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Author Topic: Looking to improve a bad house Richard Greco Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1180 From: Plant City, FL Registered: Nov 2003 posted 11-22-2003 11:25 AM                     Chris, It happend on opening day, 3rd run for the day. I was downstairs monitoring Radio and got a call on the radio. I fixed the wrap, (Had to lose about a foot of credits) and wound it for next show. I was watching the credits for the next show and I saw the film start pulling laps into the brain. As I pulled the film back, I hard static clicks, and thats why I think it was static. BTW I sprayed static guard on the platters the next morning and I havent had a problem with it since. Also, Is it bad that there isnt a drop of FilmGuard in the house? My manager just doesn't seem to care. I know that I'm only making minimum wage but I'd like to see the film being taken care of. Don't you think?  |  IP: Logged Chris Hipp Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1462 From: Mesquite, Tx (east of Dallas) Registered: Jul 2003 posted 11-22-2003 02:08 PM                     YES, it is bad. As stated by John Pytlak in another thread, Film-Guard is probably the most inexpensive way in improve your on screen presentation. If you heard a clicking sound then you probably had some adhesive residue on the print. Was it a used print? It could have been where someone pulled of a cue and didn't remove all the sticky stuff. Also, I had a leak in the ceiling right above a platter a few weeks ago, which got water on the print and made it stick together. Film-Guard cures all though.  |  IP: Logged Richard Greco Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1180 From: Plant City, FL Registered: Nov 2003 posted 11-22-2003 02:39 PM                     This was a new print Chris. I honestly don't think that any of the platters have been taken care of before I got there. They are all out of balance, scrathced up, and dirty. I am doing my best to at least help the problem. I will post pictures soon.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-23-2003 09:20 PM                     Here's what I'd do if I was in your situation, Richard: Sit tight for a while. You've been working there only one month. In most businesses there is a 90 day probation period. If your manager has any problems with you she has the right to let you go within the first 90 days. AFTER 90 days you are likely to be eligible for a pay raise and to be put on the payroll permanently. The manager doesn't really need much of a reason not to keep you on. She just doesn't have to like your attitude or something about the way you work. In different states, the rules are different but this is a general rule in most areas of the country. What I'm saying is that it's too soon for you to be making waves. I KNOW that's not your intention. I KNOW you are trying to do the best job that you can. I KNOW that you only mean well. The problem is that not everybody in the world is as smart or as hard working as you are. People like that often take offence when somebody else tries to tell them things. This will be especially true if your manager is a "weasel". I don't know your manager. She could very well be a nice person. Watch out for weasels, though! They can turn the situation around on you. They'll make YOU look like a "smart aleck". They'll turn YOU into the bad guy. If you aren't careful with people like that you could end up in the dog house real quick! So... What do you do? First, study. Can you find the manuals to your equipment? Read them! If there aren't any in your booth, download them from this site. Do everything you can to learn how to run your projectors correctly. Second, don't tinker until you have proven yourself to other people. You're going to read a lot of things in those manuals that say to turn some screw or adjust some dial, etc, etc. Don't do it! Ask your boss! If you mess up a projector because you read something in a manual and got the bright idea to try it, you might find yourself out on the street! Wait until you've learned a thing or two. You'll understand a lot more later on. Third, stay busy. You say that there is a lot of dirty equipment in your booth. Well, you could clean it! To tell the truth, the BEST way to improve your presentation in ANY booth is to keep the equipment clean! Sweep the floors! Mop the floors! Clean out the projectors! Do your port windows look like they've been licked by a dog? Is there an inch of dust and cobwebs on the window sill? Break out that bottle of Windex! What about those scratched up, dusty platters you were talking about? Ask your manager to show you how to clean them! (Possible bonus points on that one! ) If you do this faithfully, people will start to trust you more because they know you are a serious, hard worker. A side-effect to all this is that you'll learn more about how projectors work than anybody could EVER hope to explain to you. Side story... When my father wanted to