Teaching "common sense" to managers and projectionists is sometimes more difficult than teaching the technology.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
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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1. If you have absolutely no other choice.
2. Use common sense.
3. Keep the film off the floor.
4. Plan ahead.

Just the other day, one of our platters tossed the last 15 minutes of the show on the floor. Obviously, they lost the show.

When I got there, the crew already glombed it up and put it in a plastic barrel just to get it off the floor. It was in one hopeless knot, and they were in danger of losing the next show.

I told them to start the show anyway, as I had a plan. After about 40 minutes, I had all the knots untied and the film rolled up on a plastic core.

I then purposely over-fed the platter for several convolutions, just enough to physically stop the platter and quickly splice the last 15 minutes on to the tail.

I re-started the platter, and with the core between my thumb and social finger, I let the platter do its thing. It went as planned.

In the process of getting the knots out of the film, it took what I thought was one hell of a beating.

But when it came time to run that last 15 minutes, I was pleasently surprised I observed no film damage, other than the four splices I had to do to untangle the mess.

The next pass, the film cleaner was installed, and everything is in great shape.

That polyester film must have been cast iron!

But just to splice on a new reel, NAH!!!!! Too risky - and to easy to cause damage due to dirt, etc.

Your points are well-taken, but another aspect of the problem I didn't mention was that the cheap exhibitor didn't like paying extra for someone to stay late and break down film. So we mustn't be too hard on the guy... and he could do the magic act with more than one feature at the same time !!!

Let's face it, folks, platters were put into houses to get rid of union projectionists and replace them with teenagers at part-time minimum wage, no benefits. I saw all this coming, and knew it was the end of something I'd enjoyed for many years. Knew it was time to get out of a doomed craft. Retired at the age of 48 to manage my investments and pursue other interests. Must be doing something right.

I'll get into all this more later on in another post when have time to write it up. This is a wonderful forum and a lot of smart, dedicated people are here. But... do your employers appreciate you? Think about it.

j.

If you know of a solution, tell us.

But I (being the newest projectionist here, I believe, as I will be running my first film tomorrow) don't appreciate what appears to be the description of the reason for your burn-out without a solution added on to it.
And I'm a bit leary of what sounds like a promise to a later diatribe against "the system".

I know burn-out... I "retired" from an elementary art position after 15 years (and 4 schools, 1000 kids, 38 classrooms and 41 classes per week) of running from school to school and room to room every day of it. But I don't turn off everyone with complaints about the administration and how they only used us "special" teachers for the mandated cigarette breaks for the classroom teachers ..... instead, if asked, I relate tricks and techniques for handling the classroom teachers and admin in "selected" situations and educational, technical jargonese to justify something you want to do in a lesson.

Oh yes, I'm 54 and this will be another of my unpaid or under-paid careers if the non-profit I helped start doesn't do well in this venture. There are just some things that you do for the love of it.

And, again, I want to thank you, Brad, for having such a great site for us beginners... and for all the wonderful, experienced and talented professionals here who take the time to answer and explain so much!!!

Exactly! If you love the movies, you do all you can to present them in the best way, and to never take shortcuts that will damage prints. In reality, "Film Done Right" doesn't cost that much more than cutting costs to the bone at the expense of quality. Promoted properly, it can yield dividends at the boxoffice with loyal and appreciative audiences.

I agree with Joe about how projection is no longer treated as a skilled profession. But I don't blame automation, which should have allowed skilled projectionists more time for maintenance and monitoring presentation quality. Instead, many theatres treat projection and sound quality as an afterthought, and the first place to cut costs on personnel and maintenance.

At times I feel like Don Quixote, tilting at the windmills of "progress" and cost cutting. Fortunately, many of the folks here on Film-Tech are beacons in the darkness of mediocre movie presentation. Welcome to the quest!

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
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

Now, you're ready to go, and providing you do everything right and double check your work there should be no problems. Best of all there's minimal risk.

I have been able to replace the 3rd reel of a 5 reel movie on in-betweeners and STILL get the show off on time. Maybe once, have I needed an extra 5 minutes.

If you need 5 minutes extra time for something important like replacing a bad reel then the people can wait.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, could I have your attention for just one quick moment? The film print we received from _____ studio came in damaged and we did not receive the print in time from the film depot in order to get a replacement. The projectionist is currently finishing up replacing the damaged sections, but is not positive if the show will be able to run on time, or if it will be a few minutes late. I am making this announcement in order to let everyone know this just in case the show is slightly delayed. We felt you as paying customers would appreciate seeing a print of this movie in good condition a few minutes late than seeing the defective copy we otherwise would be playing."

...and not once has anyone ever complained. Normally the usher gets "thank yous" from the audience!

There is absolutely no reason in the world to do something to save time for one show or to try and cut a few minutes of payroll that would or could cause damage to a film. Remember that one small audience for that one presentation is nothing compared to the weeks or months of having to run that damaged print to an awful lot more paying customers...and all because someone was in a hurry for one show.

To those cheapskates trying to cut a few bucks or to those in a hurry (inparticularly if this is a screening print), you better hope that print never gets sent to me...because I WILL reject it and you may very well be paying the studio $2000-3000 to strike a new print! Anyone who has worked with me knows I am not exaggerating in the least. Any print damage (even if it is only on the first couple of feet of a reel) is a damaged print any way you slice it and that constitutes a reject, damnit.