A Question For A Projectionist. (MC to HCCAM or DigiBeta)

[Sullah]

Are there any projectionists out there who can tell me what they prefer to see in front of a movie to facilitate projection.

Should I put a counting leader?

An information screen? (TRT, title, aspect ration etc.)

Color bars?

The film starts with 30 seconds of blackness (a black screen with sound underneath) with no credits. How can I make sure this does not get skipped in projections?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[Constant Gardener]

SMPTE universal leader, or equivalent please - then we'll know where to cue your film for projection. Many older films began with overtures, with just sound, to encourage patrons to get to their seats and be quiet. There would be leader ahead of this overture, so that projectionists could be sure that the film started in the right place and would be correctly framed when the picture appeared.

My projectionist experiences are a bit dated - carbon arc rods, anyone? - perhaps there are more recent suggestions.

[Sullah]

Thank you.

I'll look for it around the internet and see if I can find it.

[dLee]

Film or Digital?

What do MC and HCCAM mean?

[Sullah]

Digital.

MC = Media Composer

HCCAM = My spelling error. I meant HDCAM, a type of tape-stock.

[Khaver]

If this is for a movie theater with 2K or 4K digital projectors you should create a Digital Cinema Package. There are many expensive programs that can create them or there are companies that can provide that service. There is also a freeware solution, OpenDCP.

[Sullah]

Thank you for trying to help, I know all about DCP and DCDM (well, not all but some ). This question is exclusively related to the creation of DigiBeta and HDCAM for festival screenings.

If there are any other projectionists out there who can suggest what they would prefer or what they are used to I would greatly appreciate it.

So far I'll go with a SMPTE Counting Leader (which I have yet to find), no bars or slate.

[dLee]

I train and manage projectionists for a smallish Festival. We are all digital.

My short answer is: I would do very little, maybe 5 sec of black until your black screen with music comes on.

At Festivals, the quality of projectionists will vary. Will they have time and interest to cue your tape?

Fully rewound, the program should start within 10 or 15 secs.

No one will calibrate their projection / sound systems to your bars and tones.

I think the SMPTE leader is under copyright.

While you're exporting to tape, create a digital file copy as well, so you can make BluRay or DVD copies if required.

[Sullah]

Thank you very much. This is very helpful.

Aside from the color bars which I am going to avoid, in your festival experience do you get much counting leaders on tape projections? ...in other words, would you find it unusual if I place a 8 sec.s counting leader (not the SMPTE but a simple one) in front of the program?

One last thing, what's the norm at your festival? 5 sec of blackness or counting leader for HDCAM and DigiBeta?

[edDV]

Thank you very much. This is very helpful.

Aside from the color bars which I am going to avoid, in your festival experience do you get much counting leaders on tape projections? ...in other words, would you find it unusual if I place a 8 sec.s counting leader (not the SMPTE but a simple one) in front of the program?

One last thing, what's the norm at your festival? 5 sec of blackness or counting leader for HDCAM and DigiBeta?

It would help if you narrowed the request to specific venue examples. I'm not a projectionist but have helped videographers submit their work. For example, Sundance wants all applications on common DVD but for those chosen, they have specific standards for that year's projection system. They usually offer to do it for you for a fee.

Other venues will offer specific technical guidance if you are selected.

Tacking random color bars to the front of a video is worse than useless. The color bar leader is intended to represent the directors intent for basic YUV levels. Most "projectionists" or late night TV station VTR ops won't trust these so will feed it to a processor or eyeball levels with a quick scan of the tape. Pro level distribution requires the color bar to be representative of all frames. Fail that your work is rejected.

The more boondocks the festival, the more you need to talk to the festival tech representative. You never know what the projector is or what they want. Never assume they have a $$$ HDCAM deck unless they say so.

[dLee]

If you haven't been selected, I wouldn't spend a dime on exporting to tape. Soon, the aging fleet of DigiBeta and HDCAM decks will mostly be retired. Festivals can cut costs by not renting these expensive machines.

Put your money into BluRay / DVD / MPEG2 version/s. Triple check all files you or your post house create. Many post houses have trouble rendering into digital files. Double check the submission and exhibition requirements for the festivals you are interested in.

Digital projects rarely have countdown leaders. If you do put it on the tape, it's highly likely the audience will see it.

Your opening sequence of music under black is the most common way to start a film. My method is the most idiot proof.

The filmmakers I talk to tell me their Festival horror stories. Prepare to have things go wrong at your screenings.

[filmboss80]

Every film festival I've ever dealt with provided info concerning their specific guidelines for submission. The one you're dealing with doesn't tell you the required technical specifications for your entry? Check with them. They should be able to tell you how they want the materials submitted. If you randomly ask a forum like this one without even naming the festival, you're liable to get a litany of unhelpful suggestions (some of which I already see).

[Sullah]

Alright gentlemen, thank you for putting in your two cents.

