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Topic: Who the HECK are you??
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Damian Thornton
Film Handler
Posts: 8
From: Moscow, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2010
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posted 12-05-2010 06:39 PM
I have been lurking these forums here for a few months, and decided to register in hopes of increasing my opportunity to learn even more from you fine folks!
I was rescued from the floor staff a couple years back at Village Centre Cinemas, an 8-plex in Pullman, WA. I was very fortunate to be trained in a well-kept booth by a very passionate projectionist. We were running all Millieniums when I first started, and a couple digital-monsters were added throughout my time there.
VCC recently took over a 5-plex in Moscow, ID and I jumped at the opportunity to replace my fifteen-minute commute with a ten-minute walk. This "new" booth has definitely been a change of pace. They have me working as an assistant manager on top of operating the booth. I miss working solely as a projectionist, but am truly happy for the new challenges and responsibilities I've taken over without the head projectionist from Pullman around, quietly taking care of everything.
In addition to two Milleniums, we have an Apogee, a Barco DP100 and an old 1014 left behind by the people who ran this place before. My only real complaints: carpeted booth with no air-flow, no rewind table and having to actually help the floor staff when it gets busy ![[uhoh]](graemlins/uhoh.gif)
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Peter Howard
Film Handler
Posts: 44
From: Forster, NSW, Australia
Registered: Dec 2005
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posted 01-13-2011 12:34 AM
My name is Peter Howard, i'm 36, and i'm from a town called Forster which is on the east coast of Australia about 3 hours north of Sydney by car.
I grew up in cinema, and my earliest memories involve cinema in one way or another. My father Don has had a love of cinema since the age of 8 and trained as a projectionist in his teens working at local cinemas until my mother and he opened a single-screener in 1969. They opened another single screener in 1972, and a third in 1978, and were operating all three until 1981 when they closed the original and just operated the later duo.
I was born in '74, and grew up in the industry, spending my entire childhood either at home or at the cinema. I was a 'candy bar brat' from the age of 10, and learnt projection after completing high school, taking over the daily booking and buying in 1993 under dad's guidance until I became good enough at it to be able to handle it all myself.
My wife and I now operate a 3 screener in Forster, and also operate my dad's 2 screener on his behalf which is about a half hour away in Taree. My dad's still responsible for the technical side of the business, as I must confess i'm not particularly technical... but I can fumble my way through most of the time! My dad's an exceptional technician who's been able to evolve as the business evolved - learning digital after being hugely proficient in 35mm has been his latest challenge. He still teaches me stuff about the business every day, and i'm very grateful to have him.
Now the third generation is coming through, as we've got 9 year old twins (one of each) who already love what we do almost as much as I do. We'll be sliding them into the candy bar just as soon as their math is up to the task, and they can reach the top shelf haha! I hope to pass the business onto them one day.
Our 3 screener is 244/158/117, the big cinema has been converted for 2K presentations using a NEC NC-2000C and a GDC SX-2100A server. Dad's also set the other screens up for 'plug and play' conversion to digital when the time's right. We've still retained 35mm gear for each auditorium which is a mix of Kalee 21's (for trailers) and Simplex Milleniums (features). Potts platters, Strong lamphouses, Ushio rectifiers, CP500/Panastereo sound ... and we've still kept the (damn useful) Eprad MUTS.
The 2 screener in Taree is 304/176, again the big cinema converted for digital using the name projector/server combo as Forster. Again, 35mm retained in both cinemas, Kalee 21's and Simplexes, Potts platters, Strong lamphouses, Ushio rectifiers, CP500 sound, Eprad MUTS.
At the moment, we're purely using the 2K setup for 3D content, as the distributors still havent finalised VPF agreements for Australia, partly because the integrators are fighting each other. ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif) When they do, we'll have a read of the contract and make a call whether we want it (or dont!). Our 3D gear is Panastereo, which is essentially XPand but a WHOLE lot cheaper.
I've been an occasional lurker here for a long time (check the join date!) but will try and post a bit more often. Dad's also a lurker, but isnt too keen to post i'm afraid.
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