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Topic: AMC "There is a Difference"

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 11-10-1999 06:55 PM

Randy- Be sure to lay down the rules with your new guy! And if he insists on partying then kick him out! Just tell him "I am Randy Stankey, and I am the law here! Do my bidding or you will find my foot in your ass!"

Sounds like he used a different type of splicer at AMC or something. Does he thread with film on the floor? What does he think of FilmGuard? Is he afraid of it?

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-10-1999 07:49 PM

John--I'd say that 40 minutes per film is fast. I usually inspected the next week's films on Thursday nights during the last show of the previous week's films, so I was alternating between threadups, changeovers, making up the new films, and breaking down the old films. It's hard to judge exactly how long I spent inspecting a single film, but I'd say that inspection and makeup onto large reels would take me about an hour for a typical feature in average condition. Makeup for small reels (2000') takes just as long, since more cue marks need to be measured (though there is significant time savings at the end of the run).

I'd usually arrive at the Theatre around 6:00pm (for a 7:00pm show) and leave around 11:30pm after the end of the film which started at 9:00pm. In that period of time, I'd have two or three features inspected and ready to run on Friday and two features broken down with leaders re-attached and in their shipping cases in the lobby, ready to be shipped out.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-10-1999 09:44 PM

Well, on his first day, he said, "Wow! The booth is SOOOO big! -- I know a guy who would be ROLLER BLADING up and down the hall!" (I think it was him!) ---- My answer to him was that I am just a grunt-employee just like everybody else. I would fire him MYSELF and tell the manager later! -- I'd just tell him, "Get the F--- out of my booth!"

As for the splicing... I caught him SMACKING it like a stapler! When I asked him if he knew how much those things cost, he just shrugged. HECK! The last time a splicer got broke, (got flung off a platter), it took more than 3 MONTHS just to get the replacement handle!

I ride this kid like a bicycle every day I work with him. He's either going to get the idea that this isn't 'party time' and quit, or he'll wise up. It's a pitty... we NEED at least one or two more good people! (Hint)

I haven't really said much about FilmGuard to him. Basically just, "That's a film cleaner. Ever see one of those before?"

Answer: "Film cleaner? What's that?"

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George Roher
Master Film Handler

Posts: 266
From: Washington DC
Registered: Jul 99

posted 11-11-1999 12:09 AM

"This guy worked in the booth for a year and he can barely thread."...

Randy, you have to remember that he probably spent 70% of his time behind the candy counter and likely had to thread and build at lightning speed in order to help management combine those two jobs. But don't put up with any crap. When he does something wrong, just keep yelling, "This ain't AMC, this is a REAL theatre!" And you'll have to build a custom masking-tape detector that will alarm anytime he tries to sneak masking tape into the booth.

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Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99

posted 11-11-1999 06:08 AM

A third of my booth staff is ex-AMC, and all of them are really good projectionists and were very well trained...

Of course, they wern't well paid... Which is why they work for me now...

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-12-1999 04:02 PM

I don't use masking tape. I use BLACK GAFFER's TAPE!

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Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99

posted 11-13-1999 01:54 AM

But duct tape works so much better...

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 11-20-1999 06:36 AM

"I'm at a loss to understand how it is possible to get the reels in the wrong order when splicing them onto a platter."

I once worked in a theater where the same show had been running for four days already. I was rewinding the first reel of cartoons when I noticed something odd. One of the cartoons was in back to front, I mean, it started at the end and ended at the start! It had been this way for FOUR DAYS and NO ONE had noticed a thing. I bet the kids were having a good laugh at Goofy standing on his head, though.

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