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Topic: Tips for Booth Operations

Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 05-15-2007 02:29 AM

Phil, some people get it, some don't. If your new guy cannot thread the projector with perfect accuracy by the end of the third day, it's time to kick him out and try someone else.

If it is taking him THIS LONG to learn how to thread the projector, he will be impossible to work with when something goes wrong and he has to fix something even as simple as a brain wrap.

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William T. Parr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 823
From: Cedar Park, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-15-2007 04:13 PM

Phil You dealing with someone that just not grasp the job at all.

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Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 05-15-2007 10:23 PM

You know, you could just ask the person in question if they even want to be in the booth. A lot of times someone who does extremely poorly in something either has that feeling because they aren't interested in it or they become uninterested because of it.

It's not a bad thing for them to not be good in the booth. People are good at different things.

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Frank Dubrois
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 896
From: Cleveland, OH
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 05-15-2007 10:39 PM

quote: Chris Slycord
A lot of times someone who does extremely poorly in something either has that feeling because they aren't interested in it or they become uninterested because of it.

Or they could simply be a dumbass who "doesn't get it". Some people can't handle pressure. You can teach them to thread and thread correctly....they will do a fine job, THEN tell them to speed it up because you have 11 more projectors to thread and movies start every 5 minutes. Some people lose their mind and buckle under the pressure. Usually by day 3 I know if they will work out or not.

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Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 05-15-2007 10:57 PM

quote: Frank Dubrois
Or they could simply be a dumbass who "doesn't get it". Some people can't handle pressure. You can teach them to thread and thread correctly....they will do a fine job, THEN tell them to speed it up because you have 11 more projectors to thread and movies start every 5 minutes. Some people lose their mind and buckle under the pressure. Usually by day 3 I know if they will work out or not.

Well of course they COULD be a dumbass. But if someone is a dumbass, wouldn't you know that well in advance of training them in the booth unless they were hired solely for booth (without any prior experience)?

And my point was that just because doesn't do well doesn't mean they're stupid and it's rude to even make the implicit assumption that they are.

edit: Then again, imo the overall idea behind how to do film is pretty simple.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 05-16-2007 03:41 AM

quote: Frank Dubrois
THEN tell them to speed it up because you have 11 more projectors to thread and movies start every 5 minutes.

A good Booth Manager would look at his performance schedule and instruct his crew to pay more attention to the exit times than the start times. This way that individual will go lace up a house that had just dropped and so forth - and still get those 12 houses started on time with no pressure or hassle.

The wknd that I had to run a 21 screen complex all by myself was actually fun even though it was a very hectic weekend - since I paid more attention to the exit times and immediately laced up that house when it dropped,and still had time to start all 21 houses on their schedules, and after all the sets were in, I had time to run across the courtyard for a chicken dinner to take back for my breaktime.

That was a system that worked and it was in order. Plus the mgr of that complex complimented me on my tremendous efforts in my operations that night, but recommended not to do that again on the pretense of if a snafu happened in a house, the entire building would then be off schedule..

Also, that good Booth Manager would be learning some tactics to were that upstairs operation would run like clockwork and a organized system of checks and balances - and train and work with those to be able to understand these checks and balances to keep the system well tuned - not pressure them in "speeding" up their machine lacing, for that does cause stress for low paying employees who'll begin to hunt for better paying jobs if the stress level has to be that high.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 05-16-2007 01:04 PM

What would've happened if you had a projector break that needed your attention for 20 minutes? The start timers would've come in damned handy at that point! [Razz]

It's really sad how people in this industry cannot differentiate the difference between using start timers as a crutch or an emergency aid. Just because they are there doesn't mean they should be solely relied on. I always felt an ideal situation for a booth with timers was to set the start timers about 2 minutes late. Then when a projector DID break or some other disaster happened, the movies would continue to run until he could finish his emergency and then go double check them.

That is also a great crutch just in case the projectionist happens to lose track of time. It happens.

This has also saved my ass before. I was once managing an 8 screen (manager run booth) and there was only one door to get upstairs into the booth. I had just been upstairs and threaded 6 of the 8 shows before the prime round on a Fri or Sat evening (can't remember which one, but the complex was almost sold out). Right at the time the first movie was supposed to start I went to run upstairs to hit the start button and double check everything...but the punch key door lock had jammed!!! It took almost an hour for us to get the tools needed and to take the door off of the hinges so I could get back upstairs to thread the last couple in the round.

Needless to say those "dreaded evil timers" prevented about 1500 customers from being royally pissed that night, because all of the movies simply started 2 minutes behind schedule...but they still ran!!!

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Alex Cross
Film Handler

Posts: 34
From: Eccleshill, Brafdord, West Yorkshire,
Registered: Dec 2005

posted 05-17-2007 07:51 AM

We use our timers all the time, for the very same reason Brad just highlighted. Sod's lore says, when you're off screen through a breakdown, at least you know the other shows are still going to go on. I make a point of leaving the task light on above the projector, to remond me to check it after it has started on the clock. And I make sure I check it within 20 minutes. At least that way, if I have done something stupid, it's only on the trailers and adverts.

Alex

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Dominic Espinosa
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1172
From: California, U.S.A.
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 05-20-2007 12:27 PM

Chiming in a little late here but this is my usage of the stick-a-poo.

The springiness of the film of course pushes back against the tail keeper and it stays like that even at the high speeds of those blasted stupor platters!

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Michael Moore
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 188
From: Dover, DE / USA
Registered: Jun 2006

posted 05-21-2007 06:56 AM

Like I said before platter should not run really fast, erratic, or too slow! If they do then they are not calibrated right. Call the tech and get them fixed.

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Dominic Espinosa
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1172
From: California, U.S.A.
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 05-22-2007 12:56 PM

Due to the fact that the feed deck simply has on/off control while the variac adjusts the overall system speed the feed deck tends to run a bit faster than most as it spins up the system reaches equilibrium.
My platters are as timed as they're ever going to be.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 05-22-2007 04:04 PM

(wooo!...stikeywooos.... platter suddenly takes off and goodbye to the little poobuddies.....)

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Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 05-22-2007 04:34 PM

Those must be damn fast platters. I've NEVER seen a stickypoo/stickydoo thrown off a platter; even the old ones we've just replaced.

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Michael Moore
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 188
From: Dover, DE / USA
Registered: Jun 2006

posted 05-22-2007 04:59 PM

quote: Monte L Fullmer
platter suddenly takes off and goodbye

Monte

why would a platter suddenly take off? I hear many people say this, and why? This tells me something is wrong with the platter system or technician who timed it. I have never had a platter suddenly take off. If your platters take off for no reason I say this:

If it is timed right and still is not working right, then it is a cheap platter system or crappy one or needs to be repaired. Or if it is timed write maybe it really is timed wrong, and you think it is timed write; so fix it. I have used Christie platters, Xetorn platters, and Speco platters; and the only one I ever had problems with was Xetron platters (microswitchs!). not a take off suddenly thing more like a slow wrap around the brain when parked.

check your variacs they may have dead spots or they need to be cleaned.

Mike

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Andy Muirhead
Master Film Handler

Posts: 323
From: Galashiels, Scotland
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 05-22-2007 07:23 PM

I run CFS super platters. Or whatever you want to call them.

Usually use plastic cores masking taped around the print. It's a really bad thing to do, but can't think of anything better. That's free anyway.

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