Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Waiting for [i]The Cup[/i]

This is topic Waiting for [i]The Cup[/i] in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 03-17-2000, 12:20 PM:

Friday Morning

It's 11:00 AM and I have been here since 8:30 AM. I have built up Rosetta, I have torn down All About My Mother. I am waiting for The Cup.

The booker's assistant called and told me that they had lost the print. Then he called me and told me that they found the print and that the ETA was 1:00 PM. Our first show time is 1:00 PM. We have unusually short intermission times in that house this week.

Needless to say I am all wound up. I have never called in to work sick and I have never missed a show because the print was late. I don't want to start now.

Have you all missed a show because a print was late? What did you do? What did you do for your audience? I am thinking of giving everybody that shows up a pass to see the film later and then deducting the full ticket cost from our film rental.

I am sick and tired of films arriving late. I know I work for an art house but that means I should get my prints early for screenings and such. I want to change my play dates to Thursday through Saturday, but I know that that will not fly.

I want to back charge the distributors the costs associated with late print arrival. Do you think I can get away with it?

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I want it all, and I want it buttered!

[This message has been edited by Ian Price (edited 03-17-2000).]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-17-2000, 12:35 PM:

Give everyone who purchased tickets the distributor's phone number and let them know they will be pleased to give them DOUBLE their ticket price back for their not getting the print to your theater in time.

Prints NEED to be delivered to a Wednesday deadline to ENSURE there are no problems with delivery or the print!

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 03-17-2000, 01:39 PM:

The Cup arrived @ 12:00 PM for our 1:00 PM show. I built it up in 32 minutes. I know, I'm slipping, I could have done it faster with the Strong platter.

The print came from Pacific Place 11 in Seattle, WA. It is in good shape. On the plus side, they spliced the head and the tail. The reels were in order and well marked. On the minus side, They use white splicing tape and they didn't tape the reel securly.

We are good to go and will not have to give out passes.

[This message has been edited by Ian Price (edited 03-17-2000).]

Posted by Joshua Lott (Member # 240) on 03-17-2000, 08:35 PM:

I do have do deal with late films on an occasional basis, but not as much as we had to before. Once we had to cancel shows up until 7pm, when we open at noon. But on the other hand I have had films show up at noon, and of course had them on screen by 1pm. I always thought it was because I am in the middle of nowhere. (well middle of Alaska)When we asked where a late print was Technicolor told us they thought it was somewhere in Kansas. About three hours later that print showed up. Needless to say we were happy and then 2 days later another print with the same title showed up. We assumed it was the one from Kansas.

Posted by Zach Zagar (Member # 379) on 03-17-2000, 08:42 PM:

Late prints aren't cool at all. I don't work at an art house per se(sp?), but have dealt with art films, in particular, being the late prints. Its RARE the big blockbusters with 90 gagillion copies coming out on opening week, to be late, if they are, a replacement is out there, somewhere.

I think it depends on the amount of crowd you are having for the movie to vary on what you do. Obviously, most people don't want to foot the bill for a sold out show. Its kind of a gray area, but yes, some sort of restitution should be paid to an audience.

Its definitley much better PR for the manager to be doing the apologizing, instead of uniformed staff member.

But, yup, its the art movies that are usually late.

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If ya smell, what the Zach is cooking.

Zach Zagar, the most electrifying man in theater entertainment today.

Posted by George Roher (Member # 91) on 03-17-2000, 10:01 PM:

I have had to deal with many late prints. I once had a press screening delayed over an hour due to a late print I had been waiting for since 8:30am. I have also lost shows due to a late arrival. In one instance the print showed up the second day of the run. But that wasn't a first run feature. I totally agree with Brad that all prints should be delivered on Wednesday.

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 03-17-2000, 11:00 PM:

When we picked up Angela's Ashes we were called that thursday and told we would have to go to the bus station and pick up the print midnight of Friday (when it was opening at 1 pm). Naturaly this was unacceptable, and my manager made a few phone calls.

The print arrived early Friday mornging on schedule (WB, Fox, Par, and NL prints get shipped to us via Twin City News, not Airborne).

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 03-18-2000, 02:11 PM:

We started THE SIXTH SENSE here on friday. It showed up at 2 am, not late but disaster struck.

I was tired and went home, knowing I can build up in 20 minutes, no problem.

BIG PROBLEM. I should have checked it, I know I am a dumbass for not checking it. I came in one hour before first show and began to assemble it, when i realized the bad news... EVERY SINGLE REEL HAD THE HEADS AND TAILS ATTACHED TO ALL THE WRONG PLACES... No joke, they were all at the wrong reels and not even at the right ends of them. four of the reels were cut in the wrong places, off by about 300 feet on each of them, because they didnt mark the joints and didnt take the time to go looking for them.

had to cancel first show, and had 53 extremely pissed off customers who went next door to go see it.

Took three hours but I got it up for the second show. The DTS disks didnt even come either.

HERES WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY IT HAPPENED....

There werent any prints to get to me in advance as it was still running in the full pricers... so a theater had to break it down and then technicolor had to transport it to me. The previous theater decided to do a crap job and "let the next guy deal with it". I found out who had it last... and loe and behold.. the shocking news... IT WAS OUR COMPANIES FULL PRICE THEATER IN THE SAME DAMN TOWN!!! The poor schmuck was me and the jackass that did this has noooo idea the pain and torture that is coming his way.. I am not going to fire him... i will run him through one of my simplex tanks!

When i ran it through the film guard... THE MUD, THE UNHOLY MUD that came off. Good god that print was dirty, and I counted 27, that 27 splices NOT at the joints in this print. What the hell are they doing out there? I havent had a static or brain wrap in six months!!!!

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"If it's not worth doing, I have allready been there and done it"