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This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
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Author
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Topic: High Priced Concert Crashed, Regal Tries To Pawn Off Low Priced Regular Movie Passes
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Elizabeth Betty Gross
Film Handler
Posts: 18
From: Astoria, NY, USA
Registered: Jul 2004
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posted 06-19-2011 12:19 AM
Monte: Why make excuses for a badly trained staff? If they don't have brains enough to turn on the lights in a dark house, if they don't have enough respect to keep their customers informed about the state of the presentation, if they don't know that the customer is entitled to a cash refund on request (by law), and if they give customers passes of lesser value than was paid, then they should undergo retraining or lose their jobs (and I don't say this lightly).
Steve: I have enjoyed reading your contributions over the years, and usually regard them highly. For this reason, I was quite surprised that, for a high profile, limited engagement screening of "Company", you didn't change the bulb before complaints were warranted. A week early would not have effected the festival.
Kurt: Guests are invited, customers pay.
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Frank Angel
Film God
Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 06-19-2011 05:37 AM
If someone tried to sneak into a theatre without paying, that's the same as shoplifting and they could be arrested for theft-of-service. They'd call the cops. They'd have that person arrested. So how is the theatre not giving a refund for services THEY didn't provide after pocketing the patron's money, not the same thing -- theft of service? Someone should have called the cops and had the manager arrested for stealing $38 bucks.
And sorry, Monte, that third party argument sure won't hold water with patrons. They only see the theatre -- the entity that took their money and then didn't deliver -- no one else. And they certainly don't give a hoot about what contractual arrangements have on behind closed doors. Do patrons get pissed at the film studio when the theatre screws up a screening? "Damn that Warner Brothers." Not at all. The anger and bad will and "I'm never coming back here again." is always directed at the theatre management, and rightly so. No matter if the problem is something technical that even the best-run theatre couldn't have avoided, if they don't have a policy in place whose sole purpose is to "make the customer happy" in such situations, then they are STILL at fault.
We used to run Vegas world champion fights via satelite and video projection back in the early 80's. If there were anything more stressful and nerve-wracking, I can't think of it. We lost the feed more than once and immediately after the first time that happened, I had slides made up that could be thrown up on the screen to tame the savage beast. And let me tell you, 2500 fight fans who each paid $50 (adjusted for inflation probably were really $150) are definately one mean savage beast. I even made a loop of they arena crowd noise that I recorded during the pre-fights so that I could cover any lost audio should that happen (and used it at least three times -- audience never knew they weren't hearing real audio, other than the announcer and color commentor mysteriously just stopped talking). I only had to use the "PlEASE STAND BY. WE ARE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. THE PICTURE WILL RETURN MOMENTARILY" slide one time, and then only for maybe 45 seconds before the feed returned. I had nightmares about what would be left of our theatre if we lost the feed for any real lenght of time. I can gurantee that mob wouldn't be looking for the production company to beat up.
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Jack Ondracek
Film God
Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 06-19-2011 03:19 PM
On the few times we've had a problem I couldn't fix, we've offered our customers their money back. To sweeten the deal however, and possibly build a little good pr out of a bad situation, I offer them a carload pass as an alternative... no limit, no restrictions. With that offer, I don't give back much money.
I've had them come back to a first-run release with 20 people stuffed in a Volkswagen bus. They're grinning and we do, too. If I have to eat the percentages, so be it. Everyone's happy and they're buying my popcorn.
Regal blew an opportunity on this one, for sure.
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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!
Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 06-19-2011 06:47 PM
Elizabeth. First off, I don't decide when lamps get changed...the hours on the lamps do and if close on SilverDocs, they get changed for it. You are VERY MUCH MISTAKEN as to the light fall off by running that lamp an extra week. Little to most folks know...a 6KW lamp (unless it is a CDXL or DXL) is going to drop its light by as much as 20% in the first 50 hours! Typical smaller lamps drop 20% in their first 100-hours.
It isn't that Company was selected to have low light...in fact, I don't know if the light was below spec. The lamp was NOT over-hours either. It was only at about 900 out of 1100. It will be lower than a fresh lamp, for sure. Company was not treated differently than any other presentation. It isn't like the lamp was on its last legs, flickering and only putting out 2fL. Company IS a stage play with nothing special about the lighting for the taping of the performance. So yes, there is much back on the screen with just the actor's lit. The lamp was NOT replaced due to complaints and likely would have only be tweaked up (focus optimized, current raised) to get the last few hundred hours out of it unless it was found to not be able to put out acceptable light quality (either brightness or stability).
As for the price (Regardless of what the medium was) I'm sure it was dictated by those that control the rights to Company. It was a limited engagement and not currently offered to the home. Hence, via supply/demand, it commanded a premium.
