|
|
This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Technicolor film can spacers
|
Monte L Fullmer
Film God
Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004
|
posted 12-01-2004 06:27 PM
Thx for your reply, and clearing things out for me, Barry.
As I can tell from some of the members that correspond in this "Handler's Forum" are either from the Eastern part of the state where there it's of the mass population, and/or in large cities where such a demand of high quality resides. Now, granted, I'm not making any excuses, for what you fellows in this forum care about about SHOULD be, some form or another, a mandantory procedure for all theatres to follow, but the unfortunate lies in regions in parts of the USA, and Idaho is one of the states where this high calibre of operational procedures that you members of this forum are practicing, are extremely lacking in this state and some outlying areas - being that this state is not an industrial state (where the voters voted in the right to work act in the ballot of 1986), but more of an agricultural/"mom and pop"/privately business run type of atmosphere in this state. In other words, the theatre operators are simply saying: "Who cares, since we're not getting paid the big bucks to perform professional work?"
Thus, when I get some of the prints in from theatres here in Idaho that have played these prints (mainly the ETS prints), it's almost necessary to do a recut since the prior's theatre's print assembly is so very un-professional and un-caring, that I wouldn't even think of using theirs, so thus I have to do the recut.
The TECH prints that comes here, also experience some sloppy builds as well to where I also have to do the recuts.
In this area of the state, including some of the surrounding states, I know of no theatre that are still using changeover booths anymore, outside of one theatre near the Idaho/Oregon border that hasn't even changed their booth out (they still have Motiograph AA's, Mirrorphonic 7400's with the old bulb phototubes, Magnarcs, Motiograph sound, and using scotch tape for any splices using the Model 2 Griswald wet splicer since they never bought a tape splicer for the poly prints), and only operate on special occasions. There might be a changeover booth or two in Utah that I don't know about, but mainly here in Idaho, all has been converted over, or shut down.
The ETS prints that I get are mainly regional area useage. ETS, depot in SLC, covers the surrounding states. Whereas the TECH prints come from Ohio, or Cal.
Which brings up an interesting side question: Here, we have all of this blurb about TECH and their service-from what they were to what they are now-using spacer usage, requiring their spacers to be returned, new reel changes since some don't like their new reels, et.al. .. The big question is: What about ETS? For they do practically the same with shipments to discount and to new houses: the empty slot in the can where trailers and DTS disc are supposed to be (and how does anyone like the new DVD clear carriers that the discs comes in?) and the reels banging around in that empty area where ETS could put a "spacer" in, but no mention of this anywhere...? .. some thoughts.
Sorry to say, that I'm one of the remaining few, or only in this portion of this state that cares. Even when I present some professional topics to the company's brass that I work for, they themselves are perplexed, or even overwhelmed that what I present makes any sensible logic at all to them since they are in the amateur/conservative mode of operations. I feel, sometimes, like a duck out of water with the "new conservative thinking" of amateur operations these days-for they "just don't care.."
.. I'm one of the "dying breed" of projectionists. If I moved to an area where this talent is still used in a professional, required sense, I'd be learning a whole much more and be able to really understand how all of you fellows tick and think in this field of motion picture presentation.
-thx .. Monte
| IP: Logged
|
|
Barry Martin
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 203
From: Newington, CT USA
Registered: Jul 2002
|
posted 12-01-2004 09:38 PM
Monte, while I appreciate your response, I feel obligated to make sure you know I'm nowhere near the craftsman most of the players on this forum are. I learned to thread from Loews, learned to troubleshoot by practice because I was running 60-100 shows per day at a 20 plex and am now trying to get the mechanical aspect of it down by working with techs and reading everything on this site. In Vermont I can almost guarantee you there is either very few or NO "Film-Done-Right" projectionists working and even more surprising is the films I get from Mass. and New Hampshire. Hardly anyone does things the logical and intelligent way they should and keep in mind not only their audience but the audience and hassle being presented to the operator receiving the print after them.
However, I do not excuse myself from doing things the best way I can at every opportunity because of this information. In fact, whenever I get a new print in, I send it back out with a note about how I made up/broke down the print and why. I leave a link to this site and my theater name/address/number/email in case they have questions. I do this because I can't simply sit around and complain that nobody cares without doing something about it. I feel most of the people handling film improperly are only doing so because that's how their company has trained them. Loews certainly didn't teach me Film Done Right, I learned on my own, from good projectionists, techs, and this site. More importantly, I'm still learning.
