The Timelapse Theatre - Planning n' Build Log - Page 4

In my case, yes, the difference is that I will only have speakers on the rear portion (behind the screen). Opinions vary on whether you should fill the entire stage. I opted, quite wisely if I do say so myself, not to lug another half ton or more of sand into my basement to fill areas of the stage that will not be beneath speakers.

LOL! Hey, I warned you! Maybe I should have put SPOILERS tags around that or something!

Whenever I feel the need to describe an audio system it always reminds me of this from Top Gear: The Cliché Swear Box. We should have an audiophile version!

By the way, did you solve your projector vibration problem to your satisfaction? I was wondering about that for my own projector. Mine will have to contend with shaking from people walking upstairs AND (tight, visceral) bass.

Stage Construction Mumbo Jumbo
My 1/2" router collet came in on Tuesday so I set to work cutting the excess OSB off of the top of the stage. I used a massive 2x1/2" flush trim bit and followed the curve of the stage's top step exactly. It worked much better than I thought it would but it wasn't a perfect job. If I weren't going to put padding and carpet on top of it then I would be seriously annoyed!

I have added a couple of things to my "things I wish I'd do differently" list:
1. use a thicker material on the front of the steps. The material I used flexed a little bit when I was following it with the flush-trim bit.

2. make sure that both layers of OSB on the top step overlap the bottom step 110%. By cutting the step profile flush I was able to have the top layer drop right into place along the curve of the bottom step. Unfortunately there was only one layer (so I still have to cut another one) and it didn't cover the entire step anyway.

Now that I've cut the decking for the top of the stage I'm going to cheat. I'm going to carefully measure the bottom step and then CNC cut the decking for it. I should have done this for the top from the start... After I install the bottom step's decking I'm going to tack 1/2" strips of wood to the edge and then route a roundover profile.

Acoustics Mumbo Jumbo
My wife had a great idea when we were chatting about the theatre. I was bemoaning the slap echo and the installation of absorption around the perimeter of the room. My wife suggested that we install floor to ceiling acoustic panels spaced appropriately rather than covering the bottom perimeter in absorber and fabric and then covering the upper drywall perimeter in fabric only. The latter option has always sounded attractive to me but it also seems like a whole ton of work and material.

So we were thinking about building some, say, 4x6 foot frames, filling them with OC703, and covering them with prints from Spoonflower. The idea, of course, comes right out of the DIY Custom Printed Movie Poster Acoustic Panels thread. I like that this makes the room fairly easy to customize down the road. I have a huge library of photography that I've shot over the years that would look amazing in that large format.

To expand on the idea, however, I was thinking about putting these frames on a track of some kind so that I could change their position if I needed to. Good idea? Bad idea?

Off Topic Videography Mumbo Jumbo
I have been dutifully recording video the entire time while I've been working on the stage but I'm not going to edit it down until the stage construction is finished. Maybe next week... I just bought Final Cut Pro X yesterday and it is actually very good. I have been using iMovie '11 and it does most of what I want but FCPX is so much faster and more powerful. I've also decided to upgrade my time lapse equipment so I've ordered a proper bulb-ramping intervalometer for my Canon 7D. The quality out of the 7D is heaps better than the GoPro!

Thanks! It feels like I'm talking to myself sometimes but I know all too well from lurking in other threads how much I enjoy sitting back and watching the plan unfold!

Nah, I can't afford THAT model!

I made a lot of progress this weekend (video coming shortly). I managed to finish installing the decking on the stage but I still have to put on the bullnose trim. I'm planning to do that this week during the evenings. I'm taking next week off from work(!!!) and I really want to make great strides in the room. I'd like your input on What should I do next?.

Things (I can think of right now) that I have left to do in no particular order:

• Install bullnose trim on stage
• Run low voltage wiring to front of room (speaker, CAT6, aux video inputs, etc.)
• Rewire overhead light circuits (9 cans dimming in 3 zones but running in the wrong direction)
• Build screen wall
• Build raised platforms for L,C,R speakers
• Frame in the rack closet
• Add mass to two hollow-core doors (closet & top of stairs)
• Install screen-wall acoustic treatment (Linacoustic)
• Run rear/side speaker wiring
• Install projector mount blocking

This is just the stuff I could think of real quick this morning... I'm open to suggestions, of course! What do you think I should do on my big week off of work?

