{"id":12254,"date":"2011-06-26T23:57:39","date_gmt":"2011-06-26T22:57:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/?p=12254"},"modified":"2011-07-03T02:28:23","modified_gmt":"2011-07-03T01:28:23","slug":"letters-to-projectionists-kubrick-lynch-malick-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/2011\/06\/26\/letters-to-projectionists-kubrick-lynch-malick-bay\/","title":{"rendered":"Letters to Projectionists"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

This year has seen some interesting correspondence surface between filmmakers and projectionists about showing their film correctly.<\/p>\n

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

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That also triggered a debate about the aspect ratio<\/a> of the recent Blu-ray release from Warner Bros.<\/p>\n

Recently, Ray Pride published<\/a> a 2001 memo David Lynch<\/a><\/strong> 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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(By the way, Lynch has also announced plans to open a themed nightclub in Paris<\/a>, inspired by the film).<\/p>\n

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

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  1. Project the film in its proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio.<\/li>\n
  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.<\/li>\n
  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.”<\/li>\n
  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.”<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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

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

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

    One recent complaint has been that US cinemas are not changing the 3D lenses for 2D screenings<\/a>, which dims the brightness levels on the latter.<\/p>\n

    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.<\/p>\n

    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.<\/p>\n

    This video demonstrates how modern cinema projectors work:<\/p>\n