ALAMO IN OMAHA Alamo Drafthouse Channels Star Wars in a Force-ful New Location
by Rebecca Pahle
AT RIGHT, THE STAR WARS-INSPIRED LOBBY
s anyone who’s ever travelled get blessed with their very rst Alamo It’s also something of a family a air. League. So, really, when Rafnson decided to for hours to get to an Alamo Drafthouse. But this one’s a little di erent. e theatre is owned by Phil Rafnson and venture across the fence and try movie the- Drafthouse theatre can tell you Nerds, rejoice. co-managed by his two nephews, Tyler atre ownership for the rst time, becoming (this writer is guilty), the open- With $5 Tuesdays and its signature and Chris Calabrese. A more metaphorical an Alamo franchisee was an easy decision. ing of a new branch of the fa- Alamo programming—a mix of rst-run family is involved as well: movie theatre in- But the hands-on way Alamo approaches Amous, funky—and famously funky—movie lms and repertory screenings that in- stallation/operations powerhouse Moving its business made the decision even easier, chain is a big deal. As the Austin-based cludes everything from Jacques Tati’s Mon iMage Technologies (MiT), which counts Rafnson explains, especially given his own chain’s reputation, not to mention its earn- Oncle to cult midnight favorite e Room— Rafnson as its chairman. admitted lack of knowledge about the lm- ings, has grown, it’s increasingly expanded this new theatre has already won the heart MiT has had a strong relationship booking side of the business. out of the Lone Star State to establish of Omaha. But before it was the Midwest’s with Alamo Drafthouse for many years, “ ey have a really good organization outposts in New York, California, Virginia, hottest new mecca for movie lovers, the overseeing the installation of its new the- set up for booking and marketing, and Colorado and more. November 2, 2015 Alamo Drafthouse Omaha in La Vista was atres. Rafnson also boasts a friendship with it’s proved to be very helpful in these rst saw the movie lovers of Omaha, Nebraska just a patch of land and a dream. Alamo Drafthouse founder and CEO Tim few weeks,” Rafnson notes. “ ose are the
16 WWW.FILMJOURNAL.COM FEBRUARY 2016 FEBRUARY 2016 WWW.FILMJOURNAL.COM 17 kinds of things that, if I was doing this project, we develop a Now that Omaha was myself with inexperienced managers, it nancial model, and getting their own brand- would be very dicult to know what to all of the executives spanking-new Alamo do and how to book and get a good mix at Drafthouse ap- Drafthouse movie of product. ey’ve got set policies, and prove the site before theatre, there was the HIL they keep in constant communication with it can proceed.” P small matter of building AFNSON Derek [Michael Dillon], our creative man- For his part, R it. As one expects, MiT ager. And the booker is the same booker Dillon knew that handled installation; who works for all the other Alamos, too. “Omaha has really in discussing the chal- It’s going really well.” been yearning for a lenges of putting together e franchise fee that must be paid out place like the Alamo the new-build theatre, senior to Alamo is, Rafnson admits, higher than Drafthouse to open, because VP of sales and president of Rydt he’s used to based on previous franchisee there’s just no other theatre in town Entertainment Jerry Van de Rydt jokes experience. But the help the brand-strong that does anything like [what Alamo that “when my boss owns the theatre, it’s Alamo provides makes the deal more than does].” A lifelong cinephile, Dillon was very stressful!” fair: “Many, many franchises that go from familiar with the Alamo Drafthouse brand Still, barring a delay in construction anywhere from three to ve percent of your before he ever thought he’d work at one due to an unnaturally cold Omaha win- gross give you almost nothing. It’s just the of their theatres; in a refrain familiar to ter—not something anyone has much opposite with Alamo; they’re very, very Alamo’s devoted fanbase, he drove three control over, after all—the process of active. ey provide a lot of value for what hours down to the chain’s Kansas City bringing the Alamo Drafthouse Omaha they get paid. If I do another [theatre], it location back in 2014 for an eight-hour from “dirt to popcorn,” in the words of will almost denitely be Alamo.” “Dismember the Alamo” horror-movie MiT’s VP of sales and customer service On Alamo’s part, the decision to open marathon. With experience on the board Tom Lipiec, wasn’t anything particularly a theatre isn’t one that’s made lightly. of directors for a Lincoln, Nebraska movie out of the ordinary. “ere are always Notes League, “ere’s a lot of research theatre in his back pocket, Dillon initially challenges, because it’s a choreography of that goes into every new location. Demo- reached out via Twitter to inquire about all the dierent disciplines that are hap- graphic information and other theatres volunteer opportunities, only to nd him- pening,” Lipiec notes. in the area are the main drivers. For every self with a full-time job oer a month later. MiT starts o working with the ar-
THE LIQUID SUNSHINE TAPROOM
18 WWW.FILMJOURNAL.COM FEBRUARY 2016 THE ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE SIGNATURE DEATH STAR, FROM DESIGN TO LOBBY.
