You can say that without actually having seen what the digital looks like? The people who walked out of Miller's Crossing because of the print quality might disagree with you. But then, maybe they wouldn't have shown up at all if it was digital.
It's not that prints are harder to find, but they're 40% more expensive and there's no guarantee of quality.
By far our most successful night in the series was Casablanca, which was projected digitally.
Yeah, of course I'd rather have film than digital. But from what I've seen, I'd take a high quality digital projection like we have over the scratched up, dirty, shaky, missing footage prints you get when playing rep films.
I haven't seen a DVD on your specific projector, but I've seen commercial DVDs on 2K and 4K projectors.
Anybody who's seen the gorgeous new print of Casablanca (which, yes, is the product of a Digital Intermediate) would have a hard time watching a DVD projected.
And conversely, anyone who's seen a pristine digital image of The Searchers would have a hard time watching a scratched up print with the final shot missing.
I know film is the superior medium. All things being equal, of course it's better. But when you're exhibiting rep films, you get the prints they send you, and those prints are almost always in terrible shape.
I heard you did a poll at the Do The Right Thing screening asking how many people would not have come if the screening wasn't 35.
ReplyDeleteWhile I wasn't there, I've attended three of the series so far and would like to express my support for 35mm.
Great series. Thanks.
Glad you like the series. Our digital projection is really good. Really it is!
ReplyDeleteWhat digital format are you projecting?
ReplyDelete-Nathan
Off a DVD and through a Sony 4K projector. The first three Metro Classics were projected that way and they looked great.
ReplyDelete720x480 through a 4K projector is still 720x480.
ReplyDeleteI'm probably speaking for a minority, but give me a dinged up print like Miller's any day over a standard def DVD projected way beyond its means.
I realize it's a lot harder to secure prints of some of these older films. Here's hoping the series returns...
-Nathan
You can say that without actually having seen what the digital looks like? The people who walked out of Miller's Crossing because of the print quality might disagree with you. But then, maybe they wouldn't have shown up at all if it was digital.
ReplyDeleteIt's not that prints are harder to find, but they're 40% more expensive and there's no guarantee of quality.
By far our most successful night in the series was Casablanca, which was projected digitally.
Yeah, of course I'd rather have film than digital. But from what I've seen, I'd take a high quality digital projection like we have over the scratched up, dirty, shaky, missing footage prints you get when playing rep films.
I haven't seen a DVD on your specific projector, but I've seen commercial DVDs on 2K and 4K projectors.
ReplyDeleteAnybody who's seen the gorgeous new print of Casablanca (which, yes, is the product of a Digital Intermediate) would have a hard time watching a DVD projected.
I heard about the walkouts. Their loss.
-Nathan
And conversely, anyone who's seen a pristine digital image of The Searchers would have a hard time watching a scratched up print with the final shot missing.
ReplyDeleteI know film is the superior medium. All things being equal, of course it's better. But when you're exhibiting rep films, you get the prints they send you, and those prints are almost always in terrible shape.
"But when you're exhibiting rep films, you get the prints they send you, and those prints are almost always in terrible shape."
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly an unenviable position to be in. Good luck!
-Nathan