Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Most Reliable Piece in the Booth

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Film Handlers' Forum » Most Reliable Piece in the Booth (Page 2)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2

Author

Topic: Most Reliable Piece in the Booth

Jeremy Fuentes
Mmmm, Dr. Pepper!

Posts: 1168
From: Corpus Christi, TX United States
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-05-2004 02:00 PM

Yeah, your'e right. Ive had a previous employee who was reliably bad.

| IP: Logged

Frank Angel
Film God

Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 02-06-2004 07:46 AM

quote:
I have seen a Brenkert base/pedestal where the mount for the soundhead (a casting) actually cracked in half and the whole projector came crashing to the floor in the middle of a show!

Geeez Aaron, now I am gonna get nightmares for weeks.

Anyone get those nightmares where there are 2000 people in the audience and film is tearing down the middle as it runs through the projector and you can't find one of the reels and they keep calling you on the intercom saying all they hear in the theatre is a loud buzz? I get them from time to time....makes you really thrilled to wake up.

As for those crappy little arm things that ride with a little wheel on the inside of the magazine, in one of my very first gigs, that's what they were using for the reel alarm and I hadn't been working there a week when one particular print was slightly warped and so it didn't wind particularly evenly on the wheel causing the film roll to be just a tad off center. So there came a point where there was enough space for the little wheel to JUST start falling but wait, now here comes the part of the off-center film roll where the film is higher and the arm jams right into the film, making a nice tear for a few feet which then reachs the gate and rips completely. I tore those things out that very night. The manager was good enough to get the concentric bell alarms, but for a few days I had to just be attentive to the reels. That was one dumb-ass design.

And yes, Scott, I totally agree; hearing alarm bells in the theatre at every changeover is about as tacky as letting a few numbers show in the countdown....just so the audience knows what's going on in the booth.

| IP: Logged

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-06-2004 12:20 PM

I've been using the same splicer (a Guillotine) for 27 years. The only thing that has broken on it is the handle, but now I've got a cast-iron one that should last through my retirement.

We've also got a coin (change) dispenser in the boxoffice that's over 100 years old and works flawlessly.

| IP: Logged

Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 02-06-2004 02:17 PM

quote:
As for those crappy little arm things that ride with a little wheel on the inside of the magazine, in one of my very first gigs, that's what they were using for the reel alarm and I hadn't been working there a week when one particular print was slightly warped and so it didn't wind particularly evenly on the wheel causing the film roll to be just a tad off center. So there came a point where there was enough space for the little wheel to JUST start falling but wait, now here comes the part of the off-center film roll where the film is higher and the arm jams right into the film, making a nice tear for a few feet which then reachs the gate and rips completely. I tore those things out that very night. The manager was good enough to get the concentric bell alarms, but for a few days I had to just be attentive to the reels. That was one dumb-ass design.

Good to hear I'm not the only one who detests that stupid design. Just the mere fact that it is designed to rub down the center of the film...and on the emulsion side, is pure stupidity. (Much like the stupid Simplex/RCA soundhead design.) After scratching a film many years ago in a Simplex booth, I promptly removed them as well. From that point on the projectionists just paid a little extra attention to their job.

| IP: Logged

Travis Hubrig
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 175
From: Minot ND, USA
Registered: May 2003

posted 02-06-2004 02:30 PM

The door going into my booth has worked flawlessly for >25 years.

| IP: Logged

John Pytlak
Film God

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

posted 02-10-2004 08:09 PM

I agree the little arm-and-roller reel-end alarm was a foolish design. I saw lots of prints with green emulsion scratches in those "good old days". [Frown]

Debris trapped in the old 3-roller magazine "fire rollers" (or rollers worn flat) were also notorious print scratchers. [thumbsdown]

| IP: Logged

Joe Schmidt
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 172
From: Billings, Montana, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 02-11-2004 01:57 AM

RCA Photophone rack?

Oh, that's far too recent. How about a Western Electric with brass nameplate, "Western Electric Mirrophonic Sound System" ?

Who remembers the RCA Monster Amps with p/p 845 triodes in the final and 866 mercury vapor rectifiers? The 845's help to heat the building in winter, and the pretty blue glow from the 866's reminds us that "It's Alive" !!!

Seriously, these amps were capable of Superfragilisticexpialidocious Sound. And never get into a fight with a spelling champ.

In any case, good racks never die. They fall thru the floor into the basement, taking the cracked pedastal along with them.

| IP: Logged

Phil Hill
I love my cootie bug

Posts: 7595
From: Hollywood, CA USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 02-11-2004 02:23 AM

If you're referring to something really great, and like how it was used in the "Mary Poppins" movie, you did misspell it.

The correct spelling is: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

>>> Phil

| IP: Logged

Jack Rapper
Film Handler

Posts: 7
From: norfolk, va /usa
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 02-13-2004 04:55 AM

the most reliable pieces of equipment in my booth are either the reel end alarms or the annoying buzzer that the management uses to startle the projectionist at just the precise moment.

| IP: Logged

William T. Parr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 823
From: Cedar Park, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 02-14-2004 01:32 AM

Randy Stankey wrote:

quote:
quote:
Jeremy Fuentes: Technicolor reels are pretty reliable...

Reliably BAD!

So I guess, if you can rely on something to be bad, then it IS reliable! No?

Randy, Forgive Jeremy. he must have been partying to much down on Sam Rakin St. [Wink]

| IP: Logged

Jason Thode
Film Handler

Posts: 20
From: Frisco, TX, USA
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 02-15-2004 02:57 AM

The most reliable peice of equipment in my booth would have to be the chairs. They are always there and so comfortable.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

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.