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Author Topic: Print life on projection - how many runs? John Koutsoumis Master Film Handler Posts: 261 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Registered: Aug 2003 posted 02-15-2006 06:22 PM                     I agree. When I helped run a print of "Citizen Kane" back in 2003 it was perfect. Can't say what year it was made but it was old and had many screenings and make-up/breakdowns. That's one example of film being handled correctly. Most of multi's here nowadays don't put a mark on the films at all even after 2-3 months of screenings, you might see a little dust at the tails but that's it. In regards to 70mm prints that are also in fine shape here are "Star Trek 2 & 3" (although #2 had sound issues at the head of the 1st reel), and Aliens. "The Wall" does have some heavy base side scratching at the start of the "Dirty Woman" track where the Limo rocks up back stage with the girls looking for passes in tow. I'm guessing here but i'd it's the head of reel 3 or 4. David did they crank it up at Greater Union?? The structure's start to crack at the Astor when it screens  |  IP: Logged David Kilderry Master Film Handler Posts: 355 From: Melbourne Australia Registered: Sep 1999 posted 02-16-2006 05:02 AM                        It sure was quality sound in Russell Cinema 6. Remember this was the first screen in the country with a Dolby CP200 processor and it had 30 inch subs; it was the best around back in those days. It was probably over taken by Village Centre Cinema 1 around the corner in 1986, but that is now a memory....it closed last night. The 30 inch subs were installed for ET, yet ET became so big it ran down the block at the Forum and Rapallo. David  |  IP: Logged John Koutsoumis Master Film Handler Posts: 261 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Registered: Aug 2003 posted 02-17-2006 08:53 AM                     Hi David. Well if it's still the same system in Russel St #6 it's still holds up well. Too bad about the brick walls though. I have not been there for maybe 2-3 years but apart from "Whale Rider" the prints were always clean and free of scratches. Sad about the Village Bourke St, I heard about the closure some time back. That's 2 good locations gone from the CBD, the other been the Lumiere Lonsdale St (for their programming). I couldn't care for Hotys closing on Bourke St and neither for their new location at Melbourne Central. In regards to the former "Rappalo" it now boasts a great Klipsch sound system. It's the best venue for the Melbourne International Film Festival.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 02-17-2006 02:24 PM                        I have a sample of a 70mm Kodak ESTAR base print that was retired from running at a theme park after over 60,000 runs! And a 35mm Kodak ESTAR base print that clocked over 35,000 runs! Talk about "Film Done Right".  |  IP: Logged Brian Guckian Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 594 From: Dublin, Ireland Registered: Apr 2003 posted 02-17-2006 03:54 PM                     Many thanks for all those very useful figures! It's great to have good information to counter the claims (like the one I saw last week) that prints deteriorate "after 30 runs". What would they make of 35,000 runs?  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 02-17-2006 09:27 PM                    quote: Louis Bornwasser My experience with film damage is that it only happens in certain places and for very good reasons. My experience is that it happens when a manager tries to run the booth. Particularly one who claims to be an expert projectionist.  |  IP: Logged Raymond Watson Film Handler Posts: 26 From: Waldron, Arkansas Registered: Feb 2006 posted 02-17-2006 09:57 PM                     I recently purchased the booth equipment from the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda ,CA. They only ran one film, a documentary on President Nixon,I think it was about 45 min. run time. Anyway,the equip. was installed new in 1990,and there was some paperwork showing when they changed out their prints. The first 8 years they used 11 prints, 8 runs a day 363 days a year. Mind you, they used the janitor to "fix" the projector "thingy" when it "broke". They called out the equipment dealer when the janitor couldn't "fix" it. They also ran this system with an ELF loop system by Christie,which supposidly scratches prints,and a Century MSA(which aren't supposed to be the easiest on film) Given these less than ideal conditions, they still averaged 2112 runs per print (give or take a couple weeks when the janitor cleaned the xenon bulb,reflector,mirrors,and ign. xformer with floor wax). Just kidding......but it would not surprise me! I only viewed their showing after they had gone to digital format,so I cannot attest to their quality standards when using the 35mm format,nor did I inspect any old prints. The rest of the Nixon Library was first class and I bet that their 35mm presentation was very good. They did average well over 2000 runs on 11 consecutive prints. That pretty much blows away the "30 runs or so" theory. Ray Watson  |  IP: Logged Lindsay Morris Expert Film Handler Posts: 233 From: Darlington, WA, Australia Registered: Sep 2002 posted 02-20-2006 03:46 AM                     Checked today re runs that My Fair Lady did at old theatre Royal in Perth. It was in days of changeovers but was not in 35mm but 70mm full mag sound running on Vic 8's. It ran for over 12 months doing 2 sessions a day weekdays and 3 on the Saturday plus during the school holiday period they had extra matinees plugged in so in all it did approaching 1000 passes. When you think about that it was one hell of a lot of work as those 6000' 70mm reels were not exactly light. One change was a challenge as it was slap in the middle of the waltzing scene so the pressure was really on to get EXACT changes at that spot. There was very little rain damage at each reel end and they had NO splices made in all that time. For 70mm stuff quite an impressive achievement I think. I have only ever run one 70mm feature and that was at a drivein in the northwest of WA (Port Hedland) on Vic 8's and my arms were aching after one showing getting those big reels onto the spindles so I can appreciate what those guys did at the Royal Lindsay  |  IP: Logged

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