teach me how to fix cars he didn't open the hood and dive in to teach me stuff. Y'Know what he did? He pulled the family car up into the yard and made me wash it! I learned more about cars that way than he could ever explain in a lifetime! Later on, he taught me some other small chores... How to check the oil... How to fill the windshield washer... etc. When he trusted me, I learned to change a tire. You can see what I mean, can't you? You learn things in small progressions. If he had tried to teach me how to rebuild a carbeurator the first time I probably never would have learned anything! The same thing goes for projectors! Dont' try to rebuild the carb! Just be satisfied with keeping everything running smoothly and cleanly until you have put some hours under your belt. Dude! I wish I could have your working in my booth! I think you're the kind of smart, motivated person that every theater needs! I know you have that great urge to roll up your sleves and get your hands dirty but I advise you to take it easy for just a little while longer. Who knows! Maybe your manager will make you a "shift leader" or something like that. Just hang tight. IF you don't you risk getting on the manager's bad side. That won't help your career!  |  IP: Logged Richard Greco Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1180 From: Plant City, FL Registered: Nov 2003 posted 11-23-2003 09:34 PM                     Randy, I think that summed up everything I truly appreciate the feedback. I agree...The best thing I can do right now is slow down and take one step at a time. I can relate with your side story. My father is a mechanic and when I started with cars he showed me things one thing at a time. Thank You  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 11-23-2003 11:16 PM                        Randy, I'm almost sure that I know Richard's boss and I can assure you that HE isn't a 'weasel'. You know , it's sad in a way, but many big chains really don't seem to care about the actual presentation, rather, it's the profits generated by the concession stands that mean the most to them. The end result, IMO, is that many, many managers are out there who weren't trained 'professionally' on projection equipment. They only know what they have been taught first hand by their predecessor. Some are better at learning the REAL reason we're in this business, some aren't. I'm still not sure where I fit in. I try to keep my presentations onscreen, without any down time, wihout making emergency service calls for stuff that I can do myself. I try to make sure my equipment is cleaned routinely and that my operators don't damage prints by improper handling.... If all this is done so that no complaints arise, the films all look good, and we sell some popcorn and drinks, then it's all the better. The image onscreen means more to me than that bag of corn with a 3,000% markup on it. YMMV.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-24-2003 08:27 AM                     I never meant to say that this manager is a weasel. I was just refering to the fact that there are many weasels out there and you have to watch out for them. When you have only worked at a theater (or any business for that matter) for a short time it's hard to tell the "white hats" from the "black hats". Hearing that the manager in question is probably one of the good guys is encouraging news. That means that Richard's hard work and patience will be recognized. I'd like to see some before and after pictures of the place. If you've got this much motivation to clean up your booth I can only imagine what it will look like in 3-6 months!  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 11-24-2003 02:36 PM                        Randy, I didn't mean to imply that you referred to Richards manager in particular. I'm only stating that *if* his mgr. is the same person I know, he's one of the better managers out there, at least from what I've experienced. I may be mistaken tho, as Richard referred to a SHE, an dthe fella I know woudln't fit that category... unless surgery was involved..  |  IP: Logged Richard Greco Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1180 From: Plant City, FL Registered: Nov 2003 posted 11-24-2003 03:04 PM                     Jason, My manager is a woman. She took over a few months ago. BTW Mike Pressley is now the manager at the Palm Cinema in Lakeland  |  IP: Logged Gary Crawford Expert Film Handler Posts: 200 From: Neptune NJ USA Registered: Nov 2003 posted 11-25-2003 12:11 PM                     Great to see someone is actually worried about doing it right! I run a sub-run old single-screen house, two projectors, manual X-overs, just like the old days. Since I get USED prints some of these things are a disgrace. My (first) print of "Lost In Translation" had 6 reels of sprocket scratches dead-center in the picture. It is really nice to receive a print from someone who takes care of it. Thank you to those who do.  |  IP: Logged

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