Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: "Doing the Right Thing=Bad" or "Dustin's Day Managing a Multiplex"

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Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 06-28-2000, 05:05 PM:

You gotta love this job. First of all I am forced to go to work at 8 am when I don't need to be here until 11. Why you ask? Becuase that's when my ride was going into town. Fine, ok. Then I find out we're overstaffed, so I gotta send people home. I end up getting stuck with the shittiest, laziest, stupidest employees on the payroll. Great. Then I get stood up for lunch. And then the whole problem with Shanghai Noon. What Shanghai Noon problem you ask? Well...

We still have two prints of Shanghai (till Friday at least). Apparently there was a problem last night (rookie projnectionist) and one of the Shanghai's had a 'bad spot' in it. Actually, I was told there was melted film in it (f*ching incompent goddamn morons). Ok, so I made a managerial decision. I called the early shows (1, 4, 7, 9:40) and decided to just run the late shows (1:30, 4:30, 7:30, 10:10). I wasn't going to run the 1:00 knowing it would break down at that point, that's just plain stupid-not to mention unproffessional. Considering that the film around the burn spot is beat up pretty bad, I decided we won't run it at all anymore, it does leave tommorrow after all. So I started tearing it down, about halfway through the projectionist-another rookie wouldn't you know-comes running up to me saying there is a problem with the other Shanghai. Great. I run over there and find....A WRAP AS THICK AS A F*CKING REEL!!!!! I haven't figured out how this happened yet, as the platter was engaged and the film wasn't wrapped around a peg or anything. Oh well. So it is 4:40 (was still in previews, I have no idea how it wrapped so fast). I try loosening the film to now avail. Now its 4:55. I finally have to cut it, pull it out of the center. Wind it up on a core. Put it on a reel, spin it onto a center ring, and plop it back on there. Worked pretty good except it took me until 5:15 to get it going again. By that time 2 people had demanded cash refunds and I just gave it to them. No cash refund policy or not, they were pissed.

Whew. So thats done now. I do a shift change box drawer check to see how we're doing-2.50 short. Now I gave $9 worth of refunds, how was she only 2.50 short?!?

*groan*

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-28-2000, 05:52 PM:

I know the feeling.

Better spend the evening cutting the two prints together to make a complete one before you don't have the chance.

Posted by Greg Pauley (Member # 503) on 06-28-2000, 06:55 PM:

A day in the life of a Theatre Manager!

You might want to consider installing a tension failsafe for your platters to help eliminate brain wraps.

Posted by Carl King (Member # 398) on 06-28-2000, 08:39 PM:

Not running shows because of a possible film break? No refund policy for unsatisfied customers? Two poorly trained projectionists? Boy oh boy! I'm sure glad you don't work for me.

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 06-28-2000, 08:55 PM:

Carl. Perhaps you misread my post. I will clarify:

1) It wasn't a 'possible' film break,' there would have been a film break. My manager told me that it was going to break the first show because there was a bad spot of film in it. The 'bad spot' of film was the length of film torn to hell in the projector during a brainwrap. This was left in the film for some unkown reason. We have two prints of this movie. I made the decision to not run the early show, making people only wait an extra half an hour. Not only would I have to shut down during that first show if I ran it, but there was considerable sprocket damage to the film around the burn and I wasn't sure if our Christie's could handle it. Are you telling me you would actually sell people tickets to a show knowing that it was going to break down? Knowing that the damaged film will probably pop a pad roller or the ultramittent shoe?

2) There is a no CASH refund policy for customers. This is a Carmike wide policy. We are allowed to give refund tickets however. If you read carefully you will notice that I gave cash refunds in this instance. I could get in big trouble for that but felt it was appropriate.

3) I do not do the scheduling. If I had it my way they would have a lot more training before being left alone in the booth.

Its funny Carl, Brad and Greg seem capable of reading. Perhaps this is a skill you should work on. You may now remove your foot from your mouth, or your head from your ass, whichever applies.

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 06-28-2000, 09:05 PM:

Oh, and did I mention that right before I left our last working ticket machine broke down?

Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 06-28-2000, 10:12 PM:

Dustin saz...
Its funny Carl, Brad and Greg seem capable of reading. Perhaps this is a skill you should work on. You may now remove your foot from your mouth, or your head from your ass, whichever applies.

ooouuuccchhh!!!

I once toured a scuziplex in MN where a brain wrap was in progress. of course this before I knew what brain wraps were, so I said , what's that, pointing to the offending platter(it was a 5 deck). The manager replied, Oh Sh*t. he ran and got his projectionist. I guess thats all for today.

Josh

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-29-2000, 06:11 AM:

We're all guilty of coming onto the forum and there being a ton of messages to read and occasionally misreading a point. I know I do it! It's amazing our brains work at all after a rough day at the theater.

Posted by Dave Cutler (Member # 515) on 06-29-2000, 09:34 AM:

Dustin,

I feel for you, somedays nothing goes right. Last night an exec from AMC was at my theatre and wouldn't you know it, the projectionist forgets to switch two prints. UGH!! Yea, let's show "Me, Myself and Irene" to a house full of kids wanting to see "Chicken Run." DOH!!

