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This topic comprises 7 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
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Author
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Topic: showing a silent movie right before Batman?
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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!
Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 07-18-2008 07:11 PM
Wow...what a bunch of hard-nosed people. This really shouldn't be a big deal!
Its 24fps so as Leo points out...no speed issues (And if there were...it would not be too expensive to overcome for a 1-off...a simple DC motor and controller...nether are too expensive and getting a motor that will fit the Century soundhead with a 5/8" shaft is not too terribly hard...but back on subject.
The lens...as others have pointed out...the prime lens for their scope format will give you a good enough focal length for what will work, presumming constant height screen (side movable masking). I suggest obtaining a separate lens of the same focal length just so you are not messing with the lens they need for the next show...but swapping out the prime lens isn't too big a deal, if it is a 2-piece anamorphic system.
The lens turret can probably deal with the lens shift you will need to center up on the full frame silent aperture (.680 x .910"). If not, the console/pedestal should be able be moved enough and returned to its previous position relatively fast.
The aperture plate for the SA-TA, as Monte has pointed out, is probably going to be the tough one. It may or may not be available and there were two varieties of it. I do think, though, a standard plate will fit the slot. Check and see (I don't have an SA-TA trap or I would find out for you). If it does, then things are not so bad...I would probably suggest getting a JJ aperture plate (longer, PE-719-5) and then wrapping tape on the end to form a stop (just a couple of wraps should do) so you don't stick it in too far. SA plates are certainly more plentiful and cheaper and can also work just fine...there is just less material for you to rig a stop...you could merely mark the plate to know how far to stick it in but it will make the person's job of filing the plate more difficult. If you start with an "SA" plate, use a CinemaScope and start opening up the side as needed.
Measured test film for silent is hard to come by nowadays but again, for a 1-off...and given the audience (not historians or archivists with a critical eye) there is a lot of forgiveness here. The trick of using standard target film (35PA) spliced base to emulsion will get you close enough.
When making choices, try to do the least amount of "modifications" to the standard way the theatre operates the equipment to ensure that putting things back goes quickly and painlessly.
This really shouldn't be all that hard for a competent technician to do. And I did mean a technician. Don't cheap out and cause potential harm to the business in name of "thrift"...have someone competent to perform the work and ensure that everything is restored back. It will save you and the theatre a lot of grief in the short and long run. The cost of a technician for this sort of thing should be considered just the cost of doing business.
Steve
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Stephen Furley
Film God
Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002
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posted 07-19-2008 07:42 AM
My thinking was that once the plate has been cut for silent film it can't be used for anything else, unless somebody wanted to show a track on screen for some reason, it's already the largest possible format on 35mm, so it can't be re-cut for some other format later. Once the show is over the only thing that can be done with the plate is to keep in in case of another silent show in the future, in which case the stop will be needed in the same place. A metal stop, rather than a soft tape one would be more permanent, and possibly more accurate, than a soft tape one.
This will almost certainly be the only theatre running this film at around this time. They're not in competition with other venues running the same film; with good publicity they could probably draw in a good audience, from a wide area. If that turns out to be the case then maybe this won't be a one-off, but might become a regular event, with another film next year etc. Since the theatre will already be equipped to run silent film they would be the obvious place locally to hold such sreenings. If that happens then maybe they would consider equipping for variable speed drive in the future. The theatre management seem to be supportive of this event (good for them); lets hope that more comes of it in the future.
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Frank Angel
Film God
Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 07-20-2008 03:00 AM
Some booker at Paramount saw you as a cash cow and is milking you for all it's worth. $1700 against 50%? I've paid 50% only twice in my life when running classics -- once for EUROPA EUROPA and only because there was screw-up and the publicity guy put it on our calendar before I had a confirmation. The SOB at Orion knew I wasn't about to cancel the engagement so he charged me $1000 against 50% and I just bit the bullet and paid it. But not without a lot of cursing. I booked it last year again for an screening with the director in attendence and I got it for $250 against the 35%. 35%, by the way, is the NORMAL percentage I pay on almost every classic title for multiple runs over a weekend. Bet this guy made this deal for only ONE show, correct? AND you probably have to ship out the print the very next day too. They had some fascist named Joe Moscarat there for years who used to try to pull that crap when students wanted to play older Paramount titles. I think he is long gone though.
Disney once wanted 50% for FANTASIA, but I am used to them by now and I knew I would still have an overage because it's a good grosser. But those were the ONLY two instances that I would ever agree to pay that percentage for a title that is sitting in storage which is making them NO money at all -- probably loosing storage costs, in fact.
Are you booking this as a non-theatrical entity...as a school? Studios love to rip off schools because they that realize schools, museum programmers, and the like, don't book primarily on a strictly business basis -- they book because they WANT a particular title....usually with an almost "We'll pay almost anything to be able to show THAT movie" attitude. So they charge accordingly, knowing that such non-theatricals will be willing to pay a lot more that a business man who will take one look at the terms and say, Hell no -- take your 40 year old title at $1700 against 50% and shove it. You won't do that, so they take advantage of you.
As for the music rights, wouldn't the theatre already have ASAP and BMI licences for music performance in their theatre? Why would you need to pay that kind of exhorbidant license fee? Or is that for the actual sheet music? I don't know that much about sheet music licenses, but seems to me if you buy the parts, shouldn't that about cover it? How many voices in the orchestra? Divide them by $2400 and that sounds like a lot more than the cost of the sheet music in parts. Something smells like a major rip-off here.
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Frank Angel
Film God
Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 07-20-2008 04:59 PM
I know this is probably too late in the game to consider, but for those kinds of bucks, you could easily rent a high quality video projector that will give a bright enough image and with the proper lensing, sized correct for the screen. Just use the DVD as the source. Then you would only have to pay Paramount their bloody 50%.
I am assuming from what you say, the purpose of the event is for the music students to experience performing a music score and accompanying a film. It is not primarily that you are resurrecting a extant print of WINGS for movie enthusiasts, correct? Personally I would go the video route before I would spend that kind of bucks for a one time event.
I HAD to do a video screening of THE SEARCHERS for which there were no prints and the Chair of the English department insisted that we had to show THAT title for the students. Video was the only alternative and it looked quite acceptable (actually, much to my surprise), even off a standard DVD. Hey, you frame the image and mask it properly so it mimics what film would look like in that theatre and if you have a projector that can get the image decently bright, the audience will probably not even notice those brick sized digital blocks. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
For THE SEARCHERS, the audience was students and they were watching it for the story content and social differences of what was acceptable when the film was made and now. It wasn't a MOVIE event, it was an Literature Department extra curricula event....there is a difference.
At my Performing Arts Center we work with the college Conservatory of Music all the time. The orchestra is always securing rights for sheet music which they perform (we have ASCAP & BMI licenses so the actual music rights are already covered in our theatres) but I have no idea what they have to pay for the sheet music. I will find out what the usual cost is to them when they play a work from scores. Knowing their budgetary woes, I can guarantee that they are NOT paying royalties in the numbers you are saying you're being charged.
I will get back to you on what I find out.
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But no matter what, I will do everything in my power to present the movie as close to perfect as possible. I owe it to the kids.![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
- Oh, and by the way your still going to have to pay Paramount for the rights 
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