Lights, Camera, Air Conditioning
(Syracuse, N.Y., March 25, 2002) -- "And the Oscar for innovation and lifetime service goes to... Carrier!" Might we hear this during the Academy Award ceremonies this week? No, but we should, especially when you consider that if it weren't for Carrier, the motion picture industry would be very different from what it is today.
Hollywood is in its eighth decade as global headquarters to the entertainment industry. Many movies are filmed there every year. However, the arid climate can make things a bit difficult when filming under hot lights -- especially when the movie is set in summertime. But this problem was long ago corrected with the help of Carrier.
Though not in Hollywood at the time, Technicolor was one of the first in the industry to see the value of Carrier air conditioning in producing color motion pictures. As far back as 1925, a complete Carrier system was installed in Technicolor's Boston studio to control temperature, humidity and of course to prevent the distribution of dust.
In 1927, a Carrier system was installed at MGM Studios in Hollywood. Actors were kept cool and refreshed despite the intense heat of the powerful klieg lights. Carrier had a leading role in the development of "talkies" -- a relatively new advancement at the time. The Carrier system allowed directors to keep doors and windows closed, eliminating any "objectionable" noise.
Throughout the years, Carrier has contributed considerably to the motion picture industry by creating a cool environment for movie production. Most recently, Carrier was hired by DreamWorks SKG, the company formed by Steven Spielberg, Jeffery Katzenberg and David Geffen. In 1997, Carrier was selected to cool the first new structure being built for the company.
The 500,000 square foot animation studio in Glendale, Calif. was the first new studio to be built in Los Angeles in 75 years. The studio was developed to provide a comfortable, cost effective interior environment. Three Carrier chillers provide energy-efficient, environmentally responsible comfort to the studio. The chlorine-free equipment includes two 500-ton Evergreen chillers and a 200-ton screw chiller.
DreamWorks SKG's vision extended beyond creating a "virtual studio" with leading edge technology. In its entirety, DreamWorks will include a more than 1,000-acre master planned community with 5 million square feet of studio and office space, 600,000 square feet of retail space, 750 hotel rooms and more than 13,000 residential units, all linked with fiber optics and an internal computer network.
As Carrier partners with Hollywood mega-giants in the latest of movie technologies, it can borrow from its rich past as a Hollywood star. From past to present projects, Carrier is a star "Weathermaker" among Hollywood's leading men and ladies.
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