------------------
Dave Cutler

"Do or do not, there is no try."

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 06-29-2000, 11:27 AM:

Dave wrote;
"... the projectionist forgets to switch two prints.."

We just let a guy go for that. He had worked here for 20 years, but was always a poor worker. The DM was thinking about just sending him home for a week with no pay- but then he found out which two movies were switched. "Chicken Run" and "Shaft."

"Shaft" played to 8-15 year olds for about 15 min. before a patron came out and mentioned it. The DM hadn't seen "Shaft," and went in the next day to watch the first 15 min. for himself- to see what the kids saw.

Apparently, (I haven't seen it) there's pretty graphic sex going on during the credits, then Sammy Jackson is looking at a guy's bloodly head splattered over a sidewalk, swearing like crazy. That did it.

The DM is wondering when the lawsuits will start comming in.

Posted by Carl King (Member # 398) on 06-29-2000, 11:55 AM:

Dustin:

Sorry if I was a little harsh. I just hate the thoughts of cancelling performances unless it it absolutely required. I don't like Carmike's no cash refund policy. I believe that if a customer is not happy ( in our business or any other) he/she should get their money back.

We are all complaining from time to time about kid projectionists but if we stop for a moment and think back...weren't most of us kid projectionists at one time. I know I started in 1968 at 17 yrs of age and made my share of screwups. It is up to us "old hands" to make sure that the rookies are on top of things. If you find out how the rookie wrapped up the brain so fast let me know.

I hope your next shift is better.

ps. I hate the taste of show leather

Posted by Carl King (Member # 398) on 06-29-2000, 11:56 AM:

that should be shoe leather...or maybe not

Posted by Dave Cutler (Member # 515) on 06-29-2000, 12:03 PM:

That's a good point about being a kid projectionist. Although I think I had it pretty easy starting out. I never ever saw a brain wrap for 2 years, luck mostly I guess. I try not to compare my trainees to my lucky early days, but sometimes...

Actually, the guy that started the wrong movies I reallly didn't do anything to. I had a little talk with him about the importance of checking the show schedule for print moves. Usually when something like that happens I make the projectionist work down at mission control (Customer Service desk) on a Friday or Saturday night so that they can deal with all the complaints that they may have caused. Usually cures that right up.

------------------
Dave Cutler

"Do or do not, there is no try."

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 06-29-2000, 01:51 PM:

In retrospect I was a bit harsh on Carl, sorry

Anyhow, you guys no why everything is gong wrong this week? Our DM is going to be here Friday-Sunday, open to close .

Posted by Dave Bird (Member # 490) on 06-29-2000, 03:16 PM:

That cash refund was the right thing to do. I'm in customer service myself, and while we like to have "store policies", the law would suggest (at least in Canada) that many of these "policies" are illegal. Carmike has it's reasons, but I would think that if someone bought a ticket for a show that you were unable to provide, that a coupon for another show (if that person wanted money back) would be illegal. So you did the right thing. On the $2.50 short after $9 of refunds not showing up. Don't know what kind of tills you use (probably something like the computerized crap we use in food biz now), check your nosales or cameras or patterns of shortages between cashiers. They say that 10-15% of people will steal from you INCLUDING STAFF, a number that scares the hell out of me.

------------------
Dave Bird

Posted by Tom Ferreira (Member # 70) on 06-30-2000, 08:21 AM:

Believe me, I know the feeling. Last weekend, I was so sick, I left the floor to whoever was down there, and laid down in the booth, getting up only to thread up and start movies(No other projectionist available). This week, our answering machine decided to quit working(do all electronics have an internal sensor that know to break down when you're busy???), so every other person through the door is bitching that they can't get through on the phone. Plus quite a few of the floor staff are new and haven't had to deal with major crowds yet. At least the booth is running OK(knock on lots of wood)

Posted by Travis Cape (Member # 466) on 06-30-2000, 10:33 AM:

I sympathize with all of the problems. I am not sure whether it is easier to deal with multiple screens or an aging single screen. Last night upon returning from vacation, I found the concession stand grossly overstocked, eight marquee bulbs out, and the owner closed the safe wrong and I couldn't get it open. It was time to open and I was trying to remember how to get the safe open. I eventually took the concession money and opened anyway. After all of that, I approached the booth with caution. Who knows what could have been broken in a week? Everything eventually went very well and the damage was fixed. I find it odd that I have higher standards than the owner.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 06-30-2000, 11:11 AM:

Old single-screen houses are interesting. From a booth point of view, they're usually more work than a medium-large (under 15 or so screens) multiplex, since they're usually manually run with changeovers. From the management side, they look like less work on the surface, but they often end up requiring more, since they are usually operated with only a couple of floor employees, so the manager ends up doing more work (cleaning, changing lightbulbs, etc.) than he would be doing in a multiplex. Additionally, the maintenance requirements are usually higher in an older single, since it's common to have a lot of equipment (concession, booth, air-conditioning, boxoffice, etc.) that has been in place for fifty years and is getting toward the end of its useful life...at least, that's been my experience.