When designing a private home theater room, all too often we find a big misconception about when the theater designer should be brought in on the project.  We’ve found it commonly (and incorrectly) perceived that the theater designer doesn’t need to be involved until the room is designed and framed and “ready for the equipment”.  For a private theater room to achieve its high performance potential, it is essential that the theater designer become involved at a project’s earliest stages.

The Paradise Theater Experience:

The “Suspension of Disbelief”: When we entered the market over 20 years ago this phrase was regularly referred to as the goal of a private theater. Originally coined by poet and philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1817, the phrase has since been appropriated by Hollywood and is used to describe the phenomenon in which an audience, while watching a movie, is willing to accept it as reality. Without a willing suspension of disbelief, the experience is diminished.  This type of experience takes knowledge and skill to produce and is the result of Paradise Theater’s comprehensive design approach embracing both form and function. Private Theater rooms, performance engineered to make that vision a reality.

Why Paradise Theater?  Paradise Theater clients have a discerning taste; they are looking for something very special built in their home, something designed to satisfy their taste for things of the highest quality.  A Paradise Theater delivers a unique addition to one’s lifestyle; an escape from reality.  A Paradise Theater is about the experience, an experience which cannot be realized by chance or happenstance; it must be engineered.  Every Paradise Theater design is a unique endeavor undertaken to exceed the individual needs of our clientele.  It is the distinctive nature of each design that gives every Paradise Theater owner a one-of-a-kind experience in their home.  This cannot be achieved with template designs or a cookie-cutter approach; it can only be achieved with a careful design and engineering process with explicit attention to detail.

Why do I need a theater designer?  Private theater design is a specialized field that incorporates many bodies of knowledge including acoustics, audio, video, interior design, architecture, lighting, construction techniques, mechanical systems, electrical and others.  Each aspect of the room needs to be considered throughout the design process to deliver excellence.  Compromising or failing to consider just one element of a private theater design could tarnish the entire experience.  It requires a specialist whose core competency is designing private theater environments to masterfully blend all of these disciplines and deliver a stunning experience.

What about my existing project team?  Paradise Theater works as part of the design/build team on a project, collaborating with other team members (system integrator, architect, interior designer, builder, etc…) to deliver results you can count on.  Our collaboration with these other team members ensures a seamless flow from design to build.  Paradise Theater offers support to the project team throughout the build out of the theater to ensure the room is built as designed.

The Oft Forgotten Component in a Private Theater; The Room  The room is arguably the most important element in a private theater and all too often it is either ignored or treated as an afterthought.  A properly engineered room will allow the private theater to deliver levels of performance beyond what the equipment alone can deliver.  Many times a private theater owner believes that by purchasing the most expensive projector, screen and speakers that their private theater will outperform others.  This is an unfortunate misconception that many purveyors of these products would like you to believe.   A private theater room needs to be designed to live in harmony with these products so that they may deliver excellence.

The Quiet Room Experience:  The Quiet Room experience is one that takes your private theater to another level.  Imagine enjoying a movie and being able to hear the all of the slight details the director wanted you to experience.  The fact is that without a Quiet Room, many of these details aren’t ever heard and you’re missing the ‘magic’ that the private theater experience delivers!

Have you ever been watching a movie and had various noises disrupt your experience such as: gardener mowing the lawn, cars driving by, phones ringing, people talking, kid’s music/ video game noises, footsteps from the floor above, etc…?

Is a Paradise Theater right for me?

• I would like to have a Private Theater in my home
• I want to experience the ‘suspension of disbelief’ when enjoying my private theater
• I want my private theater to be engineered from the ground up to deliver a unique, special, powerful experience.
• I would like my private theater to be custom designed to meet my needs
• I would like my private theater to incorporate acoustic treatments that have been selected as a result of scientific acoustic analysis.
• I would like to have the seating positions in my private theater critically analyzed to ensure excellent viewing angles and sight lines.
• I would like for my private theater to be a special place where I might go to read a book, relax or hangout for friends and family.
• I would like for my private theater to deliver the maximum performance possible with the audio/visual equipment I choose
• I would like to reduce sound transmission from the private theater to the rest of my home.
• I would like to eliminate external noise from polluting my private theater experience.
• I want to do everything I can (within my budget) to have the best private theater possible.
• I value the expertise of various experts in their field such as an electrician, architect or interior designer and want the same level of specialized talent to design my private theater.

