|
|
 
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Hey you, you suck! (AKA: Outing bad film handlers) Part 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monte L Fullmer
Film God
Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004
|
posted 06-15-2007 11:33 PM
Thus, a question that I'm sure that's been drug around like a dead dog many times: In reading all of these comments and complaints about these various movie going experiences, do any or all of these theatre/circuit owners have a clue in how to operate a movie theatre where the public can be pleased coming in as well as going out from an entertainment venue without thinking of complaining on an imperfect presentation?
Is it that hard for these theatres to put on a show that is good from the beginning to the end?
If they don't get their act together, they're going to face a dilemma like back with TV was introduced and threatened the entire theatre exhibition industry to a world of hurt-only to a thanx to wide screen formats and multichannel sound to save them.
EDIT: Okey, I must make a comment to all of this that we've read above and from the beginning: When I began running projectors back in 1969, there were bad film handlers back then - just luckilly I was trained by an owner who really cared for his business since he knew every inch and square mile of his drive-in. Thus, you might say, I was fortunate enough to learn the caring of the operation in as well as the technical side of it.
For, where I'm from in this State of Idaho, was the Eastern part which is mainly farming and small business ownerships. Biggest city closest to us was down south being that of Salt Lake City and the big downtown palaces resided at in as well as the suburban theatres.
But, were I'm from, we had very little experience with professionalism when it came to film presentations. The neighboring towns had small "mom and pop" theatres whom were run by their neighbor's kids or members of the family.
There was one small circuit, but still locally owned that had a number of single screen, shoebox palaces located in these small towns, and obviously were ran by highschool kids that didn't know what "heads" or "tails" were whent they pulled the reels out of the cans to put on their machines (which were in massive horrible condition in the meantime..) to begin the show that Wed night (since then, film week started on a Wed, and ended either Sat, or Tues night..).
Then, finally this small circuit built a new theatre in one of these small towns, (Single screen 400 seats with a pair of XL's with 6k magazines, with the early 5star for soundheads and those STRONG x-16 vertical bulb lamphouses that was a knockoff of a Peerless lamphouse) but still employed one of the most laziest projectionist, who was full-time and only did as barely needed to do a show right and preventive maintenance was not in his vocabulary.
I could tell many horror stories of these operations that could fill a novel, but I do believe you can figure out "the rest of the story."
thx-Monte
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Chris Slycord
Film God
Posts: 2986
From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007
|
posted 07-10-2007 04:48 AM
Regal's Bella Botega in Redmond, Washington:
You Suck.
Instead of getting a delivery of 3 prints for Harry Potter we received an email that we were to pick up 3 of them from Bella as they had 4 prints from rentals with Microsoft. So one of my coworkers dropped off a bunch of 6K reels there on his way home and I called them up asking what time the prints would be ready to pick up. They said "One of them by 10 pm and the other 2 by midnight."
So I arrive there a few minutes early (like 9:45) since I had plenty of time and figured I might get lucky and get it earlier. Well, while I wait for quite some time I see another coworker leaving the place (since he was seeing a movie there with friends) and I scare him (apparently not expecting to see his supervisor at a competitor). He shows me the re-admit pass he got for having Transformers break and burn on screen twice, then I realized why they were taking so long. So 11:10 comes by and I ask a manager how much longer this'll be on the first print and after hearing it'd be another half-hour just for both of the first two prints I just said "Fuck it" and drove back to work, getting some of my other stuff ready. Then I go back, get the prints; now at just before midnight. I was surprised to see them giving me all 3 (considering they indicated that even the first 2 would only be done by now), then I realized they had the other one done earlier; they just wanted to take them all down in one trip even though they fucking knew I was there waiting to take at least one of them so we could screen it.
Then I find that none of the trailers that were supposed to be included had been sent to them with the prints (not their fault though; this one goes to a depot problem). And even at that, the projectionist there left the attached trailer on one print and chopped it off on another (third one I have no idea if it's got it on; someone else gets to build it up tomorrow) and it made no sense to chop it since they don't use a "feature presentation" snipe (or if they do it's part of their digital pre-show). Oh and I had to remove their lights down cue at the start of the movie; too bad the cue and splicing tape holding it down both suck huge amounts of balls. Esp the cue tape; that shit just kinda broke into smaller flakes and didn't really come off till I used some rubbing alcohol on it liberally.
And then the icing on the cake for me was this:
After the Transformers group got their passes one of them asked their ticket taker to speak to a manager. He calls for one on the radio. Since no one came to help, the kid goes out into their concession stand area a couple mins later, sees a manager and says "They need a manager" and points in the general vicinity of the guests in question. Instead of promptly going and dealing with the incident, the guy stands there chatting with a friend and only talked to the people in question after his friend decides to leave. Plus, he was talking to the friend in full view of the guests; so they could see that he really couldn't care less.
If you can't take your job seriously, quit; you aren't mature enough to have one.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mark Escorcia
Film Handler
Posts: 5
From: West Babylon, NY, USA
Registered: Mar 2002
|
posted 07-11-2007 01:17 AM
I'm in this thread.
