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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Community   » Film Handlers' Movie Reviews   » Michael Jackson's This is It (Page 2)

 
This topic comprises 3 pages: 1  2  3   
Author Topic: Michael Jackson's This is It
Jeremy Weigel
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1062
From: Edmond, OK, USA
Registered: Mar 2007

- posted 10-31-2009 11:04 PM      Profile for Jeremy Weigel   Email Jeremy Weigel   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Brad Miller
Most managers (and when I say that I am NOT picking on Regal, I mean "most managers" literally at ANY theater) have just given up and leave the fader on a setting that is halfway acceptable to both trailer and feature levels.
Yep that's true, I have. I've eliminated 99% of the complaints. The 1% are mostly elderly folks that have their hearing aids turned up too much.

quote: Mike Blakesley
Why does this seem like it wouldn't be all that hard? If there's a dude in the booth, how difficult would it be to just walk from setup to setup, take a peek at the platter or out the window, and if the feature is playing, gradually adjust the fader to where it's supposed to be?

I mean, if the guy is smart enough to go around and push the Start button on schedule, why not make the same route 10 minutes later and adjust for the feature films if necessary? This is not rocket fucking science.

As for starting the next show "properly," that's easy too -- setup the automation to start the show on "trailer" volume.
I used to think the same thing, but as one who was a manager/projectionist who worked Regal's former 16 screen theatre in OKC, its not like I was always in the booth at all times. I was also having to go down stairs and manage employees as well as "deal" with customers. Its much easier and less of a pain in the ass to find the volume level that pleases the majority of the audience instead of trying to cater to one or two audience members. In fact, a majority of the time I would ask that person(s) if the volume improved any and they say yes even though I hadn't changed anything.

As for the volume level of "This is It", I've watched it,and didn't have any problem with it at our usual fader setting playing it in SRD (CP65/DA20). I also think that it was a very good movie made for the fans and those that have a curiosity about what all the hub bub is all about (me).

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Brad Miller
Administrator

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

- posted 10-31-2009 11:39 PM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
This is precisely why I strongly advocate playing the trailers in MONO! Just change one wire on the back of your sound processor's automation input (for most systems) and voila...no more complaints. The mono even has its own "trim" you can adjust it to whatever level you want so that the main fader sits at a proper level for the feature.

This is also a bit of a showmanship trick, as the advertisements (trailers) should NEVER be more impressive than the feature presentation. Playing them in mono guarantees that.

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Jonathan Althaus
Master Film Handler

Posts: 435
From: Bedford, TX
Registered: Dec 2008

- posted 11-01-2009 01:10 AM      Profile for Jonathan Althaus   Email Jonathan Althaus   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Luckily for me I'm a booth-only manager. I never have to go downstairs so I can keep my eye/ear on all the films. On weekends, theres always an usher I trust to check on presentation quality. We run trailers and films on the same format, but I usually check on volume on our busier films. But theres always one ass-backward customer that screws up your day and complains to everyone they can until they get free passes.

We were running Cloudy 2D on DTS and had the fader down to 2.0 with some idiotic person complaining it was still too loud. Told another manager that she was a nurse and her child's ears were hurting it was so loud. I had personally screened that movie at 6.5, and it was just perfect (but I like my films loud).

Moiral of the story: Idiots are everywhere and its best to ignore them.

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Damien Taylor
Master Film Handler

Posts: 493
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2007

- posted 11-01-2009 01:41 AM      Profile for Damien Taylor   Email Damien Taylor   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I've always believed what Brad said, that the all preshow material should be less impressive than the feature. I Run my preshow with the lights at half dim, and the sound considerably lower than feature level.

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Demetris Thoupis
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1240
From: Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus
Registered: Apr 2001

- posted 11-01-2009 02:01 AM      Profile for Demetris Thoupis   Email Demetris Thoupis   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
One good response which always works `if you wanted to watch TV you should have stayed home`. Review Coming up

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Aaron Garman
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: Toledo, OH USA
Registered: Mar 2003

- posted 11-02-2009 01:47 AM      Profile for Aaron Garman   Email Aaron Garman   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
A couple points:

Not a fan of running trailers in mono. In some cases, trailers are fantastic pieces of art, and to show them in mono is a detriment to that. I would have been sad to hear the trailer for the remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre in mono.

People need to understand, although many never will, that modern films and trailers are loud. They need to deal with that. I almost find it insulting when a person would say it is too loud, as if to see I'm not doing my job correctly and running the film at a ridiculous level. As a projectionist, I always saw myself as the caretaker of a piece of art, and would present it as the artist intended. If someone finds a film too loud, don't complain to me, complain to the sound designer.

AJG

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Brad Miller
Administrator

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

- posted 11-02-2009 02:06 AM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
Trailers are commercials. The customers paid to see the feature.

I also need to point out that we routinely run the features at 7 when the trailers are ran in mono. When the trailers are ran in digital, complaints are made and the customers at that point will throw a tissy fit if the volume isn't lowered to 5 or so for the feature because they have it in their head that it is too loud, no matter whether it really is or not...all because of the stupid trailers.

