tracyw@islenet.UUCP (Tracy Walters) (06/23/85)
I'm going to be in the Washington D.C. area for the month of July attending a Data Comm school, and plan on (as always) going to the Smithsonian to gawk at all the exhibits. The last time I was there I spent one whole day in the Aerospace museum in the IMAX theatre. The films really have to be seen to be believed. What I would like to know is if any more recent film has been produced than "Hail Columbia". I remember seeing the IMAX cameras on board the Shuttles from news shorts, and I hope to see some results from that while I am there. While I am at it, does anyone know anywhere else that IMAX films are being shown? Thanks, Tracyw @ Islenet, Inc., Honolulu, HI. MCI Mail: 231-8682
ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (06/26/85)
> Aerospace museum in the IMAX theatre. The films really have to be seen to be > believed. What I would like to know is if any more recent film has been produced > than "Hail Columbia". I remember seeing the IMAX cameras on board the Shuttles > from news shorts, and I hope to see some results from that while I am there. > While I am at it, does anyone know anywhere else that IMAX films are being > shown? > The new movie, filmed from IMAX cameras aboard the shuttle is called "The Dream is Alive" and is showing at NASM. By the way, cine freaks should find their way up into the projection room, looking at the projector close up is obligatory. -Ron
louie@umd5.UUCP (06/26/85)
Keywords:
The new IMAX flick is being shown at the Smithsonian's National Air
and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Most of the footage was filmed
by the shuttle astronauts over 3 missions. It is simply wonderful!
Not to be missed if you've got the opportunity to see it.
I was at a special screening of the film last night for the Smithsonian
Resident Associates, and one of the gentlemen involved in creating the film
said that all parties involved (NASA, the Smithsonian, and privite industry)
are very pleased with the film, and are all set to do another. He said
(off the record) that the Space Telescope mission might be the subject of
the next film. In addition, he was talking about a new IMAX camera, with
a larger film capacity which would also be space rated. This means that it
could be carried on EVA excursions or just mounted on the shuttle's arm.
One of the problems that they had filming the movie was the gyroscopic
effect of the film reels in the camera. Seems it was difficult to move the
camera out of the plane of rotation. Note that the camera can eat 1000 feet
of film in a matter of 3 minutes.
--
Louis A. Mamakos WA3YMH University of Maryland, Computer Science Center
Internet: louie@umd5.arpa
UUCP: {seismo!umcp-cs, ihnp4!rlgvax}!cvl!umd5!louieklr@hadron.UUCP (Kurt L. Reisler) (06/27/85)
In article <1306@islenet.UUCP> tracyw@islenet.UUCP (Tracy Walters) writes: >I'm going to be in the Washington D.C. area for the month of July attending a >Data Comm school, and plan on (as always) going to the Smithsonian to gawk at >all the exhibits. The last time I was there I spent one whole day in the >Aerospace museum in the IMAX theatre. The films really have to be seen to be >believed. ...I would like to know is if any more recent film has been produced >than "Hail Columbia". I remember seeing the IMAX cameras on board the Shuttles >from news shorts, and I hope to see some results from that while I am there. >While I am at it, does anyone know anywhere else that IMAX films are being >shown? > >Thanks, >Tracyw @ Islenet, Inc., Honolulu, HI. >MCI Mail: 231-8682 "The Dream is Alive" is the latest. I have only heard the ROAR of the liftoff from the lobby of the theater. Get to the NASM (National Air & Space Museum) EARLY! Tickets for this movie sell out VERY fast.
peterb@pbear.UUCP (06/27/85)
> One of the problems that they had filming the movie was the gyroscopic > effect of the film reels in the camera. Seems it was difficult to move the > camera out of the plane of rotation. Note that the camera can eat 1000 feet > of film in a matter of 3 minutes. > -- > Louis A. Mamakos WA3YMH University of Maryland, Computer Science Center One simple way to fix that is to have the film reels turn in oppisite directions. This way the gyroscopic effect is almost cancelled. Since they are going to make a newer camera, I don't see much difficulty in modifying the take up reel so that it spins backwards... Peter Barada {ihnp4!inmet|{harvard|cca}!ima}!pbear!peterb
alb@alice.UUCP (Adam L. Buchsbaum) (06/28/85)
The film from the IMAX shuttle trips debuted at the Smithsonian last Friday. It is called ''The Dream is Alive,'' is 37 minutes long, and is being shown there 10 times daily. It is a must see.
mwherman@watcgl.UUCP (Michael W. Herman) (06/29/85)
> By the way, cine freaks > should find their way up into the projection room, looking at the > projector close up is obligatory. If you are ever in St. Paul, MN, their IMAX projector is in a glass room that you walk by on the way into the theatre.
