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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: 16mm Project HQ
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Ken Layton
unregistered
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posted 05-30-1999 02:28 AM
PROJECT HQ is a 16mm system that AMC Theaters has been experimenting
with off and on for ten years or so. It consists of an Eastman Model 25 projector
outfitted with large (6000 ft.) reel arms. Included is a Christie horizontal
lamphouse with 2000 watt bulb. The sound system was a special 4 channel stereo
(yes, 16mm stereo!) designed and built by Kintek. I don't know who designed the
automation, though. Lenses are by Schneider.
The last I heard was that AMC was experimenting with some sort of a digital
16mm sound format. Project HQ was supposedly installed in about 50
lower-grossing AMC theaters in the smaller market areas as a way to reduce print
costs and shipping costs. An entire feature would be shipped via UPS on a single
6000 foot 16mm reel. It would play day-and-date with regular 35mm releases.
It's been awhile since I heard anymore about PROJECT HQ.
Anyone else have any updated information?
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Brad Miller
unregistered
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posted 05-30-1999 02:29 AM
It has been a few years since I heard anything about that project.
I understand DTS has a 16mm timecode reader...possibly that digital format? Anyone know anything about this? There's got to be someone out there who
works at AMC who can find this out.
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Joe Redifer
unregistered
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posted 05-30-1999 02:29 AM
One of my co-workers has seen a print in 16mm DTS. From what he says, there
is not a dedicated reader. It is read thru the exciter bulb somehow and it goes to a
special 4 channel DTS unit. This is what he said. His memory seems a bit vague
so who knows??
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Scott Norwood
unregistered
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posted 05-30-1999 02:29 AM
How do they handle widescreen (1.66 and 1.85) and CinemaScope films? Do
they use oddball squeeze ratios like the airline prints used to? Do they mask off
the top and bottom of the image as with 35mm (for 1.66 and 1.85)? Do they just
show 1.37 pan/scan prints? Anyway, the whole thing sounds like a pretty dumb
idea. No doubt 16mm has its purposes, but commercial cinema use is not one of
them. As Brad mentioned, though, using DTS with 16mm (and mono optical
backup) would have made a lot more sense than spending $$$ to develop some
new SVA system for 16mm, which probably would not sound very good at all. I
don't see how this sort of arrangement would really save money, anyway. A pair
of good-quality 16mm xenon projectors with ISCO (or other top-quality) lenses
would cost about the same as a pair of good, used 35mm projectors, or single
projector with platter. Sure, there are some savings on shipping costs, but I
suspect that they would be cancelled out by the number of potential customers
who take their business elsewhere after learning that AMC is charging full-price
for 16mm screenings!
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Scott Norwood
unregistered
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posted 05-30-1999 02:30 AM
Just wait until they forget to rewind the film at the end of a show and
some bozo puts the takeup reel on the feed reel arm and threads the film upside
down and backwards. I know that 16mm is supposed to be idiot-proof, but it
appears that AMC has invented the better idiot. If they really wanted full
automation with no operator intervention, a much better system would probably
be 35mm, shipped on 6000' Goldberg reels, pre-inspected at the film exchange,
and run through a pair of those "linear loop" projectors that allow through-gate
rewind and (supposedly) full automation without operator attendance. As long as
they stuck to features that were no more than two hours in length, the only human
intervention necessary would be to mount the reels when they arrived and thread
each projector once. Automation would handle lamp strikes, sound format
changes, masking, changeovers, and rewinding. (Never mind the "clean projectors
between every reel" admonition...I'm sure that the projectors in most AMC
theatres are cleaned only once a month or so!)
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Joe Redifer
unregistered
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posted 05-30-1999 02:31 AM
Don't worry....AMC would find a wat to screw it up.
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Brad Miller
unregistered
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posted 05-30-1999 02:31 AM
If t
: hey really wanted full automation with no operator interve
: ntion, a much better system would probably be 35mm, shippe
: d on 6000' Goldberg reels, pre-inspected at the film excha
: nge, and run through a pair of those "linear loop" project
: ors that allow through-gate rewind and (supposedly) full a
: utomation without operator attendance Warning! Those rewind-through-the-projector monsters are crap. What a stupid
idea! I've worked with one and they do an excellent job of destroying the film on
the first rewind.
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Ken Layton
unregistered
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posted 05-30-1999 02:45 AM
Isco lenses were used, but I never did find out what format they were projecting.
One installation was at AMC Burbank 10. More info was in BOXOFFICE
magazine in the March 1988 and April 1991 issues. That was the last time I heard
anything about it.
I'm sure AMC "projectionists" (and I use the term loosely) would find a way to
screw it up. Probably something like: "Oh my God, it's on reels! What do I do?"
There are only a couple of AMC theaters here in the Puget Sound area of
Washington State. Regal controls nearly 80% of theaters in this state. Lows
Silly-plex and General Enemas don't have much here either.
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Robert Hazlewood
unregistered
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posted 05-30-1999 02:45 AM
:Lows Silly-plex and General Ene
:mas don't have much here either.
:
Lmao.
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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!
Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 05-09-2000 08:32 PM
I just set up a DTS-16mm today in fact!!!It is in the "County Theatre" in Doylstown, PA. The film using the process will be screened on Thrusday. How well it works, I can't say yet...the print was not available nor were any test samples...<crossing fingers> The projector will be a Phillips FP-16. Steve ------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"
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