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Topic: Why still collect film if you own a digital projector?
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Steve Klare
Film Guy
Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted July 05, 2017 09:25 PM
I'm actually in a better position to answer this than ever. My wife bought me a digital projector for Christmas, we've been using it for months now and gotten a lot of enjoyment out of it.
The difference between the two is kind of like where your seat is in the movie theater.
With film projection you need to clean the path, thread up, run the film, adjust the focus, framing and zoom and you need to stay on top of them during the film. You need to listen to the sound and massage the controls to make it right. Then comes the aftercare and film storage. You need to understand and maintain the machines. These days you'd be better off being able to troubleshoot and repair them as well. This puts your seat up in the projection booth. You are the projectionist.
With digital presentation, once you dial the projector in you are basically down to pushing "play" and maybe tweaking the volume. This puts your seat out in the auditorium. You are the audience.
Maybe you'll replace the lamp someday. Other than that the day it fails you'll probably bin it and buy the next generation instead. It's too complex and obscure to really understand in the first place.
Do you want to show a movie or see a movie? These are both great things, but different. (It's kind of like catch a fish or buy a fish.)
I wouldn't say the video image and sound are inherently better than film either. My good to better S8 prints go head to head with projected video very well. I do find if I'm doing a mixed show it pays to run film first because the video image is brighter and in the opposite order it becomes noticeable. This may call for a touch of Xenon and/or 16mm to level the playing field.
There are days you'd like to fly the plane, there are others you'd rather just sit back in the main cabin and enjoy the "complimentary beverage".
-It's nice having the choice.
-------------------- All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...
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Tom Photiou
Film God
Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted July 08, 2017 03:25 AM
Steve you have put it all perfectly well in every way.
I bought a digital projector last year, as much as i do like it, and it allows you to view films on the big screen with such simplicity that are either, way too expensive to want to own on cine or simply never available on cine. We are using it tonight to view Sully but other than this i have only watched no more than a dozen films on it in a year. I still continue to by buy films at present with cross of iron, Water loo and kidnapped on 16 and poltergeist on 8 plus the Len's i paid for just to be able to see kidnapped in the full glory of scope on film. So, to answer the question, why buy expensive cine films, (with maybe a few light lines, even slight fade), when we can quickly and cheaply put them up on the disc big screen with pin sharp image and perfect sound??? (My brother even has Cross of iron and Waterloo on dvd!!!!!!! ) is simply as Steve put it. It's in our blood. Dave Hardy also said, they are, (obviously) two totally different viewing experiences. At some point in the future our unique hobby will be down to a small handful, or extinct, and digital projection will almost certainly be the only way. 20 years ago people i work with thought i was nuts and more or less laughed at what i paid for a film, now they listen with interest and even talk about "film nights". Youngsters think "its cool" so as cine becomes more obscure it appears to be re gaining some interest in people who are either middle aged and want to see it again or for young people who have never seen film or a projector and are very curious and really want to have a look. I am admitting now that my Brother is saying we have to really cut back on this now as the cost side of things is racking up and you can spend 600 quid and only end up with 3 movies if you are luck or maybe just 1. Now THAT no longer makes sense to me. (but we still do it). To pay more than a couple of hundred, (in my opinion) is simply insane but i am aware, unfortunatly, that this is the way some titles have gone.
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted July 08, 2017 11:12 AM
It's certainly a rich mans hobby, (and I'm certainly not rich) ...
it seems like I was really lucky to get back into hobby when I did (2001), as i lucked out at getting a lot of great scope Derann features for around 150.00 to 200.00 each (only going way over the top on STAR WARS), as that kind of money isn't floating about these days (I got married).
I have an older model projection TV. It can go from 20 feet to 200 feat, (from top left to bottom right), with a good picture, but I don't think I've pulled it out to watch it for a couple of years now. For me, it's just not fun. As Steve said, pop in a bluray or DVD and sit back ...
but i think a quote from "Father Ted" (U.K./Irish comedy), where the housemaid is obbsessive about making her tea ...
She goes to the retail store and a man is showing off a brand new tea maker.
"It takes all the misery out of making tea."
She glares at him and says ...
"maybe i like the misery!"
-------------------- "All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted July 08, 2017 02:49 PM
Steve has answered this question very well. Both digital projection and film projection are amazing technology, and each has its own unique qualities and interests. This is surely the golden age for the movie buff, having cheap access to thousands of titles on DVD and blu ray, thus being able to build a significant library of favourate titles, and being able to display them as good, or better than, the professional cinema. Film projection is now so rare that the display of any reel film and equipment arouses immediate interest and admiration in just about every adult and child.
-------------------- The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection, Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj
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