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Author Topic: Transformers prints delivery info ?? Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-01-2007 04:27 AM                     Well I picked up 7 prints of this retarded film only to find out that I received 7 used prints! (Gosh, thanks DFS for intentionally doing that! No way did I just HAPPEN to receive 7 used prints when I doubt there were more than 10 used prints in the Dallas depot from trade and press screenings. This was clearly the work of an immature asshole at the depot who must've thought it would be funny to give the one set of theaters that are picky about quality and who always return prints in pristine condition the worst prints in the depot. ) One of the prints has severe edge damage on reels 1 and 3, but 2 is fine and it had heavy oil on the heads and tails (this is starting to look like a changeover print with one bad Simplex projector) and the other prints are DIRTY and were poorly handled with scratches at the reel changes. EVERY SINGLE DAMN ONE of these prints (except the presumed "changeover" print) used masking tape to "splice" the leaders with and one had leaders mixed and matched on the wrong reels. All of them had damage to the attached trailer, which of course went promptly in the trash. I can't wait to see what other breakdown problems and print damage are lurking in the other cans because Dreamworks is being so nice to give us enough time to deal with it. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with people these days? It's not like these prints had more than one or MAYBE two passes through a projector!!! This just further proves my point that in this day and age of concession stand projectionists that once a print has been played ONE TIME, the outstanding odds are that it is damaged in some form or another. I so wish prints had a "checkout" card like the library so you could see where it played. One print had shipping stickers from Cinemark in El Paso, but I have no idea where the other 6 prints came from. Regardless this goes out to the Cinemark in El Paso...YOU SUCK!  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 07-01-2007 05:37 AM                        I'll bet DFS would be thrilled to see you at their dock with 7 prints to be replaced. I'd have to agree. It's hard to believe you'd get that many bad prints by accident... unless of course, DFS routed all their used screener prints to Texas! Either that, or they know you'll clean them up?  |  IP: Logged John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 07-01-2007 10:04 AM                     Just sitting here thinking about Brad's problem above, and all the other comments being made about this release. All of this is indicative of the state of the industry today. It's no longer run by theater people, but by corporate suits who havn't a clue about how film is made up for presentation, or for that matter, the presentation itself. They don't care about other people's problems, or even the fact that the people on this forum take pride in their work. We all know this latest adventure in combating piracy has already failed- one of our projectionists told me late this past week that there were three internet sites where the film was available for download on what he referred to as "digital quality". So, now it's left to the rest of us to get these prints ready for presentation tomorrow. I know in my case, as in many others, that the first run-through will be before a live audience. The suits are counting on the fact that there will be only a few problems (After all, they deal in percentages)and they will probably not hear about them anyway, let alone have to deal with them. They also count on the fact that all the exhibitors will bust their asses to be ready for the public come 8PM. So let the exhibitors worry about it. They are the ones who have to deal with irate customers when something goes wrong. They are the ones who have to call for replacement reels and prints. They are the ones whose bottom line is affected when people stop going to their theater. They are the ones who have to pay the high percentage of the gross. It's times like these that I'm glad I'm not a theater owner. It doesn't make me glad, however, to see this industry going to hell in a handbasket. And as far as Brad's problem goes, that smells like "set-up" all the way.  |  IP: Logged Tony Monje Film Handler Posts: 15 From: Weatherford, TX 76087, TX Registered: Oct 2004 posted 07-01-2007 12:50 PM                     My projectionist did figure out the lock code, and I do feel that this is the same code used on all prints. I, like many other managers and projectionists was having to deal with the extra stress at this busy time of the year. I have no interest or desire in pirating films, but over the years it seems that theater owners, managers and projectionists are targeted as "people of interest" when dealing with the piracy issue. At one time, I can remember attending ShoWest and being preached to by executives from several studios that we were "partners in exhibition". Now, I see less support by the studios who even bother to attend ShoWest, along with getting blamed for a bad year (2005) because our cinemas are either sub-par, or our concession prices are too high, and threatened by certain studios execs that maybe a simultaneous release theatrically and on dvd or pay-per view is a good idea. If I attend a screening, I cannot have a camera phone on me, I am wanded, and often there is a guy with infrared goggles watching us. After 19 years in the business, it really makes all the hard work I have put in feel worth it when I cannot be trusted with either not showing early screenings, or attempting to pirate the film we are exhibiting. I, like most others, simply want to make sure the film has no problems, is all there, and will run without incident and be a great ride for our customers. I want to make sure it will be perfect for the paying customers at 8:00 Monday. Just wait until all cinemas go digital, this is when the studios will really try to control how we run our business.  |  IP: Logged Blaine Young Master Film Handler Posts: 477 From: Kirkland, WA, USA Registered: Sep 2006 posted 07-01-2007 02:00 PM                     It's often been said that locks only keep honest people out. With that in mind, the entire idea of padlocking these prints with these cheap locks and setting the combination to the exact same code on every print seems to be an incredible waste of time and money. I for one am justified in my pre-screening of our prints. While I didn't have Brad's problems, we did have at least one bad reel - with one print left to build and screen tonight. We're not supposed to have access to these prints until tomorrow, but if I wait until 9am when we're supposed to get the lock combination, I'll never get a replacement reel in time for the 8pm showings.  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 07-01-2007 02:03 PM                    just out of curiosity what was wrong with the reel? Would the audiance have noticed and would ithave kept you off screen?  |  IP: Logged Blaine Young Master Film Handler Posts: 477 From: Kirkland, WA, USA Registered: Sep 2006 posted 07-01-2007 02:16 PM                     It is absolutely noticeable. It has a WHITE scratch at center right on the screen which starts out almost unnoticed at the beginning of Reel 5, but by about 10 minutes in, it is very noticible. By the end of the reel, it is like there is simply no emulsion at all, but only at that one spot on the print. When I went back and rechecked the Head/Tail of the reel, I could not see anything with any light source in the booth, other than when projected. That kind of defect, similar to water spots we had on a reel of Zodiac, is almost impossible to see on the bench.  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 07-01-2007 02:23 PM                    Negative scratch. The negative they were using to process that reel was worn out or had a problem during that process. You will have to wait till Monday morning anyway to get a replacement since no one is going to be at a lab or in the depot to get you one. There is a good chance that the depot will not have a reel to get you anyway and one would have to come straight from the lab. You may be stuck playing it till you get one.  |  IP: Logged Jon P. Inghram Expert Film Handler Posts: 124 From: Wichita, KS USA Registered: Jan 2007 posted 07-01-2007 02:31 PM                     One reel in the open can of our print was also messed up. It looks like white dust concentrated in a vertical band near the middle of the screen, so I assume it happened while printing. Just saw Darryl's post, so that makes sense. Ours isn't bad enough to worry about as it's pretty faint, but being picky I was annoyed that it was there at all.  |  IP: Logged Jarryd Beard Expert Film Handler Posts: 229 From: Hellertown, PA Registered: Jul 2004 posted 07-01-2007 02:54 PM                     We're showing this in digital. The key isn't active until 8:00 tomorrow morning. If it's any consolation, we're basically in the same situation as everyone with film (if there's a problem). Our hard drive arrived on Wednesday and was promptly ingested. I'm in the process of transferring to the Doremis right now. I do want to watch the film, just not at 8:00 in the morning!  |  IP: Logged Kamil Jackson-Chaka Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Gainesville, Fl, USA Registered: May 2007 posted 07-01-2007 03:44 PM                     you're better off then I am. my Digital Key won't let me play the movie until noon. As for the locks, one of our prints came without one, and they sent someone out with a lock and another can to lock the reels up for us. any excitement I had for this movie is gone, now I'm just mad.  |  IP: Logged Sam King Expert Film Handler Posts: 120 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Oct 2006 posted 07-01-2007 11:10 PM                     SO what's the code? O:-) I'd rather get my builds done tonight!  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 07-02-2007 12:30 AM                    This whole combo lock on the print is rediculous. So if we had cut the lock, our info would be given to the appropriate authorities for piracy investigation. So? we don't want to pirate the damn movie, just build it and let it sit on the platter..nothing more. If we don't even watch it, then what will the piracy investigation show? Nothin. I'll drop $4 in each can for a new lock. screw em  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 07-02-2007 12:59 AM                    quote: Kamil Jackson-Chaka you're better off then I am. my Digital Key won't let me play the movie until noon. As for the locks, one of our prints came without one, and they sent someone out with a lock and another can to lock the reels up for us. Actually if the key says 12:00 it will work at 8:00 am. It is weird but it will work. The server that the movie is on will read the key at your local time. The key itself is set up on a different time zone.  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 07-02-2007 12:59 AM                     And obviously if I want to pirate a movie I also want to do it in such a way that I leave no direct evidence that I did anything wrong. For instance, having a broken lock sitting around...  |  IP: Logged

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