Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Tell Me Your Screening Horror Stories

This is topic Tell Me Your Screening Horror Stories in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001177

Posted by Erika Hellgren (Member # 22) on 07-13-2000, 08:23 AM:

So, guess what? The geniuses at my company (Colorado Cinemas) have decided that it would be a really great idea to invite all the employees to watch Thursday night verifications of new prints! Not only that, but the employees all get to bring one guest! I know from personal experience that this is just asking for trouble, and I have a few horror stories of my own, but I'm curious to hear other people's stories. Fire away!

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 07-13-2000, 08:36 AM:

Actually, if it is somewhat supervised, I think it's a good idea- for several reasons. Ushers get to see the film before it opens, so they are not hanging aroung in the theater trying to see it while they should be working. Most theaters pay very little, and so here is a 'perk' to keep them interested in working there. And with many people watching, every print error can be noticed by someone.

Now, unsupervised, that could be a problem

Posted by Dave Cutler (Member # 515) on 07-13-2000, 08:58 AM:

IMHO,
What a terrible idea. I have been arguing with the MD and GM at my theatre for about a year now to ban staff from my screenings.

All night long all I hear over the radio is, "Dave what time is the screening?" Then when I actually get ready to start it I have to check every person to make sure that they work there (24-plex and I don't know the floor staff) against the payroll. It wastes my time, which I need to teardown prints (thanx to TES).

I won't allow them to bring a guest, we have enough problems keeping the staff under control. I reserve that privilage for other managers, and for my booth staff. Gives them a little extra perk for the hard work they do. The staff hangs out in the lobby, bothering guests and making idiots of themselves, gives the theatre a bad image.

Posted by Carl King (Member # 398) on 07-13-2000, 09:07 AM:

At my cinema we call them "staff showings" and I do them on a volunteer basis as a treat for the employees. They are a great idea for the simple reason that I then know for sure that the print is fine. I can find and repair any misframes etc.

Yes, there can be problems with staff but that is easily solved by refusing to show movies for them until they learn to behave. I did stop the staff showing for a while because one or two employees chose to show up drunk/stoned. I pointed the finger at the guilty party and told the rest of the staff thay they were not having movies because of that person. Problem solved.

As I said this is done by me or my manager on a voluntary basis. No one gets paid. It is just a perk for the staff.

Posted by Erika Hellgren (Member # 22) on 07-13-2000, 10:02 AM:

Supervised screenings are ideal, but that depends on WHO is doing the supervising. Unfortunately, in this case, it's not going to be me. The manager in charge of these screenings needs supervision himself.

I have found in the past that as long as young, immature assistant (and sometimes General) managers are in charge of this nonsense, the integrity of the screenings is comprimised.

OK, I guess I'll get the ball rolling with a horror story. I was working in the booth when the staff wanted to screen a print of "G.I. Jane". All the regular shows had ended, but the managers wanted me to wait for some employees from another theatre. I told them I'd wait for a little while, and gave them a specific time that I would start it, whether their buddies had shown up or not. Well, that time came and they hadn't shown yet, and I started the movie and went downstairs to sit down. At that point, one of the assistants went back upstairs and stopped it. After the projector started and stopped a couple more times, and after some feirce arguments, I went home. Apparenty, once they finally got it going for real, they had DTS problems and had no idea how to fix it.

Beleive me, I have worse stories than that. Personally, I feel that it's not worth the arguments and bickering just so that the employees can see a movie early. Isn't it enough that they get to see it for free anyway? What difference does it make WHEN they see it?

Posted by Dave Cutler (Member # 515) on 07-13-2000, 11:27 AM:

"Isn't it enough that they get to see it for free anyway? What difference does it make WHEN they see it?"

Exactly my point.

I guess this really isn't a screening horror story but...

I was training a new projectionist and after a couple of days started letting him thread and start a few without me checking everything. Well he had a brain wrap and so I had to fix it. I had pulled out the wrapped section and wound it up onto a 2000' reel so that I could build it back onto the platter and drop it back in. I realized just before builing it back onto the platter that it was tails up so I went to rewind it.