chitect and goes on to procurement—“we erything gets scheduled. Our guys are here man of Elevation Architects. All Alamo inspect all the equipment, so you get the to receive it. We visit the job site every four lobbies have a theme, but with their lobby, best presentation,” Van de Rydt explains. weeks to check in on it and make sure the Dillon says, they wanted to “take it up a “en we work with speccing the audio [subcontractors] are doing a good job and notch.” Initially, a Goonies-themed lobby and digital projection systems… Once everything is up to par. And then we go to was proposed, but Rafnson calls Star Wars the equipment starts getting delivered, we the grand opening party!” more of a “natural t [with] what we’re try- become project managers. We work with Or, Van de Rydt sums up nicely: “Give ing to do here.” He does, however, laugh- the delivery companies and make sure ev- us an empty building, and we’ll ll it up.” ingly admit that “we kind of went over- e Alamo Drafthouse Omaha is board and spent more than I intended!” home to eight screens, one of which fea- Any money spent was well worth it. tures both Sony 4K projection and Dolby e centerpiece of the lobby is the Em- Atmos immersive audio. “It’s top of the peror’s throne, which features controls line, really well-done,” Lipiec notes. On that can be used by patrons to activate top of that, Van de Rydt explains, while the lobby’s other main feature. at’s no Drafthouse locations normally use drapes moon…it’s a fully armed and operational on their in-theatre walls to reach a perfect Death Star hanging from the ceiling. OK, acoustic balance, the Omaha theatre uses not “armed,” but the operational part is acoustic panels provided by EOMAC for a true. “As soon as you push the button [on more “contemporary” and “structural” look. the Emperor’s throne],” explains Brad Panels are “considered a lot more new and Woods, practice director of Dimensional fresh, more modern,” Lipiec adds. “Every Innovations, “the sound engages and the few years it goes in cycles, where [panels Death Star begins the ring sequence. e are] in favor and then out of favor. Right lights in the lobby dim and ªicker and the now, we’re going through a cycle again programmable LED lights ‘shoot’ from the where panels are the hip thing to do.” crater into a nearby wall.” Alamo Drafthouse Omaha’s pièce de “e hardest part of the project was résistance, though, isn’t anything inside its trying to gure out how to simulate a theatres: It’s the custom Star Wars-themed Death Star super-laser ring,” Woods lobby, designed and built by Dimensional continues. “Using DI’s innovations lab, Innovations and based on an original idea we were able to design and install a pro- THE EMPEROR’S THRONE by Tyler Calabrese and architect Kip Cole- prietary LED system that was program-
20 WWW.FILMJOURNAL.COM FEBRUARY 2016 mable and resembled the laser from the other streaming services by making mov- Supplying Alamo Death Star in the movies. It had to be iegoing an experience that expands beyond Drafthouse Omaha synced with the sound system, as well as sitting in a chair and watching a movie be serviceable from the manager’s oce.” for two hours. “With something as iconic e theatre manager can also adjust a time as this unique Alamo Drafthouse design, FF&E: Moving iMage Technologies (MiT) delay, which takes the form of a Death Star people are going to ªock to the theatre,” Projectors: Sony charging sequence and makes it so guests Woods contends. “It is all about creating a Speakers & Ampli ers: QSC can’t push the button every ve seconds. memorable experience for moviegoers, and Immersive Audio: Dolby Atmos I think I speak on behalf of the Alamo we feel that this begins in the lobby. Our Seating: Irwin Seating Company CONGRATULATIONS PHIL! Drafthouse Omaha’s employees when I designs help keep patrons engaged and say: ank you. coming back to see movies and thoroughly Screens: MDI e lobby wasn’t just a challenge from enjoy their experience.” Architect: Kip Coleman a design/installation perspective: Sheldon e hours and money that everyone with Elevation Architects Oxner, president