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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: The Big Green Screen
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Randy Stankey
Film God
Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 04-07-2012 10:42 PM
Until I started working there, I had only visited the booth one time. Previous to that, I had only read about these machines.
I knew what they were and knew, generally, how they work but I have never had hands-on time until now.
I have worked on various and sundry incarnations of Simplex, Century and Christie projectors, doing various tear-downs on them. I know them well but, being the first Kinoton I have ever worked with, it's going to take some time to get the particulars locked in my brain.
I did take the manuals home with me to read them before the first day I worked but, still, I'm bound to get details like 5/70 and 8/70 muddled in my brain until that stuff gets pounded through my thick skull.
I'm already breaking the five minute mark on threading. That's not to say that I'm trying to go fast. I'm only saying this as an indicator of how well I'm getting used to working on a new machine.
Some time next week (Monday or Tuesday) I should be working the whole place by myself. As such, I'll have to do everything myself from selling tickets, running the concession stand, policing the theater and operating the movies so I'll NEED to be able to work efficiently, with a moderate amount of speed, in order to keep up with everything.
Right now, the center doesn't get huge amounts of traffic. One of the docents stationed at the information desk can help out selling tickets or concessions. When it gets closer to the summer, when school lets out, we'll get more business and there will be a second person working with me.
Last Friday, there were 300 visitors to the center and about 100 movie tickets were sold. There's no problem for one person to handle that kind of work load until business picks up but, even so, I want to be able to do what's expected and not end up fumbling with film when the show is supposed to start.
I'm just saying this so you don't think I'm trying to get speed for it's own sake.
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Randy Stankey
Film God
Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 04-11-2012 11:40 PM
For the sound, the projector sends a pulse stream to a time code generator which sends the code to a Fostex digital playback unit. The start cue on the film also cues the generator to start counting.
Yes, the electronic intermittent is funky! It does start out constant speed then it switches to intermittent operation. It also seems to take a few seconds to get into a steady state after it changes modes. The projector starts, the gate closes and the film runs until the sprocket goes into intermittent operation then the film seems to flutter for a few seconds like the projector is trying to shift into gear. Then it steadies and runs normally.
The thing that's hardest for me to get the hang of is to time the intermittent correctly upon threading. It really has no dwell point like a mechanical intermittent. The pull-down is nearly instantaneous. You have to turn it to a pull-down and stop right at that point. Thread the upper loop at its minimum size and the lower loop at its maximum size. If you don't, the upper loop will grow too large and the film will flap and make noise. The lower loop can also grow too small and tug on the keeper, making more noise and causing all sorts of trouble.
I've made both of those mistakes already. Luckily, there is about one minute's worth of leader before the start of the feature. It was put on just for that purpose. It gives you a chance to stop the machine if you need to fix a mistake.
Yes, I have noticed that the projector can start out of frame even if you thought it was in time. I seem to be getting better at it but I don't know the cause. I think you have to do what I mentioned above; time the intermittent just to the point where it pulls down but don't turn the knob any farther.
Out of five shows last Tuesday, I think I only missed one.
I was joking with the guy in charge. I don't think I'll ever get used to the sound of 70mm film running through the projector. He said, if you work with 70mm long enough, it will be 35mm that starts sounding funny. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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Randy Stankey
Film God
Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 04-13-2012 10:58 AM
All shows start on the hour and last approx. 45 to 50 minutes.
I start the show and hang out to watch the show for the first five minutes or so from the booth. Then I go downstairs and man the front desk until for about 10 minutes when I go inside the theater to see the movie in person. At about 20 after, I go upstairs to check the projector and hang out for another five. About 10 minutes before the show is over I go back to the theater. By the time I'm done checking the screen, the movie is almost over so I open the outer door so people can leave.
Right now, business is slow so we don't run every show if there are no customers. I hang out to sell tickets until about 10 minutes before the show then go up to thread. (One of the people at the front desk is trained to sell tickets if I'm not there.)
Even though I'm starting to get faster at threading, I still go over the whole system before I leave the booth to go downstairs. I check with the front desk to see if any more tickets were sold. I sell some popcorn and usher people in.
At show time I go over the whole system one more time, roller for roller, through the entire film path before starting the projector.
We have a long leader on every movie. There's probably a minute's worth of film, at least. While the film is running up, I check the whole system CONTINUALLY until the start cue goes through. The automation beeps when the cue goes through.
Then I go to the window to see the show hit the screen. I look at the time code generator and playback unit to see that the time code is rolling an that both units are in sync.
I hang out for five minutes then do one last check of the system, roller for roller.
Repeat the same schedule for every movie.
Yes, he told me that we have to slug any parts of the film that are lost due to damage or film breaks.
However, in my experience, that projector just runs like a clock. It seems very stable and very reliable. I expect to have very little trouble from it and, as long as I go back to check the movie and the projector every 10 or 15 minutes, I don't expect to have any problems.
One movie we have, "Beavers", has been there for several months and there's hardly a speck on the print. There are a few dust spots and that's it. If you're not looking for them, you probably won't see them. We keep the PTR rollers clean and change them every show. (At least I do. ) Customers with untrained eyes probably will not see any dust at all.
The guy in charge has been running the theater that way for quite a while, now and there seems to have been few, if any, problems.
I tell the guy that I am going to check the movie every 10 to 15 minutes but he just smiles at me. I still do it anyway.
Yes, there is a bathroom in the booth but I don't know about a phone. Everything is so close together, people just usually holler up the stairs if they need something.
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