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Posted by George Roher (Member # 91) on 08-31-1999, 11:16 PM:
What are some of the strangest booths or theatre layouts everyone has encountered?I was checking out a 6-plex today. There were five booths scattered all around the building, with somewhat hidden entrances. For two of them, you have to walk through the auditorium to get to the booth.
Another strange place is Washington DC's Avalon 1 & 2. A big palace style auditorium downstairs, and a smaller house upstairs. What's strange is that you have to go through the booth for the upstairs house to get to the booth for the downstairs house, and it's a little higher up. That machine is pointing almost straight down and the customers look like ants.
What similar strangeness has everyone experienced?
Posted by AndrewBurnell (Member # 122) on 09-01-1999, 08:39 AM:
Whilst my manager would kill me if I said this:I work in a 6 plex, theirs only two ways up and down, both through auditoriums! Or the other exit leads to the roof. Wouldn't wanna be up their in a fire!
Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 09-01-1999, 08:42 AM:
The strangest booth arangement that I've ever worked in is the now closed AMC Prestonwood 5. Pics are available in the picture warehouse. The theatre originally used bounce mirrors to get the image above the audience, but after having many image problems they put the projectors up on "stilts" so the platters were on the floor and you had to climb a ladder to thread the projectors.
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 09-01-1999, 09:17 AM:
In toronto the strangest is the Cineplex Eatons Centre. It is built in a parking garage and the floor slopes are the ramps. It was Cineplex's first theatre and was all 16mm rear projection. It was converted to 35mm with Ernaman 9's PrevostP55's and Pro35's some with mirror front projection and many with the heads sitting on the floor running back projection.
Another is the Revue Cinema that last carbon house in toronto where the stairs to the booth are through the mens washroom. The old College theatre you had to go through an apartment to get to the booth
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 09-01-1999, 09:23 AM:
Probably not so strange, but at the place where I used to work, the booth entrance was through the mens' room. I suspect that this was because the place was built in the 1930s and many local fire codes during the nitrate era required toilet facilities in the booth so that the projectionist would not have to leave the booth while the film was running; perhaps this was a way of getting around this legal requirement. Actually, the arrangement of the mens' and ladies' rooms was kind of interesting, too...there were stairs on either side of the rear part of the auditorium, and you had to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the restrooms, which were located on either side of the booth. Fortunately, the sound insulation between the restrooms and the auditorium was very good...
Here in Boston, the Brattle Theatre uses a funky rear-projection system involving mirrors. Picture quality is, to put it charitably, less than optimal, particularly for those seated in the balcony or off-center in the auditorium. The only thing that makes up for this undesirable arrangement is the Brattle's first-rate programming--this is one of the top repertory/art houses in the US.
Posted by Erika Hellgren (Member # 22) on 09-01-1999, 02:28 PM:
Through the men's restroom, eh? Yes - right! Cause only a MAN would have to be in the booth 
Oh well, if I worked there, I'd walk through it anyway, all the time saying, "Cover it up, fellas, projectionist coming through!"Although this isn't too strange (it's really cool), a few years ago they rebuilt a one screen into a six plex, and while I was taking a tour of the new booth, I was shown a secret passage from the booth to the back of the big auditorium. It was a little hole in the floor with a ladder leading down. It was also great access to the public restroom. Very handy if you didn't want to go all the way down to the other end of the booth to take the stairs.
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 09-01-1999, 05:28 PM:
Erika - remember that this place was built in the 1930s. <grin> I sent Brad some of the pictures; look under "Williamsburg Theatre."
It appears that someone has beaten me to sending in photos of the Cape Cinema (another neat old place where I have filled in; it was the site of the world premiere of "Wizard of Oz" in 1939!). Check out that steep staircase! You have to walk up the staircase into the attic (being careful not to bang your head on some low-hanging pipes) before entering the booth. I have carried two four-reel shipping cases down that staircase at once...I do not recommend it.
