Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Wizard of Oz HD Event question

This is topic Wizard of Oz HD Event question in forum Film-Yak 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=8;t=005918

Posted by Joe Tommassello (Member # 4632) on 09-09-2009, 02:06 PM:

OK, so I think I already know the answer to this. Can someone please confirm whether the highly-touted "Wizard of Oz HD Event"
on September 23 is going to be shown on an actual digital cinema projector or just the pre-show projector like most Fathom events? Thanks.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 09-10-2009, 01:04 AM:

Depends on the theatre. Most Fathom affiliates will play it off the DCN client projector.

Our theatre does not subscribe to NCMs advertising arm, and has no DCN client projector. When we hold fathom events, we run it into a Barco ACS-2048 and then into our d-cinema projector. Having worked with the standard DCN set up, I can assure you that finding a theatre with a d-cinema projector will be worth your time.

Unfortunately, we will not be running this event. But we did run Wizard of Oz in full height 1.33 35mm changeover last year.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-10-2009, 01:16 PM:

Uh oh, they're getting to you Mike! You used an unnecessary word "changeover" in your description as if that somehow means a better end presentation to the viewer. [Moon]

Posted by Galen Murphy-Fahlgren (Member # 4535) on 09-10-2009, 01:58 PM:

Brad, I like to see a changeover show now and again. I like to see if I can even tell that they're running changeovers. So far, the answer has been 'no', but it does increase my enjoyment.

Joe, do you know if NCM's stream is even 2k? My old theater used a 1.2k DLP for Fathom events that was better and brighter than the standard preshow DLPs in the rest of the auditoriums. Now, that DLP did do the preshow in that auditorium, but it was better than the standard preshow unit, though not as good as a real 2k DCinema projector.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 09-10-2009, 07:26 PM:

NCM has instructed us to use 1080i on our satellite receiver, so we can assume it is at least that high. Our DP100 is not HDCP compliant, so I don't know if they're coming in at 1080p.

Brad, you and I both know that the changeover/platter argument is bullshit, however, as a changeover booth, the studio provides us access to higher quality prints. Therefore the inclusion of the word "changeover" in my description is still relevant.

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 09-11-2009, 09:55 AM:

> NCM has instructed us to use 1080i on our satellite receiver

So it does not matter what the resolution of the theatre's projector, all you are getting is consumer quality HD. Since I can wait one more week and buy the Blu-Ray, I can't "fathom" why anyone would pay money to see this in a theatre.

All puns aside, this is not good for the exhibition industry. The public does not know or care about the difference between 2/4K D-Cinema and consumer grade digital HDTV. What they come away with is that digital can look quite mediocre on the big screen, and theatres show the same quality as Blu-Ray at home.

Actually, watching it at home, I can watch it in 1080p!

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 09-11-2009, 11:00 AM:

quote: Mitchell Dvoskin
So it does not matter what the resolution of the theatre's projector, all you are getting is consumer quality HD.

Wasn't the first clue that it was only consumer-quality HD the fact that the event has been advertised as being "in HD"? That was my thought, which is also why I didn't give a crap (considering I've seen most of it in better than HD from the re-release a while back).

Posted by Dylan Houdeshell (Member # 5415) on 09-15-2009, 12:01 AM:

The way it will be done here is it will be played off of our pre-show projector. Our projector, of course, plays in HD. Usually non-live events will come on automatically just like the pre show will (if you have NCM doing your pre-show adds).

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 09-17-2009, 09:56 AM:

People just attach "HD" to things to make people want to buy them. I saw a commercial for HD sun glasees on TV the other day for $15.00.

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 09-18-2009, 10:14 PM:

If I went to a theatre for this and it played on the crappy advertising projector, I would be SCREAMING at the manager and demanding my money back. I would be really pissed.

The fastest way to quickly destroy the special events business is to present them in a crappy manner. I don't care when the ads are on if it looks like it's through a screen door with bad resolution, dimmed contrast and bad color, but I definitely wouldn't want to see any movie that way. I went to see Inglorius Basterds (on 35mm film) last night, but during the preshow, there was something wrong with the ad projector and it was generating these weird red lines in dark areas. They played a trailer for the Wizard of Oz and it looked really bad, but I just assumed it looked that way because it was coming off of the ad projector.

The film has been playing for several weeks, but I have to say that the print looked really, really good. Especially in many close-ups, skin tones were perfect and extremely sharp. No dust and no scratches. There was one bad lab splice. But generally, film done right and all that.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 09-21-2009, 04:24 PM:

Bump.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 09-21-2009, 04:27 PM:

Crap! Sorry about that other thread I started.

So if NCM were to be completely truthful, they would advertise something like:

"First time Wizard of Oz has been down-rez'd from film quality to home HDTV quality, and we're charging more for it!"

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 09-21-2009, 04:45 PM:

I think our local Cinemark runs these Fathom events on a barely HD LCD projector.

Selznick is spinning in his grave right now.

I hope this event proves disastrous, as legions of fans will go and witness how bad [dlp]

is in this capacity. If it was 2k, I'd probably go.

AJG

Posted by Warren Dewey (Member # 3609) on 09-21-2009, 04:51 PM:

We ran WB's IB Tech OZ (1.33, and um, er uh, changeover) back in July and were told it was being pulled after that date. So this is why. I wonder if that 35mm print will be back in circulation anytime soon.

Posted by Geoff Jones (Member # 3668) on 09-21-2009, 10:05 PM:

I would pay $10/ticket to take my daughter to see The Wizard of Oz in 35mm.

I wouldn't watch this fathom crap for free.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-22-2009, 01:05 AM:

I would love to see OZ on the big screen again, but not from a Blu-Ray.

Posted by John Stewart (Member # 989) on 09-23-2009, 09:05 PM:

The film booker for our theater saw the Oz tonight at a local Regal theater. His comments:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey, John. So, I've just come in from the Metropolitan and the one-night-onlyi "high-def" presentation of "Wizard of Oz." Def, schmef... I left after 45 minutes. The image looked no better than an analog TV. Pixels were large, image was dim and flat. A major disappointment. I complained to a manager, and all he could say is that he would report it the company -- Fathom Events -- that was renting the auditorium for the presentation. He did say that it was a satellite feed, which I didn't realize. So, I don't know how much was the film, the feed or the equipment/presentation at the theatre. I'm wondering if you've read any buzz on Film Tech (other than the first story you sent me) or can find out anything from folks who saw it elsewhere. The 35mm print we showed at the Paramount this summer offered a FAR superior experience.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sounds like what was pretty much expected.

John

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 09-24-2009, 06:52 PM:

Come to Michigan, bring a copy of Oz (or whatever else you like on BluRay) and I'll show you how good HD can look in a cinema. Sorry to hear Regal is still doing video events on crummy pre-show machines.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 10-24-2009, 12:05 AM:

Bump

We just booked the "Encore" re airing of this - I was told it's the only way they are licensing it right now.

The problem is that we have a level of showmanship and an audience expectation. We have a full waterfall curtain, which we cannot use for these as fathom provides their own preshow. We have adjustable side masking too.

So, for those who already ran it or watched it, how do they format the picture? Is the preshow and bonus content in widescreen with the film in 1.37 pilarbox? Or did they "blow up" the movie to 16x9 as well? ( [puke]

)

Was there any good place for a curtain call?

Did they sneak rolling stock ads in it? They did on the Met Opera and I'm hellapissed about it.