The projects we’re involved with represent the pinnacle of this private theater experience.  This cannot be achieved by simply building a room with speakers, projector, screen, curtains and theater seating that looks pretty.  It can only be achieved with a careful design and engineering process with explicit attention to detail from the planning stages to final room calibration.  Clearly home theater expectations are dependent on perspective.  If our client is unclear on what is possible (and why it is desirable), we may never have the opportunity to do our best work and they may never have the opportunity to experience something fantastic.

WILLING SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF

When we entered the market over 20 years ago this phrase was regularly referred to as the goal of a private theater.  Originally coined by poet and philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1817, the phrase has since been appropriated by Hollywood and is used to describe the phenomenon in which an audience, while watching a movie, is willing to accept it as reality.  Without a willing suspension of disbelief, the audience will not relate to the movie and its characters or connect emotionally with them.

This type of experience takes knowledge and skill to produce and is the result of a comprehensive design approach embracing both form and function.  If our clientele understands what type of experience is possible in their home theater and is helped to perceive that experience as a highly valued result, then we will have the opportunity to make that vision a reality.

COMMUNICATING THE EXPERIENCE

First we must establish exactly what we want our clientele to perceive.  Simply put, we must establish the idea that home theater means delivering an experience that is well worth pursuing and that, if executed properly, will bring great value and enjoyment to the client, their family and friends.  Here are just some of the attributes our clients seem to enjoy:

• A great listening experience for both music and movies
• A visually stimulating picture for movies, concerts and sports
• An environment that is compelling and draws family and friends together
• The best game environment they have ever experienced
• A special place, a retreat from everyday reality

Our design philosophy is more sophisticated than ‘form follows function’; we recognize that one doesn’t deliver a truly exceptional experience without the other.  A Paradise Theater design must embrace both form and function to truly deliver something sensational.  This engineered performance is only attainable with attention to every detail of the private theater; something Paradise Theater excels at.

Every Paradise Theater design is a unique endeavor undertaken to exceed the discerning needs of our clientele.  It is the distinctive nature of each design that gives every Paradise Theater owner a one-of-a-kind experience in their home.  The Paradise Theater experience is not realized by chance or happenstance.  It is achieved through our careful design process and attention to detail.

I have never really liked the term, “dedicated theater,” because it does not really project the image of an entertaining environment. I love the term ‘private theater’ as it gives more credence to the special experience such a room delivers.  Similarly, the term “dedicated theater” is often intended to infer the highest and best standard of home theater, but that’s not always the only purpose the room will provide!

If we take a look, historically, at commercial theaters we find that many of the great classic rooms have been re-purposed and survive because of mixed use. In fact, if we look into it, the best surviving classic theaters have been re-purposed for live performances followed by live theater. Why? Simply put, theaters that were designed and built well enough can support these activities, too. The distinguishing characteristics of these rooms are good acoustics, good seating positions and sight lines, and good architecture and design.
A home theater can be assembled using available products that may, on the surface, appear to meet all of the proper requirements. There may be acoustical panels, a stylistic theme, and a big screen and high-powered surround electronics. The room also may be dedicated to the purpose of viewing movies. However, without careful engineering, design, and execution the room may fall far short of the promise.

A recent project was the epitome of a mixed-use room that more than holds its own with any ‘dedicated’ theater project.

The client wanted a first-rate home theater but had additional purposes, such as use as a video editing studio, that had to be considered. This request meant that the theater room had to be engineered at the highest level for quality isolated electrical and very low noise.

