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Author Topic: Fox is making life difficult for non 3D theatres Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 06-23-2009 12:30 AM                        We received rated one-sheets for Ice Age 3 last week that say "In Digital 3D" in big letters, but no language along the lines of "select theatres". This really pisses me off when you consider it's probably going to open in 3500+ theatres and only 1500 or so will have 3D.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 06-23-2009 12:42 AM                     What happens when you call where you get your one-sheets if there is a different version that would include the clause? For this almost look like a pre-release one-sheet.  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 06-23-2009 12:45 AM                        When I asked my exhibitor relations rep for one without 3D, she said they all have 3D.  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Weigel Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1062 From: Edmond, OK, USA Registered: Mar 2007 posted 06-23-2009 01:52 AM                     This doesn't surprise me since this Fox's first digital 3D feature. When they get enough complaints from other theatres who are getting yelled at by their customers for false advertising, they'll design a new one leaving off the 3D. We had a similar situation with another 3D film (Journey to the Center of the Earth?) and we just covered up the 3D part on the poster. Unfortunately in this case it will look really tacky, but it can be done with black poster board cut and taped over the "In Digital 3D". I would then send a pic to your rep showing just how bad it looks.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 06-23-2009 01:57 AM                        Simply don't put up the poster if you don't have 3D. If Fox asks why it isn't up, tell them. OFF TOPIC: How many Ice Age movies are there? I thought this was the second one.  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 06-23-2009 02:39 AM                        Joe, this is the third Ice Age movie. The second was subtitled "The Melt Down" and it came out March 31, 2006.  |  IP: Logged Julio Roberto Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 938 From: Madrid, Madrid, Spain Registered: Oct 2008 posted 06-23-2009 03:41 AM                    Fox is one of the big pushers for 3D, since they want the number of 3D theatres up for their Avatar movie by year's end. But I guess they don't wannit hard enough to pay good VPF to independents. Oh well. Whatever works for them. Kodak and Fuji must be happy they are so closed-minded.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-23-2009 07:07 AM                     Photoshop a "2" of the right size and place that over the "3" and thus it will acurately state in "2-D" Steve  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-23-2009 10:22 AM                     So why on earth don't you just put in 3-D and get it over with? It WILL pay for itself unless you wait till every other theater in your town has one... Mark  |  IP: Logged Jim Cassedy Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1661 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Dec 2006 posted 06-23-2009 10:48 AM                     It's been pretty obvious that studios are giving preference to promoting their 3D products in print and TV advertising. But several weeks ago, I noticed another trend in 3D Marketing. It's been common practice at the end of a standard 35mm "flat" trailer advertising a 3D feature to include a phrase worded something like this: ""3D IN SELECTED THEATERS" " But have you noticed that phrase has been turned around at the end of the current "Final Destination" 35mm trailer? I wonder if all future ads for 3D pix will use this syntax?  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-23-2009 02:14 PM                        I either fold-under the 3-D section of onesheets (unless they are in frames) or I use black or white tape to cover the 3-D, depending on which looks better. If a trailer mentions 3-D I do my best to cut out the offending part. Sometimes this takes some experimenting and granted, it makes the trailer sound/look bad but I don't care. The movie needs to be advertised and I'll be damned if I'm going to put "3-D" on the screen and then not show it that way. I've concluded that there's no way 3-D would ever pay for itself in a small town single screen. Think about it: How many 3-D movies are there in a year? A dozen? And they are not all going to be huge hits (we already have skipped playing at least half of those films, such as "Fly Me To The Moon"). So you're down to six. If we gross $5,000 for each of those movies, we would pay about $2850 for each in film rental. Leaving $2150, which multiplied by six movies = $12,900. When you deduct all of the normal expenses out of that, and consider that the gross estimate above mentioned is pretty generous, there's no way in the world to make a monthly payment on $40,000 worth of 3-D gear on top of $80,000 worth of digital equipment. Of course all of this goes out the window if the "VPF" deals ever kick in, but it's looking more and more like the small towns are going to get the giant shaft on that one. And I'm not considering concession profits here either, but that's going to stay the same as it is anyway, 3-D movie or not. There's also the fact that SOME people will not attend 3-D movies. Maybe they're a minority but they do exist. I can make digital work in our particular business model and we hope to take that step in the next year or two, but no matter how I crunch the numbers, 3-D just doesn't add up. Tell me where I'm wrong.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 06-23-2009 03:18 PM                        Simple answer: you're not wrong. The "pie" gets split, but it does not get bigger. Louis  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 06-23-2009 03:25 PM                        quote: Mark Gulbrandsen So why on earth don't you just put in 3-D and get it over with? It WILL pay for itself unless you wait till every other theater in your town has one... Mark Could you be any more of a shill for the products you sell and install? I think not!  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 06-23-2009 04:22 PM                        quote: Mark Gulbrandsen So why on earth don't you just put in 3-D and get it over with? It WILL pay for itself unless you wait till every other theater in your town has one... Are you going to spot us the $150,000 per location to add a 3D screen. As others have mentioned, until the studios come up with a VPF agreement for independents it's difficult to justify the expense. Unless it creates a real cost savings somewhere, it's just a huge expense. Even calculating the saving on print handling doesn't add up because often the person who is building up/breaking down is doing so within the scope of a regular shift so they aren't getting extra hours.  |  IP: Logged Chase Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Troy, Alabama, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 06-29-2009 11:28 AM                        It doesn't cost anywhere near $150,000 anymore. Get a quote done and you will be surprised. Chase  |  IP: Logged

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