3 strip in Bradford
Wide Screen Wonders
Day three of filming at Bradford National Science and Media Museum begins. Why would we travel to the other side of the planet to visit a museum, you ask? Well this weekend is special and this is no ordinary museum. It's the twentieth anniversary of the annual Wide Screen Weekend where delegates travel from around the world to experience gems from the wide screen era, projected in their native film formats. But there's more than that. Bradford is one of only three cinemas left in the world equiped to exhibit three strip Cinerama on a properly huge 146 degree, curved, louvred screen, and on this year's program is the fabled film that started the modern wide screen era, This is Cinerama.
Thousands of directionally reflective strips
I've read about this film all my life and always wondered about that celebrated 'in the picture' feeling you would get from the uniquely distorted image that pulls you into the action like no other. A big bucket list item for me and a brilliant sequence for the film.
'Charlie' booth interlocked and ready to start
And the museum staff have been so welcoming and accommodating. We're getting some brilliant footage and making many new friends. Really hoping to get the doc finished by this time next year so we can do a European premier at Bradford.
A Vertigo moment
In addition, we're getting some fantastic interviews with restoration legends Randy Gitsch and Dave Strohmaier, along with one of the 'Wide Screen Weekend' founding fathers, Bill Lawrence.
Chatting with restoration champion Randy Gitsch
Jo being creatively awesome... her natural state
We're both exhausted but having a ball.
Rob