of National Commercial invested in the impressive lobby certainly Builder: National Commercial Builders, Inc., notes that getting Coleman’s didn’t go unrewarded. As Oxner notes: Builders, Inc. renderings for the lobby took their work “Never in over 25 years of building theatres building the theatre up a few notches in and entertainment facilities have we been Assistance with 35mm systems: terms of diculty. “is turned into a very involved in a project with so much excite- Strong complex project to frame and provide elec- ment and media coverage.” Hearing-Impaired: Ultra Stereo trical for, [and] to get all the work ready Media coverage and how. Approxi- Portholes: GST for Dimensional Innovations to come and mately a month after it opened, the Alamo Sidewalls and Front Ends: EOMAC apply the Death Star. It was a great team Drafthouse Omaha experienced a media Aisle Lighting: Tempo eort to complete [in a] timely [manner]. blitz the stu of which theatre owners’ It took great courage by the ownership to dreams are made of. On Dec, 1, Entertain- Installation of Aisle Lighting: step up and spend the dollars to create this ment Weekly’s website ran a slight, 233- Wulf Installations look.” word story about how a new theatre in Lobby: Dimensional Innovations e Alamo Drafthouse Omaha’s lobby Omaha boasts a Star Wars-themed lobby. Mill Work: Proctor Co. ties into something we talk about a lot in With Star Wars: e Force Awakens opening Bar/Kitchen: Proctor Co. the pages of FJI: the need to combat the in just over two weeks, anticipation for the growing popularity of Netªix, VOD and new addition to the franchise was at a fever Beer System: Draftex
Congratulations On the opening of the new Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Omaha! Alamo La Vista is out of this world! >L»YLWYV\K[VIL`V\YJVTWSL[LH\KPV Z`Z[LTZZ\WWSPLYMLH[\YPUN8:*ZPNUHS The force is strong with Alamo WYVJLZZVYZHTWSPÄLYZHUKSV\KZWLHRLYZ MVYHSS`V\YYVVTZHZ^LSSHZ8:@:™ and Sony Digital Cinema 4K WYVJLZZPUNMVY`V\Y+VSI`®([TVZ®JPULTH No matter the screen size, awaken your audience with the benefits of Sony 4K XZJJVT 1113++> www.sony.com/digitalcinema © 2016 QSC, LLC, all rights reserved. QSC, and the QSC logo HYLYLNPZ[LYLK[YHKLTHYRZPU[OL<:7H[LU[HUK;YHKLTHYR6ɉJL HUKV[OLYJV\U[YPLZ+VSI`HUK([TVZHYLYLNPZ[LYLK[YHKLTHYRZ VM+VSI`3HIVYH[VYPLZ Monitors/Processors Amplifiers Loudspeakers © 2016 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permissio n is prohibited. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice. Sony, Sony Digital Cinema 4K, and their respective logos are trademarks of Sony. Creating Extraordinary
22 WWW.FILMJOURNAL.COM FEBRUARY 2016 pitch; the timing for the story couldn’t and beverage menu—who wants “Trash is—you have it gured out. It sounds like have been better. “ e Today Show” and Compactor Pizza” with “Wookiee Wasaka six weeks is a long time, but in reality, for a “Good Morning America” came calling. Berry Crêpes” for dessert and a “Tatooine restaurant-slash-movie theatre, especially Outlets from around the world picked up Sunset” to drink?—and then, of course, the when both are high-level, that six weeks the story, and Wired magazine’s online arm lobby itself. goes by really fast.” named it one of the seven best theatres in Star Wars weekend—indeed, the entire But in the end, “it did just right,” Raf- which to watch e Force Awakens. holiday span—went “even better than we nson says. “If we had booked one or two “I had absolutely no idea that it would anticipated,” says Rafnson. Even with a more screens for Star Wars, we could have blow up as big as it did,” recalls Dillon. “It seat count much lower than that of larger gotten more people. But we were almost was crazy. I was super-excited about it.” chains in the area, and the fact that they at our max, because the other theatres that When I spoke to Dillon, it was a few days can’t have as many shows per day as the- didn’t have Star Wars were doing well also. before e Force Awakens’ grand debut, with atres without a food-service component, We didn’t want to overdo it, [because we screenings starting all over the country, the Alamo