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Academy Museum: the Geffen Theatre

 6067 Wilshire Blvd.  Los Angeles, CA 90036  | map |

The Museum pages: history + exterior views | lobby areas | geffen theatre | mann theatre
 
The News: 8 perf VistaVision at at the the Geffen in an August 20 to 31 "Presented in VistaVision" festival with six films using horizontal 35mm prints. They are using an 8 perf Ballantyne machine from the Academy's collection. Sound will be DTS for "One Battle After Another" and the other five films will be synced to ProTools tracks via a shaft encoder in the projector. The transport system will be one of Brad Miller's Film-Tech platters that are a rebuilt and souped-up version of a Christie Autowind 3.  
 
 

The equipment was discussed at length in "Why are filmmakers returning to VistaVision? The Academy Museum lets you see for yourself," an August 20 L.A. Times article by Mark Olsen. Thanks to Paul Rayton for spotting it and collating the different photo sets in the print edition of the story vs. the online version. In this photo taken by Robert Gauthier for the Times the Geffen's head operator Bradley Morris is behind the machine. Colin Brant of the Academy's staff was the engineer for the project. See more images from the story at the bottom of the page. 
 

 
The Ballantyne machine in the Geffen booth running a test loop during the process of filing a 1.50 to 1 aperture plate for "One Battle After Another." Thanks to Isaac Sherman for sharing still shots plus two short video clips in an August 4 Instagram post. Thanks to Jonathan Raines for spotting it. See more images from the post at the bottom of the page.  
 
To be shown via 8 perf prints: "Gunfight at OK Corral" (1957) plays Friday, August 21 at 7:30pm | "The Ten Commandments" (1956) plays Saturday, August 22 at Noon | "White Christmas" (1954) plays Sunday, August 23 at 7:30pm | "Anything Goes" (1956) plays Monday, August 24 at 7:30 pm | "We're No Angels" (1955) plays Thursday, August 27 at 7:30 | "One Battle After Another" (2025) plays Sunday, August 30 at 7:30 pm | 
 
The only one of the vintage titles that originally played theatrically in 8 perf was "White Christmas." "Gunfight" and "Angels" ran at the 2025 TCM Festival using prints with no sountrack but synced to a track via ProTools, as will be done again at the Geffen. The "Angels" track was a three channel reproduction of the original Perspecta Sound. Sound formats aren't noted on the schedule. Many VistaVision films were originally released with three-channel Perspecta-encoded optical tracks. "One Battle After Another" played four theatres worldwide with 8 perf prints in 2025. For audio three of them used a DTS pickup head rigged to vintage Ballantyne projectors. The installation Boston Light and Sound did at the Coolidge Corners Cinema near Boston used the ProTools approach.      
  
In addition to the 8 perf prints, "The Searchers" (1956) will be run with a 70mm print on Thursday, August 20 at 7:30 and "North by Northwest" (1959) will be on 70 on Friday, August 28 at 7:30. 8 other titles, including some rarities, will be on DCPs. The Academy's website has more about the "Presented in VistaVision" series. Tickets range from $5 to $10. Thanks to Michael Coate and Paul Rayton for sharing news of the event. 
 
Opened: 2021
 
Architect: Renzo Piano 
 
 
 
A section view looking east that appears with an article about the project on the site Arquitectura Viva. A version of this drawing also appears on page 580 of the Taschen book "Piano. Complete Works 1966-Today." Click on the image for a larger view.  

Seating: 1,000

Location: It's a big sphere sticking out behind the main building.

Screen size: 33' x 66' is what had been publicized. The word relayed down from the booth via an usher one evening is that the full size is 38' x 68'. 

Projectors: Three Norelco AAII 35/70 machines. The booth is capable of handling nitrate prints on two of the three. 
 
Lamphouses: Strong Ultra 80. 
 
Digital projection: Two Christie / Dolby Vision laser projectors are located on the booth centerline. 

Sound: They can deal with mag, analog optical, Dolby Digital, DTS and Sony SDDS. It's a Dolby Atmos installation. 
 
 
 

Another rendering from the AV site. 
 
 

The west stairs from the lobby to level 1.5 and the bridge to the theatre. There's a similar set of stairs on the east side of the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2021 
 

 
Looking toward the bridge, located on the Geffen Theatre's centerline. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2021 
 
 
 
Heading across the bridge to the Geffen Theatre. In the upper left note a second bridge from floor 2. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2021 
 

 
Architect Renzo Piano on the bridge. It's a photo by Myung J. Chung that appears with Carolina A. Miranda's September 29, 2021 L.A. Times article "The architect behind the Academy Museum says his design is no 'Death Star.'" 
 