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 09-01-1999, 06:36 PM:
Another wierd one in Toronto was the NewYorker (later the showcase) The Projection room was a hut on the roof that hung down into the auditorium half way down the theatre and you climbed a staircase at the back of the building and walked over the roof to the booth
Lots of fun during a snowstorm or rainstorm whent ehbooth would flood
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-01-1999, 06:55 PM:
There was a Plitt Promenade several years ago here in Dallas that had catwalks to get from one booth to another. I know Jason Burroughs used to work there. Where is your description, Jason?
Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 09-01-1999, 07:44 PM:
The Plitt Promenade 6 was originally built as a single screen by Interstate theatres somewhere in the late 40s or early 50s. Interstate merged with ABC, during this time a second screen was added and it became known as the Westwood Twin. Joining the 2 booths of the 2 screens was a metal catwalk that went over the public restrooms. The passage way also went through a room where all the A/C merged into, you had to be careful here, if you didn't have a key you were locked INTO the room. No Way out. When ABC Intestate sold to Plitt, Plitt divided on of the auditioriums in half and the other 4 ways to access the 3rd booth you had to go down to the lobby and out an old exit door. The auditorium that was split 4 ways was never finished leaving the exposed cinderblock walls. The theatre closed in 93 and was torn down in 94 and is now the site of a Kroger. I remember they used Century projectors and Cinemacanica mono sound systems, 5 platter trees but I can't remember the mfr. But it looked kinda like the pics of the Norelco. but it may have been a CFS Super Platter. cant remember either way.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-01-1999, 08:05 PM:
I think the 5 deckers were Strongs or Potts. It's been too long, though.
Posted by Stephen Jones (Member # 16) on 09-01-1999, 09:49 PM:
Worst multiplex projection rooms that I have come across is in Geelong Victoria Australia,
the complex has 11 screens and 4 projection rooms all over the place and no video monitors to see whats going on in the other rooms. If somthing does go wrong you dont know until someone says something and then it can take up to 5min to get to the offending projection room to fix the problem. If a print had to be moved it had to be taken through the foyers and if its busy it is a task to carry the film through the crowd as some of them just wont move out of the way and just stand there.The current theatre I work at has 2 projection rooms, the entrance for one is at the back of the theatre and the entrance for the 2nd is at the front next to the screen in the same theatre. It used to be a 1930s single screen converted into 3 cinemas. Will have some pics for the projection ware house soon as I have them processed.------------------
Posted by George Roher (Member # 91) on 09-01-1999, 11:01 PM:
I wish we had video monitors here. I've never seen a theatre with video monitors for the booth. I used to be affiliated with a certain "Generous Cinnamon" theatre that was really two separate theatres on opposite ends of a shopping mall. Moving prints involved going down the stairs, marching through the lobby, wheeling the prints down the mall on a hand-truck (if one was available), going through another lobby, and tackling more stairs! And prints were moved down the mall in between shows all the time. Shows would get off screen and then have to start again at the other end of the mall five minutes later. One operator there used to put two movies in clips up on his shoulder at once and run through the lobby! The theatre used to have two operators on duty at all times, but that slowly changed. There's nothing like being in the middle of a crowded mall, holding a 100 pound epic film, when management is screaming on your radio about some problem somewhere. Forgive me if this post turned into a rant 
Posted by Stephen Jones (Member # 16) on 09-02-1999, 12:20 AM:
Geelong is the only multi where I have worked that didnt have monitors all the others have got them even the 3 screen site has them in each projection room. Managments answer to a request for monitors for Geelongs bio is we cant afford them but are soon jumping up and down when something goes wrong and the response time is long.------------------
Posted by Stephen Jones 1 (Member # 114) on 09-02-1999, 05:13 AM:
Cinemark's 'The Palace' in downtown Kansas City is a 14 plex that is divided into two buildings on either side of the street with a skywalk between the two. It was an older theatre that was renovated into an all stadium seating theatre. With 14 to 17 prints, I hear Thursday nights and moving of prints is alot of fun. Going down stairs, through the lobby across the skywalk... and so on.
Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 09-02-1999, 06:29 PM:
The theatre I'm in now (16 screens) has two booths, because of a large atrium diving the building in half (Standard modern Sony construction) to move prints from one side to the other you have to carry the film down the stairs, across the lobby and back up annother set of stairs. The managers LOVE to move prints here semingly more so from side to side (arg). Its even more fun when the lobby's packed trying to lug that print across there with all the customers oogleing over it... and aside from moving prints during normal operation you get the stairmaster routine while working...
Posted by Rick Long (Member # 213) on 09-02-1999, 10:33 PM:
One of the strangest booths I knew of was the Metro on Bloor St. West, here in Toronto, once the showplace of the area. The theatre however fell upon hard times. Abandoned by the major chains, independant hands took it over, and converted it into a modern-day burlesque house.
Although the equipment was rather mundane (Simplex E-7's, Peerless Magnarcs, - the Kintek processor and amplifiers were rather kinky), the show consisted of a mild porno movie, followed by a live strip act. There was a catwalk from the booth to the backstage area and it was common for the stripers to use the projection booth as a change area. (Strangely enough, the B.A. never seemed to have a problem finding relief men to fill in a shift here).
Come to think of it, it seems to me that Gord McLeod had quite a few service calls here too.
Posted by Art Averett (Member # 367) on 09-05-1999, 11:26 AM:
I too worked the Avalon 2 one night, back in the mid seventies. I was stationed at the big "P" and worked under local 224. It was a nightmare to say the least. At that time the Avalon 2 had a pair of Super Simplexes and Pearless MagnaArcs. The film had to be pre-lubed with oil because the gates were so tight. I know because prior to the regular show the manager handed me a short trailer for the Will Rogers foundation. Thought I would take a look before the show. Threaded the trailer up and started the machine. Good grief (not my excact words) all of a sudden the film started to come out of the projector at me! Shut down the projector, gave the now messed up trailer back mto the manager. Now that I'm shaken-up, I wondered if the show would go thru the projector. Checked out the print and it was completely "oiled". OOOOKKKKK. Started the show, and it was going alright. Then the next thing I see is the upper reel on the left projector came around and "slapped back". What the #$&^%$*! is going on? After the reel finished out, I had to take the spindle of and clean out the back half, re-lube it and re-adjust the tension. I never did go back to that theater.
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 09-05-1999, 11:47 AM:
Rick after the metro was twined and the strippers were gone they first used a perescope to put the image into the lower theatre( trhough the booth floor) with a brenkert and Tall Texan Tower and the regular E7's projected down a tunnel to the main theatre. Later the brenkert got moved downstairs into a new booth with the film going down the fire escape and later a pair of century C' with Pups and coperators were installed downstairs.
The machines were at the back of the booth and one crawled in front of them to get at the machines to thread.
Now they use video thereHarbour front theatre a mixed use venue has the machines at the back of the booth and the light console and mixer are in front of them
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 09-08-1999, 08:59 AM:
Kerasotes had a 6 in Rockford, IL I used to service. It had started as a twin or triple, and several configurations later became the six. There were 5 booths, each shaped irregularly and fitted wherever they would go.From the various expansions, oddball artifacts accumulated, like a door that led nowhere, high up on the wall of the lobby; and a door in one of the booths that opened to reveal a triangular space no more than 5 inches deep!
Posted by RICK HAMILTON (Member # 115) on 09-08-1999, 11:39 PM:
The theatre that you're talking about is the North Towne. It is in an old strip mall.
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 09-11-1999, 12:24 AM:
Yeah, that's it! I couldn't remember the name. Thanks.
