +4dBu signals should be used wherever possible and 25 way computer switch boxes should never, ever be used to switch analogue or digital audio. I’ve had many problems with them. Cinema is a professional audio environment, and not a place for shoddy domestic or amateur practices. Finally, we had one day to test everything. We played the Dolby Jiffy on reference level and it was fine. We played the film “Sunshine” on page 22

The completed new sound rack

reference level and nothing distorted. We were all happy. I had let slip at one of the excellent dinners Jan took us to that I’d never actually seen any 70mm before, and had been met by expressions of shock, upset and worry on the faces of my colleagues. So, for a grand finale, they popped down to the vault and we finished the week with a screening of 2 reels of “Ryan’s Daughter” in 70mm. And of course Jan did a full theatrical start with curtains etc. Just for me, on my own! This was really fantastic – the use of the 5 front channels was amazing and the image quality, even on this old print, easily

surpassed that of any 2K digital master. Let us hope that 4K digital masters become the norm very soon. With everything finished we celebrated with a gin and tonic at Torkell’s flat. We were then treated to a section of “West Side Story” in his home cinema... in 70mm. He has 2 Bauer U2 projectors, a 3 metre screen and a CP200. I told you he was a fanatic! Contacts Alan Haigh: Alan@Alanhaigh.co.uk Torkell Saetervadet: Torkell@ucs.no

AAM to distribute Paramount Arts Alliance Media (AAM) have announced a deal to digitally distribute films released by Paramount Pictures on AAM’s Vizumi Network. The deal means that films distributed by Paramount will be available to download both to rent and to own from the same service for the first time in the UK, and covers both new release and catalogue films. These movies will be available from AAM’s download site, Vizumi (www.vizumi.com) and also from AAM’s partner sites including LOVEFiLM (www.lovefilm.com), Tiscali (www.tiscali.moviesnow.co.uk) and Emap’s Empire (www.empiremoviedownloads.com). Download to Own (DTO) titles will be available starting at just £2.99. The addition of Paramount content to the Vizumi Network means that Arts Alliance Media has the largest aggregated online distribution rights collection in Europe, with deals with majors Twentieth Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros., and leading independents such as Momentum, Icon, Fremantle, Tartan and Discovery Networks. To date, Vizumi powers downloads on distribution partner sites including LOVEFiLM, Empire, AOL, Tiscali, Archos and Metrodome. A complete list of content and distribution partners can be seen at www.vizumi.com.

cinema technology - december 2007

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��

exhibition

Jim Slater and BKSTS Member Gerald Hooper took a look around the recently refurbished ‘Electric Palace’ cinema in Bridport, Dorset and spoke with the owner, Peter Hitchen, and projection engineer / enthusiast Christopher Hine.

Bridport’s Electric Palace reborn In the December 2000 issue of Cinema Technology I told the sorry tale of spending a wet weekend in Bridport, Dorset, and coming across the sad sight of the boardedup and apparently derelict Palace cinema, which had closed the previous year. BKSTS Member Gerald Hooper filled us in with some of the history, but in these days when there is usually far more profit to be made by knocking down old cinemas and selling the site to developers, there seemed little hope that we would one day see its rebirth. As mentioned in the previous CT, however, miracles do happen, and in April 2007, thanks to the work of a new owner Peter Hitchin (inset main picture) and a host of dedicated Derelict and boarded up - the Electric Palace just seven years ago

local volunteers, the completely refurbished cinema re-opened, and is now regularly showing a wide range of movies. I went down to Bridport on a sunny day in late September, taking Gerald with me as my historical guru, and spoke with Peter Hitchin, and with cinema engineer Christopher Hine, who was busy rebuilding the cinema’s original Cinemeccanica Victoria 18 35mm projector. Peter is a local man who has always had a deep interest in the arts, and previously ran a local private educational college in Bridport. He had absolutely no experience of running cinemas, so I just had to start our conversation with the big question “Why on earth did you decide to take on this seemingly hopeless project?”, to which he replied instantly, in true ‘Everest’ style with “Because it was there!”. He had watched the cinema deteriorate from lack of maintenance and despaired as the local council had become convinced (wrongly as it turned out) that it was structurally unsound, and it seemed as though demolition would be inevitable. A group of local people began a ‘Save the Palace’ campaign, which led to the building becoming listed - this safeguarded its future, but made life even more difficult for anyone wanting to take on the building, because of the many restrictions on what you are allowed to do once a building is listed.

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Backing a hunch, making the investment Peter examined the building himself, saw that the interior was quite dry and appeared sound, and brought in a friend who is a structural engineer. The engineer carefully looked at everything, and soon declared that the building was far from in a ‘falling down’ state, and that it was structurally sound, including the balcony area, which had previously been rumoured to be unsafe. Peter then decided to invest his savings in refurbishing the Palace - “Yes, I was the foolish person who decided to take on the risk, and no, I still haven’t made any money out of it” - and then began a three year battle with the bureaucracy of the various local council planning and building departments. They took an enormous amount of convincing that the building was structurally sound, but there was a great deal of local support for the project, and in the end it turned out that there was no need for any major internal building work, although some of the external metal fittings had corroded and needed to be repaired by welding. An artist’s dream As you walk around the freshly decorated building you really have to wonder what the building inspectors were ever worried about. The original murals by George Biles (he was famous for painting inn signs all around the country) in the foyer area are in perfect cinema technology - december 2007

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Views of some of the magnificent murals in the foyer and staircase area - in amazing condition considering that they date back to 1926 and that the theatre was in a supposedly ‘derelict’ state for years (and far right) the café area

condition - they have only been gently wiped and dusted, so that area had obviously not even been damp, and I was astonished to learn that all the seating and upholstery in the auditorium had only needed cleaning and vacuuming - once again the place had obviously stayed dry, with all the furnishings and decorating in remarkable condition. Peter says he took no advice and relied on his own intuition when it came to redecorating the auditorium and the foyer, and I can only say how well everything has turned out, a tribute to his excellent taste. A new entrance experience The actual entrance to the Palace stands back perhaps 20 metres from the street, and is approached by an archway underneath

the adjacent shops. There was previously a ‘wet and windy’ gap between the street entrance and the cinema proper, but this has now been covered over with a light and airy ‘conservatory’ with a glass canopy and makes for a much more inviting and welcoming introduction to the cinema. The original wooden ticket booth which had suffered from the weather when it was left out in the rain, has now been restored and has pride of place in the foyer. The Café experience The naturally lit foyer area has been equipped as an attractive Parisien style brasserie, and a quick look at the menu with its range of locally produced ‘home cooking’ told me that I shall certainly be making use of the Electric Brasserie

for lunch on my next visit to the town. What an auditorium! The refurbished 400 seat auditorium is an absolute gem, where Peter has really shown off his phenomenal artistic abilities and ideas and, purely by coincidence, on the day of our visit there was an extra treat - a pianist hidden behind the screen playing a range of classical material that just made the ambience perfect - I gather that the pianist regularly comes in to practice, and he certainly added something special to our experience. Reflecting the style of the murals in the foyer, Peter has called on a number of artistic friends to paint huge murals in the plaster panels along each side of the auditorium, and these have provided some fantastic effects and a unique

Clockwise from top left: Close up of one of the auditorium murals, the old wooden ticket box, views to the back and screen end of the auditorium and the new entrance

cinema technology - december 2007

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Clockwise from top left: The screen, Christopher Hine and the bar

experience. Designed around the common theme of ‘Entertainment’, the murals range from a depiction of the old King Kong cinema poster to paintings that contain portraits of real people - you can obtain cinematic immortality by having your own portrait included in the mural of the cinema audience for a suitable contribution to the cinema’s funds. I was amused by the ‘Appear every day alongside the silver screen everyday for the rest of time’ teaser encouraging patrons to sign up for this unique offer. Not just cinema In front of the eight metre (7 x 4) screen, which I have to say looked less than perfect, there is a stage and a dance floor, making the Electric Palace suitable for hosting a wide range of non-cinema events as well, and I noticed that there was a modern jazz quintet and a blues band booked for the week following my visit, and that conferences are being encouraged to make use of the facilities. Making use of your friends and patrons As well as involving lots of his personal friends and local personalities, and getting some really talented people to paint his murals, presumably for no money - “Present an artist with a huge blank wall space and he can’t resist the challenge...” - Peter has also managed to persuade a large number of well-known people to become patrons, and cartoonist Ralph Steadman has donated one of his magnificent ‘doodles’ which is being used as a logo outside and inside the cinema, as well as a huge screen for the back of the balcony and several prints for the walls. Which brings us to the bar - a wonderful artdeco affair has been created at the back of the auditorium, complete with brass rails and page 26

luxurious carpeting, with the ‘optics’ placed just below the projection portholes, but not, perhaps fortunately, within reach of projection staff! Getting the pictures on screen Having seen all the wonders of the Electric Palace from the customer’s side, it wouldn’t have come as a great surprise to find that the projection room was something of a disappointment, but, far from it, it turned out to be like entering some sort of cinema museum workshop - especially when projection engineer Christopher Hine and our Gerald Hooper got talking - they each knew the intimate history of the projection equipment that had served the Palace over its complete history, and also shared an in-depth knowledge of most of the other cinemas that are or have been operational in the Dorset area over the last fifty years. At one stage I just sat back and listened as they generated sparks from each other with their ‘do you remember...?’ and ‘did you know...?’ stories from well before when I was going to my local cinema as an ABC Minor on Saturday mornings! Projection with a passion Christopher Hine, who was busy bringing back into service an ancient Cinemeccanica Victoria 18, which had been left in the projection box when the cinema was closed down, but strangely cannibalised, having had many of its essential components removed, almost as though they had taken out anything that was removable, whether it would be useful or not, is an engineer who has a long history in the cinema business, and it was interesting to hear him tell Peter that he had, many moons before Peter got involved, actually taken his City and Guilds technical course at the Bridport

college that Peter was later to run. Chris had been taken on as assistant projectionist at The Plaza, Axminster, under Henry Salway as Chief, and he related many stories of his time there, highlighting the notable occasion when he was allowed to visit the projection room of The Empire, Leicester Square, and which he described as a different world from the other projection rooms he had known. When the Axminster Plaza closed in 1961 Chris worked at a cinema in Dorchester and then found a ‘proper’ job working for the Army Kinema Corporation at nearby Bovington Camp. He moved away from the cinema for some years, doing engineering jobs at various companies, eventually becoming head of engineering at the Axminster Carpets factory. When he retired in 2004 he took a parttime job as projectionist at the Regent, Lyme Regis, and he is still working there today and recently celebrated the cinema’s 70th anniversary. During his retirement he has taken the opportunity to travel, and has managed to wangle his way into projection rooms around the globe, a notable time being in India, where he well recognised the scenes from our December 2006 issue, where Indian projectionists could be seen rewinding their films out of doors - dust doesn’t seem to matter over there! Chris said that it was wonderful to see how involved Indian audiences get with the movies - dancing and singing in the aisles, and he also said that the projection staff always provided a warm welcome to him as a cinema enthusiast, seemingly a universal tradition in our business. Technical work Peter had obviously made a wise decision to bring in such a knowledgeable enthusiast as cinema technology - december2007

exhibition

Clockwise from top left: Panasonic projector, lamp house under construction, optical sound head, projector in place, rectifier and Tim and Chris at the entrance in front of the ticket booth

Chris, who says that he does the work for the sheer enjoyment of bringing a cinema back to life. The particular job that Chris was doing during our visit was to install a ‘new’ secondhand Gaumont-Kalee GK37 lamphouse that had come from the Lyme Regis cinema. The original Palace one (with a vertical xenon) had been at right angles to the film path to allow space for the four large reels, two fitted on each side of the projector in what was effectively an early ‘tower’ arrangement, and Chris was doing the considerable amount of ‘metal bashing’ needed to install a conventional in-line lamphouse, making up the special brackets and runners required to slide together and marry up the new lamphouse and the original projector assembly. There was a lot still to be done before a light can be shone on the screen, and I wonder how they will find room to makeup and breakdown the 35mm film shows. Evidently the plan is to do this with the film actually on the projector, but the top reel is very high, especially if 10,000 ft reels are to be used, and it may be difficult to make up and break down films in such a situation without causing damage to the film. A new rectifier assembly had had to be purchased (what on earth happened to the old one?), together with new lenses, and I was interested to hear from Peter that he had managed to acquire lenses that he ‘had been assured would work OK’. Sound system The original optical sound head and its assembly had seen better days, and so it was interesting to hear that BKSTS Cinema Technology Committee member Nigel Shore from NSS Imagineering had been consulted and was shortly to come along and install a Cinemeccanica reverse scan red-LED reader. I asked how the output from this device would be connected to the cinema’s existing sound equipment, expecting to be told that they would be buying a second-hand Dolby processor, but was assured by Peter that this won’t be necessary, as their existing amplifier has inputs that can cope; we shall see (or hear) in due time! Film bookings drive 35mm forward Chris, who says he is passionate to get ‘proper’ cinema going again, was working to a tight deadline to have the 35mm projector in full working order by the end of October, which will mark a new phase in the cinema’s cinema technology - december 2007

programming, since it will then be possible to book the latest ‘blockbuster’ movies and more overtly commercial offerings on film as well as the currently far more restricted range that is available on DVD from the Warner Filmbank Distributors, several months after normal cinema release. Bookings are currently made through the Independent Cinema Office (ICO), funded by UKFC and BFI, who can provide programming advice as well as the booking service, and this will continue when regular film showings are established. The digital alternative At the moment most showings are from DVD using a Panasonic DLP™ multimedia projector model PT-DW7000E. This 6000 ANSI lumen HD projector can provide very good pictures with a contrast ratio of up to 4000:1 and resolutions up to 1400 x 1050, and has a range of analogue and video inputs. The projector was acquired with the aid of a grant from the UK Film Council, and audiences are generally delighted with the quality of the images that they see. Showtimes for everyone The cinema is open every night for screenings at 6pm and 8.30pm, with tickets at a remarkably reasonable £5 and £6 (in the balcony), and the cut-price Silver Screen matinee sessions for pensioners (£3 including a cup of tea) prove popular on Mondays and Thursdays. There is also a regular Children’s session on Saturdays at £3. An excellent website www.electricpalace.org.uk provides full details of what is on, with programme synopses that can be printed out. It is not yet possible to book seats over the web, but this facility is ‘coming soon’. Alternative Content Peter is very interested in staging ‘Alternative Content’ events, and was interested to hear of the Picturehouse Cinemas deal to show Operas from the New York Met via satellite receiving equipment - he has been put in touch with Marc John. We also talked about how other cinema groups are experimenting with multi-user computer gaming on the big screen, and I have sent Peter some information about this from the speakers at the Landor Annual Cinema Conference. Audiences were evidently excellent during the summer, when the dismal wet weather brought in the tourists, but life is more difficult out of season, and Peter says he has a long way to go before making any money

out of his venture. The local population is very supportive, and the Electric Friends group is growing, although Peter says that many of these members still need enticing to come and see films regularly. For a £30 annual fee Friends get six cinema tickets and an invitation to the friends Christmas Ball, as well as a monthly newsletter, which sounds a pretty good deal to me. The new Electric Palace in Bridport seems set to become not only a high-quality cinema, showing both commercial and specialist movies, but also a venue for a whole range of community arts and cultural events, and it is great to see how the single-mindedness of one guy with the ability to persuade lots of others that his personal vision can become reality has already led to the ‘impossibility’ of re-opening a supposedly derelict building becoming a ‘fait accompli’. Cinema Technology wishes Peter and his team every success in the future. Thanks to Gerald Hooper for some of the photographs. page 27

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The Electric Palace ... a little bit of history thanks to Gerald Hooper You have to be a little careful when examining the history of what is the current Electric Palace cinema in Bridport, because the name was originally used as far back as 1912 by another cinema around the corner in Barrack Street - The Bridport Electric Palace. This closed in 1926, and, after a complete makeover, reopened in 1934 as the Lyric, and it continued under this name until its eventual final closure in 1962. Our current cinema in South Street actually opened in 1926, and since this followed closely on the closure of the Barrack Street cinema, it called itself The New Electric Palace. In the 1960s both the Lyric and the New Electric Palace came under the banner of the Dorchester Cinema Company, who also ran the Plaza Dorchester and The Plaza Axminster, and in 1969 Myles Byrne took over the company, although the Plaza Axminster had by that time closed. When Myles Byrne died in 1986 Reeltime Cinemas, now one of the bigger independent chains, under the control of Mike Vickers, took over, and I was interested to learn that Nigel Shore and Les Edlin were at that time involved in bringing the projection kit up to

Two plaques on the walls of the newly refurbished cinema give a flavour of how things used to be. Unfortunately the brave words ‘ in continuous use ever since’ on the 100 Years of Cinema plaque ceased to prove true in 1999 when the cinema eventually closed down, prior to its recent rebirth.

scratch. In 1999, with what now seems undue haste, the cinema was closed, with what were reported to be structural problems to the circle. Looking further back, sound had come to the Palace in 1931, when BTH sound equipment that could cope with sound from both disc and film was installed, together with Kalee projectors, which lasted for nearly 60 years before a change to Westrex. Later still a single Victoria 18 which had previously been used at the Savoy Andover and the Maxime in Street, Somerset, was installed, and it is this projector

that Chris Hine is currently restoring. The Vic 18 had originally been fitted with four reels, back and front of the projector, in what was effectively one of the first ‘tower’ systems. The old BTH equipment was taken on by the Projected Picture Trust [I am currently trying to get details of where it might be seen] and PPT volunteers managed to get the whole thing working for a demonstration in the MGM/ABC in Magdalen Street Oxford as part of the 100 Years of Cinema celebrations in 1996.

Top two pictures - The original BTH sound on disk equipment at the Palace Bridport, installed in 1931, photographed in 1990 Below: Sound amplifier from 1931 and BTH speaker unit - bass speaker can be seen on the cabinet, original BTH energised unit on floor

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cinema technology - december 2007

christmas quiz

What on Earth...?

For the Christmas Quiz this year, Dion has dug out pictures of half a dozen items once found in the projection room. The only clues he gives are that the î&#x192;&#x17E;rst three would have been used by the projectionist and the second three by the engineer. But can you name them and say what they were used for? No prizes, but Dion will provide the answers at the BKSTS CTC Projectionists Christmas Party on 17th December at the Odeon Leicester Square (See invitation on page 7 and below for details), and we shall certainly publish them in the next issue of Cinema Technology.

