movie projection and sound problem gripe session (HAIRSPRAY and many others...)

[Auggie27]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 8:56pm

I've become increasingly upset about the diminishing quality of projection, sound, and sometimes print quality. It just cropped up for me this weekend when not one but two movies were problematic.

First HAIRSPRAY -- on a big multiplex AMC (Loews) screen -- had its volume set so low that "Good Morning, Baltimore" seemed to be missing its orchestra. It took two visits to the lobby, one with a chat with the agreeable manager, to rectify the problem. We could feel it rise twice, finally to an acceptable level during the early portion of "Welcomee to the Sixties." It's startling in 2007, and especially at a musical, inexcusable.

Then at SICKO, there was a crack across the entire top of the screen, with a good 25% slipped below. It was upsetting, because it got worse, with vague, shadowy delineations at the side and a bleeding picture. Again, it took two complaints.

I used to have to complain at Manhattan's Loews (now AMC) in the west 60s because 50% of the time, a blinding white light was left on in the project room which bled onto the audience and the screen. Each time, they apologized, but seemed clueless.

I don't get it. I used to hear that projection problems could result in firings. Now, is it all so computerized, there are no eyes on the problem?

And how can a print be so poor opening weekend? I saw EVENING a while back, but still early in the run, and it looked two years old, with lines and cracks. I'm baffled. BROKEBACK, in Montclair, NJ, was shown with a print that jumped and popped like an old copy from a drive-in. I complained that they should show the alternative, and they said there wasn't one. The same theatre had to refund my money when the LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE print dyed. In the old days, weren't there always two copies on the premises?

The industry is obsessed with opening weekend, and no doubt, those prints are more likely pristine, and the projection clear, and the sound loud. But it's disturbing how often we cannot hear the dialogue/music balance as well as we eventually do in our living room. And the musicals of recent years -- from EVITA through RENT and now HAIRSPRAY -- have timid volume levels, when we want to be blasted. Only DREAMGIRLS sounded the way I wanted it to -- but then, that was at the Ziegfeld.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 9:00pm

Per Marc, the sound should be set at what movie theaters consider "level 7."

[Marc Shaiman]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 11:32pm

this makes me sick

And I know it's absolutely nuts, but I swear, and I never say stuff like this, I feel it's homophobia!! I do!!

They will play Transformers or Fantastic Four at ear splitting volumes that you can hear in the next theatre, but a bright, colorful musical they seem to not want to play at the level they are SUPPOSED TO PLAY IT AT! Why?

I wanna die when I hear about this.

Ugh

[MerMaggieGalinda]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 11:37pm

That's weird, Hairspray played fine for me but Dreamgirls was a really big problem when I saw it(although it was in the same crappy theater I saw Hairspray in). The sound kept cutting in and out throughout the whole movie, and when I thought it stopped it cut the worst during And I'm Telling You! It was terrible-I know I shouldn't expect much from my small town theater(we only have 2 in town) but come on!

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 12:09am

Having seen the movie in both my hometown of Bardstown, KY and with a friend of mine in Louisville, KY, I discovered that the print that they're showing in Bardstown is missing most of the scene where Wilbur and Edna return to home to look for Tracy after she leaves the march. Not sure if this is a theater or distributor error.

[turquoisefish]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 7:24am

The quality of films' projection seems to vary here too (South England). I saw Rent in the cinema and the audio and video was often out of sync. There is never a problem with volume, they seem to just crank everything up to full which is fine with me.
To me it seems like the playout isn't monitored really, and when you speak to a staff member about quality issues they don't seem to understand, which makes me wonder if it will get fed back to the projectionist. At least with my DVD if there is an issue I can fiddle with settings and wires, in the cinema i feel powerless.
I can't complain really though, no major problems and even rent was only a small fraction of a second out of sync.

[amoni]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 9:09am

I was a movie theater manager for many years. In those days no one was allowed to work the projection booth but a union projectionist. When multiplexes killed the one screen cinema palaces, automation took over and a lot of companies squeezed out the union. A lot of booths now are run buy kids, literally. Ushers and other staff now put the print reels together on Thursday night and set up the projectors. I know it's a pain in the ass but you have to bitch and moan and let them know the presentation is unacceptable. With some running around with 12 or more screens, showmanship is not first priority.


If you have a problem say something, if it's not resolved, ask for a refund. Don't tell an usher, he's minimum wage and probably doesn't care. Go to the manager. If it's not resolved, write to the corporate office. Tell them you expect quality. It's not cheap to see a movie nowadays especially when you can buy the DVD five months later for less than you spent on popcorn. Also look and see if a theater in your area is playing the feature digitally. That is the future, it looks amazing and there's no film to scratch. Bug you local to see when they are going to convert.

[joshy]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 9:55am

The first time I saw HAIRSPRAY it sounded like I was watching down a tunnel. Awful. I really wanted the music blasting but it was so quiet and tinny.
The other two times I saw it in the same cinema, a very nicely maintained (i.e. expensive) one in the centre of London, where the sound was great. Much louder and more stirring.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 10:02am

I saw HAIRSPRAY at the Loews 34th Street theatre, and the sound was great for the trailers but really subdued for the film itself. Then I saw THE SIMPSONS on Friday night, in the same theatre and auditorium, and the situation was the same.

I've given up on trying to get satisfaction out of the high-school kids who work in these places. I usually just sit there and put up with it, unless it is so outrageous that it can't be stood.