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-11-1999, 02:47 AM:
I think that the booth I work in is a bit strange. The building itself is nearly 90,000 square feet. I have 16 awesome Christie projectors (I am blessed) divided up into 4 booths. there are 2 seperate booths which have 1 projector each (the big houses) and 2 other seperate booths that have 7 projectors each. Status panels in each booth let me know when the movie has been threaded, just started, in the movie, in credits, or needs to be threaded. Our management loves to move prints from one side of the building to another, even though the auditoriums are the exact same size. They just love it to death. Moving prints requires going through a public access hallway upstairs (we need it since we are stadium seating). But we have to go up and down stairs and through many doors, most of which must are locked and must have a combination punched in to proceed. It's really quite fun when holding a print with the other arm.Another older theatre in the same chain I work for has a crusty old 5 plex with 3 booths. The booths lead out to the hallway/lobby. Of course, it is a mall theatre.
Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 142) on 09-12-1999, 03:46 AM:
The Hoyts Midcity cinemas in Melbourne, Australia was a large twin, both houses around 1,000 seats. In 1976 a third house was needed, part of the foyer and offices was taken over and 200 seats put in. In the shopping arcade 50ft below a news stand was purchased and built in. A Philips(Norelco)FP20 was installed, it threw the picture onto a mirror, the beam went up the 50ft shaft to hit another mirror and finally onto a giant 12ft screen!
I worked in this box for almost a year. Shoppers almost fell over when you openned the door to the arcade and they saw a projector shinning onto a mirror. It was fully automated and the easiest show I have ever run.
Posted by Christopher Seo (Member # 7) on 09-12-1999, 04:19 AM:
My booth is simply one long, straight hall with 18 projectors... about 170 yards long. It's divided into three roughly same-sized sections by two small, square electrical rooms which occupy half the width of the hall. Does anyone have booths with such a simple layout? It may not be strange, but it's pretty creepy at night.Also... with all this talk about bouncing images off mirrors, I have to ask if any such setup actually produced a good, clear, sharp, bright picture.
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 09-13-1999, 11:44 AM:
Some of the mirror units installed originally at Eastons centre were amazingly sharp as they were front surfaced mirrors but over time they have been replaced with some secondsurfaced ones and they produce double fringeing
Posted by Gordon Leslie (Member # 139) on 09-30-1999, 05:24 AM:
This is not so much a strange booth story but is unusual compared to booths of today.
This booth is located in a 4 screen complex that was built in 1980. At the time I worked for an independent whom then was owned by a cashed up tv network. This complex was a new style of going to the movies in this city so we had to have the best of every thing that was available at the time.
The projection booth is 115ft long by 18ft wide, the floor is carpeted throughout and with sound tiles covering all the walls. There's a 6 man service lift to the booth.
Amenities in the booth consist of a shower and toilet, a kitchen with microwave and fridge with coffee and tea supplied.
At one end of the booth is a recording room ( the tv network owned a radio station, thought we might have use for one) this was used basically for making music master tapes for the cinema and foyer in the day's before cd's.
The equipment consists of 5 35/70 Cinemaccanica vic8 projector's with 6500
Zenith lamphouses , one being a spare on wheels which could be slot into extra projection ports at each cinema, 3 phase couplings are on the front wall for projector and rectifier hook up. They also have 4 Cinemaccanica slide machines.
Later in 1985 the company added 2 5 plate Cinemaccanica non rewinds to replace 5 christie aw3's (all on wheels with one spare) the christie's became a constant problem after they were converted to 70 and back to 35 a couple of times.
The processors are Dolby CP100, the amp's and active crossovers were assembled by the tv network's engineering dept and unfortunately resulted in a few problems in this area,(best to stick with what you know) the automation system is Kinoton pin matrix.
In the basement is a 38kva detroit diesel auxiliary power plant which comes on automatically if the mains supply is off for around 20 sec's.
The booth also has 4 10ft rewind benches all fitted out with the usual tape splicer, counter, spool's etc.
