Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Dreamworks to Deluxe/ETS as of 10/14

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-29-2006, 12:55 PM:

According to a fax just received, Dreamworks is switching to Deluxe/ETS for film shipping starting with playdates commencing on 10/14.

Reel replacement / "Customer Call Center" number as of 10/13: 800-734-3969.

(I wonder how much longer TES will be in the film shipping business, the way companies keep deserting them.)

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 09-29-2006, 02:00 PM:

Didn't Paramount buy Dreamworks? I seem to remember something about that, and if that's so, that might explain the switcheroo.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-29-2006, 02:23 PM:

Yes, they did, and it probably does.

Posted by Ross Oba (Member # 3433) on 09-29-2006, 02:56 PM:

I wish more companies would use TES because they have a section on their website that has a Reel ID section similar to the one on this site.

Posted by Charles Greenlee (Member # 3856) on 09-29-2006, 06:34 PM:

The one thing I don't like about TES, is the policy on getting films the night before, and picking them up the morning after. Forces you to do alot of rushing if you're getting or losing alot of prints at a time.

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 09-29-2006, 06:49 PM:

I found over the years that if you keep up the maintenance on your make-up tables and take a little extra time following a make-up to prepare for the eventual tear-down, things go very easy on Thurday nights. Tore down seven prints last night and still clocked out before 1:45 AM.

As for ETS, they have occasionally lost prints because of their laxed stance on pick-ups. Fact is: If we're not running it, I personally don't want to be responsible for it . . . even if it is in the box by the stairs ready to be shipped.

Posted by Charles Greenlee (Member # 3856) on 09-29-2006, 07:04 PM:

Good point. And if there are better preparations to be made, I'd like to learn them. I am here, not to be a platter kiddy punk, but to learn. I'm no where near as experienced as many of the people on here, though I may offer up information I feel to be valid at time, I do enjoy reading and learning on here.

Not direct on subjet, but I would like to take the moment to thank the masters on this forum. Their input, whether direct or indirect has been an invaluable asset, and to Brad, and those that run the site. Even the goofy ones, like Phil, I do appreciate his and their posts. On subject, why does TES have the policy on next day returns, and day before shipments?

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 09-29-2006, 07:23 PM:

I like TES because a professional company is involved in delivering the film.

Here in Maryland - there is this really crappy company called Hi-Way Film that everyone is forced to use with ETS/Deluxe. These guys delivery film in between thier party stops on the way out to Ocean City. Seriously, a guy on a bicycle could do a better job. Every week, as I am closing the theatre for the damn night - is when the film gets here. It's quite f*cking annoying!

<RANT ON>

While we are on the subject - how come they can't get the film to me in a timely manner - yet they are wanting their damn films on Friday mornings now! This sh*t is getting out of hand with these friggin people! I am tellin ya! GRRRRRRR!

</RANT OFF>

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-29-2006, 07:43 PM:

..kinda goes like this -

· Friday, October 13, 2006 - Prints for all DREAMWORKS playdates commencing on or before 10/13/06 will be delivered and retrieved by TECH, (orange can) unless otherwise notified by Paramount.

· Saturday, October 14, 2006 - All new bookings for DREAMWORKS playdates commencing on or after 10/14/06 will be supplied by ETS, (grey can).

..another film company that ETS has to handle...as if they already have probs at time getting prints to the locations by thursday...

-Monte

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 09-30-2006, 11:10 AM:

At least in my area, the service provided by both companies is becoming much more even.

Each company has its irritating quirks, but lately I've had no major problems with either.

Since I have no elevator to the booth, my biggest gripe is those single boxes that ETS is shipping their prints in... and they don't always check to make sure the DTS disks are in the cans.

TES and DHL still have coordination problems now and then, but nothing more serious than that... this year.

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 09-30-2006, 12:13 PM:

Both services in Minneapolis have become slightly more coordinated & reliable. Far fewer late or missed pickups. Windows are usually adhered to & in the rare occasion we're doing a Thursday evening release, as with some Warner Bros. titles, lately, we can count on the print being available Wednesday (even if Snakes was a major maybe on that day).

Let's see if they can weed out the scratched, misspliced attachments...

