It’s a small world/universe, Captain Rob.
I had a go at projection about the same year. 1989 for the same cinema chain local in my area Tower Park, Poole UCI 10screen, Paramount/Universal, in its day, now its cinemas are called, Empire cinemas.
I left UCI around 1990.
I joined Warner Bros briefly around 1998.
Most of the cinemas I worked at sadly only had 35mm playback. I recall Cinemeccanica Vic V at UCI, wow had forgotten the name of the projector at Warner Village 12 screen, Bristol?
The principles aren’t much different between the two projectors in lacing-up.
UCI had basic system even though most other cinemas around where running a far elaborate set-up of duel 35/70 projection.
The cinema processors were all Dolby CP65 same audio amps Sound Associates EV loudspeakers THX approved.
Cake palters were all the same (in fact all the smaller had the same running equipment).
Screens 5/6 where the same in dsgein and are located in the centre of the building as you enter the foyer the screens are to the left and right and span outwards from left/right.
Smaller screens 1 and 2 booths where joined together and same with 3 and 4 and 7 and 8 and 9 and 10.
Booth 5 and 6 had long narrow corridor leading to the next booth and all where capable of (interlocking).
It was fun but lack of 70mm was huge thumbs down LOL.
Still the optical A and SR prints sound good as the cinema was installed for type SR playback.
Warner was slightly different. The whole booth was all on one floor level, so it makes the job easier, thou running around could cause and accident!
The screens as far as, I can recall where two main large ones located in the middle of the complex, with medium size to smaller and ultra smaller LOL.
The tiny screens thou still many times larger than home cinema in basement LOL had vertical masking and that was something I hadn’t seen before and no, I don’t like. I prefer the horizontal masking it just looks cool when it opens (((outwards))).
The sound system was Dolby CP500 no I don’t like the look of them but as long as they do the job who cares? I think the amps were all QSC and KCS loudspeakers that kinder look like JBL 4675/A even the subs themselves looked like JBL4645 with three air-ports.
The larger screens had 4 subs behind the screen and the mid size I think it was 2 subs same for the small and the tiny size screens 1 sub.
Auditoriums looked smart and comfortable.
When the cinema opened and only a few screens where showing films as some still needed some small work on them. I was running “Titanic” with co-worker and the flipping cake plate motor broken down! We had to take turns rotating the take-off platter for 3 hours!
Our hands was black due to aluminium, we had already cleaned the platters days before to wipe off any traces of it and still our hands where black LOL.
Sadly due to looking for place to live in Bristol and with money running thin I had quit, I was staying at hotel paid by Warner, but had 2 weeks to find a reasonable place to rent, Bristol also has few major universities and it was peek time summer for students and all the cheap accommodation around had gone.
I just couldn’t think of handing over nearly £80.00 per week out of nearly £180 wage after taxes. sigh. So I headed back home, yeah I was really pissed off about that. I was thinking of buying tent and pitching it outside the Warner behind the building, but it would look a bit odd if I was living in tent
outside a respectful company like Warner.
Also I have read some history background regarding the cinema in Texas as one two first THX screens I believe, the other was in another state I think and soon spread like wildfire and international over the years.
Are you still with the same company or have they changed the name or have you left the company?
Today its all digital sigh. It’s the lost art in lacing-up a projector, now a push button job. sigh kinder takes the fun out of it.
