Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Possible Film Codename

This is topic Possible Film Codename in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Steve Pike (Member # 3023) on 07-25-2006, 10:53 AM:

Is there somewhere where we can find out the codenames of films?

We have a film called Barnet that has arrived - we don't know what it is.

Is there a website which can help. Thanks.

Posted by Tommie Evans (Member # 2674) on 07-25-2006, 11:21 AM:

It stars Tom Hanks, Audrey Tatou and Ian McKellen.

It's also based loosely on a famous Dan Browm novel [Wink]

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 07-25-2006, 12:56 PM:

Codenames are used for security during pre-release transit of prints. So the studios really do not want to have those codenames put on the internet. The depots have been stupid sometimes to just put a label with the codename next to the real title.

Posted by William Phillips (Member # 1162) on 07-25-2006, 01:09 PM:

It was also a long and boring film

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 07-25-2006, 03:29 PM:

quote: Bill Gabel
So the studios really do not want to have those codenames put on the internet.

If they bothered to inform theatres in advance that a codenamed print was being delivered, no-one would need to.

During my time in the booth I ended up sending a film back unopened thanks to this stupidity, and by the time a replacement arrived we'd lost two shows on the Friday afternoon.

Posted by Tommie Evans (Member # 2674) on 07-25-2006, 04:45 PM:

Its not security, its to confuse the projectionist and stop them pirating the movie. Cos by the time the cinema gets it theres sure to be a crystal clear copy on some file sharing site somewhere [Mad]

Posted by Alexander Smith (Member # 1769) on 07-26-2006, 09:51 AM:

This practice of sending out films under a pseudonym has been
going on for a while. The first time I became aware of it was
finding our print of "Star Wars Episode 1" being labelled as
"Perfect Timing".

I agree with those who feel it important that the cinema
receiving the print, is advised of the codename in advance
of receipt.

Perhaps because my cinema is a very long way away from Perivale,
myself and the other projectionists have taken to opening the
box of a film whose name they don't recognise, and looking at
the head of reel 1. We can't afford to make the mistake of
sending a film back just in case it is under pseudonym.

Perhaps the situation is turning around now, one of my managers
was able to inform me some weeks before "Superman Returns" of
the pseudonym it would be shipped under.

Alex.

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 07-26-2006, 04:53 PM:

quote: Leo Enticknap
If they bothered to inform theatres in advance that a codenamed print was being delivered

That's what the studios and depots have to get their acts together on.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 07-26-2006, 05:00 PM:

It was 'Perfect Timing' aka Star Bores which I packed off back to Perivale ... wish it had stayed there! [puke]

Posted by Ian Woloschin (Member # 3709) on 07-26-2006, 08:28 PM:

The problem is even worse at non theatrical locations. There's absolutely no warning we get from Swank about funny film names, so there's been times where we've thought we didn't have a film until the day before we were setup to show it (and then it's a mad rush to find someone with the time to build it quickly).

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 07-26-2006, 08:35 PM:

So was the box or cans that was delivered with the funny title. Ever opened to see what was inside of the box/cans? Or was it just left to sit there?

Posted by Ian Woloschin (Member # 3709) on 07-27-2006, 06:59 AM:

Problem for me is my bookers (two students from the social committee on my campus) are responsible for obtaining 35mm prints, and bringing them to the projection booth. I'm only responsible for 35mm prints while they're in the projection booth.

For one of our movies, the film wasn't turning up, so I found the cans, saw a funny title, and opened it myself, and realized what had happened. Unfortunately, the bookers are both non technical people, they don't care how it works, they just care that we show a good movie. Granted, it's sort of a unique problem, but why can't the just put the right name on the can, especially when the movie is going to be released on DVD the same week?

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 07-27-2006, 08:23 AM:

It only takes a few minutes to examine Reel 1 on a rewind bench to look at the opening title. In most cases, the real title should also be printed on the head leader.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-27-2006, 02:08 PM:

....unless you're looking at a James Bond or Pink Panther movie, in which case the title will be 1000 feet in, or possibly in reel 2... or if you're looking at "The Passion of the Christ," you'll look through the whole print trying to find that title. [Wink]

Code names are dopey. Just put the title on the damn film.

