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Author Topic: Odd effect as projector starts up Thomas Pitt Master Film Handler Posts: 266 From: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK Registered: May 2007 posted 09-01-2008 03:29 PM                     I went to see Babylon AD in a different cinema to the one I usually go to, and saw something strange as the projector started up. It looked like multiple 'diamonds' of light, a bit like what you get when shining a light through a cut gemstone. This happened after the projectionist hit start, but before the first image hit the screen - i.e. only for a split second. Anyone have any idea what caused this? Whatever it was, it didn't interfere with the movie itself. The projector was badly out of alignment and had no flat aperture plate for the adverts/trailers, but that's another story.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 09-01-2008 04:36 PM                        Are you sure it was from the projector? Could it have been a reflection off something else and only a coincidence that it happened when the projector started? Of if it was from the projector or booth, it might be something very simple like the glass door on the projector reflecting lamphouse light just as he closed it. We discovered something similar where if a car drove by at a certain time in the afternoon, sunlight would be reflected off some metal or glass on the car and a very small speck of light would seep thru a door crack and move across part of the screen. Just a thought.  |  IP: Logged Hugh McCullough Expert Film Handler Posts: 147 From: Old Coulsdon, Surrey, UK Registered: Jan 2003 posted 09-01-2008 05:31 PM                        This could be a digital projector fault. It used to happen on our NEC 800C projector about every ten or twelve shows. We got a very slight flash of the three primary colours just before the dowser opened. It did not seem to matter if you placed black before or after the dowser opening. As it was an intermittent fault, and would not manifest itself when the engineer was present, it was decided to leave it, and after a few months it appeared to have cured itself, we hope.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Pitt Master Film Handler Posts: 266 From: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK Registered: May 2007 posted 09-01-2008 06:14 PM                     I doubt it was a digital projector issue; this cinema doesn't even HAVE a digital projector It was a Simplex Millennium with Christie lamphouse, I think. I think Frank's theory about the glass door reflecting light seems the most probable. It's a multiplex, and there are no windows to the outside in the booth as far as I can see. It could well have been the 'strips' of light from a lamphouse vent, being distorted and focused by the glass door, and reflecting onto the screen briefly. [ 09-02-2008, 11:43 AM: Message edited by: Thomas Pitt ]  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 09-01-2008 09:12 PM                        What projector? Some light MAY reflect just before the changeover opens (Simplex) Louis  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 09-01-2008 11:58 PM                     deleted  |  IP: Logged Demetris Thoupis Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1240 From: Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus Registered: Apr 2001 posted 09-02-2008 04:20 AM                     Perhaps it was a Kinoton E series projector. What the Kinoton do they ramp the speed up and then intermittent sprocket engages standard maltese movement. Demetris  |  IP: Logged Michael Brown Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1522 From: Bradford, England Registered: May 2001 posted 09-02-2008 07:39 PM                     Out of interest, which cinema was this at?  |  IP: Logged Thomas Pitt Master Film Handler Posts: 266 From: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK Registered: May 2007 posted 09-04-2008 03:45 PM                     It was the Sheffield VUE (Meadowhall), screen 11 - one of their largest auditoriums. AFAIK all screens there use Simplex Millennium projectors with Christie lamphouses.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 09-04-2008 06:33 PM                     Did that Christie burn a pinhole through the dowser plate - which is common for a Simplex since their dowser plates arent that all grand and when you got a big lamp behind it? Another common fality with these things is that you get light leak around the dowser (being shaft pulled) if the dowser isn't sitting down all the way on it's stop block.  |  IP: Logged Elizabeth Betty Gross Film Handler Posts: 18 From: Astoria, NY, USA Registered: Jul 2004 posted 09-26-2008 01:01 PM                     I noticed "dots" in a diamond pattern on a print just yesterday, which lasted for maybe one frame. Is it possible we were seeing encoded information added by the distributer to trace street copies?  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 09-26-2008 01:47 PM                     quote: Elizabeth Betty Gross I noticed "dots" in a diamond pattern on a print just yesterday, which lasted for maybe one frame. Is it possible we were seeing encoded information added by the distributer to trace street copies? Yes indeed, you noticed the dreaded "CRAP" code, used by the MPAA and studios to supposedly stop piracy. A search of CRAP code or CAP Code (it's real name) on here will show a number of threads and posts.  |  IP: Logged Michael Brown Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1522 From: Bradford, England Registered: May 2001 posted 09-26-2008 03:35 PM                     quote: Thomas Pitt and saw something strange as the projector started up. It looked like multiple 'diamonds' of light, a bit like what you get when shining a light through a cut gemstone. This happened after the projectionist hit start, but before the first image hit the screen... Could this be something as simple as the turret being open and the projectionist happened to be by the machine as it started and closed the turret when they realised it was open.  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 09-26-2008 07:27 PM                     Vue bought from Warner Village in UK and Warner Village uses Cinemeccanica V5 and V8. Some "shine of light" is seen if some light spills from the lamphouse during lens change. I had something similar when, with my V5, I forgot to replace a screw on the projector's cone. The light was coming out from the screw's hole and display a slight and curious effect on the screen at lens' change, but just slightly and just for a moment. A friend of mine called it "Blades of light"! Marco  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 04-27-2010 09:22 PM                 It has been 578 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged

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