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Author Topic: First hint at end of 35mm film distribution for Disney Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-05-2011 11:39 AM                     That sounds like an old Johnny Carson routine.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-05-2011 01:59 PM                     What I'm noticing here is there isn't much of a glorious welcome to the digital conversion where it's supposed to be a "new thing" for the industry, such as: brighter and sharper picture, tonnage of presentation opportunities (3D is the big one..), and for the owners, a major savings in payroll and the elimination of presentation errors - like sound, scratches, out of focus issues (out-of-frame starts is extinct along with proper framing techniques, and the like. Now, new problems seems to arise like: more bulb usage, KDM deliveries on schedule, system updates, server suddenly suffers with a major brain cramp during a presentation, maybe a HD crash here and there ... who is winning? -Monte  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-05-2011 03:17 PM                        Well sure there have been problems with the new equipment but who was expecting anything else? quote: What I'm noticing here is there isn't much of a glorious welcome to the digital conversion where it's supposed to be a "new thing" for the industry, The reason it's not a bigger "deal" in the media is because it's good news, not bad...plus it's technical, which equals boring, and most people don't care how that picture gets on the screen -- just that it gets there. There wasn't a big colossal hoo-ray for digital sound either, at least not that I remember. quote: Monte L Fullmer who is winning? I have found quite a few ways to impress people with the digital system that wouldn't have been possible or practical before. Granted, some things would be impractical to do in a multiplex situation but for a small place, it's great and makes people less eager to gripe about the ticket prices and such. For example last Saturday, a large family arrived too late to see the Toy Story short at the beginning of Cars 2, so I told them it was "too good to miss" and they stayed behind and I played it for them. Obviously that could have been done with film, but with the platter it would have been a major hassle. The previous week, we made a deal with the State Farm Insurance guy to present a sponsored matinee for Cars 2. He sold the tickets for $3.00 from his office, and then paid the difference. In return I gave them a discount per ticket. We had a full house, and on show day, I surprised the agent by putting his office logo and his picture on the screen while the crowd was coming in. (We don't normally run any ads or slides so I wouldn't have been able to do this without the digital projector.) It looked great and he was really impressed. A couple of times I've played the first few minutes of movies for people who were very late because of bad roads, or they mistook the showtimes, or whatever reason. One time we had a power failure during the first trailer on a late show. It lasted about 20 minutes during which we gave out free popcorn refills. After the power came back on I asked the small crowd if they wanted to see the trailers or skip right to the movie because of the delay. They all voted to skip the trailers, so I was able to accommodate them. (Not that I wanted to skip the trailers, of course!) I have no idea of the amount of good will we get from things like this, but they all make for great stories for people to tell their friends the next day.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-05-2011 03:56 PM                     oh agree: when I had a server that froze up on me bad in the middle of "Trans3", I had to shut the server down completely, then restart .. and, I had the option to continue where it froze, but it was decided that readmits were issued and just wait til the next showtime to start clean. Granted, the only way this could have happened in a smiliar is if a big power outage would have happened and using 35mm machines. Then after the power came back on, is where I can continue with the movie. Yes, there are some small positive tradeoffs using digital like: scan your build, go anywhere on the drive where you want to play, return back to the beginning, et.al. , all with the click of the mouse. And an 4 lb HD is much easier to move to another house than lugging an 80 lb film print on a board to do the similar. still, what do you say ... -Monte  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-05-2011 04:40 PM                     Mike...most of the digital advantages you cite are negated or brought close enough using changeover operation and even closer to the mark if they are Kinoton ER or ES models as they can shuttle pretty briskly in either direction to the desired spot....I'm just sayin'  |  IP: Logged Frank Cox Film God Posts: 2234 From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada Registered: Apr 2011 posted 07-05-2011 05:03 PM                        quote: Mike Blakesley I surprised the agent by putting his office logo and his picture on the screen while the crowd was coming in. How did you do that? Just hook a computer to your digital projector and show the image from that, or something else? --- I have found that since I put in the digital cinema, people here rave about the sound more than the picture. Maybe 1 in 10 of the people who say something about it mention the picture quality but everyone mentions how much they like the sound.