> As much as I appreciate 35mm, I generally recommend that my film programmers
> avoid booking old 35mm prints, because the large distributors can't easily
> control or guarantee the quality of the print shipped.
Sandra, that's an excellent point. If I were a programmer, I would steer away
from renting such prints altogether for precisely the reasons you describe.
However, instructors usually have very specific reasons why they want to show
particular films when they're tied to a course. By now they realize it's a crap
shoot.
> I'm not sure that Swank always gets easy access to new prints of old films,
> even on new reissues.
Actually, that's true. The studios maintain completely separate print pools for
theatrical and non-theatrical venues. For example, there are always
good-looking 35mm prints of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY that theatrical venues can
rent, but the last I heard it was no longer possible to obtain *any* 35mm print
of 2001 non-theatrically. Just because there's a new print showing in theaters
does not mean that's what you'll get if you're a non-theatrical outfit. Swank
probably has no say in this.
At some point in the future, we'll all be able to show pristine 2K or 4K
digital versions of many older (and newer) films. But for now I think most
colleges are stuck with 35mm, and still more can show only DVDs. I suspect that
relatively few can handle even Blu-ray discs at this point.
--
James M. Steffen, PhD
Film and Media Studies Librarian
Theater and Dance Subject Liaison
Marian K. Heilbrun Music and Media Library
Emory University
540 Asbury Circle
Atlanta, GA 30322-2870
Phone: (404) 727-8107
FAX: (404) 727-2257
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2010 19:45:20 -0400
From: "Jackson, Sandra F." <jackso...@uncw.edu>
Subject: Re: [Videolib] thanks for all the help with my Swank
question!
To: "videolib@lists.berkeley.edu" <videolib@lists.berkeley.edu>
Message-ID:
<88185c1f3afb384bb1bcc3de86115581150a76d...@uncwexmb1.dcs.uncw.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I've run 35mm theaters for the past decade and am a skilled projectionist, as
well as a manager. As much as I appreciate 35mm, I generally recommend that
my film programmers avoid booking old 35mm prints, because the large
distributors can't easily control or guarantee the quality of the print
shipped. You could get lucky and get a good print. Or the color may be
washed out. Or the print could be dirty. Or the sound will be damaged. Or
the print may have scene jumps caused by numerous splices required after
unfortunate brain wraps, tail wraps, or other projection disasters. Older
films are far more likely to be brittle and prone to breakage than new prints.
Your best bet is to create a very good relationship with your booker, in hopes
that that person will manage the shipment with a bit more detail, rather than
letting the depot send the print that is handy. Unfortunately, the depot and
the distributor may not always know a print is bad. Some theaters do not
report the damage that occurred in their facilities, for fear of incurring
large charges. Distributors do not have time to watch every film that is
shipped back to them, so they rely on the report of the theater that just
received the print for the first time. In fact, a Criterion rep told me that
it is nearly impossible to make sure the depot sends a good print regardless of
the age. He said he just does not have control over what they ship, regardless
of his requests. Make sure you build the print in ample time to preview it,
report problems to the distributor and get a replacement reel or order a
replacement print.
It's not fun having an old film break during a show, then having to spice it
while 300 audience members are staring with hostility at the projection booth.
The audiences still thinks that a 35mm runs the same way as a VHS tape. If you
get it fixed, some bright person in the audience will ask you to do the
impossible and rewind the film to show it without the break. Younger audience
members probably think that it runs like a DVD and have even less tolerance for
technical difficulties.
If you do decide to show an old 35mm, educate your audience about the possible
challenges, so they will be patient if you experience technical difficulties.
By the way, I have received excellent customer service from Swank for the past
three years, even though our rep has changed three times, so if you have
trouble with your rep, be sure to report the situation.
Sandra F. Jackson
Film Program Coordinator
Lumina Theater & Sharky's Box Office
Department of Campus Life
The University of North Carolina Wilmington
Phone 910.962.7971 Fax: 910-962-7438
jackso...@uncw.edu
http://www.uncw.edu/lumina
NOTICE: Emails sent and received in the course of university business are
subject to the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. ?132-1 et seq.) and
may be released to the public unless an exception applies.
