Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / July 8, 1993, edition 1 / Page 10
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Since the early 19405, Eastern Fed eral Corp., a privately owned theater company, has been one of the most respected names in the entertainment business in the South. Based in Charlotte and operated by the Meiselman family, the company started mod estly with the opening of a small, single-screen theater and has ex panded to include more than 115 screens throughout North Caro lina, South Carolina and 0 Florida. In addition, Eastern Federal has played a significant role in the devel opment and construction of several shopping centers, spurring growth in cities and suburban areas across the Southeast. Now in its second generation of ownership, the company has begun another era of expansion, adding in- stallations at the rate of about one theater every 12 to 18 months. Along with ensuring that its newest theaters are equipped with the latest, most advanced technology, Eastern Federal also has a firm commitment to upgrading and modernizing its older theaters both on the inside and the outside. One of its projects last year was the renovation of The Plaza The atres at Village Plaza in Chapel Hill. “We’re constantly trying to keep the theaters as updated and as attrac tive as we can,” said Cecil Allen, a vice president of Eastern Federal. “In addition, there are a lot of things that High-tech theater ec|uipment Movies at Timberlyne has been equipped with state-of-the-art tech nology and contemporary surround ings to provide viewers with the most complete and intensive way to watch films. Every effort has been made to enrich the movie experience through sound, sight and atmosphere. “At each new theater, we try to put in the thing of the moment,” said Cecil Allen, a vice president of Eastern Fed eral Corp. One of the advanced methods that will be featured at Movies at Timberlyne is digital sound, the latest development in theater technology. The theater will be the only one in Chapel Hill or Durham to utilize this new technique, which will augment previously used techniques of Dolby Stereo, Smart Stereo and Surround Stereo. “The digital sound will sharpen and crisp up every sound,” Allen said. “Then you have the surround A speakers which put you in the /v\ middle of the sound in ste reo> enhances the entire [astern federal Theatres History go on backstage that nobody ever sees, with improved projection and sound equipment.” As the most recently built theater, Movies at Timberlyne is the most impressive loca tion yet, and Eastern Fed eral is pleased and excited to announce its opening. Allen said the company had seen a genuine need for another theater and more movie screens in the Chapel Hill area. “In many cases there are good, solid films that open and play in places like New York and Chicago that never reach Chapel Hill. There’s not room for them,” he said. “We can broaden, and there’s enough mainstream product to do it.” With a wide range of audiences to cater to, Eastern Federal will offer qual ity commercial movies that will appeal to all kinds of movie aficionados. From Walt Disney classics to action films to hip comedies, the company anticipates that Movies at Timberlyne will deliver a variety of films. “We’ve got a lot of specialty houses that specialize in the art film or the offbeat,” Allen said. “We will try to show some of the best mainstream films.” Eastern Federal hopes that the open ing of the new theater will generate an movie experience.” Movies at Timberlyne also uses Strong projectors, the same equipment endorsed and used by leaders in the theater industry. Another feature that has been added to magnify and improve the quality of the film picture is the movie screen itself. “We have the widest screen possible, which actually goes from one edge of the wall all the way to the other edge of the wall,” said Carl Johnson, manager of Movies at Timberlyne. “It’s a silver high-gain screen which allows better depth, focus and color temperature, so you have the best pic ture you possibly can, instead of crop ping your screen down. It’s huge.” A surplus benefit of this type of screen is that it gives audience members a flawless image from any area of the theater, from the front row, center to the back row, aisle seats. With high-gain screens, the days of being restricted to sitting in a certain area to get the best picture are over, Allen said. “With these, technically, you should get the same reproduction of the ardent interest in movies. Carl Johnson, manager of Movies at Timberlyne and former manager of The Plaza The atres, said he was thrilled to be able to show films as soon as they have been released. “‘Aladdin’ didn’t make it to Chapel Hill until two months after it was re leased,” he said. “With the opening of Timberlyne, people won’t have to drive out of town to find the movie they want to see. It will create more awareness of movies in the area.” Besides offering more films, the open ing of Movies at Timberlyne will bring more than 30 jobs to Chapel Hill in the areas of concessions, ushering, man agement and janitorial services. East- FEDERAL IHEAIRES The company also is known for its good relations with other members of the industry. Although all theaters must compete for business, Allen said it was an amicable rivalry. “It’s a friendly competitiveness, and that’s the way it should be,” he said. “Anytime there’s something new it at tracts attention and increases everybody’s business.” Allen said he was delighted that East ern Federal had the opportunity to bring Movies at Timberlyne to Chapel Hill. “We hope a lot of people come out to see what we look like and act like and what we’re all about.” film from any angle in the theater.” One engaging aspect of the theater is the interior motif, which is carried from the lobby into the auditorium. The col ors are custom-designed, with red cur tains lining each movie house to bring back the feeling of old-style cinemas. The theater offers plenty of spacious, ebony seating with a generous amount of leg room. “We tried to maintain the special theater feeling, but we also tried to make it as contemporary as we could,” Allen said. The most spectacular display of all, however, may be on the walls of Movies at Timberlyne. Eastern Federal com missioned local artist Kasey Jones to design and paint a mural that covers four walls in the lobby. The artwork depicts some University and city build ings, several sports figures and a few theatrical figures. “We went through a lot of prelimi nary drawings .... When you do some thing like that, you want to choose last ing images,” Allen said. “We wanted it to be a special surprise.” Visit these Eastern Federal Corporation theaters: Charlotte, N.C. Delta 6 Park 51 Movies at Sardis Regency 4 Manor Movies at The Lake Winston-Salem, N.C. North Point 5 Chapel Hill, N.C. Plaza Movies at Timberlyne Lumberton, N.C. Town & Country 4 Columbia, S.C. Movies at Polo Panama City, FL Regency 6 Jacksonville, FL Royal Palm Cedar Hills Orlando, FL Northgate 4 Conway 2 Orange Blossom 2 Gainesville, FL Royal Park Cinema 4 Ft. Myers, FL South Pointe Ft. Walton, FL Sun Plaza 4 Port Orange, FL Port Orange 6 Port St. Lucie, FL Village Green 6 Tallahassee, FL Miracle 5 Oak Lake 6 ern Federal has a reputation for treat ing its employees as one of its most im portant assets. “It’s a very good company to work for,” Johnson said. Although its current technology and design makes Movies at Timberlyne the premiere place in the area to watch recently released films, Eastern Fed eral will continue working to maintain its high standards as the industry changes and develops, Allen said. “Competitively, you’ve got to keep up with everything. It’s a constant, ongoing process.” This souvenir program was produced by The Dally Tar Heel for Eastern Federal Theatres. Owner & Operator: Eastern Federal Corporation General Contractor: Bennlng Construction Ground Breaking: April 1993 The Dally Tar Heel General Manager: Kevin Schwartr Advertising Director: Bob Bates Avertising Manager. Jeff Kilman Advertising Account Executive: Tiffany Krueger Production Managers: Bill Leslie and Stacy Wynn Contributing Writer: Kim Costello
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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July 8, 1993, edition 1
10
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