PRODUCTION TIMESCALE GUIDELINES
Please allow up to 15 working days (3 weeks) from the point of submission for cinema clearance to the campaign start date (always Friday). This lead-in time is based on: (a) the correct materials being supplied for clearance, (b) no unexpected restrictions being applied to copy and (c) the ‘answer print’ being approved on first viewing.
The schedule below is only applicable if Carlton Screen Advertising (CSA) is handling all of the cinema production. In the case that prints are coming from another source, please contact Seán Ward at CSA for specific timescales. Seán can be reached at sean.ward@carltonscreen.ie &/or +353 (0) 1 232 0975.
Based on all clearance and supplies going to plan, please see below a guideline of the production process:
Week 1
Step 1 – Copy Clearance: Clearance materials should be submitted to the CAA by midday on Thursdays, to CCCI (if applicable, by Tuesday prior to the CAA submission) and to the BBFC* if commercial is airing in Northern Ireland (a charge to the BBFC must be paid in advance). Full details on accepted formats of commercials are listed on Copy Clearance document.
Step 2 – Delivery Materials: All master materials should be delivered directly to Bucks Laboratories in the UK (Bucks). To minimise turnaround time on the production process, they should be at Bucks on the Friday that copy is being reviewed by the CAA Copy Panel.
The CAA Copy Panel reviews commercials each Friday morning and assigns restrictions (if necessary) by 5.00 pm on that day. If a commercial needs to be reviewed by the CCCI, the advert must have the CCCI code ahead of CAA submission.
Week 2
Step 3 – Tape-to-Film Transfer: Once clearance is received from the CAA (and CCCI, if applicable), instruction is given by CSA to Bucks to proceed with tape-to-film transfer.
An ‘answer print’ is produced from this process.
CSA arranges a screening of the ‘answer print’ on a cinema screen in Dublin for the agency and/or client to review the commercial (depending on availability, the screening of the answer print may take place at the beginning of week 3).
When the tape-to-film transfer has been approved, the digital transfer is processed when applicable.
Week 3
Step 4 – Bulk Prints: As long as re-grade is not necessary and the ‘answer print’ is approved by the agency and/or client, instruction is given by CSA to Bucks to proceed with the production of bulk prints.
Week 4
Step 5 – Delivery to Reel Building Facility: Bulk print quality checks are carried out and once cleared are delivered to Exam & Despatch where advertising reels are built.
*The BBFC should be called to check that the clearance process is under way.
COPY CLEARANCE PROCEDURES FOR CINEMA ADVERTISING
Clearance from the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA) is required in order to show a commercial at cinemas in Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
For alcohol advertisers in the Republic of Ireland clearance from the Central Copy Clearance Ireland (CCCI) is also required.
Without clearance from the CAA (and the CCCI, if applicable), it is not possible to start the process of 35mm production or exhibit a commercial at cinemas.
Clearance must be obtained from the CAA 17 working days before the planned air date of your cinema campaign and on the Tuesday prior to that (if applicable) from the CCCI.
CAA – necessary for Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland exhibition
Please choose one of the options below in order to submit the commercial to the CAA. The copy panel meets each Friday and you will be sent a letter by post which should reach you on the following Monday with details of the decision. The deadline for receipt of submissions is midday on Thursday. Submissions to the CAA are free of charge.
If you submit a script you will receive provisional approval only. It is preferable to submit the finished commercial or a work in progress. The following formats are acceptable:
1. Submit M-PEG, AVI file or QUICKTIME by e-mail and your contact details. (Maximum 4.5MB) or
2. Submit a DVD and your contact details to the CAA address by post or by courier or
3. Submit a CD-RW and your contact details to the CAA address by post or by courier (Maximum 650 MB)
If you need a guideline and you are looking for provisional approval, send a script and your contact details to the CAA. Please note that if you choose this option you will need to follow up with either option 1, 2 or 3 to obtain final approval.