3 4

PROJECTIONISTS CHRISTMAS PARTY The Cinema Technology Committee Christmas Party will be at the Odeon Leicester Square on Monday 17th December 12 noon - 4pm, including the presentation of the PROJECTION TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD to the team from The Apollo, Redditch and the FRANK LITTLEJOHNS award for an outstanding contribution to the art and craft of Cinema Projection to Michael Weinert from the Odeon Kensington. Invitations will be sent out early in December - if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t receive yours and would like to come contact Chairman Dion Hanson - dionhanson@btinternet.com Party kindly sponsored by Bell Theatre Services Projection Team of the Year award sponsored by Dolby Labs

cinema technology - december 2007

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large format Cinema owners know what attracts audiences today: big screen ENTERTAINMENT with a perfect digital soundtrack from 8 directional channels. Considering the amount of equipment that has to be installed to do this - film projectors, speakers, amplifiers, lenses, comfortable chairs, screens etc. - audiences do get value for their money. But dark clouds are looming over the horizon. Fierce competition from other sources presents a serious challenge for the survival of the cinema. Is an immense screen and digital sound enough to retain the audience? Is the audience getting the best presentation? The cinema experience couldn’t be better.... Or could it? I propose that a visit to the cinema could be significantly better. The cinema industry has focused on digital delivery of sound in the cinema since 1992. Sound reproduction has improved enormously and the quality is excellent. It’s time to take a look at the picture quality. The dominating delivery method for motion pictures is still 35mm film, but the format is seriously challenged in resolution and brightness by digital projection. Image quality from 2k projectors has convinced the industry that digital is the way forward. And as digital projector technology advances, tomorrow’s 4k projectors will replace “yesterday’s” 2k machines. Very soon, digital projection very probably will exceed 35mm film in quality and the time has come to rethink how to get that extra “WOW” factor into cinema presentation, that elusive something which will make an audience choose the cinema to watch movies, rather than DVD, cell phones or internet. The obvious solution is to use large format 70mm film with its 3 times the resolution of standard film. With 70mm, less magnification is required and the improved quality is noticeable at once. It will be a high-impact experience for most people, unlike anything they have seen previously. Once they become aware of the WOW factor, ie. big, bright and sharp images, they will prioritize 70mm presentations. The audience will perceive any film in 70mm to be far more intense on the subconscious level because the brain has three to four times more picture information to “process” per second. In a few years, when digital projection has caught up with, and possibly exceeded 70mm quality, large format origination will still be important. It is essential to use a capturing medium with a massive storage capacity which will be accessible and last for hundreds of years. 65mm film is excellent for that purpose. This longevity fact is acknowledged by all major producers of films today, with primary long-term archiving of materials on motion picture film, not on hard drives. “Indiana Jones” and “Lord of the Rings” should have been shot in 65mm large format negative film because they are spectacular movies. But filming in 65mm should not be limited only to movies with big budgets. All page 30

Thomas Hauerslev, indefatigable defender of all things 70mm, provides Cinema Technology with a provocative ‘opinion piece’, based on his introductory speech at the third Todd-AO 70mm Festival in Karlsruhe, Germany

70mm - You can’t get better! movies would benefit enormously with a large negative. I’d have enjoyed seeing “The Bourne Identity”, “Amelie” or “Shakespeare in Love” photographed on 65mm and presented in 70mm. I would certainly select cinemas presenting films in 70mm over “sub standard” formats. Unfortunately, 70mm doesn’t make a bad film better, but a good film will improve if presented in 70mm. The new generation of filmmakers will have to go boldly where no 65mm cameras have gone before. It is their creative responsibility to deliver the best in cinema entertainment. Besides, 65mm is good for their ego – their names will appear larger, sharper

and maybe, just maybe, the audience will remember them better before they fade into obscurity. This is their best shot at getting their “15 minutes of fame”. As editor of in70mm.com I am proud to make it plain that 70mm has the WOW quality that will ensure audience satisfaction and create a come-back effect. The tag line “Presented in 70mm” on the marquee signals a superior product no other motion picture format or digital format can match - yet. Those digital guys still have quite a way to go to catch up! Thomas Hauerslev www.in70mm.com cinema technology - december 2007

annual index

INDEX to BKSTS journals 2007

compiled by Tony Iles

Image Technology (IT) Vol 89 • Cinema Technology (CT) Vol 20 • Training for Digital Projection (TDP) (supplement to CT)

INDEX OF AUTHORS Aldred, John Film Industry Pioneers – American Cinematographer Billy Bitzer Film Industry Pioneers: Donald J Bell and Albert S Howell Beedon, John and Williams, Neale Digital Cinema – The next generation of entertainment Bell, Billy BTH the prequel – Notes from a movie engineer’s diary Fifty Years of Xenons – Notes from a Movie Engineer’s Diary Napoleon – Notes from a movie engineer’s diary Back, Tom Harry Potter on Alcons digital sound in Holland Brabek, Maximilien Is there a future without perforations? (projection screens) Brown, Roland A message from the new BKSTS President From the President Message from the BKSTS President Cavanagh, Bob BKSTS Award for the advancement of cinema technology goes to Dolby Chamaillard, Alain Proyecson…for 50 years made in Valencia, made in Spain Chew, Bill Puttin’ on the Ritz (II) Davies, Paul Obituary: Alec Budden de Neeve, Frank Cinecitta Nuremberg Reelport shows the potential future of digital distribution Ellis, David A Book Review: The cinema of Russia and the Former Soviet union Christopher Challis – Cinematographer Profile Cinematographer Profile: Douglas Slocombe BSC, FBKS Cinematographer Profile: Alex Thomson BSC FBKS Harry Potter Returns Meet the chief: Edward Peak Fullerton, Fred Berlin Cinemas… yesterday and today Green Martyn Being a Projectionist in Taipei – Interviews with Bruce Lan and Eileen Shih Big things happening on the small screen There’s still life in the Red House Guckian, Brian Film Handling for the Projectionist – New BKSTS Wall Chart Haigh, Alan Norwegian Film Institute’s new sound system Hanson, Dion Frank Littlejohns award for Jim Schultz Real time audio analysers ARTA 80 from Abacus, and its equivalent from AcoustX The Hyde Park Picture House Worcester Lighting sponsored training day for Reel Cinemas, in Loughborough Hauerslev, Thomas 70mm – You can’t get better! Meet the Chief of the Cannes Film Festival: Loic Ledez Helt, Francois Everything you always wanted to know about digital cinema players Higham, George The Adventures of George the Projectionist Hilton, David Bradford Animation Festival 2006 – an appreciation Hooper, Gerald The Regent Centre, Christchurch - revived Horton, Mark Colour Grading Revolution – Rushes through to Final Post: The Logic of Colour

cinema technology - december 2007

IT IT

jul▲ 26 oct▲16

dec 38

mar 46

CT CT

dec 52 sep 51

sep 28

mar 34

CT IT CT

sep 12 oct▲15 dec 17

sep 14

jun 10

mar

jun 62

CT CT

sep 22 sep 30

CT IT IT IT IT CT

sep 39 jul▲ 16 apr 20 jan 12 jul▲ 14 jun 56

mar 25

CT CT CT

sep 46 sep 43 jun 53

dec

dec 18

mar 43

CT CT

jun 21 jun 49

jun 51

CT CT

dec 30 dec 53

TDP mar 12 CT

dec 55

oct▲ 24

mar 48

jan 14

Howell, John & Davies, Peter Obituary: Mervyn George Howell Hurd, Martyn Being effective as a manager Iles, Tony BKSTS 75th Anniversary Awards Happé Lecture 2006 - The Art and Craft of Aardman Obituary: Alex Thomson BSC, FBKS Obituary: Dennis James Kimbley FBKS Obituary: Freddie Francis BSC, FBKS Obituary: Peter Ellenshaw The Light of Other Days: Making a Sports Feature Film The Light of Other Days: Methods of Stereoscopic Projection The Light of Other Days: Robert Paul Cinematography’s Renaissance Man The Light of Other Days: The making of “War in the Air” Jahans, Matt TLS low-cost solution to screen brightness measurement John, Marc UK leads Europe for live alternative content programming Kelly, Denis & Masson, Alan Obituary: John Pytlak Obituary: John Pytlak Kilkenny-Blake, Derek WildFilm History needs your help Knight, Peter FLIX reaches 60 – Loughborough Students’ Cinema Lempp, Wolfgang Colour Grading Revolution – Rushes through to Final Post Lobban, Grant Out of the Lens Cupboard Samuelson Camera Collection sold Marcellin, Michael Variable Bit Rate JPEG encoding used in DTS Digital Cinema Encoder Mitchell, Ian University of Hertfordshire Model & SFX Course Pinn, Julian Industry collaboration combats noise Power, Jason Digital 3D – taking a practical approach Protecting Movies against Piracy: why Encryption isn’t the Whole Story Robinson, Andrew Screens for 3D Cinema Rusell, Yvonne Obituary: Leonard George Petts Salter, Geoff 3D Projection – a forgotten system Schmidt, Lutz Kinoton – behind the scenes The evolution of the Kinoton E-drive series Schultz, Jim The “Projector Man” looks at Widescreen pioneers Shaw, Steve “Futureworks” – new Bollywood Digital Intermediate operation uses Digital Praxis Credo – Prepare to Believe Slater Jim & Iles, Tony Obituary: Albert Critoph MBKS Slater, Jim Adobe Master Collection leaves CT well prepared for a flexible future Autodesk Maya 8.5 launched and 3ds max 9 extension boosts productivity Berlin – City of Cinemas BKSTS AGM BKSTS David Lean Foundation Digital Awareness course for projectionists Book Review: 70 years of fabulous film-making (Pinewood Studios) Book Review: Inventing Digital Television Book Review: Oxfordshire Cinemas – Ian Meyrick

dec 59

apr 19

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jan 38 jan 48 jul▲ 29 jan 36 apr 42 apr 43 apr 47 jan 55

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jul▲ 39 oct▲ 31

mar 14

sep 32

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dec 58 oct▲ 21

apr 10

mar 42

jan 18

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apr 16 apr 34

TDP mar 10 IT

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jan

jun 41

TDP mar 19 CT

dec 48

sep 52

oct▲14

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mar 10 jun 7

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oct▲ 20 apr 36

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jul ▲23 jul ▲11 sep 49

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annual index Book Review: Spaces Speak – Are You Listening? (Blesser & Salter) Broadcast Live (Event Report) Capture that elusive shot – then focus later! Cineworld Cardiff win projection team of the year award Coming Soon: Home Cinema Section Cooke link lenses to Post Production, with Pixel Farm Digital Acquisition – the story so far Digital Hollywood Europe in London Digital Projection News Exploring D-Cinema 2 – Report of CILECT Conference Frontiersman to Film-Maker: The biography of Birt Acres FRPS, FRMetS Getting a lift at Aylesbury’s Odeon (The Movielift PHC 1000S) HD Masters paints a glowing picture HD Masters paints a glowing picture – Part 2 Heard any good movies lately? (Projectionist Training Courses) IBC 2006 – One Man’s View 2006 Report (concluded from October 2006 issue) IBC 2007 breaks all records Interview with John Wilkinson, Chief Executive of the CEO Meet the Chief: Paul Richards and Gary Stevens at the Appollo Redditch Meet the Chief: Roy Lyngstrad of Fredrikstad Kino More treasures from Amanda at Huntley Archives New Fuji Neg shows its colours (Eterna Vivid 160) New Vue Cinema at Thurrock Lakeside Obituary: Leonard F Coleman FBKS Obituary: Robert Allen FBKS Projectiondesign lead the way in e-cinema Quark Express 7 points the way to the future of Image Technology SATIS 2007 Saving the Journal for the Future (Editor’s Foreword) Signposting the future (The Landor 2007 cinema industry conference – Part 2) Simply Plug-in for PC TV – the smallest ever digital TV and video recorder? Sony 4K for cinemas at last (UK Launch of Sony Cine-Alta 4K SRX-R220) Systems and scalability will determine the future of Digital, say Arts Alliance The Arriflex D-20: The first film-style digital camera The award for the advancement of cinema technology The Landor 2007 Cinema Industry Conference -Report Pt 1 Time Signal Broadcast station moves from Rugby to Anthorn Twenty years on for Max and Bell Theatre Services Usability the key to DTV Videoforum 2007 Vue Digital, Princes Quay, Hull - First UK & European all-digital cinema Why is the Film Look still unique? Slater, Jim & Hooper, Gerald Bridport’s Electric Palace reborn Smith, Michael D, & Villasenor, John JPEG 2000 Rate Control for Digital Cinema Stam, Jos A 3D revolution in the making Sutton, David AL Obituary: Harold Rodney Power MBKS Taylor, Mike Obituary: Desmond McGreal Taylor, Ted Report of the BKSTS Council for 2006/2007 Trompeteler, Mark Getting technical/Tips for projecting nitrate prints at the NFT Polish multiplex marvel… where “atmosphere” is the most important thing Vickers, Jerry Colour Grading Revolution – Rushes through to F inal Post: da vinci covers it all von Sychowski, Patrick Norway concludes Europe’s largest digital cinema trial Obituary: Lars Svanberg FBKS Wales, Ben End of a Classic – Final closure of Cosham’s Carlton Cinema

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apr 35 jul▲ 5 oct▲ 5 mar 16 dec 62 apr 12 jul▲ 30 jan 11 dec 35 jan 20

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dec 10 jan 26 jan 29 oct▲ 22 sep 16

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sep 36 dec 50 apr 26 jul▲ 12 sep 7 jan 37 jan 36 dec 42

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Wolland, Nigel Obituary: Barry Took MBKS CT jun 62 Note: ▲: July and October issues were only available on the web and the BKSTS website. There were no printed copies. INDEX OF SUBJECTS animation Bradford Animation Festival 2006 – an appreciation Hilton, David Happé Lecture 2006 - The Art and Craft of Aardman Iles, Tony archives More treasures from Amanda at Huntley Archives Slater, Jim Saving the Journal for the Future (Editor’s Foreword) Slater, Jim asset management Adobe Master Collection leaves CT well prepared for a flexible future Slater, Jim Saving the Journal for the Future (Editor’s Foreword) Slater, Jim awards BKSTS 75th Anniversary Awards Iles, Tony Cineworld Cardiff win projection team of the year award Slater, Jim Cyan Track Pioneers recognised at Academy Scientific & Technical Awards Frank Littlejohns award for Jim Schultz Hanson, Dion Society Fellows honoured by Production Guild The award for the advancement of cinema technology Slater, Jim bksts events BKSTS 75th Anniversary Awards Iles, Tony BKSTS AGM Slater, Jim BKSTS AGM Agenda Colour Grading Revolution – Rushes through to Final Post: da vinci covers it all Vickers, Jerry Colour Grading Revolution – Rushes through to Final Post: Scene or Screen? Lempp, Wolfgang Colour Grading Revolution – Rushes through to Final Post: The Logic of Colour Horton, Mark Happé Lecture 2006 - The Art and Craft of Aardman Iles, Tony HD Masters 2007 – Tackling the realities of HD Broadcasting HD Masters paints a glowing picture Slater, Jim HD Masters paints a glowing picture – Part 2 Slater, Jim Heard any good movies lately? (Projectionist Training Courses) Slater, Jim More treasures from Amanda at Huntley Archives Slater, Jim Why is the Film Look still unique? Slater, Jim bksts news A message from the new BKSTS President Brown, Roland From the President Brown, Roland Message from the BKSTS President Brown, Roland Report of the BKSTS Council for 2006/2007 Taylor, Ted book reviews Book Review: 70 years of fabulous film-making (Pinewood Studios) Slater, Jim Book Review: Inventing Digital Television Slater, Jim Book Review: Oxfordshire Cinemas – Ian Meyrick Slater, Jim Book Review: Spaces Speak – Are You Listening? (Blesser & Salter) Slater, Jim Book Review: The cinema of Russia and the Former Soviet union Ellis, David A cinemas 70mm – You can’t get better! Hauerslev, Thomas Berlin – City of Cinemas Slater, Jim Berlin Cinemas… yesterday and today Fullerton, Fred BKSTS Award for the advancement of cinema technology goes to Dolby Cavanagh, Bob Bridport’s Electric Palace reborn Slater, Jim & Hooper, Gerald Cinecitta Nuremberg de Neeve, Frank Coming Soon: Home Cinema Section Slater, Jim Digital Cinema – The next generation of entertainment Beedon, John & Williams, Neale