So, if you come across a destroyed frame, junk it. Better to lose that 24th/second than show it destroyed or worse yet have it cause a problem and damage more frames/equipment. I just ran Indian In the Cupboard for a group of schoolkids and this print was terrible, especially at reel changes and without any film cleaner. I warned them that the print was extremely used and in some spots a bit dirty and scratched but the story was intact and of course that's all they could ask for. Now of course they could have just rented it and shown it in school but they would rather come to a theater, even knowing the presentation might not be excellent.
As far as the "brass" is concerned, remind them to read their license agreements with the studios and how much a print/reel costs to replace and see if the bottom line shows it would be better to do things properly than get caught purposefully damaging the film and charged replacement costs. Just my thoughts ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
| IP: Logged
|
|
Monte L Fullmer
Film God
Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004
|
posted 12-02-2004 12:59 AM
Once again, thx as always for your replies, Barry.
Course, "Indian in the Cupboard" was an triacetate print..from 1995. And hope that you had no problems with this print, for I'm sure that you placed this print on the bench and did a thorough inspection before mounting this print onto the platter.
I started out in a drive-in, near my hometown back in 1969, playing with Motiograph AA's, Ballantyne soundheads, Ashcraft 10mm rotators carbons, Motiograph amplifiers and soundchangover control, and the good ol' foot dowsers.
The operator that trained me was one of these, "oh well, it's a part-time job" type of guy. His training procedures was so unorganized, it was pathetic. His method of teaching me splicing techniques with the wet splicer was absolutely goofy and backwards. When I was going solo, I, more or less retrained myself of a bunch of projection skills that when he quit, the presentation were much better. And, he didn't even taught me how to do the "setting the intermittent" thing. The owner taught me on that one a few months later. Afterwards, I began to study parts manuals on all kinds of machinery to figure how these things tick and work. It didn't take me long to add two and two together to come up with the logical reason on things work.
Yet, while at this drive-in, we had a routine that was quite well organized: Scrub and polish the mirrors down with Bon-ami every day before opening. Clean out the stacks one a week, grease the gears down twice a month and all of this was on Mondays. Check the water in the 5gallon cooling pumps, that kept the silver positive contacts in the Ashcrafts in check. I would come in two hrs early on these Mondays to do all of this required maintanence. Then go out in the yard and do speaker checks/repairs during days as well-to keep up with this maintenance as well. And all tools use are to be returned to the toolbox-not left around to be forgotten and lost.
I didn't "graduate" to the automated/xenon booth until the mid-80s, when the last theatre I worked at closed down and I went to another theatre that was converted to xenon and automated operations.
Yes, I knew a bunch of employee/operators who worked at Lowes Cineplex in this area before LCE pulled out of Idaho and Utah in 2000 when the big theatre crash hit the business in that year. It was just a mess and a half on how they were trained, let alone on knowing on what they were doing and maintaining a passable presentation, so a big time "CONGRATS" to you on your achievements that you have accomplished and learned from those who knew what was going on-about the only way to learn for sure.
I've even seen the booth training manual that Lowes had, and this didn't really pin-point on things in a more discrete fashion. Like it was written by a management committee of some sorts who themselves really haven't the foggiest on what is what.
If may, I can be of help if any questions if you want. I used to work at a 21plex as "Presentation Manager" (fancy name for chief projectionist), I had a crew of 6, including myself handling all of the 21 Christie equipment that we had. I managed the crew, did the scheduling, instructed on routine maintenance, instructed on machine servicing, hired whom I wanted, then eventually gained the title of Engineer along with the management title, since I did almost all of the "tekkie" stuff as well. But as things happen, the 21plex was sold to another comapany, and my title is not valid with this new company, thus my talents and responsibilites were not needed. So, I left and became an engineer/projectionist with this small company in the Boise area...and this is where I am now.
Thx again as always, and it's glad to hear from another operator that is learning the hard way as I did. - Monte
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
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.
|
Home
Printer-friendly view of this topic