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Topic: Regal will soon allow ushers to run projection...

Chase Pickett
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 142
From: Irving, Texas, USA
Registered: Nov 2010

posted 12-08-2010 10:50 AM

quote: Phil Ranucci
I'm glad you enjoy your job, but don't you see that you're helping them drive wages down?

I see my, well our jobs on the whole as very temporary at this point in time. Pretty soon my wage will be considered too much and I will get the ax. But It's like blaming the immigrant for working for lower wages when really it's the employers who decided they wanted to pay less for the same job. Why not? From the companies perspective that is the only option to go with in the interest of making money, which is the point of a business.

quote: Martin McCaffery
"Managers" can make less than minimum wage when you factor the hours/salary.

All them managers with the exception of our GM is paid hourly. Maybe that's just AMC though.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 12-08-2010 11:36 AM

At Regal, the GM is salary and if the theater warrants having one, the 2nd in command is salary as well. All other managers are hourly, usually under $10.

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Chris Slycord
Film God

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

posted 12-08-2010 12:05 PM

quote: Chase Pickett
As far as those Sony's I would like to punch the douche who got that bonus for signing with Sony.

AFAIK, there are AMC corporate people who read this site so I'd be careful what I say about some "upper-management douche" if I were you. Just an FYI.

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Victor Liorentas
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 800
From: london ontario canada
Registered: May 2009

posted 12-08-2010 12:10 PM

The smaller chain i work for has a policy of keeping a professional head projectionist at every location to maintain high standards and training!
If you are an usher with an interest in projection you will be trained,read manuals and attend projectionist meetings!
All films are Film Guarded and guess what?Presentations are great and films never get scratched!
Magic Lantern Cinemas also keeps a full time world class Technician!
Gordon Mcleod is on hand to keep the whole chain in check!
This is a company where common sense prevails!

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Richard May
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1057
From: Floral Park, NY USA
Registered: Aug 2004

posted 12-08-2010 12:22 PM

AMC has no common sense.

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Chase Pickett
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 142
From: Irving, Texas, USA
Registered: Nov 2010

posted 12-08-2010 12:23 PM

quote: Chris Slycord
AFAIK, there are AMC corporate people who read this site so I'd be careful what I say about some "upper-management douche" if I were you. Just an FYI.

Like i said my job is temporary so I'm not afraid to say it. Plus if they really are reading this, they need to know what they are buying isn't the best or even the cheapest if cost was in mind. I'm here for them.

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Jim Cassedy
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1661
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Dec 2006

posted 12-08-2010 12:52 PM

quote: Joe Redifer
One local manager told me he is not even allowed to control the volume at his theater or the techs/corporate will get pissed. I highly doubt that's true

It might be true. About 5 years ago, I went to see a movie
at one of the big megaplexes here in San Francisco and the
volume was really low in the auditorium I was in. I asked
one of the floor staff about it, and they said I had to
talk to the manager. The manager wasn't there, so I was
directed to an "assistant manager" who told me that he
had no control over the volume and that "a guy came in
once a week to set the level" .

Oh geez!

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Jonathan Smith
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 201
From: Youngstown, OH
Registered: Jan 2010

posted 12-08-2010 01:08 PM

Has Regal outlawed the term "Projectionist" yet?

Cinemark (Nazis) have. . .

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

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

posted 12-08-2010 01:22 PM

Not outlawed, but it's not in their job title section. Managers and Cast Members are the only two titles.

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James Westbrook
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1133
From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa
Registered: Mar 2006

posted 12-08-2010 01:49 PM

"Cast Members?" Interesting...

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

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

posted 12-08-2010 02:15 PM

..and the patrons who attend their locations are referred to as "guests", not patrons or customers.

A customer is just that: someone who attend your venue who buys something and then leaves without any thought on where they were at.

But the guest is treated like if you had them in your own home-how are you going to treat your guest..like a customer? Thus, they're treated specially so they'll remember where they were at and desire to come back. All based on atmosphere of the respective venue.

Also, it's called "Customer Satisfaction". Sure, you attend a cinema and is served correctly and properly, but in all due actuality, cinemas could put up vending machines to service you to give you the same results.

But, are you satisfied with your visit - is the lobby clean, employees to their professional levels, restrooms clean and spotless, auditorias clean and not with sticky floors or torn seats, presentation on the screen bright, in focus and sound in proper order..et.al.? THAT is what brings people back .. is SATISFACTION.

..and some of the local cinemas in my area each do both forms of customer service: treating the patrons as customers and treating the patrons as guests...and it reflects on how the respective businesses are doing.

I used to work with a defunct company who also called their floor employees "Cast Members"

It was term used to represent each employee as the "star of the show" since they were to put on a performance in their respective department - to be the that concessionaire, floor usher, boxoffice ticket seller, etc. - to enhance the movie going experience for the attending patrons.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 12-08-2010 02:46 PM

quote: James Westbrook
"Cast Members?" Interesting...

Yeah, they think they're being cute.

quote: Chase Pickett
Plus if they really are reading this, they need to know what they are buying isn't the best or even the cheapest if cost was in mind.

I was going to say something similar. What needs to be said needs to be said.

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Brendan Penny
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 121
From: Bundoora, Australia
Registered: Dec 2008

posted 12-08-2010 02:53 PM

Yeah well cinema chains rely on finding people who do the job for love. Pay them mcdonalds wages. Use them up. Suck their soul. After about 10 years employee wakes up and moves on. Enter next sucker. Cycle continues.

I find it so amusing how cinema managers take their jobs so seriously and work stupid hours for shit money. I wouldn't get out of bed for that wage.

Wake up suckers. You are not appreciated. Step out of line for a second and see how quickly upper management remembers your hard work and sacrifices. There is a gullible kid straight with no further education waiting in line to take your place. NEXT IN LINE PLEASE!!

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

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

posted 12-08-2010 03:20 PM

Sounds like the cinema you work for is what's called a "grindhouse" cinema ran by core managers who hates their job due to the major hours they put in for peanuts.

Gee, if you paid kids more money than McD's, cinema couldn't stay in business.

Kids know that the pay isn't going to be much knowing that the job they got themselves into is just a 'stepping stone' job and not a career.

But, the cinema owners didn't go out on the streets lassoing people to come work for them and treat them as such, the people did it themselves.

So, don't blame the employers for the work adversities. Nobody held a gun to your head to work there.

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 12-08-2010 03:35 PM

quote: Martin McCaffery
Let's not forget, if you call them Managers you can work them more than 40 hours without paying overtime. During busy periods "Managers" can make less than minimum wage when you factor the hours/salary.

Not to be anal-and I am sure this happens more often than one would like to think-but the situation you describe is illegal. Minimum wage is minimum wage, be you salary or hourly. If you work so many hours that your effective hourly rate is less than minimum wage your employer is supposed to pay you the difference to make you effective hourly rate at least minimum wage.

Also, besides the job duty requirements (just because you are salary does not automatically make you exempt from overtime pay) an employee must earn at least $455 a week to be exempt from overtime (the limit used to be $155 and was raised in 2004 or 2005, 2005 I think). This means if you are earning the minimum salary to be exempt you'd have to work more than 62 hours to make your effective hourly rate less than $7.25/hour.

That being said labor laws are some of the most commonly broken laws so it would not be surprising at all to hear of people earning less than $455 a week not being paid overtime, etc.

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