A manager (who thought they were profescent in booth) decided I didn't know what I was doing and demanded that I give them the film so they could fix it. I started to refuse but then decided to let her take over. I left the building while she tried to fix it (I was a bit pissed off) and after about 20 more minutes the show had been cancelled, the guests sent home and the print was still not back togeather properly. After more than an hour the manager gave up and I fixed it within 10 minutes. She never tried that again.

Moral for all managers: Why have a projectionist if you don't trust them to do their job?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-13-2000, 01:57 PM:

Screening horror stories? How about the kid who was used to getting up at 6:30am to go to high school every day and just HAD to see that big action movie which started at 1:00am. Can you figure it out? He fell asleep driving home and killed himself! How about the kids who sneak in beer? More accidents, some in the theater (but not covered by insurance as it is after operating hours) and some driving home. How is one manager supposed to supervise 6 screenings? The answer is he DOESN'T and the 5 that he is not in have no supervision whatsoever. Bringing friends to the screenings? That's just plain stupid. I've heard of a few situations where the theater got trashed because of something along the lines of the manager was outside smoking and the kids didn't like the movie, so they entertained themselves in a destructive form. This is all providing there are no technical problems that have to be worked on during the screening that can result in no sound, no picture or the complete stopping of the show.

They can wait until a public show to see it. The whole thing is carelessness toward the safety of the staff any way you look at it. So long as the staff gets to see the movie for free, it shouldn't matter if they have to wait 3 days for opening weekend to pass.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-13-2000, 02:01 PM:

I don't believe most insurance companies will cover non-essential personnel in the building after hours. The only ones who could be considered essential is on the clock projectionists and scheduled managers.

So what if somebody gets hurt?

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 07-13-2000, 05:16 PM:

Not a 'screening' per se, but a theatre opening. Brand new Cinemuck I installed. The main show was started in the large house, and I noticed someone had turned the fader up too high--about 8. I quickly put it to a normal setting and ran downstairs to see how it sounded in the auditorium. Oooh! It was blaring away! Jeepers, I knew I couldn't have been that far off when I set up the B-chain! I ran back upstairs to turn it down some more. Into the booth, I find the fader back on "8"! I turned it down again and shot for the auditorium. When I hit the doors, it was loud again! People were in tears and everyone was screaming at me to turn it down. Back up to the booth... yep the fader was on "8"! I turned it down, this time, I stuck my head out the port for a quick check to make sure it was at a comfortable level. It sounded good. As I'm turning back around, I see "Mr. California", the hot-shot corporate tech whom I'd butted heads with on more than one occasion, turning the fader back up!!!

He yelled, "Who keeps turning this down!?!" I told him to stop, that people were complaining about it, and that the level was fine where I'd set it. He hurled back some insult and said he wanted to show off the sound system.

People's ears were bleeding! What a moron.

------------------
Better Projection Pays!

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 07-13-2000, 08:01 PM:

OUR policy is that a manager and one projectionist MAY screen a movie, IF the manager deems it necessary. (Okay, the manager REQUIRES it but the word MAY is our way of keeping people out if we want to.)

We almost never have trouble finding people to screen. Whoever is in charge just says, "You're in this movie... You're in that movie, etc.

We had a lot of trouble when Star Wars (rerelease) came out. There were about 20 people standing around watching me build the print(s) asking, "When are you going to be done?" I kept answering, "The longer you BUG me, the longer it's going to take!"

Well, one smartass said, "I bet you can't get it on screen in 1/2 hour." My smart assed answer was, "If I do, you have to BLOW me!" -- Well, the place cleared out in a hury. I never did have any more trouble after that!

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 07-14-2000, 08:03 PM:

The only personell that should be at the screening are those that can identify problems and fix them.

Ever try to have a technical conversation with your sound man when YOUR ushers tell you to shush cuz dey iz watchin a moooveee!!!

And come on erika.... you can kick these kids asses!!!