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Author Topic: "The Pianist" premiere blunder at Loews Century Mathew Molloy Master Film Handler Posts: 357 From: The Santa Cruz Mountains Registered: Nov 2000 posted 12-06-2002 04:32 PM                     From Today's L.A. Times (on page two of the calander section). Click this incredibly long link! Does anyone know what went horribly, horribly wrong? FROM L.A. TIMES.COM 12/6/02... Sound problems spoil 'Pianist' premiere screening By Robert W. Welkos, Times Staff Writer A glittering night for Hollywood and the elite of Los Angeles' Jewish cultural community came to an abrupt halt Wednesday evening when the North American premiere screening of Roman Polanski's Holocaust drama "The Pianist" had to be canceled because of technical problems with the theater sound system at Loews Cineplex Century City. The cancellation proved an embarrassment for Focus Features, the tony new art house label of Universal Pictures, which had invited hundreds of guests to attend the screening as a benefit for the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony and the National Foundation for Jewish Culture. About 650 moviegoers who gathered in the main theater did not get to see the film, although another 150 guests seated in a nearby theater did watch the movie as the sound system in there worked perfectly. Afterward, all the guests gathered at the Century Plaza Hotel across the street to hear a free performance by the symphony of a work called Piano Concertino by Wladyslaw Szpilman, who was the subject of the movie and who wrote the book on which Polanski adapted the film. "The Pianist" this year won the Palme d'Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Thursday, the studio and the charities scrambled to contact each guest who did not see the film and invite them to attend private screenings before the film's Dec. 27 U.S. release. "We are grateful that Loews has proffered a substantive and genuine apology and is working closely with Focus Features to make sure that everyone who attended [Wednesday] night's event will be able to see the film in the best possible circumstances," David Linde, the co-president of Focus Features, said in a prepared statement. Loews officials were unavailable for comment. The gala evening got off in typical Hollywood fashion as a gaggle of celebrities such as Jack Nicholson, Lara Flynn Boyle, Fran Drescher, Martin Landau, and the movie's Adrien Brody and Thomas Kretschmann turned out for the event. But inside the theater, things went haywire. After it took nearly an hour for guests to take their seats, representatives of the studio, the symphony and the foundation walked to the microphone only to find that their speeches were garbled by a faulty sound system. One of those addressing the audience was Andre Szpilman, the son of Wladyslaw Szpilman. By 8:15, a studio official announced that the film would not be shown that night but everyone was invited to the reception and concert. Wayne Hinton, executive director of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, said this was his group's first film premiere and they wanted it to be a memorable event. '"I really feel badly for Andre Szpilman," Hinton said. "I know how much he was looking forward to the premiere." Hinton said that anyone who left without seeing the movie will be offered complimentary tickets to the symphony's season opening concert Sunday at 7 p.m. at Valley Beth Shalom on Ventura Boulevard in Encino.  |  IP: Logged Daniel Boisson Expert Film Handler Posts: 157 From: Buffalo, NY, USA Registered: Oct 2001 posted 12-06-2002 04:35 PM                     man, that's embarressing  |  IP: Logged Charles Everett Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: New Jersey Registered: May 2001 posted 12-06-2002 05:50 PM                     According to Variety, some in the audience thought the silence was part of the actual movie. That would have been similar in a way to Y Tu Mama Tambien. The LA Times omitted the fact that Roman Polanski could not attend the premiere (for obvious reasons).  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 12-06-2002 05:55 PM                     I don't know what happened, but when I was last in that booth. They had two Century JJ's in each of the large houses and Pro-35's in theatres 3&4. They had Full boat CP200's in theatres 1&2 and CP55's in 3&4. Theatre 1 was THXed & is SRD , DTS equipped and theatre 2 was HPS4000 (which they no longer advertise or use). The Century Plaza (the old Plitt in Century City) is no longer on a limited service contract with local 150. The Century Plaza ran some top shows in it's day. This was one of the best equipped booths in Los Angeles, before Loew's/Cineplex theatres took projection in to the limited service format with local 150. The theatre is tobe torn down sometime this coming year. Loew's is giving a slow long death to this once great showcase.