Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Palm Pilot Program for Projectionists?!?!?

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Posted by Gordon Hedges III (Member # 863) on 08-21-2001, 03:50 AM:

I came across this palm pilot freeware program that helps you know when your movies are starting and even threaded. Here's the synopsis from the site http://www.jalbrant.com/movie

quote:
MovieTracker is a program for Palm OS in which a Movie Theatre Projectionist can input when his/her movies start and their PDA then keeps track of what movies have been threaded and started based upon the person checking their respective boxes. It sounds an alarm before a movie starts based upon whether or not the boxes for that particular movie have been checked.

I don't have a palm pilot nor do I think I will use one for telling me when my shows are threaded. I like my little sheet of paper with the shows in the order of when they start. I am just curious if there are projectionists who will find this program useful. Mainly for those that do not have automations that beep, chime, cry, scream or whatever when your shows are ready to start.

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 08-21-2001, 09:05 AM:

Well, that is pretty cool. I think most people here would agree, since most of us are techinally minded, and like this kind of thing...

I would not allow a person to remotely start a projector; I feel an operator should be there in case there are any problems. But all the other functions are great. I hate to play "big brother" but I would probably use it to monitor any show breaks; to see which operators are screwing up.

Posted by Carl King (Member # 398) on 08-21-2001, 09:15 AM:

I have the perfect device for telling me when it is time to start my performances. It is called a "wristwatch".

This is not a new device but one which many people have shunned in favour of high tech gadgets. It is quite simple to use and a good quality one will last forever.

Just a thought.

(giggles and chuckles all around)

Posted by Gordon Hedges III (Member # 863) on 08-21-2001, 09:55 PM:

THANK YOU, CARL!!! My point exactly. My piece of paper and wristwatch does just about the same as a palm pilot. Plus, I don't have to turn it on and waste batteries. More later...

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-21-2001, 10:32 PM:

Just for the purpose of discussing this gadget:

It needs to be able to HotSync to a computer so you can edit your showtimes list without having to enter it in by hand on the Palm. Entering all the showtimes for a 20 screener and then making changes when house numbers and showtimes change can get to be a real PITA.

It also needs the ability to beam the database to another handheld from within the app. While we are at it, why not make it compatible, either directly or indirectly with CTS, or some other computer system that movie theatres use to make and maintian their schedules?

I'm not a fan of remote start either but it would be good if the handheld could querry the projectors to see if they are actualy running. (Either because they weren't started or because the show has been interrupted.)

While we are on the subject of interruptions, why not make it so you can attach notes to each showtime and reference them by time and date. This way, if there is an interruption or some other technical problem it can be recorded. At the end of the shift, the operator can HotSync the handheld and have the notes automatically entered into the booth log.

I use my handheld (Palm Vx) for keeping track of my projector maintanence. I have a category in the ToDo list for each theatre in my realm. When I go there I make entries for each repair/task I have to do. I check them off and make notes as I go. At the end of the visit I HotSync with my laptop computer and output the ToDo list category for that theatre to a MS Word document. From there, all I have to do is attach that file to an e-mail and send it to my boss.
I've had the thing for a couple of months now and I'm getting better at using it all the time. I just can't imagine why I didn't buy one of these a year ago. (except for the fact that the prices have dropped substantially simce then )

Posted by Gordon Hedges III (Member # 863) on 08-22-2001, 01:45 AM:

I fully understand Randy's input with his use and suggestions with the palm pilot. But the maintenance and record keeping doesn't seem to be the options available on this program. Mainly the program is to help projectionists keep track of starting the movies on time. Maybe this individual thought that with huge multi-plexes projectionists would lose track of which projector is supposed to start. I am fortunate to have a computer system (Radiant) list all the projectors in the order they are supposed to start. But in times before that, I would just as easily make a little note sheet for myself to carry around. And when we had four screens, how can you miss a showtime?

As for automations that beep before they start, I like it to a point. Only because it means the movie is starting at its correct time, but I do agree that remote starting is very bad. A projectionist NEEDS to be there when the picture hits the screen to make sure that it is in frame and focus. I still forget to push the lens turret back into place on our Ernemanns when I start a film. If I wasn't there when the projector starts, I probably wouldn't hear a complaint until after the first trailer. Customers automatically think that a projectionist is always up there watching the movie and if anything goes wrong, then it would be fixed that instant... not 15 minutes later.

I don't know... I think this is more of a rant than anything else. I tried to check out this guy's site to see if he had any prior projectionist experience and only found out that he has pictures of him and his fiance of four years. At least the program is freeware for any who feel like it may help them maintain a perfect schedule. But wouldn't you realize how useless the program can be after a while? I find it irrating when other people think that they know our jobs better than we do. I prove my point to my employees when I put a new person in the booth and I make a wager that the automation (NeuExcel 2000) would call out a projector problem. Especially on something so simple as keeping the failsafes up.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-22-2001, 02:44 PM:

I think this app is basically good. It's solid (doesn't misbehave) and it does what the guy says it is supposed to do. It's a good start but without the ability to upload/download schedules it isn't going to go anywhere. It'll be used for about two or three weeks until somebody gets tired of reentering all the data each week and stops using it.

It it weren't for that, I'd say it makes a good "involvement device". Something to keep people's mind on what they are SUPPOSED to be doing. It's a good start but this app's got a way to go before it finds itself being used in day-to-day theatre operations.

Now that I think of it, there's one more feature that this app needs:
Every "n" minutes, the thing should beep and say, "Go check projector number 'X'."
The only way to stop it from beeping would be to actually take the handheld to that projector and scan a bar code on the side of the console. Of course, the kid will only scan the code and walk away but it's AT LEAST keeping him on his feet and walking the booth. (And not down at the concession stand talking to the girls.)
Even then, I'd give it about two weeks until the kid gets pissed off and stops using the the thing all together.

Like I said, the basic idea is good but it needs work and refinement.

PS: How do you write Palm OS apps anyway? I've been thinking about trying my hand at it.

Posted by Tao Yue (Member # 836) on 08-23-2001, 08:24 AM:

The Palm uses Motorola chips, so when it first came out, you could only write Palm OS applications on Macintosh computers using Metrowerks Codewarrior. Metrowerks then created a PC version of its tools.

Some hackers in the open-source community didn't like having to use a commercial program to write Palm programs, so now there's also an open source-solution: a cross-compiling version of GCC along with PRC-Tools. These tools were developed separately by different people, so using them is somewhat prone to error. However, Falch.net DeveloperStudio provides an IDE for the open-source solution which actually makes it easier to use than the commercial solution. DeveloperStudio is no longer free, though.

There are also some tools which let you draw forms and use scripting languages to create the logic, but as with all intepreted languages, these programs will run more slowly than compiled programs.

I too have been meaning to get into Palm programming for a while. However, there's a pretty steep learning curve, though, even with the DeveloperStudio, and I haven't had time to sit down and really learn it. So now I have a bunch of tools sitting on my hard drive that have been used only to create a few "Hello world" type applications.

------------------
Tao Yue
MIT '04: Course VI-2, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Projectionist, MIT Lecture Series Committee

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-23-2001, 03:30 PM:

I have e-mailed the guy to see if we can carry his software here at GTS as I think its a good idea. Might make someones day a little easier.
Mark @ GTS

Posted by JC Cowles (Member # 914) on 08-24-2001, 02:04 AM:

I think it's a great program. Being able to edit outside of the palm environment tho is key as Randy mentioned. But it's a good start and at least someone thought of it. Personally I'd like to turn my Handspring Visor into a StarTrek tazer so i can zap customers I don't like.