The editing suite requirements also meant that, ergonomically, the seating positions for casual viewing and entertaining and a primary row of motorized theater seating had to be integrated with a workstation.  The workstation required a number of large LCD monitors, built-in and outboard video equipment, a work surface and Eames task seating on a raised deck.  The logistics of placing the projector (in an isolated enclosure) within the vertical offset limits and clearing all the activity in the editing area required careful engineering and design documentation.  Design team members for this integration included pro editing consultants, the architect, a millwork contractor, the general contractor, a systems integration contractor and of course a theater designer.

Many of the standards for the video editing equipment had to be verified for compatibility with the reference home theater equipment used on this project.  There was considerable communication between the design team members to assure this compatibility.  Many standards that are taken for granted by one discipline are unheard of to others.  Additional integration issues included patch bays and isolated power for outboard equipment, additional control interfaces and specific lighting scenes for workstation use and a workstation accessible rack.

There were many challenges on this project and additional coordination was essential to deliver the type of results the client was looking for.  If any of these considerations were overlooked it as likely the client would be disappointed.  Due to the diligence by all members of the design team this private theater satisfies on all levels.  It’s now a great place to watch movies with family and friends, a beautiful room that draws guests in when entertaining, acoustically accurate for music and movies, and finally a professional grade video editing facility.

The next time an opportunity arises to share the excitement of a private theater with a prospective client, don’t miss the opportunity to find out how else they might use that room.  Do they have musicians in the family?  Do they listen to concerts and live performances?  Are interactive games of interest?  Do they give presentations to small groups?  This list can go on.

A private theater designed to perform optimally for these and other mixed uses will continue to please many diverse users for years to come.

THE FUNDAMENTALS

Successful collaboration starts with a clear demarcation of scope. This can be a delicate subject, because many professionals have strong egos. We have found it best to engage very early in the process and educate our colleagues on specific concerns. Professionals who are secure in their capabilities are more likely to cooperate when informed of our purpose.  As an example, the architect on a recent project had provided a ‘footprint’ for the theater that called out a niche for equipment storage with a double door entry and less than ideal location.  Additionally, the original drawings called for poured concrete seating platforms.  We spoke with the architect and presented our case for remote, air-conditioned equipment storage, a single acoustically rated door at a more optimum location and our reasoning for a framed seating platform with decoupled construction.  Once the reasons for our suggestions were understood, the architect became a willing and vital partner in the design process, ultimately offering suggestions of his own which resulted in an award-winning theater.

ACHIEVING COMPROMISE

Demarcation of scope is not always black and white.  It is not accurate to say that the theater designer provides all the functional engineering and the interior designer provides all the decor.  In some cases, functional preferences of a theater designer may not fit well with the aesthetic goals.  For instance the requirement of acoustical substrate generally indicates fabric on most, if not all, wall surfaces.

The interior designer may have a different vision for the room.  The fact  that the interior designer generally has a good grasp of the client’s decor preferences.  We recently worked with the design team on a project to substitute engineered acoustical millwork surfaces combined with fabric sections. which resulted in a non-compromising compromise. Both objectives of the design team were met.

Fabric, too, can be confusing.  Typical acoustical fabric selections disappoint the interior designer and typical decorator fabrics will not function acoustically.  If either member of the team is inflexible, an impasse may result in both the performance and the client suffering.  If both design team members are willing to bend and work together, the collaborative outcome can be better than any one team member working alone.

KEEPING THE CLIENT IN MIND

It is our collective responsibility to work effectively as a team to exceed our client’s expectations  and deliver excellence.  This does not mean we should lay our professional knowledge aside. If our client is asking for something that cannot work, or is not aware of the negative impact of a suggestion they may have, we must be willing to advise them accordingly.

One example that happens somewhat frequently is a client eschewing the construction of a quiet room using sound isolation techniques stating something like, “It’s just the two of us and we always watch movies together”, or “It won’t bother me if I can hear the plumbing or air conditioning in my theater, I can hear it in other parts of the house”.  As professional experts we must educate our clients that their private theater will be a special room, unlike any other in the house. If the client misses the subtle details the director has interwoven into the film or cannot use the theater to avoid waking their spouse from a peaceful sleep, then we must take the blame for not advising our clients appropriately and earning our professional fee.

