Screen Machine films in 3D: start with Avatar

Thanks to the magical Screen Machine, the most inventive addition to Highlands life, we can get the latest 3D experience on our doorsteps.

When the distinctive blue pantechnicon slinks into towns and villages its an all-in-one pied piper and circus.

Now with the best digital 3D experience installed – the XpanD system, the mobile cinema is now on tour with Avatar – the film of the moment – maybe of the year if the Oscar predictions are on the money.

Xpan D is an active system (the glasses communicate via infra red with the 3D equipment in the projection booth) and is the brightest, most dynamic 3D system currently available. Watching Avatar in 3D in the Dream Machine will be an experience to remember.

Here’s a few of the frequently asked questions Screen machine receives about £d – alongside its answers:

• Do you supply the 3D glasses? Yes, we supply the glasses.
• Can I take the glasses home? No, we’re afraid not. The glasses are returnable at the end of the film. They are very expensive (around £35 a pair). If we ‘lose’ any it may compromise our ability to offer 3D films in the future or push up ticket prices to fund replacements. The glasses are also not suitable as sunglasses and they won’t work with your TV. They are only made for watching 3D movies in the Screen Machine.
• I have my own 3D glasses, can I use them? Unless you have the XpanD glasses any other type of 3D glasses will not work. Click on the XpanD link above to see a picture of the glasses we use.
• Are they robust? Up to a point. They have been built to withstand normal use. However if you sit on them, stand on them, twist them or throw them, they may break. You should also avoid touching the lens as this will impair your viewing experience. If you use a hair product such as gel, you may want to consider not putting them on the top of your head while you wait for the film to start. It certainly spoils the 3D experience if you have to peer through a layer of hair wax coating the lens. It also saves a bit of time for us when we’re cleaning them after you’ve used them.
• Are they clean? We clean each set of glasses with an antibacterial spay and wipes after every show. It would help our operator greatly if you could avoid touching the lens or handling the glasses with sticky fingers.
• Will I see the 3D effects? Yes so long as you have some vision in both eyes. You can wear the 3D glasses over your regular spectacles. The 3D effects will not work if you only have the use of one eye.

Tour schedule for Avatar, Where the Wild Things Are and Sherlock Holmes

Screening dates and tickets for Port Ellen, Tarbert, Lochgilphead, Tighnabruaich, Mull and the Western Isles are now available from The Booth.

If you need any further information or have a mobile cinema enquiry please call the Screen Machine on 01463 720887 or email graham@regionalscreenscotland.org