Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Star Trek - Barco ESCAPE presentation

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-22-2016, 03:36 PM:

Definitely a lot better way to present the ESCAPE format with more side panel information that was with the Maze Runner sequel, even though ST only had close to an half hour of actual three screen presentation.

What made this more appealing was that the total half hour was spread across the entire feature with a few seconds here, a minute here - just blips to keep the presentation interesting.

Storywise, it's a decent addition to the series - a good popcorn and Saturday matinee flick. No disappointments for many.

4/5 for the ESCAPE
3/5 for the Feature

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 07-22-2016, 04:53 PM:

I'm familiar with the concept of Barco Escape, but haven't seen it in action. What content is projected onto the extra screens? is it extra content that is authored specifically for the format, or is the original content reformat so that some of it appears on the extra screens?

Posted by Aron Toplitsky (Member # 6950) on 07-23-2016, 12:02 AM:

Is this usually a 3D or 2D presentation?

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-23-2016, 04:11 AM:

quote: Ken Lackner
What content is projected onto the extra screens? is it extra content that is authored specifically for the format, or is the original content reformat so that some of it appears on the extra screens?

Please, allow me to begin:

Before the feature, there was a clip that I had to ingest with the feature, is an
introduction to the format by Bad Robot's Producer Ben Rosenblatt.

He welcomes the audience in attending this film. After his welcome, he begins to introduce the ESCAPE section of the film where he is located in center screen while he is sitting in his office task chair.

He mentions that portions of the film is going to be projected on the side screens at precise moments of the film.

He, then demonstrates the process: He tells the audience that he should be being presented on the center screen. As he talks, he moves his left arm and hand to the right side, where these are being presented on the right screen...and the same when he moves his right hand and arm and being projected to the left screen.

After his speech, feature begins. Paramount logo hits the screen and fades to black. A star field comes on screen with entire star field on the three screens and the Enterprise, being in flight, approaches from left, crosses over to center then exits from right screen.

To the question: it looks like they did an old fashioned "pan and scan" of portions of the side image of the original wide screen image to make content for the side screens and seamed it very well to the center image to make it look like one full shot using three cameras....which this process could have been made during the editing and CGI department since most of the live action occurred on the center screen only.

This is all totally new to the lot of us where it could have promise if studios can support it.

Was quite shocking to see Paramount jump on this ESCAPE bandwagon, where FOX was the first to take the dive.

I'm expecting Rogue Squadron to have ESCAPE releases come December, for Disney may give it a shot also.

Big advantage with the ESCAPE due to the downsizing of the center image is that the sharpness really is noticeable - almost like 4K

Setting this all up is a feat in itself. One has to ingest main content directly (via the HD Sled and USB cable-no CRU bay)to the center projector (no TMS allowed) and the ICMP Alchemy distributes the content to the other two projectors.

Each projector has its own key, which also has to be directly ingested, either through a click and drag via desktop to key ingest window, or thumbdrive (no TMS allowed).

SPL has a total of ten cues with six controlling the side projectors and the other four controls the center projector and automation.

One can cue the screens and curtains to open and close per each showing, but recommended that the screens be left in their ESCAPE position for simplicity.

Before the ESCAPE run, one has to manually bring down the side projectors to their stops and run a target loop to check alignment on the open screens. One goes into the Communicator to do the necessary alignments, if any.
There is an option to bring the projectors down to the floor for lamp and filter servicing, which these units are mounted with a heavily insulated "hush box" with its own exhaust system that pushes the hot air out into the upper portions of the auditorium.

If all is good, this process runs very well with no issues.
I like to see studios make trailers in ESCAPE to really take advantage of the three panels instead of showing trailers on the center screen only...and they can only be 'scope trailers.

No, this is standard 2D presentation.

- Monte

Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 08-04-2016, 10:57 PM:

what is the audio for 'Escape' presentations - standard 7.1 or Auro 11.1 ?

Posted by Terry Monohan (Member # 8285) on 08-05-2016, 07:26 AM:

We have two theatres now in the SF Bay Area that have Barco Escape. One in Pleasant Hill CA at the Century/Cinemark 16 and the other one in San Jose at the independent Camera 12 In downtown SJ. More to come before Christmas I hear in our area. I enjoyed the 'Star Trek' movie in this new system very much. I was wondering how did they fit the three screens in when there are side exits. Well It seems these are wide scope screens that fit above the side exits. You have to have a cinema with high ceilings. Each screen is about 30 feet wide for a total wrap a round look of over 90 feet in PH. It covers the first 5 rows of the 300 seat cinema I was in. The best seats for us were about mid way back. I did see some content that I think was just shot for the side screens. The picture was nice and bright and clear. The Century 16 and The Camera 12 don't do the correct advertising in their newspaper listings for Escape. They just say Star Trek 3 times with times . The 3-D version and two listing for times for the Trek movie. No mention of Escape. On the their web site they do list It. I liked the little demo Escape screen booth in the lobby in Pleasant Hill. The theatres spend all this money to put this new semi Cinerama system in and they need to advertise It better to the public. I wonder If they will ever do 3-D in Escape? Many shots almost looked 3-D to me when all 3 screens were on. I wonder what the largest size screens they can put in a big 600+ seat auditorium? The whole system with the side screens can be hidden with the black curtains on a track when not in use and the main screen brought back to full size. Go check It out in a cinema, at least they don't have this in the home set ups yet.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 08-05-2016, 12:55 PM:

quote:
what is the audio for 'Escape' presentations -

We're just doing 5.1

Only sound file that was in the content package.

Also, I had to install a 2k bulb to reduce the light output for the center projector due to the zoom down of the image creating a super bright image using the larger bulb.

For the larger bulb shot the Fl's up to almost 40 in Escape Mode.

-Monte

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 08-26-2016, 05:38 PM:

Saw this last weekend- might be impressive in a big theater, but in a medium-sized one it just makes the center screen smaller. The projectors for the side screens where I was had NO enclosures so the fan noise drowned out a lot of dialogue. Wish I had seen it in 3D instead, but nobody in the area is still showing it with that. I call it Poor Man's Cinerama.