Posted by Kris Brunton (Member # 432) on 07-27-2006, 03:06 PM:

The Star Wars I seen was called SWEPI.. but that is when I first started to see the code names as well.. I am not fond of the code names either...

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 07-27-2006, 03:25 PM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
....unless you're looking at a James Bond or Pink Panther movie, in which case the title will be 1000 feet in, or possibly in reel 2... or if you're looking at "The Passion of the Christ," you'll look through the whole print trying to find that title.

Did those films have the correct title printed on the leaders? Or are they using code names there too?

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 07-28-2006, 01:21 AM:

The ones I handled had the codenames printed onto the leader from the interneg, too. In other words, the only way to establish for sure what the actual film was was to put reel 1 on the bench and look for a BBFC censor certificate on the front. Given that American censor certificates are (i) at the end of the feature, and (ii) don't include the title, a print without a BBFC certificate would be even more difficult to identify if you hadn't been informed of a codenamed distribution in advance.

Posted by Phil Blake (Member # 2012) on 07-29-2006, 08:04 AM:

well i don't know but it all seems like they are shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.

popular titles are appearing on the net and pirate dvds are on the streets before someone has even thought about a code name for the film, it appears to be a real band aid approach!

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 07-31-2006, 08:49 AM:

quote:
It was 'Perfect Timing' aka Star Bores which I packed off back to Perivale ... wish it had stayed there!

Why? It didn't do any business at your theater?

I don't get why code names confuse people. I also don't get why studios use them. I know all the reasons given: It helps prevent piracy by confusing people blah blah blah. They don't confuse us at all.

I remember the contraversy here on Film-Tech with all the people, including the Grand Poo-Bah, who missed the Episode III teaser in their can just because it said "Sand Dog (Fox)" on it. They knew they were missing Episode III, which was a Fox film, and they had a "Sand Dog" which was labeled as a Fox film, and it never occured to anyone to unspool it and see what it was. This all caused a huge uproar among - well, almost everyone. The Star Wars fans were pissed because the trailer wasn't there, the theaters were pissed because (they thought) they didn't get the trailer.... it was a big hubbub.

The second Episode III trailer was code named "Bosco" but with all the problems Sand Dog created, I guess they chose not to include that code name on the trailer itself. It was only used on the DTS disks.

I don't mean any offense, but I just don't get the level of confusion that this causes.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-31-2006, 12:21 PM:

I've never had any problems with code names on films, but a Star Wars III poster sat unused for months because it had some goofy code name on the mailing label on the tube.

Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 07-31-2006, 09:49 PM:

If you're in a multiplex and you know you are getting X number of prints for a film surely it's obvious if several prints with the same stupid name turn up?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-31-2006, 10:03 PM:

Trivia time! What movie do I have when I say "I just got in a print and the leaders say 'Changing Seasons' on it"?

This practice is bad enough when the cans are mislabeled, but when the LEADERS have fake names and the freakin' TRAILERS are mislabeled, that's taking it way too far.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 07-31-2006, 10:21 PM:

Of course, Brad, we remember that it was The Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. [ok, I admit, I didn't remember if it was Fellowship or Two Towers and I had to go back and look...]

--jhawk

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 07-31-2006, 10:21 PM:

was that the first lord of the rings Fellowship of the rings?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-31-2006, 10:22 PM:

quote:
Of course, Brad, we remember that it was The Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring.

Keyword there being WE. Do you remember what "The Dunce Incident" was?

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 08-01-2006, 03:35 PM:

I'll go out on a limb and say that it was whatever film you were expecting to receive.

And they aren't mislabeled. They're correctly labeled with their code names.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-01-2006, 06:45 PM:

Actually no, but that isn't the point.

This makes me wonder...how many of you take a big fat marker and write all over the labels on the cans what the REAL title of the movie is? [Big Grin]

Posted by Ron Curran (Member # 3631) on 08-01-2006, 07:39 PM:

Yes Brad, we do that. And we cross out the spool numbers on the boxes and re-number consecutively. If we have time on break-up night, we also mark the image and sound formats on the boxes.