Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Technology conflict between Loews and AMC?

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Posted by Gary Davidson (Member # 2198) on 01-18-2006, 11:06 AM:

Technicolor has partnered with the Loews circuit to provide digital pre-show technology, how does that square with Loews new relationship with AMC who uses Christie pre-show technology? In addition how will NCM co-exist with Screenvision?

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 01-18-2006, 12:51 PM:

My head just exploded.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 01-18-2006, 01:11 PM:

Simple solution: Use the Kodak pre-show system. [Cool]

http://www.kodak.com/go/dcinema

quote:
Kodak Digital Cinema — An Overview
With more than nine hundred Kodak Digital Cinema Pre-Show systems installed throughout the US, and with contracts to more than double that number, Kodak continues to dramatically expand its market offerings — and success. The company is the number one independent suppliers of digital pre-show systems in the world.

Kodak networked systems are currently on the screens of twelve exhibition chains in the U S, Canada, and China. For a seamless and accurate in-theatre presentation, the Kodak digital system connects to the cinema's automation, audio, and ticketing systems, so specific pre-shows can be designed to play with individual movies.

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/products/digital/HiDefPreShow.jhtml

quote:
With high-definition images and surround sound, the KODAK Digital Cinema solution puts some serious sizzle in your pre-show - making it a more powerful part of a great entertainment experience.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-18-2006, 03:25 PM:

Even simpler solution:

Don't force your paying audience to sit through those horrible advertising programs.

Posted by Cory Isemann (Member # 2517) on 01-18-2006, 03:29 PM:

Easier said then done!!

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 01-18-2006, 10:06 PM:

Are "we" killing this industry? Louis

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 01-19-2006, 02:19 AM:

The only good pre-show is CURTAINS!

Posted by William T. Parr (Member # 677) on 01-19-2006, 08:06 AM:

quote:
The only good pre-show is CURTAINS!

And the truth is spoken.

Posted by Floyd Justin Newton (Member # 1316) on 01-19-2006, 10:36 AM:

AMEN! [thumbsup]

Posted by John T. Hendrickson, Jr (Member # 849) on 01-19-2006, 03:04 PM:

You don't really expect the major chains and many of the independents to forego all that revenue, do you? Greed is good. [Wink]

Posted by Stephen LaPadula (Member # 3050) on 01-19-2006, 03:11 PM:

Not only Screenvision and NCM, but what about Fandango (Loews) and Moviephone (AMC). Both ticketing companies are at risk to lose a major part of their business.

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 01-19-2006, 04:23 PM:

Give it a few years & it'd be This curtain presented by...

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 01-19-2006, 10:13 PM:

Besides curtains as a pre-show, a good live performer who can get the crowd into the mood as it were is always a welcome twist. It does work, and sometimes is better than the movie itself.

There are plenty of talented performers willing to work for nothing but popcorn just for the exposure.

Ciao

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-19-2006, 10:24 PM:

quote:
The only good pre-show is CURTAINS!

Not even close man... You forgot about the pipe organ! Then its curtains......

Mark

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-20-2006, 02:26 AM:

Yea, Pipe organ-big pearl white with gold trimmed monstrosity majestically positioned in its rightful place dead center in front of the stage-just out of projection light.

Then the main house lights begin to dim as the huge tassled red velvet, gold trimmed waterfall curtain begins to rise., As the main curtains are rising, we see the light green satin title curtains behind the main waterfall waiting for the cue to be opened up.

Then, with the colored footlights shining on the title curtain, the mighty IV/85 Wurlitzer blasts out its final eight measures of the overture, and then, the foot lights begin to dim.

Then quietness. All of the sudden, the "Twentieth Century-Fox" trademark with its well-known fanfare hearlds its announcement from behind the screen and the trademark itself shines on the title curtain. Then, the title curtains begin to open up right before as we begin to see "Twentieth Century-Fox presents a CinemaScope Picture" on the screen after the title curtains have fully opened up.

...what a spectacle to witness when getting ready to watch "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" with James Mason...in 1960.

(course, I'm dreaming most of this up, but at my hometown theatre where I worked at for 14 years, we did have both the waterfall and the title curtains..and we had an excellent opening procedure on each showing. Closing was just the opposite since we had curtain cues on the film to reverse the procedure.

The main goal was to never expose the screen "naked" - the screen was to be continually covered with the curtain(s), or always have a moving picture on it.

Now, THAT was showmanship to the "T" !

-Monte

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 01-20-2006, 05:42 AM:

We still do it as Monte described on Saturday nights. Couldn't afford to do it without the screen ads.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 01-20-2006, 09:51 AM:

quote: Brad Miller
Even simpler solution:

Don't force your paying audience to sit through those horrible advertising programs.

Don't confuse the CONTENT of the preshow, with the technology used to show it. Kodak's goal is to provide the best technology and service available to allow superior presentation quality. The advertisers, content providers, and theatre circuits determine the production quality and entertainment value of what is shown.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 01-20-2006, 10:22 AM:

I'll never forget going to Pete's theater in Suffern, NY. One of the pipe organ players there played movie music from all over the spectrum for the better part of an hour as one long medley... with no sheet music. Talk about being in the mood for a good show... THAT was pre-show entertainment! [thumbsup]

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 01-20-2006, 01:46 PM:

Monte: You & I run the risk here of appearing as elderly grandfatherly reminders of a bygone era. YES! It WAS that good!