In the tunnel at the north end of the bridge. The gentlemen are looking back across toward the main building. From here you have to climb stairs to get to the auditorium's crossaisle level. The house right stairs are behind us, across the way is the path to house left. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2021 
 
 
The auditorium: 
 
 
A 2019 construction view. The photo from the Academy appeared with Claudia Puig's December 2019 Alta Online article "Los Angeles' New Movie Museum." 
 
 

A construction view toward the booth taken after the building had a roof. The photo is one appearing with an article in the Winter 2019 issue of the magazine Shotcrete. The article is available as a PDF.
 
 

From the bridge level it's a climb up two flights of stairs to get into the auditorium at crossaisle level. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2021



The top of the house right stairs coming up from the level of the bridge. It's a photo by Josh White / JW Pictures that appears on the David Geffen Theater page of the museum's website. 
 
 

The view back down the house right stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2021
 
 

A look across several rows below the crossaisle. The first sidewall walkway is at the level of the last row of seats. The second is at projection booth level. The third is for the lighting catwalks across the ceiling. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2021
 
 

Looking across the curtain. It's in seven sections with each rising vertically like a Roman drape. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2021
 
 

A view from above the stairs. It's a photo by Josh White / JW Pictures that appears on the David Geffen Theater page of the museum's website. 
 
 

An AMPAS photo from the lower sidewall walkway that appeared on a December 2020 post on the blog Average Socialite. 
 
 

Another look across the stage. With the curtain open, the Academy says it'll accommodate a 60 piece orchestra. The photo from the Academy by Richard Harbaugh appeared with a March 2021 article about the project in the magazine Sound and Communications.
 
 

Across the front of the booth. It's a photo by Josh White / JW Pictures that appears on the David Geffen Theater page of the museum's website.
 
 

Under the booth. It's a photo by Josh White / JW Pictures that appears on the David Geffen Theater page of the museum's website. 
 
 

Visitors at a February 2020 press preview. It's a photo by Michael Bruckner that appeared with Peter Bart's Deadline story "Academy Museum Unveils New Theater..."
 
 

At the sound console under the booth before the first screening in the theatre. Thanks to Mike Hume for his September 26, 2021 photo. It's one of 28 (plus a video clip) that he posted on Facebook. Visit Mike's Historic Theatre Photography site for thousands of great shots of the many theatres he's explored in the Los Angeles area and elsewhere. 

 

A February 2020 photo by Stephanie Breijo that appeared with TimeOut's story "The Academy Museum is opening soon: Here's what to expect floor-by-floor." 

 

A 2020 view taken by Mel Melcon for the L.A. Times that appears with "Renzo's Revenge: The new Academy Museum has landed -- and it's out of this world," Carolina A. Miranda's September 20, 2021 review of the building. Note the house mix position just below the crossaisle. 
 
 
 
Across the rear of the auditorium. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2021 
 
 

The house left walkway at the level of the last row of seats. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2021
 
 

The house starting to fill for opening night, September 26, 2021. Thanks to Mike Hume for his photo. It's one included in a big September 27 post on Facebook.  
 
 

A closer look to the stage. Photo: Bill Counter - September 26, 2021
 
 

The first show began curiously. The center section of the curtain rose so Jacqueline Stewart, the Museum's chief artistic and programming officer, could walk onstage. Photo: Bill Counter - September 26, 2021
 
 

Jacqueline onstage with Spike Lee and Denzel Washington before the theatre's first film, "Malcolm X" (1992). Angela Bassett later joined the trio. Among those in the audience who worked on the film were cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, production designer Wynn Thomas and costume designer Ruth E. Carter. The image on the screen is from the Museum's Spike Lee gallery, featuring items from his collection. Photo: Bill Counter - September 26, 2021 
 
 

Jacqueline Stewart in front of the American Youth Symphony introducing the "Wizard of Oz" program. The conductor was David Newman. Photo: Bill Counter - September 30, 2021
 


A view to the booth. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2021
 
 

A wider view to the rear, here with the house mix position filled in with seats. It's a 2021 photo by Josh White / JW Pictures that appears on the David Geffen Theater page of the museum's website.
 