[Marc Shaiman]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 10:40am

the sound/mix on the movie is as much a part of it as the story and the characters. This just kills me. And I experienced it myself at Union Square here in NYC.

It ought to sound just how you would imagine it should. That is what we sent out. And slaved over. To a degree that would possibly make you believe we were insane.

if they do not maintain and calibrate their speakers, and then simply don't play it at the proper level, our work is ruined.

ugh

(must let go, must let go, must let go...)

[ben4]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 11:24am

I agree about the descending quality of movie theatres.

It's a shame really, cause so much hard work and money is put into making these films sound and look spectacular, yet by the time they reach theaters the attitude seems to be, "Well they've already paid their money-- who cares if the presentation sucks."

[Roscoe]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 11:38am

Cinemas in NYC are really pathetic. I went to LA for a week recently, and was astonished at the high quality of the projection and sound in their cinemas, light years ahead of what we NYers are stuck with.

And there isn't much to be done about it. If there's a problem with the sound or focus or with an idiotic audience member, you have to get out of your seat, leave the auditorium, try to find a staff person (and if you're in one of the multiplexes, you'll probably have to go to another floor altogether to find someone), and then you get to try to make them understand what the problem is, and it usually takes so long that you've missed a significant amount of the movie, and the movie-going experience has been pretty well ruined.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 11:42am

Our sound was great at the Grove in L.A., but I was surprised to see scratches and grit on the print at several points during the film... and the movie had just opened one day earlier.

I guess I'm spoiled by some of the pristine transfers that are showing up on DVDs and Blu-ray Discs these days. They look and sound better than they do in the theatres.

No wonder attendance continues to decline over the years (even if profits are up).

If you pay that much money, at the very least you should be able to see and hear what you paid for... and have it presented by somebody who knows how to operate the damn equipment! Not the same bored guy who asked you if you wanted a giant popcorn five minutes earlier, and then couldn't figure out how to pump the butter squirter.

Marc, I feel for you. Your work (which I WAS able to hear, thankfully) is outstanding in the film. The arrangements (both vocal and instrumental) have so much thought and care put in them... great attention to detail... plus the marvels of modern technology when it comes to mixing, etc. ...and the customers who bought a ticket should (by right) be able to enjoy this.

I hate the idea of people going to a musical movie and not being able to hear the music.

Updated On: 7/29/07 at 11:42 AM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 11:56am

"And I know it's absolutely nuts, but I swear, and I never say stuff like this, I feel it's homophobia!! I do!!"

And this is why I love you. (I'm being totally serious, before anybody reads this through the Namo Sarcasm Lens.)

[BDrischBDemented]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 12:23pm

This is mildly on topic...

but is there a brief (like, a few seconds) spot in "I Know Where I've Been" where the picture turns...kinda sepia and then back to normal? I have nothing to compare it to, since I've seen the same print in the same theater each time I've seen it, and it's confusing me as to if that should be there as some weird artistic thing I don't get or if it's just another case of sucky presentation.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:03pm

Yeah, it's a quick freedom march flashback/montage of "where she's been."

[Marc Shaiman]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:04pm

more likely, the projectionist spilled something on the film!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:07pm

D'oh! (Sorry, wrong movie.)

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:49pm

Sounds like she's been to MGM's version of Kansas.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:56pm

Aren't most movies going digital projection now anyway? At least all the movie theaters in MN are. For what it's worth, the Hairspray I saw was in great condition and the sound was wonderful and I could hear every lyric.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 2:05pm

Presetting a level ( 7 or whatever) is NOT enough. The projectionist needs to monitor audio levels throughouut and especially when the commercials/previews are running as they always seem to be at much higher ear-splitting levels.

At least the first and second runs they should monitor the whole film to ensure the print has uniform audio levels. (I worked in a film library once and had to splice replacement footage in when prints got damaged...two prints of the same film can have wildly different levels!)

[madbrian]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 2:27pm

The first time I saw Hairspray was at a large Manhattan multiplex, and their copy of the film jumped all over from scene to scene. In essence, they showed many scens out of order. Being familiary with the story, I could tell something was wrong, but the theater manager didn't seem to care about my concerns. Others in the theater who were unfamiliar with the story probably would have just thought it was poor storytelling.

[Chloe]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 2:48pm

I am a film sound editor and, like many in the industry, am really disgusted with the shape movie theaters are in these days. As Marc Shaiman said, the sound mix on any film with a decent budget is truly slaved over, typically taking a couple of months or more. Often times, discussion about how to set the levels for the start of a film have revolved around the psychology of whoever is setting levels in the theaters - it's ridiculous.

I agree with amoni that the problem goes back to automation, multiplexing, and the loss of union projectionists, but the overriding cause is obviously a lack of any kind of oversight or concern. As he said, the only thing that will make a difference is complaints to management, whether local or corporate.

[lakezurich]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 3:53pm

I think that ,as previously stated, with all of the advancements taking place with HDTV, HD DVD, and Blue Ray discs that there would be some big advancements in the theatre, but I have not heard of any except for this Digital projection some people are talking about. At the theatre in the town where I live one of the auditoriums (sp?) there has a sign outside of it saying this movie will be presented in DTS. Is that the same thing as digital projection? And what is the difference between the old way and Digital?

[morosco]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 4:03pm

DTS (Digital Theater System) is an advanced system for reproducing sound. It's direct competitor is Dolby Digital. Here's a link for plenty more information.

Digital Theater System