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Topic: Managers in the Booth!?!

Craig Hanham
Film Handler

Posts: 79
From: Wellington, New Zealand
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 10-29-2001 03:34 AM

Yes Joe some of us still use carbon

No it dont cause lung cancer, well not to the operator, as all the exhaust gas is vented outside with a fan via the exhaust flues.And with the high temp you get complete burning.
Oh yeah the light is good, actually the colour temp. is hot around the 4600K to 5300K mark.
When you get a good print it looks great; much better than some of those penny pinching multi-plexes who dont run their xenons at high power.(made Episode 1 something awesome to look at)

And yes it can be a lot of work.

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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)

Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 10-29-2001 08:25 AM

Speaking from a non technical position, if I were to be given my druthers, I would opted to watch a film being projected with a carbon arc projector and not xenon.

The colors seem richer and more vibrant when viewed projected using the carbons.

Of course on the other side. it is a lot easier to carry a xenon lamp up through the mezzanine, loge and balcony then up a ladder into the booth, than carrying a box of positive and negative carbons.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 10-29-2001 09:01 AM

One theory as to why some people prefer the "look" of film projected with a carbon arc is that the spectral output of a High Intensity carbon arc is much "smoother" than xenon arc, with fewer "spikes" of spectral output (even though they both have similar color temperature). It's much the same reason many people feel fluorescent lighting (mercury vapor discharge excited phosphors) has poorer color rendition than daylight or tungsten lighting, even when the phosphors are chosen to have a "high color rendering index".

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

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Scott Norwood
Film God

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

posted 10-29-2001 09:32 AM

I hate the opaque tape. A couple of years ago, at the first theatre where I worked, we were using large reels with changeovers. I threw out a large package of white tape and bought (yes, out of my own pocket) clear tape instead. As others have mentioned, the white tape is difficult to peel (it usually leaves goo on the film) and looks and sounds terrible.

I find splices by feel, so I really don't think that white or zebra tape makes breakdowns any easier than clear (and the difficulty of peeling makes it harder, actually). The only time I would even want zebra tape in the booth is for dealing with old, splicy prints, where the zebra stripes can be used to distinguish between repair splices and reel-break splices. Otherwise, I want clear tape only.

As for carbons--yes, some theatres still use them. I prefer the look of carbon _if_ the projectionist is competent. Poorly maintained or run carbon-arc setups are a disaster, with color temperature varying all over the place. In addition to theatres, there are other applications for carbon-arc lighting; many theatres, arenas, convention centers, etc. have carbon-arc spotlights (usually Strong Super Troupers), which use a screw-feed mechanism which is kind of similiar to (but simpler than) a carbon-arc lamp for a film projector.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

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

posted 10-29-2001 12:42 PM

You should take all of your opaque tape down to the box office and put it in the Scotch tape dispensers and buy yourself some decent tape. Personally, I don't have a problem with Zebra tape as long as you're careful not to get any of the yellow on the soundtrack and keep the crossbar right ON the frame line. Better yet, don't use the crossbar part. No matter... Clear tape is better.

I don't see what the problem is using carbons. Yeah, I can understand how lazy people would let them get out of whack but anybody with half a brain can learn to use them. It only took me about a DAY to learn the basics and probably a week to start getting used to them. By the end of that week I was even starting to make adjustments without even using the arc-scope. (Ashcraft Super Cinex) There were times when I was making adjustments almost instinctively... You just KNOW when it's time to check the trim. It's like ESP or something.

I just think the whole arguement, whether it be tape or carbons or anything else, comes down to one common denominator: LAZY PEOPLE!

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

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

posted 10-29-2001 02:24 PM

When I used zebra tape (the good Neumade kind, not the horrible dim yellow kind with the three "dashes" across it) I never put the crossbar on the print. We spliced the clear part in the frame and two yellow bars would be on the very edge of the film (SDDS track). You can peel the Neumade tape off... you can't peel that other stuff off. That other stuff should absolutely be outlawed.

That was a long time ago. It's been awhile since I used zebra tape.

So if I prefer xenons that means I am lazy?

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Will Kutler
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1506
From: Tucson, AZ, USA
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 10-29-2001 02:27 PM

Yes, carbons are excellent and I do agree about light quality!

I had heard several rumors about the EPA making it illegal to use carbons indoors. The carbon manufacturers told me that this is a false industry rumor intended to promote xenon. Whereas xenon emits ozone, yes carbons do emit soot and ash. But this is not a problem with proper ventalation according to building codes.

