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Author Topic: Digital: Scope inside Flat? Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 10-15-2010 01:06 PM                     quote: Bruce McGee my Sony projector will not switch from flat to scope the first time we run something new. Welcome to the "World of SONY Digital" - the fun's just beginning.  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 10-15-2010 05:39 PM                     The person who "built" the show might have set it up as a flat show on the server, either because they weren't paying attention, or perhaps because no one showed them how. This would cause the automation not to swing the anamorphic lens into place, open up the mask, or select the correct processing option in the projector. It would be strange for any professional installer to set up an auditorium like this intentionally.  |  IP: Logged Bruce McGee Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1776 From: Asheville, NC USA... Nowhere in Particular. Registered: Aug 1999 posted 10-15-2010 06:51 PM                     I built the show. I build all the shows. It's built correctly. That was the first thing I checked. It's a weird thing. It never does it again after the first trial run.  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 10-15-2010 07:05 PM                     Oh sorry, i thought your previous post was anecdotal about your experience, did not know you were replying directly about this specific incident.  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 10-15-2010 08:15 PM                     It's unlikely that Bruce's post was referring specifically to what Eric saw considering that their locations given are in opposite ends of the country (and Eric referred to a theater near him)...  |  IP: Logged Bruce McGee Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1776 From: Asheville, NC USA... Nowhere in Particular. Registered: Aug 1999 posted 10-16-2010 01:01 PM                     No offence taken at all. It doesent start in the wrong format every time, either. But, IF it does, we know how to resolve the problem fast. The folks in the auditorium only see a moment of black, and then they see the incredible image that only Sony can provide! I'm surprised that we dont have Trinitron printed somewhere on the screen now!  |  IP: Logged Kyle Butler Film Handler Posts: 47 From: Belton, TX Registered: Jan 2010 posted 10-17-2010 04:01 AM                     Well, if it was a sony, it could have just fucked up by itself like ours does It generaly starts in the wrong format, and shows scope films in the flat viewing area. If the projectionist isn't paying attention, they obviously wouldn't be there to switch the format. Or as people have said, the play-list could have just been built incorrectly. I sure hope it was one of the two. Id hate to see theaters "upgrading" their presentation with digital like this.  |  IP: Logged Eric Hooper Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 532 From: Fort Worth, TX, USA Registered: May 2003 posted 10-19-2010 11:52 PM                     Well I returned to the offending theatre tonight and saw a "flat" movie. The image filled the entire "flat" screen. Wandered into the other auditorium and yep, a scope image inside the flat screen still, with black bars (blank screen) at the top and bottom. Looked inside the booth through the port window and the projector said "Real D XL" on it. What was even more strange is the projector booth has (had) an auditorium exit (to the outside) next to it, and they walled off the exit with a cheap plywood door and lock, making the projection booth area larger, but blocking the exit. And they didn't even bother to paint the plywood or anything. I shoulda took a picture. I wonder what's behind the plywood door...? (The projectionists used to enter the original booth though a door next to the exit, which is in the area that's now walled off by the plywood.) I've probably given enough info away that folks can probably figure out which theatre it is I'm talking about.  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 10-20-2010 06:35 AM                     Maybe I misunderstood, but they blocked a fire exit? That is an unwise move in a theater. Around here the fire department would shut the place down instantly and whoever did it would be spending time in court if not jail.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 10-20-2010 11:25 AM                        This place sounds like they have a lot more to worry about than a letterboxed scope picture. Sounds likt they are the kind of operation that gives theatres a bad name.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 10-20-2010 12:56 PM                     quote: Eric Hooper a scope image inside the flat screen still, with black bars (blank screen) at the top and bottom. I bet the image was zoomed down then to put that scope feature in a 1.85:1 screen. I've seen screens like that before were the cinema had common width and height screens where they "band-aid" the scope presentation so they can have true scope ratio presentations.  |  IP: Logged Eric Hooper Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 532 From: Fort Worth, TX, USA Registered: May 2003 posted 10-20-2010 01:20 PM                     Yes, the fire exit is blocked and "walled over" with the plywood door. You can see the exit sign illuminated above the plywood door. There is another fire exit on the other side of the booth...but still. It seems to me the projectors are set up for a theatre with top and bottom masking. When flat, the image is tall and fits the flat screen with the masking open, and when scope, the masking at the top and bottom is supposed to move in and crop the scope image in the center. However, this theatre has SIDE masking. Monte though might have the answer for why they are doing what they're doing. Even though they have side masking curtains, when they did show scope films and opened them up sideways, it still wasn't as wide as some other screens may be. But still...what they are presenting now looks absolutely terrible. It's an insult to the industry. Other folks on this forum have commented that the public thinks theatres are just showing DVD's anyway. This type of set up only feeds that, when they see a letterboxed scope movie, just like at home. I created a picture of the theatre to show what the presentation looks like using a photo from Cinematour, and inserting what the scope images now looks like on their now permanetly flat-masked "upgraded digital screens"...but the film-tech server won't upload it. I guess it's protecting the guilty.  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 10-20-2010 02:00 PM                     Welcome to the wonderful world of D-Crapema, where the incompetent can more easily display their stupidity to the movie-going public. Most format errors on film can be corrected easily by even the most dense booth monkey....how hard is it to change a lens and aperture? I can do it on single lens machines in under 15 seconds, less with a turret. How long does it take to correct a format error in DLP? and does it force you to restart the show from the beginning or can it be done "on the fly"? (I think we know the answer for Sony based on the posts above.) Eric, if your pictures are the right size you simply need to keep trying with your uploads, I have noticed that the FT server has been touchy lately with uploads.  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 10-20-2010 03:40 PM                     quote: Brad Miller Since this was already on a huge screen, the managers comped everyone's tickets and told them we would be presenting the show letterboxed (and cropped) Forgive me for my ignorance, but why didn't they set the projector for scope and just zoom the image over the flat screen? They would have shown the feature letterboxed but NOT cropped. Am I mistaken?  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 10-20-2010 06:59 PM                     There was no channel setup for that. However running a scope movie in flat will show most of the image, but if you look at a framing chart you will understand that it IS cropping off the sides of the scope image.  |  IP: Logged

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