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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-24-1999, 08:03 PM:
I am conducting a survey here for everyone in the US who has to deal with the Technicolor film shipping depot.A couple of years ago, I was told by a fellow by the name of Joe Habbermell at Technicolor that I was to "play whatever damn print he sent me". Needless to say, this was over an extremely poor used print that had played once at a screening and had green scratches...he would NOT replace it. According to him, it "would be impossible for a print to be scratched and damaged from just one run". I don't know if this (colorful metaphor removed) person is still with the company, but I get the feeling I am still on his dump list for daring to climb the chain of command further than the ladies who answer the phones at 4 in the morning. In short, I get used screener prints ALL THE TIME! In most cases, they are damaged beyond the presentation standards of my theater and must be replaced.
In the 5 or so years TES has been around, perhaps 3 or 4 used prints have been acceptable. The reason is these trade screening theaters KNOW they will receive a brand new print come the opening date and they just RIP the thing off the platter and pay NO CARE WHATSOEVER to the film's handling. Most used prints have scratches after ONE RUN!
So let's put this in simple terms. A given movie has perhaps a dozen prints made which are circulated around for various trade and press screenings. Then comes the actual release date with a few THOUSAND prints. What are the odds every other print sent to my theater will be a used screener print? I mean REALLY...WHAT ARE THE ODDS???
At this point, I would like to point out that in the 5 years of ETS's existence I have only received ONE used screener print from the ETS depot. Seriously, doesn't that sound more like realistic odds to receive a used screener print?
Therefore, would everyone please respond to this thread as to what your individual theaters receive. Bear in mind, a major release which was "sneaked" the weekend before should not count, as typically half of the prints are used. I'm talking about FIRST RUN theaters opening the movie on the ORIGINAL BREAK date without nationwide sneaks the weekend before. Also remember, I am referring specifically to the hideous orange cans containing reels that won't stay together that are a staple trademark of the Technicolor depot. Please keep responses similar to the ones below and make them all in respect to Technicolor depot prints.
*Never get used prints (this is the one I'm betting everyone will respond with)
*Perhaps one used print a year
*Receive used prints all the time
Your assistance will be GREATLY appreciated in proving a point! Thank you all.
Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 09-24-1999, 09:19 PM:
Well, in my experience with first run prints from TES, I can honestly say that I have got a used print once. And it was in pretty good condition. However for prints of other features(sub run or wide-release 'art' product) the prints usually SUCK!Aaron
Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 09-24-1999, 10:20 PM:
We usually get new prints. The only time I remember getting used prints was for shows we opened after the release date. The only exception was Blair Witch Project, which was screened (and scratched) by AMC Ward Parkway the day before we got it.
Posted by Art Averett (Member # 367) on 09-24-1999, 10:31 PM:
I have receiceved used prints from Technicolor and sometimes I have had to ask for replacement reels due to damage from another theater. Today I had a print of 13th Warrior to go back and because a shipping label was missing off of a shipping can, the pick-up person did not want to take it. He told me that Technicolor is starting to refuse pick-up if there are no labels/or a label missing or damaged. Had to get the manager involved to get the print shipped out. Also, Technicolor is very particular to give out info as to when and where a used print has been shown and the theater you work in receives it damaged. If you do receive a damaged print, the only thing left to do is request a replacement. Some how though, it's not enough to curb this problem.
Posted by Erika Hellgren (Member # 22) on 09-24-1999, 10:43 PM:
We almost always get new prints. The only time we'll get used prints is for open captioned prints, or trade screenings.But I'm not spoiled, I know what it feels like to deal with used prints week in and week out. I used to build up prints onto 7000's for the president and vice president of UA once upon a time, and those were almost always used.
Posted by George Roher (Member # 91) on 09-24-1999, 10:53 PM:
I have almost never gotten a used TES print for the opening day of a mainstream Hollywood movie.
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-25-1999, 03:19 AM:
Rarely do I get a used print from TES. They still suck, though. I have often had problems that occured at the lab, and customers have to watch the bad reels sometimes for the whole weekend because we can't order replacements soon enough, since the prints come in at the very last possible minute. If only the prints came in earlier. Also, since so many studios use TES these days, there is far too much filmwork to do on Thursday nights. Therefore the same level of attention cannot be given to the prints as they used to be, and you get rushed build-ups and it is the audience who suffers, along with the studios.
