|
|
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Carbon Arcs and Health
|
Joe Redifer
You need a beating today
Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99
|
posted 09-26-1999 04:04 AM
A real (reel) projectionist? Let me tell you. It really sucks being a fake projectionist like myself. Ah, I am so spoiled with these newfangled xenons, platters, and other fancy gadgets and whathaveyou.  Projection history is interesting. But in my definition, a true (real) projectionist is just somebody who is knowledgable and takes pride in their work. I have never worked with carbon arcs. But I have run reel to reel. It was fun, but I wouldn't want to do it for a living. It is also hell on the tails of each reel. After only 2 passes I can tell that a reel change is coming up just by looking at all of the scuff marks on the screen. This is before the cues come up. Platter operation is much nicer to the print, assuming that the platter is in good working order. For the most part, I like the present. There were lots of better things about the past, like the amount of respect for the job. Unfortunately people confuse automation with easy, even though we are running 16 times as many auditoriums. Oh well. Sorry for ranting. Nothing personal towards anyone. 
| IP: Logged
|
|
John Pytlak
Film God
Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000
|
posted 09-26-1999 09:21 AM
I agree with Joe that one of the problems with theatre presentation today is the lack of respect for the true skill required to be a good projectionist. I've visited theatres where the operators can't even describe the differences between scope and flat, and don't have the foggiest idea of how to clean a lens or port glass properly. To them, it's just another summer job.I toured a new multiplex theatre in Rochester that had just opened, and was surprised to see one teenager splicing film while wearing woolen mittens. When I asked why he was wearing the mittens, he said that he was told to wear gloves when handling film. It was more fun in the "good old days" --- I don't think I could take the stress of running 16 screens. ------------------
John Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Professional Motion Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Eastman Kodak Company
Rochester, NY 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
|
posted 09-26-1999 11:27 AM
I've spent many a day in changeover as well as platter houses. Although I will admit in a single screen booth, running changeovers does give the operator something to do, it is very difficult to run film the old "brute force" method without some form of damage. Cinch marks and dirt accumulation at the ends of the reels where the film is handled will always be there and will get consistently worse with every run. The larger the reels, the worse this is. I won't even get into the film slapping on the takeup into oil drip pans!A truly good projectionist can run a dozen screens with platters and have a BETTER presentation than a single screen with changeovers. I'll challenge anyone, anyday with that statement. Platters always get a bad rep because it is mostly kids...who view the projectionist position as a way to get out from behind the concession stand, and have no real respect for their jobs. There is just nothing worse than being distracted at every reel change because of handling marks on changeover houses! I can't stand it! This problem becomes even worse with changeover repertory houses that will rescratch cue marks just because 2 frames is missing from the tail. I mean really, can't these operators just put a piece of tape on the "cue" frame on the head leader to represent the correct starting point? I always did. Actually, I always put a piece of white or masking tape over the first black frame on the tail leader as well and performed my changeovers when I saw that marker hit the gate. Other than the starting cue, there is no need for a second cue on screen. Never did I "scratch" a film. Having multiple cue marks is incredibly annoying. I wish the studios would just stop printing them alltogether, personally. One other thing and I'll step back down. A good changeover house can ALWAYS been identified by 25 extra feet of head and tail leader spliced to the existing head and tail leaders of a print. This is the only way to keep all those unnecessary handling marks to an absolute minimum. Nowadays, I find it odd to receive more than 5 feet of tail leader on a print. Frequently I'll get brand new prints with 1 or 2 feet of tail leader! This practice also goes for platter houses, except of course it is only needed on the tail. To John Pytlak: how about mentioning something about the lack of a decent stretch of leader at the SMPTE meeting??? The least the labs could do is provide a couple of dozen extra feet at the end of the final reel since most theaters are platter ran anyway.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
|
posted 09-28-1999 08:31 AM
Regarding cue marks--a number of foreign films don't have them. "Celestial Clockwork" comes to mind, but there are others. In this case, the marks have to be scratched in by hand. When I saw "Fifth Element" in the UK at the Empire Leicester Square a few years ago, the print had no visible cue marks at all. It was a very strange experience.
Personally, I think that cue marks are pretty important, if only for distinguishing between a make-up splice and a repair splices (just go back 24 frames and look for the presence or absence of cues). And, of course, they're necessary for manual operation, particularly since the alternative is hand-scratched cue marks in (most likely) the wrong locations.
I only added hand-scratched cues (with a Clint Phare cue marker) if the originals were exceptionally difficult to see or if enough frames were missing that the second set of cue marks was nonexistant. I also added a lower-right-hand-corner curtain cue 16 feet from the tail of the last reel (on one frame only, though).
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John Walsh
Film God
Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999
|
posted 10-03-1999 11:06 AM
The first theater I worked at was a pretty nice booth, but the theater chain had fallen on hard times. The equipment was Cinemeccanica V8 and Ashcraft Corelite 150's.
The 70mm had (and to this day) only been used once for "Hello, Dolly" which bombed, and drove them further into debt. The operator who opened the theater in 1969 had moved to another theater when I stared in 1977.
The guy who first trained me would only run 40 min reels, even though the lamps and projector could last an hour. I finally figured out why: after running two 40min reels, there was a long "stub" of positive, which he would then peel the copper off and sell it. He had management buying about 25-30% more positive then needed. I guess no one noticed we didn't need any more negative. We used to buy cheaper Marble "Double-Eagle" carbons. I think he thought someone might catch on quicker if we got the more expensive Lorrines. He hated waiting for the copper to melt off, so he would sit there all day with a little pen knife, peeling away. There was a sink and a toilet right in the booth but he would'nt wash his hands.
Back then, it was consitered nice if you donated the copper-money to Will Rodgers. Later, when he had some trouble breathing (unrelated to carbons) and said he was going to Will Rodgers for help, I could only roll my eyes.
About a full year later, I was asked to work at another theater, and it turned out to be the operator who opened the previous place I worked at. That guy taught me to be a *Projectionist*; "Don't lick your finger to wet the emulsion!"; "Wash you hands, before threading up" etc, etc.
| IP: Logged
|
|
Stephen Winner
Film Handler
Posts: 57
From: Richmond,VA
Registered: Jun 99
|
posted 10-06-1999 08:51 PM
I don't know if my experience with carbon-arc's and changeovers will ever be worth anything in my future, but It will be quite fascinating to tell my grandchildren about working in an old-time moviehouse 50 years from now, especially after I show them some of my super-8 footage on how it's done in one of those theaters.It's hard to say if platters are better on the film, we have a litter trailer that has never been spliced in that is close to 3 years old. Being run almost every night, it has yet to develop any scratches from our Simplex XL's We are running our projectors here with ventilation, but our follow spot, Brenkert model 15, and our brenograph slide projector are both running un-ventilated. One thing I can say is that I like the smell the projection room gives the rest of the theater. It's kind of distinct, and along with the popcorn, and other aromas, gives our theater a pleasant, unique smell (especially after 70 years!!!)that visitors have commented on.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|
Home
Printer-friendly view of this topic