From: DOMINIC ANGERAME (email suppressed)
Date: Wed Nov 26 2008 - 16:47:14 PST
Thank you all for your valuable responses.....in the need to survive Canyon has learned how to rent dvd for continuous loop projection in galleries, museums, and other venues. This has been very lucrative for Canyon and the organization. Canyon has also pursued agressively rentals in Europe, Asia and other countries who do have 16mm projectors and prefer to watch the material on this format. I do not want to give away business practices or procedures because I know there are many people who will use them to benefit themselves and not necessarily the filmmakers.
By renting celluloid film to those who want it and renting dvds for loop projections Canyon has been able to survive during the past two years. A lot of Canyon's business is now overseas, as the US desire to show celluloid diminishes. I just came back from Argentina where they were more than happy to show films on Celluloid.....the same is true for Spain, France, Brazil, and many other places around the world.
I have been to Havana three times now and I see how people are ingenious enough to actually rebuild their cars....they can also build projectors by hand....
As we all know, celluloid is as endangered as the ice in Greenland....however, I still believe that if we educate the public through our actions and that this medium can still exist side by side with digital technologies.
Recently I rented a Gallery here in SF (Varnish) to raise funds for my travels to Cuba. For one 16mm screening of my City Symphony and an entrance fee of $20 I raised more than $2,000, using people on my own mailing list. I brought my own projector, for which I own many, did my own projecting and had a friend at the door collecting funds. I paid the Gallery rent and we all left very happily.
Again thank you all the feedback is worthwhile, especially from Chuck (since I am not a member of the academic world it enlightens me about how things work) and Marilyn letting me know how Stan worked in 16mm rentals into his syllabus.
Canyon Cinema is still walking the tightrope financially and I imagine the same is true for New York, Paris, and London. I just want to reiterate that most of this field is one or two persons (teachers, programmers, etc.) driven through passion and dedication to the expansion of experimental cinema.
Thanks and happy Thanksgiving to those who live in the States...
Dominic
--- On Wed, 11/26/08, C Keefer <email suppressed> wrote:
> From: C Keefer <email suppressed>
> Subject: Re: Experimental films showing at various Universities
> To: email suppressed
> Date: Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 3:09 PM
> There's a huge 16mm presentation problem. My comments
> are more on this.
>
> At CVM, we talk and email with programmers &
> organizations every week who are looking for and would be
> happy to rent experimental film x or y as a 16mm print
> (usually from Canyon), but they no longer have a 16mm
> projector, have access to one, or know how to find one.
>
> These conversations sometimes occur when they call for
> permission to screen from our Fischinger DVD, and are
> looking for other titles as well. We respond by informing
> them, no from the DVD, please rent the print from Canyon (or
> Light Cone). Or, they are calling to ask about a number of
> titles, do we have them on DVD for their screening? We
> advise of the 16mm rental agency handling those films. And
> then it's a dead end, the caller can't project 16mm.
> They have a budget for their screening, they want the film
> and would be happy to rent and screen in film, but the story
> stops for lack of a 16mm projector. Time and time again...
>
> My two cents - perhaps someone could donate a couple of
> good working 16mm projectors to Canyon, maybe they could
> rent the projector out as well to these types of
> organizations and people? Maybe not, maybe the transport
> would be too prohibitive. But if we could direct these
> inquiries to a source to rent a projector (and sometimes a
> projectionist as well), they'd be renting 16mm films
> from Canyon and other coops.
>
> CVM has a new travelling curated 16mm show (Rare Classics
> of Visual Music) - we've had to decline bookings from a
> number of places that don't have a 16mm projector or
> don't know where to find one in their smaller city. But
> they would be happy to book and pay for a 16mm show if they
> could only find a projector! On this note, we'd like to
> know of projectionists who can be booked for an evening with
> a good working 16mm projector, in smaller regional markets
> (not LA, NY, Chicago, Seattle, the major cities where we
> know how to find a 16mm projector).
>
> Perhaps someone could put a list together online for
> everyone's benefit, would that help Canyon and the
> coops?
>
>
> Cindy Keefer
> Center for Visual Music
> www.centerforvisualmusic.org
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> >Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:21:18 -0800
> >From: 40 Frames <email suppressed>
> >Subject: Re: Experimental films showing at various
> Universities
>
> >
> >It would seem that 16mm distribution is (or has become)
> "passive" to use
> >Steve's description.
> >
> >I cannot think of a single distributor who actively
> promotes the 16mm
> >holdings in their collections. There are a number of
> distributors out there
> >who still have 16mm prints sitting on their shelves,
> and these prints are
> >technically still in circulation, but you have to ask
> to know.
> >
> >WMM sends me monthly news updates, but it's largely
> about new work. I've
> >never seen mention of renting 16mm prints from their
> >collection, and they have a number of 16mm prints for
> rental.
> >
> >If Canyon Cinema can find the time, and a graphic
> designer, a more active
> >approach to outreach could help bring about more
> awareness, but this does
> >not solve the problem that others have pointed out -
> 16mm presentation. Her=
> >e
> >in Portland, the local theater supply and repair
> company is preoccupied wit=
> >h
> >2K projection installations. Fixing or maintain 16mm
> projectors is a very
> >low priority for them. It took
> >12 months to resolve a projection problem at a local
> theater, and only
> >because the theater was persistent about fixing the
> problem. The
> >quality of work is also very poor, and the approach by
> repair persons is
> >often "it's good enough for 16mm".
> >
> >Regarding 16mm projectors, I think schools would do
> well to connect with
> >more film collectors. This community is highly
> organized, and has a solid
> >list of people who offer supplies, parts, and service.
> The traditional AV
> >supply and maintenance businesses are not going to
> offer the services they
> >once did.
> >
> >
> >--Alain
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> __________________________________________________________________
> For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at
> <email suppressed>.
__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.