This is topic Classic Tags in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=002114
Posted by Tony L. Hernandez (Member # 3524) on 10-10-2008, 10:40 PM:
Was just wondering how many of you use those classic pre-show tags that many of us still have around our booths. I have two, a 1950s era "coming soon" tag about ten seconds long and a psychedelic 1970s era "feature presentation" tag that lasts about 30 seconds long. These are in my historic single screen theater. They are extremely worn and needless to say, dated, but my audiences simply adore them so I still put 'em on every feature. When I came upon the theater, these trailers were already used and worn so I figured I would start using them again. I have many other different tags from the 1940s up to the 1970s that are still either new and in their original boxes or rarely used so I don't have the heart to use them.
Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 10-11-2008, 12:24 AM:
I believe filmack is one of a few companies still around.
web page
Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 10-11-2008, 02:35 PM:
I use them all the time. We've got a whole rack full of them. Some from Filmack, some from the occasional sponsored stuff like the Coming Soon and Our Feature Presentation from BIC which, with just a little creative editing removes all references to BIC. I think we have some from Pike as well. The average age of our audience is around 45-50 so to them, they are familiar and look "theatrical;" it's what they like about our presentation -- all stuff they remember from BM (before multiplexes).
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 10-11-2008, 09:19 PM:
We used to have one that said "Previews of Coming Attractions" with e-z listening music, and it had a sort of reddish pink paisley shifting background behind the text. It was probably used here for at least 15 years. I thought that thing was so cool and used it until it was absolutely unplayable. I still have it, but the sprocket holes are so worn-out that I don't think it'd play any more. I'd love to find a fresh copy of that...I think it originally came from National Screen Service.
Posted by Andrew Bangs (Member # 4938) on 10-12-2008, 01:33 AM:
I would love to see those again and to have the chance to add them to our presentations. Frankly I think people started cutting them out because pre show time was getting so long with all the previews and commercials. That wonderful old stuff just had to go. Shame really. Just the other day I was at another theatre and after the second preview I realized they cut off the green bands so the could edge in a seventh preview. Makes me sick. I can't even remember the movie I came to see after all those previews.
Posted by Thomas Pitt (Member # 4322) on 10-12-2008, 01:48 AM:
I visited the Cubby Broccoli cinema in Bradford once, and they had a nice old-style 'slide' that said "COMING SOON" with changing color rectangles all around it, just before the trailers.
VUE and Cineworld don't use the old-style preview snipes, but there is still something there. VUE usually puts a static slide after the commercials that says "The following trailers are appropriate to the feature certificate".
Cineworld has a short 'policy' snipe with music before the trailers. "It's almost time for the film... but you can still grab a Coke or some popcorn... Please don't add your own sound effects... And remember, absolutely no smoking. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the film".
Slightly off-topic here (since it's not 'classic'), but whatever happened to the old-style Orange Gold Spot tags? I remember several where it appeared to be part of a movie, and a character's cell phone rang ruining the setting. These days it's just the Orange executives changing the film's plot and setting to ruin it. ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 10-12-2008, 11:24 AM:
When I was a kid, the RKO-Keiths in Flushing (Long Island) New York, they used project a kind of subtitle at the bottom of the screen through-out each trailer that gave you the start day. One would always say, STARTS WEDNESDAY or COMING SOON or OUR NEXT ATTRACTION. Very classy AND it gave the patron valuable information. But those were the days when the ONLY trailers that a theatre ever played were trailers for the films that were actually going to play on that screen. Theatres NEVER ran trailers of their competition. I wanted to try this at my place but our wussy little slide projector didn't have enough light power to blast thru the 35mm brightness, so I gave up on it, but I still think it's a nifty idea. I would imagine any theatre with a preshow digital projector could easily program it to put dates on the bottom of the trailer pack. If a theatre is digital that should even be easier, in fact, why wouldn't a digital theatre be able to put starting dates in front of EVERY trailer. Seems like with the ability to create custom graphics in the digital realm, theatres that spent all the $$$ to convert to digital could be doing allot more stuff in the way of customization of what goes on the screen with trailers, more like the way television promotes their up-coming programming.