steve@kontron.UUCP (Steve McIntosh) (07/01/85)
> Aerospace museum in the IMAX theatre. The films really have to be seen to be > believed. What I would like to know is if any more recent film has been produced > than "Hail Columbia". I remember seeing the IMAX cameras on board the Shuttles > from news shorts, and I hope to see some results from that while I am there. > While I am at it, does anyone know anywhere else that IMAX films are being > shown? The film produced with the shuttle footage is called "The Dream is Alive" and is being shown at the Smithsonian and at the Mitsubishi IMAX theatre at the Los Angeles Museum of Science and Industry.
cem@intelca.UUCP (Chuck McManis) (07/02/85)
> While I am at it, does anyone know anywhere else that IMAX films are being > shown? There is also an IMAX theater at Marriots Great America in Santa Clara (playing Hail Columbia) and one OMNIMAX (sometimes called the magic golf ball) outside Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas, alternating between Behold Hawaii and Hail Columbia. --Chuck -- "Unix, the Teco of Operating Systems." - - - D I S C L A I M E R - - - {ihnp4,fortune}!dual\ All opinions expressed herein are my {qantel,idi}-> !intelca!cem own and not those of my employer, my {ucbvax,hao}!hplabs/ friends, or my avocado plant. :-}
jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) (07/02/85)
> While I am at it, does anyone know anywhere else that IMAX films are being > shown? Here, of course, at the Kennedy space center... -- Shyy-Anzr: J. Eric Roskos UUCP: ..!{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!jer US Mail: MS 795; Perkin-Elmer SDC; 2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642
adams@plx.UUCP (Robert Adams) (07/02/85)
I recently heard that the IMAX "The Dream Is Alive" is also being
shown in the San Francisco bay area at Great America. Now you can
ride the roller coasters and then go see the greatest roller coaster
ride.
..!{decvax,ucbvax}!sun!plx!adams -- Robert Adamsmike@peregrine.UUCP (Mike Wexler) (07/02/85)
> > > One of the problems that they had filming the movie was the gyroscopic > > effect of the film reels in the camera. Seems it was difficult to move the > > camera out of the plane of rotation. Note that the camera can eat 1000 feet > > of film in a matter of 3 minutes. > > -- > > Louis A. Mamakos WA3YMH University of Maryland, Computer Science Center > > One simple way to fix that is to have the film reels turn in oppisite > directions. This way the gyroscopic effect is almost cancelled. > > Since they are going to make a newer camera, I don't see much difficulty > in modifying the take up reel so that it spins backwards... > > Peter Barada > {ihnp4!inmet|{harvard|cca}!ima}!pbear!peterb How about digital recording of the picture. There would be no gyroscopic effect at all. This may not be feasible yet. How about immediate transmission of a digitized signal. Maybe someone else out there can come up with a clever non-mechanical method that could be used. Always a dreamer, Mike Wexler -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike Wexler(trwrb!pertec!peregrine!mike) | Send all flames to: 15530 Rockfield, Building C | trwrb!pertec!peregrine!nobody Irvine, Ca 92718 | They will then be given the (714)855-3923 | consideration they are due.
brain@Shasta.ARPA (07/05/85)
> > > One of the problems that they had filming the movie was the gyroscopic > > effect of the film reels in the camera. > > One simple way to fix that is to have the film reels turn in oppisite > directions. This way the gyroscopic effect is almost cancelled. > > Peter Barada > {ihnp4!inmet|{harvard|cca}!ima}!pbear!peterb Since most of the spinning mass is in the film material itself, and since that mass is initially all on the supply reel, and eventually all on the take-up reel, if you have counter-rotating reels, the camera will initially behave like a gyro spinning in one direction, slowing down, and changing its direction of spin. The problem of cancelling out the gyroscopic effects in that type of system is fascinating!!
gray@hound.UUCP (B.GRAY) (07/05/85)
"The Dream Is Alive" is also being shown at the "Naturemax" theater in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The AMNH also invites shuttle astronauts to give lectures in the theater every few months, I believe (usually with home movies from their flights).
don@umd5.UUCP (07/05/85)
>> >>> One of the problems that they had filming the movie was the gyroscopic >>> effect of the film reels in the camera. >> >> One simple way to fix that is to have the film reels turn in oppisite >> directions. This way the gyroscopic effect is almost cancelled. >> -- Peter Barada > > Since most of the spinning mass is in the film material itself ... > ... if you have counter-rotating reels, the camera will initially > behave like a gyro spinning in one direction, slowing down, and changing > its direction of spin. > *** REPLACE THIS film-reel WITH a constant rotational momentum *** All one would need (unless my Physics is more than rusty and is just plain rotten) is a means of having an almost constant rotational momentum for the opposite spinning reels of film. The mechanism would work like the classic spinning ice-skater to change the momentum as the amount of film changes on the reel... a couple of weights the can be moved inversely to the amount of film on the reel... the weights would be attached to a spinning rod that is in turn attached to the reel. Voila! (the added mass might even make the camera work more smoothly) (on the other hand, the film is only so strong --- SNAP!) Anybody got some other random thoughts on the matter ? (pun intentional) -- --==---==---==-- ___________ _____ ---- _____ \ //---- IDIC ----- _\______//_ ---- ---------- ARPA: don@umd5.ARPA BITNET: don%umd5@umd2 SPOKEN: Chris Sylvain UUCP: {seismo,rlgvax,allegra,brl-bmd,nrl-css}!umcp-cs!cvl!umd5!don
gm@trsvax (07/08/85)
> While I am at it, does anyone know anywhere else that IMAX films are being > shown? Well, there's one right here in good old Ft. Worth. I believe that it has the largest Omnimax dome in the country. (Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History). If only the image projected by the film was large enough to fill it... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "I've added a few jumpers. The Milliamp Falcon can run current loops around any Imperial TTY fighter. She's fast enough for you, old version." ------------ George Moore (gm@trsvax.UUCP)
lwall@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Larry Wall) (07/08/85)
In article <6695@Shasta.ARPA> brain@Shasta.ARPA writes: >Since most of the spinning mass is in the film material itself, and since >that mass is initially all on the supply reel, and eventually all on the >take-up reel, if you have counter-rotating reels, the camera will initially >behave like a gyro spinning in one direction, slowing down, and changing >its direction of spin. Except that there is some mass to the reels themselves, and the emptier reel is spinning FASTER than the fuller one, and more so as it gets emptier. Perhaps there is some weight of reel which is optimal. Is the gyroscopic effect related to angular momentum or to energy? Hmm. It doesn't appear to be a linear effect in any event, since as the effective radius decreases, the rate of decrease increases. Got that? Anybody care to figure out the math of it? Larry Wall {allegra,burdvax,cbosgd,hplabs,ihnp4,sdcsvax}!sdcrdcf!lwall
jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) (07/11/85)
I know I must be grossly bekinghted to be asking this, but...
what is so special about these IMAX films? Everyone keeps saying "go look
at the projector," so I went over to NASA this weekend and looked for it,
but it appears to be locked up in some upstairs room.
I had thought maybe the rate at which the frames were shown was extremely
fast or something (because of the comments on inertia, etc.), but it
doesn't look that way since specks of dust on the film stay long enough to
see them fairly well.
If you know, mail the answer to me, since everyone else seems to already
know the answer to this great mystery...
--
Shyy-Anzr: J. Eric Roskos
UUCP: ..!{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!jer
US Mail: MS 795; Perkin-Elmer SDC;
2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642
Gur ArgArjf... n qlvat pbzzhavpngvba sbez?knutsen@sri-unix.ARPA (Andrew Knutsen) (07/11/85)
Re the IMAX gyro problem, it seems to me all you'd need is one extra wheel to counter the excess angular momentum of both film reels. It would spin first in one direction, slow to a stop at the middle, then spin the other way. This would take either a micro or some sort of clever sensor to control, but due to the varying masses some control would be required even with two wheels. Actually, I dont have all that much experience with counter- rotating gyros. Someone recently claimed that gyro action could not be compensated for, but from my understanding of the effect the precession problems could be alleviated at least. Would there still be a resistance to rotation? I would say that might even be a "feature" rather than a "bug". Andrew
chris@hplvla.UUCP (chris) (07/11/85)
There is an IMAX theatre in Denver, Colo, at the Museum of Natural History, and there is one on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, in the little village just south of the Park boundary. I suspect there are others in other major cities, maybe their residents will respond. hpfcla!hplvla!chris
ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (07/16/85)
> I had thought maybe the rate at which the frames were shown was extremely > fast or something (because of the comments on inertia, etc.), but it > doesn't look that way since specks of dust on the film stay long enough to > see them fairly well. > Those specs are on a glass plate which is in direct contact with the film. The plate is slightly larger than twice the image size and there is a little gizmo for sliding it back and forth while the projector is in use to get a clean portion. It is however manually operated. For those who are around the Washington area, to get to the projection room at NASM, go in and watch the movie. As you are walking up to exit the theater, use the right side aisle (house left). There will be a closed door on the left as you exit the theater. Go through it, climb up the ladder and there you are. -Ron
cg@myriasb.UUCP (Chris Gray) (07/19/85)
No one else up here seems to have mentioned it, so here goes: The Edmonton Space Sciences Center has a brand new IMAX theatre (along with some other stuff like a mockup of the Canadarm (sp?). I've seen "Hail Columbia" and "Speed" there, and I think there is a new film showing now, but I'm not sure which one it is. In the same building is our planetarium with customary laser light show.