Drafthouse Omaha ended up had] an all-new sta , and we wanted to including at the Alamo Drafthouse Oma- third in the Omaha marketplace for Star make sure everybody was really happy with ha, at 7 p.m. on ursday, Dec. 17. Dillon Wars over the opening weekend. their experiences. It worked out well.” modestly predicted that, with “the national And there was another challenge: By e allure of the Alamo Drafthouse attention we’ve been getting,” the theatre the time e Force Awakens opened, the Omaha extends beyond its lobby, of course. “might see a huge inª ux this weekend.” Alamo Drafthouse Omaha had only been A huge part of Alamo’s brand is their food You don’t need the power of the Force in operation for six weeks. “In a regular and beverage service, here represented by to guess that his prediction came true. movie theatre, you have a ramp-up, but the Liquid Sunshine Taproom, which, Dil- Local news crew were camped out with when you’re dealing with an Alamo Draft- lon explains, “is aesthetically and design- cameras on ursday and Friday, and they house, or, for that matter, an eatery, you wise completely di erent from the lobby. had quite the show to point their cameras have even more of a ramp-up. Because you en you walk into the actual theatre, at: e local arm of the 501st Legion, a have a menu, you have delivery training, which is pretty much the Alamo standard. fan organization known for dressing up in you have the regular movie theatre train- And it also completely stands out against high-quality Star Wars costumes, was on ing, you have the bar,” Lipiec explains. “You the lobby and the bar. Most theatres, you hand ursday night, “hanging around the want to have a ramp-up that’s manage- walk in and everything looks the same. But theatre and the bar, visiting with the kids,” able, so by the time you get hit by a ton of with ours, design-wise, we have three dif- Rafnson recalls. ere was a special food bricks—which is basically what Star Wars ferent sections of the theatre. ey all stand
NCB is proud to have been the general contractor for the Alamo Drafthouse of Omaha, working with the team of Kip Coleman of Elevation Architects, Dimentional Innovations, and Moving Image Technology. National Commercial Builders, Inc. 10555 Rene St. Lenexa, KS 66215-4054 www.nationalcb.com Contact: Sheldon Oxner 913-599-0200 Theatres • Restaurants • Nightclubs • Multi-Venue Entertainment Centers • Bowling Entertainment Centers We Go Where You Need Us Building Theatres and Entertainment Projects for 25 Years
ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE OF OMAHA / PHOTO BY TYLER CALABRESE
24 WWW.FILMJOURNAL.COM FEBRUARY 2016 out. ey all have their unique spin. ey’re Behind the Scenes: all their own entity.” at eclectic ªavor continues through- The Making of an Alamo Drafthouse out the Alamo Drafthouse Omaha’s pro- gramming. In it rst months of release, the roctor Companies worked closely with Alamo Drafthouse theatre boasted sold-out screenings of Fri- day the 13th and e Room, with actor Greg franchisees Phil Rafnson and Tyler Calabrese to design, build Sestero in attendance. ere was a Home P and install the box of ce, concession stand, restaurant, bar and Alone party and a screening of Die Hard, commercial kitchen for their newly opened location in La Vista, Nebraska. plus a Kill Bill “double feature feast,” com- The Alamo Drafthouse concept pushes the in-theatre dining prised of back-to-back screenings of Kill Bill 1 and 2 along with a six-course meal. concept to its very limit. Auditorium For Dillon, the most satisfying part diners typically place orders during a of his job—which also involves serving as highly compressed timeline–often the theatres’ head programmer—is seeing during the ten minutes of previews– audience members respond to the lms he chooses. He cites a sold-out 35mm screen- and these orders crash in atop the ing of e Dark Knight, which ended with orders from diners at the bar and a standing ovation. “A lot of our program- the restaurant. So it’s critical that ming comes up in Austin, and we pick THE KITCHEN AT THE ALAMO and choose what we’re going to play,” he the