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Topic: The Heart Is Neglected

Demetris Thoupis
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1240
From: Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 11-20-2003 05:44 AM

After a long discussion with one cinema owner here in Cyprus I got so *#$/#$^& off that I decided to bring this up although I am not sure it has not been brought up again. Here is some background. We have a cinema owner who currenly wants to reinovate his cinema and tripple it (it is one screen). After lot of meetings and discussion he keeps saying "but do we need this kind of equipment? the people don't know the difference" after making an offer of Kinoton projector with DOLBY CP650 all EX and DTS as well with QSC Amps. When the first meeting came Up he specified that he wanted the BEST and money is no issue. Now, as usual, every cinema owner spends SO MUCH money on outside appearance (lobby, carpets e.t.c) and mirraculously they become poor when the time comes to put money in the Projector booth. They start cutting costs and so on. WHY is that? No cinema owner that I know of pays any attention to the booth which is the HEART of the cinema. Why is the heart being neglected.
Demetris

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Kenneth Wuepper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1026
From: Saginaw, MI, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 11-20-2003 06:33 AM

Hello Demetris,

You have answered your own question when the owner says, "the people don't know the difference", observe what the owner is saying. Every dollar spent must make the customer impressed with the theater. The shiniest popcorn machine, the lighted and large soda dispenser and the three story high entrance lobby all are to impress the customer.

Manufacturer's representatives are telling the owner that their machine runs and sounds so much like the more expensive one that noone can tell the difference. Therefore the only decision he needs to make is the bottom line initial cost.

Without a doubt, the safety provisions dictated by the fire codes, toilets, plush seats and the heating and air conditioning are the only other items which rank up with the booth in being a basic requirement.

If the booth was visible to the audience, like some IMAX ones are, it would have everything looking very nice to the customer. There could be a question of how the machinery looked rather than how it worked. I am sure the operator would be wearing a laboratory jacket and perhaps hospital "operating room" shoe covers. The idea being that if we take this much pain with the projection, imagine how much more you will enjoy the movie in our theater. However, locked away from view, the booth needs only to do its work as cheaply and with enough precision that the viewer does not complain to the owner.

In summary, the owner wants to spend his money where it will impress the customers. Why spend more than is required when, "They don't know the difference?"

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 11-20-2003 07:38 AM

I think this is the first time I've ever agreed with Kenneth! [Big Grin]

I've been to Imax theaters where the operators wore lab jackets and paper booties and sticky mats on the floor. Unfortunately, most don't do this anymore because of cost-cutting or laziness.

In theaters where we've had viewing windows for the projection room, I've always had to remind the management, "It's a working booth and it isn't going to look pretty all the time, so get over it. I'll try and keep the messiness to a minimum".

Too often, management/owners could care less about the booth and other backroom areas until it affects them directly.

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Dick Vaughan
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1032
From: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 11-20-2003 08:18 AM

Sounds all too familiar!

A couple of years ago I wrote an article for "The IMAX Experience " newsletter which dealt with similar concerns.

Reproduced below:

quote:
As always, I read the last issue of IMAX Experience from cover to cover and was interested in its architectural theme. I have always thought that the form and function of the projection room, the heart of the IMAX experience, and its relationship to the auditorium is incredibly important.

No matter how wonderful the exterior of the building looks, and how welcoming the public spaces are, if the design of the projection room and its associated areas is not properly thought out then the whole thing can fail .

In my view, after being involved in more than six different IMAX theatre projects, the list of potential architectural challenges is long:

The proper environmental conditions in the projection room must be maintained, the projectionist must be able to easily manoeuvre the platters of film around, there must be proper washroom and refreshment facilities available, and proper attention has to be paid to surface finishes.

All too often we suffer from the outside in design approach of "Lets design a potential award-winning building and oh, by the way, we need to fit an IMAX theatre inside it. "

The result - a huge portion of the cash goes on expensive building methods and materials -- then when it comes down to fitting out the projection room, and providing adequate cooling and chilled water supplies for the lamps, we draw the short straw.

I feel passionately about getting the best possible image on the
screen and if we don't give our projectionists well-designed, properly
maintained projection rooms, it's going to be more difficult to achieve
that aim.

My original draft was a litle more scathing but it was toned down a bit by the powers that be as it may offend an architect! [Roll Eyes]

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Christos Mitsakis
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 242
From: Ag.Paraskevi, ATHENS, GREECE
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 11-20-2003 08:21 AM

Being there. Living there. [Mad]

That's why we are used to do so many custom made retrofit works. Even large multiplex companies don't invest on new equipement, unless they built a new complex where they put the current "trendy" gear.

Christos.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 11-20-2003 06:36 PM

This sort of thing really aggravates me. Millions will be spent on flashy lobby and auditoriums, then when you enter the booth you have a bare cement slab, no drop ceiling, cheap crappy equipment and in at least one local example, no climate control whatsoever! These people need to understand without that movie, they will not have any customers paying to view their lovely lobby and auditoriums. There is no excuse for such ignorance.

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Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 11-20-2003 08:22 PM

Old carnival saying...send money on the "front" and let them guess on the details [Confused]

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Tom Wienholt
Master Film Handler

Posts: 371
From: Towson, MD, USA
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 11-20-2003 11:20 PM

The fact is, it is not the appearance of the projection booth the keeps the cutomers happy, its the cleanliness and appearance of the lobby and auditoriums. As for equipment, as long as it it maintained properly, does it really matter if the equipment is new? I would say no. I have gone to many 2 and 3 year old megaplexes that have all brand new projection and sound equipment, and the presentation is horrible. Poor sound and crappy picture. So basically, having new equipment doesn't make a theatre good. Having propery installed equipment that is properly calibrated does. So who cares if the equipment is old, as long as it works and is set up correctly. I say go with used equipment and save money.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 11-21-2003 01:49 AM

Who said anything about the equipment being new or not?

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Chris Hipp
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1462
From: Mesquite, Tx (east of Dallas)
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 11-21-2003 02:13 AM

One thing that you have to realize, thought it is no excuse, is that alot of managers aren't really "movie people" or haven't been in the industry for a while. They are just managers that happen to work at a movie theater. The reason that it is no excuse is that there is not always a strong influence from corporate on how important the booth and presentations are. In my experience the case is that corporate says that they care about presentation and booth, but they won't give you a big enough budget to be properly staff. They care enough to say they care but not enough to do anythign about it. [Mad]

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Daryl C. W. O'Shea
Film God

Posts: 3977
From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from)
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 11-21-2003 11:26 AM

quote:
Who said anything about the equipment being new or not?

Christos

Brand new or used equipment in like new condition. I couldn't care less either way. The like new used equipment will provide the cash to install that second set of subs and amplifiers.

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Christos Mitsakis
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 242
From: Ag.Paraskevi, ATHENS, GREECE
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 11-21-2003 03:41 PM

YES

"Trendy" equipment comes as package in a new construction (foreign investors multiplexes'), but after that NO additions or improvments (or even spare preamp cards - seen that - in case of an emergency).

C.

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