Industry Partner Outreach

One of the challenges we find is the ambiguous nature of the term ‘Home Theater’.  The projects we’re involved with represent the pinnacle of the private theater experience.  This cannot be achieved by simply building a room with speakers, projector, screen, curtains and theater seating that looks pretty.  It can only be achieved with a careful design and engineering process with explicit attention to detail from the planning stages to final room calibration.  Effective collaboration with our industry partners makes these types of rooms possible.

Course Details

Architects, Designers, Builders and electronic system integrators (among other specialty trades) have attended these educational workshops around the US and the feedback has been very positive.  The 2 hour course is approved for 2 hours of continuing education credit from both AIA and ASID.  For more information about this education opportunity please Contact Us.

Private theaters boasting stunning interiors and exceptional performance can be realized with planning, cooperation, and collaboration. Unfortunately this does not always come easily or naturally.

Often various members of a theater project may have different and opposing objectives. The theater designer may be focused on the acoustical environment, the integrator most concerned with the equipment, the interior designer has a style and finish palate in mind, and the clients may even have differing opinions. At some point these disparate objectives must become aligned.

Private theater projects come about in many ways and team members get involved at different stages. Many times a theater project is initiated by an interior design professional. This makes a lot of sense, because interior designers are involved in creating a living environment that enhances the client’s lifestyle.

Protecting the Interior Designer Relationship

Interior designers are an important ally to system integrators and can be a significant source of business. There are, however, some scenarios that can turn an ideal relationship contentious.  I recall a particular instance where an interior designer contacted us saying that she “finally had a project where our expertise was needed.” When we met at the site, we were surprised to find a finished room featuring a front wall with niches for speakers and screen (all in the wrong sizes and locations), a domed ceiling (acoustically undesirable if done incorrectly), and a concave rear wall (acoustically undesirable if done incorrectly).  Fortunately, the client and the designer permitted us to make the necessary modifications, and the project came out very well.

Unfortunately, many similar scenarios do not end well. Let’s examine a couple of such risky scenarios and how they were resolved.

Risky project scenario #1  The theater design is well underway and is heavily oriented to decor. This type of project embodies two likely points of contention. Either the interior designer has already performed a significant amount of work, or the design will need to be modified to deliver high performance audio and video.

If the interior designer has already developed the design that means their valuable time has been invested.  If the interior designer is billing hourly, which is typical for many professional design firms, the client will also have incurred some cost.  The interior designer may not have realized the impact of their design on the performance of the room.  Also, the interior designer will fear potentially negative impact to their creative work due to suggestions from other parties.  These reasons and others cause a natural tendency for the designer to be much less open to suggestions.

On a recent project the architectural firm’s in house designer had developed the theater design.  Seating positions, screen size, front wall detail, side wall details, millwork, lighting, everything short of the equipment list had been designed before we were hired to design the theater.  We were hired due to the project’s requirement for studio level acoustics and sound isolation.

We were instructed that the interior was designed to conform to the rest of the home and was not to be modified.  After completing acoustic and video modeling of the space, we learned the seats were improperly placed, the screen was an incorrect size and shape, the millwork details interfered with the placement of acoustical devices, the list went on.  We spoke with the designer confidentially, in a collaborative nature, describing the issues we had found.  We were very clear we had not raised these issues with others yet as we felt it best to work collaboratively on the project.  We then explained our confidence in being able to modify their concept in such a way to maintain the design integrity.  Furthermore, we assured the designer that we would present the modification for their review first.

This approach allowed the designer to work with us in a cooperative relationship.  Also, to their credit, they demonstrated good collaborative tendency.  The resulting theater performed on all levels, even winning an AIA award and the initial collaboration has resulted in an ongoing professional relationship.

Risky project scenario #2  The interior designer has created a theater concept featuring products that cannot allow for a high performance theater experience.  Additionally, the interior designer may have specified many products for the project, such as furnishings, fabrics, draperies, fixtures or art.  The designer has either sold or purchased the items and/or a significant portion of their revenue is based on the sale of the items.

