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Topic: Projectionist Salary??

Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99

posted 10-02-2004 03:12 PM

Well, as someone who worked in a megaplex that was the target of, what the FBI called "an act of domestic terrorism utilizing a weapon of mass destruction" that was carried out by members of the Chicago projectionist union, I am 100% against unions. Whatever grievences you union guys may have, frankly, I don't care about. When I think of the union, I think of its member who set off 2 chlorine gas bombs in my theatre (one in a sold out 600 seat auditorium) that sent several members of my crew to the ER and endangered the lives of our customers and staff. And guess what - we were not the only theatre that was attacked.

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Matthew Stevens
Film Handler

Posts: 37
From: Colorado Springs, Co
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 10-03-2004 03:31 AM

For me, I feel that money is the root of all evil. However, I still would love to strip down naked and roll around in said evil.

When I started, I felt like the kid from Cinema Paradiso, I did it because of the love for movies.

And with that, the bitching and moaning I've heard in this thread, isn't the biggest FUCK YOU to poor people I don't even know what is.

Imagine if someone from a third world nation were to read some of this convention, where individuals say:

quote:
They told me the salary and I was apalled!

quote: Bill Gabel
That's 85k under what I hit a year

In several third world nations children search through trash dumps for worthles crap to sell to earn money for their family...

Ok, just joking, I'm just pissed off at how much I make.

[ 10-03-2004, 03:53 PM: Message edited by: Matthew Stevens ]

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Jason Black
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1723
From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 10-03-2004 05:50 PM

Matthew,

The difference is-- we aren't in a third world country a-n-d you have the right to be pissed off at what you make. Even greater, you have the right to *do something* to increase your earnings.

That said,
I'm still on the fence about unions. A livable wage is great but the mob mentality of *some* Union bosses/members makes me shudder in disbelief.

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Richard B. Perrine
Film Handler

Posts: 89
From: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 10-11-2004 01:22 AM

Well....I've been in the union for 34 years.....and unions didn't ruin the business.
TV did in the 50's. Then when youjust desided that it was mor profitable to build multi-screen theaters is the 80's....computers, the internet, videotape and disc....make you audience smaller. so you build a 15 million dollar builing....and want to entrust the operation of the entire complex to someone who just knows how to thread the projector.

Really....if you build a 10-15 million dollar building and can't pay the guys who keep it running $1.00 per hour per screen.....then you should be running a sweet shop in HongKong.

A few years ago...our area Regal Cinema Tech drove from here (Akron, Ohio ) to southern ohio to fix a theater with a screen down......he did.....he turned on the 3 phase circuit breaker.

A couple of months ago....another area theater Mgr. where we have a "split Booth" arrangement....changed his own trailers...
brain wrapped 4 of the 8 screens.....shut down 1/2 day on Saturday.

If you guys are all really that cheap....take your 15 screen....shut 5 screens down perminatly....get some 2x4's and board them up....you'll save at least 25% on electric and heating. And your audience will probably be about the same.

As for carring the film up to the booth....I hate doing that.
We have an old Lowe's 3000 seat stage house here in town.
I quit that one 20 years ago....after several months of busting my butt to get up to the 5th floor booth....and finding out no one brought the film up.
Now I taking care of a 1000seat single screen and also a 8 plex.
I carring the film up the 3 flights of steps at the single screen.

But to the guy who's mad because his operator made the girl carry the film up....it's part of the job. The operator can do and the girl can do it too. IF this get's him mad....manage his business properly...by not scheduling the girl to work on show change days.

IATSE #364

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Ramin Hashemi
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 129
From: Houston TX
Registered: Sep 2004

posted 10-13-2004 08:26 PM

"pay the guys who keep it running $1.00 per hour per screen"

By that argument, a single screen pays $1.00 per hour, a triplex $3, and an 8 plex $8. Still very low. Larger theatres would require more than one projectionist (I would imagine 1 for each of 8-10 screens).

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Jeremy Fuentes
Mmmm, Dr. Pepper!