When this cinema complex opened in 1980 there was no union award to cover 1 projectionist working with more than 1 screen, so we had 4 projectionist's per shift, this consisted of 2 shifts 9:30am -4:30pm and 4:30pm -11:10pm 5 day's a week which also meant 2 more projectionist's to do day off relief.( got to be a bit crowed at shift change ). This lasted for about 9 month's when a new award came out which allowed for 1 projectionist to run 2 screen's, an assistant ( trainee) projectionist was also in the booth. This manning level lasted till 1989 when the union award changed once again to allow for greater screen numbers. When this booth changed to single man operation , monitor's were installed within the booth , a 20" hanging from near each end of the booth plus a smaller one at the desk.
Posted by Raphael Jacquot (Member # 1936) on 10-09-2003, 10:30 AM:
well, I have a story about a theater in Paris that has to be the wierdest booths of all ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
the theater that is next to the Alesia metro station was built during the 1930s (I think it's a Pathe now).
they architect designed the auditorium with the back wall going all the way to the street wall (stadium seating, the box office and lobby under it), forgetting this was a movie theater, which required a booth. when the company came in to install the projector, there was no booth to put it in....
So the theater kept closed for 3 more months or so and they built a booth, extending one meter above the street, an 2 meters inside the seating area...
Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 10-09-2003, 10:55 AM:
At MassMoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) we designed an unremarkable booth for an unremarkable theatre, except for the fact that we chose a 70mm setup at this late stage of the game and also its large size -- 1800 seats. Then they said they were thinking of putting in a cafe outside the building in a courtyard and gee, wouldn't it be nice to be able to run movies out there during summer months while the patrons sipped their tea and crumpettes. How much would it cost for an additional projection setup? Well, as luck would have it, the back wall of the theatre booth was the wall that flanked the courtyard cafe. Well, says I, if you don't mind thinking outside the box, how about we put the two Century JJs on a big, BIG rolling dolly and when you want to show movies in the courtyard cafe theatre, you simply get a bunch of stage hands to turn the projectors 180o and roll them to the back wall of the booth. Bingo....mobile projectors.
The dolly has pegs in it so it can anchor into the floor in both locations. Except for minor touch-up adjustments before the show, the pegs get them pretty close to perfect alignment....two theatres for the price of one booth! The lens compliment had to be unique to each screen, but I believe there is some overlap (the 1.66 for the courtyard is the 1.85 for the indoor). There are separate sound systems for each but each screen has its own 3rd octave eqs -- the CP100's eq is flat.
Frank
Posted by Emma Tomiak (Member # 1862) on 10-09-2003, 04:19 PM:
Christopher,
Our booth is a generic UA layout- one long hallway, projectors on either side, with a middle section raised on stairs for the big auditorium. And yes, it is creepy when you can see all the way to the other side at night. All 4 of the projectionists at my theatre have claimed to have seen the "ghost of old man Booth" at some point! ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Posted by Jean-Michel Grin (Member # 1360) on 10-09-2003, 05:23 PM:
One of our booth in Geneva at the Rialto theater (a 7-plex) Is placed on a elevator situed between two audioriums. The wish of the owner was to made a "Pre-show" when we lifted up the booth after the customers took a seat. But we abandoned quickly this trick, because in theses auditorium the shows was not sheduled at the same times. If You're interested, send me an email and I show You somes pics.
Bye,
Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 10-10-2003, 04:31 PM:
The first theatre I ever worked at had the stairway to the booth at the back of the #1 theatre.
I never worked there, but the AMC Omni 10 in Miami had quite a few individual booths and I believe some of those were accessed from within the auditoria. Still, I don't recall being disturbed by any projectionists. My memory is that there was a lot of timer action going on. The shows seemed to run themselves. The Omni 10 is closed now.
One of the theatres here has four booths for six screens. It makes for a lot of stair-climbing.