I read all the pages and it makes me shake my head.
Its rather a mix of culprits out there rather than one individual job making this thread into a full 12 page extravaganza.
Let's start with this:Projectionist.
Whether they are a UNION guy (like me) or a NON-union guy (whether it be a manager,owner,average Joe,etc)there are always a bad apple or two,or three, and so on,until the bad apples outweigh the cream of the crop.Which is where this is heading. Just because you know how to thread a projector doesn't make you a projectionist. Just because you know how to make/break prints does not make you a projectionist. Knowing what to do in an emergency to get the show back up and running, in addition to threading and make/breaks in a cool,calm manner,and keeping your equipment in top running order,as well as knowing it inside and out makes you a projectionist. Places that use two,three managers and/or supervisors to run a 12-plex or more,that tells you one thing:they are not of PROjectionist caliber. To quote one guy here:
quote: Brian Guckian
First thing, let's kill this nonsense that it's an "easy job". Let's communicate the truth which is that it is a skilled job done by committed, dedicated professionals. (Professionals get paid properly and get good benefits).
I couldn't agree more.
Training manuals? What rocket scientist came up with this? Yeah,I have seen them,they all need to be retitled "Motion Picture Projectionist For Dummies". ![[puke]](graemlins/puke.gif)
You glean more info by the manuals that come with the equipment,having "hands on" expereience,listening and watching seasoned projctionists (READ:guys in the booth for 30 years or more)and watching a service tech when he comes in to repair stuff you could not do.
The vast majority of prints I get are brand spanking new,on occasion a print that was ran once for a preview maybe.My summer free kids movies are another story.They come as has been described over the last 12 pages.Prints that I get weeks after release as a fill-in,I get heads/tails masking taped on the ends of the print.ANNOYING! I always,ALWAYS,use one-side clear splice tape to reassemble,since the next place that gets my print should INSPECT it anyway,and if you're ranting here about it,that means one of 2 things:you're running reel to reel still (very rare around here)and you expect 2 sided splices in lieu of a platter house getting the print,or you're a platter house and are too lazy to inspect. Get with it,one sided splices make it easy to remove the splicing tape,and allow for another one sided splice again at the end of the run.
Second:exhibitors.
Start with an earlier post quoted:
quote: Daniel Wright
I think it is far more then just projection. From the minute customers walk in your door to the minute they leave you are responsible for their enjoying their experience. Not only was the presentation horrid during that film the bathrooms were NASTY. there was a paper on the door saying they had been spot checked and cleaned of course. What good is policy if you don't enforce it. The previous poster had suggested a letter writing campaign. I suggest Film-Tech draft a list of rules for running a theatre right. From concessions, to ticket sales, projection, and proper cleaning. I know it would seen common sense but you all know that is seriously lacking.
This is getting to be quite common,mostly with the big chains,and it seems independently owned theatres are in much better shape than the big guys;and there are a few independent owners out there who are cheapskates,so in all fairness,they are just as bad.
quote: Mitchell Dvoskin
Projection used to be a career, and paid a wage that you could live and raise a family on. Not any more. While we often blame the technology that allows for automation, the real cause is that theatre owners as a whole have been willing to sacrifice quality for profits. The technology is just the tool. We see the result of this trade off now as overall attendance continues to decrease.
Again,true.While the members of NATO who will deny this,if something goes wrong with the show,they'll be content to dole out passes,since they have the customers' money from box office and concession sales. So,a customer who spent:
$20.00 for 2 adult tickets
$11.00 for a jumbo popcorn/2 lg soda combo
$4.50 for a hot dog/pretzel/nacho snack (pick one,its around the same price)...their evening got ruined since they didn't see all of the movie,and the theatre now is ahead $35.50 all because they lacked a poperly traied professional running the booth.
Managers/asst. managers who are not paid extra for projection work,how many of them hate that?
Anyone from NATO,please read:GET OFF THE CORPORATE GREED BANDWAGON ![[Mad]](mad.gif) If you really care about the customer,than shape up and get with the fu(king program.
Lastly-Thanks to the move to digital,and part of this is from the "bad scratched print" program running amok,the projectionist job is being phased out.So,in a few years,I have to hang my hat on a new career for the next 20 years so that I can retire...(yeah,right)
FWIW,I have been doing this job on and off for 20 years,the last 7 full time.I was trained by old school projectionists and their teachings never failed me.I also took pride further by building a website for my union.
I hope those of you who recognize youselves in this thread start to do a better job;but I'm not holding my breath.
Rant over.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
![[bs]](graemlins/bs.gif)
ty presentation. I think they made sure every foot of film hit the floor before playing. My wife gets annoyed when I complain about presentation, but she even complained. The trailers were out of focus and the few feet on either side of the splice were licked, stepped on and grabbed with oil soaked fingers while splicing. Worst presentation I have seen since 5th grade film strips about acne.
![[evil]](graemlins/evil.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
YOU SUCK! 
Printer-friendly view of this topic