I have been thinking about getting the Panasonic PT-AE7000. I was wondering if anyone had experience with an acoustically transparent screen that is compatible with 3D projectors. I have been thinking about the Seymour AV screen but it doesn't specifically say anything about 3D.

I can see that I'm not going to get any thread love unless I give you....

ANOTHER VIDEO!

That's good advice, thanks. I have been thinking along similar lines but often substituting "most messy" for "looking forward to least."

I think that I will start by scraping the popcorn off the ceiling next, actually. I think it will be easier to maneuver around before the screen wall is in place. I might even paint the portion of the ceiling over the stage black before I build the screen wall too.

Thanks! Maybe I'll do that TA-DAAA at the end of the epic feature film version. I have grand vision of a 1080p 2.35:1 final product. At this rate, even at 60 frames per second I have over ten minutes of footage and I've barely begun!

I'm mastering all of this in 2K (or thereabouts) so maybe by the end of this thing it really will look like magic!

And the waffle walls are going to wind up being more ceiling than wall now... heh

If I only would spend as much time in the theatre as I do on the videos! How was your trip to ATL this weekend?

Hehe, yeah but it remains to be seen if I can pull it off! Luckily I have unlimited access to large CNC machines! You should come over for the big painting party in a few months!

"Hey, sweetie. I bought you a gallon of flat matte Mouse Ears. It's in the theatre."

...

What a woman.

Sure! As soon as I get around to GroovyCeiling. And there will be much beer and joy. Just check out that cooler in my garage! I bought that for a big party it hold 225 cans or something preposterous like that.

I have a few questions about soffit construction. I am thinking about building a 10x10" soffit around the perimeter of the room for three reasons:

1. Easy pathway for running wiring around the room
2. Adding light to the room (4" wall-wash cans)
3. Reducing the dimensions of GroovyCeiling (material reduction==cost reduction)

I made a mockup of my soffit based on this design I liberated from another AVS poster (I forgot who, sorry!):

Unlike that poster, however, I'm not planning on making the tray for uplighting.

I used 1/2" MDF and a standard furring strip. The dimensions look nice but I think that I need to change materials. I was wondering what you thought. Should I switch to 3/4" MDF? Plywood of some kind? (shudder) dry wall?

Also, instead of the furring strip I was thinking about switching to a plain 'ol 2x4 since I was having trouble screwing the MDF to the furring strip on its short edge.

Here's what I came up with. How do you like the profile and dimensions? Do you think that the 10" span on the bottom is sufficient for wall-washing using 4" cans?



In today's video we take a field trip to... (drumroll) MY GARAGE!

I just realized that I didn't thank you for this answer to my question about Linacoustic. Thank you!

The mockup pictured is 10x10". That camera's lens is pretty screwy when it comes to accurate proportions... I'll have to remember that. Maybe that means I'll have to buy a new lens!

I don't have a problem moving further into the room. My wife and I were both concerned about coming down from the ceiling too much. I think that I'll raise that up a smidge and see what feels right. Maybe I'll try 14x8". Do you think that 8" will leave sufficient room for the can height? I haven't ever installed those things.

You asked about columns. I'm still not sure. I have floor standing rear and side speakers (the Meridian DSP 5000s) so I don't need columns for speakers. I know that they would add a... Je ne sais quoi... theatre feel, I suppose, but I'm not really going for the traditional theatre environment. The room will certainly be a theatre-style destination but more casual seating, no riser, etc. I'm curious to hear your opinion!

Oh, the garage... That half of the garage is shorter than the other one. I tried to pull my car into it (Toyota Avalon) once and the damn thing stuck out a foot or more! The other half of the garage is filled with woodworking equipment but, sadly, no table saw. The MIDDLE of the garage is filled with stuff that we intend to donate to various charities. The whole house is chaotic since we only moved in back in May. Baby steps. You can tell I have my priorities straight!