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Backyard movies - Images attached!
https://www.8mmforumworldwide.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1304		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Bill Brandenstein [ Fri Aug 16, 2013 8:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Backyard movies - Images attached!
One of my favorite times of the year is approaching, and that is the late summer evenings that make outdoor viewing a treat. This is the fourth year we've invited people to join us, and unfortunately we are only able to do two shows this year as opposed to 3 or 4 of past years. Still, we've emailed invitations to a bunch of people and I'm hoping for a crowd of 25-45 at each of the nights. A few people have been considerable help to me with collecting this year, and as a result, both of these shows are primarly 16mm (not that the mostly Super 8 stuff of the past was bad, some was excellent).

If you're local and can come, please PM me to RSVP and get details!
Author:  Bill Brandenstein [ Tue Aug 27, 2013 6:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Backyard movies - lens loan requested! Images attached!
Must be time for some fun, 'tis the season... I keep hearing Christmas songs with wrong lyrics...

"It's the most wonderful time of the year,
With the crowd's invites jelling
And everyone telling they'll be there, now hear,
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
It's the hap- happiest season of all,
With the crisp new film greetings and two ev'ning screenings
When friends come to call,
It's the hap- happiest season of all!"

Or

"It's beginning to look a lot like showtime
Everywhere you go!
Take a look in the family den,
Glistening once again
With metal reels and projector bulbs aglow..."

Thank you, thank you very much, you've been a wonderful audience.

Seriously, rearranging the desk and equipment is a little work but the worst is done and we're almost ready for fun.
Author:  Bill Brandenstein [ Sat Aug 31, 2013 11:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Backyard movies - Images attached!
Well, verbose crowd you all are!!! Humph!

Movie night #1 is now behind us and what a fun time it was. We had about 30 guests, and there's just nothing like a great crowd and all their responses to make great old entertainment twice as fun. I had forgotten that "This Is the Life" has never been released on home video, so not only is it a decent movie (IMDB rating 7.2), NOBODY had seen it before! I had a number of high schoolers there, some of whom had never seen a projector film before, and a couple of them rated the show as "awesome" - their choice of adjective. My demonstration of vinegar syndrome (all but 5 minutes of the show - 2 trailers, 2 shorts, a 2-reel feature - has VS) included the crumpling of a dying piece of 35mm film. Except instead of crumpling, it shatters - I was surprised when the flying shards of film drew a gasp from several people!

The evening wasn't without technical glitches, though thankfully they were all at the start. First, I hit the wrong audio switch, cutting off the first few words of the first trailer. But then, during trailer #2, the NEWLY SERVICED Bell & Howell 2592 got into a tiff over reverse projection (used for cueing) and wouldn't engage the takeup. Worse, the picture was incredibly dim PLUS we started to get a gear grinding noise. Whew - at trailer's end the gear popped in place and takeup worked again, and later we found the bulb had fouled and had to be changed. Well, 3 minutes later I had a bad changeover to the first short - wasn't quite ready due to the problems - but after that all was smooth. In fact, a couple of people wanted to know when the feature's second reel started because they hadn't seen anything to give it away. WIN!

Add to this the dear wife's hospitality and a potluck dessert selection, and the night was a thorough delight. Wish you all could've joined us!

There's a sense of lunacy - and satisfaction - in keeping all this equipment running, as you know, or I wouldn't write it all up for you! Anyway, here's a very wide angle photo:
Attachment:
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Author:  Chris Smith [ Sun Sep 01, 2013 10:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Backyard movies - Images attached!
Bill, that's a great photo and seems to sum up your night! The "show" always manages to work out, despite projector glitches.
Author:  Mike O'Regan [ Sun Sep 01, 2013 2:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Backyard movies - Images attached!
Brilliant stuff, Bill. I'm envious.
Do you run changeovers right the way through?
Author:  Bill Brandenstein [ Sun Sep 01, 2013 7:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Backyard movies - Images attached!
Tee hee - Mike, it's the "right way" if you mean by accurate timing cues and careful switching between machines (it was a fade down/up, easiest scenario). I do this hobby on a shoestring budget and don't have real changeover equipment, if that's what you mean, but just try to do a great job with what I have available. It turns out great SOME of the time!!!
Author:  Mike O'Regan [ Mon Sep 02, 2013 1:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Backyard movies - Images attached!
Yes, that's what I meant. Just manual switching between machines. I also have no changeover gear but I'm always planning to set two projectors up and give it a go manually. I just never get around to it.
I didn't mean doing it the "right way" as in "correct way" - I meant "right the way through" as in "all the way through the show".
:D
Author:  Dan Lail [ Mon Sep 02, 2013 11:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Backyard movies - Images attached!
Bill, I know your wife loves the milk crates and paver bricks. [set5_b/set5_b/smilielol5.gif] The last photo showing your audience looks like a potential scene from a Steven Spielberg film just begging those ominous clouds to open up and start sucking everyone up into the night sky. [set5_b/set5_b/willy_nilly.gif] :mrgreen:

I sure would have liked to attend.
Author:  Bill Brandenstein [ Wed Sep 04, 2013 11:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Backyard movies - Images attached!
Thank you Dan, wish you were nearby too.

Somehow I haven't convinced my bride to redecorate the whole family room with bricks & crates. But seriously, she puts up with a lot and is relieved, I'm sure, when it all eventually disappears. But you couldn't ask for a better hostess and she finds a special enjoyment in juggling a crowd, so it's a win-win.

So, my goodness, you've reminded me of a movie about 20 years ago, title lost in the recesses of my aging brain, where a scene of a nuclear attack showing in a theater becomes real, as the screen and back wall get blown out, etc... How fun it would be to take this image and merge it with something from Super 8, War of the Worlds, or something. That's the funny thing about time exposures, because the cloud glow from a city 25+ miles away is almost unnoticeable to the eye.

Well friends, expecting an over-full crowd this Friday, lots of all-by-hand changeovers, we'll see how it goes!
Author:  Dan Lail [ Sun Sep 08, 2013 2:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Backyard movies - Images attached!
Bill, if you could take some video(smartphone?)and send it to me I would be glad to create another page to link to for home cinema clips. Maybe Chris Smith could video one of his outdoor shows along with yours plus inside shows. I could put one together too. This would make interesting viewing for film collectors.
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