Wide Screen Weekend 2015 | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Written by: Mark Lyndon | Date: 07.11.2015 |
 Mr Douglas Trumbull speaking at the Widescreen Weekend. Image by Anders M. OlssonHaving been cancelled, for reasons which remain unclear, the Wide Screen Weekend strand of the sadly defunct Bradford International Film Festival, returned triumphantly to the Pictureville Cinema, following intense behind the scenes lobbying of the Science Museum hierarchy. The Picturehouse organisation, programmer and curators can feel justly proud of their considerable achievement, having resurrected the WSW and attracted packed houses from near and far. Dave Strohmaier and Randy Gitsch made a big contribution, as always. This year, they presented a newly restored "Best of Cinerama" and "Scent of Mystery". With freshly scanned footage from original elements, the Cinerama audience enjoyed more of the image, in higher definition and better colour saturation. The celebrated Roller Coaster sequence and Venetian gondola ride in particular, looked stunning on the deeply curved Bradford Cinerama screen. | More in 70mm reading: High impact immersive widescreen filmmaking with Douglas Trumbull Widescreen Weekend, Bradford, England Douglas Trumbull's "Silent Running" screens in Bradford Gallery: Wide Screen Weekend 2015 Internet link: douglastrumbull.com |
 Mr Dave Strohmaier and Mr. Mark Lyndon in conversation at the Widescreen Weekend. Image by Anders M. OlssonThe "Scent of Mystery", was presented in the full glory of Smell-O-Vision. Every member of the audience was given a numbered small glass vial to spray aromas throughout the auditorium as and when the appropriate number was displayed by the screen. Re-enactors added to the fun. The audience clearly enjoyed the experiment, having played the leading rôle. The Keynote address was given by Douglas Trumbull, one of the most illustrious names in the whole of Cinema history. From original invention, innovation and film direction, creating theme park motion rides, to delivering fascinating lectures; Douglas Trumbull is a true renaissance man. His brilliant keynote speech and Q & A kept the packed house spellbound well into the wee small hours of Monday morning. The Wide Screen Weekend can now justly claim to be a five day festival. Gallery: Wide Screen Weekend 2015 | |
Cineramacana 2015 | |
 "3D Smilebox Demo", an experiment by Anders M Olsson to make the flat screen look like a deeply curved cinerama screen using 3D technology.Click to see enlargement On the flat screen: 1. The Runaway Subway Train sequence from "Speed". The train derails and proceeds through a construction zone until finally stopping right in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre where "2001: A Space Odyssey" is playing. 2. A trailer for "Blueprint: The Genius of Art Direction", a documentary in the making by Linda Carfagno about her father, the acclaimed art director Edward Carfagno ("Ben Hur", "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" and many more). 3. "West Side Story in 60 seconds", a film by Michael Hall. 4. "Cinerama in Säter", some glimpses of the new Cinerama theatre at the cinema museum in Säter, Dalecarlia, Sweden. 5. "3D Smilebox Demo", an experiment by Anders M Olsson to make the flat screen look like a deeply curved cinerama screen using 3D technology. This sample image from "Seven Wonders of the World" has been processed to be viewed with anaglyphic glasses (red/cyan), but the version in Bradford used their native Xpand 3D Cinema system. 6. "I just wanna fucking dance", a musical short originally found on the internet and suggested by Tony Cutts for the Widescreen Weekend some years ago. The version shown this year was recompiled in HD by Wolfram Hannemann. 7. "In Memoriam 2015", a tribute to the recently deceased compiled by Wolfram Hannemann. 8. "Meet the Cinerama Troika", a short documentary by Wolfram Hannemann presenting David Strohmaier, Randy Gitsch and Tom March (a.k.a. Able, Baker and Charlie). 9. The Aerial Ballet sequence from "Battle of Britain". 10. "A Year Along the Abandoned Road", Morten Skallerud's highly acclaimed short 70mm film with DTS sound. While switching screens, Dave Strohmaier took the opportunity to randomly give away some "Best of Cinerama" soundtrack CDs. On the curved screen: 11. "The Miracle of Todd AO", a (pink) short in 70mm. 12. "Shellarama" in a newly restored digital version. 13. "Balloons and Blunderbusses", a 70mm clip from "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" including the intermission music. 14. Remembering Omar Sharif: A clip from "The Last Valley". Finally, a quick Audience on Stage photograph by Linda Carfagno. | |
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