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Author Topic: How Did *YOU* Become A Tech? Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 03-06-2004 03:54 AM                        This may be a little off topic, but Bob, I wonder if people tell you all the time that your hairstyle looks just like Sean Connery`s in "Hunt for Red October" ("Captain Ramius")?  |  IP: Logged Pete Wolla Film Handler Posts: 71 From: Tioga, ND, USA Registered: Jan 2003 posted 03-06-2004 08:06 AM                     I'm not a tech, but one night while building a print sparks flew from under the make up table and it quit working. i tried building by switching the platter to take up but that seemed like it would take forever.so i flipped the MUT on its side and found a screw had lodged between the coil on the reostat and the mount shorting it out . I got the screw back in place and it worked again. so I'm just a tinker  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-06-2004 04:22 PM                     I worked these previous jobs plus I collected films and equipement and gained much experience in electronics, mechanics, and optics before ever servicing my first theatre....... I've also had a life long interest in Audio, Film, Photography, and in machining things out of metal. I had originally planned on being a Cinematographer. All these hobbies and previous jobs allowed me to literally fall right into the being a Cinema Tech. TV Repair Shop during High School - 3 years Audio Repair for a malor Hi-Fi chain after high school - 2 years Bench Tech for Panasonic - 5 years Still camera and lens repair Tech, Canon USA - 2 years Ran the Audiovisual Service Department for The Wheaton School District - 2 years This was at the time the 2nd largest school district in the U.S. Broadcast Television Engineer - 3 Years, Also started to collect 35 and 70mm films and equipment during this time, rebuilt many projectors at home in my spare time Also met Steve Kraus and sold him a Super Simplex booth. I was then asked by a local dealer that I ws buying parts through to do some servicing for him so I kicked the then hard to get into Broadcast TV habit, which I hated anyway. After about 3 months of now and then service calls a local chain was needing a tech so I was referred to them by the dealer and I filled that spot. Stayed there about 4 years then went back on my own and started Midwest Theatre Supply. Also worked on numerous feature films and provided location dailies projection equipment, also built the VistaVision projector shown on the photo pages here and aquired my VistaVision camera. After a nervous breakdown and also because many customers were bought out by the "Big Chains" I shut down Midwest Theatre Supply and retired to Utah and am now doing service work in some of the most beautiful areas of the U.S. Sorry, mine is almost as long as Luciano's.... but then I've been there and done that so to say. Mark  |  IP: Logged Brian Michael Weidemann Expert cat molester Posts: 944 From: Costa Mesa, CA United States Registered: Feb 2004 posted 03-06-2004 04:41 PM                        I never had any formal training. I started in 35mm at a second-run eight-plex nine years ago since I seemed the most apt and competent of anyone else sweeping floors. Years went by, I went to a first-run, ten-screen, Presentation-Is-Everything type of company, and I learned quite a bit more. Then I got the opportunity to be part of the "team" at a huge twenty-two auditorium megaplex with an IMAX ... well, guess who got to be the new IMAX guy? IMAX definitely is a different animal (well, the projector itself was dubbed "The Beast", for one!) and I'm still in the 15/70 game at my second location (so far).  |  IP: Logged Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 03-06-2004 04:51 PM                     "This may be a little off topic, but Bob, I wonder if people tell you all the time that your hairstyle looks just like Sean Connery`s in "Hunt for Red October" ("Captain Ramius")?" ___________________________________ Actually no Michael. But I feel really blessed because at nearly 72 I still have my hair. In the past I have been compared with Santa and Kenny Rogers.  |  IP: Logged Chris Byrne Expert Film Handler Posts: 102 From: Kirwan, Australia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 03-06-2004 06:44 PM                     I was hired at a nightclub just after my 20th birthday. A week later I was running a box (all but a little dodgy.) Trial and error - mostly error back then. I've had some good training with the company I'm with now, however in the early days it was 'sink or swim!'  |  IP: Logged Jackson Gilman Film Handler Posts: 37 From: Madison, WI, USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 03-08-2004 07:00 PM                     How to become a tech? Go to this website and read other problem related posts...Management is always happy when a non-engineer crew member can fix or even identify a problem! [--bring in sappy music--] Without Film-Tech, I wouldn't have my coordinator position. Thanks Film-Tech! [--cut to slow motion shot of a projector running in background, with me thumbs up and smiling!