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Originally posted by Alan Brandt:
Not to mention the stupid speco platters and their brain-wrapping all the time.

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Although I have to agree with you that Speco wouldn't be my first choice, (2nd, 3rd or 20th! ), you CAN learn to get along with them if you're willing to put in the time. What I suggest is making DAMN sure you thread the brain correctly. If not, the film will jump off the control arm and cause a wrap. Once you get that in your head you're okay.

Yes, you're right... You shouldn't HAVE to remember things like that. They should just work right the FIRST time.

Now I'm all for removable brains, but where in the hell did they come up with the current design? It's crap in my opinion. There is absolutely no back tension in the brain (not that I like a lot of it, but the new brains are ridiculous) and it is a pain to thread.

Brad has scanned and posted almost all the back issues of Kodak's "Film Notes for Reel People". I'm looking for a few missing issues, so he can have the entire series of 55 issues "on line". They are in the "Manuals" section of Film-Tech.

Kodak's web site is also a good source of technical information:
http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

The Kodak site also has all the "Film Notes for Reel People" issues published since February 1997:
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/newsletters/reel/

For a free mail subscription to "Film Notes for Reel People" (recently renamed to "Cinema Notes"), send your name, theatre, and address information to Pamela Jackson at: pamela.jackson@kodak.com.

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Platters with non-conductive (plastic, painted or anodized) surfaces tend to be most prone to "static cling" problems, because there is no path to ground for any static buildup. Treat the platter surface and plastic rollers with Static Guard or a similar conductive anti-static spray. Be sure the platter system is properly grounded. Kinetronics is also selling conductive brushes designed for platters, although corona discharge anti-static ionizers are the most effective.

As for static build up on the platters, we actually use Film-Guard to coat the platter surface. Once a week we just soak a thin cotton towel (disposable) and clean the platters with it. It removes ALL grease and dirt and leaves I think the best antistat treatment you can get. That with treating both sides of the film with the film-guard has prevented brain wraps. We have had no brain wraps in seven months. Now maybe the money man will write the damn check and get me those kelmar cleaners.

I can probably best offer you advice because I have just turned 17 and have been put into projection. Last year when I was 16, I had your dilema.

I don't mean to be rude to anyone but I don't think the way to get up their is to learn heaps about all the equipment. Most likely they'll train you themselves so it won't matter that much to them what you already know, especially if you have a training program you have to follow.

The way it works at my cinema is the harder you work, the more you improve your chances of going into projection. I have been with my Cinema for only 8 months and am the first person to go upstairs who isn't 18. This is purely and simply because of how hard I worked downstairs.

Like you, I endeavoured to read manuals on everything we had, but it didn't make a differences to my chances of going upstairs, and it may only confuse you if you aren't putting what you're learning into practice. Books are literary, Projection is practical.

Just work as hard as you can, and prove you're in for the long haul, because they will undoubtedly want their training 'investment' to pay off.

Read Andrew's second paragraph above, then read my 'Interview with the Multiplex' post'.

Learn as much as you can, and I mean as much as you possibly can, books, manuals, websites are very good, then read more and train very hard and within a few months, you should be vacuuming just as good as the department heads.

Then, once this is mastered, you can slacken off and they'll put you in the projection room.

But remember, so long as you've got the vacuuming part down...you're set.

(I'd add a smilie here, but unfortunately it seems all too true so... )

If this post makes no sense to you, read the thread "Interview With The Multiplex"

Good luck, Gilly.

Gotta go and hit the books now...
Vrrrrrrrrrooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmm...........

I tried to learn as much as I could as I still do try. Everytime a tech would come in I would ask them so many questions that they would get pissed off at me. But it paid off. One tech told the manager that I was very observant and a great assett to the company. Not that she really cared though.

I guess she figured it wasn't worth it.

Really, I was told you had to be 18 because CEC will make you plunge the toilets

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On the Speco LP 270: Good news on Speco modifying the platter surface coating John, you know all the troubles we had on our circuit with brain wrap on Specos last year. We found the most effective brain wrap prevention technique was to add out-rigger wires to either side of the payout arm. When a 2nd wrap does pull in from the roll, the outrigger wire prevents it from entering the brain and jamming in the rollers.

This combined with an obvious improvement to the stock has reduced our brain wrap problems by a huge amount (pre 1999 days).