Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: So, Anyone Else get The Dark Knight Crammed into Two Cans?

This is topic So, Anyone Else get The Dark Knight Crammed into Two Cans? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Geena Phillips (Member # 3726) on 07-19-2008, 10:38 PM:

Dear friggin' Deluxe depot:

Did you think no one would notice that the label clearly says "7 Reels on 3?" Those plastic "cans" are only made to hold three reels, ya asshats (you're lucky they manged to fit a movie as long as The Dark Knight onto seven reels to begin with). If you have to precariously balance the DTS discs on top of the reels because there's no room in the cans, that MIGHT be a hint that you're not using enough cans.

Posted by Blaine Young (Member # 3992) on 07-20-2008, 12:36 AM:

All 5 of our prints came this way. I hate these square cans with a passion, and our DTS discs were squished between the reels and trailers.

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 07-20-2008, 02:37 AM:

I like these containers. They're lighter & easier to handle and I don't have to worry about them tearing the shit out of my trunk when they shift around during transport.

Posted by Joop de Gruiter (Member # 84) on 07-20-2008, 05:08 AM:

Could some one post a picture of the cans you are referring to?

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 07-20-2008, 07:00 AM:

My print came in 4-reel plastic cans. No problem at all. Didn't even consider it an issue before seeing this thread. Your depot should have just used larger cans...

How did they include trailers for you, if they were using 3-reel cans?

Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 07-20-2008, 09:29 AM:

Around here (Cincinnati Depot) they put the entire movie in one of those grey "Fox Boxes" and then put all the trailers and DTS disks in a small two reel can. Nothing was damaged, but that Box was HEAVY.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-20-2008, 01:48 PM:

We got a standard old-fashioned package: Three-reel and four-reel cans for the feature, and a third can (two reel) with the DTS disks and all the trailers. The only hitch was, the four-reel can didn't show up with the other two. Fortunately a quick call to UPS got the matter resolved - they sent a special driver with the missing can (amazingly).

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 07-20-2008, 01:58 PM:

Wow! The way you got your print really sux!
Both my prints arrived in two well-worn 4 reel metal shipping cans. (two 4-reel cans for each print) from TES.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 07-21-2008, 12:31 AM:

Surely not TES?

--jhawk

Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 07-21-2008, 05:17 AM:

Mine came in 2 four reel plastic "cans" (not the "Fox" boxes). I have no complaints about the shipping other than I hate those plastic "cans".

Posted by Geena Phillips (Member # 3726) on 07-23-2008, 08:11 PM:

I love those plastic cans. But they're only meant to hold three reels (hint, hint, Deluxe!).

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-23-2008, 08:57 PM:

Those plastic cans weren't the most favorite due to the awkwardness in handling such bulky contraptions, plus a pain to close due to the dbl hinge concept and to close that flap over then shove that plastic pin in. I'd rather do "foxboxes" than those POS's.

(Ouch!! "DK" in a "FoxBox!" - one flipping heavy sucker there! Hoped your cinema had an elevator or dumbwaiter for such deliveries.)

Yea, got two, three can prints of "DK" and figured that the two reel can was for discs and trailers.

This is how the labs should make up their prints though: nice FULL reels.

Just glad that TECH is smart enough to only do the classic can deliveries.

Posted by Geena Phillips (Member # 3726) on 07-24-2008, 10:13 AM:

I have to admit, the main reason I like the plastic cans is the handles -- large, easy to grip and not prone to dig into your hands when the can is heavy.

Also, there's less chance of the case for the DTS disk being dashed to smithereens if the deliverer transports the cans on their sides (as happens with every single Technicolor print DHL brings me ).

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-24-2008, 12:52 PM:

quote: Geena Phillips
and not prone to dig into your hands when the can is heavy.

....there is a trick in carrying can without having the handles of the can digging in that I've learned in the 35 plus years being a "film handler..: Wear gloves. [Big Grin]

No, actually, when gripping the handle, don't grab the handle all the down to the palm of the hand for this will definitely bust the hand up. Grip the handle in the 2nd bend of the fingers, for these fingers are acting like a hook to support that weight.

-Monte

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 07-24-2008, 02:28 PM:

Monte

quote: Monte L Fullmer
Hoped your cinema had an elevator or dumbwaiter for such deliveries.

Our booth is on the 4th floor and the "dumb waiter" was the doorman who was required in the union contract to carry the films up and down the stairs from outside the booth door.

KEN [Big Grin]

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-24-2008, 02:36 PM:

quote: Kenneth Wuepper
was the doorman

we had them do the same thing - being that we were also a union booth while our booth was just up the ramp to the balony.