From: videolib-boun...@lists.berkeley.edu
[mailto:videolib-boun...@lists.berkeley.edu] On Behalf Of Jessica Rosner
Sent: Monday, September 13, 2010 11:55 AM
To: videolib@lists.berkeley.edu
Subject: Re: [Videolib] thanks for all the help with my Swank question!
I would not bet on the Swank salesperson being a big film buff. Things might
have changed over the year, but that certainly was not their reputation in the
past. My favorite of all Swank stories involved a school that had ordered a
35mm print of classic film for which a studio had done a major reissue just
about a year before. It was not a small reissue and I would bet several dozen
new/restored prints were made. The programmer reminded the Swank booker to MAKE
sure they got one the new prints as the "old" ones were known to be horrid. The
day of the show the print arrived, it was red, splicy, and very beat up. It was
clearly a decades old print. The irate programmer called up the Swank booker to
complain as we could not even show the print. The Swank booker looked up the
title in the Maltin TV/Movie book and pronounced " The film is 50 years old.
What did you expect?" Apparently they had no concept a NEW print of a 50 year
old film.
On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 11:16 AM, Dennis Doros
<milefi...@gmail.com<mailto:milefi...@gmail.com>> wrote:
On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 10:59 AM, Maureen Tripp
<maureen_tr...@emerson.edu<mailto:maureen_tr...@emerson.edu>> wrote:
As Sandra Jackson said, it seems it depends a lot on the film, anticipated
audience size, and other factors--but I now have a ballpark range of
estimates--I appreciate it, everyone!
I should also mention that it depends a lot on how well you get along with the
salesperson at the company. Most of us are in the business because we love
films. If you discuss favorite films (and books and museums) and what's out
that week and how's the family, you'll do well. If somebody comes and complains
that they are non-profit and we should treat them better, they don't get as
good a break. The retired Edith Kramer at the Pacific Film Archive is a legend
in this regard. She would spend two or three hours on the phone charming the
salesperson until she got the rate she could afford. Funny thing is -- we had
the same automatic friends rate for her for twenty years and she still would
spend an hour with us. One of our favorite customers.
--
Best,
Dennis Doros
Milestone Film & Video/Milliarium Zero
PO Box 128
Harrington Park, NJ 07640
Phone: 201-767-3117
Fax: 201-767-3035
email: milefi...@gmail.com<mailto:milefi...@gmail.com>
www.milestonefilms.com<http://www.milestonefilms.com>
www.ontheboweryfilm.com<http://www.ontheboweryfilm.com>
www.arayafilm.com<http://www.arayafilm.com>
www.exilesfilm.com<http://www.exilesfilm.com>
www.wordisoutmovie.com<http://www.wordisoutmovie.com>
www.killerofsheep.com<http://www.killerofsheep.com>
AMIA Philadelphia 2010: www.amianet.org<http://www.amianet.org>
Join "Milestone Film" on Facebook!
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues
relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control,
preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and
related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective
working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication
between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and
distributors.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment scrubbed and removed.
HTML attachments are only available in MIME digests.
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sat, 18 Sep 2010 01:05:44 -0700 (PDT)
From: elizabeth mcmahon <elizmcma...@yahoo.com>
Subject: [Videolib] Jean-Luc Godard: 'There Is No Such Thing as
Intellectual Property'
To: videolib@lists.berkeley.edu
Message-ID: <70490.75313...@web50902.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/09/jean-luc-godard-there-is-no-such-thing-as-intellectual-property/62936/
Elizabeth McMahon
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment scrubbed and removed.
HTML attachments are only available in MIME digests.
End of videolib Digest, Vol 34, Issue 83
****************************************
This e-mail message (including any attachments) is for the sole use of
the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged
information. If the reader of this message is not the intended
recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution
or copying of this message (including any attachments) is strictly
prohibited.
If you have received this message in error, please contact
the sender by reply e-mail message and destroy all copies of the
original message (including attachments).
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues
relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control,
preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and
related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective
working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication
between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and
distributors.