Posts: 1168
From: Corpus Christi, TX United States
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 10-14-2004 06:23 AM

So it sounds to me like its not unions that are the problems, but upper management, right?

quote: Richard B. Perrine
But to the guy who's mad because his operator made the girl carry the film up....it's part of the job. The operator can do and the girl can do it too.

Great attitude!! I follow this same rule in all aspects of life. If my wife wants to drive the car, let her change the oil herself. If she has a flat, tough. Get down there and change it. Its part of life. [Roll Eyes]

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-14-2004 09:29 AM

I think that the point was that the employer and employee had already agreed that carrying film cans was not part of the operator's job. In that case, someone strong enough to do this should be scheduled to work whenever films need to be moved.

Personally, I have no problem with carrying film cans _if_ I'm not busy doing something else. In a busy multiplex on a Thursday night where there are 5-10 film changes, it makes perfect sense to have a member of the floor staff deliver films to the booth, so that the operator can spend his time on film work.

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William Leland III
Master Film Handler

Posts: 336
From: Charleston, SC,
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 10-14-2004 01:55 PM

on Thursdays i would get ushers or concessionist to help me carry up cans, they loved it, they got to see the booth and the movies.

like most i hated carrying the cans also, but looking back on it it wasn't that bad, compared to carrying furniture up 3 flights of stairs,the cans are a cake walk.

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Darren Solomon
Film Handler

Posts: 28
From: unknown
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 10-17-2004 03:56 AM

I've been a Service Supervisor/Head projectionist for 6 1/2 years now. I currently get paid $9.75 per hour, no benefits except for 10-days paid vacation per year. I'm still waiting for my .25 cent raise. This is the 2nd time that I've had to wait for my raise to show up on my paycheck. I have to tell management several times, that the raise didn’t go through. The first time this happened it took 6 months to get my raise to come through on my paycheck and thus get back pay for the many missed months of my raise. I'm not a union projectionist; Loews doesn’t like them, and am not called a projectionist at my theatre. I'm floor staff service supervisor, wearing a vest and tie! But being the most knowledgeable person in the booth with lots of years of trouble shooting experience and with knowing many of the common problems that the other booth personal do to the film and equipment, I've become the so-called favored "Mr. Fix It" guy. Of coarse, I kind of cursed myself for being this type of person who goes out of the way to learn something that the Technician does or the many things that no one else will teach themselves in this job with the rest of the younger staff who don't care much about their job. Of the new things I do, is install Xenon Bulbs and change out the slide projector's ads. I think I should be properly compensated for any new skills and things I do at my job. Its a job, the job could always pay better, but I was told I'm at the top of my pay, close to one of the managers at $10.25 per hour and I would not get more than $10 per hour this year. [uhoh]

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Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99

posted 10-17-2004 04:18 AM

quote: Richard B. Perrine
But to the guy who's mad because his operator made the girl carry the film up....it's part of the job. The operator can do and the girl can do it too. IF this get's him mad....manage his business properly...by not scheduling the girl to work on show change days.

Actually - I think to manage his buisness properly, he should toss out the prima donna operator...

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-17-2004 01:21 PM

"Actually - I think to manage his buisness properly, he should toss out the prima donna operator... "
If there is a collective agreement signed between the owners and operatorsthat specifies that operators don't carry the film to the booth then that manager would be in contravence of the agreement and could be subject to dismissal or disipline Just as a union memeber must liveup to the terms of an agreement so must management and others governed by it

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Barry Martin
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 203
From: Newington, CT USA
Registered: Jul 2002

posted 10-17-2004 09:44 PM

Darren, either I have multiple personality syndrome and am blacking out posting under another name or we are very alike in our experiences. [Wink]

I think I can safely say I understand more than anyone here what you are going through as you have described the exact problems I had encountered with the same company in the past. From running after managers to get my raise put through to being "Mr. Fix-it" and not thanked either in words (more important) or money/benefits (pretty important).

