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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Topic: Where do you get trainging to be a projection engineer?
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Don Sneed
Master Film Handler
Posts: 451
From: Texas City, TX, USA
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 09-15-2002 12:32 PM
Hey Tim,I hope you the best in your newly wanted career, Just as Ken posted, one of the best way to learn to be a tech is hands on/on the job training, I was very lucky to have a tech that would teach me this craft & allow me to travel with him theatre to theatre, although this took me two years to learn while I was still a projectionist, I worked at a three screen theatre & study all the self taught basic electronics books I could get my hands on while waiting for the reel change, I was also very lucky to start working as relive projectionist at several theatres learning various projection & sound equipment instead of being stuck at only one theatre, I copied any projection manuals I could find & learn those machines, consoles, & sound systems...your best bet is to learn basic electronics, by books or through a basic electronic course at a Jr. college ot tech school...this is a must !! If you learn the mechcanical of the projectors & their works, half is already done...electronics would be next..Learning power supplies, relays, resistors ect will be the way to do it, the rest cames with on hands & don't be afraid to tackel any problem, we all still learning new things everyday & I been doing tech work for 22 years...just remember it is only a machine & it can be fix !! If I come across a new problem or working on a piece of equipment I never seen before, believe me I will see that problem again over & over & will remember the fix !! It is a great feeling & a natural high when you do repair or do an install & see opening day & all the people just came out of the theatre, or to look at all the equipment & stand there thinking...I Did That !!! Good luck in learning, don't give up...it is a wonderful job....(or it is for me), plus you can make alot of money doing the thing you like to do....but one word of caution.....Your weekends, Holidays, & staying home with the family will never be the same...you will be always on call, always on the go, you get a call to repair one problem & then the projectionist hands you a list of things that needs fixing & your schedule or day is messed up from there !! In 22 years of service work I been home for Christmas 3-times, a theatre always have emergency problem somewhere, so planning a event, outing or whatever is almost impossible...at my new job I am always flying somewhere, in my old job I was always driving somewhere, plus all the heavy tools & test equipment you have to have with you get heavy as you get older..example is I carry a 65lbs tool boox, 75lbs of testing equipment (oscillscope, RTA, light meter, cables ect), 30lb R-2 unit, a 20lb computer bag with printer,15 lbs of clothes & a 18lb travel folding cart & at age 48 this is getting heavier & heavier to lug of stairs, I tried to lighten the load but cannot !! These are the disadvantage of being a theatre tech....but I wouldn't change if I had to do it all over again...Good luck !!!
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Rick Long
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 759
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-16-2002 12:01 AM
Don pretty much covers all the advantages and disadvantages of being a tech. There is only one more thing to consider: do you have the human relaton skills to be a tech?Can you listen, politely, through the conversation to pick out the pertinent facts and ignore those which don't apply to the problem? Can you exercise the patience of Job while you convince the party on the other end of the line that you really do know what the problem is? Can you transmit enough confidence to them to convince them that yes, they really are capable of fixing it (at least temporarily) themselves? Can you take it in stride, when you find out they have lied to you about one of the things you clearly told them to check out? Do you have an insatiable scientific curiostiy about why a system that should work, now doesn't? Are you willing to accept and beleive that YOU TOO are human, and can make mistakes, and be able to go back to square one and look at the problem from another angle? Are you able to take a philosopical approach to the problem, and not get (at least visibly) upset when you get the reverse Midas touch? Reverse Midas touch - a condition that occurs from time to time in every technician. A condition in which everything you touch turns to shit. Do you have a sense of humor? If so, have a great career as a theatre tech.
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Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"
Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 09-16-2002 09:55 PM
Tim:How old are you? Just judging by your photograph you look very young. If so, then I would listen to Gordon and get the education. It wouldn't hurt to have a tech (or find one) who will give you some specific hands-on experience in cinema systems. But I think that a formal education will go a long way, too. I never learned electricity (got shocked as a child) and so I am limited in that I am incapable of dealing with rectifiers. In that way, I will never be able to install on my own or repair "everything" until I get over my fear of electricity and get the necessary education in that area. If you are still school-age then that should be your priority. Lord knows, there will be plenty of time for you to get wrapped up in work. Then again, you may just LOOK very young. In which case, enjoy that while it lasts!  ~Manny (not just another pretty face)
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Tim Turner
Film Handler
Posts: 87
From: Chula Vista, CA, USA
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 09-17-2002 09:12 PM
Thanks for the advice all of you, I haven't been saying much but I've been reading everything. I've been meaning to study electronics in college, but could never could make up my mind. But I do understand that a strong knowlege in that is a must for this profession. I don't nessasarily see being a tech all that hard, just something I have to learn. Many of the techs I've seen usually have simple solutions to most things its just that I never knew about it!
Theres this one guy that we call when our own tech is just plain out of ideas that works outside of the company. I hear he gets payed around $40/hr and charges a minimum of 2 hours right off the bat. He comes in a fixes most thing in about 5 min, and leaves. But once I asked him how he fixed a few things and he told me. It seemed like it was easy at least by the way he explained it. Acutally he seemed like he didn't want to tell me at first, but after a few moments of my nagging he eventually explained it. I may have to learn electronics, but there was nothing I'd consider to be technally hard about it.Manny, I know I look around 16 years old in that picture, which is about 8 or 9 months old. But I'm actually almost 24 (got 3 more months to go).  The only thing I'm really worried about is the disadvantages, that Don mentioned. Just from watching and knowing the former tech here and even the lead projectionist here, I know that sometimes that guy just wants to scream! Ultra Star has 9 theaters here in San Diego. And just one guy has to take care of all of them. Everytime I talk to him he's always saying something like, "I haven't slept since thursday, I just came from 2 other theatres and I have 3 more have after this one!".
One thing he always complained about was that coroprate never gave him enough money for the things he needed (tools/projector parts etc.) to do the job. Yet they pressured him to fix everything. How do you get around that? The problem here is that the regular projectionist don't get any formal training. For some reason they are just taught to thread up, and control the volume, but if something bad happens all they have to do is call the lead projectionist. One of the first problems I wanted to learn to fix when I got in the booth was to change a Xenon lamp. But noone would teach me. The manager just said "...don't worry about that, just let the lead projectionist take of it... because its really dangerous and you could get hurt". I told him off about it, saying that "There are no monkeys in the booth, we are all adults here. If you tell me that if I play around with a lamp, and not pay attention while installing it, I could seriously injure or kill myself, you better freaking beleive I'm going to handle it the right way!.... Because it makes no sense to cancel a show(s) and call the lead projectionist or a tech to come and fix it if you have a projectionist standing right there!"
If the regular projectionist were actually taught how to do things then it would be alot easier on the tech guys and better for the theaters. But I guess this way is better just to keep paying the projectionist the loweest they possible can! 
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