Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: "Technical Difficulties" lead to cancelled shows

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Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 07-06-2012, 11:35 PM:

Last Monday afternoon I went to a local 14 plex to see a show and noticed a posting in the window stating that "Due to technical difficulties, the following movies and showtimes have been cancelled:" the three movies were SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, THE AVENGERS, and ABRAHAM LINCOLN, VAMPIRE HUNTER. Strangely, the showtime for each was the last one of the evening, in the 9:45-10:30 pm range. None of the showings between that afternoon and the last showing were being cancelled. (Need I mention that there was a midnight showing of SPIDERMAN that night?) This same theatre last year seemed to have a screen down for "technical/projection" problems every Friday /Saturday night on one screen, again, only on the prime show range (7-8pm). Since this is the one complex that had consistently excellent projection and sound, its hard to believe it was operator incompetance. If what I think was taking place (doubling up on a popular new movie), I have to wonder since this is probably the biggest chain in the country if it is routine practice. Pity the poor person who bought advanced tickets (and yes they were still available on line) and showed up if this is being deliberate.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-06-2012, 11:40 PM:

Surely you know what is going on. They are "interlocking" whatever the big movie is to make more seats.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 07-06-2012, 11:52 PM:

Maybe I'm cynical, but on a Monday night I'd be surprised they were interlocking. I think there's a chance someone wanted to get out early and preempted anyone trying to purchase tickets...

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 07-07-2012, 12:43 AM:

Well, all the other auditoriums were running late in the evening and SPIDERMAN was showing in a number of screens starting at 12:01am.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 07-07-2012, 02:27 AM:

Well, then the interlocking seems like the most likely answer.

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 07-07-2012, 10:52 AM:

How does interlocking work for digital prints? Does each auditorium have to have it's own individual key? Is there a central server that can send the same ingested DCP material to as many screens as programmed. Or is each screen seen as its own individual entity?

Posted by Mark Hajducki (Member # 1732) on 07-07-2012, 10:54 AM:

A previous employer liked to make last minute changes to the show schedule to squeeze in extra showings of popular titles (I suspect that with digital this will happen even more).

From a customer service perspective cancelling shows is not a good move (especially if there are prebooked tickets).

Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 07-07-2012, 11:05 AM:

They probably cancelled those showings because they expected very few to be in attendance. AVENGERS & SNOW WHITE have been playing a awhile and I saw ABRAHAM LINCOLN during the first week of the run and I was the only one there. There would most likely have been very very few tickets sold.

Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 07-07-2012, 11:27 AM:

Goodrich does this at the Capital 8 in Jefferson City, MO often when there is a big film on a Friday night. They will cancel a 7ish showing of something and add another show of the big title. They have done it for the last Twilight (cancelling a prime time Immortals show on its 2nd Friday of release), Hunger Games, & The Avengers.

The changes will only be seen on their website and at the box office. BUT after the time has past by (say 8pm for a 7pm show) the changes will go back to the original published times.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 07-07-2012, 06:25 PM:

quote: Paul Linfesty
How does interlocking work for digital prints? Does each auditorium have to have it's own individual key? Is there a central server that can send the same ingested DCP material to as many screens as programmed. Or is each screen seen as its own individual entity?

1) They don't have per-auditorium keys. It's just one key for a given movie (and it expires after a period of time specified in the key itself).
2) Lots of places have centralized library servers for ingesting to individual houses, but that's not necessary for an "interlock."
3) In terms of an "interlock" it's usually where each screen is its own separate entity that has the content loaded and is scheduled to play it.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-07-2012, 08:14 PM:

quote: Chris Slycord
1) They don't have per-auditorium keys. It's just one key for a given movie (and it expires after a period of time specified in the key itself).

Yes they do.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 07-07-2012, 08:23 PM:

I stand corrected. I presume most of the time they just send out one key that'll run on any house in a given location.

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 07-07-2012, 10:48 PM:

You'll get a key for every screen, even if you're only booked for one screen, that way you can put the movie wherever you have too. So if you have 12 screens, you'll get 12 keys per movie, one for each screen.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-08-2012, 01:40 AM:

Each key is unique due to the number of servers on location and each server's SN is listed within each key.

Just another form of a checksum to keep things in a normal operation.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-08-2012, 03:56 AM:

The key has nothing to do with how many servers are at a location. Each key is valid for one server, and one server period. It can be a single screen, or an 80 plex.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 07-08-2012, 08:27 AM:

Now the distributors will send out zip files with all of the keys for the complex within (and for the various capabilities for each auditorium...XBRIGHT, Surround 7.1, Open Captions...etc) but for each server and unique CPL combination, there must be a separate Key (KDM).

Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 07-10-2012, 05:44 PM:

quote: Dustin Mitchell
You'll get a key for every screen, even if you're only booked for one screen, that way you can put the movie wherever you have too. So if you have 12 screens, you'll get 12 keys per movie, one for each screen.

And if you have a subtitled version you'll get keys for that as well. Not forgetting a separate key for 2D and 3D versions. At a 13 plex (for example) for a film with 2D and 3D version as well as subtitles you would be looking at 52 keys.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 07-10-2012, 10:17 PM:

Wow -- that sure sounds like a formula for uber confusion and many human errors just waiting to happen.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-11-2012, 12:03 AM:

quote: Michael Brown
for a film with 2D and 3D version as well as subtitles you would be looking at 52 keys.