Tucson Parks and Recreation had some Strong Carbon Arc Super Trouper Follow Spots that were installed and used in the Tucson Convention Center for years. They were removed and are now used for special outdoor events. The last time I saw them, they were spotless and in imaculate condition--they looked new!

Some of the complaints that I hear about carbons on a regular basis is that they go bad due to improper storage. As long as they are stored in a warm dry place laying down they should be ok. If they are to be stored for a long time individually vacume wraping a negative and positive as a set may be a good option?

Also, shame, shame to anyone who would run a film with multiple layers of splicing tape! Bad for the film and the projection equipment!

Yes, that oblique crap tape is a real pain to remove and does leave a nasty residue! That clear splicing tape from the UK (the name escapes me--brain dump) is excellent!

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Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 10-29-2001 06:16 PM

I, too, would never use opaque tape. Why is it even made??? I have no problem with zebra tape, and I do put the line across the frame line. I have never seen it on screen.

Isn't this topic about managers in the booth???? Here's my take. I am a manager, because like many, my company does not have "projectionists." I love working shifts on the floor just as much as I do in the booth. But in general, I think the m/o idea is a really bad one if you force every manager to also work projection, and everyone who works projection to also work on the floor. Someone who is great with customer service or paper work or counting money may suck as a projectionist. I have found this to be the case many times. Most of the managers I have worked with do not truly care about "Film Done Right." (I could probably write an essay on the little things I have seen done wrong that totally bug the out of me.) However, I don't mind the idea of m/o's if a manager who is truly interested in film done right wants to learn projection. But it has to be the ones who really care, and most of them don't.

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Craig Hanham
Film Handler

Posts: 79
From: Wellington, New Zealand
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 10-29-2001 06:27 PM

Good Call Ken.
What does it matter the job title Film Done Right is the WHOLE point!!!

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Randy Stankey
Film God

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

posted 10-29-2001 08:02 PM

Joe, the inside of your lamphouses are probably so clean you could cook a chicken inside them.

Prefering one technology over another doesn't make you lazy. Being lazy makes you prefer one technology over another because it LETS you be lazy if you are that kind of person.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

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

posted 10-29-2001 09:16 PM

But I LIKE being lazy!

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Daniel Boisson
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 157
From: Buffalo, NY, USA
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 10-29-2001 10:08 PM

we use yellow tape. only because the head projectionist is starting to get old, and so its just easier to him. i personally cant stand it when i see a movie.

i can see why managers should know how to start movies, but if they are only managers, they really don't need to be trained to do everything. i don't like it, it feels like my job is being undermined.

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...My brain's always wrapped...

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Nicole Malfa
Film Handler

Posts: 2
From: Ipswich, MA, USA
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 10-30-2001 11:52 AM

I understand your problem completely. I am a supervisor/projectionist where i work and we just hired a new manager. The guy claims he went to school for projecting and he can handle it on his own. So we all let him go up to the booth and 10 minutes later we had a brainwrap and two movies that just stopped because he didn't thread the projectors correctly. Then the guy instead of learning from his mistakes runs out of the theater and is never heard from again.

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Paul Harnden
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 107
From: Chandler, AZ, USA
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 10-30-2001 04:04 PM

I've had almost similar incidents like Nicole's where managers come up on there first times and screw things up and then walk away, leaving me to deal with it.
When I was starting out a fellow manager snuck some of his friends into the booth to give them a tour and to generally look all intelligent. Well as luck should have it, one of the films brainwrapped, and I walked in to find him, surrounded by his friends, with film going every which way from the CFU. He asked for my help and about 5-10 minutes later I had it all untangled and fixed.
I have little problem with managers in the booth, as long as they're willing to put the time and effort that is needed to learn and operate the projectors properly. Sure, some might screw things up, but as long as they're willing to own up and try to fix it, then I'm fine with that also.

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Michael Gonzalez
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 790
From: Grand Island , NE USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 10-30-2001 04:27 PM

This is where I usually come to the defense of managers whenever there is a thread bashing them. However, I am going to be sightly different and state that NO ONE, no matter what their position or title, belongs in the booth unless they are properly trained. If you have some new guy who claims to have been trained somewhere else, than you watch them to be sure that they really know what they are doing. Everybody has different standards and many times different projectors. Learning how to run one type of projector or even platter system dosn't mean that they can jump right on to another with minimal training. Lastly although I am all for people learning things the hard way (Harsh lessons are usually hard to forget), the booth is a major exception. Film is very delicate. The slighest little error or misthread and the mistake is there for life. With apologies to Brad, I have yet to see anything including FilmGuard fix a scratched print.

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