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Topic: Warren theaters switching to digital

Dan Suomi
Film Handler

Posts: 53
From: Aurora/Oswego, IL
Registered: Jul 2004

posted 07-19-2007 12:07 AM

I am now the proud booth manager of a new all Digital 16 screen theater. I am very impressed with how the image looks on screen. I don't have any issues with focus, sound, or scratches, you know the usual presentation flaws of 35mm. I saw earlier that someone was complaining about it being out of focus, well the focus is supposed to be set by the installation team with a in projector test pattern that is shown on the screen. Once it is set it should be good and no one should ever need to mess with it. If there is a focus problem it is because some one messed with it.

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Shane Cooper
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 232
From: Little Rock, Arkansas
Registered: Jun 2004

posted 07-19-2007 12:57 AM

quote: Dan Suomi
I am now the proud booth manager of a new all Digital 16 screen theater.

As someone that used to stomp around the Western 'burbs, I am curious where your new location is?

They say that opinions are like ass holes because everyone's got one. Here's mine. Every time I see a posting about digital projector installations there appears to always be a debate that rages between the pro-DLP crowd and the pro-film crowd. You see a lot of the same comments posted in similiarly themed forums from both sides.

I still think that it comes down to what the customer wants and percieves as the better value. Currently, that seems to be what is new and flashy. I currently run a location that is 12 screens DLP and 6 screens 35MM. Without getting into numbers, the overwhelming choice of the public is DLP. I actually have to factor in when to start a 35MM print of a film vs. a DLP presentation for multiple prints of the same movie. If you start the 35MM first, the show will be less than half full and the later DLP presentation will be maxed out on attendance.

As with any change in our industry, I think our role is to make sure we are putting forth the best product possible, (I know I am opening myself up for criticism on this [Smile]

). Make sure that the presentation looks great no matter what the format, that the theater is clean, the staff is neat and professional and the popcorn is always warm.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-19-2007 09:34 PM

quote: David Zylstra
once SMPTE publishes all the standards we'll truly know what is required.

I am somewhat familiar with how SMPTE works and by that time digital may be obsolete.... SMPTE mooveth slower than molasses. We would never have been to the moon had NASA relied on them for rocket engine standards.

Mark

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David Zylstra
Master Film Handler

Posts: 432
From: Novi, MI, USA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 07-20-2007 03:56 PM

I agree, by the time SMPTE finishes it will be time to start over because DCI or the studios will have changed their minds on several points . . . .

Although to SMPTE's credit I've heard that a lot of people are surprised by how fast things have moved so far (I think the sub committee for digital cinema standards is DC-28) - as a side note most of the efficiency credit has gone to one woman from Warner Bros who has kept things moving.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-20-2007 05:28 PM

quote: Shane Cooper
If you start the 35MM first, the show will be less than half full and the later DLP presentation will be maxed out on attendance.

Do the DLP auditoriums have big flashing "DIGITAL" signs outside? If so, that's a lot of what drives the traffic. Naturally, given the choice between 2 showtimes 15 minutes apart, people are going to pick the one with "digital" on the marquee because that's this decade's buzzword.

I'd be willing to bet that if you took down all signage and digital "indicia" and just let word-of-mouth dictate the traffic, and provided you have good film presentations in similar sized auditoriums, the public would be less selective.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-20-2007 05:40 PM

quote: Mike Blakesley
Do the DLP auditoriums have big flashing "DIGITAL" signs outside?

None of the theaters here have that outside each house and none of the theaters here have it on their display marquee's at ticket sales. There are admittedly some one sheets on display here and there for D-Cinema or NEC or Dolby D-Cinema.... but thats about it. Some have it marked in the paper though but not all of them. You have to ask if there are multiple screens runing the same film or just ask if its in Digital.

Funny thing is that Shane is right.... it seems to sell itself. People are always seeking out the latest thing. Didn't we all run to see Cinerama and Todd-AO? Isn't it odd that people really do notice the lack of scratches and zero dust [Cool]

. The digital houses around here are far more likely to be filled than the film houses. The sound playback IMHO is also far superior.

