projection

Michael Louis Hill · May 26, 2005

maybe i should switch dreams from wanting to capture light to wanting to CORRRECTLY project light. i must ask and wonder for those cinematographers here who have exhibited on the Big screen, How annoying is it to have your film projected incorrectly? I have been notcing more and more now that my favorite movie house seem to feel like they can crop the film with the curtain in anyway they see fit. I know it must be difficult to have the perfect theater for all formats but geez...it is driving me crazy. am i being too picky? also, i went to a screening of A Clockwork Orange and the projection was out of focus for the first 15 minutes! i had to go back there and ask if they could focus it. i felt like an annoying perfectionist (but hey i was watching Kubrick right?) but i just couldn't stand to see the film like that.

so how does one become a projectionist? is this really an issue for working DP's? Is it normal to loose a foot or two all around the screen?

just my thoughts

David Mullen ASC · May 26, 2005

Not much a DP can do about misprojection unfortunately.

One advantage to releasing prints in the 2.39 anamorphic format (whether you shot in anamorphic or in Super-35) is that there is not much room outside of the projected area of the print -- if you misframe up or down, you see the frameline (which has happened in some theaters anyway...)

For 1.85 films, some people will hard matte the print.

I just have to hope that some people who want to see my movies make an effort to see them in good theaters. Unfortunately, most of my films have played at art house cinema chains, some of which have the worst projection.

There is some trimming around the edges of the frame so you have to consider this when framing a movie not to have a shot that requires perfect use of the edge of the frame. That's why it was somewhat daring at the beginning of "Man on the Moon" to have Jim Carrey, against black, enter the far left edge of the scope print picture and barely stick his head in.

Sam Wells · May 26, 2005

I just have to hope that some people who want to see my movies make an effort to see them in good theaters. Unfortunately, most of my films have played at art house cinema chains, some of which have the worst projection.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If it makes you feel better I saw Twin Falls Idaho at an independently owned twin & Northfork at an independently owned 5 screen theater, neither are quite "Arthouse" - projection was fine at both.

Actually I find thea rthouse theaters I go to typically have better projection (and 2 of them can even do 35mm classics in 1.37 & can switch between 1.66 & 1.85.)

-Sam

Jon Amerikaner · May 26, 2005

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe at one time there was an entire union of projectionists. At any rate, theaters used to have dedicated projectionists (my grandfather was one). All they did was project the films. They stayed in the booth the whole time (to switch reels) and took pride in correctly projecting and handling film. Alas, this is no more. Theaters today save money by having theater managers and assistants run the projectors. They have other work to do, so once they start the film they run off.

I actually asked two ASC cinematographers if they would go see their films at local theaters. One said he rarely does because he knows it would only annoy him. The other recounted how early in his career he went to see his films in as many different theaters as possible. I believe he did this out of pride, not for quality control.

Anyway, as digital projection increases and international standards remain elusive, problems with projection will only continue. Imagine a world where no one has to enter the theater in order to start a film.