An August 2026 look at the screen with nearly the full 66' width visible. This masking setting is what they use for 1.85 DCPs. Photo: Bill Counter 
 
 
Backstage:
 

The array of JBL subs behind the bottom of the screen. The photo from the Academy is one that appeared with a March 2021 article about the project in the magazine Sound and Communications. Among many other comments, they had this to say about the theatre's speakers: 
 
"The line-array system is composed of eight cabinets of JBL VTX A12 speakers per array for each of the five main L-Lc-C-Rc-R arrays behind the 66’x33′ projection screen, powered by various Crown I-Tech and DCi Series amplifiers. These main arrays are coupled with dozens of self-powered Meyer Sound HMS-15AC, 500-HP, JM-1P, UPQ-1P and UPM-1P speakers for the side and rear surround and the overhead arrays. 
 
"The JBL speakers are on a Harman BLU Link network, connected via AES to a Meyer Sound GALAXY 408 processor, as well as via Dante to the Dolby, DTS and SDDS film-sound processors that allow the theater to accommodate major film-sound formats. In addition, 10 custom JBL subwoofers are arrayed in a progressive, time-delayed configuration below the projection screen—each sub enclosure is on its own, dedicated driver—to fill the entire space with sufficient and properly time-aligned low-frequency energy to give every seat a consistent experience."
 
 

Masking motors and sheaves. Thanks to Rob Murphy for sharing this 2023 photo. It's one of eleven views of the Geffen and Mann he included in a Facebook post.
 
 

Masking controls and an electric brake. It's another photo by Rob Murphy. He's the director of "Splice Here: A Projected Odyssey," the 2022 documentary about the dying trade of film projection. Also see the Facebook page for the film. Thanks, Rob!
 

In the booth: 
 

One of three Norelco AAII/DP70 35/70 machines in the booth. Note the two Dolby Vision digital machines off to the left, on the booth centerline. Thanks to Thomas Hauerslev for including this photo with his article "DP70s in California" on In70mm.com, the site he curates. He notes:
 
"All projectors were torn down and rebuilt by Shawn Jones and his team at Audio Intervisual Design, Inc. of Los Angeles. New parts were made where needed. The machines were essentially new upon installation. Each one is equipped with a speed controlled DC motor, 35 and 70mm capabilities, Mag, SRD, DTS, LED and white light analogue sound reader, and 4 way adjustable bases.... The projectors came from a stockpile that the Academy maintained for parts and future needs."
 
It's a six-machine booth. From left to right:
 
#1 - Digital backup machine
 
#2 - Norelco DP70 #1932 - nitrate capable
 
#3 - Dolby Vision laser machine #1
 
-- booth centerline -- 
 
#4 - Dolby Vision laser machine #2
 
#5 - Norelco DP70 #2312 - nitrate capable
 
#6 - Norelco DP70 #1942 - from a theatre in Denver
 
A March 2021 article in the magazine Sound and Communications that detailed the building's sound and projection installations noted that Mark Holden of Jaffe Holden designed the systems for the two theatres and the installation was by Pro Sound and Video. 
 
 
 
Chief operator Spencer Christiano talks about running nitrate at the Geffen in a short May 2026 video clip on Facebook from the Academy Museum. Here he's threading a test loop. Note that they have their upper fire trap roller assembly painted red. The five images below are also from this clip. 
 


Hitting the screen to check aperture and alignment.  
 
 

 The loop on the screen.
 
 

Along the front wall with the digital machines in the foreground. 
 


Another look at the Norelco just to the right of the booth centerline. 
 
 

The Norelco on the left end of the booth with the digital backup machine beyond. 
 

 
The two Dolby Vision laser projectors, manufactured by Christie, in the center of the booth. On the far left of the image is a bit of one of the booth's three Norelco AAII machines. The photo from the Academy appeared with the 2021 article about the project in Sound and Communications.
 
 

The Atmos amp room. Thanks to Rob Murphy for sharing his 2023 photo.  

An audio systems equipment list from the March 2021 article about the project in Sound and Communications:
 
Crown DCi 2|300 2-channel, 300W @ 4Ω analog power amps (70V/100V)
Crown DCi 4|300N 4-channel, 300W @ 4Ω power amps w/BLU link (70V/100V / EN
54-16 compliant for life-safety applications)
Crown DCi 8|600N 8-channel, 600W @ 4Ω power amps w/BLU link (70V/100V)
Crown I-Tech 12000HD 2-channel, 4,500W @ 4Ω power amps
Crown I-Tech 9000HD 2-channel, 3,500W @ 4Ω power amps
JBL ASB6128 high-power subs (2×18″ 2242H SVG drivers)
JBL VTX A12 dual 12″ line-array speakers w/90° dispersion
Meyer Sound 500-HP compact high-power subs
Meyer Sound GALAXY 408 network platform
Meyer Sound HMS-15AC high-power cinema surround speakers
Meyer Sound JM-1P arrayable speakers
Meyer Sound UPM-1P compact, self-powered, sound-reinforcement speakers
Meyer Sound UPQ-1P self-powered wide-coverage speakers
Yamaha CL5 front-of-house audio mixers 
 
