jovo23 wrote:Well, which print are you talking about? The movies came out in different years. And there are way more than 3,000 screens out there...

If you are talking about Episode IV....when the original Star Wars opened on May 25, 1977, it did so in just 32 theaters.

And according to the National Association of Theater Owners, the number of "movie screens" in the US as of 2009 is 38,990. In 1987 it was 22,679.

Also remember that in the late 90's they started re-releasing the star wars films. (Han steps over Jabba's tail, etc...)

I'd be truly surprised if any of these contain anything that's nearing half a century in age, and even if they do, it's still just a copy. Nice knickknack for the collector, but it it really doesn't stand out from the rest.

For anyone that's still interested, I've got a burned copy of Phantom Menace with a wallhanger superglued to it that I'd be happy to let go for $15...

Does anyone know if these are from the digital projection version or just the plain old normal one?

Why?

i wonder if the double cells sets have less important scenes in them since they are the same price

sdc100 wrote:"Quality post" status is often given to postings that ask [what Woot considers] important question. In that sense, people who don't read descriptions are actually more prone to get a quality post! After all, they are the ones to ask more questions.

For what it's worth, I'm totally against that system and think that only informative replies should be labeled "quality post."

I don't even know how I got my own quality. leaps into the vacuum there's no way to see all the posts I ever made.

bridog6996 wrote:I'm wondering why I would pay for a couple film frames, even if I'm a Star Wars fan. Are they from the original print or something?

Because if they're copies, they're worthless. I could buy a tape of the movie and cut it up myself for less.

http://www.apostropher.com/blog/img/morans.jpg[/img][/url]

Bummer I didn't check last night--I would have been in for at least 2 from the original movies. Not interested in the three prequels, and that is all that's left. :-(

fishandring wrote:Ok, some silly numbers for people trying to gauge the rarity of these. Lets take A New Hope and analyze it.

Lets make a couple of wild assumptions:
- The cells are from the first release only and not the reissue.
- They are not printing film to sell these.

The numbers:
- At its peak, it played in just under 1100 theaters, so maybe 1500 prints existed since its run was so long.
- It runs 121 minutes of which maybe 115 are usable for the purpose of this collectible.
- 24 frames per second
- 6900 usable seconds in the film
- 165,600 usable frames per print
- Lets be conservative and say that this company was able to obtain only 1% of the original prints or ~15 prints.
- That means they have ONLY 2,484,000 usable frames at their disposal for the MOST rare of the 5 on sale here.
- Divide the number of frames by 4 and that means you can be one of the lucky 621,000 collectors to get this rare piece of memorabilia.

Of course, if this company managed to acquire more like 5% of the prints then you are talking millions of this rare collectible floating around.

Long story, long, don't buy this because you think it may be worth money one day...

Wow... that is a lot of math for a Woot Item. You REALLY are a geek.

sdc100 wrote:Here's an informative guide on collecting film cells. Keep in mind that the info may not be objective, as the ebay seller's goal is to extol his/her own inventory for selling.

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/More-Dizzy-Deals/FILM-CELL-TUTORIAL.html_

ps - for those who asked, yep, I'm aiming for 30 "quality posts." Once that happens, my days of obsessive Wooting can finally end. So far, I have 29 "quality posts" out of 655 postings. Not bad for someone who has only been Wooting for 1.5 years (May 7, 2008). And no, none of those "quality posts" asked for info...

I have rarely posted anything of quality on Woot! and look forward to continuing to do so.

signed,
all of us other Wooters

Thanks for being the voice of reason.

shimey013 wrote:Dude, check this out, the movie theaters still used the 35mm to play these, just cause they were shot digitally doesnt mean the movie theaters didnt use 35mm to play these..that is what you are getting.

