A lucky 13 AMPS members accepted the invitation of Warner Bros Cinemas to inspect the projection facilities at the Acton complex. Warner Bros chief engineer Phil Crawley organised Stuart Alison, the chief projectionist at the site to show the party over the installation.
As I waited in the large brightly lit foyer for members to arrive I was amazed to see how busy the box office was on this cold winter night, handling a steady flow of patrons. I was also fascinated by the large glass containers of popcorn at the refreshment bar in the middle of the foyer. After buying their admission tickets, quite a number of people bought large buckets of the stuff. I mused to myself how ghastly it would be to be seated next to someone scrunching through a pail of popcorn. No wonder cinema sound levels need to be loud.
There was a slight hiatus when the manager was contacted. He hadn't been informed of our visit and was a trifle put out when he learnt that the chief projectionist knew all about it. However, after a few placatory words he called Stuart Alison down and we were escorted up to the projection room.
Over the years I've been in many operating boxes, all of them cramped. So I was quite unprepared for what we saw on entering the 300ft x 20ft (approx) hall containing the nine projectors serving the Multiplex's nine theatres.
The two largest theatres each seat 414 persons, the next largest seats 380, then two of 250, two of 200 while the two smallest accommodate 160 each. All theatres have large, well illuminated screens and are equipped with JBL speaker systems.
The Victoria 5 Cinemeccanica projectors are all fitted with Christie SLC lamp houses and associated automation equipment. The amplifier racks are by QSC. Each projector has a stack of Christie programme platters, each platter capable of holding a full programme of feature, trailers, advertisements, cartoon etc - something like 16,000 feet of 35mm film.
All projectors are fitted with Dolby SR.D scanner and DTS timecode readers. However all amplifier racks are not equipped with DTS CD player units; several units are shared amongst the nine installations and plugged into the appropriate rack when a feature using the DTS stereo system is being screened.
The complete installation is automated and during shows is watched over by two projectionists. All functions for running a show in each theatre are automatic - house lights, preshow slides, tabs open and close, projector motor and illumination on/off, screen masking adjustment to suit the picture format and sound format changes - standard mono, Dolby SVA, Dolby SR, Dolby SR.D, DTS as required. The necessary operations are effected by means of a code of metal foil strips punched on to the film leader and along edges of the film with a special applicator (See picture above). This is done by the projectionists when spooling the film off the transit reels to make up the programme. The strips on either side of the film or within the frame of the leaders are applied in positions according to the function to be performed. When the reels are joined, punched and loaded on to the feed platter, the projector is threaded and the timer on the projector set for the show start. From then on the show looks after itself.
Should there be a need, because of popular demand, to screen a movie in two theatres then the respective projectors can be interlocked and film from the first projector laced over rollers, positioned along the walls above the projectors, threaded into the second projector. Actually the same movie could be shown in all nine theatres.
Graham Hartstone and I were able to go with Stuart into the theatre that was showing Goldeneye. To Stuart's great relief, Graham was more than satisfied with what he saw and more importantly, what he heard.
Warner Bros have now opened another two multiplex cinemas, in Croydon and Watford, each with eight screens. A nine screen is planned for Harrow in April.
All who attended expressed their enjoyment of an interesting and informative evening. It's a pity that there is not a closer association of production people with those who show the movies. The chief projectionist was delighted to have made contact with us and even more delighted to have a personal invitation from Graham to visit Pinewood.
As we left, passing back through the the foyer, I noted that the large glass popcorn containers at the refreshment bar were empty!