In one such case, an interior designer and an integrator has reached an absolute impasse.  The room design featured custom hand-painted murals.  These murals were placed in exactly the wrong locations, making them acoustically incorrect, visually distracting and light reflective.  The integrator recommended abandoning them but the designer, and consequently the client, had already purchased them.  Both parties dug in their heels.  Fortunately we were able to offer a compromise that served everyone’s interest.  The front wall was recessed to separate the screen from the mural, a 2.40:1 screen replaced the original (which helped focus light off the side wall) and the murals were acoustically perforated to enable the broadband acoustical devices installed behind them to perform as designed.

We were lucky to have successful results on the 2 projects described above, however we don’t want to rely on luck alone to be successful.  In order to maintain positive, collaborative relationships with our interior design colleagues we have implemented the following practices:

• Education: We regularly participate in industry outreach education to both ASID and AIA industry partners.  We have designed an outreach workshop, Home Theater Design Essentials for the Trade, which has been approved by both ASID and AIA for CEU credit.  Through this educational initiate we strive to offer critical information about private theater projects.

• Communication: When working on a private theater with an interior designer we make sure to ask questions about their design, their objectives for the project and really just try to open up the line of communication between our companies and work to keep them open throughout the project.  This helps us to understand or predict any potential conflicts and understanding can usually lead to resolution.  If ti is necessary to change a design, we spend the time to explain exactly and specifically why it must be changed so the designer can understand there is a good reason for the change.

• Collaboration:  We actively seek ways we can work together with our industry partners.  We seek the designer’s involvement in finish selections, working with them to select finishes that compliment the high performance nature of the room.  We often hold design concept review meetings with designers prior to a client presentation to solicit their feedback.

• Delivery:  We provide comprehensive engineering and documentation on our projects.  It’s not enough to say, “that won’t work” without backing it up with professional level solutions.  Detailed theater drawings, finish and lighting schedules, manufacturer specifications and installation data are all part of being a theater design professional.

• Support:  We find it helpful to discuss solutions with the designers and make ourselves available to answer questions and have an open dialogue.  By helping the designer to integrate their design objectives with our solutions and modifying our solutions (when necessary and possible) we’re working in the best possible interest of the client to deliver the best result overall.

A private theater should be a pleasurable experience from its inception to fulfillment.  A design team working harmoniously to realize a client’s private theater dream is a fusion of talents and a recipe for success!

For a private theater to deliver a truly sensational experience, both form and function must be embraced in its design.  Much has been said about the “home theater experience,” and many profess the ability to deliver it. A manufacturer will claim that their product is the answer, while an engineer will point to his ability to provide performance, and a designer will emphasize the importance of the décor.  Though systems and engineering are key components and cannot be dismissed, without equal attention to form we cannot have an unparalleled private theater experience.

WHAT MAKES A GREAT-LOOKING THEATER?

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then designing a beautiful home theater is truly a subjective goal. That is why we must discover and reveal the objective of our client’s imagination by asking “engaging” questions and then listening closely to their answers.

The successful home theater designer will not compromise the performance of the room to achieve better aesthetics. This is where creativity and imagination may be challenged. For example, in a typical room, a wall might be adorned with art. In the theater application, however, the wall may require specific acoustical treatment and non-light reflective surfaces. Aesthetically, it would be unacceptable to leave the space blank, but the art often detracts from the performance. A creative theater designer can truly excel in such situations by modifying the art or creating an architectural acoustic detail that adds interest and performs the function.

UNDERSTANDING THE INTERIOR DESIGN

The interior design process involves several steps including concept creation, review, revision, development and documentation.  Concept creation begins with the discovery process.  We find the theater interior has taken some form even during our functional design process if we have done a good job of gleaning information from our client.  Once the functional design is developed, then we design the decorative shell that will be seen

Presentation of the concept allows our client to review our design ideas and provide feedback.  As a private theater designer, we must embrace our client’s feedback and be open to suggestions.   It’s better to modify ideas on paper or the computer than with wood and plaster!

