quote: Monte L Fullmer

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I wasn't notified of any locked prints for the 35mm version (unless the "locked" comment above is for the DCP versions) - just suspecting of being shipped in the "Fox Boxes"...

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Current locked 35mm prints in FOX/TES style boxes come with a black canvas bag inside for the reels and the standard brass Master combo lock.
 

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Posted by Steven J Hart (Member # 2340) on 03-21-2012, 09:39 AM:
 
As my booker likes to remind me. "most of the distributors have there heads buried very deeply in their *##es"
 

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Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 03-21-2012, 09:46 AM:
 
Odd. We got both sets of keys in the same email.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-21-2012, 11:40 AM:
 
We're playing The Lorax this weekend and I got four, count-em four keys. Haven't gone thru them yet to see what's what.

I guess the KDM people are feeling nostalgic for all the ways they were able to screw things up with film, and are looking for new ways to have fun.
 

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Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 03-21-2012, 12:29 PM:
 
Mike, it should be the 2D & 3D feature and close captioned keys. And you may still get an open caption key for each format.
 

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Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 03-21-2012, 03:29 PM:
 
^^^--I suspect that is the case. We usually get OCAP and CCAP keys by default on top of the 5.1 and 7.1 keys for our bigger houses.

We just got notice from Tech on the locked cans.
I really wish they wouldn't do that ish just because it makes it damn near impossible to verify the damn thing will play for the multiple sold-out auditoriums with just 30 minutes to showitme. We're seating people at that time for crying out loud!

Not to mention those of us with a certain system (four letter word) have MAJOR stability problems with ANYTHING new.

I'll never forget having a mad re-ingest of keys minutes before an advance screning of IRON MAN 2.
I litterally hit play at the exact moment it finished injesting the keys -- they'd sent us incorrect keys earlier that day + FEDEX refused to deliver the hard drive before 6PM for a 9 O'clock show...
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-21-2012, 04:27 PM:
 
Yep, got my film prints..reels all zipped up in a heavy canvas bag. Get the code tomorrow morning.

Guess who'll be doing visual bench inpections during assembly?
 

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Posted by John T. Hendrickson, Jr (Member # 849) on 03-21-2012, 04:44 PM:
 
Really nice of them to bag the entire print, wasn't it? I went in today to build our three 35MM prints only to find out the only thing I could do was make up the trailer cores.

Have the digitals downloaded and programmed the trailers, but no key yet.

No way we can do a run-through on anything.

But let's face it, it's what we've come to expect from the distributors. Why bother to get upset? If you are one of the luck ones to have something go wrong, you will be the one who gets hurt. Exhibitors are on the bottom of the food chain.
 

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Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 03-21-2012, 05:46 PM:
 
I don't see this happening in the real world, but if I had my way the solution to this late key/padlock combination issue would go something like this:

Until I can inspect (35mm) or test run (digital) the feature, it does not get screened to the public. If that means the studio loses out on one or more shows of opening day revenue, tough shit. If EVERY theatre that gets screwed this way would do that, perhaps the total lost revenue would get the studio's attention.

Of course this will never happen because most theatres don't have the balls to do it (plus many can't afford the lost revenue themselves) and it would have to happen more than once to get the dipshits at the studios to wake up.

But like John T. just said, exhibition is the bottom of the food chain (or toilet bowl) so I really doubt anything would change or the studios would even care.

Sad state of affairs really.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-21-2012, 07:53 PM:
 
It is a sad state of affairs, given we are the "engine that pulls the train." We should start acting more like it, I guess. But, anything done would have to be done en masse -- film companies don't care about one screen. If a whole CHAIN was to do something, like what happened with Tower Heist, that might cause some change.
 

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Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 03-21-2012, 09:23 PM:
 
Just received an email from Technicolor that Lionsgate has asked them to send new keys that will be good starting at 8:00pm. Still less than ideal, but better than 11:30pm.
 

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Posted by John T. Hendrickson, Jr (Member # 849) on 03-22-2012, 06:58 PM:
 
Golly gee. A hell of a lot of good that does me now. It's 8PM and my work for the day is loooooong done.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-22-2012, 09:32 PM:
 
Earlier they released the keys to be valid at 5pm. Maybe someone at Lionsgate is finally realizing they are setting themselves up for a disaster with this last minute nonsense.
 

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Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 03-22-2012, 09:54 PM:
 
Another thing that shows they are foolish: the 10 min qc key came with a unique CPL which uses reel one of the movie. However, there were no instructions on how to load the CPL. Then they send a letter out today with instructions to ingest the qc cpl after ingesting the feature, and then do the keys for the qc after the cpl.

Of course they left out the part about having to manually send the qc CPL to the servers and then build it into a play list.

All told, we've received the original 5.1 and 7.1 KDMs for the qc.
-We received the initial KDMs which were good at 11:30pm.
-Then they sent a letter advising us they would be sending new keys which would be valid starting at 8:00pm.
-Followed by the new 5.1 and 7.1 KDMs.
-Then we received a letter saying they would be sending new keys which were good at 8:00pm (17:00).
-Then a new letter saying they would be sending new keys which were good at 5:00pm (17:00).
-And finally the new 5.1 & 7.1 KDMs.

Good think I have actually been paying attention.
 

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Posted by Jim Henk (Member # 3628) on 03-23-2012, 03:26 AM:
 
Please tell me that this is a joke. If so, it's not funny.

Nowadays, they're locking 35mm film cans somehow with time locks??? And you're getting a really *short, and assigned* window to inspect and assemble prints?

WTF**k?????!!!!

There ought to be a Commandment.
 

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Posted by David Buckley (Member # 2600) on 03-23-2012, 04:47 AM:
 
I read it as little combination locks, only they don't tell you the combination until it's close enough to screening time that one slip and are deep in the
 

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Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 03-23-2012, 08:33 AM:
 

quote:

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I read it as little combination locks, only they don't tell you the combination until it's close enough to screening time that one slip and are deep in the [bs]

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Analog DRM, now they only need something that locks the print back up after your license expires .

Does anybody have a guess how long until the first studio stops releasing prints on 35MM alltogether?
 

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Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 03-23-2012, 03:49 PM:
 
A couple of them are holding fast to the September 2012 date though I'm now hearing 2013 in the mix.

There's a real simple work-a-round: cut the lock off the can or slice the canvas bag open.
What are they going to say if they even follow up when the print gets returned and you say "oh it must've been lost."

You know...so long as you don't get caught
 

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Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 03-23-2012, 04:11 PM:
 
John Fithian's response to that question on a recent conference call was that none of the studios had given a firm date, but the end of 2013 is what he was being told in various discussions.
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-23-2012, 09:33 PM:
 

quote: Justin Hamaker

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but the end of 2013 is what he was being told in various discussions.

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