2012

[David Mullen ASC]

The Cinema Delux / The Bridge website lists the screenings by digital and film -- about 1/3 of their screens are converted -- and usually the info is accurate, but the moment the trailers began, I knew I was seeing 35mm projection (black dirt is always the main giveaway, followed by jitter). I guess I should have been wary because I was in Theater 15, and then last time I was in there was to see "Australia" months ago in a 35mm print. Theaters 12, 13, 14 next to it tend to show digital. Unfortunately the website does not tell you the actual number of the theater room.

 

The movie was playing on three screens and I'm sure one of them was the digital version, but I wanted to see the earliest show of the day. As you can see, the 11:40 showing was supposed to be digital:

 

http://www.thebridgecinema.com/guide/showtimes.asp?l=7801

[John Holland]

Well i saw a 35mm print !! it looked awful ! and spent how many hundreds of millions of $ on this waste of time ? . I know to like using Genesis David , but think that has been for TV ? Its just not up to Cinema viewing !!!

[David Mullen ASC]

That's the problem with all the digital cameras out there -- they are almost there, quality-wise. More than half the shots, they are pretty interchangeable with most Super-35 work out there (which doesn't say much about Super-35 actually). But there are always shots that behave in non-film-like ways, either by deliberate choice or because digital "fails" in a different way than film "fails" in a problematic shot.

 

But certainly I've seen some digitally-shot movies in digital theaters that look pretty good technically in terms of sharpness, color, contrast, etc. It's the muddiness of the film-outs that bug me. 2K through an IP/IN dupe intermediate certainly is one of the main problems, I've seen some good film-outs when the print is contact-printed from the 2K digital negative.

 

Let's be honest here and admit that a number of 35mm-shot movies are rather mediocre technically these days, release-print-wise.

 

Let's hope the next generation of ARRI's and EPIC's, etc. will be better, they almost have to be. We've gotten to the point where the issues are less about resolution (though I want to get beyond 1080P/2K as an origination standard for theatrical work) and more about dynamic range and color reproduction and how all of that survives the post pipeline.

[John Holland]

Yes they are ! print wise , over here we dont seem to have many cinemas that can project digital !! so end up with crap prints from a digital sourse !!

[georg lamshöft]

"they are almost there, quality-wise. More than half the shots, they are pretty interchangeable with most Super-35 work out there (which doesn't say much about Super-35 actually)"

 

Yes, compared to the mediocre quality of DIs - many of them aren't even suitable for a good blu-ray-transfer... It feels almost like lowering the 35mm-quality-standard to make digital transition less noticable... :blink:

[Dan Salzmann]

Saw the film and thought it was rubbish. Eye candy and not very convincing either.

I agree that post production slow motion looked electronic.

I cringe when I think of how many good films a budget like this can make.

[Thomas James]

So is this movie based on a true story? Is it true what Al Gore is saying is that with runaway global warming this planet will heat up hundreds of degrees and end up just like a Venus hell hole? Or maybe an asteroid will hit us and wipe out a major chunk of the earth. And let's not forget a doomsday caused by nuclear war. Of course the date 2012 is superstitious but that does not mean that the concept of doomsday is superstitious.

[John Sprung]

So is this movie based on a true story? Is it true what Al Gore is saying is that with runaway global warming this planet will heat up hundreds of degrees and end up just like a Venus hell hole? Or maybe an asteroid will hit us and wipe out a major chunk of the earth. And let's not forget a doomsday caused by nuclear war. Of course the date 2012 is superstitious but that does not mean that the concept of doomsday is superstitious.

 

OK, I'll make an absolutely firm prediction here:

 

The notion that all life on this planet will be wiped out prior to January 1, 2013 is totally bogus, ain't gonna happen.

 

The way I look at it, if I'm right, I get credit for a correct prediction. If I'm wrong, who's gonna know? ;-)

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Keneu Luca]

OK, I'll make an absolutely firm prediction here:

 

The notion that all life on this planet will be wiped out prior to January 1, 2013 is totally bogus, ain't gonna happen.

 

The way I look at it, if I'm right, I get credit for a correct prediction. If I'm wrong, who's gonna know? ;-)

 

 

 

-- J.S.