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cinema technology - december 2007

annual index Digital Projection News Slater, Jim End of a Classic – Final closure of Cosham’s Carlton Cinema Wales, Ben Exploring D-Cinema 2 – Report of CILECT Conference Slater, Jim FLIX reaches 60 – Loughborough Students’ Cinema milestone Knight, Peter Getting a lift at Aylesbury’s Odeon (The Movielift PHC 1000S) Slater, Jim Harry Potter on Alcons digital sound in Holland Back, Tom Interview with John Wilkinson, Chief Executive of the CEO Slater, Jim Meet the Chief: Paul Richards and Gary Stevens at the Appollo Redditch Slater, Jim Meet the Chief: Roy Lyngstrad of Fredrikstad Kino Slater, Jim Mundocolor Group ten years on (Fibre optics safety lighting for theatres) New Screen Digest Report highlights opportunities and problems in Chinese Cinema New Vue Cinema at Thurrock Lakeside Slater, Jim Norwegian Film Institute’s new sound system Haigh, Alan Polish multiplex marvel… where “atmosphere” is the most important thing Trompeteler, Mark Projectiondesign lead the way in e-cinema Slater, Jim Protecting Movies against Piracy: why Encryption isn’t the Whole Story Power, Jason Puttin’ on the Ritz (II) Chew, Bill Reelport shows the potential future of digital distribution de Neeve, Frank Screens for 3D Cinema Robinson, Andrew Systems and scalability will determine the future of Digital, say Arts Alliance Slater, Jim The Hyde Park Picture House Hanson, Dion The Landor 2007 Cinema Industry Conference eport Pt 1 Slater, Jim The Regent Centre, Christchurch - revived Hooper, Gerald The Virtual Print Fee – a Q & A with Arts Alliance There’s still life in the Red House Green, Martyn UK leads Europe for live alternative content programming John, Marc Vue Digital, Princes Quay, Hull - First UK & European all-digital cinema Slater, Jim Worcester Lighting sponsored training day for Reel Cinemas, in Loughborough Hanson, Dion cinematography Cinematographer Profile: Douglas Slocombe BSC, FBKS Ellis, David A Cinematographer Profile: Focus on Alex Thomson BSC FBKS Ellis, David A Harry Potter Returns Ellis, David A New Fuji Neg shows its colours (Eterna Vivid 160) Slater, Jim The Light of Other Days: Robert Paul Cinematography’s Renaissance Man Iles, Tony companies Kinoton – behind the scenes Schmidt, Lutz Twenty years on for Max and Bell Theatre Services Slater, Jim digital “Futureworks” - new Bollywood Digital Intermediate operation uses Digital Praxis Shaw, Steve BKSTS David Lean Foundation Digital Awareness course for projectionists Slater, Jim Coming Soon: Home Cinema Section Slater, Jim Credo - Prepare to Believe Shaw, Steve Digital 3D – taking a practical approach Power, Jason Digital Acquisition – the story so far Slater, Jim Digital Cinema – The next generation of entertainment Beedon, John & Williams, Neale Digital Projection News Slater, Jim Everything you always wanted to know about digital cinema players Helt, Francois

cinema technology - december 2007

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Exploring D-Cinema 2 – Report of CILECT Conference Slater, Jim Harry Potter on Alcons digital sound in Holland Back, Tom JPEG 2000 Rate Control for Digital Cinema Smith, Michael D, & Villasenor, John Norway concludes Europe’s largest digital cinema trial von Sychowski, Patrick Projectiondesign lead the way in e-cinema Slater, Jim Protecting Movies against Piracy: why Encryption isn’t the Whole Story Power, Jason Reelport shows the potential future of digital distribution de Neeve, Frank Screens for 3D Cinema Robinson, Andrew Sony 4K for cinemas at last (UK Launch of Sony Cine-Alta 4K SRX-R220) Slater, Jim Systems and scalability will determine the future of Digital, say Arts Alliance Slater, Jim The Arriflex D-20: The first film-style digital camera Slater, Jim Vue Digital, Princes Quay, Hull - First UK & European all-digital cinema Slater, Jim The Virtual Print Fee – a Q & A with Arts Alliance UK leads Europe for live alternative content programming John, Marc Usability the key to DTV Slater, Jim Variable Bit Rate JPEG encoding used in DTS Digital Cinema Encoder Marcellin, Michael displays Projecting on Ice – Anna Valley make it happen high definition HD Masters paints a glowing picture Slater, Jim HD Masters paints a glowing picture – Part 2 Slater, Jim history Berlin Cinemas… yesterday and today Fullerton, Fred Film Industry Pioneers – American Cinematographer Billy Bitzer Aldred, John Film Industry Pioneers: Donald J Bell and Albert S Howell Aldred, John Samuelson Camera Collection sold Lobban, Grant The Light of Other Days: Making a Sports Feature Film Iles, Tony The Light of Other Days: Methods of Stereoscopic Projection Iles, Tony The Light of Other Days: Robert Paul Cinematography’s Renaissance Man Iles, Tony The Light of Other Days: The making of “War in the Air” Iles, Tony large format 70mm – You can’t get better! Hauerslev, Thomas Big things happening on the small screen Green Martyn The “Projector Man” looks at some of the pioneers in Widescreen Schultz, Jim natural history WildFilm History needs your help Kilkenny-Blake, Derek newsgathering The Light of Other Days: The making of “War in the Air” Iles, Tony obituaries Obituary: Albert Critoph MBKS Slater Jim & Iles, Tony Obituary: Alec Budden Davies, Paul Obituary: Barry Took MBKS Wolland, Nigel Obituary: Dennis James Kimbley FBKS Iles, Tony Obituary: Desmond McGreal Taylor, Mike Obituary: Freddie Francis BSC, FBKS Iles, Tony Obituary: Harold Rodney Power MBKS Sutton, David AL Obituary: John Pytlak Kelly, Dennis & Masson, Alan Obituary: John Pytlak Kelly, Denis & Masson, Alan Obituary: Lars Svanberg FBKS von Sychowski, Patrick Obituary: Leonard F Coleman FBKS Slater, Jim Obituary: Leonard George Petts Rusell, Yvonne Obituary: Mervyn George Howell Howell, John & Davies, Peter Obituary: Peter Ellenshaw Iles, Tony Obituary: Robert Allen FBKS Slater, Jim Obituary: Alex Thomson BSC, FBKS Iles, Tony optics Capture that elusive shot – then focus later! Slater, Jim Cooke link lenses to Post Production, with Pixel Farm Slater, Jim

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annual index Out of the Lens Cupboard Lobban, Grant other organisations Bradford Animation Festival 2006 – an appreciation Hilton, David Broadcast Live (Event Report) Slater, Jim Cyan Track Pioneers recognised at Academy Scientific & Technical Awards Digital Hollywood Europe in London Slater, Jim HD Masters paints a glowing picture Slater, Jim HD Masters paints a glowing picture – Part 2 Slater, Jim IBC 2006 - One Man’s View Slater, Jim IBC 2006 Report (concluded from October 2006 issue Slater, Jim IBC 2007 breaks all records Slater, Jim SATIS 2007 Slater, Jim Signposting the future (The Landor 2007 cinema industry conference - Part 2) Slater, Jim Videoforum 2007 Slater, Jim people Christopher Challis – Cinematographer Profile Ellis, David A Cinematographer Profile: Douglas Slocombe BSC, FBKS Ellis, David A Cinematographer Profile: Focus on Alex Thomson BSC FBKS Ellis, David A Frontiersman to Film-Maker: The biography of Birt Acres FRPS, FRMetS Slater, Jim Meet the Chief of the Cannes Film Festival: Loic Ledez Hauerslev, Thomas Meet the chief: Edward Peak Ellis, David A Meet the Chief: Roy Lyngstrad of Fredrikstad Kin Slater, Jim post production Colour Grading Revolution – Rushes through to Final Post: da vinci covers it all Vickers, Jerry Colour Grading Revolution – Rushes through to Final Post: Scene or Screen? Lempp, Wolfgang Colour Grading Revolution – Rushes through to Final Post: The Logic of Colour Horton, Mark Cooke link lenses to Post Production, with Pixel Farm Slater, Jim Credo – Prepare to Believe Shaw, Steve production Credo – Prepare to Believe Shaw, Steve The Light of Other Days: Making a Sports Feature Film Iles, Tony projection Being a Projectionist in Taipei – Interviews with Bruce Lan and Eileen Shih Green Martyn BKSTS David Lean Foundation Digital Awareness course for projectionists Slater, Jim BTH the prequel – Notes from a movie engineer’s diary Bell, Billy Cineworld Cardiff win projection team of the year award Slater, Jim Diary of a Projectionist Digital 3D - taking a practical approach Power, Jason Digital Cinema – The next generation of entertainment Beedon, John & Williams, Neale Digital Projection News Slater, Jim Everything you always wanted to know about digital cinema players Helt, Francois Fifty Years of Xenons – Notes from a Movie Engineer’s Diary Bell, Billy Film Handling for the Projectionist - New BKSTS Wall Chart Guckian, Brian Frank Littlejohns award for Jim Schultz Hanson, Dion Getting technical/Tips for projecting nitrate prints…at the NFT Trompeteler, Mark Heard any good movies lately? (Projectionist Training Courses) Slater, Jim Is there a future without perforations? (projection screens) Brabek, Maximilien JPEG 2000 Rate Control for Digital Cinema Smith, Michael D, & Villasenor, John Kinoton - behind the scenes Schmidt, Lutz Meet the Chief of the Cannes Film Festival: Loic Ledez Hauerslev, Thomas Meet the Chief: Roy Lyngstrad of Fredrikstad Kino Slater, Jim

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Napoleon – Notes from a movie engineer’s diary Bell, Billy Norway concludes Europe’s largest digital cinema trial von Sychowski, Patrick Projecting on Ice – Anna Valley make it happen Projectiondesign lead the way in e-cinema Slater, Jim Proyecson…for 50 years made in Valencia, made in Spain Chamaillard, Alain Sony 4K for cinemas at last (UK Launch of Sony Cine-Alta 4K SRX-R220) Slater, Jim The “Projector Man” looks at some of the pioneers in Widescreen Schultz, Jim The Adventures of George the Projectionist Higham, George The evolution of the Kinoton E-drive series Schmidt, Lutz TLS provide low-cost solution to screen brightness measurement Jahans, Matt Variable Bit Rate JPEG encoding used in DTS Digital Cinema Encoder Marcellin, Michael Vue Digital, Princes Quay, Hull - First UK & European all-digital cinema Slater, Jim radio Time Signal Broadcast station moves from Rugby to Anthorn Slater, Jim sound Harry Potter on Alcons digital sound in Holland Back, Tom Heard any good movies lately? (Projectionist Training Courses) Slater, Jim Norwegian Film Institute’s new sound system Haigh, Alan Real time audio analysers ARTA 80 from Abacus, and its equivalent from AcoustX Hanson, Dion special effects University of Hertfordshire Model & SFX Course contains work experience Mitchell, Ian standards Industry collaboration combats noise Pinn, Julian International Standards – LA Plenary Report Pinn, Julian stereo 3D HD from TD Vision 3D Projection – a forgotten system Salter, Geoff A 3D revolution in the making Stam, Jos Autodesk Maya 8.5 launched and 3ds max 9 extension boosts productivity Slater, Jim Screens for 3D Cinema Robinson, Andrew The Light of Other Days: Methods of Stereoscopic Projection Iles, Tony technology Getting a lift at Aylesbury’s Odeon (The Movielift PHC 1000S) Slater, Jim Quark Express 7 points the way to the future of Image Technology Slater, Jim Why is the Film Look still unique? Slater, Jim television 3D HD from TD Vision Broadcast Live (Event Report) Slater, Jim HD Masters 2007 – Tackling the realities of HD Broadcasting HD Masters paints a glowing picture Slater, Jim HD Masters paints a glowing picture – Part 2 Slater, Jim Projecting on Ice – Anna Valley make it happen Simply Plug-in for PC TV – the smallest ever digital TV and video recorder? Slater, Jim Usability the key to DTV Slater, Jim training Being effective as a manager Hurd, Martyn BKSTS David Lean Foundation Digital Awareness course for projectionists Slater, Jim Film Handling for the Projectionist New BKSTS Wall Chart Guckian, Brian Heard any good movies lately? (Projectionist Training Courses) Slater, Jim University of Hertfordshire Model & SFX Course contains work experience Mitchell, Ian Worcester Lighting sponsored training day for Reel Cinemas, in Loughborough Hanson, Dion

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cinema technology - december 2007

digital newsreel

December 2007

B•K•S•T•S The Moving Image Society

A supplement to Cinema Technology The leading specialist publication for cinema industry professionals Digital newsreel...Digital newsreel...Digital newsreel... 54 SONY 4K DIGITAL CINEMA SYSTEMS FOR AMC

Sony is equipping four of AMC Theatres’ new cinemas with CineAlta™ SXRD™ 4K digital cinema systems. 54 SXRD 4K digital cinema systems are being installed in new AMC theatres in Dallas (12 screens); Indianapolis (14 screens); Riverside, Calif. (16 screens); and San Diego (12 screens), all scheduled to open in December. The cinemas will feature a combination of Sony’s SRX-R210 10,000 lumen and SRX-R220 18,000 lumen 4K projectors, which will be paired with Sony’s LMT-100 Media Block servers. Sony’s digital cinema team will work with AMC to provide technical support for the systems and operations management at all four locations. Sony says that their goal with SXRD digital cinema technology has been to deliver unmatched levels of resolution, contrast and overall image quality, and the 4K digital projection systems for the new digital projection - december 2007

AMC theatres are designed to be compliant to the Digital Cinema Initiatives specification – providing 2K and 4K playback/projection, interoperability with currently installed systems and full-wrap security. They will be linked to Sony’s Screen Management System. The motion picture industry recently announced that it is working with major cinematographers to start production on 4K originated features, and the industry has accelerated development of 4K cameras in recent months. Sony also intends to build a complete system of digital cinematography production equipment, including 4K acquisition, storage and infrastructure solutions

DTS USE CINEFENCE DTS Digital Cinema has implemented the Philips CineFence forensic watermarking technology on its FilmStore® Digital Cinema Player as part of its commitment to continue providing solutions that support DCI specifications for digital cinema. DTS-DC has implemented CineFence technology in line with its singular focus on supporting all elements of the motion picture industry’s transition to digital cinema. The FilmStore® Digital Cinema Player, into which the technology has been integrated, is part of the FilmStore Content Management System, an innovative and comprehensive suite of products and software that have been engineered to support the build-out and operation of an

industry-wide digital cinema infrastructure. Philips CineFence forensic watermarking is a technology designed especially for the digital cinema environment to support increased measures to protect content that is delivered in a digital format. According to Ronald Maandonks, Senior Director of Business Development for Philips, “We are very pleased to add DTS Digital Cinema to our growing list of customers who have implemented our content protection technology. Their long history as an innovator in the cinema industry and their decision to select Philips CineFence speaks volumes about the ease of integration and the high quality of our product.” Don Bird, Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Business Development for DTS-DC commented: ‘DTS-DC is committed to maintaining on-going support for the evolving digital cinema standards. We are pleased to offer Philips’ CineFence content protection technology in our FilmStore digital cinema player. This enables an important step toward increased security for content owners, while keeping in line with our mission to provide the best possible technologies and solutions for our customers.’ CineFence is a registered trademark of Royal Philips Electronics. It is part of the extensive content protection portfolio from Philips Content Identification designed to protect assets and unlock value. Based on its proprietary watermark and fingerprint technology, Philips Content Identification is committed to provide state-of-

the-art solutions and services that enable both the entertainment industry and the consumer to optimally sell, share and distribute audio and video content with respect for copyrights. www.philips.com/ci

BARCO CONTINUE WITH CINEMECCANICA

After two and half successful years of joint digital cinema market development, Barco and Cinemeccanica will further strengthen their partnership by establishing Cinemeccanica as a value added partner. The new agreement gives Cinemeccanica access to the new range of 0.98”, 2K digital DLP Cinema® projectors from Barco which will allow them to promote and develop the world of digital cinema together. Under the terms of the agreement, Cinemeccanica will have the prime responsibility to promote, sell and support the new range of Barco’s 2K digital cinema projectors for much of the southern part of Europe including France, Spain, Portugal and of course Italy. With its headquarters in Milan, page 35

digital newsreel Italy, and a well established, extensive sales and service network, Cinemeccanica is one of the world’s leading suppliers of cinema equipment. Along with the current product line up, Cinemeccanica will now also sell and support the new DP-2000 and DP-1500 digital cinema projectors both of which incorporate Texas Instrument’s 0.98 inch DLP Cinema® chip, a DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device) which offers the same pixel resolution (2048x1080) as its larger 1.2 inch counterpart, but its smaller size offers significant advantages. For the projector and the digital cinema facility itself, this new technology translates directly into a smaller, more compact package, lower power consumption, lower operating costs and longer lamp run-times - without sacrificing mage quality, modularity or system flexibility. The DP-2000 is Barco’s new platform for large and mid-market venues, and is designed for screens up to 20m (65ft) wide. The DP-1500 is Barco’s new mid and small-venue projector, designed for screens up to 15m (49ft) wide. In particular, the DP-1500 is ideal for applications that could not previously accommodate (or afford) a full 2K system. As part of the agreement, Barco and Cinemeccanica may also, in the future, investigate other areas of cooperation such as co-development of value added functionality. Barco holds one of only three exclusive licences of TI’s DLP Cinema® technology.

CINEWORLD GOES 3D WITH REAL Cineworld Group, which has the largest portfolio of digital screens of any cinema operator in the UK, has signed a deal with REAL D, a world leader in 3D technology, to bring 3D to its customers. The deal will see Cineworld introduce 3D projection into its digital cinema portfolio to create the largest 3D estate in the UK. The REAL D 3D systems will initially be installed into 30 of Cineworld’s 72 digital auditoria and the roll-out will coincide with the release of Beowulf on 16 November 2007. The deal will see Cineworld continue to add REAL D systems to bring the most advanced 3D experience to its moviegoers as page 36

Cineworld finalises its deals with studios on the business terms of digital deployment. Steve Wiener, CEO of Cineworld Group plc, said, “This is a significant deal for Cineworld and one which will revolutionise the cinema experience for our moviegoers across the country. We could see as many as 100 Real D screens once our digital platform is in place.” Wiener added, “The impact of 3D on the film industry can be compared to the move from black and white to colour. After reviewing all of the latest technologies in the market we are delighted to be partnering with REAL D in spearheading the UK’s move to 3D.“ DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. announced its intention to produce all of its films in 3D starting in 2009. Visionary filmmakers including Robert Zemeckis, James Cameron, and Peter Jackson have embraced 3D as a natural enhancement to their cinematic storytelling. In addition, George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, announced his intention to remaster the original Star Wars movies in digital 3D, although no date has been set at this stage. Joseph Peixoto, President, REAL D Worldwide Cinema said, “This marks an important step in REAL D’s international expansion. Cineworld has the largest digital estate of any cinema operator in the UK so it is a natural fit for us. The rapid growth of 3D content mastered in digital format has led to an exciting and totally new 3D experience for cinema viewers and we look forward to working with Cineworld to bring greater reach of 3D to the UK.” Cinemas which will have digital installations include: ENGLAND Ashton-Under-Lyne • Bexleyheath • Birmingham Broad Street • Brighton • Castleford • Cheltenham • Chichester • Crawley • Didsbury (Manchester) • Enfield • Feltham (Middlesex) • Milton Keynes • Harlow • Ipswich • Luton • Nottingham • Sheffield • Shrewsbury • St Helens • Stevenage • Wakefield • Wandsworth • West India Quay (London) • Wolverhampton SCOTLAND - Aberdeen • Edinburgh • Falkirk • Glasgow Renfrew Street WALES Cardiff • Newport

HUNDREDS MORE 3D SITES FOR ODEON/UCI At ShowEast, Real D announced that it has also made an agreement with pan-European cinema exhibitor Odeon/UCI to install up to 500 3D digital screens over the next two years across Europe. Some of these new screens were ready for the November release of “Beowulf,” which Warner Bros. is distributing internationally, and some for Disney’s re-release of Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas 3-D.” The agreement between Real D and Odeon means that 3D screens will be added in new markets such as Spain and Italy, substantially increasing Real D’s footprint in the UK and in western Europe.