Showmen ran the theatres. Sometimes things were done (with the support of home office) that cost money because it was RIGHT to do so. Sometimes showmen bet incorrectly & lost everything.

Bean counters have stopped all creative endeavor. Louis

Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 01-20-2006, 02:34 PM:

I'm younger then both Louis or Monte (I'm 30), so maybe I don't quite understand what makes having a curtain so great. I don't think most people my age would care.

I agree that the public in general does not like the constant advertising blitz that many theatres are now putting into their preshows, and this is a turnoff where some people choose to do something else.

What if, instead of curtains, theatres brought back the old showmanship tradition of serials and cartoons before the feature to replace the current preshow?

These could be [dlp]

and would start before the announced feature time. The volume could be set low. I think it would be more fun then either curtains or a blank screen.

Personally, I like to have something to entertain me while I'm waiting, especially if I'm by myself.

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 01-20-2006, 03:17 PM:

The use of a curtain gives the presentation a more of a theatrical feel, if its done right. Like if you've ever been to the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California. They use two curtains, the main waterfall and a title curtain. All set to music as the lights dim and the curtains open and part, it's all theatrical and first class. I guess thats just alittle of Showmanship that chain shows. [thumbsup]

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 01-20-2006, 03:31 PM:

quote: Matt Fields
What if, instead of curtains, theatres brought back the old showmanship tradition of serials and cartoons before the feature to replace the current preshow?

These could be and would start before the announced feature time. The volume could be set low. I think it would be more fun then either curtains or a blank screen.

Certainly can be done. There used to be free 35mm shorts (usually with a subtle "commercial" message) available from "Modern Talking Picture Service" and other distributors. We often played these before the feature at the drive-in that I worked at. And we always played a cartoon too. Our "coming attractions" was made of trailers, snack bar ads, and the famous countdown to showtime "clock", and shown between the first and second feature.

High quality digital pre-show systems would do a fine job with these kind of shows.

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 01-20-2006, 03:55 PM:

quote: Bill Gabel
They use two curtains, the main waterfall and a title curtain.

Actually they have three, the waterfall, followed by the art-deco black painted curtain, and a silver tinsel curtain. Unfortunately, the last two shows I caught here (CHICKEN LITTLE, CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, they were only using the waterfall. Don't know what happened to the other two.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-20-2006, 05:00 PM:

quote: Matt Fields
so maybe I don't quite understand what makes having a curtain so great. I don't think most people my age would care.

...and sorry to hear this being such a depressive road for the theatre operations to be heading to.

No, as kids and young adults back then, the intermission music would be playing, then that curtain begins to rise, EVERYONE in the auditorium would hush down, or some would clap and scream.

House lights would go down, I'd be starting the projector after have struck the arcs. Then, pop open up the dowser to get the trailers on the screen, down the stage lights and open up the title curtain.

Now, if we had a scope feature (there where no such thing as scope trailers back then..)the last trailer would be cued for title curtain closure. While the title curtain was closed, the double masking settings were done for scope format (we had 1.66/1 for flat and 2.35/1 for scope-and if I was running full-trak mag, then I set the scope maskings to 2.55/1 . When we ran "Ben-Hur" I had special apertures cut for the Camera 65 reduction to 35mm, and had special settings to bring down the horizontal masking lower to be able to fit that 2.77/1 presentation within the masking settings - let alone repitching the machines downward for this special ratio).

Then, when the cue to start the other machine, the other machine's dowser would be opened, then the opening of the title curtain. When this took place, the audience would then really hoop and holler..

It was twice to ten times as fun when we were showing "Rocky Horror Picture Show" for midnights.....NOW, everyone really got into that act with this movie...LOL

..that was extremely fun. THAT was Showmanship for sure.

Now, let's see all of you do this in a modern, opened screen auditorium....

"grandfather" (lol), Monte

Posted by Mark Hajducki (Member # 1732) on 01-21-2006, 04:56 PM:

With preshow ads and trailers it is nice to have a curtain closure and a short (30 second) period before the curtain open on the feature (the BBFC certificate in the UK). This also allows for any lense/masking change to be carried out (it is not good showmanship to see the image fly across the auditorium as the turret moves whilst the screen size gets smaller).

quote: Matt Fields
so maybe I don't quite understand what makes having a curtain so great. I don't think most people my age would care.

Although I am younger still I like seeing films in curtained auditoria (the three in the city that are still used).

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 01-21-2006, 09:36 PM:

Theatres wouldn't need the ads if they got a better deal on the films. But as long as the distribs are taking 95% of opening-weeks dollars, there is no choice. And while people say they hate the ads, as long as the house lights are at a decent level during the ads, they're very easy to ignore. Hell..half the audience is on their cell phones during the ads.

In an age where the studios are threatening day-and-date DVD releases, the theaters need to take every action they can to stay in business. That should be a balance of both looking for other revenue streams as well as recreating a theatre experience that can't be had at home and an organ pre-show (which can come AFTER the ads if need-be or during the ads if they're silent) is one way of accomplishing that.