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This is DCP at the Film Forum
posted by
Michael Zoldessy
on
March 7, 2012 at 10:46 am
NEW YORK, NY — With theaters around the world making the switch to digital, one of the most famous repertory houses still standing, the Film Forum, decided to use this time of change as a platform for discussion. Their “This DCP” (“DCP” standing for Digital Cinema Package") festival is meant to show their audience what they’ll be missing (or possibly what they’d be gaining), with a conversion.
Read more in Capital New York.
Comments (7)
I understand the reluctance by some movie fans to embrace digital projection, but let’s face it: nothing is perfect. As for me, give me digitally restored prints anytime. I ran a rep house for many years and can’t begin to comment on the problems we had with fading color, warped film, sloppily made splices, frames missing and dirty prints. When customers complained I gave them passes to another show. Unfortunately, the distributors seldom cared and never offered me a discount on these sub-par presentations.
I doubt studios will transfer most classic movies onto 4k. I’d rather see 35mm than DVD or Blu Ray. And, I would rather see 35mm than 4k.
“forward direction”
DEFG, are you saying all studios are transferring ALL their classic titles to 4k?
What do you mean by USB 2.0? That doesn’t sound like a way for 4k films to arrive.
Howard,
Sadly, no. The studios are not transferring all of their titles at 4K for eventual use in rep. cinemas. Some of them are content to tell us to play a Blu-ray or DVD instead of a 35mm or DCP. Sure, the evergreen titles (Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, etc.) will get a nice transfer to DCP, but you’re not likely going to see “On Dangerous Ground” or “This Gun for Hire” as a DCP in the near future.
I’m pretty sure that what Landmark E Street and Bow Tie Reston are showing are DCP’s. E Street has the Capital Classic series and Reston (as well as other Bow Tie theaters) has the Cine Classic series (and Reston is all digital now)
oh and if DCP is to succeed, pre-1977 70mm and 8-channel SDDS films can (and should) be archived with the five front channel sound for historical purposes. DCP specs already have the left/center, right/center channels of sound in place, but nothing has been encoded/output as such… yet. Two films in the Film Forum’s showcase are ‘West Side Story’ and ‘2001’ where the soundtrack is superior just for the simple fact the 70mm/6-track sound has five channels of sound coming from behind the screen.