Categories
Interesting

Letters to Projectionists

Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, Terrence Malick and Michael Bay form an unlikely quartet of directors who have written letters to cinema projectionists.

This year has seen some interesting correspondence surface between filmmakers and projectionists about showing their film correctly.

Recently Glenn Kenny published a letter given to him by former Time critic Jay Cocks found a letter Stanley Kubrick wrote in December 1975 about the correct way to screen Barry Lyndon:

That also triggered a debate about the aspect ratio of the recent Blu-ray release from Warner Bros.

Recently, Ray Pride published a 2001 memo David Lynch wrote to cinema ‘projection departments’ in order to remind them of the aspect ratio, sound (‘3db hotter than normal’) and slight tweaks to the ‘headroom’ for screenings of Mulholland Drive.

(By the way, Lynch has also announced plans to open a themed nightclub in Paris, inspired by the film).

Last month the San Diego Reader reported that Terrence Malick penned a ‘fraternal salute’ to projectionists showing his latest film The Tree of Life in which he asked them to:

  1. Project the film in its proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio.
  2. The correct fader setting on Dolby and DTS systems is 7. Malick asks that faders be kept at 7.5 or even 7.7, system permitting.
  3. The film has no opening credits, and the booth operator is asked to make sure the “lights down cue is well before the opening frame of reel 1.”
  4. With all the recent talk of “darkier, lousier” images, operators are asked that lamps are at “proper standard (5400 Kelvin)” and that the “foot Lambert level is at Standard 14.”

At the other end of the directing spectrum, the Facebook page of American Cinematographer has posted a letter from Michael Bay in which he outlines to projectionists how to screen the ‘Platinum 6’ version of Transformers: Dark of the Moon for the ‘ultimate 3D experience’.

Interestingly Paramount, who are releasing the film, are the only major studio not to embrace the controversial pay-per-view plans which caused such a stink with theater owners back at Cinema Con in April.

After some high profile disappointments (3D versions of Pirates of the Carribbean 4 and Green Lantern grossed less than expected) this tentpole release will be keenly watched by Hollywood.

One recent complaint has been that US cinemas are not changing the 3D lenses for 2D screenings, which dims the brightness levels on the latter.

The letters are also timely as projection in multiplexes is often poor, with multiplex chains skimping on bulbs and often showing a movie with the incorrect aspect ratio.

With the advent of digital projection systems these problems were supposed to be addressed, but it seems that some cinemas are still cutting corners and shortchanging audiences and filmmakers.

This video demonstrates how modern cinema projectors work:

Back in 1998, Paul Thomas Anderson spoke to Mike Figgis about the old saying that the ‘projectionist has final cut’ and how he witnessed a bad Fuji print of Boogie Nights at an LA cinema (relevant part starts at 6.24):

To some this may seem like technical trivia but if cinema is to survive in an era of digital downloads and shortening windows, then projection standards must remain high.

> More on Movie Projectors at Wikipedia
> Wired on how modern 3D projectors work
> Guardian article on the life and work of a cinema projectionist
> How Stuff Works on movie projectors

Categories
Interesting Thoughts

Interesting Filmmaker Websites

In the year 2011 how do filmmakers use the web for more than just promotion?

I often wonder how famous directors from the past would used online tools in either the making or the promotion of their films.

Maybe Orson Welles would have put out his 1938 interview with H.G. Wells as a podcast.

Perhaps Alfred Hitchcock would have filmed his classic trailers especially for YouTube.

One can only guess what Stanley Kubrick would have made of the more developed online world we now live in.

Like many celebrities, over the last couple of years various actors, directors and producers have embraced Twitter as a self-promotional tool which use to engage fans and post updates.

But what about those filmmakers whose online activities go a little deeper?

Here are my pick of the most interesting.

DAVID LYNCH (www.davidlynch.com)

I can’t remember when I first heard that David Lynch had a website, but it was a few years ago and when it turned out he was selling ringtones and doing weather reports, I had to check it out. Designed and maintained by the indexsy seo agency, it is now mostly dedicated to his music and you can also see the live Duran Duran concert he recently directed, as well as various music tracks from his films and TV shows. He also occasionally does cooking videos.

EDGAR WRIGHT (www.edgarwrighthere.com)

Ever since securing the ingenious URL www.romzom.com (sadly no longer active) for his breakout film Shaun of the Dead (2004), Edgar Wright has been fairly active online with behind-the-scenes video podcasts for Hot Fuzz (2007) and his own website which seemed to start in 2009. He regularly posts articles, videos and a lot of photos (at one point he even did a daily photo thing), but he also engages with people in the comments section, puts up videos he’s directed (be they music promos or early experiments in editing) and generally has a bit of a laugh whilst doing so. He’s also pretty active on Twitter.

