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Pat Caldwell, the Chief Projectionist at the Opry Mills Regal IMAX job site (not a "theatre" until early May), has created an amusing and interesting web page. On this page, he documents the day to day progress that is being made on our building as it transforms from four incomplete walls into a fully functional IMAX operation. Add a dash of Pat's humor (which many of you now realize is one of the most warped to ever exist) and you have a journey that everyone can enjoy. The web site address is:
http://members.home.net/imaxguy
Any comments that you may have, or tips for us to give to the construction crew, would be greatly appreciated! Visit soon, and visit often as the pictures are updated every few days! |
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 Anonymous posted on Monday, April 03, 2000 - 01:22 am
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| Don't let them talk you out of a built in vacuum system. Tres important! Not expensive. Well worth the cost. |
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| Sadly, a central vac was not included in the original plans and bids for the job. I am not the one to be "talked out of" a vacuum, nor do I possess the ability to change this. :( |
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| At least you guys in the US are usually talking to someone who understands what a central vacuum system is even if they don't like the cost. Here in the UK I have worked on 5 theatre projects and on each occasion tried to get the architects/engineers to include this facility only to be met by blank stares. |
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| Ken Larson posted on Monday, April 03, 2000 - 06:47 am
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Hi Pat,
Are you having a UPS system installed?
When I was at Muvico we would have shows down to the tune of several a week due to small power surges from lightning storms or small power drops. We would be up again in a matter of minutes but it was a shame the show had to be interupted.
The system would shut down from even the slightest power fluctuations. I know several theatres have gone with the systems and are delighted at the results. While it may be a bit pricey it is well worth it.
Good luck on the new site. |
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| Dick, the theater that I work at here in Boston does have a central vacuum unit. However, when Opening the IMAX in Dublin, and assisting with plans for the yet-to-be-opened IMAX in Bournemouth England (opening 1 July, so I hear), I too experienced the blank stare upon making the suggestion. Worse still, no one would entertain my requests for a dust free vac, so we were stuck with the Hoover, much to my dismay. |
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| Jim DiDio posted on Tuesday, April 04, 2000 - 01:42 pm
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I really don't understand the Central Vac Conundrum. I am a staunch supporter of the idea, and would never work in a theater without one. You don't even need the heavy industrial unit; you can get the cheap home version--and for the cost of about $400-600 (not even half the cost of a replacement reel of film or a field lens), you get about 500% better dust control in the Projection Booth. Shop Vacs and portables are useless, no matter HOW much "hepa-filtration" they say they have; bottom line is, if your motor is exhausting right back into the room, it's a waste of time. (Not to mention that it takes about half the time to use a hose-and-wand, as opposed to lugging a whole machine around.)
What boggles my mind is that we're not talking about a mom-and-pop dry cleaner that's being built; we're talking about operations that cost millions of dollars (I'd guess on the average of five to twenty, depending on how much of a building you're surrounding it with). In that grand scheme of things, these pieces of equipment are neither luxuries nor costly. A central vac--along with other "extras" such as an air dryer for the compressor, adequate humidification, and air duct returns and supplies that are in the PROPER PLACES in the Booth--should be STANDARD.
But--as Dennis Miller says--that's just my opinion; I could be wrong. |
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Nothing beats a Central Vac!! But...for about 1500 smackers (US) I recommend Rexair's Rainbow-vac. This has been a favorite in many booths that don't have a central vac system. The unit uses water to filter the air and traps 99.9% of the dirt. The ONLY exception is CONCRETE DUST (the particles of concrete will not mix with the water). The vac is equipped with a special reusable filter for this very reason. It can be used as a wet/dry vac and can shampoo carpet as well.
http://www.rainbowsystem.com/home.htm |
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| Anonymous posted on Friday, April 14, 2000 - 04:52 pm
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Central Vac comes to the rescue!
Just to let you know that a central vac can assist you when you have a vacuum pump go south on you.
The end of the central vac fits the hose going into the vacuum pump and the amount of vacuum can be adjusted at the handle. If no spare vacuum pump is handy,this works. |
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