Aaron

Welcome to the world of Val morgan ads! A company started here in Melbourne (who once made street directories and swimming pools!)

In Australia all cinemas have had film-ads since the year dot. When SR came in we had to wait until most ads were in SR before we ran the entire ad block through in SR instead of A type. As you know, SR tracks sound OK processed as A type, but A type can be poor running in SR.

With the CP500 the auto digital feature switches between formats (we run up to 8 ads per feature prior to trailers). High level automation systems such as the Pennywise CA100 that we use are also beneficial for multi-format sound tracks.

The varying level between optical and digital ads is a problem. It is a nightmare to automate for volume changes for every ad. We choose a happy (unhappy?) medium and continue to apply pressure to the advertising company - we will reject ads recorded too loud. We have had some success with this and have had several ads and logos re-recorded.

The CA100 can handle twenty programs with twenty steps per program and 6 inputs per step or cue, so as you state you could in theory cue each ad or trailer, but when you run a twenty screen complex it makes it a tad difficult. Mainly due to the fact that we change ads & trailers each week. Meaning that you would have to change the program for that feature each week, not impossible but in the end time consuming. At the end of the day we try to find a happy medium which we accept and which is also of quality in presentation to our patrons.
The CA100 also links up to CA Link, giving it greater flexibility. Talk to Pennywise about a brouchure for the CA100, I would call it the big brother of the CA21 as the CA100 is unlimited in what it can do. It is basically up to end user in what he wants to acheive in his presentation,but if he wants to do it, the CA100 can handle it.

Regards

Tim has jumped in and answered for me. We do operate CA 21, Ezymation (predessor of the CA100 and very similar) and CA100. 90% of our screens are run with CA100 or Ezymation.

The CA100 is the big daddy and can perform anything and everything you could ever want. Once the software is bedded down it would be the most reliable automation I have ever used.

The system was initially developed by a former Village projectionist in his spare time in the booth! It was then picked up and manufactured through GUVT - Ezymation and then produced and redesigned by Pennywise. Various Pennywise products are subsequently sold by Christie and Kinoton. The very first units are now over 10 years old and still operating (these were produced by Email Electronics).

A typical programe:

Sessions programmed for week in advance so timer activates first step at predetermined time....

Step 1 autostart,

Step 2 lights down, scope, digital, close theatre doors.

Step 3 lights preset 1.

Step 4 autostop, lights up

Autostart contains xenon strike, motor on, stage lights down, curtains open, stereo SR, fade non-sync,w/s, picture on; all timed for presentation.

Autostop is the reverse.