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Topic: How can a small classics distributor protect his prints?

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-18-2008 08:56 AM

Just because everyone here understands shaft sizes and hub diameter doesn't mean that the people who are booking these films do. I've had people ask more than once if their own venue had a platter system or a changeover system.

Double-inventory would require more prints than single-inventory since each venue needs to get a print that it can show. This makes last-minute replacement prints (e.g. if a print gets lost/damaged in shipment) difficult as well. The last thing that anyone would want is for a show to be cancelled because the exhibitor in question could not show the print.

This really needs to be kept as simple as possible for everyone. Either allow prints to be made up onto a platter or large reels or don't. Ship on 2000' reels that everyone can handle. Inspect and, if necessary, repair/replace the print and bill for damage after each engagement. As long as theatres get billed for damage and the money is used to replace the damaged film, I don't see any reason not to allow prints to be plattered.

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Brian Guckian
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 594
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: Apr 2003

posted 01-18-2008 10:30 AM

Just to clarify, my comments were made in the context of the Distributor knowing exactly what equipment each venue had, via a data-gathering exercise.

Plus - with classic prints, surely we're talking about mostly staggered engagements, with the print going from venue to venue. This is what makes consideration of dual inventory feasible, in my view.

Just for example, you could have five prints, three of which could be shipped 6000ft, and two 2000ft.

I agree that print examination and billing for damage must be part of the equation too.

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Carl Martin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1424
From: Oakland, CA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 01-19-2008 01:43 AM

frank, great thread.

i think 2k and 6k (1/2" hole) dual inventory is reasonable. there should be an absolute prohibition on cutting leaders from a 2k print. on the other hand a 6k print could be run with a changeover, or built to a platter, with an absolute prohibition on cutting any id frame (there would be very little room for leader confusion anyways).

frank's list of conditions should absolutely be part of the deal. a venue would have to agree that any deviation therefrom that causes damage will result in a fine. that's reasonable. an unproven venue could be required to make a refundable deposit.

yes, it's a bit onerous. the norm nowadays is simply to look the other way, but that's been a disaster. with a small print run, inspection by the distributor after each rental is feasible and necessary. in the bigger picture, it should promote better film-handling across the board.

from the theater's perspective, there's the incentive of getting a print whose chance of being in good shape is much higher than average. if beat-up prints of the title in question are still around, by all means send those to the theaters that won't agree to the conditions.

how about requiring that a plattered print in most cases not be moved, and that film-guard be used if a print is run multiple times?

leo, is there a consensus on whether film-guard should be used on archival projection prints (not printing elements). i would think anything that prolonged their lives, thus making further re-prints from their negatives less frequent, should be encouraged.

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