DOLBY FIRST WITH FIPS LEVEL 3 The Dolby® Digital Cinema server has officially earned its Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 Level 3 validation certificate. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a non-regulatory federal agency within the US Department of Commerce, awarded the certificate. The Dolby Digital Cinema server is the first digital cinema server to achieve the highest level of content protection security specified by the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI). All Dolby Digital Cinema servers, currently in over 400 cinemas worldwide, meet the FIPS Level 3 requirements, which is a major step toward achieving DCI compliance. “We are proud to reach this important milestone, as our team has been diligent in its efforts to make Dolby Digital Cinema DCI compliant to the fullest extent possible,” said Tim Partridge, Executive Vice President, Products and Technology, Dolby Laboratories. “To be the first company awarded the FIPS Level 3 certification in digital cinema validates our engineering approach. Studios and exhibitors alike can be reassured that Dolby has their best interests in mind by committing to the highest levels of content security specified by DCI in every location.” FIPS 140-2 are security standards adopted by DCI and cover

detailed requirements for physical security, software, interfaces, key management, and cryptographic algorithms. To earn the certification, the Dolby Digital Cinema server underwent a rigorous testing process by InfoGard Laboratories, an accredited cryptographic module testing laboratory, which performed extensive analysis of the design and construction of the unit. InfoGard submitted its test report to NIST, which issued the FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validation certificate. “Due to the specialized design and documentation requirements combined with the rigorous validation testing, FIPS 140-2 Level 3 is one of the toughest objectives for DCI server manufacturers to meet,” said Thomas Caddy, General Manager and Laboratory Director of InfoGard Laboratories. “We congratulate Dolby for achieving this significant milestone.” The official Dolby Digital Cinema FIPS 140-2 NIST certificate is number 842.

DCI COMPLIANCE TEST PLAN READY Digital Cinema Initiatives, LLC (DCI) has announced the completion and availability of the DCI Compliance Test Plan (CTP). DCI engaged CineCert LLC to finalize the CTP, which includes validated test procedures for the DCI Specification, version 1.1, including all referenced SMPTE standards. It details test procedures appropriate for each class of digital cinema device, such as projectors, servers, and media blocks. The CTP can be downloaded from the DCI website www.dcimovies.com. The CTP will be used in conjunction with the DCI Digital Cinema System Specification, which gives technical specifications and serves as a guide for all those involved in digital cinema. DCI is considering several entities that have expressed interest in becoming licensed facilities to perform the tests detailed by the Compliance Test Plan, and a selection process is underway. DCI says that the test plan is comprehensive and provides the necessary insight and guidance to manufacturers, integrators and exhibitors on the details required for testing and compliance. digital projection - december 2007

digital newsreel

ALTERNATIVE CONTENT - ODEON PREMIERES THE STORY OF THE WHO The 5th November saw yet another step forward in the development of Alternative Content for cinemas, as 15 Odeon cinemas took part via a satellite link in the London Premiere of Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who, with band members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey appearing live on the stage of the Odeon Kensington, along with the film’s creators, to give an introduction and to answer questions from the audience, which had been previously submitted to the Odeon website. The event was made possible by Odeon Cinemas working with Universal Pictures and Arts Alliance Media, and the whole event, including the introduction and Q&A, was screened simultaneously to cinema audiences across the UK, Austria and Germany, in High Definition and 5.1 surround sound. The Story of The Who tells the unfolding story of The Who across 40 years, and features all-new, exclusive interviews with Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and others, rare and recently discovered concert

footage, artist profiles and more, plus music greats including Sting, U2’s The Edge, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and Oasis’ Noel Gallagher, who offer insightful commentaries on The Who’s indelible influence. The feature film brings the band’s story right up to date with footage from the band’s recent tour and tracks from the band’s first album in two decades ‘Endless Wire’. Arts Alliance Media made the most of the Odeon digital projection infrastructure using satellite links provided by Arqiva, to bring this star-studded event live via satellite from the ODEON Kensington to 14 other cinema venues across the UK, as well as to MEC Vienna, Austria and UCI/Kinowelt Dusseldorf, Germany. UK cinemas involved were the Odeons at Kensington, Norwich, Cardiff, Manchester Printworks, London Covent Garden, Birmingham, Sheffield, Southampton, Maidenhead, Wimbledon, Tunbridge Wells, Liverpool, Bath, Guildford, and Greenwich. Information: http:// amazinguk.thewho.com

BEOWULF BREAKS 3D RECORDS - LARGEST EVER DAY AND DATE LARGE FORMAT 3D RELEASE

NEW GUIDE FROM ECDF The European Digital Cinema Forum, the leading networking, information sharing and lobbying organisation for Digital Cinema in Europe, has just published its second Digital Cinema Guide, following its successful ‘Guide to Early Adopters’ which came out in 2005. Copies of the ‘EDCF Guide to Digital Cinema Mastering’ can be obtained from EDCF General Secretary John Graham: jgedcf@talktalk.net

Producer-Director Robert Zemeckis’ digitally enhanced live-action “Beowulf” from Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros Pictures was screened in well over 1000 3D cinemas on its debut day in November. More than 1,000 Real D cinemas, as well as many other 3D locations provided the largest ever day-and-date large-format 3-D release. Imax® cinemas are also showing the 3D version of the movie, and on 16 November at digital projection - december 2007

the BFI IMAX in London, moviegoers experienced the epic tale of Beowulf told as never before - in stunning IMAX 3D. Beowulf was converted into IMAX 3D and re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® through IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology, and the unique theatre geometry of the IMAX theatre combined with crystal clear, larger than life 3D images and digital

surround-sound, creates an environment that puts the audience in the movie. Beowulf: An IMAX 3D Experience opened concurrently with the nationwide 35mm and digital 3D releases from Warner Bros. Pictures on 16 November. “Beowulf” is the third Zemeckis film in 3D, following “The Polar Express” from Warner Bros. played in Imax 3D, and “Monster House” from Sony Pictures that was shown on 178 Real D screens. page 37

digital projection

Digital cinema - the next generation of entertainment By John Beeden, General Manager Digital Cinema and Neale Williams, Digital Media and Cinema Products Manager, NEC UK. creative commons licence rjw1 / Bob Walker Flickr

Films and cinema technology have been around for more than 100 years, from black and white silent motion pictures in the late 19th Century through the addition of sound in the 1920s to full colour motion pictures in the 1950s. For 50 years, cinema technology didn’t change, falling behind the developments in home entertainment such as DVD and digital broadcasting. It was not until the turn of the 21st Century that this changed significantly, with the emergence of digital cinema technology. 35 mm celluloid film has been used to shoot, distribute and show films for more than 100 years. Now, the film industry is at the threshold of the biggest change in its history: the transition from film to digital. Digital cinema technology has already begun to captivate millions of film-goers; delivering clear, sharp, bright and accurate images to cinema screens. The total number of installed Digital Light Processing (DLP®) projectors is almost 5,000, with theatres located

in 35 countries worldwide. Since May 1999, more than 350 films have been released for projection on digital projectors and digital cinema systems have been deployed and tested commercially in theatres, providing more than seven years of in-field usage. With the release in May 2002 of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones – the first all digital live action feature, shot without a single roll of film – the digital revolution arrived on screens. Since 1999, DLP® technology has projected over 200,000 shows to more than 25 million people worldwide. The technology behind digital cinema It is widely agreed that DLP® technology delivers a true digital picture with incredible clarity and vibrant colours. With DLP® technology, there is no colour fading, jump and weave, scratching and dirt accumulation which are common problems that plague film. DLP® offers a consistent image with no degradation over time.

The NEC Multimedia Switcher converts digital data from various external sources - DVD players, PCs, digital VCRs, digital tuners and digital cameras etc - to allow DLP Cinema® projectors to screen anything from live concerts and sporting events to computer presentations and DVD content.

Film lovers can see a movie in its original pristine condition, exactly the way the director intended it, regardless of if they see it during the first or 101st week of the run. DLP® technology-enabled projectors for very high image quality or very high brightness applications such as cinema and large venue displays rely on a 3-chip configuration to produce both still and moving images. In a 3-chip system, the white light generated by the lamp passes through a prism that divides it into red, green and blue light. Each DLP® chip is dedicated to one of these three colours; from which a singlechip DLP® projection system can create at least 16.7 million colours and a DLP® projector can create up to 35 trillion colours. The colour light that the micro mirrors reflect is then combined and passed through the projection lens to form an image. When a DLP® chip is coordinated with a digital video or graphic signal, a light source, and a projection lens, its mirrors can reflect a digital image onto a screen or other surface. The DLP® chip and the sophisticated electronics

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that surround it are referred to as DLP® technology. A DLP® chip’s micro mirrors are mounted on tiny hinges that enable them to tilt either toward the light source in a DLP® projection system (ON) or away from it (OFF) - creating a light or dark pixel on the projection surface. The bit-streamed image code entering the semiconductor directs each mirror to switch on and off up to several thousand times per second. When a mirror is switched on more frequently than off, it reflects a light grey pixel; a mirror that’s switched off more frequently reflects a darker grey pixel. The on and off states of each micro mirror are coordinated with these three basic building blocks of colour. For example, a mirror responsible for projecting a purple pixel will only reflect red and blue light to the projection surface; our eyes then blend these rapidly alternating flashes to see the intended hue in a projected image. Traditionally, films would be delivered on four to six heavy reels that would be bulky and have to be set up before each show (the latest James Bond film was printed digital projection - december 2007

digital projection Furthermore, digital projector vendors now have the technology to manufacture projectors which utilise existing 35mm projector bulbs, but with increased efficiency. Therefore there is no extra investment required for bulbs and there is a significant power reduction.

The 20 metre screen at Vue at the O2 and an NEC digital projector in situ

22,000 times on 35mm film). In stark comparison, digital movies are sent to the projectionist either on a hard drive or in the future over the internet. The projectionist transfers film from hard drive via USB to server, which takes up to 30minutes. He then waits for a digital lock (a key to allow the film to be played) to activate the film. The projectionist then just has to hit ‘play’. Digital cinema innovation Moving beyond the traditional scope of what cinemas offer, digital cinema has the potential to deliver much more than just films; it can deliver live events and experiences in a wide variety of ways. For example, the cinema could be integrated into an IP - based broadcast network and transformed into an overflow facility for a live concert. Real-time streamed content utilising a digital projector provides a multitude of further possibilities, such as real-time gaming, lectures or broadcasting HDTV. This type of additional use for digital cinema can be seen at Vue at The O2 in Greenwich, London where NEC has installed the largest purpose built digital cinema in the UK, seating 800 people. The premiere-grade screen is larger than the big Leicester Square cinemas, and has the added advantage of being connected to a converged network which means that films can be shown in almost

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simultaneous broadcasts across the world. This is possible due to advanced security that prevents piracy intrusions and a network capable of streaming video at the highest digital resolutions. Forward thinking digital projector manufacturers have integrated general purpose input and output settings which have resulted in many more opportunities for automation. If trailers are released in 35mm the digital film can be automated to start when the trailer has finished. This integration makes the projection process much easier to manage, and faults can be remotely reported. This type of communications support is the next stage in digital cinema technology – the film projection stage is a part of the whole process for cinema owners and vendors are coming up with new ways to make the entire experience better and, ultimately, more profitable for cinemas. Vendors are currently working on remote management systems that continually monitor the projector for problems and then feedback to a central reporting managements system.

have a better experience, seeing a film in better quality sound and vision and the owners enjoy lower running costs as new projection equipment is light, runs efficiently and has limited downtime. Another advantage of digital projection equipment is the potential to show 3D films in the future. In the same way that digital photography has now become ubiquitous, many of the same benefits that led to its widespread uptake are applicable to digital cinema: it is much more efficient, cost effective, secure and environmentally friendly to distribute, view and store content electronically. Digital content does not suffer from degradation, as compared to 35mm analogue film. In addition, due to its IP-based nature, digital cinema provides the flexibility for cinemas to adapt their offering depending on circumstances and demand.

Digital cinema in the UK – leading the global uptake There is a slow switch away from 35mm film to digital prints and the UK is leading the way in Europe. There are currently approximately 120 NEC digital installations in Europe with 100 in the UK. The issue of slow transition is one of legacy - old cinema projectors have lasted more than 40 years in some cases, and the costs of implementing a new digital platform in each cinema to date have been beyond most theatre owners’ short term plans. Over the last 18 months NEC has been involved in a number of pilots both in the UK and abroad. These pilots include one of the most significant developments in digital cinema to date at Odeon, Hatfield where NEC has installed digital NC2500S 2K projectors in all nine screens in the complex. Odeon is the first cinema chain to launch a fully digital cinema, compliant with the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) – the test bed for the digital roll out of cinema. The

Remote diagnosis Historically, if something failed and the projectionist couldn’t repair the problem on site they would have to wait for an engineer to arrive. However, with digital cinema, fault diagnosis can be done over IP. This has a positive effect as the audience will

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digital projection any digital cinema installed.

conversion is part of an ongoing trial into the viability of switching to digital as the de facto cinema format of choice. There is a ‘wait and see’ mentality from other cinema chains and Odeon’s success will kick start the introduction of digital cinema projectors across the UK and Europe. Through an initiative with the UK Film Council, 60 NEC units are installed in some of the UK’s Art House cinemas which demand the best quality and have limited space. For these reasons, NEC’s projectors have been deemed most suitable. There is also a strong belief in the ability of digital projection to show the audience a film exactly the way the director envisaged it. The world’s brightest... The cinematic experience at Vue at The O2 is brought to the audience on the world-leading NEC NC2500S. This Digital Light Processing (DLP®) projector is the world’s brightest cinema projector. It is also the world’s first DLP® projector for screens up to 25 metres. The projector produces high contrast images at a 2000:1 ratio and boasts two more world ‘firsts’ in its memory functions for lens position and lamp output, and the ability to change the lamp from the back position. These world firsts were uncovered in a stringent survey of DLP projectors conducted by NEC in February 2006 to ensure that its technology was setting the industry standard. With the global trend of moving to digital, the projectors, which have been integrated into three cinemas in The O2, will deliver image quality at the leading edge. Testing world-wide NEC projectors are also being page 40

used in the Cinema Beta Test - a digital cinema verification experiment - currently being conducted by Technicolor Digital Cinema Inc. in the United States. They have also been selected for cuttingedge cinema complexes in Japan such as the first all digital cinema Tokyo complex, Shinjuku Wald 9 Cinema Complex. All 11 screens at Vue at The O2 are digital-ready, enabled to become full digital cinemas when required. Currently, there are still more 35mm projectors operating due to the volume of films which are produced in this medium. This is likely to change over the next few years. As part of the DCI in Ireland, which was chosen for its size and cinema going audience, NEC has about 40 machines installed in a test that has been in operation for two and a half years. 25 units were installed as an initial pilot with a further 350 units planned to complete the fit out of an entire cinema chain. The future of digital cinema NEC has learnt some valuable lessons from working with early adopters, notably that the potential flexibility of cinemas has been a huge advantage of this technology. Satellite broadcasts, PowerPoint presentations, opera and even virtual bingo can be shown in the cinema. NEC has recognised that a service infrastructure, such as the ability to manage the digital projectors and provide flexible options for wider use is vital to the success of this project. NEC has the relationships in place from its historical success and relationships based on desktop projectors to ensure that a service infrastructure can be provided for

NEC is beginning to change the current face of cinema, and is helping the film industry to bring the full power of digital to its public screens. For the last three years, NEC has pioneered the development and installation of digital projectors and display technology across Europe, bringing the real advantages of digital not just to audiences, but to the cinema chains, too. NEC is introducing new technology that will completely change the cinema experience for film-lovers, and will help cinemas attract more of them through their doors. And with its ground-breaking work at Vue at The O2 NEC is showcasing the world’s most advanced digital cinema technology at one of the most important and technologically advanced entertainment venues ever built.

At the same time, at the Hatfield Odeon, NEC has forged a working relationship with one of the biggest cinema chains in the UK. Whilst digital cinema is still in its very early stages, it has been proven that the technology is in place to support this revolution. However, without the support of film creators and cinema owners, the industry will not be able to keep up with these developments. Digital cinema capabilities are set to revolutionise the way consumers and businesses use cinemas as more and more opportunities arise from the real time screening of a live concert to virtual gaming. Eventually this technology will allow for more business opportunities and revenue streams for cinemas and provide the support for an ever-improving technology.

NC2500S SPECIFICATIONS Light Output 26,000 Lumens Supported Screen Sizes Up to 30m (100ft) Contrast Ratio 2000:1 or above (full on/off) Lamp Bulbs NEC high efficiency Xenon lamp bulbs • NEC 4.5KW lamp bulb • NEC 6.0KW lamp bulb Standard film lamp bulbs2 Select according to installation conditions. NEC recommends the use of NEC lamp bulbs. DMD Specifications 1.2”, 12° tilt angle, 2048 x 1080 pixels Primary Lenses: 1.25 to 1.45:1, 1.45 to 1.8:1, 1.8 to 2.4:1 2.2 to 3.0:1, 3.0 to 4.3:1 Cooling Method • Liquid cooling inside, air cooling with dust preventing electrostatic filter • Total thermal dissipation: 30539BTU (Input 7KW power to NEC 6.0KW lamp bulb) • Projector exhaust: 424CFM • Demand of exhaust duct: 565CFM Fan Noise Less than 65 dB Power Supply Voltage5 • Projector head: 200 to 240V AC, 50/60Hz, single phase • Lamp power supply unit: 200 to 230V/380 to 415V AC, 50/60Hz, 3 phases Rated Input Current Projector head: 5A Max Lamp power supply unit: 28A Max Power Consumption Projector head: 950W Lamp power supply unit: 8000W External dimensions Projector head: 700 (W) x 1100 (D) x 503 (H) (mm) Excluding lens, lens hood and exhaust stack. Lamp power supply unit: 596(W) x 397(D) x 471(H) (mm) Projector head + Pedestal (NEC Option): 700 (W) x 1100 (D) x 1367 (H) (mm) Excluding lens, lens hood, exhaust stack and handle. Including feet. Weight • Projector head: Approx.120kg / 265 lb Excluding lens • Lamp power supply unit: • Approx. 50.5kg / 112 lb • Projector head + Pedestal (NEC Option): • Approx. 255.5kg / 564 lb • Including lamp power supply unit

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digital exhibition

No lm at all at Vue’s £5m Princes Quay, Hull multiplex

First UK and European all digital cinema! Vue Entertainment has invested £5m in the Princes Quay development in Hull to create the first new build fully digital multiplex in Europe, opening on 14 December. Vue Hull will be equipped with the very latest in digital projection technology offering the highest possible standards of picture and sound quality offering the ultimate cinema going experience, particularly when combined with the many other new innovations the cinema will feature and offer. Tim Richards, CEO Vue Entertainment, said: “This ground breaking all digital multiplex is hugely exciting not just for Vue and the community of Hull but for the cinema industry in the UK. We believe this development paves

the way for the future of cinema by encouraging film distribution and studios into providing more films in digital format. The installation of a 10 Terabyte computer server allows over 100 movies to be stored at any one time, providing the opportunity to offer a wide and varied choice of movies. This includes new movies with limited releases as well as previously released films in digital quality for the first time on the big screen. Apart from films, we will be offering a new content covering music, sport and comedy which all combined will make Vue Hull an entertainment destination. Another major benefit of digital projection is the installation of Digital 3D which offers a truly incredible movie experience.”

