Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

THE BIG a post-war picture "Hello, is this the theatre supply dealer? Well, this is the owner of the Temple Theatre. I would like to place an order for new sound and I want immediate delivery." | Mi*. EXHIBITOR r "Sorry, Mr. Exhibitor but we have hund of customers who have ordered way in advance and they must be taken care of first. I will be glad to take your order now, but cannot guarantee a definite delivery date." | Mr SUPPLY DEALER "We don't like to disappoint any customer, but just cannot fill every order at a moment's notice. I wish every exhibitor would plan far enough ahead so that they will not be disappointed.' <0<. WEBER MACHINE CORPORATION 59 Rutter St.. Rochester 6, N. Y. WAYS & MEANS in operation, installation, maintenance John J. Sefing is a graduate mechanical engineer and has long specialized In theatre work Planning a Projection Room That Is Safe and Efficient once upon a time there was a big new beautiful theatre almost ready to be opened to the public. The advertising campaign for the inaugural performance had been prepared. Only some furnishings needed to be placed, and part of the equipment remained to be installed. This included the projection apparatus. But, alas, there was no projection room. In planning the theatre, the projection room had been forgotten. What happened then the story doesn't tell. We've never seen a motion picture theatre built without a projection room, but we've encountered many theatres almost ready to open which had only half-planned or badly planned projection quarters. It is not expected that every theatre structure can provide for absolutely ideal projection conditions (though that should be the aim of the planners), but facilities for this basic function of a motion picture theatre should invariably be efficient and safe. In planning for post-war construction and remodeling, the inexpertness and toleration of the past should not be allowed in projection room planning. Once the projection room is constructed and the equipment installed, the theatre owner, his managers and his staffs will have to take it, for better or worse, through many a day to come. In the planning of a projection room, first make sure that the projection facilities in any case do not fall short of standard requirements, and that these facilities not be hazardous to life and property, but be safe and practical in every way. The space allotted to projection should provide for ( 1 ) the projection room proper, where the projectors and various components of the sound equipment are installed; (2) the film rewind and film storage room; (3) the d.c. power equipment room, where the current rectification equipment, rheostats, etc., are installed; and (4) a toilet room for the exclusive use of the projectionists. ROOM DIMENSIONS If the projection room proper is sized for a two projector installation, it should be not less than 14 feet wide by 10 feet deep and 8 feet high ; where a three-projector installation is intended, with additional spotlight, stereopticon or floodlight equipment, 6 feet should be added to the 14-foot width for each such machine installed. In addition, where there are no physical limitations, consideration 12 should be given for future needs of new type of equipment when allotting space for this room. The above recommended dimensions may vary more or less from the code requirements of some local or state authorities having jurisdiction, but on the whole they are based on sound and practical requirements for projection rooms. However, where local codes are in effect, the projection room plans should be approved by the proper authorities before any construction is begun. Correcting violations later on may be expensive. The aim in allowing plenty of space in the projection room proper are (1) free and clear working space around the projectors; (2) convenient and efficient operation of this equipment, (3) better ventilation and easier exhaustion of smoke and gases in case of a film fire, and (4) immediate escape of the projectionist if a film fire should occur. The walls of the projection room proper can be of brick, plaster, concrete blocks or hollow tile ; they should be plastered with at least %-in cement plaster on the inside finished surface. PORT PROVISIONS The core of the wall should be at least 4 inches thick, and any steel hangars, trusses or columns required for supporting the room should be buried in the wall so that there will not be any offsets or projections extending beyond the inside surface. Any such protrusions that are necessary should be on the auditorium side of the wall. Also, any such steel members required in the wall should be so located that they do not interfere with piercing of the wall fpr port openings. The centers of the projectors in a two-projector installation are either 27 or 30 inches, as a rule, on each side of the center line of the auditorium. (In a three-projector installation, the center of one projector is usually located exactly on the center line of the auditorium, the other two about 60 inches on each side of the auditorium center line.) In general practice, each machine in the projection room proper has its center line from 54 to 60 inches from that of any other projector, and from a side wall. Any steel members in the wall, on these projector center lines, makes it costly to cut port openings through the wall. In such a case, the projectors would probably have to be BETTER THEATRES, MARCH 3, 1945