 

What will be interesting to see is those who do believe that "the end is near" and how they will self-fulfill this "prophecy", not unlike what happened in Waco with David Koresh. Actually it wasn't in Waco, but nearby Mt. Carmel.

[Serge Teulon]

.....not unlike what happened in Waco with David Koresh. Actually it wasn't in Waco, but nearby Mt. Carmel.

 

 

But somehow Waco sounded better in that situation

[Serge Teulon]

All his movies are a catastrophe, I can't fathom why people keep giving him money to make them, or why people still pay to see them! :P

 

 

Andy,

I saw an ol' classic from the 80's the other day on TV which was shot by, at the time, an already a fully fledged ASC member. The lighting and shots were absolutely TERRIBLE and there was no chance that was part of the look.

I checked the name out on IMDB and that person has still continued to be offered lots of projects.

And I must state, in all fairness that their latter work is a million times better than the o'l classic piece, which I won't mention for obvious reasons.

 

I did however scratch my head and thought that if I ever came out with that standard of work for a client, unless they wanted me to copy it of course, I would never get work again from them.

Were clients so forgiven in the 80's?

 

 

Some things are just inexplicable.

[John Holland]

Serge you cant get away with that post !!! you have to name the film at least !!!! i wont let you get away with this !!!!!

[Andy_Alderslade]

Serge you cant get away with that post !!! you have to name the film at least !!!! i wont let you get away with this !!!!!

 

Ha ha John, you are so controversial! :P

[John Holland]

what me ??? i just want to know a private email will be fine !!

[Andy_Alderslade]

what me ??? i just want to know a private email will be fine !!

 

Ha ha, i know i'm just pulling your leg! :lol:

[John Sprung]

What will be interesting to see is those who do believe that "the end is near" and how they will self-fulfill this "prophecy", not unlike what happened in Waco with David Koresh. Actually it wasn't in Waco, but nearby Mt. Carmel.

 

Was Waco -- OK, Mt. Carmel -- really an "end is near" thing? Or was it more just generic general purpose crazy? I remember there being perhaps a better one in that same time frame, the ones who all committed suicide in bunk beds with tennis shoes on, because they were going to be picked up by a flying saucer that was hiding behind the Hale-Bopp comet..... Their belief was that they would escape the end of the world that way. They all also had quarters with them, presumably to pay for the flying saucer ride.

 

Ah, but what can we gain from these thoughts..... Perhaps some reassurance that being in this business maybe isn't quite the craziest thing on earth. ;-)

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Thomas James]

Rather than wait for UFO's to save us from this runaway global warming with its Venus like inferno I say it is better to build our own spaceships. Now that mankind has mastered the technology of atomic powered rockets it should not be too difficult or too expensive to build a spaceship to go to Mars along with thousands of tons of supplies to make colonization possible.

[John Sprung]

Yeah, but who wants to go to Mars? -- It's got no atmosphere.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[John Holland]

i think Thomas has seen Total Recall to may times !!!

[Thomas James]

With a technology called Terra Forming an atmosphere could be created on Mars. A breathing apparatus may still be necessary however this would at least eliminate the need for a pressurized space suit. The reason why space colonization is impractical is that we are like Christopher Columbus trying to use rowboats instead of using great sailing ships to get to America.

[John Holland]

Terra Forming !! i remember that term from "Aliens " look what happened to them !!!

[John Sprung]

With a technology called Terra Forming an atmosphere could be created on Mars.

 

Alas, the joke doesn't work without the tone of voice..... ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Frank Barrera]

i've said it before and i'll say it again: the only people who need to be concerned about 2012 are the Mayans. Its their calendar that will end not ours.

[Serge Teulon]

John,

I don't mean to stand on a moral high horse but I'm really sorry, I just don't feel it's right to mention the film or the cinematographer. I was just trying to give an example to Andy about one of the 'somethings' in our working life that are just frustratingly inexplicable.

[John Holland]

Serge we have all shot stuff thats looks crap !! and then learned and got better !! so come on ,name that film !! i sure if you ? he/she will still give you a gig !!