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Author Topic: Rant on stupid theatres Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-26-2003 05:18 PM                        quote: We adjust the audio levels to the number of patrons so no one complains about too-loud or not-loud-enough. I adjust audio so the trailers don't blast. We actually care about our customers and it must work because they return week after week. I do this, too. Since I am the fill-in guy for a bunch of places, sometimes it's done by automation (at the 6-plex art house); in singles, it's done by hand. Same result as far as the audience is concerned, whether it's a single with carbon arc or a multiplex. I should also point out that not all chains show slide or film ads. Landmark certainly doesn't. I like singles as much as anyone here (if not more), but I'll defend the multiplexes which put on a good show.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 11-27-2003 01:28 PM                     Brad, how big is that theater and what's the staffing like? With shows crammed back-to-back like that, you'd need at least two people in the booth moving prints and one threading, not to mention the floor staff going nuts because there's no time to count drawers, restock concession, sell tickets, clean theaters, change mylars/signage to the correct theater, AND handle the rush of people coming in all at the same time. You would have to almost double-staff, which would completely ruin the business model of the multiplex which is, "Double your profits but only increase overhead by 1/4!" So what other ways are there to squeeze in more shows? I'm curious. The phrase, "Nothing important happens in Reel 3 anyway" comes to mind. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Lauren Fisher Film Handler Posts: 12 From: Dallas, TX, USA Registered: Sep 2003 posted 11-28-2003 04:02 AM                     this thanksgiving i was informed by my family from houston about a bad theatre experience. the theatre was in Sugarland, tx, an AMC i think...they said the colony something along the lines of that... but anyway...they sat for a long period of time (2hours) no explainations until a manager came in at the end of the period, then they all had to relocate to another house, and sit again for another hour or so so the projectionists could 'rewind' the film to get it on screen. they all received rainchecks, but i dont understand why there wasnt a manager in that house as soon as the projectionist knew it was going to take a while to fix.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 11-28-2003 04:05 AM                        I don't understand why somebody would sit there waiting for two hours.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 11-28-2003 12:03 PM                     The same reason people dont come out to complain when you splice 3 minutes worth of green bands before the feature... SOMETHING will happen soon... =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Michael Brown Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1522 From: Bradford, England Registered: May 2001 posted 12-06-2003 06:14 PM                     Oh yes people will wait for a long time. In the past whenever there has been a projection mistake in a film i'm watching it's ALWAYS me who goes out to let someone know. ---------------- Remainder of post removed by poster. [ 12-10-2003, 09:10 AM: Message edited by: Michael Brown ]  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 12-06-2003 10:56 PM                        Michael, Sound to me like your booth staff needs to be replaced.  |  IP: Logged Michael Brown Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1522 From: Bradford, England Registered: May 2001 posted 12-10-2003 08:58 AM                     Woah - blowing things up a bit there Jason! Oh no no no no - those two minor incidents were spread out over quite a few weeks and we have a lot of screens. I have no doubt that the booth staff here do an excelent job. Before I started working here I saw many films with never any problems. And the latter end of my post (which hasn't been deleted) was referring to the cinemas where I watch films - not the cinema where I work. [ 01-08-2004, 06:04 PM: Message edited by: Michael Brown ]  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-18-2003 08:28 PM                        Another great Regal Story: One of my employees went to go see a movie at a local Regal location (Rainbow Promenade 10) Here is the story she related to me this evening (Please look at my original post at the beginning of this thread): Her and her 5 friends went to go see a movie at this older 10-plex. They walked up to the box office and noticed that the cashier was busy selling AND tearing tickets. It was cold outside, so they figured they could walk in and buy tickets inside. Well, once they walked in the front door they realized that there was no usher and the box was not opened on the inside. Once they were inside - they were able to watch two different movies and no-one ever checked to see if they had tickets. The only employees they saw - was the box cashier and the concession worker. The concession worker had a huge line and never even saw them walk in. They proceeded to spend an entire evening at this theatre skipping from auditorium to auditorium. Anyways, I had to put this on here. I thought it was funny, because it supports my original post.........  |  IP: Logged Ron Keillor Expert Film Handler Posts: 166 From: Vancouver, B.C. Canada Registered: Jul 2003 posted 12-18-2003 10:34 PM                     like a local theatre in a certain chain that offers purchases by phone and gets a $1,00 service charge per ticket - reported separately and not included in the boxoffice gross, so it is free of film rental costs. The theatre often does not activate the ABM/advance for our equivalent of PG/R films because of the staffing problems due to time checking these tickets. For about $30 in a shift cost for an extra person who on a busy night could be useful in multiple functions, the theatre loses over $100 in revenue on a busy opening night, and probably lost a couple thousand dollars on the last Star Wars because of head office stupidity and ochre-lipped supervisors regarding inviolable budgets.  |  IP: Logged Jesse Skeen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1517 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Aug 2000 posted 12-19-2003 01:49 PM                     Well, I bet they got to see a lot of ads at that Regal, so that should at least make the advertisers happy! (Why not let everyone in to see the ads for free, but kick them out when the actual movie starts?)  |  IP: Logged Charles Everett Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: New Jersey Registered: May 2001 posted 12-22-2003 04:11 PM                     Landmark Theatres has a contest tie-in with Sony Pictures Classics for "Oscar Bait" picture The Company. The contest link is currently on the New York City page of the Landmark website. The Landmark Sunshine Cinema is in the same booking zone as the UA Union Square. Guess which theater opens The Company on Xmas Day? The UA Union Square. The Regal people in Knoxville will be thrilled to hear that.  |  IP: Logged R. Andrew Diercks Expert Film Handler Posts: 232 From: Marion, Iowa (In the middle of everywhere) Registered: May 2003 posted 01-08-2004 05:52 PM                     Luckily this occured at my major competitor recently. My assistant manager had a couple friends attend Matrix Revolutions at our competition due to the claim of thier curved screens. Keep in mind they do not computer generate the curve and have terrible keystoning all around the outsides. That aside these friends came to us and asked how the picture that should be at the top part of the screen could end up at the bottom. We replied with the obvious "it was out of frame". They asked the manager at this location and he told them some prints are just made that way, and they didn't have time to get a replacement. All I can say is, I'm glad he's my competition.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 01-09-2004 12:14 AM                     Computer generate the curve? WTF? =TMP=  |  IP: Logged R. Andrew Diercks Expert Film Handler Posts: 232 From: Marion, Iowa (In the middle of everywhere) Registered: May 2003 posted 01-09-2004 10:51 AM                     Use a computer program to calculate the level of the curve based on the spread of the light from the lens. That's the only reason to curve a screen, the light spreads out word and it will hit the sides after the center. The curve corrects this by theoretically matching the distance the light travels to all parts of the screen. (Or so it has been explained to me) We have this in one location, looks great but if you just slap up a screen and arbitrarily curve it, the result looks like A curved screen that is planned properly, I have been impressed with, but not this place. The credits are especially hilarious, the center of the screen is crisp, but all edges are out of focus. If they played a subtitled film, you could not read the bottom of the screen. I have asked them to touch up focus, but they fiddled and made the outside crisp and center out. That tells me the distances are very different since that is essentially what focus changes.  |  IP: Logged

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