A lot of files nowdays include the CC option still making the content playable on a standard system. One key usually includes all of this.

The big thing is the one key has a checksum embedded in the "XML" file of the key that checks with the serial number of the server where the checksum agrees with the serial number of the server to allow the content to be unlocked.

If the key that is delivered to the location via email, the key builder at the depot will insert the numerous checksums in the "XML" file,each assigned to the quanity of servers that the one location may contain so that one content may be unlocked for the quanity of servers on that location with just the one deliverd key.

And, if the location gets the keys via FTP servers, the keys are delivered automatically to all the servers assigned..the operator is free from ingesting keys.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-11-2012, 01:06 AM:

Oh it's just all sorts of fun. Want an example? (CCAP = closed captioned / OCAP = open captioned)

ICE AGE 4 CCAP 5.1
ICE AGE 4 CCAP 7.1
ICE AGE 4 OCAP 5.1
ICE AGE 4 OCAP 7.1
ICE AGE 4 CCAP 5.1 3D
ICE AGE 4 CCAP 7.1 3D
ICE AGE 4 OCAP 5.1 3D
ICE AGE 4 OCAP 7.1 3D
ICE AGE 4 CCAP 5.1 3D 6FL
ICE AGE 4 CCAP 7.1 3D 6FL
ICE AGE 4 OCAP 5.1 3D 6FL
ICE AGE 4 OCAP 7.1 3D 6FL

Each one of these versions of the movie has its own individual key, and to make matters more annoying, some studios are only releasing keys valid for one week.

If you are playing it in 3d 7.1 CCAP and it moves to an "XBRITE" house you have to have the 6FL key. Or if you move from 7.1 to a 5.1 house, etc. Its asinine. The DCP system should have been designed to have a MASTER key for ALL versions.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-11-2012, 02:31 AM:

"Hunger Games" was that PITA film were LG released the key that would unlock content a few hours prior to first show of the day...and that key would only allow the feature content to play for ten minutes, then locked the content back up.

"Wow! no pre-screening to check content!" Guess there was enough complaints that LG woke up to reality and released a key after that 10 minute key to allow full content unlock.

Panic situation settled down afterwards ..

Have to ask: Has there been any trailers in 6FL on any of the two trailer drives? Heard there was, but never seen them, or don't pay any attention to them.

-Monte

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 07-11-2012, 06:26 AM:

Why would the captioned version have a 7.1 mix? It's not as if the deaf patrons would notice the difference....

And how is 6fL "extra bright"?

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 07-11-2012, 07:54 AM:

In theory Open Captioning is so deaf people AND their families can see a movie together. So, the non-deaf members of the audience will be able to hear the extra sonic boom of the 7.1

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 07-11-2012, 11:33 AM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer
If the key that is delivered to the location via email, the key builder at the depot will insert the numerous checksums in the "XML" file,each assigned to the quanity of servers that the one location may contain so that one content may be unlocked for the quanity of servers on that location with just the one deliverd key.

Where are you getting that from? As Brad said earlier, there is one key for each title playing on each server. If you have 16 servers, you get 16 KDMs for (each version of) each title.

quote: Scott Norwood
And how is 6fL "extra bright"?

Because the standard for 3D films is 4.5 +/- 1fl, measured through the 3D filter and glasses.

Posted by Ron Funderburg (Member # 4561) on 07-11-2012, 11:56 AM:

I receive one key for each version or one key for the version we have booked via email and as we move from one screen to another that same key works for wherever we put it. Maybe this the way it is here because we are such a small operation. Six small screens!

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 07-11-2012, 04:33 PM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer

Have to ask: Has there been any trailers in 6FL on any of the two trailer drives? Heard there was, but never seen them, or don't pay any attention to them.

Ice Age 4.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-11-2012, 07:02 PM:

So if you run one of those 6fl DCPs on a "regular" machine, what does it look like? Really dull or something?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-11-2012, 09:48 PM:

Ron, you are receiving one ZIP FILE. Inside that zip file are multiple keys (one for each screen). Your server is simply un-zipping them behind your back.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 07-12-2012, 12:27 AM:

quote: Brad Miller
Your server is simply un-zipping them behind your back.

Ohhh, this is sooooo tempting..... [evil]

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-12-2012, 12:59 AM:

quote: Brad Miller
you are receiving one ZIP FILE

Sorry Ken, this is what I meant - a ZIP file that comes down through the email that contains the amount of keys that are needed for the server count at the location ...

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 07-12-2012, 03:14 AM:

A good management team would know well ahead of time which movies they would be canceling for a 12:01am premiere show, and not schedule those specific showtimes in the first place.

Posted by Ron Funderburg (Member # 4561) on 07-12-2012, 10:37 AM:

quote: Brad Miller
Ron, you are receiving one ZIP FILE. Inside that zip file are multiple keys (one for each screen). Your server is simply un-zipping them behind your back.

No Brad I unzip the keys we need CC's 5.1's. My projectionist ingest them on the machines they are needed on. I understand how computers work I have worked with them constantly since 1976. I receive one zip file for every version of the movie on the harddrive and use the ones we are going to play leaving the others alone.