From October 19th 2009 CAA address for submissions by post or courier:
The Secretary, Cinema Advertising Association, Corinthian House, 279 Tottenham Court Road
London W1T 7RJ
Tel: + 44 (0)20 7199 2433
Fax: + 44 (0)20 7199 2401
CAA e-mail addresses for submissions remain as: sharon.anderson@cinemaadvertisingassociation.com and greg.lyons@cinemaadvertisingassociation.com
Please note the CAA office is open on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday’s only.
CCCI – necessary for Republic of Ireland exhibition
In addition to acquiring CAA approval, all alcohol advertisers must submit their commercials to the CCCI.
Please submit your commercial on a DVD, CD-RW or VHS with your contact details to: Central Copy Clearance Ireland, 8 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2, Ireland or email an MPEG to clearance@ccci.ie
The committee can be contacted on Tuesdays from 10.00am to 4.30pm on + 353 (0)1 676 4876.
No alcohol-related advertisement will be aired on cinema in the ROI until it has obtained prior clearance from CCCI and has received a Publication Clearance Certificate and a Publication Approval Number.
British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) – necessary for Northern Ireland exhibition
For advertisers booking campaigns in Northern Ireland, the BBFC must issue you with a certificate. It will be scanned at the tape-to-film transfer stage, so please inform Carlton Screen Advertising as soon as the certificate is known.
Please contact the BBFC directly on +44 207 440 1570 for further instruction or visit www.bbfc.co.uk.
Copy Clearance Managers are also available to advise on advertising material before commercials are produced to help ensure that the completed advertisement will receive approval when submitted for clearance. It is not necessary to send commercials to The Irish Film Classification Office as the custom and practice detailed above supersedes the necessity to gain clearance from that office.
For production information, please contact: Seán Ward, Carlton Screen Advertising, The Stone Building, 15 Flemmings Place, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Phone: + 353 (0)1 232 0975. Email: sean.ward@carltonscreen.ie
SPECIFICATIONS FOR MASTER MATERIALS FOR 35MM FILM TRANSFER
PICTURE
For the best quality master material should be supplied on HDCam (1920 x 1080) or 2K images as uncompressed TIFF, TARGA or SGI sequence.
Transfers can also be made from PAL DigiBeta masters preferably 16 x 9 full height anamorphic.
Certain other master materials can also be accepted, please call us to discuss your requirements.
In all cases titles need to be safely positioned for cinema projection. For normal projection at a ratio of 1.85:1, titles need to be within 2.24:1.
If the original material has been shot in a 4 x 3 aspect ratio (1.35:1), the transfer can be made to show the full picture which will give black bars on each side of the projected image, or the image can be enlarged to remove the black bars at the expense of losing the top and bottom of the original image.
SOUND
MO Disc with Dolby digital 5.1 cinema mix or another format Dolby SR cinema mix
LEQ(m) level must not exceed 82
If you are planning to FTP materials please include an audio sync plop 48 frames before the start of the action to ensure correct audio/video sync
For technical specifications, please contact: Mick Barham
Direct telephone line: +44 (0) 1753 501 515
Mobile: +44 (0) 7779 686 278
Email: mick.barham@bucks.co.uk
Delivery address for master materials for film transfer:
Mick Barham
Bucks Laboratories
714/5 Banbury Avenue
Slough
Berks SL1 4LR
SPECIFICATIONS FOR MASTER MATERIALS FOR DIGITAL TRANSFER
PICTURE
Master materials should be supplied as uncompressed TIFF, TARGA or SGI sequences.
Transfers can also be made from PAL DigiBeta masters or Quicktime files.
In all cases titles need to be safely positioned for cinema projection. For normal projection at a ratio of 1.85:1, titles need to be within 2.24:1.
SOUND
Both Dolby 5.1 surround and Stereo are accepted.
Split tracked WAV/AIFF 48kHz 24 bit files are preferred.
LEQ(m) level must not exceed 82
Other master materials may also be accepted; to discuss your requirements and delivery methods please contact Seán Ward at sean.ward@carltonscreen.ie or on + 353 (0)1 232 0975.