The 10-screen all digital all stadium seated multiplex will feature Vue’s latest thinking in cinema design. Following highly successful trials of the concept in Vue Thurrock, the cinema will have two “Vue Evolution” screens complete with beanbags, sofa pods and superior seating. This will create a unique environment for Vue customers to relax and enjoy their chosen movie in a level of comfort not seen before. A satellite link to one of these screens will also enable the showing of live music, sport and comedy events under Vue’s ‘Larger than Live’ brand. Vue Hull will have a “Superior Seating” option in every screen, with leather seats offering an even higher level of luxury comfort and extra leg room. Other offerings include a fully licensed bar, a Ben and Jerry’s refreshment stand as well as foyer seating and many other retail items. Innovations still to come include mobile ticketing where guests can have their tickets sent to their mobile phone and print at home ticketing. The Hull site brings Vue Entertainment’s circuit to 62 sites in the UK and Ireland, and expansion continues into 2008 with a programme of building new multiplexes across the UK another 15 to 20 new sites are planned for the next two to three years. The company claims to have the most modern cinemas in the UK, with over 90% stadium seating and it won the prestigious award for International Exhibitor of the Year at Cinema Expo 2005. Cinema Technology looks forward to visiting the UK’s first digital-only multiplex, and to meeting the first ‘Digital Chief’!

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projectiondesign lead the way in e-cinema Jim Slater visited the Norwegian factory of projectiondesign, a major player in the European digital cinema business. In recent issues of Cinema Technology we have looked at the factories of some traditional film projector manufacturers, so it was good to be invited to visit a different kind of company, a state of the art design and manufacturing facility that specialises in high quality digital projectors. I am always conscious that our publication perhaps tends too much to equate ‘digital cinema’ with the top-end DCinema specifications promulgated by the Hollywood majors in the form of the Digital Cinema Initiatives work. This is primarily because the Hollywood studios have always made it clear that their material would only be made available to cinemas that meet these strict criteria, and since the fortunes of the major UK cinema chains stand or fall on how well they persuade moviegoers to watch these ‘blockbusters’, it is not surprising that D-Cinema and the DCI Specs are topics which we regularly focus upon in this technically-oriented journal. Even the most cursory examination of the digital

cinema situation in the UK and Europe shows, however, that this emphasis on D-Cinema is too narrowly focused - the best estimates suggest that there will only be about 280 D-Cinema projectors in the UK at the end of 2007 (out of about 3,500 screens in total) whereas throughout the rest of Europe a large number of cinema operators are regularly showing a vast range of cinema material from all over the world using an installed base of thousands of digital cinema projectors of all shapes and sizes.

but which can stand the scrutiny of digital cinema experts. Brightness, contrast and resolution can match anything that a small cinema operator requires, but the biggest and pleasantest surprise to me was that the deeper subtleties that characterise true D-Cinema, such as the extended colour gamut and the increased number of brightness and colour levels that greater bit-depths can provide are now becoming available on relatively inexpensive ecinema equipment as well.

The technical specifications of the projectors used vary widely, the main criterion for acceptability being that audiences consider the images and sound worth coming out of their houses to visit the cinema for, and such installations tend to be broadly categorised as e-Cinema. This term can therefore cover the whole gamut, but my visit to projectiondesign showed that in technical terms the top end of the e-cinema market is now capable of providing images that are not only more than acceptable to a general audience,

Below: Overview of one of the immaculately clean PCB assembly lines and (right) preparing PCBs and automatic component insertion.

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digital projection

Gathering and assembling the component parts of projectors - staff are multiskilled and can do any of the required jobs. projectiondesign manufacture all their own electronic platforms from components from all around the world - they don’t outsource.

Back in 2001 a group of engineers from the digital projector consortium that had been formed by InFocus, ASK and Proxima (still amongst the biggest manufacturers of projectors) decided that there would be a market for a company focusing on the high performance end of the digital projector market, so they spun themselves off and, under the guidance of President Jørn Eriksen, built projectiondesign on an industrial estate in Fredrikstad, the town where ASK was based, which is some 100km south of Oslo, in a popular summer tourist area close to Norway’s southernmost tip. Jørn Eriksen provided an overview of the company and explained that the seven founder members included experts in optics, software and various engineering disciplines, including production technologies, and said that the company now employs about 120 people. About 100 work at the Fredrikstad site, which has a smart new set of offices and laboratories alongside its factory. As an ex radio transmitter engineer I was interested to see that the product development department is situated in the older part of the site, in what used to be an old long-wave radio transmitting station - if you still have one of those old radios with station names on it you may find Fredrikstad prominently marked, but it ceased transmission over 40 years ago.

The company, whose advertising ‘strapline’ is High Performance Projectors, has always prided itself on being one step ahead of its competitors, and began in 2002 designing and producing an SXGA projector (1280 x 1024 pixels) when the others were still making XGA (1024 x 768), and by offering a choice of three different lenses, zoom, telephoto and wide angle, were able to offer solutions for many different applications. The short-throw wide-angle designs proved very popular with simulator manufacturers where numerous projectors could be fitted within small spaces to surround the viewer and provide a realistic ‘cockpit’ experience. Belying his youthful-looking appearance, the company’s Marcom Manager Anders Løkke (below) has many years of experience of the

projection equipment business, from his time with ASK and his years since the opening of projectiondesign, and I had no trouble in believing his assertion that his role, and that of many other employees, is a combination of hard work and fun. Whilst taking breaks in the ‘canteen’ area the atmosphere amongst the staff seemed to reflect that for which trendy employers like Apple are famous - workers are encouraged to sit around and talk over their drinks (soft drinks and healthy snack meals and salads are available free of charge) so that ideas, problems and potential solutions get discussed widely, with all the benefits and occasional synergies that this approach can bring. Anders stressed the importance to the company of eschewing the cheap and cheerful low-cost areas of the projection market, and said that they must continuously develop new products and find new ways of marketing and selling them. It is vital for the company to excel in all areas, from technical through financial to logistics, and he gave an example of how a new package from Oracle is providing management with a full insight into the minute by minute financial and logistics situation. I was interested to learn that the company has a policy of complete openness with its staff, who are kept fully informed about the day to day financial state of the business - many of them have their own share stake in the company.

Left: PCB inspection station, prior to soldering. Boards are examined by video camera and by human inspectors. Right: Automatic soldering machine - printed boards fitted with components go in at one end and lead-free soldering takes place at the lowest possible temperature, to ensure that components are not damaged. The process is performed in an oxygen-free atmosphere, and the heat transfer takes place during the condensation of the vapour on the assembly.

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Projectors entering the test tent for production line testing

Projectors are made to order, and not for stock, which means that each one can be customised to meet particular requirements. This explains why it is important for the company to manufacture on its home territory - if they sub-contracted manufacture to the far east it wouldn’t sensibly be possible to cope with ‘one-off’ products. This ability to make changes to suit customers has led to many close relationships with equipment manufacturers, and component companies, and, for instance, Texas Instruments use the projectiondesign platforms when they are testing their own chip developments, which has to be something of a complement to projectiondesign’s capabilities. Manufacturing - it is a people business Sture Berg, Operations Director, described the complex manufacturing operation of bringing together component parts, tools and software from 70 different companies from the USA to the far east, and the need to coordinate transport logistics and warehousing. He made the interesting point that there is in fact no finished goods warehouse in the Fredrikstad plant, since projectors are manufactured to order and can be shipped out virtually as soon as they are completed and tested - it is no surprise that the company is one of DHL’s largest customers. As the company’s future plans include considerable expansion of production, continuing this ‘no warehousing’ idea had needed considerable thought, and

the outcome is that there will be a new robotic warehouse with 8000 locations and a system that can identify and pick 1000 items per hour. Sture stressed that this will take up a tiny fraction of the space of a conventional warehouse, and that the ‘no storage’ principle will still apply, since the whole of the robotic area can be cleared in a single day! It was interesting to learn that Sture also has a significant ‘Human Resources’ role at projectiondesign and he told me that the company has successfully nurtured a culture where employees are really encouraged to feel part of the company and that their opinions will be listened to and will count. Production line staff are encouraged to liaise with the equipment designers at all stages, since such practical information makes for realism and feedback which can lead to suggestions for improvements in the way that products are made. Similarly, the production staff are encouraged to provide feedback about components which is fed back to suppliers. Sture said that one of the things which makes the company excellent for the end-user is that the people working on the line really care about what they are making. It was interesting to hear how new production line staff are selected and carefully trained, and fascinating for this democrat to learn that the existing production line staff are given the final say as to whether a new recruit is competent and is

Prototype projector undergoing thermal testing at Bård Eker Design

likely to fit into the team. The production line works in a ‘just in time’ mode, with a projector coming off every eight minutes - it takes about 42 minutes in total to build a projector. Projectors are slid into cardboard boxes and polythene wrapped - the process is manual, but no one has to lift anything. An auto packaging line is currently being developed. Design for manufacturing Equipment design takes place not exactly ‘in house’, but at a ‘sister’ company Bård Eker Industrial Design, which is housed in a collection of wooden huts in a countryside setting just ten minutes from the factory. The company designs everything from sports cars to speedboats, and works for many different companies as well as projectiondesign. Bård Eker builds and tests prototype projectors and components, and its designers work closely with Sture and his production staff. At the early stages in the life of a new projector design, people on the assembly line are involved with the designers to ensure that what is being designed will be manufacturable, and such feedback has led to many improvements over the years. It was interesting to see the latest methods of building prototype equipment and parts - the machines are able to build up three dimensional parts by ‘inkjet printing’ techniques which deposit multiple layers of plastic or metals instead of ink, and it was fascinating to see that virtually anything you can draw on a computer screen can be ‘printed out’ as a three dimensional object. Testing times When new products first come off the line they are stress tested by switching them on and off numerous times, burned-in for 24 hours and then for shorter periods. Each projector has its own documentation so that its performance history can be traced over the years, and this often leads to a degree of customer feedback which helps to continuously improve the product range. With an installed base of over 37,000 units, the company knows every one that it has sold, and can recall information about its service history, technical failures and replacement parts. Custom built for customers During my visit I overheard a call to a customer who needed a projector fitted with a particular interface, which wasn’t due to be produced for

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digital projection another few months, and it was interesting to hear how the salesman skilfully persuaded the customer to use a projectiondesign projector and to connect this via an external interface box during the interim period, after which he would be sold the new model with the enhanced interface. If you can forge such strong relationships with customers, they are going to return time after time. There are few, if any, competitors with the same philosophy - big Japanese companies like Panasonic produce high-quality projectors for e-cinema applications, but can’t offer the ‘one-off’ customisation that is the day to day business of projectiondesign. New projection technologies Anders outlined the technologies used in their projectors, and showed how the TI DLP® technology continues to develop. DLP projectors featuring BrilliantColor™ technology now use six separate colours: red, blue, green, cyan, yellow and magenta for a wider variety of accurate, vibrant colours and these evidently won’t fade over time. BrilliantColor technology enables a 50 percent increase in brightness of colours and expands the colour palette beyond only three basic colours offered by the competing technologies. A new ASIC chip set provides improved image processing, colour performance and wide resolution options, and the DLP Products have the added advantage that all the optics for reproducing the image are encased in a sealed, airtight environment shielded from dust and the elements. By protecting the optics and avoiding the need for a replaceable filter system, DLP products require less regular maintenance and provide a more attractive total cost of ownership, an important concern for all projector owners. Advanced Colour Optical processing I was interested to learn that by putting optical filters in the light path of the professional projectors it is possible to get colorimetry to REC 709 standards directly as well as being able to generate your own LUTs [Look Up Tables] and put these in the projector. Perhaps more excitingly, because projectiondesign produce their own three prism optics and can control the whole optical system of their projectors, they are working on being able to produce images that can reproduce the wider colour gamut required to match the colorimetry part of the Digital Cinema Initiatives D-Cinema specification, opening up all sorts of possibilities for the future. New Electronics Platform Anders described the new electronics platform that has been developed by the projectiondesign team and which is built at the Fredrikstad facility. This is effectively the multi-layer printed circuit board containing all the specialised electronic and computer components that drive the range of projectors, carrying out the vital image processing tasks and including HDMI 1.3 interconnectivity, [High Definition Multimedia Interface] with DeepColour™to vastly expand the range of available display colours. DeepColor provides digital projection - december 2007

Looking to the future - Around the Development Labs It was a treat to be allowed to see around the optical and development labs, in the old ‘radio station’ area of the building, where so much of the company’s future is being worked on, and remarkable to be allowed to photograph some of the interesting projects. The company believes that one of its great strengths is that it designs its own lenses and optics to ensure optimum projector performance. Work on lenses and optics tends to be for projects that are to come to market in perhaps three years time, but general development work is ongoing and reflects work on modifications as well as on new projector models. Lenses are developed here in conjunction with Fujinon and Nittoh, who do the manufacturing.

One of the development labs pictured from above

A rare sight in projector manufacture. projectiondesign are, in conjunction with Japanese optical companies, designing and building their own prism optics for the forthcoming range of three chip projectors

Work on an unusual heat-sink assembly. Efficient heat removal is one of the secrets of projectiondesign’s 24/7 reliability. Their projectors also use custom designed magnesium shells which are far better than plastic for removing heat.

EMC testing. In a special room with ferrite tiled steel walls and other surfaces designed to absorb radiation (the white octagons absorb the higher frequencies), projectors are mounted on a wooden table, connected to other typical equipment such as a DVD player via all the usual leads, and the antenna is used to pick up any stray electromagnetic emissions, which are fed to a spectrum analyser and recorded for analysis. The projector is also tested for immunity to external electromagnetic fields by radiating a specified spectrum of RF ‘noise’ signals from the antenna, bathing the projector in RF, and examining the projected output for any signs of interference. Such immunity is important - you wouldn’t want a projector that showed interference any time that someone used a mobile phone nearby, for instance. The ability to do EMC testing at the prototype stage rather than waiting until a product is complete is very important, and the lab, already compliant to various FCC standards, is working toward ISO certification.

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digital projection

colours of high saturation with a minimal amount of white in them, intense colours but with little or no black. The new platform has a DVI-I connector to provide digital and analogue inputs from computer sources, and the image processing circuitry comes from specialists Pixelworks, whose DNX™technology provides de-interlacing and image processing, enabling the projectors to cope with 1080i inputs. Networking of projectors is very important in many applications, so the new platform provides for DHCP [Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol] which can automate the configuration of projectors that use TCP/IP. Facilities for the future Giving a glimpse of the company’s future roadmap, Anders explained how the new platform will allow for operation at a WUXGA resolution of 1920 x 1080 - enabling the projectors to cope with ‘Full HD’ 1080p TV and video sources. All the professional range of projectors will be capable of 10 bits or eventually even 12 bits per colour. The new platform also expands upon the functionality of projectiondesign’s existing RealColor™ colour management system for projectors, which allows the user to calibrate and set up a projector to a desired white point and grey scale tracking with a minimum amount of effort. RealColor works by having the projector accurately characterised at the factory before it is shipped - every projector goes through a characterisation routine before it is sent to the customer - and then giving the user access to the necessary colour

There is a well-equipped viewing room for optically testing projectors, and I was impressed by the pictures from a Blu-Ray HD DVD player connected to a Sony Playstation and projected from one of the company’s F10 professional projectors, showing 1920 x 1080 pictures. Motion portrayal was notably good.

management adjustments, allowing them to select and set the desired colour management mode and display characteristics, storing these as system settings. The new version is easier to use with more intuitive matching and calibration options, and allows non-expert users to achieve optimum grey scale tracking and colour performance. The new platform has been carefully designed to provide less electrical noise and better image quality, much of this being down to greater integration of components and interconnections, and the operation of the platform is made simpler by a new software driven menu system which is clearer and more logical to understand. The new electronics platform has been designed so that all digital signals are treated very carefully, with short electronic signal paths and re-clocking taking place to ensure minimum degradation as the signals are passed around the circuitry, thereby providing optimum performance. Projector lamp technology Lamps are obviously vital to projector performance, and Anders explained how a forthcoming new lamp platform, developed in conjunction with Philips lighting, will provide some significant advantages. The Philips VIDI technology works with the electronics of the

lamp system to offer both increased brightness and enhanced contrast from regular UHP lamps, by modulating the lamp arc with two types of pulses, the dark pulse, which enhances the contrast, and the brilliant pulse, which can provide a brightness boost of up to 30%. In colour sequential systems any artifacts are reduced, while providing flicker free and stable lamp operation. The first ‘trick’ is to relate the frequency of the lamp pulsing rate to the display frame rate, and other improvements are achieved by alternating short intervals of enhanced brightness with intervals of low lamp current levels in successive frames, which helps to minimise spatial modulation. Anders claimed that the effective grey scale resolution can be extended by up to two bits by removing pulse artifacts. VIDI is obviously a very flexible system, since various different arrangements of pulsing the lamps can be developed, and projectiondesign are developing their own system, to be known as Munch, a very appropriate name considering that the famous Norwegian painter made a speciality of using lighting to provide the interpretative effects that he desired. Projectors for e-cinema projectiondesign projectors are already in use in hundreds of cinemas throughout Europe, with many in Brazil, India and South Africa, and the Cineo range was developed to meet the demands of the commercial movie industry. Long life single chip DLP™ technology, high brightness and wide compatibility support the imaging standards and qualities needed to display feature films and pre-movie advertising in small to mid-size theatres and cinemas. The Cineo range provides a wide range of options for software and hardware adaptations, and has the qualities and features needed to integrate seamlessly into existing cinemas. With digital ‘alternative content’ being the way forward, it offers a significantly lowered cost of entry into the e-Cinema business, with products that are rugged and long-lasting. Top of the range e-Cinema The company’s current top of the range eCinema offering is the cineo30, which provides