Strangest booth I have seen is the result of dividing a twin into a 4-plex. Catwalks over the audience take you from the original booth to the new booth (around the halfway mark of the original throw). ![[puke]](graemlins/puke.gif)
Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 10-10-2003, 04:38 PM:
I owned the Bob White Theatre in Portland, Oregon back in the 60s and you had to go through the men's restroom (which was located at the top of the balcony) to get to the booth. I also worked in a theatre in Sacramento which was in a converted store and the booth was located in the back corner of the building. However, the masking eliminated any noticable keystone.
Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 10-10-2003, 04:39 PM:
Why wasn't your theatre called "The Bob Allen Theatre" ?
Posted by Jeff Stricker (Member # 224) on 10-11-2003, 07:00 AM:
The twin Jerry Lewis cinemas that were built here in the '70s had the booth stairs in the Men's rest room. They were never operated by the Jerry Lewis chain - they were sold to an investor prior to opening.
Posted by German Marin (Member # 918) on 10-14-2003, 10:45 PM:
Cinex Broadway, 3 Screen (auditorium 1 is 750 seats, old style) Caracas, Venezuela.
It was a single screen early 70's. At end of 80's was added a second screen. The auditorium had a balcony, and the booth runned a changeover. At the begin of the 90's the balcony become a little third auditorium. The booth was transformed at platter system. Look out.
Left, Potts AP5 feed the two Westrex; center the projector use a couple of mirrors to send the image up to the screen 3; right the projector for the screen 2.
The first mirror sends the light up.
The second mirror is almost 3 meters above the first, passing throught an ugly ceiling.
I don't know how is this working? If I touch these things I'm afraid it won't work again 'cause it's TOO old. They looks like a home made system.
Posted by Peter Hall (Member # 695) on 10-15-2003, 05:17 AM:
The Delta (now gone) in Auckland New Zealand had it's booth sliced diagonally by a road widening scheme. To get to projector 1 you had to dive under the lamphouse of projector 2.
We've just done an install in the smallest booth we've seen - 1.2m deep x 2.2m wide. Mixed use venue, mainly theatre and arts centre use but bi weekly films. We have installed a Vic 4 with a vertical lamphouse, plus a customised tower (12000' spools) with the motors combined in a rack housing the house dimmers and sound system. The place is roller city but the picture on screen is great and the sound fair (is fed into the theatre's house system) No access to the rear of the V4 at all, so the electrics are housed in a box on the front wall. There's a mirror on the wall behind the V4 to check the oil and oil is filled from the operating side. All works well but is a real pain to run - you cant access any of the dimmers when a film is running, and are likely to lose fingers if adjusting the sound whilst rewinding. All controls are remoted but is still a pain to have to remove the film spools to get to the rack.
Posted by Warren Smyth (Member # 1838) on 10-15-2003, 06:41 AM:
The Regent Theatre Taihape had a projection room located above the front veranda which protruded out over the footpath. To get to the booth one went through a door at the back of the upstairs circle, straight along a catwalk on top of the roof, then turned left through a door into the projection room. The catwalk was out in the open air, so you got wet when it rained.
Now this was not particularly unusual as many country towns had theatres and halls with this configuration, however, an event makes the design worth mentioning.
The rewind bench was located along the rear wall in line with the exterior door. One night, whilst winding, one of the spools came off, and you've guessed it, catapulted along the rear of the booth and out through the door. It continued down to the street below, rolling on it's edge. A boy rescued it and kindly brought the partly full reel of film up to the projection room.
The projectionist was very grateful to be in possession of both reels of film. The only problem, the film from the spool on the winder went down the side of the building, through the front door, through the lobby, up the stairs, through the circle and finally into the projection room where it met the some what battered reel. Clearly the boy had too much respect for the film to break it.
I was assured by the manager that the story is true.
Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 10-15-2003, 08:24 PM:
Manny:
It was called the "Bob White" after the bird. That was it's name when I bought it.
Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 10-16-2003, 04:34 AM:
I worked in a theatre in Caldwell Texas named the Mattsonian. You had to climb up a vertical rung ladder into the wooden hang ceiling and walk along rotting planks that were just laying over ceiling beams. The place was noted for the smell of dead rats, hence its nickname among the staff as the "Ratsonian."
