"Club Penton" - Ask questions to Hollywood insider "Penton-Man"

[sharkshark]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Like so? – https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Anima.../17558/#Review. Keep an eye out for the future work of D.P. Adam Arkapaw because he’s a very gifted young cinematographer (still in his 20’s, only having graduated film school in ’05 or ’06), who has the potential to accomplish much in his career.

His C.V. - http://www.adamarkapaw.com/cv.html though could stand being updated at least a tad, to include Blind Company and Animal Kingdom (the later along with True Grit being my favorite cinematographic picks of the 2010 litter) but, I guess the guy is too busy shooting fine-looking images. He’s got a good creative eye.

Saw Animal Kingdom theatrically, really pleased to see the nomination for the mom (it's a hell of a role).

And, yeah, Deakins work on TRUE GRIT is as amazing as it always is...

My issue with this whole 3D thing is the kneejerk reaction regardless of where it's coming from - the "headache" crusaders on the one hand, or the studios looking for a cash cow over aesthetics on the other. I've said it before, I'm far more concerned about a standardization of =crap= 3D then I am any other factor. There's nothing inherently bad about the format, but since it requires so much more finesse I worry that'll be trashed in favour of just another blockbuster.

I wrote about CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS, as you'll recall, but it's actually the silliness of JACKASS that can show how even a film that's entirely about excess can have actual, creative, and almost always subtle (!) uses of the 3D space.

I don't think 3D is going anywhere this time, but the premium they're charging for what's often a diluted product is indeed bad for the future. This isn't quite a step backwards for quality that some claim, but it might not be such a leap forward either, and does reek (often, there are clearly exceptions) as a move of desperation by the content creators.

[Bobby Henderson]

Originally Posted by Objectivity

I don't know if you can raise the level of presentation to a point where the price is no longer anymore, at least not on your non-premium, eye-candy releases.

The vast majority of commercial movie theaters are not doing nearly as good a job with presentation quality and general showmanship as they should be doing. This goes for standard multiplex theaters, even quite a few that are equipped with digital projection and 3D, as well as some of these new premium theaters charging an IMAX price for something that really isn't IMAX.

Back in the 1990s I used to visit General Cinemas' Northpark 1-2 theater in Dallas frequently. The theater had a very conservative, almost Spartan appearance. But, wow, that theater had it where it counts: sound and projection quality that was second to none. The crew there continually worked to keep equipment in optimum condition. They projected quite a few 70mm movie prints and those kinds of prints have very unique film handling requirements. They re-tuned the theater's sound systems every time a new movie arrived because not every film is mixed the same way. Most theaters have their EQ done once and then it isn't touched again for years. The Northpark crew was on the ball about replacing damaged speaker drivers and any other failing parts in the system. I cannot say the same for most movie theaters. The 1100 seat Northpark #1 screen had one of the original handful of THX Sound Systems personally designed by Tomlinson Holman. The audio quality there was consistently great, very clean yet rich throughout the frequency range with chest pounding bass that never got muddy.

I didn't have to pay any extra premium to see a movie at GCC Northpark 1-2, even shows like Titanic in 70mm DTS. That theater was demolished at the end of the 1990s to make room for mall expansion. Today an unremarkable AMC multiplex, an Apple store and some other high end stores sit on the Northpark 1-2's former site.

IMHO, all of these theaters that charge a hefty price premium have an obligation to match what the Northpark 1-2 could deliver. It may be tough for them to do it in terms of projection, particularly with light robbing 3D, but they don't have many excuses in the sound department. They're getting better quality software (24-bit uncompressed LPCM rather than lossy Dolby Digital/DTS) but they're not doing what they can with sound system hardware and building acoustics.

On the "showmanship" side, environment means a great deal. If you're going to be paying considerably more to see a movie it would be nice to walk into a theater that doesn't look like a carbon copy of so many other theaters. If you're paying extra above the standard price that price should include not having to watch 30 minutes of TV commercials and movie trailers before the show begins. I think a premium theater should have curtains and proper side masking. Distractions must be kept at a minimum. Some theaters have strict no cell phone use policies. Some don't allow parents to bring infants along after certain times. Some don't allow people under 21 in areas like balcony seats.

Originally Posted by Objectivity

Ironically, the reason more movies are being made in 3D is the same reason why it's quickly losing its pull in theaters. They want a reason for people to not rely on their home theaters, then they push the movies to home in 3D so you still don't have to go to the movies to see them.