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digital projection - december 2007

digital projection 1080p resolution with up to 6500 ANSI lumens from two 300W lamps, and a patented DuArch™ twin lamp system that allows for lamps to be ‘hot-swapped’ whilst the projector is still being used, an ideal system for cinema use. This projector can fill an 11 metre wide screen to the SMPTE recommended 14 FootLamberts, more than enough for most Europen e-Cinemas, which recent research showed to have an average screen size of around 8 metres. And on to three-chip..... Even more interesting to European ecinema protagonists may be the fact that projectiondesign will early next year be introducing three-chip DLP projectors to the marketplace, which will provide more light output, fewer image artifacts and greater colour saturation and colour control. Introduced as part of their professional range, the new F80, which I was fortunate to be allowed to see in the development department, will be packed with technological advances, allowing users to tweak the image to suit any need. The colour gamut can be adjusted optically and calibrated with RealColor. Advanced Colour Optical Processing All the three-chip projectors that I have seen previously have used TI optics, so I was astonished to see that projectiondesign have developed their own proprietary optical design, which they claim to be dramatically more effective, and which gives access to a range of new features. As well as providing the increased brightness and contrast levels that you would expect, the system uses ACOP – Advanced Color Optical Processing, providing increased configurability, and allowing the projectors to be tuned to suit any application. A range of user replaceable lenses is available. As with all their professional series projectors, the F80 will carry a full 24/7 operation guarantee - amazing when you consider how short a lifetime some projectors can have when used continuously. The guarantee does require you to have the projector serviced at regular intervals, which seems perfectly reasonable. The DuArch™ dual illumination architecture provides up to 8000 ANSI lumens, and allows lamps to be replaced while in operation. For monitoring, a backlit LCD status panel allows status overview and events logging, and direct

As the company introduces its new range of 3-chip projectors, accurate chip alignment is vital. projectiondesign have developed this machine, which can adjust, align and fix the chips into place in a single operation.

view status lights, driven by the lamps themselves, leave no doubt whether all systems are OK. Reflecting potential remote operation and automation possibilities, the projector system features complete control and asset management over TCP/IP from any remote computer, and is compatible with projectiondesign asset management software. The F80 can be delivered with a range of application-specific optical filters pre-installed. That means a projector that is configured for a high brightness corporate presentation can be turned into a full DCI colour compliant grading machine by just pressing the remote. Optical filters include DCI compliant colours, visualisation and simulation graphics, and various presentation modes. It is always difficult to extract pricing information about equipment that is about to be introduced to the market - you don’t want competitors to be adjusting their prices downwards to match yours - but I was told that the F80

Left: Development work in progress on modifications to a projector Right: Did I spot the company’s multilamp secret for getting even more illumination onto the screen in the future?

will be competitively priced with other 3 chip projectors on the market, so that I guess users can expect to pay less than £20,000 pounds for a top-quality e-Cinema projector with a vast range of inputs, including the all-important HD-SDI, making it ideal for all e-Cinema and alternative content applications. We live in exciting times! I have since come across projectiondesign equipment in several cinemas, including the Fredrikstad Kino featured in ‘Meet the Chief’ elsewhere in this issue, and in several Soho post production viewing/grading theatres, including The Look and Axis Post, and from quiet talks with some of those who use them daily there is a general recommendation that they are totally reliable and rugged enough to just keep on going for years. Swedish cinema chain SF Bio has bought over 400 for its advertising and alternative content screenings in 210 cinemas, and readers who went to the Quantel stand at IBC saw 3D 1080 images from Quantel’s Pablo DI system via two Cineo3+ projectors. With each projector effectively custom made to order to suit your particular requirements, a metal shell to reduce any heat problems, and a reputation for 24/7 continuous reliability, any Cinema Technology reader thinking of moving into e-cinema should certainly have a look at the projectiondesign e-cinema range, especially as the forthcoming three chip models promise to provide something extra special at a price that you may be able to afford. Jim Slater Many thanks to Anders Løkke and Chris Axford who worked so hard to make the visit a success, and to Katinka Allender who made all the extremely smooth-running arrangements.

digital projection - december 2007

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digital 3D screens

Screens for 3D digital cinema This month’s Cinema Technology provides much news of the rapidly-growing 3D digital cinema market following the Cineworld/RealD agreement and the release of Beowulf in 3D during November. The thought struck me that this rapid rollout must be must be having an enormous impact on all those concerned in making it happen, from the projector manufacturers to the distributors and, certainly not least, the suppliers of the necessary screens. How can a supplier suddenly supply all the new screens that are needed in such a short timescale? What is involved? Andrew Robinson of Harkness Screens explains....

REAL D, the global leader in 3D, has announced that its next-generation 3D cinema experience has reached over 1100 screens, surpassing the company’s previously announced milestone of 1000 screens for the release of Paramount’s Beowulf on November 16, and outpacing industry estimates. Most moviegoers who see Beowulf in 3D will see it in REAL D 3D, the largest global 3D cinema platform. Beowulf premiered in REAL D 3D on November 5 in Los Angeles.

Real D had over 1,000 digital 3D systems installed worldwide for the opening of “Beowulf” in November. The majority of these are in the USA and many were supplied by Harkness Screens’ US factory in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Real D have recently signed deals with two major European chains: UCI/Odeon will install up to 500 screens by 2009 in the UK, Spain, Germany and Italy. Cineworld will install up to 100 systems in the UK. The installation of these UK systems has already begun. Cineworld opened “Beowulf” in 3D on 30 screens and Odeon had a dozen systems in place. These screens were supplied from Harkness’ screen factory in France. The lead time was very short but the screens were delivered on time to UK screen installers Camstage, Cinema Screens and Frank Powell. 3D is creating a lot of interest and is acting as a catalyst for the deployment of digital cinema, both in the US and Europe. Approximately 25% of digital screens are 3D enabled in the US and this pattern is likely to follow, as digital projection rolls out in Europe. It is forecast that a minimum of 4,000 cinema auditoria will be 3D capable by 2009 and some forecasts suggest that it could be as many as 6,000. Real D is the dominant player with most of the digital 3D systems in cinemas using their technology. Dolby launched their system at ShoWest and had 80 systems worldwide in place for “Beowulf”. Imax® will launch their digital 3D system in 2008. The Real D systems need to use so-called “silver” screens, in order to maintain the light polarisation on which their system depends. Dolby’s system does not require silver screens but does require high gain, so it is likely that some cinemas using Dolby’s 3D system will have to replace their screens. This has already led to a significant increase in screen demand – mainly replacement screens for use with Real D’s systems. Harkness’ US plant is running extra shifts and the French plant page 48

At least 4,000 Real D 3D Screens Expected By ‘09

Pictures: Top Harkness’ French manufacturing plant and below the US screen coating facility.

is also increasing output. In the US, some cinema circuits are now installing 3D screens as standard in new construction projects. With only two new releases of 3D movies in 2007 (“Meet the Robinsons” and “Beowulf”) and the re-release of “Nightmare before Christmas”, the demand for 3D screens in 2007 has been in two peak periods before the openings. Harkness expects the demand will be more evenly spread with six releases in 2008 and with 3D becoming more mainstream, rather than the novelty it was with “Chicken Little” in 2005. Harkness is gearing up for more demand for 3D screens across the world and is also doing development trials on a higher gain version of their widely used Perlux screens, specifically for 3D systems not requiring polarised light. Harkness is also doing development work to enhance the silver screen used for polarised light systems. With Dreamworks releasing all their movies in 3D from 2009 and with two high profile movies scheduled for release in 2009 in 3D, interest in 3D is growing rapidly. Harkness, which already supplies half the 2D screens used in cinemas across the world, will be ready to meet the demand for 3D screens. Andrew Robinson www.harkness-screens.com

“The expansion of REAL D 3D screens to over 1100 is a milestone in bringing the most advanced 3D visual experience to moviegoers everywhere,” said Michael V. Lewis, REAL D chairman, CEO, and cofounder. “We estimated that we’d be at 1000 screens for Beowulf, but we passed that mark in early October. Clearly, the next generation of digital 3D is already here in REAL D.” Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, said: “3D has the opportunity to be the most important innovation in film since the use of color in motion pictures. The rollout of REAL D 3D to well over 1,000 screens globally is the beginning of a very viable and very exciting platform for filmmakers to tell their stories in 3D.” Steve Starkey, ImageMovers, Producer, said: “On the release of the film Beowulf, I think we are about to witness the enormous impact that 3D will have on motion pictures. The creation and the expansion of Real D arrived at a time to fully take advantage of a film that was perfectly suited for the 3-D experience.” REAL D estimates 4,000 to 5,000 REAL D 3D screens globally by 2009. REAL D is the global leader in 3D, bringing the most advanced and enjoyable digital 3D experience to cinemas worldwide. REAL D’s next-generation technology, deployed across the world’s largest 3D platform in 24 countries, provides a stunningly realistic viewing experience beyond the usual concepts of 3D cinema. Information: www.REALD.com

digital projection - december 2007

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meet the chief

During the evening of the visit to projectiondesign in Norway, Jim Slater managed a quick visit to the Fredrikstad Kino where he met chief projectionist Roy Lyngstad

Meet the chief by having five journalists turn up in his busy projection suite at one of the busiest times of day.

Tucked away under the Fredrikstad Town Hall, with the projection suite on the ground floor and the six auditoria in the basement, is the town’s cinema centre, the Kino. Anders Løkke from projectiondesign, himself something of a film enthusiast, told me that the company has close links with the Kino, has supplied projectors for each of the screens to run advertisements and other content, and works with them on a range of projects. Anders kindly ‘fixed’ it for us to have a look at the film centre, and Chief Projectionist Roy Lyngstad (above right) welcomed us, and seemed completely unphased, although perhaps slightly bemused

page 50

The Cinema Centre has six permanent film theatres and three halls which are used for a whole range of concerts, conferences, courses and public events. I was interested to hear that, unusually these days, all the theatres and halls are THX certified. Each year the Kino is used as the centre for the Nordic and Baltic Animation Festival, which keeps the projection crew on its toes, and on a regular basis the cinema screens an interesting mixture of the popular blockbusters and less well known features, including plenty of ‘art-house’ material. Kino prides itself on being very much a community cinema, and I was interested to see that they put on special daytime showings under the ‘Babykino’ and ‘Pensjonistkino’ labels, reflecting what is happening in many cinema in the UK. The six screens are served by Kinoton FP30E projectors with Kinoton lamphouses. The projectors have red LED optical sound heads and

cinema technology - december 2007

meet the chief

are equipped with Dolby digital, and the whole system is controlled via the Kinoton EMK-1 automation system. The projection office is fitted with a set of monitors allowing the single projectionist to see what is happening in each auditorium. The projection suite is fairly spacious, with plenty of room around the projectors and platters, and the whole area was scrupulously clean and dust free. The cinema is equipped for regular D-Cinema projection with a Barco DP90, which was running Shrek 3 at the time of my visit.

The Kino has also been involved with the European D-Platform project, and recently showed “This is England” directed by Shane Meadows, the first movie digitally released through this initiative and a first in the digital field for Arthaus, the movie’s Norwegian distributor. The D-Platform project, involving eight European distributors, is supported by the MEDIA programme of the European Commission as a pilot project, and aims to help European distributors in digitally releasing art-house movies. CN films offers technical and operational assistance, gathering the technical information, and trying to find synergies between several European distributors in order to share the costs.

Cinema advertising is all done digitally, using a system pioneered by Unique Digital, and it was interesting to see how each of the screens was served by a projectiondesign digital projector through its own separate porthole. The Kino has also done quite a few ‘alternative content’ e-Cinema showings, and Anders told me that football matches using projectiondesign’s Cineo 3+ projectors with 2 lamps producing 3500 lumens had brought in modest audiences. details: www.fredrikstadkino.no

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diary THE BTH THREE-ELECTRODE XENON LAMP The development of the xenon arc-discharge lamp occupied the minds of many physicists during the early part of the 20th Century. A field engineer in the Norwich area told me that he joined the newly formed BTH Cinema Division in 1929, after being injured in the BTH Lamp and Lighting Laboratory at Rugby whilst working on xenon lamps. The advantages of instantaneous light output and good colour rendering made the xenon lamp seem very promising for film projection and a good deal of development work on these lines was carried out in England, Germany and America. It was thought at one time that the most efficient way to use the lamp would be to pulse the current so that the light was only produced when it was wanted i.e., when the film was stationary in the picture gate, as this would enable at least double the light output to be obtained for the same power input as used for continuous operation. BTH engineers subsequently demonstrated xenon pulsed-light operation with projection equipment in London at the 1950 Faraday Lecture. It was soon apparent, however, that while there was no great difficulty in the manufacture of apparatus to provide pulsed light to synchronise with the film, this system was seriously handicapped by the short life of the compact–source xenon lamps then available for pulsed AC operation. For this reason BTH engineers turned their attention to research into D.C. operation of compact-source projector lamps. A third electrode was introduced for easier striking of the lamp, as only one-eighth of the striking voltage is required, compared with that for a two electrode lamp. The three-electrode 2 kW Xenon lamp made its debut in 1957 and was used in the type LX lamphouses manufactured by BTH, at Willesden Works, London NW10. The first batch of these type XE/U/27 xenon lamps were given suffixes A,B,C, or D, which provided useful test information. Lamps with the suffix “A” were perfect, “B” lamps had a slight flicker, “C” lamps flickered and were lazy strikers. The “D” lamp had all the above faults, plus reduced candlepower. When BTH Lamp and Lighting Dept. realised that engineers would only accept “A” lamps, the entire batch was recalled and repackaged, this time, without the suffixes. The maximum current rating for this 2kW lamp was 80 Amps at 25 Volts DC, (no cooling). A current rating of 100 Amps 30 Volts was also possible, (with cooling). Because the third electrode got in the way, the lamp could only be fitted in the lamphouse with the large tungsten anode nearest the ellipsoidal mirror, (see picture). This imperfect configuration was dictated by necessity rather than design. This large anode caused obscuration of the “cathode spot” near the negative electrode, reducing the efficacy of the lamp and also resulting in soft picture focus, especially with short focus lenses, a factor not generally known. Projectionists were very concerned about the amount of ozone produced by these lamps and feared that their health would suffer. Ozone is page 52

Fifty years of Xenons N   vi ngnr’s iry By Billy Bell, formerly with BTH and Westrex Co. produced when the UV from the lamp combines with the atmosphere to create an extra atom of oxygen, making it 03 instead of 02. Later type xenon lamps filtered out this effect with improvements to the fused silica envelope. These lamps have the suffix “OFR” for ozone free. A scientific study, to measure the amount of ozone in the projection room, was subsequently carried out by the Rank Organisation, which found that the amount of ozone was only one twenty-fifth of what might be considered a lethal dose. (A study into the affects of drinking coffee would have produced the same result!). A xenon installation carried out by me at the Royal College of Surgeons, Lincolns Inn Field, London, caused great anxiety among senior surgeons, who were concerned for the health of the projectionist. They conducted a test by rigging a clothes line diagonally across the ceiling of the projection room, to which they attached litmus type sensitised papers which were graded in sensitivity in order to chart the progress of ozone contamination. After three months the equipment was dismantled, as none of the sensitised papers was contaminated. BTH xenon lamps had a pressure of four atmospheres when cold and ten atmospheres when hot, and often exploded because of the weakness caused by the extra seals, due to the third electrode. BTH requested the return of these lamps for autopsy, but it was always assumed that this was mainly because of their scrap value, since they contained molybdenum foil, tungsten and copper. Life hours of the xenon lamp could be increased substantially by running at a reduced DC current, with AC ripple current at less than two per cent, with correct cooling and striking the lamp less often. 3,000 hrs could often be achieved, but the rise in temperature caused by the evaporation of tungsten within the lamp, which caused blackening, increased the risk of an explosion, which always shattered the type E53 ellipsoidal glass mirror.

