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Author Topic: Will green band-cutting be allowed to continue? Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 01-16-2003 08:38 PM                    Or a representative of Film-Tech visits the theatre when a print is being built and personally splices in a test/demo snipe of medium density containing all the appropriate framing telltales and explanations and also This section of film was perfectly clean and free of scratches when this feature began its run. If it doesn't appear that way now it's because the theatre doesn't handle film well.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-17-2003 12:18 AM                        And just cause I am in a testy mood, I'll add this: Our policy is to NEVER run the feature rating before the film if some studio is crass enough to stick it on the head of R1. That's just as ridiculous as a string of preview ratings. My audience is advised of the rating of the film long before they get into the theatre. It's on the marquee, it's on the 1-sheets in the lobby before they ever plunk down their money at the box office and it is in the box office title board in the window. What good does it do them after they have paid their money and they are sitting in the theatre? Do they get up and run out in terror? Reality check in the real world -- of course not. All a rating tag before the feature does is ruin my opening protocol -- house lights, curtain warmers, curtain, feature. That's why the Great Lawgiver gave us Neumade splicers. Frank  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 01-17-2003 08:07 AM                    That came up a couple of times last year and I think it was supposed to show that the studio was being dilligent about warning people (as though people would get up at leave at that point). As it is my job to present the film (to critics, typically) exactly how the studio wishes it would not have been appropriate to skip over it. My solution to retain a semblance of showmanship was to run the rating on the closed screen curtain and then open on the distributor's logo as I normally do to best dramatic effect.  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 01-17-2003 08:27 AM                    I like the single green band in the beginning of the trailer pack idea. Additional green bands is redundant and distracting to the audience. But, our policy is to cut them all off. The only time we leave any amount of green on is when the sound starts in the green. In that case we leave about a 1 second, or the amount needed to keep the sound intact - which ever is longer.  |  IP: Logged Don Bruechert Mmmmmmmmm, bird! Posts: 340 From: Manitowoc, WI, USA Registered: Jan 2003 posted 01-17-2003 09:14 AM                        I do remember a situation at our theatre though, many moons ago when "Spaceballs" came out, that it was mistakenly advertised by the theatre as a PG-13 movie. I went to the opening night of it and there was one point in the movie when a bunch of people got up and dragged their kids out, and then after that, when they went to shut off the self-destruct at the end and there was an out of order sign in there, the "F" word had all of the rest of the parents heading for the doors. I thought it was quite funny actually (as a customer) but the correction was published in the paper the next day and all the rating info on the signs was changed.... I don't remember if there was a green band before that film or not, but if there was none of those parents ever looked at it!  |  IP: Logged Alex Grasic Film Handler Posts: 90 From: Toronto, ON, Canada Registered: Jul 2002 posted 01-17-2003 11:59 AM                     We just received one trailer yesterday for "The Hours" which had a green ratings band on it and the sound track had begun about half way into the ratings band. I had to cut it off but unfortunately, did not have the opportunity to hear what it sounds like on screen yet. Personally, I see the odd trailer with the green band attached on trailers up here but if they're going to do that, they really shouldn't start the soundtrack in the green.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 01-17-2003 01:40 PM                    Mark wrote: I like the single green band in the beginning of the trailer pack idea. Will all the trailers following this single green band be of the same rating indicated upon it or would you group them by rating and then have a single green band ahead of each grouping? Alex wrote: they really shouldn't start the soundtrack in the green. Well, I can see where that is a problem if you are required by law to remove them. But frankly if that is the case that is a stupid law. The info contained on the band--this trailer approved for general audiences and the film advertised has been rated whatever by CARA/MPAA-- represents factual information and as a matter of free speech it should not be illegal to display them. CARA did give them these ratings. Whether or not that is of interest in another country is another matter. Maybe yes, maybe no. But it shouldn't be illegal to display it. That aside, if the trailer makers want sound to start with the beginning of the trailer instead of waiting almost a second then there is going to be sound on the green band. I can understand why they don't want to have to wait a second. Consider this: Suppose there were no green band. Soundtrack pullup would mean sound would stick 20 frames out on the leader. This being a trailer we know that the leader is going to get cut so let's say they take this into account and put 20 frames of black on the start to have that track next to, 20 frames that are not part of the leader. The average platter operator is going to cut that off regardless. So looked at that way having an image there such as the green band acts as protection to keep that sound in the build. It's one way a trailer director can design a trailer with sound on the first frame. The other way is the brief flash of the studio logo.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 01-17-2003 02:26 PM                        At the January 15 Inter-Society meeting in Los Angeles, the MPAA representative agreed to explore the possibility of redesigning the rating band to have discrete (1.85:1 and 2.39:1) framing guides and a textured background pattern to aid focusing. Of course, these would help only if the feature rating band was shown just before the feature. One distributor noted that some directors prefer to have the rating band at the end of the movie, rather than before, and might object to this change. NATO noted that there is some legislative pressure to show the rating BEFORE the film, to inform the audience of the rating one last time before the film is actually screened.  