Film-Tech Cinema Systems
  Home     Products     Store     Forum     Warehouse     Contact Us    
Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE


  
my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home
  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Classic trouble calls. (Page 3)

 
This topic comprises 3 pages: 1  2  3   
Author Topic: Classic trouble calls.
Barry Hans
Film Handler

Posts: 92
From: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Registered: May 2000

- posted 05-30-2002 03:04 PM      Profile for Barry Hans   Author's Homepage   Email Barry Hans   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I was working relief at two projector booth many years ago and 1st show of the day I went to make the changeover and the motor was dead. Spun the flywheel and it started up. I called theatre supply and they sent a guy out to replace the motor. He was working away, I running on one projector- 20 min reels- the tech orders me to thread the machine he's working on, he'll be done in two minutes. I threaded it up as he was on the back side wrenching away and he comes to the front of the machine. He's gonna make the changeover. He hooked his work light on the feed reel for some reason?? made the change over, reel and worklight drop hitting him in the head and knocking him to the floor! Impressed me!!

Another time I was called to be at a job where they were doing a two projector interlock. The crack Theatre Supply tech came out and I observed the following: He tried threading lag bolts into a block wall for about 30 minutes before he would admit it would'nt work. He said there was no reason to use sync motors and ended up putting two accumulators on the wall and every 10 minutes or so you needed to toggle one of the projectors off so the film would'nt crash into the top of the accumulators. He also was checking out a amp, smoked it and had someone run and get another from there shop.
- all in a days work!!

Also have one were we were putting a platter in place of a second machine (upgrading I think was the word used! Christie Autowind 2!) We pulled the old projector out of the way and the tech was getting ready to pull a sh*tload of wire out of the old conduit. Asked him if I should shut down the power- no need. BOOOM! in his defense he kept the cigar in his mouth! "AH- maybe you should kill the power" were his next words, "I thought you just did" was my response.

 |  IP: Logged

Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

- posted 05-30-2002 07:42 PM      Profile for Paul G. Thompson   Email Paul G. Thompson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
That's funny.....But I'll end it there....


 |  IP: Logged

James R. Hammonds, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 931
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

- posted 05-31-2002 02:21 PM      Profile for James R. Hammonds, Jr   Email James R. Hammonds, Jr   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
We are currently running the Doge Aerosmith ad as part of our NCN preshow.
Last night during a screening, my screener called up and said,
"James, there is a bunch of crap all over the screen. No, wait, its just Aerosmith."

 |  IP: Logged
Steven Privett
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 208
From: Pasadena, TX, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

- posted 05-31-2002 02:52 PM      Profile for Steven Privett     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Got a call from a theatre that the platter wouldn't take up the film. The timing was set correctly.
When I went in, I found that they had plugged the platter into the SLIDE PROJECTOR OUTLET!

 |  IP: Logged
Steven Privett
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 208
From: Pasadena, TX, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

- posted 05-31-2002 03:01 PM      Profile for Steven Privett     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Got a call saying that the platter wouldn't pay out the film. Headswraps every time they start it. I was a little puzzled too when I looked at it. After figuring it out, I asked who turn the film over. The projectionist told me the soundtrack was down on the platter so he picked it up and turned it over so the soundtrack would be on top.

 |  IP: Logged
Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

- posted 05-31-2002 08:02 PM      Profile for Aaron Sisemore   Email Aaron Sisemore   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
>>When I went in, I found that they had plugged the platter into the SLIDE PROJECTOR OUTLET!<<

I had a similar situation at the Noyo when we first opened... The platter (Potts) ran fine for the first several minutes then it began to get sluggish and rapidly quit running altogether... After several hours of hairpulling it was realized that the electrician had connected the platter outlet in the wall to the DIMMER...

-Aaron


 |  IP: Logged

Carl King
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 199
From: Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Registered: Mar 2000

- posted 06-02-2002 10:40 AM      Profile for Carl King   Email Carl King   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
This thread is so right on. What comes to mind for me is
somthing that happened about three years ago. A female
usher called me in the booth via the intercom phone. I answered
and she said something like: "Hi, how are you? I said "Fine, what's up?" Her reply was " Well, I was just coming out of the ladies room
and I saw a girl from my Poli Sci class, you've probably seen her with me. Her name is Linda and she is very tall with red hair. Anyway,I asked her how she was enjoying the movie and she said it was
Ok and that she was just going to the washroom for a minute while she waited for the sound to come back on. Can you check Cinema 6 and see if it's back on yet?"

