Minimum to show my film in theatre

[Lance Tang]

Ok so lets say hypothetically my indie film was going to be picked up for distribution in theatres.

 

What kind of format, for example is 1080p good enough for theatres?

 

Do they need seperate audio/dialogue tracks?

 

Anything else that would be required for wide distribution?

[Phil Rhodes]

Usually if your movie is going to be distributed then the distributor will be eager to supply you with a list of things you must supply to them. This will include technical articles such as the things you discuss as well as legal paperwork and promotional materials such as on-set photography.

 

Many widely distributed films are produced in "1080p" or some very near equivalent, but it's a weasel number behind which are a lot of other factors. A Canon 5D theoretically creates a 1080p image; so does a Sony F35. Clearly one is objectively superior in many ways. Either way most modern delivery lists will ask for the film to be supplied on HDCAM(SR). In terms of delivery, there will usually be a requirement to include the (satisfactory!) report of a quality control assessor and it is at this point that your decisions will be validated - or otherwise.

 

Most delivery lists will include an M&E (music and effects) sound track requirement, which will form the basis of dubbing for markets which don't speak the language in which your film was made. Depending on the sophistication of your postproduction provisions you may be able to put these tracks on the same master as the picture and main soundtrack, or you may do it some other way.

 

Beyond this the specifics get fairly complicated and are best dealt with on a case by case basis.

 

P

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Exactly as Phil said, and normally 1080 is ok (though in film we'd go by 1920,as the horizontal doesn't change but the vertical does depending on aspect ratio,) since it's very close to 2K (2046, I think?). I've screened off of a BR before in a theater, and the results were acceptable... not blockbuster film material at all, but far better than projecting an SD. You will be given a list of things by a distributor of what they need, one of which certainly will be an HD tape master (i'd say almost universally HDCamSR.. though sometimes other formats, such as D5) so it'd be a good idea to make at least 1 copy of the finished film on an HDCamSR tape... if anything you can downconvert tape to tape from that to any other format with relative ease.

[Ravi Kiran]

Some distributors will ask for a 4:3 open-matte/pan-and-scan transfers too. Distributors usually want a textless version of the film if there are credits or other text elements superimposed on the picture. You will probably have to provide a stereo LtRt mix of the soundtrack as well as the 5.1 mix. These requirements vary from distributor to distributor.

Edited July 27, 2010 by Ravi Kiran

[Freya Black]

 

Anything else that would be required for wide distribution?

 

Releases for all the actors etc.

List of music and clearance type stuff related to it.

 

Theres a lot of paperwork involved.

[Guest]

Not to be negative, only realistic, indie movies getting theatrical releases are one in a million.

 

Sorry, but that's the reality. Have a look at the number of "service deals" coming out of Sundance for even the biggest titles. This means the producer pays for all of the P&A, not the distributor.

 

R,

[Lance Tang]

Not to be negative, only realistic, indie movies getting theatrical releases are one in a million.

 

Sorry, but that's the reality. Have a look at the number of "service deals" coming out of Sundance for even the biggest titles. This means the producer pays for all of the P&A, not the distributor.

 

R,

 

It's always better to be prepared. Also there are many indie films shown in theaters but not in a wide release.

 

- Lance

[Justin Hayward]

Have a look at the number of "service deals" coming out of Sundance for even the biggest titles.

 

Film festivals play their films in theaters, so even if he doesnt sell from Sundance, hes going to need something to play there and they dont take DVDs.

 

Of course I’m talking about the bigger ones – not the Rockford Illinois International…

[Guest]

Film festivals play their films in theaters, so even if he doesn’t sell from Sundance, he’s going to need something to play there and they don’t take DVD’s.

 

Of course I’m talking about the bigger ones – not the Rockford Illinois International…

 

Sundance will take HDCAM. Most of the others are now projecting off of DVD because they don't want to spend the money to bring in decks.

 

Only the biggest of festivals have proper HD projection.

 

R,

[Justin Hayward]

Only the biggest of festivals have proper HD projection.

 

I thought that's what I said.

[Sean Lambrecht]

...since it's very close to 2K (2046, I think?).

 

It's 2048, you're thinking of the Kar Wai Wong film I think. ;)

Throws me off sometimes...

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Damn you Chris Doyle; you and your shenanigans got my brain all pudding-fied.

[Chris Burke]

Sundance will take HDCAM. Most of the others are now projecting off of DVD because they don't want to spend the money to bring in decks.

 

Only the biggest of festivals have proper HD projection.

 

R,

 

 

how about blu ray? are many large or small festivals using this format for projection? I can burn blu ray discs at home. What are other peoples experience with BR?