Posted by Thomas Ferreira (Member # 96) on 09-25-1999, 09:37 AM:
In dealing with TES since their inception as film distributors, the only used print I've gotten on the national break was Thomas Crown. I still can't figure out why they pulled prints after a sneak, when most of the venues that sneaked it had it booked anyway. The broken reel problem is my biggest complaint. I can't tell you how pissed I was last week when making up Love of the Game and I sliced my finger open on a shattered reel that there was absolutely no excuse for them to use. By the way, when does everyone receive their prints? I usually get TES prints at 4:00 on Thursday afternoon, which is adequate build up time if I'm not running mats, but everything else(Paramount, WB, New Line, etc.), is delivered by a direct courier that also delivers our concession supplies. These prints usually show up anywhere between 7 PM and 2 AM on Thursday night, which is inconvenient. I for one would love to have all Friday breaking prints on Wednesday.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-26-1999, 12:02 PM:
Thomas,I'd love to know where you are located. This is the first I've ever heard of an ETS print not being at the theater on Wednesday or at least in plenty of time. Perhaps you are in a small town far away from the depot where everything must be trucked in?
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 09-26-1999, 04:04 PM:
ETS ships prints on Wednesday? That's news to me. We always got the ETS prints via Highway Films on Thursdays. The one exception was one of our rare first-run engagements, when "Elizabeth" arrived on a Tuesday prior to a Friday opening...
Posted by Erika Hellgren (Member # 22) on 09-26-1999, 05:12 PM:
I have to confess that I don't get ETS prints on Wed either 
At my old theatre, which is only about 6 miles from where I work now, we used to get them on Wed without fail. But, I think I can understand the delay - Denver Shipping handles all the ETS deliveries for the entire Denver Metro area, and we have ... let me count ... at least 25 theatres in our city, two of those being 24 plexes. Although, on the other side of the coin, ETS doesn't deal with as many studios as TES, so ... Plus, since we are a 16, we should take precident over the 5's and 6's. Oh well, TES still bites 
Posted by Thomas Ferreira (Member # 96) on 09-26-1999, 10:15 PM:
As far as I know, all of the prints in New Hampshire, where I am, as well as most of Vermont and Massachusetts, with the exceptions of TES prints, are delivered by Gene Boyle, and have been for years. I'm not sure what Boyle's routine is for Mass., but NH and VT have always been Thursday. Still, if quality service counts for anything, I'd still rather have all my prints delivered by Boyle than by Technicrap. At least if there's a problem with delivery, I can can someone who knows what he's talking about. I've never had a problem with Boyle or his drivers-I'd rather use them than Airborne any day.------------------
Tom Ferreira
Manager/Projectionist
Claremont Cinema
Claremont, NH
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 09-29-1999, 11:40 PM:
At TT17 we almost always get brand new prints. (Unless it's a re-booking or a sneak.)Last used prints we got were:
Outside Prividence. (We got it second week instead of opening.)
Thomas Crown Affair (Sneak)
Ideal Husband (Late booking & a re-booking)
All of them except the re-book of Ideal Husb. were in good condition. (Obviously used but clean as can be expected and well-spliced & no scratches, except for an occasional thin, black one but it only lasts for 1 min or less.)
However...
Love of the Game, Stigmata, Stir of Echoes and one other one that I can't remember ALL had to have reels replaced. I've been "yelling" at everybody to inspect every foot of all TES prints upon build-up, lately because there seems to be a 'rash' of crummy prints lately. (Maybe a new hire in the lab?)
To their credit... the reels come when they say they will and we have had no 'missed pick-ups" in about the last year.
We started keeping a log of all film deliveries and pick-ups. -- When they called us an asked/hollered at us, "WHERE'S OUR PRINT OF.......", we just fired back, "That was shipped on 9/29/99 @ 12:45PM & 'Joe Blow' was the driver....." --- They quit calling us MONTHS ago and we haven't heard a peep out of them since! (Maybe we should start logging crappy reels, too!)
Posted by Rick Uhlhorn (Member # 198) on 10-31-1999, 08:35 PM:
We always get new prints and very old and broken reels. I work at a GCC 10 plex in Austin, Texas
Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 11-01-1999, 03:33 PM:
Here in Connecticut, we use Technicolor and Rosen for film deliveries.
Techincolor seems to give us good prints, but with reels that fall apart (same complant other have mentioned.)
We are also saving a few bucks by having Rosen deliver all prints (for about 6 theaters) to one location, and then the managers or somebody has to bring them to their own theater (I'm not sure if we are doing this with Technicolor, too.)
Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 03-01-2003, 08:41 AM:
I believe I had one trade print (it had a green & white label instead of the usual orange & white) and it had a notice at the head of Reel-1 stating that this was "a work-in-progress" and then it went on to apologize for incomplete digital effects and some temporary optical effects.
I think the movie was "Small Soldiers." If that was Technicolor then that's the only used print I can recall ever getting. Generally, we get new prints.
[Edit -- Question: How'd this thread get to the top of the forum? There are no new posts 'cept for mine...]
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-01-2003, 08:54 AM:
We had a rash of replies in an attempt to bump up a post count. This is precisely why this practice is not acceptable. You didn't even realize you were participating/reading a 3+ year old discussion did you? That is not fair to the people involved, in this case Technicolor, as they have greatly improved their service.
Posted by Don Bruechert (Member # 1538) on 03-01-2003, 09:48 PM:
We usually get new prints if we are getting a movie on the release date, and we might or might not get a new one if we are opening something that has been running a few weeks. We usually get our film deliveries on Thursday morning so when we come in at 530PM to begin the night shift we can start right in on them, but every once in a while we get one on Friday around 11AM and have maybe 1.5 hours to build it before it is due to run.
Posted by Bernie Anderson Jr (Member # 410) on 03-02-2003, 09:13 AM:
It has been a long time since I've received a used print at all. I run a little 7 plex and with the exceptions of an added feature 3 weeks after the opening, like Gangs of New York" every print is new. I got "gangs" this past week which was used, but in excellent shape. I was quite impressed too since it came from another AMC in our district. My theatre is one of the last hold outs with an IA contract, so you could imagine what our trained booth ushers in our chain can do to a print. The only time I had a really trashed print was when they sent it courier (a guy in the little white car) from another AMC theatre north in the state. It was like the 21st week of "Greek Wedding" and the print got there late. They should come in on Thursday. So I had to come in early on Friday. I opened the can and the film had no leaders at all. This print was whipped off with no regards of where it was going next. If it wasn't for some markings on the reels with grease pencils it would have been hard to figure out the reel order.
ETS I never have a problem with. New prints every time
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 03-02-2003, 05:19 PM:
Technicolor vs. ETS doesn't seem to make a difference with respect to new or used prints, at least from what I've seen.
Of the stuff that I deal with: Wide releases on their national release dates are almost always new prints. Pre-release screening prints of wide releases are usually new, but sometimes not. Limited releases (say, fewer than 100 prints) are hit or miss; even on opening day, used prints sometimes arrive (probably used for screenings--leaders are sometimes uncut). And, except for major reissues, repertory prints are almost invariably used. I haven't dealt much with mainstream second run, but those prints would be used as well.
Posted by Richard Miller (Member # 1405) on 03-02-2003, 05:28 PM:
Most of our prints are new. From time to time we get used prints on "wide" opening weekends. About half of our used prints come in horrible condition to put together but not a noticeable scratch on them.
Posted by Joe Morris (Member # 1553) on 03-02-2003, 06:21 PM:
As a second run theatre, we get used prints all the time. Most of the TES prints we get are "Integrety Inspected". LOL. that's the biggest oxymoron I've ever heard. How many times does a head for reel 1 match up with the tail of reel 6??? Only when it's TES. That's not mentioning the nice bright green scratches that look like someone had fun with a marker....or the goo that comes on the prints.
Posted by Jacob Huber (Member # 1138) on 03-04-2003, 01:45 AM:
About 99% of what we get is brand new. We tend to get at most 5 circuited prints, aside from those involved in a sneak. Most of these are the occasional "art film" (In the Bedroom, Brotherhood of the Wolf, The Deep End) that the local Kerasotes doesn't get. Needless to say, the art films are usually in terrible condition, but I don't remember if they were from TES or ETS as it was a long time ago. Recently, though, we recieved print #7 of Deliver Us From Eva from TES, and obviously, it was pretty much trashed by my standards. The first and last reels seemed brand new, the leaders were still uncut, and it felt fresh, while the middle reels' leaders were attached with masking tape and still had the most god-awful bright yellow opaque splicing tape left on with 2 ID frames on the leaders. Inspected it as best I could before buildup and all reels, even the "newer" ones had light black scratches all over them. On the screen they were more noticable, a combination of horizontal slash on the right and light sporadic vertical every few feet. Shipping reels and cans in good condition though ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
, but no DTS discs ![[thumbsdown]](graemlins/thumbsdown.gif)
(we don't have DTS anyway, but it's the principle of the thing).