Refurbished Cinerama Dome: The Wrong Kind Of Screen Or The Washed Out Follies Again (1 Viewer)

[Peter Kline]

One STUPID situation:
http://www.latimes.com/la-000012800feb19.story

 

[Jack Briggs]

*sigh* :frowning:
Another distortion that was common at the Dome was the bowing effect in the middle of the screen--because the projection booth was too high in relation to it, causing a keystoning effect.
Maybe the protesters will have a positive effect in persuading Pacific to order a louvered screen.
Thanks for the post. (And, everyone, Peter Kline is our resident cinerama expert.)

 

[Peter Kline]

Jack. Correct on the distortion. Because they used the original Cinerama screen for regular films they had to "overproject" so the center was filled. The geometry of the screen caused this. Nothing like watching a musical such as "West Side Story" at the Dome where the feet were missing during the dance numbers. A louvered screen would help the 3 projector Cinerama films from causing the adjoining panels to be washed out and it would also give that 3 dimensional look. A solid screen for standard films would be OK but a deeply curved one would still cause focus and "horizon" problems. Oy.

 

[Steve Enemark]

What's stopping them from going the same route as done in the Seattle Cinerama, with two screens? The normal one is much flatter, with a special curved screen behind it for Cinerama films. I've seen lots of movies there on both screens and never saw any difficulties.

 

[Peter Kline]

Pacific Theatres never spent a nickel more then they had to. They couldn't care less about Cinerama. They're exbibitors and only care about popcorn and soda sales. Sorry but that's what history has shown them to be. :frowning:

 

[Jack Briggs]

All too true. And to think that, originally, the plan was to either raze the Dome altogether or to turn it into a multiplex. That's the mentality we're dealing with here.

Hey, get this: I've been assigned by an L.A. publication to write a story about the Dome's "renovation." Starting my research now. ...

 

[DaveF]

For us ignorant masses could you point out a primer on what "Cinerama" is, the significance of this particular theater, and what a "louvered" screen is?
Thanks.

 

[RobertR]

Try this, Dave:
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/wide...ineramaref.htm

 

[Peter Kline]

Also, try the following site which has a history of the process as well:
www.cineramaadventure.com

 

[DaveF]

Thanks