Being a New Yorker, I was shocked to find that there was a side entrance marked "Colored." There was no port glass and the entertainment of those patrons in the balcony, mostly young black kids, was to see who could get a popcorn or soda cup into the booth through one of the ports. The first time a cup came flying past my shoulder and hit the back wall, I nearly pissed my pants.
This theatre had a walkway between the outer wall and the inner false wall which went the length of the building in which he had put in rickey wooden shelving from floor to about 15 feet high with cubby holes. There, in that rodent ridden building, he had saved every 1 and 3-sheets of every picture that had run in the theatre starting from 1936 to the present (then, 1966). Mr. Mattson was probably about 90 at the time so I don't believe the theatre lasted much longer. And back in 1966, I am sure they considered 1 and 3 sheets as not much more than junk. I sure wish I knew then what I know now!
Frank
Posted by Peter Hall (Member # 695) on 10-16-2003, 07:02 AM:
Maybe a new thread - wierd New Zealand cinemas ?? The Regent Tauranga (from memory) had a 8 rung staircase going the full width of the booth, sort of a mirror image of the stadium seating outside. You could see only the bottom spools from the main booth area and winder.
Oddest situation I ever saw was when MidCity opened in Auckland. 4 screens, all automated, (Baurs with ST200s I think) one good sized square booth with a projector in each corner. At the time, around 1986, the projectionist union in NZ had a "one operator per screen" rule, so you would visit and see 4 guys sitting around wondering what to do. I guess it was a good time to have shares in Lion Red or the "Office" (if anyone gets this reference I'd love to hear from them !)
Another wierd working rule was that the operator could not leave the booth during the film, which was enforced by the union "to keep standards up". Great sentiment, but in the days of platters and automation (and single screens) it resulted in guys sitting in small, dark rooms bored to death . I was for a time manager operator of a small 200 seat single screen in Auclkand and was "caught" in the managers office during a film - such a cardinal sin almost resulted in the site having it's film supply pulled. I was told that the union's rule was there to protect my own welfare... Yeah, right, I am supposed to be better off stuck in a 8 x 8 room by myself dying for a pee instead of making sure the film and failsafes were OK and being free to roam and maintain the site, help myself to tea coffee and post mix and flirt with the floor staff. Mind you, I ended up 15 years later still with one of these floor staff, now 2 kids a mortgage and nearing middle age - perhaps it would have been better for my welfare if I was locked in the booth catching up on my Tolstoy !
Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 10-16-2003, 12:21 PM:
The Strand, where I work was once a single screen but converted to 6 screens - with add ons. Each of the 6 screens has seperate booths...ranging from the 2nd floor to the 4th floor. There are a couple clever passage ways in the older part of the theater for enterance into one of two of the booths. The booth on the 4th floor (which was the original) has a catwalk with an enterance through the ceiling- or so I was told...leading into a wall. I've never even looked up there though, its too scary! ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 10-19-2003, 02:22 AM:
I think every booth has a "ghost." There are so many things in booth moving and making noise and everyone thinks it's a ghost. Chances are if you see something, it is a platter spining or the light reflecting off of the glass. If you hear something, it is probably the AC/HVAC system.
Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 10-19-2003, 02:54 AM:
What about booths that have no port glass, platters or AC/HVAC systems?
Posted by Peter Hall (Member # 695) on 10-19-2003, 10:42 AM:
Astor Perth, WA. No glass, no HVAC, no platter and a wall full of valves and a original Western Electric system (still in situ circa 1988). Owner scheduled his films around his wifes dance school (in the circle foyer) and even asked if the 20 minute reels could be split in half to burn the carbon butts! (He went bust, but maybe his fiscal attitide could have taken him far in the middle management of todays chains !!!) Circle was shut for safety reasons, but you could hear the operator singing along (mainly classic films) in the stalls.
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 10-19-2003, 11:42 AM:
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