|
|
This topic comprises 4 pages: 1 2 3 4
|
|
Author
|
Topic: World 3-D Film Expo (September 12-21, 2003)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen Furley
Film God
Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002
|
posted 08-31-2003 07:45 AM
Jeff wrote:
quote:
Most of the material is owned by various Hollywood studios who do not currently have interest in working with 3-D video. And of course, we can't transfer this material to video or computer files; it's mostly under copyright.
While some of this material has been preserved (the bigger titles like "House of Wax" and so on), many no longer survive in the 3-D format. Some negatives have been lost, others destroyed over the years. A very sad story.
For the titles that are the "last surviving prints", well, this is it. One screening of each print. It's very likely at least half of the 33 features that we're running will NEVER be screened in 3-D again.
Jeff,
Much as I would like to attend, there is no way that I can make it. I had another look at the dates last week to see if I could get there for the last few days, but it just isn't possible. Of course, there are many others who won't be able to see these screenings, due to other committments, illness, tickets being sold out, any number of reasons, including not having been born yet!
What happens to this material after the festival is not within your control, but the rights oweners should be encouraged to, at the very least ensure the preservation of all of these films, and, hopefully, occasional exhibition of them in years to come. Maybe a successful festival, with sell-out shows will be able to revive interest in this material. There used to be small 3-D seasons in London every few years. These included material in various formats, typically the Festival of Britain shorts plus 'House of Wax' in two strip, 'The Stewardesses' in side by side anamorphic, a couple of '70s under and over titles and maybe one in anaglyph, not a great deal of original '50s material, but even this seems to have stopped now.
Since you are about to screen them, none of the films in the festival has yet reached 'lost' status, (though I understand that the original soundtracks for some, e.g. 'House of Wax' and the Festival of Britain films are no longer available), it is still possible for them to be preserved.
The owners of the films must be aware of the festival, otherwise the films couldn't be shown, after the festival is over maybe they will see this material as having some value, and ensure its survival. Maybe a large number of letters on the subject from festival-goers and members of these forums would also help.
Good luck with the festival; sorry I can't be there.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Stephen Furley
Film God
Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002
|
posted 08-31-2003 04:44 PM
The prints of the Festival of Britain films which are run at the National Film Theatre are the original ones from 1951. Most of them are in good condition, considering their age. I think the last time I saw them one film had to be withdrawn from the programme due to print problems, but the others are were fine. The films are always run now with the combined mono optical backup track, the explanation given is that the original separate stereo (three track magnetic, I believe) tracks ae 'lost'. Unless these tracks have been 'found' in recent times, which I would be very pleased to hear, they can only now be heard in mono. The survival rate of early stereophonic soundtracks does not seem to be good, sadly.
'Royal River', I think it was released in the U.S. under a different title, was shot with a remarkable six strip camera rig, basically two three strip Technicolor cameras mounted side by side. The inter-ocular distance had to be greater than it should have been, which prevented its use for close-ups, but it worked well for longer shots.
Any chance of running a 'mini' 3-D festival sometime, maybe next year, with some of the material from the big one, somewhere on the East coast? If it were any month other than September I would probably be able to come over.
As a matter of interest, what is the seating capacity of the venue you are using for the festival?
Once again, good luck, hope all goes well.
| IP: Logged
|
|
Jeff Joseph
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 131
From: Palmdale, CA, USA
Registered: Jun 2000
|
posted 08-31-2003 05:55 PM
Stephen: Are you sure these shorts were in stereo? That's odd if true; 1951 would be VERY early for stereo. As far as I know, these were always in mono.
I don't think "Royal River" was ever released here. We are, of course, running it as part of "Stereo Techniques", which includes "Around is Around", "Now is the Time", "Black Swan", and "Solid Explanation". In addition, we are running "Eye on the Ball" with "Inferno".
And, although we're not saying what is being shown as part of the "Rarities" screening, don't be surprised if other British material shows up there as well...
Jeff
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Stephen Furley
Film God
Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002
|
posted 09-01-2003 04:26 AM
Jeff wrote:
quote:
Stephen: Are you sure these shorts were in stereo? That's odd if true; 1951 would be VERY early for stereo. As far as I know, these were always in mono.
Yes, they were in stereo, and it was indeed very early, probably the first use of stereo since 'Fantasia'.
The 'Telekinema' at the FOB was intended to be the cinema of the future; it had 3-D, stereo sound and also television projection, none of which were to become widely used in normal cinemas at the time, but didn't have widescreen, which soon became almost universal.
Photographs of the Telekinema projection box clearly show the two sound reproducers, and I have known two people who worked at the Telekinema, Charles Beddow, who retired some years ago as Chief at the National Film Theatre, but still an active member of the Projected Picture Trust, and the film archivist and historian John Huntley, who died last month. Both spoke of the stereo system.
I believe Bob Furmanek is involved with your festival. I met him last year when I came over to hear 'Forbidden Planet' in Perspecta. Give him my regards, hope to see him again someday.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Paul Linfesty
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1383
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 09-14-2003 11:27 AM
I attended last night. I saw KISS ME KATE (a short review in the review section.) First let me say that this was a POPULAR event. The screening was a virtual sell-out (with at LEAST 100 people in the standby line who were out of luck. I had an extra ticket that I was able to sell). I headed straight up to the balcony to get a last row cente seat. Fortunately, the film was projected Academy so blocking heads in the row ahead of me didn't affect the image too much.