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-05-2011 05:08 PM                     quote: Frank Cox Just hook a computer to your digital projector ...You us a device called a "Scaler" - a little black box with VGA jack on one end and a DVI jack on the other end. An "extension" cable (M/F ends)connects to the VGA out of the computer then to the VGA input of the scaler, and a "through" (M/M) DVI cable connects to the other side of the box to the DVI input on the projector. After getting all connected up, then you assign a macro to use the DVI port on the projector itself. This allows outside video to be played through the DP projectors. ..you might call it, "Non/Sync for Video". Audio goes from the soundcard of the computer to the non/sync jacks on the processor. ..and have some fun with it. - Monte  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-05-2011 07:54 PM                        Nothing that complicated. I used a Blu-Ray player that has a USB port on it. Just made a slide in Photoshop and put it on a thumb drive. No sound involved, we just had our regular non-sync playing.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-06-2011 09:14 AM                     I agree Mike. I see more and more theater owners taking advantage of their digital systems in many ways filum would never begin to accomodate. It is the things like the ability to put a corporate logo on your screen that will bring in the repeat buisness... Not the high speed shuttle your electronic projectors might or might not have.. Mark  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-06-2011 09:47 AM                     Okay...a slide projector can put the logo up...with film, even! Definitely a low-cost A/V projector can handle the logo part rather than the expensive DCinema machine.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-06-2011 11:47 AM                        I know I'm not doing anything that couldn't have been done with other equipment...I'm just making the point that the DC machinery will do more than just play the movie from beginning to end.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-06-2011 12:58 PM                     I am finding myself rolling my eyes more and more these days as I read these sort of threads. People, film IS GOING AWAY. Labs and depots are already shutting down this year. The studios are smart enough to know that in the big picture once the majority of the chains have converted that it is "acceptable losses" to let the small guys die, as that final announcement will get most of them off of their butts and convert (at least those who can). Steve is correct, VPFs don't completely pay for your conversion. Assuming you go with a basic system without much frill, it will cover about 75%. This is why we have worked so hard on the Film-Tech DCS is because with it, by the end of the payback period, it becomes a free system. This is due to operational savings and energy management that no other digital system can offer. It is also the only system that is hardware-agnostic. We can run any projector or server with it and it is truly 100% automated, unlike all others. But regardless of what digital system is installed, film will be dead soon for mainstream product in the US. I love film more than most people here, but it is time to stop whining about it.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-06-2011 02:15 PM                     Hello Brad - that's an excellent post that you presented here. Agree, we should all quit whining about losing film and accept the fact that digital is here to stay. But, one question: Would you know if the VPF program be available for these subs and discount theatre owners? thx-monte  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-06-2011 03:08 PM                     I agree Mike. I see more and more theater owners taking advantage of their digital systems in many ways filum would never begin to accomodate. It is the things like the ability to put a corporate logo on your screen that will bring in the repeat buisness... Not the high speed shuttle your electronic projectors might or might not have.. Mark  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 07-06-2011 03:20 PM                        quote: Quite interesting. What (asking a general question here, not directed at Mark...) are the Drive-In's gonna do with this: find ways to do digital or close down and sell their land off? ..and along with "mom and pop" cinemas? ..gonna be interesting to find out .. - Monte Short answer... "yes". We're going to convert. Can't say exactly when, but the decision has been made. For a seasonal operation, doing the deed on 3 screens will be a bit challenging. Not sure how many other drive-ins in this state will go digital, but I'm watching several indoor and outdoor theatres that I have my doubts about. I'm pretty sure I know who won't convert, but a couple of others may survive this.  |  IP: Logged

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