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Author Topic: Projectionists Fight For Rights Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 06-24-2003 12:19 PM                        quote: ...a 10 plex... $20.00 per hour... $5.00 labour cost per show time not very much when you look at it in that perspective Granted... by itself, it looks puny. But this is what tax advocates always say when they're pushing some new tax. They rarely acknowledge that there were a multitude of "It's only a little tax" people that came before them, and now "it's only" is pretty darned big. In any case, to use the "per-show" measure, you'd also have to factor in any no-shows, plus all of the overhead, amortization and long-term maintenance costs of the property, not to mention the additional taxes and benefits (and any union package, if involved) that would be placed ON TOP of that $20/hr for the projectionist. If you had those figures (including the effects of concessions), and divided them up by what each auditorium represents to the big picture, you'd have a lot better idea how big that $5 per show might look to the owners. As the economy of the industry goes right now... it might take at least 10 screens to pull this off... not to mention the Manager'd probably be a bit unhappy about his projectionist making twice what he does!  |  IP: Logged Joe Beres Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 606 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 06-24-2003 12:49 PM                     This discussion reveals the inherent problem in this industry. The studios are taking way too much money in first-run theaters. This is especially problematic with the recent push to open films on as many screens as possible so that when a movie could be making more money for a theater, the attendance has tapered off after a huge opening week push. I haven't worked in a commercial theater before, so please forgive me if my questions seem a bit naive. Why shouldn't a manager or skilled projectionist be able to make a living wage? It seems ridiculous that on a huge opening night, when thousands of tickets are being sold, that a manager (or projectionist) is making probably little over $13/hour. (based on a $28,000 salary and an unrealistic 40 hour workweek) I understand that this is easier said than done, but isn't it about time that the exhibition wing of the film industry as a whole demand more fair practices of the studios? The profit margin on any given blockbuster must be astronomical compared to the profit made by a theater. It is ridiculous that movie theaters have to depend on jacked-up concession prices to survive. I'm am very curious to hear what some of the folks in management have to say about these comments.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-24-2003 12:57 PM                     Actually it does add up but that is also the cost of doing business If one adds up the amount of repair costs due to improper operation and maintance, lost revenue due to lost performances and damaged prints and finally the publics impression of film done wrong a theatre realy can't afford not to do it right  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 06-24-2003 08:26 PM                        quote: a theatre realy can't afford not to do it right ... and I'm in agreement with that... just trying to pin down how today's company gets to where a living wage "fits in". I've seen some of the chains' annual reports. Yah... they probably could do it if they wanted to... but I'm not so sure about smaller companies and many independents... a lot of whom "do it themselves". Added to the points Joe makes; it's reasonable to assume that the unprofitable theatres a chain has are being carried along by the ones that ARE making a buck. No doubt there are plenty of cases where a profitable operation that MIGHT be in a position to propose upping standards in the booth probably won't because it's carrying the load of a couple o' "Cache 8's". In the end though, most of this probably won't go anywhere... as long as the top 3 in a company are more obsessed with their personal income package... which is probably tied to corporate returns.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 06-25-2003 12:06 PM                     quote: not to mention the Manager'd probably be a bit unhappy about his projectionist making twice what he does! Well, if the manager is as dumb as a bag of hammers who could probably pull off supervising a popcorn stand or box office but has no clue what "soundtrack up" means, then the projectionist SHOULD be making more since their skills are more vital to the survival of the business than the manager's. I was offered a position in management because I was the most skilled in the booth. However, as a result of being manager, my booth shifts would have been cut by more than half. What the is that?! Well, the logic behind it was that I couldn't be given a raise unless I had the TITLE of manager, regardless of my skills. Utter bullshit. Another problem is this management-without-a-clue running the projection booth like a freaking Space Camp! Any zit-faced popcorn-shovler that raised his hand and went "ooh! ooh!" was given a chance to "work the booth".... and work the booth they did. And I won't even get in to the other silly and inane tasks that some management gives their booth staff to do (because you can find that rant of mine in another thread). With this kind of crap going on in the industry resulting in trashed prints and equipment, regardless of how automated or xenofied or plattered or simplified booths are these days we NEED a return of Union Projectionists, locked booth doors, and put the hopeless lives stuck in middle-management back in their place!! =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Martin Brooks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 900 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 07-03-2003 05:50 PM                        If a multiplex theatre operator can afford to invest $millions to put up a building (and I realize that's a capital cost, not an operating cost) and a few hundred thousand for concession fixtures, but they don't think they can pay something above minimum wage for someone to operate a booth, ESPECIALLY when they're operating multiple booths, then IMHO, they don't deserve to be in business. It is absolutely ridiculous that booth operators make the same or less than french-fry servers. Trained, experienced professionals (with a union or without) deserve to make more than poverty-level wages. This isn't supposed to be a hobby....I don't know how you guys (and gals) can afford to live. It's one thing to hire kids part-time to take tickets and push popcorn and pay them minimum wage so they can earn a few extra bucks - it's quite another to force trained professionals to live in poverty in the name of company profits. It's certainly true that part of the problem is the studios taking 90% of the opening weeks revenues, but that's a battle for the theatre owners to fight. Companies such as Wal-Mart, which I believe is the largest private employer in the US, have been accused of forcing even minimum wage employees to clock out and then work additional hours. A major clothing retailer has been accused not only of firing employees of particular races who didn't fit their 'ideal look', but of forcing their minimum wage employees to purchase and wear clothes from the store, which is illegal (it's considered to be a uniform and the company must pay.) If we continue along this path, we're going to become very much like a third-world country, where there is virtually no middle class - only the very rich and the very poor. And that's aside from the issue that poorly run theatres with amateurs in the booths are pushing people to buy/rent DVDs and watch them at home where frequently, the presentation is better than in the theatres. What are theatres going to do in another five years when HDTV prices are a few hundred dollars a set instead of the thousands that they are today? While a theatre might actually make its profit on the popcorn, it has only two things to sell besides the movie itself: ambiance (including the social aspects of being part of a group) and presentation. If they fail on the presentation, that only leaves the ambiance and most theatres these days don't have much of that.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-06-2003 08:59 AM                     As to an operator in every booth...you bet I feel EVERY booth should have an operator...even lowly singles. If the theatre is so marginal that it can't afford a manager and projectionist for the entire operation of every day then let it go out of business...we have too many screens as it is to have blind booths out there. Ironically, as the industry has changed and the big chains have moved to the multiplex and the small town/art house operators have taken over the smaller screen count theatres (including singles)...I've found that the lower screen count theatres are the ones that have projectionists...these guys value the shows whereas the chains only see the theatre as a line on a spreadsheet with all of the salaries viewd as "descretionary items that can be eliminated for improved profits." So, I come back to...if your theatre can't afford a full-time projectionist and manager (two different people) for the entire operating hours...then I'd as soon see the theatre shut down...as sad as that may sound. When a business becomes non-viable, it is non-viable. I agree with others that have stated that part of the problem is the 90/10 split but greedy exhibitors have given the studios that...that have things like NATO but there is always one greedy bastard that will give that extra percent to get the picture over their competitors...once given it is near impossible to go back. Once upon a time the "house-nut" covered the expense of having a projectionist...now I guess it doesn't...again, once lost, it will be near impossible to go back. Mind you, the studios are where projectionists still have living wages...sometimes quite good ones! Steve  |  IP: Logged

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