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Author Topic: In your opinion is Harry Potter (DMR) successful? Will Currie Film Handler Posts: 19 From: WINTER PARK, FL, USA Registered: Jul 2004 posted 07-14-2004 09:55 PM                    After seeing my first DMR movie, I remain unsure about the viability of DMR films in general. Personally I was blown away by Harry Potter (took my nephews) and I cannot wait to see Spider-man 2, but are the theaters and movie studios making enough money to justify continued investments in DMR conversion? Are attendance figures holding up better than the 35mm version?  |  IP: Logged Stewart Anderson Expert Film Handler Posts: 105 From: Sandy, Utah /United States of America Registered: Aug 2003 posted 07-15-2004 03:57 AM                        I wonder what the cost is for DMR printing. Anyone know how the ticket prices compare?  |  IP: Logged Eric Hooper Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 532 From: Fort Worth, TX, USA Registered: May 2003 posted 07-15-2004 10:22 AM                     The public doesn't even know what DMR is. They just think HP3 is being projected on a large screen in the IMAX auditorium...and the DVD will be out in a month or two...  |  IP: Logged Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-15-2004 10:41 AM                     Marcus Imax is charging $9 for children/students/seniors and $12.00 for adults, with no special matinee prices. Their normal pricing is about $6 matinee and $8 evening. This is the most they have charged for any Imax presentation.  |  IP: Logged Brian Michael Weidemann Expert cat molester Posts: 944 From: Costa Mesa, CA United States Registered: Feb 2004 posted 07-15-2004 04:54 PM                        quote: Eric Hooper The public doesn't even know what DMR is. They just think HP3 is being projected on a large screen in the IMAX auditorium... My thoughts as well. For opening weekend of Harry Potter, I was doing live announcements (while leaning out the port window) and doing a whole "The film you are about to see IS IN FACT an IMAX presentation! Warner Bros. and IMAX have blah, blah, blah ..." And of course I wrapped it up telling people that if they enjoy the presentation then to encourage others to see it specifically in IMAX. The reactions were tepid at best. Any perceived enthusiasm was solely the fact that the new Harry Potter was finally out; nothing to do with IMAX. The only marketing seems to be the stupid "Cast Your Spell in IMAX®" tag line that replaced "Something Wicked This Way Comes" on the poster. Now, really, who's going to a) notice that, b) recognize the significance, or c) care enough to make the decision to view the movie that way? Beyond this, our electronic marquee out front displays "IMAX: HARR" before its start times. Nice. (For NASCAR 3D and Sacred Planet a few months back, the people scanning our marquee had the option of "IMAX: NASC" and "IMAX: SACR" ... confusing?) Has anyone seen advertising beyond this? Please, let me know.  |  IP: Logged Robert Stawiarski Film Handler Posts: 62 From: MW Registered: Aug 2003 posted 07-15-2004 05:35 PM                    Brian, take a look at the new Spider-Man II DMR posters that your theatre should have by now. Your concerns are something others and I have recommended and I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised. As for if people recognize the difference, quite a few do here actually. While the questions used to be, "What's going in the IMAX theatre next?", more recently it is often followed by, "Will it be in the IMAX format?" Our ranking doorman on the weekends is also pretty enthusiastic about any IMAX releases, so that certainly helps when customers ask, which they often do. We don't experience the lack of enthusiasm about our IMAX releases. When Matrix Revolutions and Harry Potter premiered, our IMAX theatre sold out shows days in advance, and continued to do much better than any other 35mm house. When we have our "Giant Screen" 35mm features they do not sell out days in advance. For opening weekend of Harry Potter for instance, people applauded after the spiel, and even reacted after each trailer once they see how good the picture looks and experience the sound. Lots of "oohs" and "aahs" when the lights behind the screen come on and show the sound system. I'm not exaggerating... Ever try listening to the cue mic after the new logo trailer when you have a full house? I have a recorded spiel before Harry Potter which mentions the IMAX difference and that it is not a standard 35mm show, synced with slides and speaker lights. We have slides that show the difference between 15/70mm and 35mm film. We have posters displayed, clings, banners, and standees for all of our IMAX features. All of our 35mm shows have a disclaimer tag that it is not an IMAX presentation. Customers do notice. When we play 35mm movies in here, we've had customers ask for refunds when they realize it is not an IMAX show.  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 07-15-2004 05:57 PM                     Brian, what ever happened to that "Youre aout to experience the finest motion picture technology blah blah blah" recording? Mabey you could dig that out and cue it up. It always got me excited!  |  IP: Logged Brian Michael Weidemann Expert cat molester Posts: 944 From: Costa Mesa, CA United States Registered: Feb 2004 posted 07-15-2004 06:10 PM                        I'm sure it has a large part to do with the Orange County crowd, but the sold-out shows we ran that first week for Harry Potter were hit and miss. Only once out of every four shows or so would you hear cheering or excitement out of the cue mic. I haven't seen the Spiderman 2 posters yet, though. I look forward to seeing them. As for the pre-show pre-recorded announcements, I only record them for the 3D shows, since there's something to say for the glasses. But for 2D shows, it gets a little tedious when five people are sitting through a minute-long blathering-on about stuff they're not really listening to. We don't even have lighting for the behind-the-screen rigging anymore, so I imagine it's not too exciting. Besides, usually the "finest motion picture technology" spiels just elicit laughs and sarcastic comments from the crowds, so I just don't worry about it anymore. We have those "not an IMAX presentation" spots on our 35mm prints that we play in there, too. People sometimes say, "Well, GOOD!", or laugh at the way the guy pronounces "the IMAX Experience". Can't win.  |  IP: Logged James B. Openshaw Expert Film Handler Posts: 106 From: Mt. Pleasant, SC, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 07-15-2004 06:15 PM                        Our theatre has an automated 90 second announcement before every show that talks about "The IMAX Experience". Back when we opened, we hired a local radio announcer to record the announcement. I think our audience would known that the film was in IMAX format by then. If not, they can't be that dumb to not notice the "Fake Universal Leader" Branding Trailer right before Harry Potter begins. If they're not sure by then, something's wrong. HP3 sold out in advance the first 2 nights. Even now, we still get good business on it. However, we'll be tearing it down Sunday to make way for Spider-Man 2.  |  IP: Logged Will Currie Film Handler Posts: 19 From: WINTER PARK, FL, USA Registered: Jul 2004 posted 07-15-2004 07:30 PM                    IMAX definitely needs to do a better job explaining DMR to people. Include a commercial before the show or something... highlight the benefits in an impressive way. I am sure people would always choose the IMAX version if they really understood the difference. I am still curious about the business behind DMR. I am curious to know if theaters make more money (or could make more money) on DMR films than they can on 35mm. If Harry Potter is still performing well that has to mean increased profits for the theaters... at least in terms of concessions and such. Is there enough benefit from DMR films to justify continued investment in DMR films and IMAX theaters? I am just not sure. It seems like DMR could have a bright future... but it might just end up as a could'a been. Also why would you have to tear down Harry Potter in order to show Spider-man 2? Seems like there would be room for both?  |  IP: Logged James B. Openshaw Expert Film Handler Posts: 106 From: Mt. Pleasant, SC, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 07-15-2004 07:47 PM                        Will, our reel unit (5-platters) was originally designed to accomodate typical IMAX films (60 minutes max). When full-length features began (particularly the DMR films), IMAX decided to upgrade only the bottom two platters to accommodate up to 150 minutes. Thus, with only two platters available, only one full-length feature film can be run and films that large usually can't be moved (provided how much space in the booth is available to store the film) Plans to upgrade all platters of the reel unit are in the works, especially when Polar Express arrives.  |  IP: Logged Will Currie Film Handler Posts: 19 From: WINTER PARK, FL, USA Registered: Jul 2004 posted 07-15-2004 07:51 PM                    Ah, thanks for the insight James... That makes things kinda tricky;) Lets hope Spider-man performs as well as HP3.  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 07-15-2004 08:02 PM                     Providence has had deck 3 converted to 150-minutes as well, allowing them to run two feature-length films on the same schedule. I would not want to see a feature length film any higher than that ... 90 minutes isn't too bad on the top two decks, but a feature lasting 130 minutes weighs over 800 pounds and is almost six feet in diameter! (The top deck on a QTRU is almost six feet high.)  |  IP: Logged Will Currie Film Handler Posts: 19 From: WINTER PARK, FL, USA Registered: Jul 2004 posted 07-16-2004 12:55 AM                    By the way is it true that a DMR print cost 50k? That sounds outrageous.  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 07-16-2004 01:35 AM                     That is about the cost of a print that long once you figure in processing and quality assurance.  |  IP: Logged

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