Xenon lamps have advanced considerably during the last fifty years, in terms of light output,reliability and longevity. It is difficult, therefore, to imagine any possible further development in the quest for an alternative, or more effective light source, unless a way can be found to bottle nuclear fusion - the source of solar energy. More on Napoleon In the last issue the editor queried the size of the screen at the Empire at the time of the Napoleon screening, with figures of 40 ft and 57 ft being quoted. There is no mystery, as both figures are correct. The screen was masked for 40 x 28ft for the first 12 reels of normal silent film projection. During the fade out at the end of reel 12 the masking opened to full screen width for the changeover to the three screen triptych panorama sequence, which comprised three 19ft wide pictures i.e. 57 ft. cinema technology - december 2007

projectionist profile

Making the most of his visit to the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, Thomas Hauerslev spoke with a very special projectionist

Loïc Ledez The Master French Projectionist If you type ‘Loïc Ledez’ into your Internet search engine it doesn’t take more than a few seconds to find the quote ‘Probably the most important person at the Cannes Film Festival’, a very rare tribute to a projectionist in a business where for most of the time projectionists are neither seen nor heard, and only noticed on the rare occasions that something goes wrong. I was therefore delighted that Loïc agreed to talk to me about his life and work. “ I was born in 1945 in northern France, in Boulogne-sur-Mer, a big fishing port. My beginnings in projection rooms were made easier by my uncle, who owned a 35mm cinema in a small town near Boulogne. I remember that when I was five or six years old I would be allowed to rewind the movies which, at that time, were delivered in 300m reels. A few years later, I was going to a catholic school where there was a small cinema using 16mm, with two Hortson arc projectors. This cinema used to operate on Saturdays and Sundays and I would sometimes project the films myself. This kind of cinema, managed by the parish church, was very common in the 50s and 60s. In the early 60s, I became an assistant-projectionist in a new cinema in Boulogne, Le Coquelin, which was equipped with two Simplex XL projectors with Peerless arc lamps, a Peerless and Simplex audio chain and an auditorium with 1000 seats. In 1962 I was promoted to become the official projectionist of the Le Coquelin cinema. Two years later I had to do military service, from 1964-66, but in 1966 came back to Boulogne-sur-Mer and to the cinema Le Coquelin. A few months later I was involved with the installation of the 70mm projection faciliites, using two DP70s. I still remember the first movie that I projected in 70mm: “Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines”. Then came “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, “My Fair Lady”, “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World”, “Old Shatterhand”, “The Agony and The Ecstasy”, “The Sound of Music”, etc.

cinema technology - december 2007

I was fascinated by the cinema and decided that within the space of one year, I would learn all there was to know about cinema, from A to Z. In 1967, I was 21 and I went to Paris where I acted as a ‘stand-in’ projectionist for several months in studios, mixing and dubbing studios, laboratories, cinemas, gaining a vast amount of experience in all aspects of projection. It was also in Paris where I discovered the Cinerama projection rooms, watching “Khartoum”, “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, “Battle of the Bulge”, etc., not forgetting the Kinopanorama where, as a simple spectator at that time, I watched the 70mm soviet movies, “War And Peace”, and “An Optimistic Tragedy”. In 1971, at the Empire, in Paris, just before it was closed, I was lucky enough to see a 3-strip Cinerama festival, watching “This is Cinerama”, “How the West Was Won”, and “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm”. As time passed, I frequented a lot of cinemas and projection rooms where I acted as a substitute projectionist. In this way I got to know, all around the Paris neighbourhoods, an important number of projection rooms and various technical set-ups, and learned how to project movies in original versions, with French subtitles or dubbed in French. I used almost all types of projection equipment: 16mm, 35mm, 70mm (16mm and 35mm double band). When I was doing stand-in work I got to meet projectionists who were working for the Cannes Festival (who I would replace whilst they were going to Cannes). I asked them how I might myself apply to go to Cannes.

As the head of projectionists at Cannes was working in a big cinema on the Champs-Elysees, “Le Paris”, I introduced myself to him and a few months later, in 1973, I had the chance to find myself as a projectionist at the Cannes. Shortly after that festival I was given the opportunity to become projectionist at the Kinopanorama in Paris, where I ran many 70mm films - the owner, Mr Pinton, was a great 70mm enthusiast. Before my time this theatre was famous for showing 3strip Kinopanorama with changeovers - using six projectors. A few years later, in 1979, I became assistant to the head projectionist at the Cannes Festival, and remained in this post until 1983. I then became Chief projectionist at the new Palais de Festival for the first year of its operation. In 1984, as my predecessor was retiring, I took up the duties of the head of projectionists and projection rooms of the Cannes Festival. During my long career in projection rooms I have watched thousands of movies - often several times, and at all the festivals I attended, and am still attending, I have the opportunity to meet many great directors, actors, actresses and technicians. This year 2007 will be my 35th Cannes Festival and it is interesting that 2007 really confirmed the beginning of digital cinema.” Below left: Loïc Ledez outside the Palais de Festival in Cannes, and right Loïc in his office at the Palais de Festival. Today, Loïc’s tasks are mainly planning. Pictures by Thomas Hauerslev Cannes May 2007.

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diary of a projectionist

Diary of a projectionist ..... It is widely accepted that projectionists are the invisible guys and girls behind the scenes that keep a cinema up and running. Cinema Technology enlists the help of a projectionist at a top London cinema to reveal the goings on behind closed doors in this one-off ‘Diary of a projectionist’. If any other projie would like to contribute a diary, the editor would be delighted to hear from you.

November 2007 Cinouvue Cinemas Day 1: It’s a Friday night, the screens are abuzz with excitement, and yet I’m feeling distinctly downtrodden. In recent weeks it has become disturbingly more evident that these precious Cinemeccanica projectors are struggling with their workload. Xexons are failing to strike, platters are out of time and the usually upbeat roar of the booth sounds somewhat defeated. Nobody is to blame for this ever worsening problem, indeed it’s a miracle that they still work at all, because this particular projection booth is being run, as I suspect other cinemas are, woefully understaffed. The small group of us that remain have re-focused on core issues of running a site, which are of course keeping shows going, making up and breaking down prints and advert changes; maintenance is a luxury we can rarely afford. Despite this doom and gloom the evening has run very much to plan, shows have been on time and I have been busy breaking down the vast library of films that cease to exist of a Friday morning, and I can trudge home at 3am content with another nights work. Day 2: If it’s one thing you can guarantee on a Saturday night it’s that the projector’s sense of humour won’t let you down. I have often wondered why they wait until the 8 o clock showing of that big new release on its opening weekend to find a problem, yet on a Tuesday morning when there are four people in the screen it’s as happy as can be running along free of error without a care in the world. On this particular night there is a wrap around the feeder unit, an annoyance I’m sure every projectionist has encountered. Thankfully the platter decided not to throw the film away like an old newspaper and before you know it we are back on track. Saturday nights are usually a lot of fun to work in, they are vibrant and lively evenings, we can always enjoy doing that screen check right in the middle of a busy period and stroll downstairs with not a care in the world to see the chaos that happens below us. Day 3: Mondays see our new film times put together, it’s usually a busy day as we begin to plan the week ahead with regards to what needs making up and breaking down as well as screen moves. This is usually the day where the conflict between Projection and Cinema Management reaches its peak, with arguments over the smallest issues, like why such a rubbish film will spend the week in our biggest screen. My view has always been that projectionists have the upper hand on managers, simply because people fear what they don’t know, and most managers don’t have a clue what projection is about - it means we usually win the arguments. Despite the often trivial disagreements the relationship between managers and projectionists at this particular cinema is fairly good, with a certain amount of respect given by both. It is almost an unwritten rule here that managers and projectionists do what they can to stay out of each others way, it’s a rule that seems to suit everyone just fine.

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Diary - One week to a page Day 4: Wednesdays see our cinema give away 2 for 1 tickets, it usually means that the scenes of an evening are not dis-similar to that of a Saturday night. For me the evening is more interesting as an interlock is planned which will allow the cinema to double capacity on a certain film. Interlocks are tricky procedures where a film is played through one projector, up onto a special set of rollers that are fixed to the walls and then into another projector, so you can play one film in two separate screens. Of course this is not ideal as trailer changes are made on Wednesdays and interlocks require a certain amount of care and attention - all this means that I am a very busy projectionist. It is vitally important that I test the interlock path as each one is different, depending of course on what two screens will be used. Once tested I was able to lace up the interlock and double check that everything was in place; I could not however plan for the leader to snap as the show started. This is a real annoyance because the interlock lost all tension and fell off the rollers on the walls. It is easy to panic when something like this happens and I have seen others become flustered, I find it very important to keep calm in these situations and within 5 minutes everything was running perfectly. Day 5: It’s a Thursday night and once again our lack of staffing is clear to see. Thursdays see us make our advert changes as well as make up any prints for the following day and also break down prints that might be going to another cinema overnight. They are very busy days and often require at least two projectionists at any one time but because of our lack of man power there was just one person on the morning shift and one person on the evening. Thankfully for me the person in the morning is a very hard working guy, who often tries his hardest to get things done. My duty on this night is to carry on the work and just try to get as much done as I can, which involves completing all of the advert changes. As always wilh me I make sure that the shows come first and that everything runs smoothly, which on this evening it does. I often find it is easier said than done to just keep shows running, it requires a real amount of concentration and close keep keeping in order to get everything spot on. With these skills anyone can be a projectionist. End thought: General members of the public and indeed staff within a cinema seem to under-estimate the work of a projectionist. Barely a day goes by where I don’t hear “Oh you’re a projectionist, bet you get to see all the films” or “Your job is easy, all you have to do is press play”, when in reality it takes a certain kind of person to do what we do. A love of machines and a feeling of wanting to achieve perfection every time drives most projectionists forward. Its that type of person that will read this and feel a sense of pride in what they do, and will continue doing blissfully un-noticed.

cinema technology - december 2007

adventures of george

Ex-BAFTA Projectionist Tim Higham tells the fascinating tale of how he produced a fantastic lm about an eccentric projectionist who fantasises about life on the other side of the silver screen - how unusual is that?

Midnight. Late November 1999. Three glasses of whisky gone, or was it the five? After ten years as a projectionist, I had completed a few short films using my trusty Bolex 16mm camera and had long since abandoned the idea of studying at film school. Under the premise that making my own films was a much better way to learn about the art of making movies, I had just put the finishing touches to my latest four minute epic, ‘The Final Filament’; a short film about a film show that is cancelled due to the failure of a light bulb in the ladies lavatory, starring my fellow BAFTA projectionists. I was now desperate to make another film, but not another short film, why not a long film? Starring the people I knew and the locations I already had access to; my place of work, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in Piccadilly, central London, with its projection box, and cinema. I had the perfect film set. The only other ‘minor’ hurdle was that of producing a decent script. The main character in the story had to be George, my fellow projectionist, by now an old hand at performing in front of the camera as well as behind the projector. And the plot would have to be influenced by both my and George’s real life passion, the movies, along with a story that includes both the production and the presentation side of the industry. There has to be romance as well, so I decided that the fictional George should fall in love with a beautiful Italian actress he sees every night on the silver screen. And, similar to my own story, show the struggles of a first time director in his bid to complete his debut

would be a good idea to keep quiet about the production of the film, apart from telling my immediate boss, Keith Jordan, the then Head of Technical Services, who was extremely supportive, and without whom I could not have completed this mammoth project.

Author, film-maker and projectionist Tim Higham in the BAFTA projection box.

feature film. And so was born ‘The Adventures Of George The Projectionist’, about a cinema projectionist who dreams of a life on the other side of the silver screen, only to become entangled in a mad Italian director’s secret filming of a crazily combined remake of Cinema Paradiso and Pulp Fiction! Time for another glass of the single malt, and to start searching for that old word processor that I knew was in the loft somewhere. The next morning, at work, during an extremely boring conference, I set about planning the production. The only way to shoot the scenes would be between all the various bookings that BAFTA took during the days and evenings - conferences, presentations and the multitude of film screenings. I decided that in order to avoid any problems with the management, it

I finished a basic script at the beginning of January 2000, which was only about 50 minutes long, but I was in such a hurry to start shooting I thought I could write the rest as we went along, which didn’t really turn out to be the best course of action. Thinking that the whole project would take a couple of years at most, I’d already started planning the premiere and all the advertising and publicity for the end of 2002. How wrong could I be! Now the latter half of 2007 and the DVD is just released! I had no money for the production, so immediately broke one of the golden rules of filmmaking – that is, not to put any of your own money into the project. So, after succeeding in my application for 3 credit cards (or was it 4 or 5? I can’t remember), I started wondering how much film stock I could get for free. After some research, I found approximately 250 production companies in the central London area alone, most within walking distance of Piccadilly, and spent about 2 days delivering letters by hand to each one asking for any spare film stock they might have - I had also calculated the money I could save by not posting anything! Within a couple of weeks, and after a lot more walking, I ended up with donations of just over 12,000 feet of usable 16mm stock - so, off to a good start. And I knew John Glee-

Left to right: Where the ideas began to take root - the view from the BAFTA projection box: Hidden star of the show - the Vic 8 in the BAFTA box : The Auditorium of the Princess Anne theatre at BAFTA where some material was shot

cinema technology - december 2007

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adventures of george son, the man in charge at Colour Film Services laboratory, who was a very great help to me with the processing. Realising that I could not afford a professional editing system I decided to do everything the old-fashioned way and buy a Steenbeck machine on which to cut the film. I found one for about £400, and installed it at home in my cellar. It turned out to be an excellent investment - this marvellous machine never let me down, and, I thought, was far superior to any digital system; after all, if you lose a frame or two of film on the Steenbeck, it’s bound to be on the floor or somewhere you can find it - if you lose something in the computer, it’ll be floating around in cyberspace for ever more. Eventually, the basic story came to fruition - George the projectionist gets increasingly bored with both his job and his boss, Mr.Harris (played by Chris Harris, another fellow projectionist at BAFTA) at our fictional ‘ArtHouse Cinema in Regent street’. George leaves one day for France in a bid to change his life and meets a woman in a Parisian bar with whom he falls in love. Sadly, however, he returns to London after losing contact with her, only to become entangled in the mad Italian director’s Cinema Verité style film production, which happens to have taken over George’s workplace in his absence. In the end, George finds himself showing the film at its premiere and is in for more than a few surprises. So, filming commenced, with odd scenes or parts of scenes shot here and there between screenings at work, and by the end of 2002 I had transferred only about a third of my original script onto celluloid. Another problem I had was that I was inventing new characters and ideas for scenes at the same rate that the filming was progressing - now the movie would never be finished.

From top to bottom: George’s boss Mr Harris at the projector - played by BAFTA projectionist Chris Harris: Tim filming the Vic 8: Antonio editing: Stefania and Giorgio page 56

All the main characters are played by people I knew at the time, with the exception of Stefania, played by Semeli Economou, who I found through an ad I placed in a local drama college; she brought along all her acting friends and of course I immediately started writing parts for all of them. One of the main characters, Andrei the Russian immigrant, is played by Andrew Byron, who arrived by chance as an extra for a party scene we happened to be shooting one evening. When I met him and discovered that he spoke fluent Russian, I created the part of Andrei Basilashvili, who finds work at the cinema and, like George, also dreams of a life on the silver screen. I decided that the opening of the film needed a bit of excitement, so I wrote some scenes portraying Andrei’s journey to England, in which he hides in the undercarriage bay of a jet airliner from Moscow before falling out and parachuting to earth. Then, after a slightly less eventful trip to the job centre, he becomes a cleaner in George’s cinema. As with everything else in the film I built almost everything I needed, and this scene in the undercarriage bay was filmed at home on my

living room floor (while my wife happened to be away for a while staying at her mother’s!). All the aircraft parts were constructed out of bits of wood and metal, and the entire scene was built up with various shots from a real Cessna light aircraft over Biggin Hill aerodrome, people parachuting over Headcorn airfield in Kent, and other shots taken at Heathrow Airport, Wimbledon Common, and inevitably the BAFTA rooftop in Piccadilly. This I used for Andrei’s close ups where he was rigged up in a makeshift parachute harness, with some straps and loads of gaffer tape, and suspended from some metal poles borrowed from behind the screen in the BAFTA theatre. To make the film more unusual I decided that all the main characters should have a dream sequence, each being inspired by the actor’s real life passions - Chris’s dream is all about sausages, and George’s dream should be about steam trains, the beautiful Italian actress he sees every night on the silver screen, and of course, film projectors - in particular the two Cinemeccanica Victoria 8s installed at BAFTA. His dream involves him climbing a ladder ‘through’ one of the projectors, which I filmed with a series of double and triple exposures involving George and his pyjamas, projector parts, lenses, spools and gear wheels. All filmed ‘in-camera’ to avoid any costly post-production effects. There are many other in-camera effects throughout the film, especially involving the projectors and their workings; one example being where the projector catches fire. I filmed George and the projector, and wound the film back in the camera before going home to shoot some flames in my back garden at night. There are also many shots done stop frame, or one frame at a time, some of which can be viewed in the film trailer on our website. One in particular, a handheld tracking shot involved me walking over the tops of all the rows of seats in the cinema auditorium, starting with a wide shot on the stage and moving rapidly to a big close up of George’s face. You can also see a speeded up scene of both projectors while George is running an entire feature film, including changeovers, shot one frame every 15 seconds, to compress the whole two-hour sequence into about 20 seconds. Shots of inside the projector lamp house were needed for the Pulp Fiction – Cinema Paradiso style gangster chase, where the bungling gangsters hide the ‘drugs’ (icing sugar wrapped in cling film) inside the projector. I constructed a lamp house interior at home in my cellar with sheets of metal and a 500W stage light bulb, and whilst shooting at 64 frames per second in order to slow everything down, injected some flames into the set up to recreate a projector lamp house fire by using a match and a deodorant aerosol can - not something I recommend doing again! Various shots also include either George showing a film, or close ups of the projector gate or lens, so I shot sequences as normal on 16mm, had them blown up to 35mm, and then laced them up in the projector to be re-filmed. This was all rather tricky but cinema technology - december 2007

adventures of george ended up working very well with the projector running at 24 fps and the clockwork camera running at (approximately!) 24 fps. The finished movie is now shorter than the original version that went to the negative cutters. After 2-3 years of editing and building up the structure of the film, there followed about a year of hacking bits out of it, so the film is now down to 79 minutes, from what was an extremely confusing director’s, or should I say, projectionist’s cut original of 95 minutes. This first version had about 1100 cuts in it, which according to the neg cutters was well above the average of 900 cuts for this length of movie. And with the chaotic style of filming it is not surprising that it took nearly 5 years to complete. There was no crew to speak of; just me and my camera and a cassette recorder to capture a guide track for the dialogue postsynching - all done, of course, in between film bookings, whenever anyone was available, and at odd times after work and at weekends. Fortunately, the shot continuity is pretty good, as George managed to retain his youthful character throughout, despite him approaching his ‘free bus pass’ era! I also managed to complete the movie just before major refurbishment works at BAFTA saw new seats installed in the theatre, bigger lamp houses on the Vic 8s (as far as I remember they had 3k lamps when installed in 1997 and after lots of experimentation and the addition of 3 bladed shutters this went up in stages to 5k for the 213 seat - now 227 seat – cinema). The decor in the rest of the building also changed

Clockwise: Star of the show George Warner - projectionist with so many dreams to fulfil! Tim posting drugs into an old Ernemann lamphouse - believe me, it’s part of the story! George on the projection room floor as Tim films another unusual scene

quite substantially so I was lucky to complete the project when I did. Finally, after many more months of work, and resorting to a computer for the sound clean up and picture grading, the DVD is released, complete with director’s commentary and some deleted scenes - available from our website www.ggproj.com as well as a few select shops in London.

And what next? ‘The Return Of George The Projectionist’? Well, I’m not sure that George would want to go through all that again, and can certainly say that any future projects will be done with a large crew and some proper finance, and hopefully won’t take 94 months from start to finish! Now, where’s that bottle of Talisker... Tim Higham

Buy one for Christmas!

