Congratulations, being accepted to a premiere film festival is a major accomplishment. As the official DCP sponsor of several film festivals, Phoenix DCP is offering some pretty great deals for you. As you might know, having a DCP made can cost a small fortune. We make this easy for you to have your DCP created and for you to have a copy to distribute to other film festivals at a very low price.
This is where it starts. DCP creation is when your digital file is converted into a Digital Cinema Package. This section of pricing does not include storage for your DCP. This special pricing is being offered for the films accepted into film festivals sponsored by Phoenix DCP in 2022.
Create short film DCP and provide you with a digital download that you can share on your own sharing service like Dropbox or Google Drive. The provided download link will be available for one week.
Create short film DCP and provide you with a digital download link that you can share with other festivals for one year.
With this package, you will receive the Silver Package and receive a copy of the DCP on a USB Hard Drive for any festivals/theaters that do not accept a downloadable version of your film. The USB Hard Drive will be EXT3 Format unless otherwise requested. Your USB Hard Drive can be hand delivered at the film festival or mailed to any U.S. address you choose.
Create feature film DCP and provide the film directly to the theater for this festival only. This package is only good for the sponsored film festival and you will not receive a copy of the DCP. If you would like a copy of the DCP, please choose one of the other options.
Create feature film DCP and provide you with a digital download link that you can share with other festivals for one year.
Create feature film DCP and provide you with a copy of the DCP on an external USB Hard Drive in a case for for easy shipping to other festivals/theaters. The USB Hard Drive will be EXT3 Format (most compatible for theaters) unless otherwise requested. Your USB Hard Drive can be hand delivered to you at the film festival or mailed to any U.S. address you choose.
With this option, your DCP will be placed on a USB thumb drive with a label to identify all of the important information that the theater will need.
This option will work for most festivals but this option does take longer to ingest a film into a digital server than a CRU drive.
A CRU drive is the standard for theaters loading and playing a DCP. The CRU drive is the accepted standard for content distribution to theaters and is the only reliable way to “Live Play” content in the event of unexpected issues at the theater. By loading your film on a CRU drive rather than on standard USB hard drive, you make the projectionist’s job faster, cause content ingestion to be more efficient and improve the theaters ability to make sure it plays in the face of the unexpected.
The same CRU drive as above with a hard case but the drive will contain all connection cables needed. In most cases, the theater will have a bay to load the DCP into their server without the need for these cables but some filmmakers choose this option just to be safe.
Q: How do I submit my film for DCP Conversion?
A: You can supply a download link of your digital file or mail a copy of your digital file to the address that will be provided to you.
Q: What is a DCP and why do I need one?
A: DCP stands for Digital Cinema Package and is the standard for delivering a film to theaters operating digital projection equipment. A DCP is a collection of files that contain Audio, Video, and other information. They provide a standard way for a theater to present content and maintain an accurate presentation from site to site.
Q: Does my film have to be 24 Frames Per Second (FPS) for a DCP?
A: No, but frame rate is important. DCP's play in full frame rates (24, 25, 30, 60, etc) and some older Digital Cinema Servers can only play 24 fps. This is becoming more rare to see these older digital servers and festivals will typically tell you up front if they can only play a DCP at 24 fps. If your film is 23.976, 29.97 or any other fractional frame rate, it will be converted during the DCP creation process to make it compatible with Digital Cinema Servers and this will not affect the quality of your film on the big screen.
Q: What format is the drive that will contain my DCP?
A: There are options here but the standard is EXT3 which is a format for a Linux-based operating system. Theatrical Digital Cinema Servers are designed to use this format. If you are getting a CRU drive that will be sent directly to a theater, this is the best option. Most Mac and Windows computers are not able to read the drive when formatted this way. Depending on your needs, you may get your DCP on another format such as NTFS (typical Windows format) which can still be readable in many theaters. If you plan to distribute your DCP electronically, you can choose another format such as exFAT which can be used on Mac or Windows computers.
Q: Do I need a CRU drive for DCP distribution?
A: There are multiple choices when it comes to the way your DCP is delivered to you. This is the best option, especially for feature films. What Phoenix DCP recommends is to have your DCP on a CRU drive for best results. A CRU drive is a product from CRU Digital and is used to transfer content to projection systems. They are the accepted standard for content distribution to theaters. Digital Cinema Servers are equipped with a drive bay designed to read CRU drives. When your film is delivered this way, your film is ingested into the Cinema Server and is noticeably faster than from a USB drive. A CRU drive can also be used to play your film directly, without ingestion while this is not an option with other storage methods.
Q: What audio and video specs are expected in my digital file?
A: Both audio and video should be high quality. The majority of films are submitted as a ProRes file but other formats are also accepted. Just remember, if you submit a low quality rendition of your film, it will not look good on the big screen. Phoenix DCP will not be able to make any changes to your actual video quality. For audio, a 5.1 surround sound mix is best but stereo will work as well. Audio should be embedded in the file with picture and should be 24 bit, 48kHz and laid out as follows for a 5.1 mix: L R C LFE Ls Rs.
Q: Do you check the DCP for problems?
A: Yes, your film is quality checked by Phoenix DCP as part of the DCP Creation process. We check the DCP on a computer to confirm the content but this is not the same as screening in a theater. Your film can also be screened in a theater for an additional fee. This fee changes regularly and is based on theater availability. If you would like this service, we are happy to research the current cost with the theater and include the cost on your price quote.
Q: Can I get more than one copy of my DCP?
A: Yes, there is a fee of $25 plus the cost of the storage device you choose from the provided price list. In some cases, we are asked to produce one DCP on a CRU drive to be sent directly to theaters and one on a USB hard drive that can be viewed on a Mac or Windows computer. These choices are up to you.
Q: I have a commercial to deliver that will play in a theater. Can you produce a DCP of the commercial?
A: Yes, this is very common. Phoenix DCP regularly produces DCP's of commercials and advertisement slideshows for theatrical presentation. This would still be based on minutes and would be considered a short in most cases in the under 30 minute category. Often, a CRU drive is not required by the theater for a file this small. However, you will want to confirm that with the venue where the commercial/slideshow will show prior to placing your order.
Q: Why are your prices lower than every other company that I have found?
A: We actually get this question more than any other. To be honest, we could charge more but we love independent film and we love to be part of the process to help independent filmmakers bring their art to the big screen. We believe the costs are fair for the service we are providing.