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Topic: 70mm showing with 6 track SR, keep it alive

Ari Nordström
Master Film Handler

Posts: 283
From: Göteborg, Sweden
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 08-31-2000 07:58 AM

He had never experienced 70mm, that much was obvious, but I was only too happy to educate him in this matter.

The show went extremely well. I overheard severals wow's and words like "magnificent" and "overwhelming" when the management people left the auditorium. These people are going to talk about 70mm for the next few days, I can tell.

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Dick Vaughan
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1032
From: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 09-01-2000 02:43 AM

My god the thought of letting an usher run a 70mm print on any projector is enough to send me off in search of Guinness!
There are enough so called projectionists out there who are able to wreck a 70mm print without the assistance of front of house.

A few years ago the so called chief at a brand new multiplex in the north of England managed to destroy a 70mm copy of one of the Batman movies on the opening day by forgetting to change the pad rollers from 35 to 70. Lovely parallel lines of emulsion scratches all the way through.

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 09-01-2000 05:08 AM

So John, do you think we will ever get to see 70mm again on release prints? (Not only on re-issues).

I never thought I would have to be asking that particular question... how sad.

We still have a 70mm of Raiders Of The Lost Ark around here but she's pretty faded now. The 70mm of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is still in great shape and colour (lpp). Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade had only one 70mm screening here and that was the premiere. Following that the print left the country. Crazy.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 09-01-2000 06:04 AM

Anyone who really understands projection technology (hopefully all of us who participate in the Film Handlers Forum

) knows that "size DOES matter" when it comes to image quality on big screens. I hope we use every opportunity to show others the quality that 70 mm clearly offers. Maintain and upgrade (e.g., DTS reader) your 70 mm capability. Make sure your projectionists are competent in handling and showing 70 mm prints. If you are fortunate enough to get a print, treat it with TLC, and actively PROMOTE its presentation to get the audience it deserves. Never let up in requesting 70 mm print availability -- distributors are not going to spend the extra money for 70 mm prints unless theatres demand them and can show that they will be a "win-win" for both distributor and exhibitor.

Check out the many recent posts on the "Bring Back 70 mm!" thread on the rec.arts.movies.tech Newsgroup. If we can spread that enthusiasm for 70 mm to the "suits" (many of whom may not even understand what 70 mm is), "The Spendor of 70 mm" may live again in thousands of theatres.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-01-2000 09:11 AM

Dick Ushers running 70 sends you off for Guiness. I noticed you commented about Guiniess on 1570 so I will repeat there is never to much guiness.

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Dave Cutler
Master Film Handler

Posts: 277
From: Centennial, CO
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 09-01-2000 10:30 AM

I got a quote from a local dealer today about a 6-track 70mm mag head. It's almost $1300 for the head and the mounting bracket, is that a good price? I have no idea what a mag head should cost, so I thought I would ask.

Gordon, electromag only seems to make 16mm and 35mm mag heads. If I contact them do they also make 70mm heads?

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-01-2000 09:03 PM

Electromag I believe will oem anything
They used to make replacements for Ampex at one time
That is a pretty good price

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David Miller
Film Handler

Posts: 18
From: Kent, WA, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 09-05-2000 08:48 AM

Speaking of keeping 70mm alive we have started running mid-night shows at the Cinerama in Seattle. We are specifically asking for 70mm prints when we can, since seeing 70mm prints at the Cinerama brings out the crowds. Even if it is a bad movie.

Two weeks ago we ran a print of "Terminator 2" and did alright with it. The left channel of the Mag track was bad and required me to turn the amps off behind the screen. (Something you could only get away with at the Cinerama, there are so many speakers and such rich sound that it was barely noticable.) The print had a slight smell of vinegar, but the color was beautiful and it looked great on the 68 foot screen.

This was the first full lenght 70 print we have run on our Kinoton FP-75E. The change out of the projector parts took about five minutes, which is one of the coolest features of that machine. Everything ran beautiful....A nice steady picture, lots of light, and good sound out of the Mag head.

This coming weekend we are showing a 70 print of the original Alien. Anyone in the Seattle area should stop by. The Indiana Jones Trilogy, Ghostbusters, and the Abyss are on the horizon.

------------------
David Miller
millerdk@plu.edu
Projectionist, Seattle Cinerama

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 09-05-2000 10:51 AM

The Seattle Cinerama Theatre certainly is PROMOTING the advantages of 70 mm to get the audience it truly deserves. Good job!!!

I hope that the 70 mm prints you are able to get are all in "like new" condition. Any prints on Kodak film made after about 1982 should have minimal fading, so physical wear and magnetic track deterioration are the only likely issues with prints from the 80's and 90's. Unfortunately, magnetic striping (solvents/iron) can aggravate vinegar syndrome on cellulose triacetate prints that were not stored properly (cool, dry, and vented/with Molecular Sieves).

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 09-05-2000 12:41 PM

F.Y.I. You will not be pleased with the one print of Alien available. It is badly faded and loaded with splices. Also, there are no remaining 70mm prints of The Abyss at the depot. Ghostbusters looks like an 8mm blow up. Raiders is faded with tons of splices and will need serious hf correction on the audio. I do not believe there is a print of "Temple of Doom" left in 70mm.

Old beaten up and faded 70mm prints tend to give the audience the wrong idea about 70mm is you ask me. It's ashamed, but the studios never seemed to care about their 70mm prints.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-05-2000 06:31 PM

For the Raider prints contact Paramounts Toronto's office there is one 70mm print of each stored in Toronto
Colours fadeing but last time we ran it they were okay

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 09-06-2000 01:58 AM

You're gonna pay amounts you've never imagined in your worst nightmare if you have to have that print shipped in from Canada.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-06-2000 07:14 AM

It isn't that expensive we ship in from the US all the time usually we use Emmery Forwarding or Air Cargo

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 09-06-2000 07:23 AM

Does anyone know how customs duty is assessed in shipping prints between the USA and Canada, and vice-versa? How has the North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA) affected this? Obviously, many prints come to the USA from Deluxe Toronto and Covitec Montreal, and the Hollywood labs ship prints to Canada.

I would assume if you tell Paramount there is a good 70mm print in Toronto, it would be up to them to arrange to get the print to Seattle, and then back to Toronto.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-06-2000 07:06 PM

The theatre is responible for all shipping costs. Your broker is usually more expensive than the shipping costs are
There is no duty on a 70mm prints returning to the US (since there is no canadian lab printing 70mm ((the home of IMAX no LESS(((shame on them)))))
There is duty when the print comes back to Canada afterwards and if we wont it at Ont.Place later and get told it didn't come back from the US due to import problems we will just have to get Arnold S. (aka John P in superhereo costume) to deal with the offending theatre appropriately

We have experienced this problem many times as until recently 70mm prints are well cared for as very few theatres could run them and many of those that could had "real projectionists".

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