Although other, perhaps more esteemed reviewers (we know who you are, Mr Hühndorf!) have come up with impressive quotes like ‘Elements of Godard and Truffaut’, I have to sum up this wonderful film as ‘totally mad’, and you may be sure that they won’t be using that on the billboards! It wasn’t as though the pre-publicity hadn’t forewarned me, with promises of a story of a middle aged projectionist in love with an Italian actress he sees every night, but only on screen, and his dreams of entering the

world of film-making can we detect something autobiographical behind this creation from projectionist Tim Higham? Somehow (and you are never quite sure how from the cunning way the film cuts between different times and places) George the projectionist gets involved with a mad Italian film director who is filming ‘Red Carpet’, described as a combined remake of Cinema Paradiso and Pulp Fiction. I could have believed all that, but then Sir Sydney Samuelson turned up in a Hitchcock-like cameo role, so was I watching real life, or fiction? I watched the whole 79 minute movie (a bit too long, but so was Harry Potter!) on the excellently produced DVD, and was conscious of having a grin on my face for most of the time - how

could projectionist Tim Higham have packed so many mad ideas into just one film, or perhaps that should be two, because of the ‘film within a film’ theme? With so many ‘tongue in cheek’ scenes that you risk never being able to talk again, and a phenomenal range of musical clips, from opera to ballet and pop, including Gilbert and Sullivans’ ‘I am the very model of a modern film projectionist’, which we might just get around to singing at the CTC Christmas party, the whole thing is great fun, and the many shots of projection equipment in various states provide a magnificent extra bonus for any Cinema Technology reader. The DVD is only £9.50 including postage from www.ggproj.com and I am sure that none of our readers would be disappointed to receive this in their Christmas stocking. Well done to Tim Higham and his team. Jim Slater

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obituary

John Pytlak MBKS SMPTE 1948 - 2007 Eastman Kodak Company

John Pytlak of Eastman Kodak Company died in Rochester NY on August 17th, 2007, shortly after his 59th birthday, after a courageous battle with cancer. It wasn’t just a sign of the times that within a day or two of the death in August of John Pytlak, of Eastman Kodak Company, there were over 30 pages of tributes posted on Film Tech Forum, the projectionists’ website. Many of these were from UK and the rest of Europe. For John was to many the valued and respected expert who dedicated his life to getting the best from motion picture film, and in particular to achieving high quality, problem free, projection presentation. Older readers will recall him as the author of many articles in regular Kodak publications such as “Film Notes for Reel People” and “Cinema Notes”. Pytlak’s Projection Pointers were a must-read for any projectionist striving to improve on-screen performance. In recent years, John was one of the main contacts for technical assistance to cinematographers, laboratory technicians, post-production staff, archivists, and of course projectionists. He never regarded any question or request for advice as trivial, and his responses were always timely, helpful and respectful. If the query wasn’t strictly relevant to his expertise, he would

always offer alternative directions for follow up, never leaving the enquirer high and dry with an unresolved issue. John’s passion for film started when he took a student job, working as a projectionist in a western New York state drive-in cinema in the late 1960s. While there, he invented an AM radio link to replace wired speakers into cars, and this blossomed into his love affair with film projection. Joining Eastman Kodak was a natural step to take, and he worked largely ‘behind the scenes’ but always looking for innovative ways to improve film and its use, from camera to screen. For example, in recent years, he took the SMPTE Film Projection Standards and translated them into the quality audit that was Kodak ScreenCheck, and his work with standardisation of laboratory printing and processing with the Laboratory Aim Density (LAD) system brought, as part of a team, a “Technical Oscar” in 2001. One of John’s projects was to improve film-tovideo transfers, resulting in the Telecine Analysis Film TAF. Further, his work on the Particle Transfer Roller invention, drastically reducing ozone-

depleting solvents used for film cleaning, earned widespread recognition from the environmental lobby. In film preservation and archiving, he was active in the Kodak Molecular Sieve project, helping to maintain film print heritage. He was a most active member of many industry committees such as SMPTE, ISO, AIMA (film archiving) and the Inter-Society for Theatrical Presentation, bodies that work on worldwide standards to achieve consistent quality - the bedrock of the longevity of film based motion picture. He was also a member of BKSTS. All agree that John Pytlak brought authority, honesty, integrity, respect, and above all helpfulness to his task of aiding the projection community to achieve improved on-screen presentations. His long career was cut short after a courageous battle with cancer, and the industry, especially the cinema sector, has lost a passionate supporter, and a friend to many around the world. It was perhaps a typical gesture that he donated his remains to medical research at the University of Rochester, New York. Thanks to Denis Kelly and to Alan Masson for preparing this tribute for the BKSTS journals.

It is good to see that much of the fruit of John Pytlak’s accumulated wisdom is still available from the Kodak website, and I spent a happy hour browsing through his ‘Projection Pointers’, savouring such delights as; • Conquering Contrast Killers • Heat Damage to Prints • “Seven Deadly Sins of Projection”. Have a look at: http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/newsletters/pytlak.

• Help for Projector Dusting

• Platter Patter ... as well as the incomparable

There is something for everyone there, and I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed! Jim Slater

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cinema technology - december 2007

obituary

Mervyn George Howell 1918 - 2007 Ex Chief Projectionist at the Wrexham Odeon

Mervyn George Howell was Chief Projectionist at Wrexham’s old Odeon Cinema in Brook Street until its conversion to full-time Rank Bingo in 1976. Mervyn was born in Nantyglo, South Wales. Due to the shortage of work in the area, the family moved north to Llay when Mervyn was just a toddler, and his father worked at the Llay Main Colliery. He attended Llay Junior School and later Grove Park Grammar School in Wrexham. Whilst in Grove Park, he took a liking to the world of cinema - and after going home from school and completing his homework, he would hurry off to the local cinema in Llay to help out in the Projection department under the watchful guidance of projectionist Alf Williams and also Chief Projectionist Tom Davies (who also worked at the colliery). Mervyn’s first ‘real’ job after leaving Grove Park in July 1935 was working in the Laboratory at Monsanto Chemical Works in Cefn Mawr, where the smell of Phenol always lingered. He didn’t have to endure this for too long and one Friday in February 1936 came a call to the head of the department at Monsanto from the Labour Exchange in Wrexham advising Mervyn that if he was still interested in the cinema and willing to go anywhere then a job was waiting for him - at the News Theatre on Victoria Railway Station in London! Luckily, there were some family relatives living in Edgware, so he packed his belongings and headed for the ‘Big City’. Aiming his sights on higher things, he soon progressed by moving to the ABC Cinema in Edgware, and later by joining the Rank Organisation’s Odeon circuit at the Odeon Sudbury. At this time, the Odeon chain was rapidly expanding around the country and a new cinema was being built in Wrexham. Preferring to be nearer home, Mervyn applied to the Odeon cinemas in Chester and also Rhyl but unfortunately their staff had already been selected. Then came his ‘big break’ and he managed to secure a place at the now finished Odeon in Wrexham, where he started on 6th March 1937. Having given the staff one week to prepare, the cinema opened the following week on the 13th March 1937 and Mervyn soon became a popular member of the staff, and courted an usherette called Eileen. Regrettably, his first stay at Wrexham was rather short-lived and he was promoted and consecinema technology - december 2007

quently transferred to the Odeon cinema at Chorley, Lancashire in 1939 with an increase in wage of 2/6d (or 121⁄2p in today’s terms). During this time, the thought of war was becoming increasingly real and Mervyn enlisted at Birkenhead in July 1939, joining the 1st Militia 21 year group. He served in the AA R.A.O.C. / R.A. (AA) and R.E.M.E. (AA). Not knowing the eventual outcome of the war, Mervyn managed to secure a special weekend pass in order to return home and marry Eileen on the 30th August 1941 before travelling abroad with his units to North Africa and Italy. He found many friends in the army and met people from all walks of life during his 61⁄2 years service. At the end of the war, he returned to Aldershot where, in January 1946, his service in the army finally came to an end and he was able to return to his family back at his new home in Wrexham and also his many friends. On his return to the Odeon cinema in Wrexham, he found that projection staff numbers had been made up to four and consequently there were now no longer any vacancies, so he was transferred to the Odeon Chester. Travelling by bicycle, he would commute

between his home in Wrexham and Chester arriving by 10.00 a.m. and working a full day through to the end of the film show at about 10.30 p.m. - sometimes later if the programme overran. Mervyn was upgraded to Chief Projectionist in the late fifties / early sixties. Audiences in the cinema were gradually declining and by the early 1970s Bingo was becoming more popular than ever. Rank decided to transform the Odeon into a cinema / bingo club where films were shown three days a week with Top Rank Bingo for four days. During this time, Mervyn continued to be employed by Rank, helping out during bingo days as an electrician / maintenance man. This continued until May 1976 when “The Man Who Would Be King” starring Sean Connery proved to be the final film shown at the cinema and bingo became full time. It was then that Mervyn found himself out of work for the first time in over 30 years. He managed to find temporary work in the Keg Plant at the Lager Brewery, which lasted for four years. Luckily, Barry Flanagan who was Manager at the Hippodrome cinema in Wrexham, was looking to open a smaller cinema (The Vogue) to run in conjunction with the Hippodrome - and he approached Mervyn, knowing his circumstances and asked if he would be willing to work as chief projectionist there. So in July 1981 it was back to the cinema. Mervyn ran this venue with the proudness and determination that he had done at the Odeon, until in September 1984 again falling audiences proved the demise and the cinema was provisionally closed. It was at this point that Mervyn decided to ‘call it a day’ and planned to retire in order to spend more time with his loving wife and family. After showing literally many thousands of films throughout his cinema career, he found it difficult to choose one specific favourite when asked, but two films that he really enjoyed were Bridge On The River Kwai and Mary Poppins. Mervyn Howell died on September 7th 2007 after a long illness, which he bravely bore. Thanks to Mervyn’s son John for this tribute, and to Peter Davies, Technical Manager at Wrexham’s current Odeon Cinema. Thanks also to Ben Dowell’s Mawgrim site for the picture of the old Odeon Wrexham. page 59

feedback ments regarding the trailers being out of rack as we do not know the exact date of his visit.

PRESENTATION STANDARDS - A PROJECTIONIST’S VIEW One thing I love about our industry is the way that projectionists often can’t resist taking the proverbial ‘busman’s holiday’ and spend some of their time off going to other people’s cinemas - the letters below resulted from one such visit by projectionist Ben Wales to the Empire, Leicester Square. - Ed.

I can confirm that our projection team at the Empire, and indeed those across our circuit, are highly qualified and work in close partnership with the technical teams from all our partners in distribution to ensure the best standards in presentation at all times. THX logos are used in feature presentations, however at present we do not have an Empire ident - this, along with other brand identities, is still in development.

Dear Mr Slater. I always look forward to receiving the latest issue of Cinema Technology and have almost every issue since it was first published. In the September 2006 issue you published an interesting article on the Empire Cinema in the West End, from which it was apparent that the new owners Empire Cinemas Ltd have invested quite a large sum of money into the Cinema with a larger screen and improved THX Specification. Last year I had some correspondence with the company and was encouraged to learn that they have great plans for the Empire, intending to make it once again a Premier Cinema for the UK. This Summer I managed to travel up to London and took the opportunity to see a film there and I must say how disappointed I was at the new style of presentation. I can say that I am not at the age when one can remember the “Golden Years” of the 50s and 60s of the Empire or any other cinema, but feel the presentation was of a poor standard and not worthy of this once great cinema. At the screening I attended, there were no adverts shown (not a great loss!), trailers were slightly out of rack, no THX Logos or any other House presentation logos were shown, and worse still, the curtains remained open when on a Feature Change (W/S to Scope Masking), so we all had to sit in the dark.

On further investigation I have since been informed that it is “Company Policy” to screen films at the Empire this way and from recent reports things have not improved. I just think that for people like me who have to pay a ticket price of £13.50 at a West End cinema to see a below-standard presentation is a poor experience at a high price! Yours Sincerely Ben Wales Southampton Knowing very well just how keen André Mort and his projection team at the Empire Leicester Square are to see that their cinema remains a world-beater, I thought it only fair to give them the chance to answer Ben’s criticisms, although we didn’t have full details of the time and date of his visit - Ed. Jim As many of your readers know, since taking ownership of The Empire last year we have invested heavily in upgrading this cinema.

The sound system was upgraded to a bespoke THX system and the screen size increased to 18.23m. Our commitment to the Empire continues as we are currently in the process of refurbishing the toilets and concession areas. Work has also started on a fourth screen which will be open early next year. This screen will contain about 100 seats and be fully THX certified. With regards to the comments from Mr Wales, we are disappointed that his experience did not meet his or our expectation, but cannot respond directly to com-

Mr Wales is correct in his statement that we no longer bring up the house lights and close the curtains between the trailers and main feature. This change was made in direct response to a significant amount of guest feedback, who all commented that they felt that something had “gone wrong” when the curtains closed and lights came up, and some actually left the auditorium to inform members of the management team of this fact. In summary I believe that the standards of presentation at the Empire are as good if not better than they have ever been and that we are committed to investing further in the heritage of The Empire to ensure that it remains the flagship cinema in the west end. André Mort Technical Manager Empire Cinemas.

DESMOND McGREAL FUNERAL The September issue of Cinema Technology carried an obituary for Desmond Mc Greal, former Chief Projectionist at the Odeon Liverpool. The funeral took place on Friday 13th July 2007 and the picture above shows the gathering of fellow projectionists who paid their respects to Des and enjoyed talking about old times. The photo shows l-r Derek Minshull ABC Liverpool (retired) Phil Green Odeon Liverpool (retired) Fred Fullerton Ex Liverpool, now Disney London Steve Horn Chief at Odeon Liverpool Mike Taylor Ex Liverpool Hippodrome Ron Checkley Cinerama Liverpool (retired) Brian Cubban Chief Mayfair Liverpool (retired) Mike Taylor MBKS

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cinema technology - december 2007

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news

Coming Soon - Home Cinema Section From the next issue of Cinema Technology onwards we shall be carrying a regular section on the technical side of home cinema and home entertainment systems. We are fortunate to have secured the services of Graham Edmondson, best known to CT readers so far for his contributions as Technical Manager at Dolby Laboratories, who has been researching the high end home cinema market for some time and has decided to set up his own company VIVID RESEARCH, which specialises in the custom design, installation and support of bespoke home entertainment systems. His years of experience in the professional audio and cinema world, combined with his passion for the best quality and most user friendly systems, mean that the company will be aiming to bring the cinema experience right into the luxury of your own home, and to provide integrated music systems to be enjoyed in any room of the house.

VIVID RESEARCH will work with interior designers and architects to provide dedicated bespoke installations, and the company promises a personal service and a guarantee of 100% satisfaction. The company will help its customers select the best type of display and the optimum sound system for each location, taking account of room acoustics and speaker placement. Graham realises that even complex systems need to be simple to operate, so the company will be supplying systems that are easy and foolproof to use. Using a state of the art touch screen panel, films can easily be chosen from a central server and with one button press, the equipment fires into life, a hidden motorised screen drops into place, the lights dim and the fanfare of the film begins. In the series of articles for Cinema Technology Graham will be looking at technical topics including: Choosing a display – projector, LCD, or Plasma.

SATIS 2007 During a recent visit to Paris I called in at SATIS, the ‘Salon des Technologies et Solutions Audiovisuelles’, which was celebrating its 25th Anniversary as an exhibition and conference. It was about five years since I last attended, so I was interested to see how the exhibition had grown considerably, and how cinema and home-cinema related technologies now play a large part in what I previously thought of as an exhibition primarily related to the audiovisual industries. This year SATIS had been organised as five sectors, covering Production, Audio, Business Solutions, Broadcast, and Multimedia, and each one contained a wide-ranging selection of manufacturers and producers. I didn’t have time to attend any conference sessions, but was impressed with the range of topics covered, including digital television and radio, multi-channel cinema sound, high definition TV, special effects, and new technologies. It is always good to talk with our French friends, and BKSTS has traditionally had close relationships with people from the French regulatory organisation CST, an association of professionals from the audiovisual field, in charge of supervising page 62

Choosing a screen. Selecting DVD players, recorders, DTV equipment. The importance of aerials. High definition facts and figures. Interconnecting equipment Surround Sound systems

The aim of the series will be to provide Cinema Technology readers with sound practical advice to help them choose and set up their own systems – even if they can’t afford to spend their life savings on a VIVID REASEARCH installation! www.vividresearch.co.uk

Jim Slater reports on an interesting visit to the major French audio-visual exhibition and recommends a trip to the Cinémathèque Française the quality of the production and broadcast of sound and images, whether they are intended for cinema, television or any other medium. The CST was founded in 1944 to take part in the reconstruction of French cinema and to encourage the evolution from black and white to colour films, and is currently involved in the transition of cinema and television towards digital technology and in the introduction of new media such as video on demand (VOD). This year I was delighted to come across the BKSTS French Representative Richard Billeaud once again (pictured below left), and we spent some time discussing the state of the BKSTS and its possible future. Richard is currently Director of Continuing Professional Development at the Louise Lumière école national supérieure, and he was being kept busy with queries from potential students. In previous years BKSTS has had a stand at SATIS, usually thanks to the good offices of our previous Director John Graham, but although we didn’t have a presence this year I took the opportunity to speak with the SATIS organiser, who would be happy to provide us with a BKSTS stand next year in exchange for advertising space and support in Cinema Technology. Let us hope that our Society will be in a position to take up the offer. I also managed an all-too-brief visit to what must be the nearest thing to the French equivalent of our BFI South Bank site – the Cinémathèque

Française, which holds what is claimed to be the largest archive of films, movie documents, and film-related objects in the world. The Cinémathèque holds daily screenings of a wide variety of films from all over the world. An original collection by Henri Langlois in the 1930s was virtually destroyed by the Germans, but some were smuggled and hidden away. After a troubled history the Cinémathèque Française eventually moved to its present site on rue de Bercy in a postmodern building designed by Frank Gehry, an American architect, and it is fascinating to compare how the French use concrete to provide flowing outlines to the ‘brutalist’ use of the same materials on our own South Bank. The site also contains the Bibliothèque du Film, a museum created in 1992 dedicated to the history of cinema. Any BKSTS member would find a day at the site well worthwhile. Jim Slater cinema technology - december 2007

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