posted 07-31-1999 06:18 PM                    

Excuse me??? I like the fact my leader and first trailer doesn't sit airborne for an hour before show time. Also, the ability to specify exactly which frame to open the show on is nice for those less than perfect operators or during rushed Thursday nights. Also, it saves time during threading. No need to motor the film until that certain sweet spot hits a certain point in the system. Not using the motor in that manner will add life to your projectors too. (And I know you use Christies, Joe...so it should be of utmost importance!) Thus, the benefits of a start cue.

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posted 08-01-1999 12:21 AM                       

I am not against start cues. I just don't really care a whole lot. If I had a projector in my house, I would want a start cue, however. Don't get me wrong, I am ALL FOR being lazy! Aren't all projectionists lazy bums who just sit around?? Just kidding... that's what people downstairs like to think of us. Oh, how they are misinformed.

About sound volume cues. What if you put a cue on that told the automation "Please play this movie at a volume level of 7.0, thank you very much"? What if that movie was "The Mummy"? You would have to literally go back in and physically change the cue because Mummy had an awful mix and could not be played at 7.0. Also, what if you played it at 7.0 normally but wanted to play it at 7.5 or whatever when the house sells out? A cue that says nothing but "change volume" would be preferred and you tell the automation the exact level you want to change it to. On the CA-21, this takes about 4 seconds if you are really slow.

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posted 08-01-1999 04:54 PM                    

I have the same automation as Joe and Stephen. I love this automation - nothing, in my opinion, is easier. I used to use barcodes -- HATED THEM! The advantages of my automation have been covered, except for two points:
1) Sometimes we get special instructions from the studio about credits (like if they have something going on during the credits that they don't want the audience to miss, like A Bug's Life). They might tell us to keep the house lights low or something. Well, we always wonder if it's really worth it. One of our options, then, could be to put a foil cue at the beginning of the credits, and if we find that leaving the lights down for the credits is appropriate, it's just the touch of one button of the automation to change it -- no need to remove the cue! So my point? More options!!!
Which brings me to my second point. Our cues are removable! They leave no sticky residue on the film. Ever try to remove a barcode cue? Can't be done! You have to black the cue out with a marker, or cut the frame out. With our cues, all you need is a fingernail This comes in very handy for us since we are a 16 plex and we never get enough trailers, so we have to save the old ones. Any cues on old trailers can be taken off, then the trailer placed back in another movie at any position in the trailer pack. This is invaluable for me since I am completely in charge of everything trailer related at my theatre.

[This message has been edited by Erika Hellgren (edited 08-01-1999).]

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posted 08-01-1999 05:13 PM                    

[This message has been edited by Brad Miller (edited 08-01-1999).]

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posted 08-01-1999 07:47 PM                       

[This message has been edited by Joe Redifer (edited 08-01-1999).]

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