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Author Topic: Trailer Checker John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 01-06-2004 06:07 PM                     I'm under the impression that real trailer checkers are not supposed to communicate with the theatre staff, they just report back to the distributors. In most cases, there are not contractual obligations for specific trailers anyhow... --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-06-2004 06:07 PM                       That's a new one on me. I've never heard of a "trailer checker" before. And I don't remember regular film checkers broadcasting their presence, either.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-06-2004 06:10 PM                     Actually some booking agreements do specify that specific trailers must be played and in some case there location  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-06-2004 06:35 PM                        It's kind of hard not to be conspicuous in that role if you're carrying a clipboard or something with you when you enter. The forms were 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of paper, kind of hard to write on without a clipboard. When I was doing ad checks for Regal, I always told the box office and mgr. why I was there. They only asked to see the letter from Regal once -- after that they pretty much left me alone. Now of course Regal has changed the procedure -- they only seem interested in what standees are on display in the lobby. Go figure. But they still pay me to do it.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Garman Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: Toledo, OH USA Registered: Mar 2003 posted 01-06-2004 07:20 PM                     Our usual trailer check lady usually asks me where the particular film she is checking is and the auditorium number. AJG  |  IP: Logged Ky Boyd Hey I'm #23 Posts: 314 From: Santa Rosa, CA, USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-06-2004 07:40 PM                       Distributors employ checkers for trailer checks, open checks (where the checker comes to the theatre with a letter introducing themselvles), and blind checks (where they never identify themselves...like secret shoppers). We have had only a couple of trailer checkers in our theatre and have been open checked and blind checked. We also have recently employed a checking service (www.checkerpatrol.com) to check for ourselves due to questions about the accuracy of a checker's report.  |  IP: Logged Brad Allen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 688 From: Evansville, IN, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 01-06-2004 10:13 PM                     It's been my experience that most checkers don't have a clue as to WHY they are doing what thier doing. And have had zero training. Honest to god, I believe some of them are hired off the street 30 minutes before they arrived at my theatre. "Hi I'm Dork the checker, I'm here to check **** film, can you call me at the end of the night with the numbers? I'm going home now." Scares the hell outta me.  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 01-06-2004 10:29 PM                        I have always had checkers at the theatres that I worked at. Most were pretty friendly people. If they are saying this stuff to "Mr. D" then maybe they are trying to give him friendly hints that you are not in compliance with the studios wishes. You dont want to piss off the studios or else you will have no films to play. For what its worth if Mr. D is the manager then as a proffesional operator you should respect his wishes and place the trailers according to what he requests.  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 01-06-2004 10:45 PM                     quote: most checkers don't have a clue as to WHY they are doing what thier doing. My guess is this is exactly what the distributor is looking for. Someone so neutral and unquestioning they will just report the facts. These are the trailers that played with the film. Period. In many cases, Im sure the distributor is just trying to sample what choices are being made as to what trailers are playing with what features without any real recriminations to the theatres. Or to see if their trailers aren't getting played, what kinds of ideas they can come up with to encourage theatres to do so.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 01-06-2004 11:18 PM                        hmmmmmmm... must be market-related. I've never had a "trailer checker" in any theatre I've owned, managed or worked at in roughly 35 years in & around the biz. Up until last week, it's only been open checkers, admitted with their introduction sheet (which we check against their ID if we don't know them). Last week however, we did get someone in that was looking at our lobby layout and more specificaly, for a particular 2-part banner. We got points for having figured out (without the benefit of instructions) which order the banners went (they could have been reversed & it wouldn't have really mattered). I figure this check was triggered because we had gone to the trouble of ordering that banner from the studio's online site. They were looking for that specific banner & didn't really care about anything else.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 01-07-2004 09:53 AM                     I've come across all sorts of checkers. Secret shoppers, trailer checkers, MovieTunes checkers, head counters, promotional materials... you name it. All of them ranged from "professional and friendly" to "rude and obnoxious" to the point where they think they are the police of YOUR theater! There's all kinds. Some want to check the movie twice, (both evening shows -- same print!) and don't understand that it's the same copy. Or if there's two films to check, they'd bring their kid to check the other screen. I've also had a checker that wouldn't actually check the screens. I guess they found out we keep a list of all the trailers we put on the features upstairs, so they just asked for that, copied it down, and left. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Charles Everett Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: New Jersey Registered: May 2001 posted 01-07-2004 11:30 AM                     General Cinema had a "secret shopper" program using people who responded to customer comment cards. I was in that program and, on one occasion, was asked to note which trailers appeared.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-07-2004 12:54 PM                     quote: I've also had a checker that wouldn't actually check the screens. I know of the local Fox checker several years ago that would come in, check the first show, and then spend the rest of his time there BSing with the help upstairs (in Sebastopol we have an upstairs lobby/concessions) or in other (non-Fox movies) auditoria sitting and watching the show... -Aaron  |  IP: Logged Dennis Udovich Film Handler Posts: 71 From: Sheboygan, WI, USA Registered: Dec 2001 posted 01-07-2004 02:16 PM                        I average one trailer checker each weekend. Three different women, all hired from different "secret shopper" companies, get a call to check a certain film. I've had three different checkers do a report on the same film on the same weekend. Of course it was for a different film company each time. They come in with a letter from a film company and are required to list every commercial, policy trailer, and movie trailer played prior to the film. Some have to take auditorium seat counts, patron counts, and posters displayed in the lobby. They even had to report "audience reaction" to a certain trailer. If the film is playing on more than one screen, each film is checked.  |  IP: Logged Kyle Watkins Expert Film Handler Posts: 185 From: Stuart, FL, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 01-07-2004 03:07 PM                     We had one checker after a while he stope checking them he just ask what trailers we had on. This lead to he just call and ask. Unless he wanted to watch the moveie. I always put on what trailers that out home office wanted. How many of you just let them stay and watch the movie. Ive always have, he was very nice and polite and always bought stuff conc. Kyle  |  IP: Logged

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