P.S. Shane... what western burb did you used to stomp around? Am also from that area... Glen Ellyn and St. Charles.

Mark

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Shane Cooper
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 232
From: Little Rock, Arkansas
Registered: Jun 2004

posted 07-20-2007 11:01 PM

quote: Mike Blakesley
I'd be willing to bet that if you took down all signage and digital "indicia" and just let word-of-mouth dictate the traffic, and provided you have good film presentations in similar sized auditoriums, the public would be less selective.

Actually, we don't do anything different with our DLP than we do with our 35MM in terms of advertising the shows. These aren't 15 minutes apart either. For example, Harry Potter played at 6:15, 7:00, 7:45, 8:30, 9:15 and so on. A good representation of this is the woman that had tickets for the 7:45 (DLP) show but wanted to switch to the 8:30 (35MM) because the house was very full. I switched her tickets, but she came back to the window 10 minutes later. She wanted to go to the 9:15 because the 8:30 was 35MM. She perceived it as a better value and worth the 1 1/2 hour wait. She wasn't alone as the 9:15 show sold out well before the 8:30. You can rinse and repeat this scenario for any movie with multiple prints and sold out shows.

I appreciate your point Mike, but that is similar to what I wanted to get accross. The customers dictate what is popular and the directions we move in as an industry.

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
P.S. Shane... what western burb did you used to stomp around? Am also from that area... Glen Ellyn and St. Charles.

Mark - I used to live in Naperville and I ran theaters in Batavia and Oswego. I miss the city sometimes, but not the cold!

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-21-2007 09:16 AM

I guess my question would be, do people ask for the "digital" screenings when buying tickets? And do they ask because they really see an improvment, or just because they think "digital" is the latest thing so it must be better?

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-21-2007 09:21 AM

Mike,
Come on down and I'll take you around the the various locations and you can ask in person. I can almost for sure tell you that at Megaplex you will find that patrons ask for it because they find that it is better. No doubt that the sound IS alot better.

quote:
Mark - I used to live in Naperville and I ran theaters in Batavia and Oswego. I miss the city sometimes, but not the cold!

I did all the work at the Elgin Fox when it was built. You musta been at the Randall Road Goodrich location. I don't miss the area at all or the humidity... its way too congested back there now! Last trip back I told everyone if yas want to visit again you'll have to comne out here... most of them have...

Mark

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

Posts: 4441
From: prospect ky usa
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 07-21-2007 10:54 AM

The "raging debate" depends upon how good a job you do with film. If film is excellent, there is not a great difference from excellent film to excellent digital TV.

I am blessed to live in an area that does not tolerate film damage. All of my theatres are capable of 20+ ft lamberts, etc. Even the "other chains" do a credible job. This was not always so.

The local "take" on digital is that the average Joe can't tell or doesn't care. Film does, locally, have a slight brightness advantage. Louis

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Shane Cooper
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 232
From: Little Rock, Arkansas
Registered: Jun 2004

posted 07-21-2007 02:14 PM

It is important to me that the presentation is as good as it can be, whether it is film or digital.

I am sure that we have some that don't care, but we get a ton of requests for the digital format. The perception appears to be that digital is superior and the better value, (which, I know, can be debated endlessly).

In my location it will be a moot point since we are completing the conversion on the final 6 screens this week.

Mark - I was at the GQTI Randall 16. I also oversaw the Kendall 10 in Oswego.

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-22-2007 12:34 AM

quote: Shane Cooper
Mark - I was at the GQTI Randall 16.

Is it still 16? Seems like they keep expanding that one.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-22-2007 11:09 AM

Isn't there an Imax there now....?

Mark

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Shane Cooper
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 232
From: Little Rock, Arkansas
Registered: Jun 2004

posted 07-22-2007 11:11 AM

I think it is actually now the Randall 14 with an IMAX. I think they combined two theaters to make a larger auditorium and then removed another to complete the IMAX.

I left there at the end of 2003 when all of that was just being discussed.

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Frank Angel
Film God

Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 07-23-2007 03:14 AM

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
No doubt that the sound IS alot better.

Why would that be?

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