-Steve
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Jonathan Goeldner
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1360
From: Washington, District of Columbia
Registered: Jun 2008
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posted 06-19-2011 09:23 PM
quote: Steve Guttag
The AFI/Silver's Company is off of BluRay. As for the light, it was probably a little dim, the lamp was changed on Thursday (the day after your screening). Unfortunately, you got to see it at its worst (last day of the lamp). Since SilverDocs (The AFI/Silver's annual Documentary festival) is next week, the video side of things are normally prepped just before that so they are at their brightest/sharpest...etc.
And Monte...as has been pointed out. It IS Regal's fault for the muffed show. The contract (ticket purchased) with the customer is between Regal and the Customer. If the show was not complete, nothing less than a full refund should have been acceptable. A readmit with restrictions and not sufficient to see an equivalent show is nothing short of theft (it would be like me stealing $10 from your wallet and then when caught, only having to give you $5 back). If Regal wants to pursue damages with the 3rd party, that is their business, not the customer's. If the 3rd Party can't supply reliable performances, Regal should not offer them.
Personally, my opinion is that this sort of performance should have been delivered on DCP, HDCAM, HDCAM-SR or D5 formats only. Those are "reliable" formats. Disc and Windows (anything) are not.
-Steve
son of a .... ![[Mad]](mad.gif) (bluray? really?)
quote:
Elizabeth. First off, I don't decide when lamps get changed...the hours on the lamps do and if close on SilverDocs, they get changed for it. You are VERY MUCH MISTAKEN as to the light fall off by running that lamp an extra week. Little to most folks know...a 6KW lamp (unless it is a CDXL or DXL) is going to drop its light by as much as 20% in the first 50 hours! Typical smaller lamps drop 20% in their first 100-hours.
It isn't that Company was selected to have low light...in fact, I don't know if the light was below spec. The lamp was NOT over-hours either. It was only at about 900 out of 1100. It will be lower than a fresh lamp, for sure. Company was not treated differently than any other presentation. It isn't like the lamp was on its last legs, flickering and only putting out 2fL. Company IS a stage play with nothing special about the lighting for the taping of the performance. So yes, there is much back on the screen with just the actor's lit. The lamp was NOT replaced due to complaints and likely would have only be tweaked up (focus optimized, current raised) to get the last few hundred hours out of it unless it was found to not be able to put out acceptable light quality (either brightness or stability).
As for the price (Regardless of what the medium was) I'm sure it was dictated by those that control the rights to Company. It was a limited engagement and not currently offered to the home. Hence, via supply/demand, it commanded a premium.
-Steve
Which is odd since the taping/theatrical run of ‘RENT: Live from Broadway’ the lighting was exceedingly bright and the camera very up close at times – that hidef presentation from Sony’s Hot Ticket – was great!
In regards to Silverdocs – it’s the only time I know at the AFI Silver that the DLP projectors on all three screens are ever used (aside from the occasional slip ups: i.e, ‘Pink Floyd the Wall’ – projected DVD – not cool). At the numerous festivals and regular runs, 35mm is definitely the preferred medium at the Silver.
My sister’s in town and she’s dying to see 'Company', so she and I are trekking over to Bow Tie Reston to check it out – really really hope no snafu’s occur.
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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!
Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 06-19-2011 10:41 PM
Jonathan,
Sorry about popping your bubble on the BluRay thing...that is how they received it. Since your complaints had nothing to do with the source image, how can you fault it? It is a 1080 source. Note, YOU got to see your show...unlike the other delivery mediums like Bill Gates-O-Vision. Though, as I as said before, I would feel uncomfortable with something other than HDCAM, HDCAM-SR, D5 or DCP...just from a reliability standpoint.
As for the DLPs...they are used every day on all three screens...sometimes just for the pre-show stuff/policy...sometimes for meetings, for movies that are on video only (could be DVCAM, HDCAM, D5, DVD, BLURAY...Computer...you name it). They are actually VERY active. They are just integrated into the various performances with changeovers between video/film as the performance so dictates.
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Randy Stankey
Film God
Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 06-19-2011 11:47 PM
quote: Jonathan Goeldner
and this is why satellite feed events freak me out - if (and when) problems like this, occur.
Can you say "Solar Fade?"
On two different broadcasts we had this happen and on both occasions people would come up to me and ask me to fix it. On one occasion, after I had explained the problem no less than three times, I finally got so pissed off that I pretended to dial my cell phone and said, "Hello... God?... Could you please move the sun?... Yes, Lord... Thank you." Then I turned to the person (an usher) and said, "He says, 'Yes," but you'll have to wait about another seven minutes."
Wise ass commentary aside, this kind of shit actually gives me panic attacks. Honest to goodness, heart-racing, sweating, shaking, out-of-breath panic attacks. It has gotten so bad that I have ended up in the hospital. Not kidding!
I understand that it's logically no different than a movie projector blowing up on you (which has happened) butI hate the feeling of being stuck in a situation where shit goes to hell and you basically can't do anything but stand there with your dick in your hand.
(Figuratively speaking.)
To top it all off, management needs to back up their employees when shit hits the fan. Somebody else fucks up and I am the one getting hung out to dry!
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