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Designing for DCP
Hi,
I´m doing this piece for a local movie theatre and got a PDF with instructions on how to deliver it from the company that is going to transfer the project to DCP.
There´s one thing bothering me though, as I don´t have previous experience with DCP. They have told me I could work with any of the resolutions specified in their document.
Those are:
-2.39 (Scope): 2048×858
-1.85 (Flat): 1998×1080
-1.77(16/9): 1920×1080However, if I work with Scope the picture is going to look wider than the other formats. So, I´m not sure if using Scope is going to either add black bars to my movie, or crop the sides when projected.
What I would like, is the best approach to fill the whole screen.
Also, I´m not sure if Action/ Title safe areas apply in movie theatres as they do on other screens.
Any light on this subject would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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5 Replies
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My experience has been that theaters want Scope & Flat. Yes, you will need to crop off the top and bottom of the video to get it into that aspect ratio. I have to tell you, I love the look of Scope. Take a look at this spot I did that runs after the movie trailers at the Megaplex theaters. It is scope, but I also gave them a flat version as well.
Top and bottom are cut off, no black bars. Hope this helps and best of luck.
PS, if you like it please click on the “Like” button.
Stephen Smith
Utah Video ProductionsCheck out my Motion Training DVD
Check out my Motion Tutorials
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Hi Stephen,
Thanks for the advice and congrats on the spot. Simple and effective.
I talked to the person in charge of the DCP process, and he told me if I wanted to make it full screen, I should deliver the spot in Flat. Otherwise, I could get black bars.
Too bad as I had already planned it in Scope and also prefer that format, but I´m afraid I´m gonna get either black bars or Zoom in when proyected in the movie theatre. Also, I´m not sure which one matches the movie theatre best.
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Flat just shaves a little off the top and bottom of the video where as Scope shaves a lot. My experience has been to provide both sizes, but that is what the Megaplex specifically request. Do you know what the theater wants, not the person doing the DCP?
Stephen Smith
Utah Video ProductionsCheck out my Motion Training DVD
Check out my Motion Tutorials
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They just want it to fill the hole screen. Other than that, I suspect they don´t know what Scope or Flat means. Apparently they just have a person who projects the movie.
What I don´t know is:
-if I submit it in Scope is the video going to have black bars?
-is it going to be zoomed in thus loosing part of the sides or should I go with Flat and just lose a bit of top and bottom of the image?
I´m asking this cause the person doing the DCP told me I could get black bars from Scope.
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I’ve never run a digital projector at a movie theater so I’m not sure what it can and can’t do. I talked to a projectionist a while back and he made it sound like you can select what trailers you want and the movie and put it all together by selecting what you want and what time you want it to play. Can you import a Flat video and play it with scope only videos? I have no idea. If you could then in theory it would either crop off the top and bottom for you or it would play it bigger then the other videos, or it would pillar box it to fit. Having never operated one I have no idea. We have always provide both Scope and Flat. Then it will always be what the movie is. How much more will it cost you to do both and is that worth it? Sorry I don’t have a great answer.
Stephen Smith
Utah Video ProductionsCheck out my Motion Training DVD
Check out my Motion Tutorials
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