Cinerama movies

adpowersadpowers
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Hello. Today I saw my second ever Cinerama movie, "This is Cinerama" (my first was on Saturday, seeing "How the West Was Won"). It was a great time. For those of you who don't know, Cinerama was a format invented in the 50's. It includes 7 channel sound(!) and 3 projectors. Since I don't feel like editing my whole write up to work with UBB code, I will just <a href="http://andrewhitchcock.org"; target="_blank">link to it</a>.



Another thing: there was a nice projectionist that took us into the 3 projection booths. The theatre only has one "screen" (aka, not a multiplex). However, the screen room actually has two screens, a large curved Cinerama screen and a normal movie theatre screen that is kept in front of it most of the time. However, with only one "screen room," it still has 3 projections booths and 6 projectors (DLP projector, standard 35 mm and 70 mm projector, old school 70 mm projector, and three Cinerama projectors). This is one of three theatres left in the world that can play Cinerama movies.



I also have <a href="http://andrewhitchcock.org/gallery/thisiscinerama"; target="_blank">pictures available here</a>.



Andrew

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    rodukroduk Posts: 706member
    I seem to remember watching How The West Was Won on TV and being able to see two vertical lines positioned one third and two thirds the way across the screen, I guess where the joins were between the three moving images.



    [ 03-06-2003: Message edited by: RodUK ]</p>
  • Reply 2 of 6
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    [quote]Originally posted by RodUK:

    <strong>I seem to remember watching How The West Was Won on TV and being able to see two vertical lines positioned one third and two thirds the way across the screen, I guess where the joins were between the three moving images.



    [ 03-06-2003: Message edited by: RodUK ]</strong><hr></blockquote>

    I watch it also on TV, and there was more than the two verticals lines, the color where not the same in each third part of the image. The result was rather crapy in TV, luckily the movie was good.
  • Reply 3 of 6
    artman @_@artman @_@ Posts: 2,546member
    When I was really young my parents took me to some theatre in Philly to see Cinarama flicks. All I remember was how HUGE everything was on screen. For a kid it was pretty overwelming. :eek:
  • Reply 4 of 6
    adpowersadpowers Posts: 188member
    Yeah, you could see the lines in the theatre as well. However, they did an excellent job lining up the projectors. You are right that some of the shots had different colors for each projector, I noticed that as well.



    Despite the fact that I have been spoiled by large screens and good sound for most of my life (as I am a teenager), I still that it was impressive, especially considering when it was made.
  • Reply 5 of 6
    curiousuburbcuriousuburb Posts: 3,325member
    today's equivalent would probably be IMAX... and now, apparently, IMAX has a "conversion kit" to upgrade chains of recently bought regular theatres to support the super-size format.



    less sync issues than a tri-projector, but still big honkin projection gear with frightening film head speed.



    might still offer the chance for you to take your kids and repeat the cycle





    alternative derivative might be wraparound projection of simulators rides and VR immersion, but cinerama wasn't intended to simulate/enhance 3d perspective as much as just deliver wider screen ration (oooh, early HDTV)



    now if each of the overlap elements were shot with stereographic effect in mind...
  • Reply 6 of 6
    janetljanetl Posts: 1member
    Hello,

    CINERAMA ADVENTURE(documentary) and HOW THE WEST WAS WON at the DOME (a short fi www.Hollywoodheritage.org



    APPEARING IN PERSON WILL BE Producer/Director Dave Strohmaier and Producer Randy Gitsch.

    Program will include:

    ?\tMeet and Greet with the Producers and Director

    ?\tScreening of short film: ?How the West Was Won at the Dome?, which chronicles the experience of viewing the feature film, ?How the West Was Won?, in a Cinerama process theater.

    ?\tScreening of documentary feature ?Cinerama Adventure?. A C.A. Productions presentation. Produced in Association with Cinerama Inc. and The American Society of Cinematographers.

    ?\tQ&A with Producer/Director Dave Strohmaier and Producer Randy Gitsch.

    Visit www.cineramaadventure.com

    CINERAMA ADVENTURE is a feature length documentary chronicling the amazing history of the long lost three-camera, three-projector cinematic process which thrilled millions around the world in the 1950s and early 60s. It all began in 1942 with a virtual reality training device that was credited with saving over 350,000 lives during the war effort. Unlike the 3-D fads of the early 1950s, Cinerama enjoyed a steady 14 year reign, ultimately playing in over 200 specially equipped theatres in most major cities around the globe. These wildly popular, "Wonder Hunting" Cinerama productions were almost always listed within the top ten box office grossing films of the year with two titles landing in first place.

    Wednesday June 17, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.

    The Hollywood Heritage Museum, in the Lasky-DeMille Barn

    2100 North Highland Avenue, (Across from the Hollywood Bowl)

    Free Parking; Refreshments available

    PricetHollywood Heritage Members: $5.00 ? NON MEMBERS $8.00



    lm) will be screening at HOLLYWOOD HERITAGE MUSEUM June 17, 2009 a 7:30 p.m.
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