Actually, wrong again. The star wars prequals only released in theators with digital projectors. It was the movie that led to thousnds of theators upgrading their equipment in order to show it. I worked at one of these small theators at the time an believe me... we wouldn't have upgraded that equipment if we didn't have to. So... No 35mm theator prints either of the prequals.

meshachw wrote:I would rather have limited editions of these!:

damncoolpics.blogspot.com/2009/08/rare-star-wars-photos.html

Those are amazing! Thanks for posting the link !!

csimmon1 wrote:i wonder if the double cells sets have less important scenes in them since they are the same price

My guess is that the double strips were more expensive in retail. For the sake of simplicity, Woot is selling them via liquidation at the same price. Woot does this sometimes. For example, it sold two stationary exercise bikes for the same price even though one was significantly better, and sold for more elsewhere. Needless to say, the better model sold out early.

surlyduff wrote:Bummer I didn't check last night--I would have been in for at least 2 from the original movies. Not interested in the three prequels, and that is all that's left. :-(

Checking last night might not have helped. They sold out in about an hour or two. I checked at 4am EST and they were already gone.

toddnet wrote:Hollywood, I think.

/lol

DrunkCat wrote:I don't even know how I got my own quality. leaps into the vacuum there's no way to see all the posts I ever made.

Well, if you have nothing better to do, simply look at the 1st pg of the items where you commented (go to COMMUNITY). All the "Quality Posts" for that item are listed below the map. If your name appears, that's your quality post. With 60 or so posts, it shouldn't take you too long. if you're lucky, it'll be one of the first items you check.

For those who are wondering, "Quality Post" is just a vanity thing. As far as I know, those with higher numbers don't get any advantages. Heck, I still haven't gotten a Bag-O-C.rap yet....

Darkimagesoflight wrote:Actually, wrong again. The star wars prequals only released in theators with digital projectors. It was the movie that led to thousnds of theators upgrading their equipment in order to show it. I worked at one of these small theators at the time an believe me... we wouldn't have upgraded that equipment if we didn't have to. So... No 35mm theator prints either of the prequals.

Not true. Here in NYC, some theaters used film. In fact, a friend specifically went to compare the digital version with the celluloid version. Another Wooters said that s/he had the same experience in Chicago. Your experience cannot be extrapolated nation- or worldwide.

Darkimagesoflight wrote:Actually, wrong again. The star wars prequals only released in theators with digital projectors. It was the movie that led to thousnds of theators upgrading their equipment in order to show it. I worked at one of these small theators at the time an believe me... we wouldn't have upgraded that equipment if we didn't have to. So... No 35mm theator prints either of the prequals.

No. The first prequel, Phantom Menace, was released in 1999 -- hardly a time where digital movies were watchable on a large projection screen. Heck, today's video games display better resolution.

Furthermore, Lucas' dreams of purely digital distribution weren't realized in 2002 either. I'm not sure about the 3rd prequel in 2005, but the below article suggests that it didn't happen. Here's an excerpt from a 2002 CNN article about the issue:

"While he knew he was going to have to compromise with ''Episode II,'' the available theaters for digital projection are far fewer than he had hoped. And, despite initiatives by the studios to help bankroll the changeover, the situation is unlikely to greatly improve by the time ''Episode III'' comes around."

You can read the entire article here:
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/04/19/ew.hot.star.wars/

jpm100 wrote:How did they get film cells for II & III? I thought those were shot purely digitally?

But they were printed on film before being sent to the cinemas. Your not getting original footage, your getting a cut of a print.

jpm100 wrote:How did they get film cells for II & III? I thought those were shot purely digitally?

Yes digitally, but they were developed onto film for the theaters to project them onto the screen.

bigj40 wrote:I have rarely posted anything of quality on Woot! and look forward to continuing to do so.

signed,
all of us other Wooters

Thanks for being the voice of reason.

heh. It's not hard to get a Quality Post. Simply post a question within the first 30 mins of a Woot (1-1:30am EST). Moderators want to get the Quality Post list going before they head home so they're not very picky. Good ones include: "How much electricity does this use?" "How long will the battery last?" "Is the [put in part] replaceable""

Questions that won't work include, "Will this work with a Mac?" ... well, actually, if it's relevant, the question may work.

ChadAllenMurphy wrote:Also remember that in the late 90's they started re-releasing the star wars films. (Han steps over Jabba's tail, etc...)

I'd be truly surprised if any of these contain anything that's nearing half a century in age, and even if they do, it's still just a copy. Nice knickknack for the collector, but it it really doesn't stand out from the rest.