So would you consider Screenvision commercials art? You should if you consider trailers art. [Razz]

Nope, mono wins. My feature presentations are more important than some stupid horror or action trailer with lots of cool sounding "whooshes". The feature is what the customer paid their hard earned money to see.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

- posted 11-02-2009 04:38 AM      Profile for Joe Redifer   Author's Homepage   Email Joe Redifer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
We used to get complaints ALL THE TIME during the trailers that they were too loud. Most of the time managers ran the booth, so when I would come in I'd find the volume knob resting at 3 or 4, max. Since then I reconfigured the trailers to run at around 3.5 or 4 or so and the movie at around 6.7 or so. The volume resets so even if it is adjusted for one show, it'll be back at 6.7 for the next even when managers run the show. That pretty much stopped ALL volume complaints forever. I say "pretty much" because we still had one CP65 house and one CP200 house, the rest were CP650s. I did the lights and the volume manually when I worked each and every show for these auditoriums since the automation was ancient and inadequate for the task thanks to the cheap-wad owners and of course the managers wouldn't have time to deal with volume changes so they just left it low (and one of those was are large giant screen auditorium). I had finally come up with a solution for all of this without changing automation and was going to do a test when the company and I parted ways.

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Aaron Garman
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: Toledo, OH USA
Registered: Mar 2003

- posted 11-03-2009 10:54 PM      Profile for Aaron Garman   Email Aaron Garman   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Brad Miller
So would you consider Screenvision commercials art? You should if you consider trailers art.
If I did, they may have to put me away. [Big Grin]

Call me crazy, but many times, the trailers are just part of the experience of going out to the average cinema. It's nice to see what's coming, and also can be a fun way to show off the technical capabilities of a given auditorium.

Yes, we're all going for the feature, but sometimes a well designed trailer is just icing on the cake.

AJG

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Demetris Thoupis
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1240
From: Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus
Registered: Apr 2001

- posted 11-06-2009 12:36 PM      Profile for Demetris Thoupis   Email Demetris Thoupis   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Well after a lot of emotional criticism because I was really a big fan of MJ I decided to write my review. I find the film a very good reward for the fans who wanted to see the concert. Although most of the footage is pre-completed and not at the final version, it clearly shows how MJ was a perfectionist who liked pushing his shows to the limits. Should he shows been made, surely MJ would have made a great comeback. New footage for Smooth Criminal, Earth Song and Thriller were really highlighted and I would have liked to see the Who Is It footage although it was not included in the film nor did it seem that a full final dress rehearsal ever took place. It is clear that MJ was not overdoing it in the rehearsals because it is well known that in front of his fans he really did give tripple the amount he should to give a trully groundbreaking spectacle. I found the sound to be very well in DTS as I watched it in three locations with DTS and one with DD sound. DTS was richer. I do admit that there were moments my eyes teared watching MJ being happy once again as he was so wrongly criticised during the last portion of his life and the moment in the film which got me most was when he was hugging Kenny Ortega showing the appreciation and silently saying `thank you for making this happen for me'. It would have been a trully breath taking spectacle. Rest in peace MJ and know that your music and love and name and legend will live foreer.
Demetris

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

- posted 11-06-2009 12:55 PM      Profile for David Stambaugh   Author's Homepage   Email David Stambaugh   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
On the subject of trailer volume, I am reminded of when I saw the trailer for "Twister". It played real loud, had an amazing sound mix, and made a big impression. That 2 minutes or so was almost worth the price of admission to whatever the feature was (I can't remember the feature, but definitely remember that trailer).

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

- posted 11-06-2009 05:09 PM      Profile for Joe Redifer   Author's Homepage   Email Joe Redifer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
When Michael Jackson tries to make everything perfect, people call him a "perfectionist" and lavish him with praise. When I try to make everything perfect, people call me "too anal" and lavish me with incompetence.

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Karl Borowski
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 161
From: Sulking in GameFAQ Forum
Registered: Sep 2009

- posted 11-06-2009 07:27 PM      Profile for Karl Borowski   Email Karl Borowski   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
To what field have you been called "too anal" Joe?

I assume you're talking about projection?

Ultimately, while I am a bit compulsive about perfect projection myself, a given projection room is ultimately subject to the bad habits of its worst operator.

For instance, threading from the bottom up and keeping film off the floor is, in part, pointless of everyone in the booth isn't doing it.

Regular screening of the projectors is pointless when every print being run is scratched up.

Getting back to "This Is It's" volume, we're playing it in every sound system but SDDS. Can someone recommend a good increase over standard for each?

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Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

- posted 11-06-2009 07:58 PM      Profile for Chris Slycord   Email Chris Slycord   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
[Confused]

In-part pointless? If person A gets dirt on a print while person B makes sure not to, it doesn't make it pointless because in my world less dirt is better than more.

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Karl Borowski
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 161
From: Sulking in GameFAQ Forum
Registered: Sep 2009

- posted 11-06-2009 08:49 PM      Profile for Karl Borowski   Email Karl Borowski   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Yeah, Chris, if five people are dragging the film on the floor in the booth, and one person isn't, you'll be able to see the difference on the screen because of that one person.

I was talking about doing that to avoid scratching up the leader, anyway.

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