Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: re-installing 35 for Interstellar?

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Digital Cinema Forum » re-installing 35 for Interstellar? (Page 3)

This topic comprises 7 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Author

Topic: re-installing 35 for Interstellar?

Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"

Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 09-16-2014 11:52 AM

quote: Frank Angel
the same guys who insisted that film has scratches

Nolan was not one of those "same guys."

Nolan is using his clout to make them indulge his ego.

| IP: Logged

Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 09-16-2014 12:43 PM

quote: Brad Miller
If Nolan was going to get 5/70 prints made I would be all over this. Instead we have to wait for Tarantino to bring film back properly (and no 15/70 does not count).

quote: Daniel Schulz
He is.

That's confirmed? 5-perf 70mm prints for Interstellar?

At this point I think it's a waste to re-install 35mm in movie theaters that either removed it completely or never had 35mm in the first place. 4-perf 35mm anamorphic 'scope prints can certainly look better than the cropped, lower rez version of 'scope you get with d-cinema, particularly at 2K. But will the quality difference be enough to attract customers? Better yet, Who is going to run those re-installed projectors?

Our local Carmike theater still has two 35mm projectors in place, but it has been years since anyone has run film through them and the guy who was most often threading those projectors passed away 2 years ago. I'd like to know what kind of plan is in place to re-train staffers how to handle 35mm, if such a plan is in place at all.

If Interstellar ends up distributing some 5-perf 70mm prints that would be a very good thing. 5-perf 70mm has a big enough quality difference above digital to gain notice (and paying customers). This movie release could give an additional push to theaters considering 70mm for The Hateful Eight next year. 5/70mm isn't something monopolized by IMAX the way 15/70mm is. So if a theater operator wanted to do 70mm we wouldn't have to get into bed with IMAX (a company that only seems to want to get rid of film). A resurgence in 5/70mm could help shore up a "boutique" niche in the movie theater industry and help keep film on some form of life support.

Still, the question remains with how at least some theaters will get 5/70mm projection systems re-installed and get staff up to speed on handling the prints and projectors correctly. I don't think anyone is building new film projectors anymore, much less spare parts for them. I don't know how easy or difficult it would be for Datasat to make more 70mm time code readers.

Those 5/70mm shows would need some extra marketing push to keep from being overshadowed by the IMAX-branded film/digital shows.

| IP: Logged

Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 09-16-2014 03:29 PM

I think we all know 90% of theaters couldn't run 35mm properly before digital, I fail to see how anything could have possibly improved. All this will accomplish is the production of a bunch of trashed film prints, likely within the first few showings.

Carmike never had a good company wide film handling training program, and with the high turnover inherent in multiplexes what skills did exist are mostly gone. The location I used to work at has exactly one person who has ever threaded a projector. He's a good guy, but I'd rate his film handling skills as 'okay.' On top of that, he can't be there to thread every show. That theater has 3 film capable screens, so I have no doubt if Paramount demands it, they will show it on film.

| IP: Logged

David Buckley
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 525
From: Oxford, N. Canterbury, New Zealand
Registered: Aug 2004

posted 09-16-2014 04:50 PM

quote: Dustin Mitchell
That theater has 3 film capable screens, so I have no doubt if Paramount demands it, they will show it on film.

There's probably a bunch of movie houses that have some 35mm capability, but zero staff who are competent to use this kit.

So these prints get struck, shown (badly) and trashed, and this proves what's been said all along; the industry needs to go digital to get the presentation standards improved.

Is that the sound of irony I hear...?

| IP: Logged

Mark Hajducki
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 500
From: Edinburgh, UK
Registered: May 2003

posted 09-16-2014 05:19 PM

quote: Dustin Mitchell
I think we all know 90% of theaters couldn't run 35mm properly before digital, I fail to see how anything could have possibly improved. All this will accomplish is the production of a bunch of trashed film prints, likely within the first few showings.

The people who would actively seek out a theatre to watch a 35mm film would want to go to a cinema which can give a quality presentation. The majority of the customers won't care/know what format the feature is from.

quote: Bobby Henderson
I'd like to know what kind of plan is in place to re-train staffers how to handle 35mm

Probably the same as the training many multiplex chains gave to projectionists back in the day of film- the bare minimum to get an image on screen.

| IP: Logged

Sam D. Chavez
Film God

Posts: 2153
From: Martinez, CA USA
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 09-16-2014 05:45 PM

Back when cinemas were more professionally run and there were career jobs as managers and projectionists there was the IATSE and trained operators who took pride in their craft. Of course, some were far better than others, but there were higher standards than today. No one wants to re litigate history but not all change is for the better.

Can't wait to see this train wreck develop.

| IP: Logged

Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"

Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 09-16-2014 05:55 PM

I'll be sitting next to Sam, with popcorn.

| IP: Logged

Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 09-16-2014 07:19 PM

I'll have to check with Joe, but I believe we can squeeze in some phenomenally advanced training seminars before Interstellar opens. Sam should attend. [Razz]

| IP: Logged

Buck Wilson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 894
From: St. Joseph MO, USA
Registered: Sep 2010

posted 09-16-2014 07:28 PM

quote:
I'll have to check with Joe, but I believe we can squeeze in some phenomenally advanced training seminars before Interstellar opens. Sam should attend. [Razz]

YESSS!! I can't wait!!

| IP: Logged

Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 09-16-2014 08:33 PM

Are they going to produce a reel of trailers to go with the film prints? I doubt anybody in a big-o-plex going to have the ability to do a "changeover" from running digital trailers.

| IP: Logged

Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 09-16-2014 08:34 PM

Ummm, my 5/70 installs sure will! they will be the FT21 as the master controller coupled into a CA21 running the 70mm projector with networked sound switching to deal with the audio format changes.

And of course I'll run the trailers in flat, then dim the lights and open up the masking to scope...the way movies were intended to be seen.

But yes they will print a few trailers in 70, but it'll probably just be a couple from that studio and no other choices.

| IP: Logged

Buck Wilson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 894
From: St. Joseph MO, USA
Registered: Sep 2010

posted 09-16-2014 08:50 PM

And where are your 5/70 installations? And which will you be running?

Maybe this'll be my first ever 70mm experience.

| IP: Logged

Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 09-16-2014 09:24 PM

Hasn't been finalized yet, but Texas.

| IP: Logged

Lyle Romer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1400
From: Davie, FL, USA
Registered: May 2002

posted 09-16-2014 11:46 PM

Brad,

You need to work with Dolby and Datasat to figure out a way to use a DTS player to feed an Atmos data stream into a CP-850. It would be the ultimate irony but it would allow the best picture and sound combined!

| IP: Logged

Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 09-17-2014 01:28 AM

Dolby and Datasat working together sounds a bit like Coke and Pepsi working on a new drink collectively...

Then again, even uncompressed 7.1 sound would probably need cooperation from Dolby, since many servers out there are either Dolby or Doremi.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 7 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.