VistaVision Returns!

[Scotty Wright]

The TCM Festival is partnering with TCL Chinese Theater and Paramount to install a VistaVision system for 2 screenings during the fest in late April.

first VistaVision projection install since the ‘50s?

[Jim Cassedy]

I was wondering when this was going to hit the news. I've been aware of this and of
plans for the possibility of other VistaVision™ shows for a couple of months now. But
I was sworn to secrecy. I've even got a few pictures and a short video of the projector
that will be used, but I'm probably still not at liberty to share them. (but, technically
speaking, it really doesn't look much different than any other V-V projector.)

[Scott Norwood]

What sound format will they use? Optical (the original VV sound format)? DTS? Something else?

[Scotty Wright]

I was wondering when this was going to hit the news. I've been aware of this and of
plans for the possibility of other VistaVision™ shows for a couple of months now. But
I was sworn to secrecy. I've even got a few pictures and a short video of the projector
that will be used, but I'm probably still not at liberty to share them. (but, technically
speaking, it really doesn't look much different than any other V-V projector.)

Is this a Boston light and sound project?

[Mark Ogden]

What sound format will they use? Optical (the original VV sound format)? DTS? Something else?

Perspecta, according to Bill Counter, who always seems to know about such things.

[Ryan Gallagher]

That is very cool indeed. My industry timing zeitgeist is spot on... I picked up a knock-off VV t-shirt a few weeks ago... and have an original french language VV technology/marketing brochure on the way to turn into some wall art after suitable framing.

Wish I could attend the screenings!

[Scotty Wright]

Is this a Boston light and sound project?

Sean at BLS confirmed they’re on the case

[Sean McKinnon]

Busy with Cinemacon setup but happy to answer any questions when I can.

The prints are newish (early 2000’s) that were struck for checking color timing for Blu-ray transfer. They have no track so we are running the “perspecta” mix from a pro-tools rig with shaft encoders.

[Harold Hallikainen]

Very nice! We just saw a 70mm restoration of the Vista Vision "North by Northwest" at the Loft Cinema here in Tucson last week. The picture and sound were great! Do they use multitrack magnetic sound on prints like that? It was clearly not mono optical.

[Leo Enticknap]

I'm guessing DTS.

I can't remember the details, but it has not been possible to make new mag striped print stock since the late '90s or early '00s. As it was told to me, one of the chemicals needed to bond the oxide to the film base is a very gnarly greenhouse gas solvent that was banned under some treaty or other.

[Steve Guttag]

Sean answered the sound question above. They are locking on a "Pro-Tools Rig." So, no on-the-fly Perspecta. While, given the fact that they are using actual VV projectors for the show, it would have been even more-cool to use a Perspecta decoder though, I suspect, it would have been lost on 99% of the audience. After all, if you don't visit the booth and watch the decoder doing its thing, presuming no mistracking, how is it any different in the theatre?

Having run Perspecta...it is a bit cool to have a mono sound track being steered out of the three screen channels. I have a "Perspect-A-Card." I have also toyed with making a Perspecta decoder within Q-SYS but the need just hasn't come up.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Very nice! We just saw a 70mm restoration of the Vista Vision "North by Northwest" at the Loft Cinema here in Tucson last week. The picture and sound were great! Do they use multitrack magnetic sound on prints like that? It was clearly not mono optical.

Yeah the contemporary 70mm prints are DTS, some older prints will still be 6-Track mag. But Sean & Steve highlight the special effort going into these 8p35 horizontal sound. So that is another first, first time e VV print will be shown with “digital” sound!

[Sean McKinnon]

If they had been original prints with an optical track we probably would have tried to run perspecta either by acquiring a card or making a decider in Q-Sys. Alas, its not to be!

[Harold Hallikainen]

Perspecta is an interesting system. It MIGHT be considered a single object based system where the one mono track is panned (to fixed positions). Because you don't really want the orchestral music swinging from side to side, it was, I understand, limited to steering isolated dialog and sound effects. In an ISDCF plugfest, I heard a sequence from the Sound of Music (over and over and over again) where they did dialog panning. It was jarring. It seems that dialog just from the center is best. So, that does not leave a lot for Perspecta to do. I have never heard it. How does it sound to those of you who have?

[James Biggins]

How does it sound to those of you who have?

Primitave. (IMHO)