ROGER DEAKINS (www.deakinsonline.com/forum2)

What does one of the world’s greatest cinematographers do when he’s not shooting films like True Grit (2010), No Country for Old Men (2007) or The Shawshank Redemption (1994)? It turns out he runs a pretty active forum on his own website, where he answers questions from readers all around the world. Whether you have a query about cameras, lighting, digital intermediates, whether 4K really matters or the merits of anamorphic over super 35mm, Roger is there. It is more for the technically minded film fan, but given his amazing back catalogue of films, there are some illuminating stories on how scenes were shot and put together. An incredible resource, it’s a bit like having Paul McCartney give out song writing tips at your local music venue.

MICHAEL BAY (www.shootfortheedit.com)

Although his site probably won’t be getting bookmarked by Sight and Sound readers any time soon, Bay is one of the few A-list Hollywood directors to have his own website and forum, where he posts quite candidly about his films. Whatever you think of his work, his official forum provides some interesting insights into the blockbuster process. Just a month away from Transformers: Dark of the Moon being released, we learn: he is curious to hear about local advertising from readers around the world (to keep Paramount’s marketing folks on their toes?), his displeasure with a ‘cheap ass trailer company’ who apparently stole Transformer sounds to use in a Green Lantern TV spot, the fact that Mercedes wouldn’t allow him to make their cars into a bad Decepticon and that he cut out a stunt because a building “wanted a $40,000 location fee”. Oh, and the Autobot Twins are not back in Transformers 3.

JOHN AUGUST (www.johnaugust.com)

The screenwriter of Go (1999), Big Fish (2003) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) runs a site he describes as ‘a ton of useful information about screenwriting’ and he’s not wrong with that description. When you think of screenwriting gurus who charge hefty amounts for books and seminars, it’s worth noting that a successful, working screenwriter is giving away lots of useful advice for free on a regular basis. More than that, he takes time to answer reader comments and also blogs with a lot of insight about storytelling and the wider industry. It is particularly useful for those little practical details which confront the working screenwriter, be it formatting, genres or pitching. He has also created an iPad app for reading screenplays (FDX Reader) and a web browser extension (Less IMDb) that makes the movie reference site easier to navigate.

DON MURPHY (www.donmurphy.net)

The producer of Natural Born Killers (1994), Apt Pupil (1998), From Hell (2001) and the Transformers franchise runs what appears to be a fairly old school site. But look deeper and you find some hidden treasures, such as a message board, genuinely interesting links, and some fantastic Hollywood stories. There are sections titled good guys (Michael De Luca), bad guys (Peter Biskind), fun with lawsuits (eye opening to say the least) and an archive of related stuff going back to 1997. You can also make him happy by sending him the front page of the LA Times from June 18th 1952.

TED HOPE (http://blogs.indiewire.com/tedhope)

The successful US indie producer (American Splendor, In The Bedroom) has been an active blogger and Twitter user at a time of great turmoil and change for the independent sector. Part of that is down to the challenges facing filmmakers and distributors in a world where old economic models have been disrupted by new technologies and the financial crisis. His previous blog has now moved over to IndieWire and is a good place to visit to find out what the future of the industry might look like, as the ideas and debates he encourages may filter through to the mainstream.

If you have any other examples of filmmakers using the web in interesting ways, then leave them below.

> Movie Directors, Writers and Actors on Twitter at /Film
> Filmmaker Magazine
> The Daily MUBi on Twitter

Categories
Amusing Directors Interesting

Cooking with David Lynch

Aside from being a great director David Lynch has some mean skills in the kitchen.

Around the release of Inland Empire (2006) he made these cooking videos where he prepares some quinoa and organic broccoli.

Shot in black and white, they are set to some moody music as the director mentions the qualities of quinoa (“they say that it is the only grain that is a perfect, complete protein”) and he tells a mean anecdote about his travels in Europe involving paper money and sugar water.

I could watch a whole series of this.

> David Lynch
> Find out more about Quinoa at Wikipedia

Categories
Interesting Short Films

David Lynch’s Lady Blue Shanghai

David Lynch recently directed this short film for Dior called Lady Blue Shanghai.

Essentially a long form advert, it stars Marion Cotillard and Gong Tao, features art direction by John Galliano and was written and directed by Lynch.

Here it is, in two parts:

It isn’t the first time Lynch has worked in advertising. Previously he has directed spots for home pregnancy tests, perfume, cars and cigarettes.

However, I don’t think he’ll be doing one for the iPhone any time soon.

> David Lynch’s official site
> David Lynch at the IMDb and Wikipedia

Categories
Amusing Directors Interesting Technology

David Lynch is on Twitter

Yes, that is the real David Lynch on Twitter.

Or, as he puts it, ‘the Twitter page’.

Categories
Amusing

David Lynch on product placement in movies

David Lynch gives his thoughts on product placement in movies today.

[Link via Graham Linehan]