For anyone that's still interested, I've got a burned copy of Phantom Menace with a wallhanger superglued to it that I'd be happy to let go for $15...

Awesome. lol I'm in for one of those. But it better not be a cheap old Dry Cleaner hanger. I want a Wal-Mart SPECIAL hanger.

sdc100 wrote:heh. It's not hard to get a Quality Post. Simply post a question within the first 30 mins of a Woot (1-1:30am EST). Moderators want to get the Quality Post list going before they head home so they're not very picky. Good ones include: "How much electricity does this use?" "How long will the battery last?" "Is the [put in part] replaceable""

Questions that won't work include, "Will this work with a Mac?" ... well, actually, if it's relevant, the question may work.

This is my quality post.





I'll be here all week...don't forget to tip your waiter.

wlgiv wrote:.
A real CoA or provenance is typically used for insurance purposes or valuating an item in an estate settlement. What they sent with scaffolding like this is worth exactly as much as the paper it's printed on...

Even without a CoA, you'd have an item worth approximately $20. May the force be with you.

Pablo4200 wrote:Even without a CoA, you'd have an item worth approximately $20. May the force be with you.

Not necessarily - once you purchase it from a retailer, if it were still available at that $20, your item becomes worth less since it is now considered "new in box", but used since it has been purchased. Most folks would pay $20 in a store but a lot less if they bought it from an individual. My point is not to take issue with the retail price that Woot is offering these at, nor to the intrinsic value it might have to a fan. I'm just pointing out that the CoAs that are offered with these mass produced "collectables" are worthless scraps of paper that have no bearing in the value of the item offered.

I think it's signed by Bill Clinton.
He really gets around.


____________________________________________
Who is the certificate of authenticity signed by?

I'm guessing it certifies that that is an authentic piece of film from the original made films?

The picture, is it just a picture?

decaman wrote:Hi!
I'm here to ask everything that has been:
1. answered in the description
2. answered in posts.
!

1. How can these be "prints" of digital work?!
2. What are these thingies anyhoo?
3. You can't tell what model they are. Pfft.
4. Why did George let us have some of his masters?! WEIRD!

No answers needed.
Move along.

lqtm...

Just to give an idea how "valuable" these film cells are worth - you can buy and entire trailer (of 35mm film) that runs 2 min 30 sec on ebay right now for $24.99. http://cgi.ebay.com/STAR-WARS-EPISODE-2-FLAT-SEALED-BRAND-NEW-TRAILER_W0QQitemZ390036634935QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Film?hash=item5acffebd37&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

You can be sure that most of the scenes in the trailer are key ones. And yes kids - its genuine film (say the word "genuine" like Mr Haney)

Darkimagesoflight wrote:Actually, wrong again. The star wars prequals only released in theators with digital projectors. It was the movie that led to thousnds of theators upgrading their equipment in order to show it. I worked at one of these small theators at the time an believe me... we wouldn't have upgraded that equipment if we didn't have to. So... No 35mm theator prints either of the prequals.

Yea, sorry i couldnt prove you wrong, but yea..they were all on film when I saw them, the theaters i went to, to see all 3, still used 35mm film for these movies...how do i know?? cause when you have friends that work there, they show you stuff you normally wouldnt see..so yea...Alot of them were transferred to film after being shot digitally, and some were projected digitally too

Have any shipped yet?

You will receive a tracking email when your order ships out. Orders will typically ship within 5 business days. To check your order status, go to the Your Account tab at woot.com, log in and check your order history.

If you have any further questions, please contact us at service@woot.com and we will be glad to assist you.

Sincerely,
Woot Member Services

ItsBob2112 wrote:Have any shipped yet?

I ordered one for a Christmas present.

Mine still as not shipped.

cgbreske wrote:Mine still as not shipped.

Same

Same here too.

mine has not shipped either. i'm having no luck with woot orders shiping, first shirts now this one

Well technically today is the 4th business day. I've just gotten spoiled by faster processing/shipping in the past.

That and I think these will be pretty sweet.

Mine hasn't shipped either. Well there's some comfort knowing I'm not the only one.

Hopefully it ships today! *crosses fingers*

Shipped

Hooray!

Got the email today, suppose to be here next week..I cant wait