I've seen many complaints about 3D movie pricing and there definitely is a serious demand for alternative 2D-only non-premium shows. Lots of people are willing to spend only so much to see a movie. If they have no 2D alternative then they'll often wait until they can rent the movie from a Redbox kiosk.

I can put up with presentation quality issues to a certain degree. I have a very difficult time tolerating disruptive behavior from others in the audience. I see it as the biggest problem with movie-going today and the biggest selling point for investing in a good home theater setup.

[sharkshark]

See how ahead of the curve we are?

"“For Avatar 2, what I’m most interested in is getting theaters to up their light level,” Cameron said. “And we want to shoot the movie at 48 or maybe even 60 frames a second, and display it at that speed, which will eliminate a lot of the motion artifacts that I think are causing some people problems.”

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...ontent=Twitter

ps. I hereby dub the sequel Thunder Smurfs 2: Electic Blue-galoo

[4K2K]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

See how ahead of the curve we are?

"“For Avatar 2, what I’m most interested in is getting theaters to up their light level,” Cameron said. “And we want to shoot the movie at 48 or maybe even 60 frames a second, and display it at that speed, which will eliminate a lot of the motion artifacts that I think are causing some people problems.”

Roger Ebert will be happy about that

Won't they need to upgrade every digital cinema for that, and go through SMPTE etc. to get the standards changed all by December 2014?

[Bobby Henderson]

I don't think SMPTE is the body involved with driving the DCI digital cinema specification. Nevertheless a few things would need to change and not just the projectors and 3D systems. The current standard has a top bandwidth level of 250 million bits per second. That would need to be increased to accommodate dual 2K video streams at 48fps or 60fps while maintaining minimal JPEG2000 compression levels. Various digital cinema server models from companies like Doremi and Dolby may have to be changed. The current RealD and Dolby 3D systems in theaters would have to be changed as well, or perhaps even abandoned in favor of dual projector 3D. Many theaters aren't going to go along with that, at least not without charging a hefty ticket price premium for the upgrade. This is actually an area where I see IMAX digital getting into trouble because theaters can do dual projector digital 3D without involving the IMAX brand.

[HeavyHitter]

Hi Penton,

I couldn't help but get the urge to revisit a poor, dead-beaten horse known as "Predator: The Ultimate Hunter Edition." I came across this today: https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=5821 and specifically this caught my eye:

"Finally, Marcais was asked about the policy when remastering catalog titles and specifically about Predator. The Fox executive acknowledges that they got a lot of criticism, "but I don't think it was deserved," he countered, because the movie was shot on a film stock that wasn't good enough, and the Blu-ray version "represents what the filmmaker wanted it to look like." He said that Fox discusses the issue of "removing grain or not" with the filmmakers, as long as they are alive."

Question: I remember some time ago during the fiasco you stated you might be able to eventually make a comment on this matter (or to the effect) in regards to this Blu-ray. Is Marcais pretty accurate in his remarks about the Blu-ray?

[AstroBlu]

Penton; I downloaded 'Mad Magician' in 3D from the PlayStation Network and really enjoyed it.

This would be a good one to release on BD.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

Hi Penton,
I couldn't help but get the urge to revisit a poor, dead-beaten horse known as "Predator: The Ultimate Hunter Edition"....

You are a naughty boy, you know that don’t you?

Best to try resisting it ( ) and move onto analyzing more recent Blu-ray movies….esp. those with a Best Picture pedigree, for example, Dances with Wolves.

Without getting into some sort of semantic statement spin control, objective readers are scratching their collective heads’ as to the discrepancy in visual perception expressed for Dances with Wolves, between our own Bill Hunt ….”We wanted to give a nod to the mastering folks at MGM and 20th Century Fox. They've been doing a helluva job with both studios' catalog releases of late, including the Alien Anthology set, The Sound of Music, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Raging Bull, Dances with Wolves”…

And that of our own RAH …”there is nothing that jumps out as representative of a modern HD transfer….” - http://www.hometheaterforum.com/foru...ves-in-blu-ray



As to Predator, all I’ll add is that don’t blame the Fox folks too much if you’re personally unhappy with the newest edition, as there are still many post houses out there claiming to have the latest and greatest grain removing tools which are capable of removing grain without detail.

Or, if you do prefer to sing the same ol’ song, have at it with dissecting this…
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...1282519&page=4

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by AstroBlu

Penton; I downloaded 'Mad Magician' in 3D from the PlayStation Network and really enjoyed it.
This would be a good one to release on BD.

Duly noted.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

See how ahead of the curve we are?