As far as my salary I worked 20 screens in a suburb 30 miles from Boston called Danvers. When I started it was at 6.75/hour, promoted to Service Supervisor 2 weeks later at 9.00/hour and when I passed kithen certification I got .50 more. Once in the booth I got another 1.00 raise in combination with my two year anniversary. My pay was frozen shortly after (now at $10.50/hour) when we tried to join the union (plenty in other posts about all that fun) but before we joined our regional offered our "head" $13/hour to stay on. He actually wasn't even a supervisor so, you can see why we (including the one who was offered that amount) got upset.

As for nowadays, I work for a twin in a small town that is struggling to bring it's audience back after some bad former owner choices. I run the booth and theater (tickets/community relations) and I book the films. For this I asked for $450/week with increases after I help the business build. I work about 30-35 hours/week tops.

I'll admit I made more money at the 20 screen, but I worked about 45-50 hours/week and like I said, got very little thanks. Now, my owners talk to me daily and thank me for all the ideas/efforts I put through. Actually, even though I say thanks alot when people respond to me I have to throw out another general thanks to EVERYONE because so many of my ideas/suggestions have roots here. THANK YOU FILM TECH AND IT'S MEMBERS! [thumbsup]

I'm even helping them with their other businesses.

I can't complain about the pay here at the twin either because it is what I asked for, not what they offered me. With the cost of living up here I can get away with less money, and I know if I asked for more I'd only be hurting the business while it's growing whereas when we do start drawing big crowds and profits I know they'll share with me.

Bottom line is you should love your work and always seek employment from someone who shows appreciation for your every effort with words AND by helping you to pay your bills with a living wage. A "cap" for pay always make me laugh because it's another way of saying you are just another *insert title* and are no different or any better at what you do than anyone else. Best of luck, and if you run into Paul Wehrle give him a big [fu]

from me and my family. [beer]

Hope things improve for you, one way or the other.

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Darren Solomon
Film Handler

Posts: 28
From: unknown
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 10-20-2004 11:26 PM

Thanks for the info and kind words Barry Martin. I don't post often, last time, I think I recall it was a problem with another Booth personel. Its really funny to see another person to give the finger to Paul W. HA HA.. ROTFLMA! I started out as floor staff, and 2 weeks later was split Booth and floor, then 6 months later full time projectionist. So Im crossed trained, except for being certified in the kitchen. This is not my only skill, as I am a Digital DJ Consultant, beta tester and DJ. Maybe down the line, I will free up things..work less at Loews.. and do some Djing. One manager said, if there's money left in the end of Decembers budget, then maybe I would get another .25 cent raise. YEAH RIGHT! There are still many other problems in and around my work, that I have to put up with, that would be too much to discuss here and probably wouldnt change by my hands. [Roll Eyes]

Loews is saving money for having me do thier Screenvisions ad placement and Slide projector care, and I don't like doing it for free! Not to mention free Xenon Bulb change out, when a film techniction used to get paid $150 just to drive out to change a Xenon Bulb. Pass the savings on to the valued employee! I tried not to make a big fuss of things at my job, I want good pay, pay off many bills once and for all, and possibly move on out of the film buisness. I would say, Loews has ruined it for me.
If by Oct. 28th I don't see my pay rate on my paycheck showing
$10.00, then I will be very mad and let them know about it. I feel this is not the right way to treat a loyal employee who puts up with alot of things at work snd bend in many ways for the management and company.

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Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99

posted 10-20-2004 11:58 PM

quote: Darren Solomon
Not to mention free Xenon Bulb change out, when a film techniction used to get paid $150 just to drive out to change a Xenon Bulb.

Having to have an engineer to change a Xenon is a sign of a very poorly trained booth staff.. Its not that the theatre is saving money by having you do it, it's that they are not WASTING money by calling an engineer.

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Carl Martin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1424
From: Oakland, CA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 10-21-2004 02:43 AM

6 of one = half a dozen of another. the point is, darren's workload/skills increased but his pay didn't. that seems to be very common. wages don't even keep up with inflation (from what i've seen).

and because of union contracts and whatnot, it may well be the case that the normal booth staff doesn't handle bulbs, and that's not necessarily a reflection on the quality of their training. i'd love to learn to change bulbs, but i'm not supposed to (and we don't have a facemask). it's kind of a ridiculous situation all round. paying a better wage would be a start.

carl

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