 
VistaVision at the Geffen in 2026:
 

Starting with an undersized aperture plate for the Ballantyne 8 perf horizontal projector. Thanks to Isaac Sherman for sharing the process of filing a 1.50 to 1 plate for a screening of Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" Isaac included many still shots plus two short video clips in an August 4 Instagram post. Thanks to Jonathan Raines for spotting the post. Jack Theakson comments that this projector model was called a Ballantyne VII and may have been the best machine Ballantyne ever made. Many were produced for Douglas Trunbull's firm Ridefilm. The one in the Geffen booth in 2026, VV107, dates from 1993 when it was purchased by Brad Ferren's company. 
 
 

The Warner Bros. test film on the Geffen's screen with the undersized plate. Image: Isaac Sherman - August 2026 
 
 

Filed out somewhat. The masking had been set earlier using the WB test film. Image: Isaac Sherman - August 2026 
 
 
  
Getting closer. Image: Isaac Sherman - August 2026 
 
 

The finished 1.5 aperture plate. Note the nice beveled edges. Other films in the series will require different apertures. "One Battle..." was unique as it used the entire available area. Release prints for other films had part of the area reserved for an optical sound track. Image: Isaac Sherman - August 2026 
 
 

Putting the plate in the machine. Image: Isaac Sherman - August 2026
 
In the fall of 1993 Associates and Ferren purchased three Ballantyne VistaVision projectors (105, 106, 107) for a prototype immersive project that had the machines running at 30fps. The lens mount of this machine, VV107, was later modified to take a 15mm lens for a different project. In 1994 Associates and Ferren and their projector inventory was absorbed into Disney with company head Bran Ferren becoming President of Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development. VV107 was later given by Disney to the Academy for their collection. Warner Bros. borrowed it in 2025 for use at the Vista Theatre, one of the four theatres worldwide running "One Battle After Another" in 8-perf.
 

  
The WB test film running. That's Isaac's hand on the left opening the douser on the Strong lamphouse. In  the upper right note the Christie Autowind 3, this particular one rebuilt and souped up by Brad Miller of Film-Tech. Image: Isaac Sherman - August 2026
 
 
 
Showing the test film. Image: Isaac Sherman - August 2026 
 
 

A porthole view of the test film. Note the little triangles around the edges indicating the edge of the frame. Image: Isaac Sherman - August 2026 
 
 

A 1.85 Ballantyne VistaVision aperture for another film in the series. Image: Isaac Sherman - August 2026 
 
 

A 1.75 aperture. Image: Isaac Sherman - August 2026 
 
 

Frames from the VistaVision print of "The Ten Commandments." This one never had a theatrical release in 8-perf. Image: Isaac Sherman - August 2026. Many thanks to Isaac for sharing his work in the August 4 Instagram post.   
 


Noelle, an operator at the Geffen, talks about screening "White Christmas" in a video clip shared by the Academy on TikTok on August 24. The film path is seen in this shot with the feed from the platter heading down to the machine in the center and the film exiting on the left. The platter is behind us at the far left end of the booth.   
 
 

Film going into the machine during a test run. It's a shot from a video clip on an August 24 Academy Museum Instagram post that features operators Brad, Spencer, and Noelle discussing which films in the format they were looking forward to. 
 
 

A look across from the platter toward the Ballantyne VistaVision machine with a Strong xenon lamphouse behind it. Just beyond is one of the booth's three Norelco DP70 35/70 machines. It's a photo taken by Robert Gauthier taken for the Times that appears with "Why are filmmakers returning to VistaVision? The Academy Museum lets you see for yourself," the August 20 L.A. Times article by Mark Olsen. Thanks to Paul Rayton for spotting it and collating the different photo sets in the print edition of the story vs. the online version. 
 
 

Threading the souped up Christie platter. Photo: Robert Gauthier for the Times 
 
 
  
A short test reel on the bottom platter, feeding to the projector via the rollers of the center cluster, aka "the brain." Photo: Robert Gauthier for the Times   
 
 

A look into the lens with only the threading lamp illuminating the frame. It's Yul Brenner in "The Ten Commandments." Photo: Robert Gauthier for the Times. Thanks to Paul Rayton for spotting the story!   
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