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Author
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Topic: rant on stupid customers
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Rob Ferreira
Film Handler
Posts: 25
From: Conway, NH, USA
Registered: Oct 2005
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posted 10-17-2005 04:50 AM
On the topic of stupid customers again, several times we've had a guy come in and proceed to bitch about anything and everything. His favorite thing, though, is to talk about our sound systems and why we are not playing REAL films.
I work for a 7 screen theatre, 2 of which are DTS, 4 stereo, one mono (!!!). At any rate, when said customer came in over this past summer to see a film (that we were not playing), he proceeded to tell me that it was going to be the biggest movie of the summer, and definately of the week. The film was "The Great Raid." I explained to him that we had no control over our bookings, and that our booker decides what will play and what will make money, and he apparently chose not to pick up this film for one reason or another. He retorted with "What movie do you THINK is going to make money in this town?" I replied with, "Well, IMO, I'm going to say that Four Brothers will be our biggest film this week." (Turns out I was right, as it played for over 2 months and did very well.)
He purchased a ticket instead to Skeleton Key, complaining that he had to pay "full price" (this was a matinee, mind you) to see a film "Not in the good sound." (Skeleton Key was, at least, in stereo). I explained to him then, politely, that whatever film is our biggest money maker, naturally goes into the DTS theatres because they 1)hold more people and 2)want to have the best presentation for them. He thought that idea was "very friggin' stupid" and that if a movie is new, it should AUTOMATICALLY be released into our "best sound" theatres.
He then argued with me for the next ten minutes about what movies are going to make money, which aren't, and who he can complain to about the movies we are/aren't getting and where they are placed, and I wouldn't know anything about the business of it because I was a "child." That pissed me off, because I'm 22 and I've been doing this job for almost 10 years ![[Mad]](mad.gif)
Thank God he is a tourist and around at random times only.
(*sorry about the long post...had to get that all out there*)
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John Pytlak
Film God
Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 10-17-2005 02:33 PM
All else being equal, perceived image size and image quality depends on the viewing angle, not the screen size. You can sit 30 feet from a 10 x 24 foot screen, or 60 feet from a 20 x 48 foot screen, or 90 feet from a 30 x 72 foot screen, and the visual impression of image "size", graininess, and sharpness will be the same.
Trouble is, the huge screens require more radiant energy going through that postage-stamp sized frame of film, so getting a bright, sharp image is more difficult as the screen gets too large. That 72-foot screen requires 9 times the light of a 24-foot screen, with the attendant heat-related issues. 70mm prints are needed for optimum quality on huge screens, since they allow spreading the radiant energy over a larger area of film.
For screening rooms, standard SMPTE 196M specifies a preferred viewing distance of 2 to 4 times the height of the image.
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Rob Ferreira
Film Handler
Posts: 25
From: Conway, NH, USA
Registered: Oct 2005
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posted 10-18-2005 01:21 AM
Well, I am not saying that I disagree about wanting good sound. If I had to pay, I'd be dissapointed seeing a film in mono over DTS or even stereo. But my point was the customer was waging a complaint with something that is basically out of anyone on the staff's control, including my manager who has to have our schedule (times and auditorium placing) approved by the higher-ups. But to me, it's like paying 8 dollars for a good movie or 8 dollars for a bad movie. It's all a matter of taste. Of course to film handlers DTS is a lot better, because most know the ins and outs. But most general people don't really care for the difference in DTS or stereo sound. If this customer was ONLY going for sound quality and not for what the movie was, then he should have seen Charlie and the Crap Factory (what was in both our DTS houses). If he wanted a good movie, he would have overlooked the slight lessening of sound and just seen a film he wanted. Or not gone at all. What did he want, for me to move the print into a DTS theatre so he could have the kind of presentation he wanted? It's people like him that make me grateful for DVD... ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
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Rob Ferreira
Film Handler
Posts: 25
From: Conway, NH, USA
Registered: Oct 2005
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posted 10-22-2005 07:09 AM
quote: Martin Brooks
I happen to think it's rather silly for a customer to complain about which films a theatre plays because the customer is able to discern that before he/she sets out for the theater, but the customer is totally correct concerning the quality of presentation in any given auditorium. Every customer is entitled to the best sound and picture quality regardless of which auditorium the film is playing in.
I don't disagree with you, and it would be nice if all of the auditoriums were nice, huge, stadium seating with DTS or better sound and a world-class presentation. But its not, and the guy knows it, as he has been there quite often while on vacation. So I handled his "complaint" as best I could, IMO. I don't know what he would have me do to appease him. I believe he was probably only complaining because he was looking to get comped so he could come back and see another movie at another time on our dime. His attitude is what sets me back, in that in I would have no idea about what I am talking about or what movies will do business and what won't. I may not be an expert, but I know what films will do well in our area and at what times of year. If he doesn't like it, then he should stay in New York and watch his movies there. It wouldn't affect me in the slightest.
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Thomas Dieter
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 234
From: Yakima, WA
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 11-01-2005 11:45 AM
I swear. Some customer never cease to amaze me. Sweet or Salted Popcorn? You must Really be dumb if you have to ask what's the difference. All though, to play devils advocate, they were more than likely looking for a price difference, thinking it costs more to make the sweet.
The show time quote is also another famous one, and I've yet to come up with a reasoning for it. But in the case of the Harry Potter, it's not a problem with the newspaper as you found, yet it's the problem of the customer not paying attention. I don't know how many people I've seen walk out of the theatre royally pissed cause they can swear up and down that the news paper said this, yet I'm holding the newspaper ad. Then they go to say it was false advertising on our part in their copy. Yeah, like we have the time or the money to be pulling that bull ![[bs]](graemlins/bs.gif) .
I will make an addtion to the rant on the customer that I have a few weeks back about the homeless person. The customer ended up coming back (I was in shock) and had no complaints. But when he went to get his free refil on the tub of popcorn, he wouldn't even lay an eye near the concessionist that he harrassed that day. When she informed the new hire that that's who yelled at her, he decided to go off on the New Hire saying, "Yeah, I Yelled at her, and I'm an ass, so what are you going to do about it!" As far as I know the concessionist wasn't talking that loud, and just wanted to give the other a heads up so just in case it happened, she knew who to expect it from. But I don't think she was prepared for that. JERK. Let me flavor your popcorn for ya ![[puke]](graemlins/puke.gif) .
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