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Topic: NEED HELP : Projectionists 101

Demetris Thoupis
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1240
From: Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 03-31-2007 10:47 AM

Just the fact that Brenda posted for help in this specific forum, shows a very keen interest to what she is supposed to be doing. If only ALL projectionists had the passion and lust for knowledge and help, perhaps we wouldn't have this forum .

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Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"

Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 03-31-2007 03:12 PM

Well, I won't sugarcoat it...

Brenda shouldn't be handling film or film equipment if she doesn't really know what she's doing and isn't being trained.

If you're passionate about film handling, get yourself some good training. Self-training is like the blind leading the blind.

Good intentions are fine, but the road to hell is paved with 'em.

A lot of people worked on that movie. It cost a lot to make. The producers/distributors need their movies presented in their best possible light. Furthermore, your customers are paying for a professional show.

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Frank Angel
Film God

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

posted 04-01-2007 08:11 AM

Yah, well, let's not sugarcoat the distributor/film-maker's role in this either. Ever see a Master Contract -- pages and pages of requirements, mostly all geared to how the distributor insures that it gets its percentage of the ticket sales and how the exhibitor has to pay up. There is not even the smallest paragraph demanding that a competent projectionist handle that costly print. They could easily make this a contractual requirement. They seem to KNOW there are grindhouses out there ready to mangle their prints, but they happily allow their pictures that, as you said, cost lots of money and represent the work of a lots of artists, to play in these crapholes, even at first run, simultaniouly screwing the filmmakers and the public. So you wind up with a situation where Warner Brothers spends $20,000 to strike a new 70mm print of 2001: A SPACE ODYESSY, only to let it play in a theatre where during the week there is only a high school drop-out sitting OUTSIDE the booth while a misthreaded print is hammered thru the projector and where that same print that only played for two weeks already had big emulsion gashes all over it, not to mention enough dirt to fill a landfill.

Sure that's the fault of the theatre trying to maximize profit, but it is also the fault of the distributor who can, but doesn't demand more from the theatre in the way of technical film handling expertise. Has any studio actually billed all these theatres that damaged prints as we have documented in the Outing thread? If they did, exhibitors would be a lot more careful about who they put in the booth. In the end it's the distributor who can make it economically imperative that the exhibitor run his booth in a competent manner. And of course, if a theatre knew they could be denied first run product if their theatre doesn't meet certain minimum requirements, it would quickly put a end to this kind of nonsense of throwing some untrained newbie in a booth cold.

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 04-01-2007 07:40 PM

quote: Frank Angel
Yah

Frank, this is the trademarked term of Jack Ondracek. You must write Yah™ whenever you use it.

[Razz]

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Dennis Udovich
Film Handler

Posts: 71
From: Sheboygan, WI, USA
Registered: Dec 2001

posted 04-04-2007 12:14 AM

Is this an APRIL FOOL'S joke? Sorry to say Brenda has no clue of what's going on! Can't spell or make a complete statement, doesn't know terminology of the business, doesn't have a clue, but knew enough to come to Film Tech? ... I doubt it. [Confused]

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 04-04-2007 12:24 AM

quote: Tim Reed
Frank, this is the trademarked term of Jack Ondracek. You must write Yah™ whenever you use it.

Yah™, I agree.

I've been looking for something to differentiate myself from Redifer, and Yah™, this is it.

Make sure I get full credit, dammit!

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Michael Coate
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1904
From: Los Angeles, California
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 04-04-2007 02:46 AM

quote: Dennis Udovich
Sorry to say Brenda has no clue of what's going on! Can't spell or make a complete statement, doesn't know terminology of the business, doesn't have a clue, but knew enough to come to Film Tech?

Why single out Brenda? Your description describes an alarming percentage of the people who post here. [Roll Eyes]

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Frank Angel
Film God

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

posted 04-04-2007 11:58 AM

Yah™....you got that right, Jack!

(Yah is a Registered Trademark of Jack Ondracek. All rights reserved.)

But Yah!© to you too, Tim.

(Yah! with the explanation symbol, it's compilation and arrangement, Copyright 1972, Frank Angel. All rights reserved.)

On to the lawsuits.

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Brian Guckian
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 594
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: Apr 2003

posted 04-04-2007 12:23 PM

Can someone put up an email address here for Training in the geographical area this good lady comes from?

Is there anyone who could provide an on-site training service?

Then she, or more appropriately her management, could contact that person or persons and take things from there.

It's appalling she has not been trained and is not being professionally supported.

(I'm taking the post at face value).

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Joshua Waaland
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 800
From: Cleveland, Ohio
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 04-04-2007 01:10 PM

quote: Manny Knowles
Well, I won't sugarcoat it...

Brenda shouldn't be handling film or film equipment if she doesn't really know what she's doing and isn't being trained.

If you're passionate about film handling, get yourself some good training. Self-training is like the blind leading the blind.

Good intentions are fine, but the road to hell is paved with 'em.

A lot of people worked on that movie. It cost a lot to make. The producers/distributors need their movies presented in their best possible light. Furthermore, your customers are paying for a professional show.

This is not her fault. This responsibility falls to the theater management to train her which they obviously have not done. If she needs the job and wants to learn projection she cannot help how much training she gets. Her post on Film-Tech shows that she is interested in learning. I doubt most people would even care.

I got very little training when I started in the booth and most of what I know now I learned the hard way with nobody showing me. Since there are no schools or places of eduction to get training in this field, sometimes you have to do what you can.

I am sure this must be frustrating to you as a tech since you are the one that has to fix what uneducated people break, but again this responsibility falls to the theater chain and ultimately the management. Lack of training by management is film done wrong. [thumbsdown]

Unfortunately this is a fact of life in today's society. Nobody cares about presentation or the customer. Has anyone else noticed that customer service anywhere you go has gone in the [bs]

er? Try to call your cable company and tell them you don't like their service. Once you get through the 8 menus and are on hold for 15-20 minutes, they will tell you to go pound salt. I know, I have tried. It seems that good customer service has now become the exception to the rule.

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

Posts: 4441
From: prospect ky usa
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 04-04-2007 02:28 PM

Those of us who have been around 30+ years note that no one talks about "more light" "sharper picture" Steadier image" anymore.

Control has moved over to the bean counters.......most of whom are also not very good at "making more beans!"

That is the joy of Film-tech. At least we are with kindred spirits! Louis

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Joshua Waaland
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 800
From: Cleveland, Ohio
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 04-04-2007 02:43 PM

quote:
Control has moved over to the bean counters.......most of whom are also not very good at "making more beans!"

I go through the same thing in the welding business. We lose a lot of sales to our competitions lower quality/priced equipment. The bean counters don't care about quality, just price. Nevermind the fact that it probably won't last half as long as ours will. [Roll Eyes]

[ 04-04-2007, 08:28 PM: Message edited by: Joshua Waaland ]

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