Unbelievable!!

 |  IP: Logged

Jan Hackett
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 148
From: Albuquerque, NM, USA
Registered: Apr 2002

- posted 06-02-2002 10:59 AM      Profile for Jan Hackett   Email Jan Hackett   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I worked the Hawaii Film Festival one year and they had a new booth with very old equipment (orc lamp house)and a very long throw to a large screen. That old century head got so hot we rigged a trashcan with a fishtank pump and tubing into the old water cooled head. It worked fine. The head projectionist decided to screen some of his print collection of old nitrate prints one night. Needless to say he burned down the booth. It was right out of Cinema Paradisimo....I bet they have new equipment in their now.

------------------
Jan Hackett
Theater Operations Manager
Extreme Screen Dynatheater
NM Museum of Natural History Foundation

 |  IP: Logged

Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

- posted 06-02-2002 12:35 PM      Profile for Paul G. Thompson   Email Paul G. Thompson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Holy Smokes, Jan!!!!! When I read your post, I said, "Oh, my God"....

Didn't that person know what he was running? He is one lucky dude!

 |  IP: Logged

Richard Tucker
Film Handler

Posts: 15
From: Austin, TX, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

- posted 06-02-2002 03:25 PM      Profile for Richard Tucker   Email Richard Tucker   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
One of my favorites:
"The platter won't feed properly! It keeps wrapping!"

No, you'll never get this one. They had moved prints the night before
and had flipped the print on the platter. It was wound the wrong way!
I had a heck of a time straighteniong it out after they had threaded it!
I told them not to do it again.

 |  IP: Logged

Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"

Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

- posted 06-02-2002 05:38 PM      Profile for Manny Knowles   Email Manny Knowles   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Yup...the print was turned over...Steven Privett posted a similar story on this same page...and I've encountered that one too...must be more common than I would ever have imagined.

------------------
~Manny.

Some people can read "War and Peace" and come away thinking it's a simple adventure story while I, on the other hand, can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.
Lex Luthor, "Superman: The Movie"


 |  IP: Logged

John Pytlak
Film God

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

- posted 06-02-2002 09:54 PM      Profile for John Pytlak   Author's Homepage   Email John Pytlak   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Winding orientation definitely affect platter transport. Optimum wind depends on the direction of film curl, which depends mostly on the relative humidity. Use the wind that works the best in your situation.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

 |  IP: Logged

Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"

Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

- posted 06-02-2002 10:10 PM      Profile for Manny Knowles   Email Manny Knowles   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I thought they were talking about situations wherein a built-up (plattered) print gets flipped over. Payout heads cannot "track" a print that has film arriving from the right. The result is always an instant brainwrap.


 |  IP: Logged

Steve Kraus
Film God

Posts: 4094
From: Chicago, IL, USA
Registered: May 2000

- posted 06-02-2002 11:15 PM      Profile for Steve Kraus     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
It's even more basic than that: The platter will be turning in the opposite direction from that which would pay out.

For it to work that way not only would the payout head need to have its functions reversed in terms of which way needs means increasing power and which way means less but the motor would need to be reversed to spin the platter clockwise instead of the normal counter-clockwise.

 |  IP: Logged

Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

- posted 06-03-2002 01:07 AM      Profile for Paul G. Thompson   Email Paul G. Thompson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Here is one I have observed several times.

I showed several projectionsist how to use the CFS table to make up a bundle of previews by using the large disc that is driven by the CFS motor. I instructed them they MUST wind the film on the parameter with the sound track down becuase the disc rotates opposite than the platter does. Then, they are supposed to take it off the parameter of the disk, and flip it around so the sound track side is up, drop it in the center, and splice it to the head of the movie.

Well, some forget to wind it sound track down. Disaster then strikes

And then some forget the head goes on first. Disaster strikes again...

I saw some real dandy configurations, that I can say. My question is, Why can't they just follow simple instructions? It is soooo easy....


 |  IP: Logged



All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
This topic comprises 3 pages: 1  2  3   
   Close Topic    Move Topic    Delete Topic    next oldest topic   next newest topic
- Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:



Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM 6.3.1.2

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.

© 1999-2020 Film-Tech Cinema Systems, LLC. All rights reserved.