THE REAL WORK BEGINS

Although it may seem like the design is finished, the work has just begun.  It is at this point that the development of the design is undertaken.

A professional theater designer will work out the details in every application, from millwork, to equipment mounting, to fabric attachment, lighting and more.  There are many areas which could be problems unless the designer knows how it is all going to work together.  The designer will lean on many subcontractors and suppliers for information, but manufacturer information needs to be integrated into the design to ensure successful implementation.

Historically some designers have placed the details in the hands of the suppliers to work out the details.  We have found it prudent to supply an interior plan, reflected ceiling plan, all wall elevations, sections and details for all interior construction and applications so that no detail is left to chance.

A great private theater is no accident. Theater designers cannot merely show up with the latest top of the line equipment, hang it in the proffered space, and knock out extraordinary results.

In a previous post, I compared the room itself to the chassis of a high-performance machine— purpose engineered for specified results and able to sustain the power and performance that we plan to equip it with. Because we have carefully engineered that chassis, we must follow through with specification, design, and engineering of the engine that will drive it.

The private theater’s engine represents a system of many parts that combine to deliver the final experience. These parts are broken up into a few subsystems, including the video system, the audio system, control, power, and storage. The specification of each subsystem is, in turn, subject to parameters that include, room size, room configuration, performance expectations, and budget. Additional parameters that the private theater designer must also consider are compatibility, reliability, product knowledge, experience, availability, and support. Finally, each subsystem and the entire theater engine require engineering and documentation to properly deliver a quality result.

THE PARAMETERS

A common mistake is the result of selecting equipment before the parameters are understood.  A typical scenario is one in which the client is pushing for a price quote before the system integrator has had the opportunity to properly discover the parameters and engineer the chassis.  In some cases, an integrator may not yet clearly understand the client’s expectations and true budgetary constraints.  The resulting equipment specification is likely to miss the mark on several parameters and could set the stage for unsatisfactory results going forward.  Many times the system engineering will identify flaws in the original (hasty) product specification that was created prior to engineering and supplied to the client to satisfy their desire for a price quote.

The preferred process for private theater system (engine) design is this:

• Initial client interview
• System intent and design agreement
• Client discovery
• Theater design intent, scope of work and design agreement
• Functional room design (See Process Steps 1-3)
• System specification and price estimate
• System engineering and documentation
• Theater interior design integration (See Process Steps 4-6)

The process of creating a system intent or scope of work upfront establishes a clear and open communication between the client and the system integrator and helps minimize miscommunications as the project progresses.  Starting with system intent ensures the integrator is engineering the proper system to meet the client’s expectations.  The next step is the functional room design, which provides the necessary information to properly specify the products making up the private theater ‘engine’.

 SPECIFYING PRODUCTS

CEDIA’S “Recommended Practices for Home Cinema Design” offers performance specification requirements for speakers, processors, amplifiers, cabling, projection, screen and other technical components.  Following these recommendations will ensure, for instance, that speakers are adequately powered for the designated space, projectors are up to the task of driving the screen size that has been properly designed for the space, etc…

Producing great results is not just about following a list of specs.  This is where those additional parameters and experience come in.  One example is Compatibility.  A component must be compatible with the application and the other equipment in the system.  Compatibility covers a lot of ground, including impedance, connectivity, control protocol, power handling, light output and aspect ratio to name a few.  Reliability, product knowledge and experience work hand in hand.  The only way that a designer can know if a product is reliable is through product knowledge and product knowledge is only available through product experience.

ENGINEERING AND DOCUMENTATION

Proper engineering and system documentation is much more than providing a list of components and manufacturer cut sheets.  The system designer should employ their knowledge, tools and effort to provide detailed system documentation as they complete the system engineering.

Private theater designers and integrators who professionally design and engineer theater systems to their client’s stated and understood expectations will produce fantastic theater rooms that deliver an amazing experience.  Instead of an accident waiting to happen, these properly engineered rooms will prompt proud owners to show off what’s under the hood.