Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 'Projection skills are not important to us' (Interview with the Multiplex)

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Topic: 'Projection skills are not important to us' (Interview with the Multiplex)

Juan Mendez
Film Handler

Posts: 17
From: Houston, Texas, USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 04-13-2000 10:02 AM

Well I really don't know how other AMC's work, but I am currently the supervisor for the projection booth in one of the 30-plexes. I did have prior experience from school with projectors, as well as the fact that I was hired to be a projectionist, and a projectionist only. And yes I am on my feet for he majority of the day, but hey I like my work. Working at a chain theatre isn't that bad. But then again I have never worked at an independent theatre. I can tell you though, that all of the original projectionists hired when the theatre opened were trained thoroughly by engineers, and by the company representatives of the equipment.

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Tom Wurz
Film Handler

Posts: 17
From: Highland,CA USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-13-2000 10:41 AM

I have a story about AMC.
Back in the lates 70's, American Multi Cinema opened a 6 plex in Southern California. It was the largest theater in the chain, at that time. All of their booths were run by union projectionists. When it came time to re-negotiate the union contract the contract for this 6 plex was negotiated separately because of the amount of screens the projectionist had to run.

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Andy Davis
Film Handler

Posts: 49
From: Gainesville, FL
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 04-13-2000 11:24 AM

The projectionist/usher position is a dieing breed at AMC. It was a popular idea back when most theatres didn't exceed 8 screens. With current megaplexes, there are 2-3 dedicated projectionists working at any given time. It isn't practical for these people to go downstairs and help out behind the concession stand (when you have 15 people working in concession, adding a 16th person doesn't shrink the lines much). Also, AMC is starting to favor in-house, full-time booth managers. Many of them are ex-union projectionists.

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Scott Norwood
Film God

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

posted 04-13-2000 08:39 PM

Oh, BTW, I didn't mean to offend any AMC projectionists who actually care about what they do. I just found it amusing that, at the time when this place was being built (two years ago), they wouldn't hire anyone as a "projectionist" and, thus, ended up missing the chance to hire someone who could have been good with a little bit of training.

I could also tell about how this particular AMC house shouldn't have even been built at all--apparently, the city didn't realize that the location was right in the middle of a designated "crash zone" for the local Air Force base until well after the building permits had been granted and construction had begun. The compromise ended up being something along the lines of "you can build it now, but you can't re-build if 75% or more of the structure is destroyed by a plane crash." No further comments are necessary.

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John Wilson
Film God

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

posted 04-14-2000 02:37 AM

But hey, an F1-11 would make one hell of a foyer display!

------------------
"It's not the years honey, it's the mileage".
Indiana Jones.

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Joshua Waaland
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 800
From: Cleveland, Ohio
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 04-14-2000 02:46 PM

I had that experience two years ago. I interviewed at a small Cinemark 4 screen in Bowling Green Ohio. The college girl interviewing me told me that I would have to start out at concession and move up because they had other people waiting in line that had NO EXPERIENCE! I had five years experience. Nothing infuriates me more than stupid people especially when they are in charge. I told her to forget it and never went there again.
Two days later I was hired at UPS in Toledo. I worked my butt off and became a supervisor in less than six months. She did me a favor because they had excellent benefits and I only had to work part-time which was great for college.
I have since moved to Cleveland and got a full-time job. A few months back I needed a second job so I applied at the only theater around, another Cinemark and was hired. I have great managers there, one of which came from the Bowling Green theater and new this girl. They actually know quite a bit about projectors. This story had a happy ending

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John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 04-14-2000 03:06 PM

Same thing happened to me many years ago when I applied at a UA theater near me. It was depressing. I tried telling this DM guy all the stuff I did/could do, etc. and he just didn't care. The thing that really bugged me was he was about the fattest person I ever saw. While he was "interviewing" me, he kept eating a big sandwich, and talking with his mouth full. I got out of there as fast as I could without being totally rude.

About a week later, he called me and said that several people had quit at one theater all at once (turned out they hated the manager.) He wanted to know if I was interested. He said that they normally pay $6 an hour, but he was desperate and would do me a big favor and would pay me $7. I was still so pissed off, I said; nothing less than $10. He was quiet for a moment. Quickly, I added; I can walk right in, do the entire job, and you will not have to worry about it- done deal. He paused, then said yes. He got fired about 2 months later, but I stayed another 2 years, had a nice time, got along with everybody, then quit for more money (where I am now.)

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Steve Maggs
Film Handler

Posts: 22
From: Brisbane , Australia
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-28-2000 07:54 AM

As a cinema manager that employs Michael, I know his skills are excellent. He operates four boxes, screens 70mm films and often has a wurlitzer organ as part of the presentation. I cannot understand the mentality of that company saying everyone starts on the floor. An excellent popcorn server may destroy every print he/she touches. It was their loss.

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Chris Rhode
Film Handler

Posts: 39
From: Tampa, FL, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-28-2000 06:05 PM

I am the projection supervisor at the AMC 24 plex in Tampa and I must say, even though I have only been doing this for about 6-7 months, I have learned a great deal about projection. I started out as an usher but worked my ass off to get up in projection (I asked if they hired for projection, but they said that you have to show some technical skill.) It just totally amazes me the kind of people they send up to me now. It is like a reward for working hard. It doesn't matter if they are dumber than a box of rocks, if they work hard then they can work up in projection. This past week I had 3 scratched prints alone!! All because I have a bunch of morons working for me! And on top of that, I can't get any of the equipment that I need to properly run and maintain the booth. But I do have to say that it has shaped up, because the booth managers try and help me out with getting equipment and stuff, but I can relate to what everybody is saying about the multiplex because I experienced it first hand.

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Andy Davis
Film Handler

Posts: 49
From: Gainesville, FL
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 04-29-2000 12:14 AM

Chris, you work at Veterans, correct? There's only 1 AMC 24-plex in Tampa. Is Mike Kerr still booth manager there?

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John Wilson
Film God

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

posted 04-29-2000 02:40 AM

And a big Rip-Roarin' welcome to cinema manager and cinema historian extraordinair... Mr Steve Maggs!

Hey Steve, lookit... you're a film handler! (Had to happen eventually, I guess).

Welcome to the forum.

------------------
"It's not the years honey, it's the mileage".
Indiana Jones.

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Stefan Scholz
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 223
From: Schoenberg, Germany
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 04-29-2000 04:14 AM

Interesting, that vacuuming is considered a skill. That must date back to old style governement offices when you even needed a "degree" in rubber-stamping and photocopying.
It simply shows, that large corporations are still like old fashioned governement agencies, your skills don't matter, why should they, as it is "teamworking", everybody has to start from scratch and work his/her way up, with one big difference. At the goverment position the payments were not too bad, and your forthcomming was monitored by the local union heads.

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Chris Rhode
Film Handler

Posts: 39
From: Tampa, FL, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-29-2000 09:01 AM

Andy,

Yes, Mike Kerr is still the booth manager there. He is the best thing that ever happened to that theater. But he is only there 2 days a week now, because he has like 130+ other screens to worry about around the bay area. He has his son Mike Jr. training with him.

Chris

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