Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Where's the quality?

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Topic: Where's the quality?

John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 12-31-2001 01:31 PM

... "why would they ever shell out millions for digital projectors?"

My understanding is companies like Technicolor will help theaters pay for digital projectors because they will then place "pre-feature" advertising on screen. Technicolor will sell that advertising time, and that's where their revenue will come from.

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Greg Mueller
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1687
From: Port Gamble, WA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-31-2001 01:49 PM

While watching American Movie Classics recently, I realized that I had just seen a commercial in the middle of a movie. I never thought I would see this come about. Not only do you have to pay to get that channel (admission) but you have watch commercials that interrupt the movie. I would be willing to bet that if the theater loses control over their programing to the extent that someone else is figuring out what trailers and advertisements are at the beginning, it will not be long before that beautiful digital picture is interrupted by, guess what.

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Greg Mueller
Amateur Astronomer, Machinist, Filmnut
http://www.muellersatomics.com/

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Randy Loy
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 156

Registered: Aug 1999

posted 12-31-2001 02:02 PM

Greg, I'm also annoyed by AMC's (American Movie Classic's) new policy of interrupting the movies with commercials. I don't mind so much when they run ads BETWEEN the movies but I find it very irritating when they use them as a disruption. When that happens I wish I'd chosen to watch the movie on VHS or DVD instead of on AMC. In fact, recently I've found myself opting to watch a movie on video rather than AMC, just so that I won't have to endure the commercials. Maybe that's what other movie viewers would do (even more than they do already) if cinema presentations in the future started including more commercial ads and became more like the small screen.

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Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 12-31-2001 02:03 PM

Well, of course it's easy at the drive-in, honk your horn. I've been to a couple where the owner will actually say in his opening remarks "If you see a problem with picture or sound, just let us know or honk your horns". Seems to me, that's what you need. What about a device that could alert the booth to a problem. Select a patron or two (responsible, family types maybe), offer a break on the ticket if they agree to press the "picture" or "sound" button if there was a problem. Projectionist would get the call "sound-screen 7" and could attend to it tout suite. The key is responsible people and how you find them on the way in. Another dumb idea, but I typed it, so I'll post....

Let me also say "boo" to AMC on this new policy. I just renewed and am horrified by it. What is TMC like these days?

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Stefan Scholz
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 223
From: Schoenberg, Germany
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 12-31-2001 03:19 PM

I do have a general problem attending movie shows. Most of them are lousy. There is no site that runs proper illumination, 8fl is coomon maximum for mid size ( I measured it) and below for large screens. Talking to the largest exhibitors tech executive, he said, you can't get those 60+ ft screens bright. I'm owning a 60 ft screen theatre, running Kinotone FP30D and 5k lamp. Centre brightness of 17 fl, with allowed dropoff 25% toward the sides. It took about 3 hrs to gain that result. Answer from the tech executive: "Who has the time to so, or the money to pay somebody to it."
I think, this gives the point. Why should we do anything, as there is no competition, and therefore clients will return. (The competitor is private and presentation quality crazy, and will never harm the rest due to no booking power.)

The current situation of starting a movie in 99% of all movie complexes, running it interlock in as many halls as possible to sell as many tickets as possible the first week, I consider it dangerous. A film has no chance to build up a reputation, giving long lasting interest in movie going. It is just a matter of the accompanying commercial campaign, which costs billions of $$ worldwide.
It does not help movie going, off course, you're grabbing $$ the first weekend, only due to the number of prints/screens up and running, but in total, the release cycle shortens, with more and more people waiting for a quality DVD release.

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