facility’s systems be designed to DRAFTHOUSE OMAHA. says. “We ask ourselves: What would make support increased server traf c, high sense here? How will Omaha react to this? foodservice output, and strong communication. Seeing Omaha reacting to the lms we’re As a result, Proctor’s kitchen design for the La Vista Alamo screening is super-gratifying.” Of course, an integral part of the features wider backroom hallways and workspaces, a large, centrally Alamo experience is their famous (and located walk-in freezer, a mix of different ovens, warmers and stoves, famously enforced) “No talking, no texting” and nearly triple the typical prep-surface area. These modi cations rule. As League explains, it actually isn’t enable large numbers of orders to be processed that dicult to get new audience members CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
Proctor Companies: The Force Behind the Alamo Drafthouse. Proctor Companies supplied design services, casework, food and beverage equipment, and a full commercial kitchen for the beautiful, new Alamo Drafthouse in La Vista, Nebraska. Proctor can awaken the force of greater 800-221-3699
The Alamo Drafthouse’s Star Wars themed box office. pro tability for you too. Call us today! 26 WWW.FILMJOURNAL.COM FEBRUARY 2016 [email protected] BEHIND THE SCENES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28 used to the concept: “ere’s always a few folks who don’t understand, but the vast simultaneously. Where possible, equipment is mounted on casters to majority fall in line right away. We are very, make cleanup easier–which also keeps health inspectors happy. very clear in our pre-movie announce- And then there are the details. Expanded foodservice capability ments. People know that we are serious requires more power, better lighting, more drain and sewer capacity, about the policy. ey put away their devices, keep quiet and simply enjoy the greater exhaust hood volumes, and forti ed re suppression and safety show.” Dillon used social media—an inte- systems. Closed-circuit monitors and copious signage are required gral part of the Alamo brand as a whole— to keep orders straight and customers satis ed. Often overlooked, to make sure Omaha moviegoers were up Proctor Companies made sure these considerations were baked into to speed before the new theatre opened its doors. “ere’s a small percentage of people the plan at the very outset of the design phase. who might not like it, but the overall re- One of the key features of the Alamo model is a robust selection of sponse is that 99% of the people that walk tap beers. Proctor’s design helped organize the nearly quarter-mile of through our doors have gotten that con- cept,” he explains. “ey love the concept, tap lines to make cleaning, maintenance and troubleshooting simple and and they’ll actually be returning because fast. In addition, Proctor wrapped the keg room in clear glass to high- our theatre oers that sort of haven for light the craft-brew nature of the operation, adding visual interest to the moviegoers.” dining experience and prominently reinforcing a powerful narrative of Going forward, Dillon hopes that the Alamo Drafthouse Omaha can further the Alamo brand. establish itself as an integral part of its city. Finally, there was one last hurdle to clear: the weather. During “Our involvement with the community is construction, unusually bad weather pummeled the Midwest, shorten- something that is extremely unique com- ing the construction timeline to nearly half the original estimate. With pared to other movie theatres. I’m working on many more partnerships with commu- a major premiere looming, Proctor sent additional installers to the job nity groups and businesses,” he explains. site and coordinated with Alamo management and other contractors And, of course, more screenings of awe- to recalibrate the schedule. In the end, not a day was lost, and both some lms, new and old alike. Including a Star Wars or two. Alamo and The Force awakened on time and on budget.
AN ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CORRIDOR
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