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projection booth |
QUICK LINKS Part 2 - Automation Part 4 - Digital cinema |
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After Tom Clifford and I purchased the Roxy, we decided to modernize the projection booth. This was not really out of necessity, because the booth was working perfectly. But we wanted to modernize the theatre and the fact that we were (and still are) both "gadget freaks" made it easy for us to decide to go ahead with the project. We also knew that the improvements to the booth would give us a better picture, better sound and more reliable operation, so it wasn't as if we were just spending money wildly. The balcony was not being used at this time, so before we installed the new equipment in the booth, we stashed it in the balcony while we waited for the technicians to arrive. The large table in the middle is the new film makeup table (or "MUT" as it's called in the industry). Between the seats, you can see pieces of the old equipment waiting to be hauled away. (And where did we haul it? Behind the screen, where all of it is still sitting today.) |
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Dick Lutz of Mid-Continent Theatre Supply gets some help from Tom Clifford to move our new lamphouse into the booth. (These things ain't light, folks!) The new machine had to be placed on top of a 12-inch tall base to raise it to the height of the booth port. The ports were placed high on the wall so as to allow moviegoers in the balcony to pass underneath the projector's light beam. |
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Tom Bateman, electrician/technician extraordinaire, who supervised the installation of our new projector, looks on while Dick Lutz takes a measurement. Here, you can see the reflector inside the lamphouse. This reflector has since been replaced (in 1998) with a new, higher-gain unit. The "control panel" which is partially visible behind the handcart, has also been updated. |
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It took quite a while to figure out the "rat's nest" of wires inside our booth. |
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Here's a closeup view of the new projector and soundhead, before the reel arms and outer covers were installed. Movie projectors are amazingly durable machines, and this one never needed a major repair in over 30 years of daily operation. |
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The new lamphouse, installed and ready to go. The box hanging off the back of the console is the new sound system we installed at the same time, replacing the antique tube-based system. This new system contained two amplifiers (one was just a backup -- if the main amp failed, we could just pull it out and swap them) and delivered an astonishing 40 watts of power! This amplifier was used for 10 years before being replaced with our stereo surround system in 1992. |
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