Today in TechAvengers showing postponed after projectionist accidentally deletes the entire film
From our experiences in movie theaters, moviegoers don't typically notice the hard work of the projectionist. They remain secluded in a room where they facilitate the steady stream of light and sound which the rest of us enjoy. Of course, if the enigmatic figure behind scenes mistakenly erases an entire digital film while dozens of critics wait for their chance to glimpse it, he or she becomes much more noticeable. That's exactly what happened during a recent press screening of the hotly-anticipated Avengers flick, and while the emergency was averted within a couple of hours, the incident serves to highlight just how flimsy our digital data really is.
In the gradual migration from traditional film reels to digital projection technology, viewers benefit from sharper images, less distortion, and — usually — better reliability. Unfortunately for the as-of-yet unnamed projectionist who was poised to give a number of critics and other entertainment press their first glimpse at one of the year's most anticipated films, the Avengers film file went out with the digital trash.
According to multiple tweets by various members of the film press, the problem was corrected after about two hours, thanks to a relatively quick download from a distribution source. Of course, had the film been a more traditional 35mm tape version, there would have been little chance of such an issue occurring. I guess that's the price we pay for living in the future.
[via Slate]
This article originally appeared on Tecca
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