Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: "Fun" Thursdays

This is topic "Fun" Thursdays in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Paul Konen (Member # 41) on 06-12-2000, 08:09 AM:

Being in a Mega-plex (24 screens, currently running 12 titles), this Thursday should prove to be a bit more challenging than others.

Yes, we have had our share of 6-8 movies dropping with 6-7 of them being technicolor but this changeover should be a "bit" more interesting, why.

We have to change DLP movies. Dinosaurs is currently playing on DLP and we are getting Fantasia 2000 starting Friday. Dinosaurs doesn't drop until 11:30 pm. I guess that the TI guy will be there ready to trash the drive as soon as it is done and start loading Fantasia, while we deal with our other 6 prints that we will be given.

So, has anybody else had there own challenging nights they wish to share.

Sidenote: I wish that Buena Vista would have done Gone... in DLP but with Fantasia coming out, they probably decided not too. Would probably do more business than Fantasia.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-12-2000, 09:56 AM:

Why not simply install a second QuVis unit, which could also serve as back-up? I thought from a previous posting that you were loading in DVDs by yourself. Are the DVDs kept on hand, in case a reload becomes necessary?

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

Posted by Paul Konen (Member # 41) on 06-12-2000, 02:16 PM:

Yes we were loading in the disks by hand but that was between running Mission 2 Mars and Dinosaurs and so the DLP was not in use.

It would be nice to have a second QuVis for this, but I doubt it would happen.

Posted by Marty Hacker (Member # 485) on 06-12-2000, 02:22 PM:

Hey there!

Are they running a 35mm projector in tandem with the DLP in case there is a problem as backup? I thought that was the case for all DLP showings currently on screen.

ANyone know?

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 06-12-2000, 02:26 PM:

Paul, I feel your pain, when I was running the Grand in Dallas I had similar situations all the time. Especially since I was the only one that knew how to build up prints properly. Had a 4 screen screening of Judge Dredd, and 2 of Power Rangers, all of which had to be out THAT night. in order to build up 4 each of the same titles (gotta love technicolor - NOT) since TES wouldn't let me keep the screening prints.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 06-12-2000, 02:59 PM:

Marty - nope. At least they're not running 35mm as a backup for the DLP unit in Framingham, though they have a print of "Dinosaur" on the platter and ready to run from the start if the DLP system fails (tho they'd lose the one show during which the DLP system failed). I don't know about the other DLP screenings.

Posted by Paul Konen (Member # 41) on 06-12-2000, 04:38 PM:

We have always kept a backup "film" print on the platter, just in case.

During ToyStory-2, we actually ran it for a day because the DLP had a configuration problem with the mirroring option. That was corrected and we haven't done it since.

The mirroring option is in case the player has a problem reading a particular area, it switches to the mirror set. The option was set to retry a few times before switching. There is only about 2-3 seconds buffer with the DLP before it runs out of data and the player hadn't switched yet.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-12-2000, 05:45 PM:

Jason-

You should have just taken the new cans upstairs and told the courrier "I'll be right back down with the outgoing prints." Upstairs just put the new reels in the old cans and bring them back down. Technicolor is staffed by complete morons, and they probably wouldn't know the difference

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 06-12-2000, 05:55 PM:

Joe I tried that, but the screening prints were just Dolby Digital, but the prints we were supposed to have were quad track, plus the manager was jumping my back about it was well... The management staff refused to assist in any way or provide qualified staff to assist me. There were multiple occasions that I had to run all 24 screens by myself, which is NOT fun for an entire shift. ONCE they offered an "usher" to come up and start them for me, all I had to do is thread, that GREATLY helped, basiclly he was just a human timer... LOL but that's all I needed.

Posted by Russ Kress (Member # 461) on 06-12-2000, 06:26 PM:

Hey Joe! I can top that TES story!

Once upon a time, a theatre that will forever remain nameless was instructed by TES to break down a film immediately after its last performance so the Airborne driver could pick it up and deliver it to a UA theatre about three miles away. We (um, they) told TES that it was close so we'd just drive it over and save both theatres some payroll.

Well! This was simply un-heard of! I (um, they) felt like I (they) was (were) talking to the government. The lady had a certain DMV quality in her voice. We (they) were instructed to break down the print and follow the set proceedures.

The print was clamped and driven to the next theatre. The cans were placed in the shipping room loaded with a couple of good old fasion bricks that Airborne Express dutifully delivered to them the next day.

Come to think of it, the bricks were never returned, but I understand that the clamps were.

To be fair, I will say that the last few sneak previews I have run were allowed to be kept at the theatre to open the following weekend. Could TES actually be learning? That's kinda scary.

Russ

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 06-12-2000, 08:59 PM:

TES never makes us return our sneak preview prints and neither they nor ETS have any problem with letting us 'clamp' prints that gotta go to the theatre down the road.

Posted by Carl King (Member # 398) on 06-12-2000, 09:35 PM:

DLP?

Posted by Carl King (Member # 398) on 06-12-2000, 09:51 PM:

nevermind. I found out what DLP is.

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 06-12-2000, 10:39 PM:

Not that this is exactly on topic for this thread, but it reminds me...

I ran a sneak preview of "Gremlins" just before it came out. The guy who brought the print ("Vinnie") was instructed to deliver the print, and not let it out of his sight. He came to the theater about an hour before show time, which was plenty of time to get it ready, but no time for a screening. The shipping company he worked for had to time how long it took him to get from the film exchange to our theater (he had to call in whe he arrived.) So he sat in the booth while I made it up, ran it and waited for me to break it down. Wouldn't even go to the bathroom, which was just across the hall. He didn't know anything about projection, but someone had really impressed on him that if the print was stolen or copied, he would be in big trouble. At the end of the night, he looked beat. He took the two shipping cases with him into the bathroom. Meanwhile, I went next door to a diner and got him a sandwich and a coffee for the road. He said that the requirement was he had to be back with the print no later then 15 min. longer then it took to deliver the print. If he was late and there was no accident or otherwise noted by the police (for proof), his shipping company would be fined.

Posted by Russ Kress (Member # 461) on 06-12-2000, 10:57 PM:

Vinnie was a victim.

He was a victim because he had to take this seriously.

No one else did. This poor guy probably lost sleep over it.

Just ship the prints via UPS! They have a decent record!

They also deliver in daylight!

Let the CAP code do the enforcement. Give us the prints on Wednesday!

Russ

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-13-2000, 02:38 AM:

Russ,

That happens ALL THE TIME with TES. Many theaters (I won't name names either) just ship the cans with the empty reels. To hell with it's weight. The Airborne guys don't have a clue.

Why they insist on adding unnecessary wear and tear to the prints through extra breakdown and buildup handling is beyond me. It is not in the best interest of the prints.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 06-13-2000, 08:17 AM:

But then, TES hasn't been in the best interest of the industry.

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Better Projection Pays!