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Topic: Regal Entertainment CEO Mike Campbell stepping down

Michael McGovern
Film Handler

Posts: 57
From: New Britain, CT, USA
Registered: May 2008

posted 05-10-2009 12:04 AM

Of all the chains you could work for, Regal is pretty much the worst. They pay the least, expect the most, have a corporate office that extremely hostile towards the field, and provide little in the way of motivation, and allow for some of the worst managers in the industry to continue in their position while driving out all the good ones with their insane policies, endless micromanagement, and lack of decent wages. In 2 years Regal won't even have projectionists anymore, they expect to have every location digital, and won't need anyone up in the booth anymore. People I still talk to that work for the company have nightmares about dealing with their Human Resources department, and are in constant fear of losing their jobs due to factors that are either beyond their control, or asinine policy violations (their policy manual was 300+ pages when I last worked there). Go read an archive of Dilbert comic strips, that really is what working for them is like.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 05-10-2009 01:11 AM

quote: Michael McGovern
In 2 years Regal won't even have projectionists anymore

From what I understand, they don't even have them now. Instead, managers run the booth. They are most certainly not projectionists, but rather "button pushers".

We have a Regal theater out here called the Continental. One of our employees went to the Continental to pick up a print a few weeks back and their GM was constantly yelling at their employees... literally yelling, for stupid things like going around a partition while moving a print instead of carrying the print over it which would have saved maybe 4 or 5 seconds. The GM did this in front of our employee who had never even been in the building before, so I assume he doesn't care about discretion. Our guy came back and couldn't believe how hot-tempered their GM was and was very thankful he wasn't employed there. I guess Regal managers just like to yell in front of everyone. Maybe even the public?

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 05-10-2009 03:23 AM

quote: Joe Redifer
Instead, managers run the booth

the occupation title of "projectionist" isn't in their vocabulary. It's just "management" and "staff", thus a booth person is also a member of management.

But, usually it's the supervisors or assistants who tend to the booth operations - including the three necessary levels of 1)-basic show operations, 2)-make an break films, 3)-machine maintenance and an optional 4th level: bulb changes.

quote: Joe Redifer
I guess Regal managers just like to yell in front of everyone. Maybe even the public?

Interesting, that our local REG managers are no where like that here in this state.

Maybe there in the Denver area just have a situation with staff where the mgrs are tested to the limit in their actions.

All three locations in my area have great managers (whom I know). They are all well mannered, handle things on an exceptionaly professional manner and present an image to the public that the location that they are in charge of, that the customer is always welcome and will have the greatest movie-going experience.

Course also, there is a DM that is in charge of this area that has a great attitude towards his managers, thus this could have a huge impact on how that part of REG is being represented.

Maybe in Joe's and Mr. McGovern's areas, those two DM's could be more of a "whip cracker" and who wants to conquer that dist area as his own and not more to REG's method's of operation - which then becomes a high case of misrepresentation, and thus becomes totally unfair to who works at these locations under this false image.

Yes, REG will eventually become all digital to where the film operator positions will be eliminated...but that was to be expected anyway - just something that we have to be aware of.

-Monte

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 05-10-2009 03:31 AM

quote: Monte L Fullmer
Interesting reading on about Mr.Patrick stepping down from his CEO post to remain on the board of directors. Maybe the new CEO of Carmike, Mr Passman III, will grab a hold of those reigns on those wild and insane horses and get that circuit on a better trail than what they were heading down to. They needed that "breath of fresh air-change of scenery" badly if they're going to keep rolling forward as a competitive circuit.

Mr. Patrick is no longer on the board of directors; he was bought otu of his shares from what I understand.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 05-10-2009 03:42 AM

(That's right, Dustin - you're at a Carmike, which used to be an EXCELLENCE Theatre...my old company I used to work for...what a goofy company they were: Alan Silverman's company trying to be like Wal-Mart...)

Good, as I mention: maybe Carmike then will come out of the mire and be a better circuit...

-Monte

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 05-10-2009 12:01 PM

I believe as long as details inside the auditorium continue to be ignored the current average situation with big theater companies will not improve. Matters may actually get worse.

One of the motives with converting to "digital" is removing as much labor out of the projection booth as possible. The projection systems can be automated to start movies on their own without an employee pressing any buttons. I wonder if the digital projection setups can have their play lists and schedules set up remotely. If that's the case then a lot of theater managers probably won't even have to touch the equipment at all. They'll just stay down in the lobby monitoring the concession stand the only area that seems to matter with big movie theater companies these days.

Of course the thing the executives at big theater chains may not realize or may underestimate is that digital projection systems are not fool proof. Errors will occur. Certain components in the system will fail. And with a digital projection system there is more stuff in the setup that can fail. Maybe the executives are counting on service providers like Cinedigm to keep tabs on the equipment. Unfortunately, with a lot of computer gear you have to be there in front of it to see what's really happening.

The situation with how audio is handled in movie theaters is already pretty bad and with even less attention being paid to what's happening in the projection booth and theater auditorium that situation may get worse.

It sucks that movie theaters typically make more of their income from concession sales than what they get from movie tickets. Still, the movie is the main reason why the customer showed up to the place. The movie is the "main course" of the product the theater is selling. I believe if a movie theater does as good a job as it can in showing the movie that will result in more customers visiting the theater and more stuff being sold at the concession counter. If the theater is showing movies in the tradition of "film done wrong" I'm not even going to be visiting the theater in the first place much less buying anything from the concession stand.

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 05-10-2009 03:09 PM

I'm not sure what you'd expect a "projectionist" to do in an all-digital theatre. Not that I've worked in one, but it seems that once you've "ingested" the feature and set up your playlists, there's not much to do but sit on your thumbs and hope something breaks.

The one all-digital theatre in my area does have an "operator" on-site. He does work the lower area of the theatre. However, as everything in the place is digital, including message and advertising boards, he does have primary responsibility for keeping everything running. From what I can see, the whole operation runs pretty well.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 05-10-2009 08:18 PM

quote: Bobby Henderson
I wonder if the digital projection setups can have their play lists and schedules set up remotely. If that's the case then a lot of theater managers probably won't even have to touch the equipment at all.

They don't come out of the box that way, but keep an eye on Film-Tech for future products. Look at Brad's latest booth, nobody ever goes in there except to load new hard drives as they come in. Maybe once a year someone goes up and dusts off the vents and maybe cleans a lens or two.

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James Westbrook
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1133
From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa
Registered: Mar 2006

posted 05-11-2009 02:09 AM

What about the changing of Xenon bulbs? Someone has to do that on a regular basis...I would think.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 05-11-2009 01:11 PM

They fly Brad down for that.

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