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Author Topic: Do you feel cheated when you get a used print for a new release? Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 12-24-2008 01:19 AM                        Our print of Marley & Me was used. While it appears to be in good shape, I always hate getting a used print when we open a movie on the break. It just doesn't seem right that my customers will have to see whatever dust and/or scratches might have been done by the previous theatre where it probably only played for one show. For what it's worth, the print appears to be scratch free and relatively dust free. However, there are considerable fingerprints on the first 6" of each head and tail. Plus the person who broke down the film used very stick masking tape to attach the heads and tails. Hopefully a run or two with Film-Guard will take care of any problems.  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Althaus Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: Bedford, TX Registered: Dec 2008 posted 12-24-2008 01:25 AM                     Yeah, 2 of our 3 Yes Man were used, but in good condition. Only problem was removing the cues, since it seems no one uses our system. But yes, I hate getting "new" used prints.  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 12-24-2008 01:37 AM                     IMO, it's especially more annoying when it's a movie that hasn't been released yet and you're doing a special screening. Case in point: When I built up then watched Knocked Up in preparation of a screening that was happening the next day, I found the print to have dirt flecks pretty much on every frame of the movie with the only variation being that they changed to an ungodly number at the reel changes. Though I know for a fact we sent it back in better shape than we got it.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 12-24-2008 02:54 AM                     quote: Justin Hamaker Hopefully a run or two with Film-Guard will take care of any problems. ..shoot a spot of FG on some lens tissue and rub out those fingerprints after you make the splice...  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-24-2008 08:35 AM                     If the print is clean and in good shape, I don't care if it's been shown before. For many reasons, I PREFER it. 1) All the reels will be wound the same way. (Heads/Tails) 2) ID frames at the heads/tails will already be found and cut. There should be one piece of splicing tape holding the leaders on. Right? That makes it easier for my build-up guy. 3) If there were any problems with the print or reels therein, they should have already been found and fixed or the reels replaced. 4) Ideally, the previous theater should have FilmGuarded the print. 5) This is something that I do... If I know the print is going to be circuited to another theater, I might call or e-mail them to let them know their print is coming and what condition it is in. I might also ask if they have any preferences... (Heads/Tails out, etc. etc.) Of course, if the print is beat, all bets are off. If you have any experience at all, you should be able to judge a print's condition as you are building it up. (At the bench, presumably.) As I build prints, by the time I get through the first or second reel, I am usually able to judge print condition well enough to know whether I will need to call for replacement. There have been a few cases where I didn't even bother taking the reels out of the can. I just opened it up, looked inside and, when I saw the print had been trashed, I called for replacement. I teach my students to begin inspecting the moment they get the prints into the booth, even before they begin work on the first reel. If you teach your workers to to that, you should have very few problems you can't solve when it comes to print condition. I have seen prints that have been circuited for years that are in virtually perfect condition. I have seen brand new prints that are unplayable. The bottom line is not whether the print has been used before. It is condition that's important.  |  IP: Logged Jim Cassedy Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1661 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Dec 2006 posted 12-24-2008 09:28 AM                     I'm usually more annyoned by it when the print has previously been run on platters (and therefore already cut & spliced) as opposed to a print that was previously viewed in a change-over house. But I'm in 100% agreement with the previous poster's statement that the bottom line is that it's the overall condition that counts.  |  IP: Logged Tyler Potts Expert Film Handler Posts: 159 From: Anderson, SC, USA Registered: Sep 2008 posted 12-24-2008 10:20 AM                       [ 03-10-2009, 10:54 AM: Message edited by: Tyler Potts ]  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-24-2008 10:43 AM                     This is occasionally something that is going to happen with film as distribution wants every existing release print generating revenue. This is but another problem D-Cinema will rectify. Mark  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 12-25-2008 11:09 AM                        Yah, the problem is usually the other theatres's cues. Last year, I got a "new" used print with a cue at the end of reel 3. Don't see that much these days. quote: Mark Gulbrandsen This is but another problem D-Cinema will rectify. Oh, I don't know, Mark. I'll bet the data doesn't stick as well to a used hard drive.  |  IP: Logged Kurt Zupin Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 989 From: Maricopa, Arizona Registered: Oct 2004 posted 12-26-2008 02:50 AM                     When you do screenings as much as we do 3-5 a week (Sure not as much as Mr. Gabel) I see many used prints and have gotten new/used prints for openings. Sometimes I get my own print back 4 days later and it has been to another theatre and come back to me. 99% of the time they don't come back the way they went out. If a print is used and I get it new I don't really care as long as its in good shape. Chris - What would you have, have them make sure you get a new print every time you do a screening? Some times that just isn't possible, but of course you already know this.  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 12-26-2008 11:48 AM                     quote: Kurt Zupin Chris - What would you have, have them make sure you get a new print every time you do a screening? Some times that just isn't possible, but of course you already know this. I know it's not possible. It's more about the massive amount of dirt that was on it. Even if that location had something set up to clean a print while building, it wouldn't have made enough of a difference that quickly.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 12-26-2008 05:47 PM                     I would rather the studios strike about 3 prints of a movie and send them out repeatedly to all of the screenings. I have found that *most* theaters cannot run a film one time without inflicting some form of damage to it, even if it is only minor. For that reason, I would prefer the studios let a couple of screener prints get beat to hell and then all new prints sent out to theaters on opening day.  |  IP: Logged Charles Greenlee Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 801 From: Savannah, Ga, U.S. Registered: Jun 2006 posted 01-07-2009 10:12 PM                        I've seen some pretty crappy used prints, but I've also seen some equally crappy new prints. Straight from the lab, to my booth, and nothing but a can of spaghetti, sans sauce of course. And the condition of the film would appear as if it had been drug behind a garbage trick along a dirt and gravel road during a thunderstorm. It's possible that I'd have went to a changeover house before us, but most changover houses typically employ more skilled projectionist who aren't liekly to return this kind of mess. That and there didn't appear to be any wear on the film, just abuse. So used/new vs. new/new, doesn't matter much to me. I take it all in stride. Besides, either way, you're still supposed to go over every print with a fine tooth comb anyways, and a bottle of film guard.  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-08-2009 11:51 AM                     Most of the studios do have a few prints (2-3) to services pre-release type screens. And those prints cover both coasts. As the release date gets closer more prints come to replace the older versions. Unless your theatre is in a major market like Los Angeles and New York, you are getting a general release print. General release prints are the ones with more lab splices and are mass produced (more problems). Since the depots just store most of the times these prints. They just circuit them to the next theatre and it becomes potluck on if you get a used print or new. A few of the studios here have two sets of prints for early screenings, ones for change-over houses and ones for plattered houses.  |  IP: Logged Justin Gorka Expert Film Handler Posts: 174 From: High Wycombe, England Registered: Apr 2006 posted 01-17-2009 06:18 AM                     We constantly get 2nd hand prints from the US when we have a later release date. These come nicely packaged in shrink wrap, 'treated' and are invariably scratched to buggery. Allegedly the have been inspected.....I get a replacement as soon as possible and make my feelings known to both the distributor and our film buying department!  |  IP: Logged

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