--]  |  IP: Logged Don Bruechert Mmmmmmmmm, bird! Posts: 340 From: Manitowoc, WI, USA Registered: Jan 2003 posted 03-08-2004 11:24 PM                        I've always gotten along better with machinery than with people. In grade school, starting about 5th grade, I was an A/V geek and set up 16 mm projectors and VHS players the size of tanks in classrooms for teachers (and other library duties). That went on to being an A/V geek in Jr. High and High School too, but I also added a lot of computers, some electronics repair, small engine repair and auto repair just for kicks. Then I graduated and forgot all about it. In 1992, intrigued with the toys, I volunteered to become a theatre geek, al learned all about professional sound and lighting gear. I have been here for 12 years, and am still doing it, but am now employed and living in the building - I also take care of all the telephone equipment, the boiler and a few other things, and spent about 4 years doing a lot of tech work for a rock band that is fairly popular in this area. After 4 years I got burned out on that, especially after I found out the roadies never get laid - you have to actually BE in the band to get laid. Then about 2 years ago, a really good friend of mine called me up and told me he was hurting for management staff at the local theater. So I said what the hell and joined up. I found it's basically the same thing as high school, except bigger and we have platters instead of reels. Also instead of a cheesy little speaker on the front of the projector (it is on the side now!) there is a whole audio system slapped on there too. So that's the story... Funny, considering I went to college to become a computer programmer, and that is more of a hobby and a few side jobs worth of income than half of the other crap I do. My real job is in the hospital. I take care of a PBX system the size of a couple of refrigerators, and all the stuff that goes with it, along with a bunch of engineering and project management stuff, and a bunch of overall ass-kissing in general. The few moments of spare time I have when I'm not sleeping I spend with Rachel!!  |  IP: Logged Gary Crawford Expert Film Handler Posts: 200 From: Neptune NJ USA Registered: Nov 2003 posted 03-09-2004 01:15 PM                     I don't think I qualify as a "tech" but I can handle most of what comes up. Afriend of mine in high school was already a projectionist and he asked me if I would be interested in working booths over the upcoming summer. I was handy, reasonably mechanical, so I went for it. I was hired to work as relief projectionist in all of the theaters around the Asbiry Park NJ area and the experience I gained working all those booths and the different equipment was priceless. The local Altec sound man (who was also the local IA BA) took me along occasionally when he did sound and maintenance calls, again priceless experience. Okay kid, learn this stuff. It all later helped immensely when I was director of live TV for horse racing simulcasting (and the old stuff that needed to be duct taped every day to keep it running) A few more steps ahead and I learned how to run (and fix) satellite Earth stations. I showed my wife the proper way to clean and service VCRs and she had a decent little part time business going for awhile. It all paid off, and 99% of it was by hands-on experience. No, I'm not a tech but I've managed to keep my pair of 1938 Super Simplexes running night after night.  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 08-10-2011 11:54 PM                 It has been 2710 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged Jen Pelto Film Handler Posts: 30 From: Muskegon, MI, USA Registered: Aug 2011 posted 08-10-2011 11:54 PM                     Can I bump this thread? I tried posting a new topic but was denied because of similar taglines -- so I searched the forums and found this thread. I have been running a 2-screen theater for about 3 years with my husband and I am pretty much the only trained projectionist. It's a lot of trial-and-error/tinkering/failed shows that has gotten me the knowledge I possess now. I was just wondering (7 years after the original post) if there were any seminars or "formal training" I could take to better my skills. I sometimes feel silly holding a wrench upstairs desperately trying to figure out what to do, and not knowing at all. At that point, I usually call in a tech, but sometimes they are reserved when it comes to showing me how to fix it. (That old, "teach a man to fish" proverb comes to mind). Aside from reading manuals, scouring forums, and following the techs I hire around like puppy dogs, is there anything more I can do? I'd love to be the best projectionist I can be. I find the work interesting and fun, and I love being able to fix things when they go wrong. Especially on Friday nights  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-11-2011 03:30 AM                     I've been in the industry for 41yrs .. and with watching the techs on what they do, asking questions left and right on the procedures on their work, along with studying projector/sound manuals, I've gone from changeover houses to automated booths... ...and now learning digital....and that's a whole new animal to tame and get under control. I find myself going back to square one being around this medium with starting anew. You got a good mind of wanting to learn, just keep observing and moving forward... ..but think about digital in the future since it's coming up pretty steadily.. Good luck-Monte  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-11-2011 07:20 AM                     Monte... The Series One animal has been tamed. It's now called Series Two and it does indeed make life easier. Thankfully, I now only have a half dozen Series One to deal with... majority is Series Two!  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-11-2011 10:15 AM                     A wise engineer once told me "experience is memory" Entertainment Equipment in Buffalo does run seminars as do several other service corporations  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-11-2011 01:58 PM                     Ya, and I want to see the results of these Series 2, 4k units - what the image on the screen looks like.. (Now, really trying to learn more digital since, in 6 months, my tenure with 35mm will be over when our theatre goes full digital..or hit the streets in search for a new career...)  |  IP: Logged

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