my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » The Center Aisle (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: The Center Aisle Lyle Romer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1400 From: Davie, FL, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 11-20-2005 10:10 PM                     I have never understood the practice of putting an aisle in the center of small auditoriums. Is there some reason that instead of a 6-Aisle-6 configuration, you couldn't just put the aisle by one wall and make it 12 seats in a row? Is there some kind of regulation that you can only have x number of seats away from an aisle? This has never made any sense to me because you are taking away the best seats.  |  IP: Logged Wayne Keyser Master Film Handler Posts: 272 From: Arlington, Virginia, USA Registered: May 2004 posted 11-20-2005 10:32 PM                     Actually, many jurisdictions have a regulation - no seat may be more than X number of seats from an aisle - has to do with escaping in case of fire (since there have been a number of really grisly theater fires exacerbated by crowd panic and escape issues). So the question becomes: do you want one aisle in the middle, or do you want to lose two aisles of space?  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 11-21-2005 01:14 AM                     I can think of a number of places arranged this way, including NFT2 at the National Film Theatre. I think it's a horrible arrangement, and it always seems to be the person in the seat furthest from the Aisle who arrives late, or needs to get out during the show, and disturbs everybody else. In small auditoria I'd rather see an aisle on each side.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 11-21-2005 08:57 AM                        Most states have a "7 from-the-aisle" rule, unelss you have Continental seating (no limit). With 2 aisles, you would have 10 or 11 across. The disadvantages of a center aisle are: 1. Good (center) seats reduced. 2. Bad (extreme side) seats maximized. With the growing insanity around; center aisle makes PERFECT sense. Louis  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-21-2005 10:30 AM                     One advantage of the centre asile is that people seated in the centre of the seating area are the closest to the asile if they have to make a bathroom break during a show where as if they are in the centre of a twin asile they must cross in front of you There is no ideal solution  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 11-22-2005 04:07 PM                     I heard that it was seating capacity per square foot of the auditorium is increased with the "shotgun" style of the seating arrangements. This allowed competitive marketing amongst the chains within a town. Plus, if a big house was split down the middle, the reduction of creating aisles in these newly created auditoriums was eliminated due to the aisle, that was orignally for the "wing" section of the "continental" style of seating arrangement, is already there. A big cost savings there for a bunch of companies when they expanded by splitting up big houses. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Steve Scott Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1300 From: Minneapolis, MN Registered: Sep 2000 posted 11-23-2005 07:47 PM                     It makes cleaning an auditorium between shows easy, though.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-23-2005 10:11 PM                        I think if I was designing an auditorium and wanted to do only one aisle, I'd just off-center it. Seems like an easy solution and it would preserve the very best seats in the house.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 11-24-2005 09:06 AM                        Mike: a very good idea; however remember the "7 seats" rule. So you could have 7 on one side and 3 or 4 on the other. Still a very narrow room. I guess the real answer is just not to build any more substandard rooms. Louis  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-24-2005 10:01 AM                     No I would prefer a room like this 7 seat asile 14 seats (centre asile) 14 seats side asile 7 seats wall and then the appropriately curved D150 screen to fill it  |  IP: Logged Peter Hall Master Film Handler Posts: 314 From: London, UK Registered: Dec 2000 posted 11-24-2005 12:19 PM                        We're allowed 11 seats in a block here, however after 7 you need to increase the seat spacing 25mm per seat. Most exhibitors we have worked with were more interested in maximising seat nos rather than viewing angles, however a couple did offset the centre aisles to a 8 / 3 configuration. One even went for Wall / 14 / aisle / 4 / wall config (god knows how they got away with 14 seats and a single entry way) however these screens were less than 6m wide and some seats were as close as 2m to the screen wall. Crazy - two seats stare straight at very attractive running green men and not a lot of screen. Pete (N) - I think you know the site !  |  IP: Logged Mark Hajducki Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 500 From: Edinburgh, UK Registered: May 2003 posted 11-24-2005 12:56 PM                     Is it just measured by the number of seats or by distance (would large luxury seating be able to have the same number of aisles per seat?) I personally find people entering or leaving using a center aisle annoying since they are in full view especially if the entrance/exit is near the front of the auditorium. Having a single aisle does reduce the potential escape routes (unless the exits are at the top and bottom of the aisle) and results in congestion at the end of a film. If seats go right upto the walls there is more potential for people to vandalize your side walls (since it is less obvious). quote: Gordon McLeod 7 seat asile 14 seats (centre asile) 14 seats side asile 7 seats What about a nice layout such as: aisle - 23 seats - aisle - 21 seats - aisle - 23 seats - aisle  |  IP: Logged Matt Fields Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 545 From: Ohio, United States Registered: Jun 2005 posted 11-24-2005 09:20 PM                     What exactly is the "7 seats" rule?  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 11-25-2005 08:19 AM                        In most U.S. states you are required to have no one sit more than 7 seats from an aisle. That is why you get theatres designed 7-aisle-14-aisle-7 a lot. Louis  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 11-25-2005 11:20 AM                     However, theatres did sometimes petition for exceptions and got them, depending on width of seats and asiles. AMC, for example, did an 8 and 6 in many of their auditoriums.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.