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Author Topic: Projectionist Salary?? Rick Raskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1100 From: Manassas Virginia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 10-29-2004 05:12 PM                     To quote Dustin M.: "Things like who carries the film to the booth should not have to be written into a contract, that is just silly." In the days when theatres were huge and programs changed several times a week, most operators were really old men. They couldn't physically carry multiple cans up through several balconies to the booth. The film carry clause was added for them. Is it silly? Today, yes. Like anything in a contract, it could be bargained out.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 10-29-2004 05:40 PM                        The most I ever got as a projectionist was $11.25 an hour (non-union). You can kind of live on that, but not well. Hell, I get that much to sit on my fat, hairy, itchy, pimply, stinky, unwiped ass and beta-test videogames all day, and I get $25 per hour for video editing. The theater industry really kind of sucks and I have lost my zest for it. It literally has nothing going for it. I don't care about theaters any more and I only go to theaters when Dolby pays me to. Otherwise I just don't care. I hang out here because there are still good folk here.  |  IP: Logged Greg Davis Film Handler Posts: 96 From: Vista, Ca, USA Registered: Sep 2004 posted 10-29-2004 06:04 PM                     What do you mean? are you saying $6.75 for an assistant head projectionist isnt good enough? there is more out there for me? Sweet jesus!  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 10-29-2004 09:26 PM                        Mr. Davis.. This will be your only warning regarding the use of the term Sweet Jesus whilst I am an active member of the FT community. Do not ask questions as to why it is this way, just accept that it will be this way... If you are so daring as to ask any questions, please consult Mr. Phil Hill. He will be glad to explain...  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 10-29-2004 09:43 PM                     Jason Black has been banned. Sweet Jesus! Jason Black has been unbanned. (It's true, even I have to abide by it. )  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 10-29-2004 09:56 PM                    my fat, hairy, itchy, pimply, stinky, unwiped ass Is that from your Hot or Not - Meet Me listing, Joe?  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 10-30-2004 12:10 AM                        Brad.. Thanks for having my back... And I rec'd a fax from Technicolor today with recognition given to you and Jhawk... :Mental note to self: *don't tell Brad you didn't read it....(yet)*  |  IP: Logged Wolff King Morrow Master Film Handler Posts: 490 From: Denton, TX, USA Registered: Feb 2004 posted 10-30-2004 03:07 AM                        quote: Joe Redifer The most I ever got as a projectionist was $11.25 an hour (non-union). I salivate at the thought of making even close to that much... Yet I live on my own, pay my own bills, and pay my own rent. It's funny how everyone talks about such wages as not being enough to live on, but I'd feel like I had it made if that were my pay rate.  |  IP: Logged Greg Davis Film Handler Posts: 96 From: Vista, Ca, USA Registered: Sep 2004 posted 10-30-2004 03:19 AM                     I shall try to improve the many erronious scruptulations of my ways. As a side note, I did not take a starting projectionist job for the money, as I hope would anyone for minimum wage. It is just a very (very) flexible job and worth the pay in SOME retrospect. When my job is confined to all things projections, it is pretty sweet. However when we cut staff hours and I spend 1/4 of my time in the booth and the rest acting as concessionist/usher, it seems as though I should at LEAST get paid double salary for tripe work! Nothing beats building and previewing LoTR though.  |  IP: Logged Matt Kerekes Film Handler Posts: 73 From: Rio Rancho, NM Registered: Oct 2004 posted 10-31-2004 01:09 AM                     I knew a projection manager in El Paso, TX that made $450/wk, one in Houston, TX. that only made $9.50/hr, and heard of one in Houston at another company making $800/wk!!! I don't know how true that is, but as for a regular projectionist I have not heard of any of them making much more than minimum wage unless they are a manager also.  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 11-01-2004 10:02 AM                     That's how the movie theatre world works. MORE WORK , LESS PAY If you work as a Manager/Projectionist, then you stand to make some money, but not a lot.  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 11-01-2004 11:01 AM                        The only folks making any 'real' money in this business are the upper level executives and division level managers. Something is incredibly wrong when the persons responsible for ground level satisfaction make less than 1/3 what their division level managers make. Something is really wrong with the fact that the person who holds responsibilty for getting the image on screen and who yields a good presentation makes the same amount as the person who pops the popcorn and picks up the trash between shows.  |  IP: Logged Chris Medley Expert Film Handler Posts: 180 From: McKinney, TX, USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 11-01-2004 11:33 AM                        IMHO...You have to look at who most of the projectionists we hire are. Some are college kids, but most are high school. You can't expect to start out in this business and make big bucks....you can't expect to work in this business and make big bucks anyway. I disagree with the idea that it is wrong for projectionists to make the same as floor staff. Without good customer service, clean theaters, and efficent workers you will not have any customers to worry about the need for a good picture. This idea that some projectionists have, that they are so much better then the other staff members is a bunch of . If you are so full of yourself that you think yourself better than your other crew memmbers then you need to find another industry because the theater industry is just as important as an assembly line in terms of a need for team work. I will pay the most money to the best workers, reagardless of position..period. I agree that salary caps that are put upon us by our upper management suck, but would you rather get a big fat raise and have your paycheck bounce, or the company go under...or would you rather get small raises over time(which shows your dedication to the industry) and get paid.  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Fuentes Mmmm, Dr. Pepper! Posts: 1168 From: Corpus Christi, TX United States Registered: Jan 2004 posted 11-01-2004 12:14 PM                     quote: Chris Medley This idea that some projectionists have, that they are so much better then the other staff members is a bunch of . I dont think that was anybody's point here. You might pay the most to the best workers, but most major chains that make tons of money pay the same wages to a 17 year old high school kid who works just for spending money and doesnt care about anything, and a 21 year old projectionist who is working his way through college and spends alot of time on Film-Tech trying to do the best job possible. Doesnt seem fair to me. By the way, I'm not referring to myself at all here. I'm a manager/projectionist.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-01-2004 12:21 PM                        How hard is it to find floor staff? I'd think that usually an ad in the paper or on the marquee would be sufficient to find someone who is willing and able to do a good job for near minimum wage and free movies. How hard is it to find a quality projectionist who either already knows the job and doesn't need to be trained or at least can be trained quickly? Also, think of the consequences of a mess-up on the part of a floor employee; in most cases, that might mean a register that is a few dollars off or a burned batch of popcorn. By contrast, the projectionist is dealing with tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of film and equipment which can literally kill someone who is unaware of how to operate it properly. Supply and demand should dictate pay rates, but I find it pretty unlikely that anyone will be able to _consistently_ find high school kids who are willing and able to do the job well and who will work for little pay. Sure, it will happen from time to time that someone will show up who is interested and committed to doing the job properly, but I can't imagine that that is commonplace. Most likely, the best kids (the smart ones) will leave as soon as they find another place (or another job entirely) that pays better. I do occasional film work as a hobby and don't really need the income, but I will _not_ work at a venue that pays the floorstaff the same as the operator. That's insulting.  |  IP: Logged

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