This is a pretty informal theatre. Staff asked to see hands of those who had empty seats so they could see how many people to let in (there were very few empty seats, probably less than 10). Then we became "models" for various shots with our glasses on, imagining various scenarios. Then the Bugs Bunny cartoon started (Lumberjack Rabbit). The 3-D here was used mostly for deep backgrounds. Excellent print, though. It has held up very well. Then on came KISS ME KATE in full stereo sound. This was an outstanding print. And its full of the rich colors that makes a total lie to everything Robert Rodriquez said about the "new" 3-D process he used on Crap Kids 3. The only 35mm polarized features I've seen before over-and-under (and side-by-side for House of Wax and Dial M For Murder) and the dual projection used here really showed the difference. Just how can Hollywood keep regressing in the technical field is beyond me.
The projection work was outstanding. No technical glitches. I'm not sure how they synched up the sound since the film was attached to the mono optic cartoon, but no matter. Convergence was right on.
The showing was followed by a Q&A by two of the film's stars, Kathryn Grayson and Tommy Ralls. Grayson noted (incorrectly) that because the film was 3-D and used two cameras, the film had to be shot twice, once for one camera and then restage the same shot for the other camera. There were a few groans in the audience, but people were very polite in not correcting her. But she was very lively anyway.
I only wish I had pre-bought tix for IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, but there was no way I could have gotten a ticket from the standby line (another sell-out).
A great time at the movies (I saw How the West Was Won at the Dome that afternoon).
I bought the 25 cent cardboard glasses, and I actually found these to be much more comfortable (I wear glasses) then the rigid plastic type. The flexibility of the cardboard helped the comfort level.
| IP: Logged
|
|
Greg Mueller
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1687
From: Port Gamble, WA
Registered: Jun 99
|
posted 09-15-2003 10:56 PM
Just returned from Hollywood....
Saw
Catwomen of the Moon
Gog
Kiss Me Kate
It Came from Outer Space
at the 3D festival
The event took place at the Egyptian Theater, a theater much too small for this event. (640 seats I heard) It could easily have been held at a theater twice as big, which would have given the movie goers ALL a good seat.
Kudos to the projectionist, whoever he was. He did a great job. I don't believe he was named, but he should have gotten the spotlight and taken a bow. Good job.
Catwomen
was a scream. THe print was in tough shape with many slugs (blackout sections to replace missing footage) on the left eye. But I didn't care and most others didn't either as this was such a fun movie to watch and laugh at. The 3D worked fine.
Gog
I never knew this was is color. I had never seen it anywhere but on TV as a kid. I can't figure out what I thought was so scary about this movie. The left eye print was pink but the right eye print was pretty good so it balanced out fine and looked fine. The 3D worked fine and it was great to see this (not so) scary film again.
Kiss Me Kate
Absolutely stunning. Brand new print in stereo.
Everything was excellent.
It Came From Outer Space
Excellent print, I think. 3D didn't work well at times, maybe because I was forced into the 4th row from the screen (see below). This was the print I went to see but had the shittiest seats of all 4 films.
What was Wrong?
The technical side of this festival was done with excellence. The seating and crowd rangling sucked much ass.
There were 3 levels of ticket holders. Season ticket holders, individual ticket holders that were re-entering (had seen the previous film), and individual ticket holders that were there for the first time or only time.
When it was time for the show to start, first the season ticket holders went in. I don't know how many season ticket holders there were, but I would guess hundreds. These season ticket holders stampeded in and grabbed the seats and then they grabbed a bunch more and "reserved" them for their friends. The next group to go in was the individual ticket holders that were re-entering. What hadn't been grabbed by the season ticket holders or "reserved" by them, were available to the re-entry level ticket holders. As you might imagine there wasn't much left after the season ticket holders grabbed and reserved their seats. Finally after all this, the individual ticket holders that had not been in before were let in to fill up the leftover seats. These were seats like front row extreme left and right and single seats here and there in the extreme edges.
While I was waiting to re-enter (I think for Gog) I got to thinking...If there were all the season ticket holders (like I said there were hundreds) and all the previous movie watchers all went back in, no new ticket holders would EVER get in.
To top things off the back 4 rows (prime) were "Reserved" for, I'm not sure who. This took out quite a chunk of seats. During "It Came From Outer Space" an ADDITIONAL 3 rows were "RESERVED FOR RAY BRADBURY" I was the second in line to "re-enter" and I RAN into the theater and could not find two seats for my wife and I until the 4th row from the screen.
I can't imagine why it was handled this way. I bought my tickets shortly after the festival was announced (months ago) and feel somewhat had. The only thing I can imagine is that there was really no caring about the viewers (or maybe who the viewers were), only that all the seats were sold. All of this could have been handled in such a better way. It's called "ASSIGNED SEATING". The way that works is that each seat is assigned a letter and number (row and column) and a price. Those SPECIFIC seats are sold to the patrons. There are NO LINES, NO PUSHING, SHOVING OR STAMPEDES. NO CHEATING by people holding seats for their friends. You know what you are getting, and you buy or don't. There are no bizarre lines. That "might have a chance" to get in. I'd have paid three times what I paid for an assigned seat.
This festival could have been 10 times better than it was had seating not been so pathetically mishandled and had it been in a decent sized theater.
I'm glad I went but would never go to another "festival style" seating event 1500 miles away. Glad I had other movie fun while in tinsel town (see "How The West Was Won" review).
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
This topic comprises 4 pages: 1 2 3 4
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|
Home
Printer-friendly view of this topic