Posted by Alex Rolfe (Member # 1648) on 10-12-2008, 12:36 PM:
We still use them at our on-campus theater. We have "Previews of Coming Attractions" and "Our Feature Presentation" (with fanfare) and silent datestrips for "Friday and Saturday", "Next Saturday and Sunday", "Wednesday", "Coming Soon", etc. If you're in a position to know what you're playing when, they're definitely useful. We get them from Filmack, which was mentioned earlier.
The audience definitely pays attention to them, too. At one point we had two sets: the plain "Friday and Saturday" style and ones that said, eg, "Friday and Saturday In Stereo" (back when stereo sound was a big deal). To this day, when the datestrip is up, everyone yells "Friday and Saturday In Stereo" even though we only use the plain versions now. This is how you can tell who's been to our shows before. And then there are the smartasses among us who yell "In Mono" before the appropriate trailers...
Posted by Benjamin John Doman (Member # 4365) on 10-13-2008, 11:49 AM:
I guess Thomas, you’ll be the only one to appreciate these....
My favourites were the ABC Cinemas computer generated triangle set, the ODEON ‘tower attack’ set (the one where you flew around the outside of an ODEON cinema). Going back farther, the ABC / EMI Cinemas set with the red crumpled silk background. I have a set of the ABC sales trailers open & close titles (‘intermission, time to enjoy...’ and ‘cigarettes & confectionary now on sale’) from the 1970’s. Even the National Screen Services laser animation titles with their dirge music look fantastic compared to some of today’s rather unimaginative efforts. Virgin Cinemas ‘world’ looked good. They had to pay a fee to THX to use the film stars pictures in the bubbles device. There’s been allot of letters & pictures on this in the last few issues of the Cinema Theatre Association’s bulletin. The Orange gold spot trailers that featured the projectionist in front of an FP28 and staff in the auditorium and circle foyer were all filmed at the Rio Cinema Dalston, London.
Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 11-08-2012, 03:12 AM:
It has been 1486 days since the last post.
Posted by Justin West (Member # 920) on 11-08-2012, 03:12 AM:
I need your feedback...all you theatre-types perusing this page!
Say you're at a drive -in and during the preshow the following bullet point appears on-screen:
"Open tailgates no higher than roof line."
What is the message management is trying to get across? Just tell me in 1 or 2 sentences and I thank you, in advance for your assistance! ![[thumbsup]](graemlins/thumbsup.gif)
Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 11-08-2012, 06:01 AM:
If you open the tailgate higher than the roofline, then there's a good chance that door will be in someone's line of vision to the screen.
Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 11-08-2012, 03:27 PM:
Tim Reed is your man when it comes to daters ("starts Sunday." Louis
Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 11-09-2012, 02:25 PM:
I'd love to have some of those classic tags converted to DCP... you know, if my home office will allow it. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 11-10-2012, 02:47 PM:
www.cinetize.com
oh, and your welcome...
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-10-2012, 06:11 PM:
They don't have classic tags to my knowledge, they just have their own contemporary tags.
Posted by Alan Plester (Member # 852) on 11-11-2012, 09:41 AM:
Hello Ben Thomas will certainly not be the only one to appreciate those lovely ABC tags, Ive put a few of them on myself, always thought they were really special.
Classic cinemas had them for years, they were yellow and blue kaliedoscope images with, showing now /next week in classic 1/ 2
you have just been watching scenes from our next presentation,friday for 7 days,and various others,all with voice overs, and i think they were made by Rebel trailers.
Miss them very much these days.
Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 11-12-2012, 12:28 PM:
They have 'classic-like' tags...
Posted by William Kucharski (Member # 7246) on 11-13-2012, 12:30 AM:
The post about drive-ins was right-on - tailgates extending past the roof line block vision for several rows behind you.
As far as the preview subject goes, you could always use the first thirty seconds or so of Kill Bill, Vol. 1. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Posted by Robert Throop (Member # 61) on 11-13-2012, 09:04 AM: