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This topic comprises 8 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
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Topic: I got an interview to be a projectionist at The Majestic!
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Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 03-06-2007 07:42 PM
I don't really see any personal attacks in this thread. Someone asked for advice and was given plenty. It may not be what he wanted to hear, but it's all good advice nonetheless.
I, too, hope that the original poster gets the job. I would expect that one of two things will happen if he does: either a) he'll learn quickly, enjoy the work, and some theatre will be very lucky to have him or b) the job won't match his expectations and he'll get frustrated and quit (or get fired). No way to tell what will happen until he has a chance to try, though.
As for this comment:
quote: Mark Strube
The manager actually mentioned to me that my networking experience will come in handy, since many of their projectors will soon be digital.
Are you seriously planning to take on the responsibility for managing a high-end SAN and theatre-wide network for $10-15/hour (or whatever they are paying their projectionists)? If so, that's crazy, when a job with similar responsibilities in other industries will easily pay twice that (or more) and probably offer more interesting work and more opportunities for advancement.
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Monte L Fullmer
Film God
Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted 03-07-2007 02:20 AM
quote: Allison Parsons
"....You can read up on how to do it, but you only get good at when you have practice...."
Funny ... some of us just dove in head first with no help at all...in fact when we dove in head first, we then turned the operation around to where we were retraining the clowns that taught us...like I did...but I had some other form of help: I had high school AV experience with all sorts of projection mediums.
If one really want to know what theatre business is like, go work out at a drive-in theatre...where I started in this fool industry many, many moons ago.
When I heard of this one drive-in needing projectionists, I went out to this drive-in to apply, but one guy was ahead of me. But I showed enough ambition to where the owner hired me and allowed for me to be trained.
The guy ahead of me and myself were trained by the booth operator there, couldn't get the training the way it should be on handling arc lamphouses and doing changeovers-let alone didn't even show us how to set the INT sprocket to make the changeover in frame. After such confusion, that guy ahead of me bailed out knowing that this wasn' the job he really wanted to do. With me, it was heaven and I showed dilligence and determination to really get this all down, for I wanted to be a projectionist.
Thus, during my training weeks, I just ignored his training tactics and came up with own that made the presentations a whole lot better (nowdays, going on your own seems to be a very bad habit to get into - have to follow a system to the letter, or get ten lashes across the back for even thinking of doing such a thing..)...and he then quit shortly afterwards (because, he was wanting to get out of that atmosphere anywho..) and that drive-in was mine for the next 5 years...running Motiographs and Ashcrafts.
Thus, with practice comes experience, and experience gains self respect, pride in your work,and feeling successful in what you're doing. And self respect gains respect from potiental employers who are seeking experienced help.
Good luck with the Majestic interview. Gotta start somewhere.
-Monte
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Martin Brooks
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 900
From: Forest Hills, NY, USA
Registered: May 2002
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posted 03-08-2007 10:11 PM
quote:
Man, this is a rough room!
I agree. Give the kid a break. He obviously did well enough to get past the first interview.
There are plenty of people who post on this Board who I wouldn't hire. In spite of the fact that there are many here with technical smarts, I see a lot of arrogance, hostility, ego, anger, poor communication skills, rigidness, and resistance to change.
Some people made a point that one shouldn't try to B.S. in an interview and most of the time I would agree, but there are cases where if you are smart enough, you can pull it off. Many years ago when I was a student, I got occasional audio work from one of my college communications professors. One day he asked if I had ever operated a Nagra. I said yes. I rushed to a phone booth and called a friend of mine who was studying engineering. I said, "Howie, what's a Nagra?" He explained that it was the tape deck used in film production, that it recorded time code on a center track, etc. It rang a bell. So I looked up Nagra's New York offices, purchased a manual, convinced them to give me a 10-minute lesson on using a Nagra, got the job with the teacher and pulled it off successfully.
Shortly after that incident, I got my first job as a recording engineer and also did a stint in the radio/TV studios at the U.N.. About seven years later, I applied for a job with a large media company, but didn't hear from them until a year later. When I finally got in for the interview, it turned out that a large portion of the job was recording foreign language tapes. I was honest in that I told them I didn't speak any foreign languages, but that while at the U.N. I edited tapes in Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Swahili every day and that I thought I could do the job. I got the job even though the original requirement was to be fluent in at least two foreign languages.
So I think a bit of B.S. and an aggressive (positive) attitude can work if you think you're smart enough to pull it off if you actually get the job.
Having said that, there are obviously skills a projectionist needs to know that are based upon standard practices and can't be learned instinctively or by tinkering. But I think to deconstruct every word this kid writes is unfair. I wonder how many of us would have "passed" the same scrutiny when we were starting out.
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Michael Schaffer
"Where is the
Boardwalk Hotel?"
Posts: 4143
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted 03-09-2007 02:17 AM
quote: Martin Brooks
I agree. Give the kid a break. He obviously did well enough to get past the first interview.
Maybe we even helped him a little with our direct and honest criticism, maybe he went in with a clearer idea and a little less of that "I came, saw, and conquered" attitude which may be OK when you speak about past achievements, but not when you haven't really done anything yet except for proclaiming what you intend to do in the future.
Like I said earlier, the best criticism is open and honest criticism. To be criticized with great scrutiny is great training, if you go in prepared like that is much better than going in underprepared with nothing but a few hollow phrases and pats on the shoulder. That can easily lead to desaster and disappointment.
Like your post, which has some interesting stories but contributes absolutely nothing to the subject and has no bit of useable advice in it (oh yeah, except for "sometimes you have to bs a little").
Think about it this way: what's worse than harsh criticism and direct advice?
No advice.
We need advice and criticism, but if we ask for it, we also have to accept it and not boohoo about whatever we don't like. If somebody asks for advice and gets so much of it, he should be grateful. It's up to him to sort out what really helps and what doesn't, but a lot of people don't understand that advice from experienced people is not a cold buffet. One shouldn't just take the parts one wants to hear and leave the parts one doesn't want to hear. In one's own best interest.
Like I said, worse than unpleasant advice is no advice. If the result of some well meant, but open and honest words is all that crying and complaining, then next time, people will probably simply not reply. Oops.
quote: Joe Redifer
Solution? To what problem?
To the problem or question: we want d-cinema, how do we do it? The solution is not the d-cinema as such. It is not the question if it is "better" than film or not or if it is better for a given setup or not. That is a completely different question: To d or not to d?
Once somebody has arrived at an answer to that question, for whatever reasons, and decides that he wants d-cinema, then the next question is: which equipment and which setup will provide the complete solution. Because you don't just roll in the projector and plug it in. You also have to integrate it in a given or new setup and figure out how to deliver content and operate the equipment. In that context, the word solution is not a marketing term, it is the sum of the answers to all these detail questions.
Hope that helps.
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Frank Dubrois
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 896
From: Cleveland, OH
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 03-09-2007 07:54 PM
quote: Michael Schaffer
maybe he went in with a clearer idea and a little less of that "I came, saw, and conquered" attitude
I think this is why he received such a cold response. No matter what job he interview for, coming in with that attitude is wrong. Simply because he thinks he knows projection when all he really knows is when a picture is out of focus and the sounds cuts in and out, doesn't mean he's a pro. Do you think he could sit in a well tuned auditorium and be able to tell us if he's listening to dolby digital, DTS, SDDS or analog? I bet he can't, but ask him...and I'll be he thinks he can. I have no personal ill will towards him..if he gets the job, learns everything, listens well and leaves the arrogance at home with his DVD player and TV, he might do well. Then again, he has this job so built up, that I dont think it can EVER meet his expectations.
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