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-08-2002 12:25 PM                        Sound systems have enough redundancy that you would think they could have gone to the analog track if it were a catastrophic failure of the digital. Thing is, for a gala like this, they may very well have made the decision to cancel the whole thing rather than try to present it using any backup or emergency aspect of the system. I mean, you really aren't going to run a thing like this in the By-Pass mode, eh? It would be really interesting to find out the details of the problem -- I bet the booth guys were sweating that night. Frank  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 12-08-2002 12:29 PM                        If the processor (CP-200?) completely fried, what would their options have been?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-08-2002 02:00 PM                     CP200 has backup capabilities  |  IP: Logged John Moriarty Film Handler Posts: 50 From: Cambridge, UK Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-08-2002 02:24 PM                     quote: walked to the microphone only to find that their speeches were garbled by a faulty sound system As it wasn't just the film soundtrack that suffered the problem, I guess it is likely that if anything, by-pass would be the only working option. Of course, this wouldn't work either if it was the output of the processor or some part of the amplification sytem at fault.  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 12-08-2002 03:14 PM                     With all premiere's that I did in Los Angeles, at different theatres. We would have a full Tech call in the morning of the show. We would have a Dolby Tech & a Studio projectionist, to check the house's sound system out. And then do a full run through of the film. That Dolby Tech would be there for the run through and the show at night. And nothing would play in that auditorium except the premiered feature. The above would go for premieres, important press screenings and all double system shows, no matter what studio. (It was the same on every show) The only thing that would be powered down would be the lamphouses. The sound systems would stay on, all day. "The Pianist's" print sound formats are SRD/DTS/SR. I have worked that theatre before for special screenings and regular schedule shows. Nothing ever happened bad in that booth. Fred who was the regular projectionist at that theatre. He ran that booth so well, that it was one of the best booths in local 150's area to work.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-08-2002 03:30 PM                     Hmmm...garbled sound...I wonder what equipment is in there now! A CP-200 would not do that and in bypass it certainly would be providing some sort of sound since only the optical preamp and the Cat. 143 are in circuit. I'm presumming these were not the primary source of failure since they are not used for Digital presentations...however, the Cat. 143 does handle Bypass and microphone functions. Whereas there have been listed more than one theatre with this system in the complex...spare parts are nearby! Now what if there is a DSP type crossover in there now? The possibilities of what caused the problem is limitless. Steve  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 12-08-2002 04:58 PM                     All the more reason to put as much of the same equipment across the board in each auditorium in a complex as possible. This way if you had to the smallest screen could be shut down and a piece of equipment pulled to get the larger one back on screen.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-08-2002 06:12 PM                     All the more reason to keep all that "digital crap out of the booth! They shoulda been running an analog mag backup at a major premiere like that. Mark  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 12-08-2002 08:04 PM                    Oh yeah, I really want a DSP crossover now...  |  IP: Logged Gerard S. Cohen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 975 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 12-08-2002 08:09 PM                     I'm surprised no-one has suggested sabotage, which was my immediate suspicion, given the nature of the event and its sponsors, and the international situation as it hits home. The quickest way to prevent free speech has been to cut the mic or speaker cable at events, ralleys or protests. (Of course, I would not suggest sabotage in print without knowing the cause for fear of being thought paranoid....) .................................................................... IATSE Local 306, Ret. United Federation of Teachers, Ret.  |  IP: Logged Matt Close Expert Film Handler Posts: 226 From: Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia Registered: Sep 2001 posted 12-08-2002 08:43 PM                        The article says 'the speeches with garbled' ... that's live speeches with a microphone ....... anyone know what they mean by garbled?  |  IP: Logged

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