Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Madea Goes To Jail

This is topic Madea Goes To Jail in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 02-18-2009, 06:31 PM:

We're booked to open 3 prints this weekend. It's a tecnicolor film, so I was expecting it here this evening from UPS, like usual. I get here at 4 and there are 5 cans. 2.5 copies. Not 10 minutes later, as I'm about to call Technicolor, they call me. They notice how only 5 cans were scanned out and are busy looking for the missing can, telling me it will be here tonight, guaranteed. If this had happened with Deluxe, I would be getting that last can Friday morning. Kudos to technicolor. Glad you still care about the theatres.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-18-2009, 06:49 PM:

I don't know but up here both deluxe and technicolor seem to go well above and beyond getting prints to theatres as soon as they can with in the limited time frame they have control of

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 02-18-2009, 06:58 PM:

This is the 1st time I've had either company call me about an issue with delivery, yet have had too many delivery problems to count.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-18-2009, 07:01 PM:

It might be worth defining delivery problems
often prints become available only hours earlier off another screen and print shipping logistics are complex to say the least
not to say there are not screw ups

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 02-18-2009, 07:41 PM:

Today's issue seems to have been a mishap at the dock. The UPS truck must not have realized how many cans we had. Several times Deluxe has shorted us prints, but not told us at all. Only when I call do they even make an attempt to locate our film. I was just noticing something Technicolor did that was unusually heplful to us, especially in the major metropolis of DFW where I'm sure they are handling thousands of prints this weekend.

Posted by Tyler Potts (Member # 4952) on 02-19-2009, 12:27 PM:

Last night I received 1.5 copies of 2 that I need for Madea. I built one, and am going in this afternoon to check to see if the rest has arrived. Then its time to start making calls.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-19-2009, 03:06 PM:

I'm a little surprised that Technicolor hasn't gone to the Fox Box or some similar container, although I'm glad they haven't.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 02-20-2009, 12:38 AM:

Mike, how dare you even suggest that obscenity forced upon us all, the dreaded Fox Box!! [Big Grin]

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 02-20-2009, 09:35 PM:

Turns out they couldn't find the other can, so they just sent a new copy of the film. And they still have no idea where it is.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 02-20-2009, 11:08 PM:

It's funny...you'd think this would be a case where UPS's seperate tracking per-piece (versus one tracking number for the pair with DHL) would be a win. But my guess in this case is that it disappeared off the face of the earth before the first scan (which just leaves TES and UPS pointing fingers at each other).

I'm never sure what to make about of this sort of thing:

I mean, did it really leave TES (Wilmington, OH) at 1:01am? On most of ours, we see the origin scan in Wilmington, OH; though possibly it has to do with ground service versus air service. (OH->MA is 2 days by ground, so TES films seem to come ground. But OH->TX is 3 days by ground, I think they go via air).

In any case, though, I do know that TES is always looking for feedback on how UPS is doing. (Though in your case, I guess they know the answer!).

On boxes, honestly, I somehow doubt that either TES or UPS wants to transport them. I mean, they're a huge pain in the neck (perhaps literally!) for drivers, too. On the other hand, I guess I don't know much about the negotiated discounts between TES and UPS, and whether they're transporting them on conveyer belts (DHL didn't -- they had to move them through their sorting facility by hand!), and if that's a big deal or not, etc., etc.

Anyhow, Technicolor has always been historically much more proactive than Deluxe about this kind of thing (shipping verification). So I think you're right to applaud their due diligence here!

Of course, it's a lot easier for them, because they use a delivery service with online tracking. Since DFS uses a whole smattering of regional courier services, some (most?) of which don't provide online tracking, it is a lot harder for them to proactively notice a potential problem from the tracking info and flag it for a phone call. Sure, they could call everybody, but that would be a lot of busywork.

--jhawk

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 02-21-2009, 12:47 AM:

I wouldn't mind the Fox Box if they would just make that damn handle a little wider so I can actually get my entire hand in it. For now I just grip under the flaps on either side and carry them that way.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 02-24-2009, 10:36 AM:

....and wheels; put wheels on it!

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 02-24-2009, 10:45 AM:

Wheels and a long handle so it could be its own hand truck.

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 02-24-2009, 02:53 PM:

And a motor, so it can drive itself. Up a flight a stairs if possible.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 02-24-2009, 08:33 PM:

And wings.

Posted by Eric Robinson (Member # 2966) on 02-24-2009, 11:37 PM:

With a rocket.

Posted by Geena Phillips (Member # 3726) on 03-10-2009, 10:07 PM:

We opened three copies too. We normally get our prints on Wednesday, but when the 18th rolled around, we received ONE print, and a hard drive (this location has NO digital). When the other prints finally arrived the next day, they had NO enclosed trailers.