Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Having Trouble Getting Trailers?

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Film Handlers' Forum » Having Trouble Getting Trailers? (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2

Author

Topic: Having Trouble Getting Trailers?

Sara Serine Orton
Film Handler

Posts: 32
From: Moscow, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 03-08-2000 11:37 AM

I was pondering a better way to get my hands on film trailers the other day. Right now, all I do is go from theater to theater begging and batting my eyelashes... and all theaters in the Moscow Pullman are CARMIKE (Yuck!)
So anyhow, I have about 50 trailers sitting in my booth. Unfortunately none of them are of movie that we will be showing this spring. I don't want to dump them and I don't want to sell them. What if I set up a trading system? I know that there must be other theaters out there having trouble getting trailers for their film series.
I don't know, maybe it's a bad idea. Let me know.

| IP: Logged

Erika Hellgren
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 168
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-08-2000 01:41 PM

Sara,

I would love to make a trade if we could. Do you have any Miramax or Sony trailers, cause those are the ones I need the most (they NEVER send me trailers!), but there are plenty of others that I need too. Drop me an e-mail at Jelano@aol.com and we'll see how we can make it work.

| IP: Logged

Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 03-08-2000 02:25 PM

The only company that is actually good about sending trailers out in a timely fashion is Fox. Disney is not too bad. New Line comes in a close third. Everyone else sucks. Especially MGM, they are horrible about sending out promo materials (we once got our first poster and trailer for a movie on the Friday it was opening).

| IP: Logged

Tom Ferreira
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 203
From: Conway, NH, USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-08-2000 09:11 PM

Sara,
Have you tried calling the exhibitor relations departments at the studios? Most of the people there are very helpful and eager to supply you with any materials you might need. The IME books that come out quarterly always have an updated list of phone numbers and fax numbers along with contacts for each studio on the back cover. Sony also has a form for ordering materials and a toll free number with a recording of available materials for upcoming films. If anyone needs any help e-mail me at claremontcinema@webtv.net and I'll be glad to e-mail or fax you the numbers you'll need.

| IP: Logged

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-08-2000 09:12 PM

I just inherited a pile of trailers for films from roughly the late 1970s through the late 1980s. If anyone reading this works at a theatre that runs midnight shows or regular repertory programming, let me know. I'll be happy to loan out the trailers for stuff that you're showing, assuming that you'll take good care of them (no platters! no automation!) and return them when you're done. I've tried to get trailers for older films from distributors and failed miserably (except in the case of wide releases of reissue prints).

| IP: Logged

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 03-08-2000 09:41 PM

Yes, because just having automation damages film. My Christie CA21 came with a "Film Scratch" cue which we are forced to use every show. Same with platters. There just isn't ANY way to thread them without screwing up the entire film!

Seriously, it all depends on the quality of the operator and maintenence regardless of platter or changeover based system.

| IP: Logged

Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-08-2000 11:26 PM

I put in a yes vote for "Trailers: Wanted/Swap"

Automation:

I'm 1/2 and 1/2 on that one. At the college theatre, I don't have much in the way of automation.. 1) expensive. 2) encourages kids to push the start button and walk away. Without it, they at LEAST have to be there to do the dowser. If forces you to pay attention.

Platters:

Haven't had a scratch on my Potts -- EVER. From what some people tell me, Potts are supposed to scratch a lot of film, too!

Used to have a lot of scratches on SPECO but not anymore. From what people tell me, SPECO are supposed to be "easy" on film, too!

Moral:

Pay attention! -- 'Nuff said!

| IP: Logged

Daryl Lund
Film Handler

Posts: 88
From: Chehalis,WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 03-09-2000 06:49 AM

I have not had a hard time getting trailers, but the shipper bends you over in shipping charges. Potts platters, never a problem at the Chehalis. This month makes three years of no trouble. It must of been the handy work of master film handler Ken Layton who installed them.

| IP: Logged

Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-09-2000 09:33 AM

Get on the flack jacket but
Platters themselves don't scratch film
lack of maintenance, improprer installation and operator error due

| IP: Logged

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-09-2000 11:42 AM

Oh, no! The last thing I wanted to do was to start another "automation vs. manual" flamewar!

I was just trying to be helpful to anyone who might be showing any '80s films who wanted to run trailers for them but was having difficulty in getting them from distributors (who normally only stuck trailers for current films, and sometimes don't even do that). Of course I'd be happy to let Brad or Joe or any other competent operators run my prints on whatever equipment they felt most comfortable with. But, if I'm going to be sending stuff off to people I don't know, I think that the chances of getting the film back in good condition are better if I say "no platters, no automation," if only because this sort of thing eliminates the bulk of the crappy gigaplexes (see the "What theatre is a dump" thread).

| IP: Logged

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 03-09-2000 04:13 PM

Maybe next time just indicate "No Amc, etc.."

No problem.

| IP: Logged

Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 03-10-2000 11:26 PM

Scott, you're awful trusting to loan out something like that. I mean I've loaned out classic trailers to theaters doing rep shows when there were none to be had from the studios and I would say things like "do NOT cut off the green band" and I would get it back with no green band. If I sent a print to someone who was going to run it on a changeover system one time I would say "do NOT build this up to extended reels and run ONLY on 2000 footers exactly as I send them to you" and yet...there is a new and crappy splice at the leaders and 1-2 missing frames! I simply do not loan out material to anyone I do not trust 100%. Again, you are a very trusting man.

Oh and I absolutely must make my comment before Steve Guttag joins in and that's that platters ARE better for film given a competent operator in both circumstances. One day when you visit me I will show you the error of your ways. Don't bash something unless you've tried it. They may look like an accident to happen, but they're not. (Sorry, had to be said.)

| IP: Logged

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-11-2000 03:04 PM

Grr. I really, really didn't want to start this film-transport-and-delivery-system flamewar. Sorry.

Yes, I'm being pretty trusting about this, but that's mostly because I've been on the other side of things before (begging for stuff that distributors couldn't or wouldn't provide), and there were enough people who helped me out that I'd like to help someone else. It's not as if I'm loaning out the only print in existance of something...

Anyway, the offer still stands. I'll allow platters and/or automation if and only if the booth is attended at all times and as long as I don't get the film back with diagonal scratches or silver cue tape stuck onto it... <grin>

| IP: Logged

Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-11-2000 03:08 PM

I still think that the technology is not at fault it is the human factor from installer to operator to service rep that is where most damage is to blame

| IP: Logged

Tom Ferreira
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 203
From: Conway, NH, USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-11-2000 11:25 PM

Getting back to the subject of the thread-I'm looking for a flat trailer of Beyond The Mat-if anyone has an extra one sitting around the booth, I'd be willing to make a trade.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.