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 01-17-2003 02:47 PM                    quote: Will all the trailers following this single green band be of the same rating indicated upon it or would you group them by rating and then have a single green band ahead of each grouping? It should be a standard "The following previews have been approved for all audiences" and leave it at that. If folks insist on rating info, then add the ubiquitous "For rating information visit www.filmratings.com" (or whatever the site is). That should be sufficient for what amounts to little more than a commercial. Rating info can easily be added to the trailer credits too.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 01-17-2003 05:59 PM                     I don't mind MPAA ratings on one-sheet posters, stack ads, TV commercials and the evil-green-band-of-death doesn't bother me at all on the trailers. To me, it is part of the "visual culture" of going to the movies. However, I certainly don't want the MPAA rating logo stuck right on the front of the movie ahead of the studio logo. That's going too far. That kind of thing has already been happening on a number of DVD releases. It is on "The Untouchables" DVD for instance. There's a big Rated R logo in white on a black screen on the front of that thing. Hey, I know Robert DeNiro crushes some fat guy's head with a Louisville Slugger while extolling the virtues of "teamwork." I don't need to be reminded this is not a movie for kiddies. The "R" logo is already on the box and on the disc (but not in the proper "R" rated font).  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 01-17-2003 06:33 PM                     I think everyone here knows I am a huge fan of the green bands. When I go to a theater that shows them it gives me advance notice of whether the projectionists/managers are projection idiots or not, so I can prepare myself for the experience I am about to enjoy/hate. Three things... #1 Is it in frame? Green bands are a great way to help the less-than-adequate projectionist verify the framing is proper. While this isn't much of an issue with scope films, is there ANYONE out there anymore that can properly frame a flat film??? If the MPAA would send out green bands that were hard matted to 1.66 with CLEAR frame lines that had in small lettering "go complain to the manager as your projectionist is not doing his job properly", that would solve most of these framing issues. #2 Is it clean? If I see dirt and scratches, at least a good 10 minutes before the movie starts I can prepare myself knowing that the theater I am at has sloppy film handlers. I can overlook dirt and marks to a certain point if I have the mindset for it. If the damage is too great, then I can leave before the movie even starts. #3 Green bands help me feel like I am not watching tv. I really hate the panic speed pace of television commercials, and chopping off green bands brings that feeling to the big screen. Now the problem is those green bands that look like crap. Universal used to be the worst offenders here on their scope bands where the right side and corners would be dark, giving the illusion the lamp source was not properly aligned. Occasionally I see slight misframing errors on the green bands too. The biggest thing I am learning to hate is these new green bands that tell you why a movie is rated for what it was. I could really do without the green bands tagged like this: THE FOLLOWING PREVIEW HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR ALL AUDIENCES BY THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA" ...followed by... "This movie has been rated PG for sexuality, bad language, violence, cow tipping, homosexual rape, tea bagging, beastiality, depicted animal cruelty, child pornography and Lance Bass." (Seriously, I do wish the MPAA would make one master clean band and give them to the studios free of charge. But PLEASE leave out the descriptive crap at the bottom!)  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-17-2003 07:24 PM                     Steve it is not stupid to require there removal since they are often in conflict with the rateing applied in different countries. Leaving them in causes much confucion  |  IP: Logged Daniel Burns Film Handler Posts: 52 From: dallas, TX, USA Registered: Jan 2003 posted 01-18-2003 04:42 AM                     At my theatre I personally cut off the green band along with the last cue going through before the blue rating goes through at the end of the credits  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 01-18-2003 01:23 PM                    Then how do you deal with trailers that have sound starting on the first frame of picture (and printed 20 frames out on the green band)? Cut that off too? Tsk tsk... Film Done Wrong. I do NOT want to see the feature rating moved up to the head (as was sometimes the case years ago and has been done a few times recently). It is utterly ridiculous to think someone is going to get up and leave at that point. More emphasis needs to be placed on the fact that ratings are for parents--the ratings board consists only of parents, no? -- and deemphasize them for everyone else. This is why they're under pressure to create an "A" rating for serious adult movies. When you remind people that it is a service for parents then the current policy makes more sense. With an NC-17 they are essentially saying that they don't care whether the film in question is a serious film or pornography; all they're saying is that the film is not for children and as they are a service for parents there is no need to differentiate any further. But framing marks on the green band of trailers would be great.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 01-18-2003 01:30 PM                     quote: At the January 15 Inter-Society meeting in Los Angeles, the MPAA representative agreed to explore the possibility of redesigning the rating band to have discrete (1.85:1 and 2.39:1) framing guides and a textured background pattern to aid focusing. Of course, these would help only if the feature rating band was shown just before the feature. I don't see how this would aid in framing and focusing, since most multiplex booth operators don't hang around until the feature starts. Most leave the machine before the first trailer is done. And since these are the operators that probably DO need the aid, it would be pointless. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged

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