Hey @
dejordzta ! Could you explain briefly how movie projectors work? I'm just curious about two different ideas as to how to get the images you're after.
The first, if you have a digital projector, is there a way to pause the movie and capture the image through the computer that's running the projection program or the like?
The second, if it's a film projector, couldn't you simply lay the film across a scanner and scan the frames you need?
Yeah, definitely! So the way our system works is completely digital. (Without getting myself into trouble I'll speak generally....) Essentially how it works for digital systems is there's a server where all the hard drive copies of the movies ("DCP's") are loaded (those hard drives are HEFTY). This then feeds into a playlist system where each projector connects to, and then plays the relevant files for each screening. For example, lighting cues for dimming the house lights, gate control (moving black flats.. I guess you'd call them? That's what I'm used to from Theatre/Stage Productions.. so it fits the content properly without having a weird half illuminated wall), adverts and trailers and then the film itself. Usually, each project has the ability to play/pause a playlist, skip ahead - just like a conventional media player. So long answer short - yes I could technically pause the film at the relevant time and take a picture of the movie screen.
And to answer your second question anyway, yes - that's how most film/digital conversions are done with super expensive scanners, essentially. I don't think many cinemas here in New Zealand even use film still, at least for modern mainstream movies. Alty/small cinemas might, since the changeover to digital was a massive cost that actually shut down a cinema in my town.. sadness. Anyway, I digress - yeah, you could technically grab a (IMAX would be best - that quality holy moly) film reel and take a scan of the right frame(s), but you'd wanna be super careful not to over expose it to too much light, as to not damage the film and to get a good scan, obviously.
Sorry for the long winded explanation. haha.
He’s already conflicted, let’s not get him fired.
Ah it's alright, I've just been working too long under old rules of no pictures in theatres, and distributers like Disney who are super controlling and want us to continue to enforce it; however I do love me a good quality picture of something for reference I'd like to work on, such as Ben Solo's lightsaber. I'm happy to talk about how things work!
HA! I'm just asking questions about how the system works.
I'm definitely not telling him to be the first person into the movie house in the morning and the last person out late at night...with a suitcase full of a Photoshop laden laptop and a flatbed scanner with everything plugged into a powerstrip and ready to be plugged into a wall to make some scans or download images into from the projector's computer.
Elusive. Hidden. Dangerous the Dark Side is. And the reward is well, more wealth than you can imagine.
I mean, I'm there enough lately to actually be both people, early and late hahah. Just need to find a time when no one is seeing TLJ...