Posted by Sean Kapp (Member # 4839) on 07-24-2008, 02:50 PM:

Ours came all crammed into one Fox Box for the feature and the trailers came in a small metal reel can. DTS was tossed in the fox box. Luckily, we have a film elevator so it is just a short walk from booth to elevator [Cool]

Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 07-24-2008, 11:57 PM:

quote:
I love those plastic cans. But they're only meant to hold three reels (hint, hint, Deluxe!).

I don't mean to nit pick, but as you can see, 4 reels fit very nicely into these cans. While I can't stand the hinges and latch, and I hate the handles, I have absolutely no complaints about how they hold film. In fact, these "cans" even have notches to hold the reels in place so that if there are only three reels, they won't slop all over during shipping.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-25-2008, 03:10 AM:

..guess, with her case then, who loaded the reels in the cases from ETS, didn't lock them in the corresponding slots.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-25-2008, 07:28 PM:

I think those square cans are meant to hold three OR four reels. As noted, the notches are there to keep three reels from flopping around, and the DTS disks can ride comfortably alongside.

What irritates me is getting one of those where the three reels are just thrown higgledy-piggledy into the can and they wind up flopping around anyway.

I like the handles, but then I have big hands/long fingers. The handles could be a tad smaller in diameter and would then fit everyone. And, I'd like it better if they'd lopped off at one of the bottom corners (making it easier to get up stairs).

Obviously a tall guy with big hands designed these cans.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-25-2008, 11:28 PM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
Obviously a tall guy with big hands designed these cans.

...prob was also the one who designed those 6k plastic shipping cases with those hideous plastic 6k reels that Warner and New Line used in the late '90's.

NOW, those were a POS to handle for sure!

Posted by Jonathon Miller (Member # 4863) on 08-04-2008, 11:41 AM:

We got ours on plastic cores, in two boxes.

And yes, they were very friggin' lucky to cram it into seven reels.

Worse, no decent trailers. In fact, no trailers at all. We did however, have a request from Roadshow (Aus distributor) for no comps for the first two weeks (<i>including</i> staff!). Well, the memo re: staff came on the second day. I took the first night off and saw it somewhere other than my work.

Fucking annoying print all up. Solid (not outstanding) film though.

I think Paramount have Watchmen over here, so that was a slight disappointment in not seeing that trailer til it hit the web.

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 08-08-2008, 04:45 PM:

Ok, you yahoos, if they give you a can with nothing but trailers in it, don't go stuffing reels in it for the return. The idea was to not shelve the 2-reel can and only send out two cans for the sub-run. [Mad]

Out of the 10 returns I received, only 3-theatres got it correct.

Golden rule, leave things like you found the, only better. [thumbsup]

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 08-08-2008, 11:56 PM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer
....there is a trick in carrying can without having the handles of the can digging in that I've learned in the 35 plus years being a "film handler..: Wear gloves.

Oven mitts are prefect and nicely padded....and cheap. If they loose them or leave them somewhere (which they CONSTANTLY do) it's not a fortune to buy new ones. Buy them in black, if you can, not the ones with bright kitcheny colors with pictures of roasted turkeys or hams in the design. Black with no design is harder to find but it will stop the staff from being tempted to laugh and poke fun at whoever is wearing them to haul the print.

We are 5 1/2 flights up in the big theatre; believe me, you don't want to be carrying double features up to the booth on stairs, screw the oven mitts.

I made them buy a hefty motorized winch and we bolted it on one of the catwalks in the hang-ceiling, dropped the air craft cable with two carabina hooks on the end of it thru an 4 in hole we cut in the ceiling. There is also small stage weight near the end of the cable to keep it taught and winding evenly on the winch drum. In the booth, the control box -- one of those big rubberized AC controls with the dead-man's UP and DOWN buttons on it in at the followspot window. The winch cable hangs about a foot in front of this fairly large window, big enough to pull the two cans into the booth thru it. The projectionist just activates the winch to lower the cable to the floor where a stagehand hooks the two cans on it and the projectionist has the winch raise them up to the window. He can then simply reach out the window and pull the cans into the booth. Pretty nifty. I designed this after about the 4th or 5th show where I had to carry the print up the five & half flights of stairs. This was one mother of a hike and necessity is the mother of invention. I was like 23 at the time -- if I would try that climb today, had I not devised this system, they surely would find me dead on the 3rd floor landing.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-09-2008, 01:11 PM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer
This is how the labs should make up their prints though: nice FULL reels.

FWIW, "balancing" the reels is the responsibility of the film editor. The labs only print what they're given. [Smile]