Page 6 - CR31R.pdf
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• Checkout the Astor website at
                                               NEWSREEL                    •   www.astor-theatre.com Also visit The
                                             •• • •• • •• • •• • •• • •• • •• • • •
                                            •
                                                                               American Widescreen Museum site at
                                            ••
                                            •
                                                                           ••
                                                  continued from page 5    •   www.widescreenmuseum.com for
                                             • • • •• • •• • •• • •• • •• • •• • •  information on Technicolor and
                                                                           •
                                            ••
                                                                               widescreen systems.
          Above: The former Melton Cinema   — eventually saw the demise of the
          Centre 3 (although the signage still  dye-transfer process           New screens for Palace Balwyn
          said “Twin”) in 2000.                But no “modern” process can     Work has begun on construction of an
          Below: One of the auditoriums of the  completely match the grainless image  additional 2 screens for the Palace
          former Melton Cinema Centre.      of dye-transfer and the system has been  Balwyn 3 complex. The new screens
          Photos: Kevin Adams.              revived for special releases such as the  will be built on the site next to the
                                            re-edited version of Apocalypse Now –  cinema. A building housing Palace
                                            Redux and the superb restoration of  Cinemas’ headquarters previously
                                            Funny Girl.                        occupied the site.
                                               It is perhaps ironic to see such an old
                                            process making a comeback but that is
                                            nothing unusual in the world of film.
                                               CinemaScope and other widescreen
                                            processes were developed in an attempt
                                            to stave-off the threat from television in
                                            the 1950s. But the basic technology
            The cinema is programming       had been around for years before that.
          mainstream movies that are out of their  Even 70mm film had been used in the
          initial release seasons, and is offering  old Fox “Grandeur” process earlier in
          budget tickets at a flat rate of $6 for all.  the 20th Century.      The Palace Balwyn Cinema. The new
          The cinema plans to program 3 or 4   Sometimes the latest is not the greatest!  cinemas will be located on the right.
          movies per week with staggered       Funny Girl will screen from     Photo: Kevin Adams.
          session times, operating 6 days per  December 9 to December 22 (except
          week and 7 days during holiday times.   Wednesday, December 19). Session  Anderson cinemas for Melton
            The Agora Cinema is located at   times are 2pm and 7.30pm on Sundays  Ballarat based Anderson Multiplex
          43 McKenzie Street, Melton.       and Saturdays and 7.30pm nightly on  Cinemas are to build a 5 screen cinema
          Tel: 03 9747 0671.                Monday to Friday.                  complex at Melton and is due to open

          Technicolor makes a comeback!     Omnimax Theatre closed
          An interesting item received from the  The Omnimax Theatre at the Great  Information from Omnimax Fact Sheets.
          Astor Theatre...                  Barrier Reef Wonderland in Townsville,
                                                                                                     Seating
          If you have seen Apocalypse Now –  Queensland, has closed.
          Redux you will know just how stunning  The Omnimax Theatre featured a  Screen
          a film can look. And the same visual  domed screen and specially angled
          treat is in store for you when the  seats (196) for patrons to comfortably                     Exit
          restored version of Funny Girl starts a  view the screen.
          two-week season at the theatre on    The 25mm Leitz Fish Eye lens used
          December 9. Both films are        in the projector was specially made and                  Projection
                                                                                                      Room
          Technicolor “dye-transfer” prints — a  provided horizontal cover of 180                            Entrance
                                                                                                             Lower
          system that's about 70 years old but  degrees, and vertically 130 degrees.                         Level
          which still looks better than any other  Omnimax uses 70mm film and runs
          colour process you can see on a screen!  through the projector at 102.6 metres  Below: An operator threads up the
            Technicolor dye-transfer was the  per minute. Normal film runs at 27.4  Townsville Omnimax projector.
          first successful “full-colour” film and,  metres per minute.         Photo: Beryl Adams.
          in a process that is, in many ways,  The projector head/lens unit is  Courtesy Kevin Adams Collection.
          analogous to modern printing on paper,  threaded up in a projection box below
          the three primary colour layers that  and then the unit travels up an angled
          made up the image were printed onto  beam to the correct position to project
          clear film stock. The film receiving the  the film.
          image would already have a sound     The key design feature of the
          track which would have been exposed  Omnimax projector — the continuous
          in the conventional manner and there  “rolling loop” film mechanism — was
          was sometimes a faint black & white  invented by an Australian, the late Mr
          image as well to improve contrast.  Ron Jones of Brisbane. This feature is
            Improvements in multiple-layer  also used in Imax projectors, another
          colour films — where each of the  large format film system — Imax using
          primary colours has its own emulsion  a rectangular screen.

          6   Spring 2001 CINEMARECORD
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