Export for Movie Theatre

[artismobile]

Just finished our first documentary after 7 years. Basically took me that long to figure out my cameras! We have a local theatre that will project our movie from DVD or computer. They have a Christie LX450 pre-show projector. I don’t know what the main projector is. Our movie is 1hr 40 minutes. It doesn’t have any special effects, just interviews with transitions. I would like to know what is the best export setting for the highest quality DVD 720×480 4:3. My other option is to play the movie off a computer. Any idea about that? I meet with the movie theatre next week to look at their set up but I want to be somewhat “Knowledgable” when I talk with them. Thanks as always. Art

[Anonymous]

WHat editor to you Have?

Is the cinema affect Important to you? 24fps?

Would you want it in Wide screen since being in a theatre?

Whats the max res on there projector?

[artismobile]

Premiere CS4 fromMaster suite. I have never done anything on a large screen. I shot everything 4:3. Will it convert to Wide Screen without problems? I don’t know what the max res on the projector is.I’ll find out.I would like the best quality I can have even tho it’s basically straight interviews with3 point lighting.

Thanks,

Art

[Rob]

“I shot everything 4:3. Will it convert to Wide Screen without problems?”

If you shot and edited in 4:3, it should be viewed in 4:3.

It’s hard to say what the quality will be like. If you shot on miniDV and plan on screening on a gigantic screen in a theater, it certainly won’t be as good of quality as 35mm film.

[artismobile]

True. I would like the best settings for the best quality I can have. The theatre is very accommodating by offering to show the movie from DVD or computer. It was difficult to find a theatre in our area that had a projector for Mini DV or would even bother with independent producers. Has anyone shown a movie at a theatre directly from a laptop? AVI file? I believe it is VGA out but I worry about the Audio Out on my laptop. I guess the video quality would be better from the computer but more convenient from DVD.

[Anonymous]

No way mate. Don’t even try vga output or the laptop solution if it hasn’t at least a descent s-video output or the projector hasn’t any vga input. I also think there will be an audio sync issue this way (fifty-fifty). Find out what are the video inputs of the projector and make some tests (?) I think the best troubleproof solution is DVD, although there will be noticeable compression artifacts. And mate, your next doc must be in 16:9 btw (it’s easier to downscale than to upscale).

Cheers

[artismobile]

We went with DVD. The movie theatre has a nice setup with DVD player and projector. We started off with this documentary for television but fortunatly enough it looks fine on the big screen at 4:3. Thanks! -Art

[Author]

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