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-30-2006, 12:29 PM:

The biggest problem we have with ETS is film ends not taped down properly. I've put notes in the cans about this but still, we get film with 1" strips of old masking tape that can't hold in transit.

And, they don't ever use a filler reel like TES has started using. (THANKS, TES!) So when 6 reels are in a 7-reel Fox box, they flop around, fall apart and create a mess. It's always an adventure opening an ETS print!

Posted by Blaine Young (Member # 3992) on 09-30-2006, 02:16 PM:

Thursday nights are a madhouse around my 16-plex. In the last three weeks, we have shipped out a total of 22 prints and built 24. Having to build and screen 9 prints, and then break 8 for shipout the next day is a severe drain on booth staff. Even with 3 projectionists on duty, you're still there until 3 or 4 in the morning.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 09-30-2006, 02:22 PM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
The biggest problem we have with ETS is film ends not taped down properly. I've put notes in the cans about this but still, we get film with 1" strips of old masking tape that can't hold in transit.

Chances are they never saw the note. I've asked both companies about that. Unless the studios pay them for the incremental service, they may not even open the cans. If the last theatre put a stale cheeseburger in the can, you'll get it.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-30-2006, 05:03 PM:

Our next MT Association of Theatre Owners meeting, we have the lady who runs the Montana ETS depot coming to meet with us. So I'm going to pass on all the usual concerns and see what happens. Who knows, it might filter out into some of the other depots.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 10-01-2006, 05:06 AM:

Yea..the old Butte MT store - grand ol place for NFS - before we got our prints from NFS out of SLC for our E.Idaho theatres, we would get the majority of our prints from BUTTE..

Only thing I wish that TECH would do with that flipping spacer jazz is to place the DTS discs in either the plastic core can, or in between the flanges of those old shipping reels. With that spacer floo-floo, the CD case gets all smashed up being all compressed in the cans when getting shoved inbetween the reels (Working in a discount house,I don't have the luxury of getting new prints from either ETS or TECH where the added trailers acts like a reel to cushion the DTS case..). At least, with the ETS and the "breathing room" caused by the gap of a reel not present, the DTS case has a better chance not getting smashed up - just got to get the msg across that with the Fox Box, to not lay the case down at the bottom of the box, for the weight of the reels smashes the case up pretty bad and cracks the CD's themselves..(should go back to those yellow or black DTS round disk containers-a bugger to open, but at least nothing got all busted up inside..)

Yea..welcome to the "Spaghetti Factory" when opening up cans or the "Fox Box" and get suprised with the spaghetti in there..and the leads were still taped down at times, with reel flanges coming apart (usually from a previous theatre's operator who can't figure out how to work a MUT and wind the film at a constant speed on the core which pushes one side of the reel right off when wound not evenly,..)

-Monte

Posted by Alex Grueneberg (Member # 2652) on 10-02-2006, 02:22 PM:

At least you guys don't have CONSOLIDATED SHIPPING bring the deluxe prints. These guys chuck the cans around like they are poster tubes. One time I had to call them to ask where a print was (as it was 2am) and the owner of the company started swearing at me and said "are you going to call us every f-@king week?!" and I said there was no need for language and that If the prints continued to arrive after 2am, yes. Our gateway is 8pm to 12.

The next day I was requested to come down and have a talk with my Gm. I guess that same guy at Consolidated called my GM and my companies booking agent (Century) and said I was swearing at him and verbally abused him on the phone. My GM and house manager know me, and that I would NEVER EVER do that as I tend to keep things very professional, and luckily I had already told my house manager what happened the night before. Century almost stopped using Consolidated in light of all this. Almost... :-/

Posted by Edwin Sheldon (Member # 4001) on 10-03-2006, 05:11 AM:

I too have Consolidated. They weren't terrible until about six weeks ago, when they decided to start sporadically making 6am Friday deliveries rather than the 6pm Wednesday deliveries I have been used to. According to the driver, they're trying to cut labor costs. Well I would love to thank those morons for raising my labor costs by having to call in a projectionist or two Friday morning at the asscrack of dawn to get the prints built and previewed before the first matinee. [Mad]