Now, my question is concerning HDCAM and DigiBeta, that is what I want to discuss here. Of course when I screen at Cannes I send DCP on a hard drive and don't send 'em a DigiBeta .

Let's not assume this is my first Rodeo

I know different festivals have different exhibitions formats and this question is about the exhibition of HDCAM and DigiBeta. It is a question addressed at projectionists and I think I got my answer from dLee. Of course I can put color bars, tones, counting leaders, slates and even Santa singing Jingle Bells if I want in front of my program but I am looking for the most basic idiot-proof solution.

Everyone has been very helpful and as usual I've learned a lot. Thank you guys!

[dLee]

Every film festival I've ever dealt with provided info concerning their specific guidelines for submission. The one you're dealing with doesn't tell you the required technical specifications for your entry? Check with them. They should be able to tell you how they want the materials submitted. If you randomly ask a forum like this one without even naming the festival, you're liable to get a litany of unhelpful suggestions (some of which I already see).

The idea that a filmmaker is going to create a unique exhibition version of their film for each Festival is ludicrous.

No one can afford that and there are only a few formats anyway: Film, Digital tape, Digital files (DVD, BluRay and similar). If you already have a version in the required format, you're going to send the one you have, not make a new one.

If you check with any given Festival, what are they going to tell you, besides which formats they support?

If you really are talking about submission formats, there's really only one - DVD. So you will need digital files first.

Your best hope at getting a good screening is a good projectionist who knows how to properly show whatever formats their Festival supports.

[edDV]

The idea that a filmmaker is going to create a unique exhibition version of their film for each Festival is ludicrous.
...
If you check with any given Festival, what are they going to tell you, besides which formats they support?

If you really are talking about submission formats, there's really only one - DVD. So you will need digital files first.

Your best hope at getting a good screening is a good projectionist who knows how to properly show whatever formats their Festival supports.

In the mid 2000s the major festivals (like Sundance) required submission on DV, DigiBeta or HDCAM tape. Most are moving to Blu-Ray disc since it handles a wide range of resolutions and aspect ratios. Some will also accept Digital Cinema (DCDM) from the major studios.

[filmboss80]

Every film festival I've ever dealt with provided info concerning their specific guidelines for submission. The one you're dealing with doesn't tell you the required technical specifications for your entry? Check with them. They should be able to tell you how they want the materials submitted. If you randomly ask a forum like this one without even naming the festival, you're liable to get a litany of unhelpful suggestions (some of which I already see).

The idea that a filmmaker is going to create a unique exhibition version of their film for each Festival is ludicrous.

No one can afford that and there are only a few formats anyway: Film, Digital tape, Digital files (DVD, BluRay and similar). If you already have a version in the required format, you're going to send the one you have, not make a new one.

If you check with any given Festival, what are they going to tell you, besides which formats they support?

If you really are talking about submission formats, there's really only one - DVD. So you will need digital files first.

Your best hope at getting a good screening is a good projectionist who knows how to properly show whatever formats their Festival supports.

Please try not to extrapolate from my previous post information that I did NOT say. The message I made to the OP was, foremost, to check with the festival itself, as they almost always have written instructions on submission. Most festivals are flexible in their requirements (especially in terms of format), but one should always avoid surprises by checking their guidelines. Here is why: Beyond formats, there are such issues as NTSC/PAL/SECAM standards and concurrent audio streams; and some festivals will also ask you to provide info on outer packaging that the projectionist can check out beforehand--such as info about aspect ratio, subtitles, and, yes, even where to cue the the start. I've had quite a few works shown at various festivals over the years (and even emceed one to boot). Never ever any problems for me, because I checked what their preferences were in advance, and I labeled my stuff clearly. Projectionists are not mind readers, and you'd be surprised at the sh!t people submit. I have found that most of the festival horror stories had to do with people who couldn't follow simple instructions, or communicate how best to show their materials.

[filmboss80]

A few (out of many) examples:

http://www.woodsholefilmfestival.org/2010/pages/home/submission-info-2011/film-eligibility.php

http://2011.lafilmfest.com/los-angeles-film-festival-submisson-guidelines/

http://austinfilmfestival.com/new/guidelines_rules

http://suff.com.au/film-entry/

http://genevafilmfestival.org/filmsubmissions.html

http://www.aivf.org/magazine/2010/12/maximize_film_exhibition_quality_at_film_festivals_sxsw

[dLee]

Double check the submission and exhibition requirements for the festivals you are interested in.

Your point that filmmakers should try to follow the guidelines as to minimize problems is well taken.

My point is that most submitters have never read / forgotten them, the post house has never seen them and no one is going to spend the money adding a SMPTE leader when they already have a perfectly good HDCAM tape.

The bottom line is that after the programs have been printed, the tickets sold and the advertising is out, when a film shows up a week or two before showing, the job of the Festival is to put it up on the screen. Format aside, guidelines mean nothing.

I'm definitely not surprised by the sh!t that people submit. In any given year, 10% to 40% of accepted films need a major intervention to be shown properly.