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From: msc@qubix.UUCP (Mark Callow)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: Movie Curtains
Message-ID: <1388@qubix.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 29-Sep-84 18:44:26 EDT
Article-I.D.: qubix.1388
Posted: Sat Sep 29 18:44:26 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 1-Oct-84 07:26:20 EDT
References: <1309@ucla-cs.ARPA> <4332@fortune.UUCP>
Organization: Qubix Graphic Systems, Saratoga, CA
Lines: 29

> Does anybody know why they close the curtains in a movie theatre after
> showing the "coming soons" and the main feature? They must stay closed for,
> oh, say, 3 second.

>>    1)  If the trailers are in a different aspect ratio than the feature
>>	(flat vs cinemascope, for example), closing the curtain will
>>	provide a better transition when the changover is made.  The
>>	audience won't notice that the picture just got twice as wide!

This particular use of the curtains ("tabs" to the trade), in England
at least, hides the motion of the automatic masking when changing from
standard ratio to wide-screen or 'scope.  Automatic masking is
something I have never seen in a cinema in the U.S.  More often than
not the masking is permanently at the widest position and you have ugly
expanses of white screen when a wide-screen or (very rare today)
standard feature is shown.  Or, much worse, the cinema shows all films
at the same aspect ratio by using different levels of magnification and
gate plates which chop off parts of the picture to make it fit the
screen.  That's as bad as television.  It is just one more reason why I
find the presentation quality so low in U.S. cinemas.

I worked part-time as a projectionist for several years in England so I
know something about how to put on a good presentation.
-- 
From the TARDIS of Mark Callow
msc@qubix.UUCP,  qubix!msc@decwrl.ARPA
...{decvax,ucbvax}!decwrl!qubix!msc, ...{amd,ihnp4,ittvax}!qubix!msc

"Nothing shocks me.  I'm an Engineer."