"“For Avatar 2, what I’m most interested in is getting theaters to up their light level,” Cameron said. “And we want to shoot the movie at 48 or maybe even 60 frames a second, and display it at that speed, which will eliminate a lot of the motion artifacts that I think are causing some people problems.”
...

A noble idea, i.e. 60 fps. stereo (per eye) 3D DCP format. However, Bobby H. summed up the situation rather nicely in his post above. To be more clearly pragmatic, whom do you think will pay for the needed upgrade at the theaters? The theater owners? Subsidies through the members of the D.C.I.?... http://www.dcimovies.com/

Even if funding can be procured, regardless of who provides the down payment on the investment, you know damn well at the end of the process, who will end up footing the bill for the 3D upgrade…as the cost will eventually be passed onto to the theater-goers and do you think they would be receptive to further increases in ticket prices before Avatar 2 makes its theatrical debut?

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by 4K2K

Roger Ebert will be happy about that

Won't they need to upgrade every digital cinema for that, and go through SMPTE etc. to get the standards changed all by December 2014?

IMAX issues aside and disregarding the hurdles of testing, proposing and accepting a new 3D DCP format for 60 fps stereo (per eye) which, in itself, would be no small feat.

Unless the digital theater owner already has a modern 2 projector system set-up, or a single 4K Sony or one of the newest gen TI projectors, every theater would need to upgrade their projection system, and that would currently include a heck of a lot of theaters.

Also, no matter what type of projector system they currently have now, all would require the expensive installation upgrade of running two servers….in synchronization. It sure will be interesting to see how Jim plans on encouraging theater owners to reinvest yet again (after they fairly recently did the film to digital upgrade thing) in yet another new digital system for 3D viewing by their patrons.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

As to Predator, all I’ll add is that don’t blame the Fox folks too much if you’re personally unhappy with the newest edition, as there are still many post houses out there claiming to have the latest and greatest grain removing tools which are capable of removing grain without detail.

So far, at least with Fox, the process they used on Aliens is nothing short of astonishing. If they had used that on Predator I don't think there would have been any complaints.

[Rizor]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Without getting into some sort of semantic statement spin control, objective readers are scratching their collective heads’ as to the discrepancy in visual perception expressed for Dances with Wolves, between our own Bill Hunt ….”We wanted to give a nod to the mastering folks at MGM and 20th Century Fox. They've been doing a helluva job with both studios' catalog releases of late, including the Alien Anthology set, The Sound of Music, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Raging Bull, Dances with Wolves”…

And that of our own RAH …”there is nothing that jumps out as representative of a modern HD transfer….” - http://www.hometheaterforum.com/foru...ves-in-blu-ray

I was disappointed with the Dances with Wolves transfer myself. It looks adequate, but it's soft and lacking in detail and in grain. It could just be the way the movie was shot, but the BD doesn't add much over the old Special Edition DVD other than more resolution and a larger bitrate. Fox has been doing excellent work on their own titles, but i suspect for Dances they may have gone back to MGM's 8 year old HD master.

[4K2K]

If Cameron does go ahead and make his new film(s), and get many theatres to project in the way he is talking about, will it have any effect on the Blu-ray format and consumer HDTV/projector formats (ie. would they get updated?), especially within the next 3-4 years?

[Penton-Man]

Technically, I can tell you that an analogous 48 fps/per eye 3D will not happen for Blu-ray.

[phansson]

Hey Penton,

How are you buddy.

I have a question, the other day I was at Wal-Mart and I walked by the Blu Ray aisle and noticed they had "Red" in a single disc version. I had not seen the movie so I picked it up, not noticing that the single disc version only had DD 5.1. I did not notice that the 2 disc version has DTS HDMA. Is this the start of a trend?

[Penton-Man]

"I'm in my prime". Thanks for asking.

As to your other question, I don’t know. I certainly hope not, as that would be a step backwards in the principles set forth originally at the formats launch. If a content provider begins making compromises like this, where does it end?

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

I certainly hope not, as that would be a step backwards in the principles set forth originally at the formats launch. If a content provider begins making compromises like this, where does it end?

I know! Putting such a mediocre movie on Blu-ray... what's next, The A-Team?

[Penton-Man]

DenonCI, if “the boss” won’t spring for the additional cost of a 3D channel in your home ….maybe as an Valentine’s Day purchasing alternative , you can inform her you’re interested in 3D filmmaking, as a tiny tad of the Sony Open was actually captured with this consumer camera …

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921666294297

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

I know!

Did you catch the Everton match?