This is topic Finally - I'm a projectionist in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 04-13-2002, 11:56 AM:
Well, in a little less than two weeks I will be leaving the manager/operator scene behind at my current theater to join the projection staff at the new 16-plex that is opening in my town in 3 weeks. Finally, I'm a projetionist! No more running up and down the stairs all night!Our projectors are Kinoton. I don't know the model number, but I'll post all that stuff as soon as I find out. I know many of you love Kinoton and believe they are the best. I am currently using the FP-23C. I like it. I took a close look at the new theater's projectors, and they look like they thread the exact same way. So at least I'm familliar with the projectors.
The lamphouses and platter, on the other hand, are a different story. Big Sky. I've never used any of their equipment. Heck, I didn't even know they made platters! Any tips for me? Again, I'll post model numbers when I find out.
Wish me luck! 
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This one time, at Projection Camp, I stuck a xenon bulb....
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 04-13-2002, 12:09 PM:
Congratualtions, Ken.
Posted by Don Sneed (Member # 955) on 04-13-2002, 02:05 PM:
Congratulation KEN, You Made it !!! I was a projectionist for 15-years before going technical 21 years ago & enjoyed every minute of those years...enjoy your new postion & the best of luck to you.. 
Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-13-2002, 02:09 PM:
Way to go Ken. That new 16-plex will be in good hands.
Posted by Joe Beres (Member # 678) on 04-13-2002, 02:49 PM:
Congrats Ken! It'll be good to have another Mulitplex in the hands of someone who cares about presentation. Good luck!
Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 04-13-2002, 03:22 PM:
For real! It's good to know that there's another set of theatres in good hands.Don't molest the Xenon bulbs!
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And, hey! Let's be careful out there.
~Manny.
Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 04-13-2002, 03:29 PM:
Thanks, guys! However, all the other projectionists have more experience than I do, and I'm the only one that the GM doesn't know. But everyone there cares about good presentation, not just me. That's what I like about it.
Posted by Tom Fermanian (Member # 1094) on 04-13-2002, 03:58 PM:
Congrats!!
As a user of Kinoton,Philips,Norelco products, you are dealing with top-notch equipment, I've seen the Big Sky Consoles instaled here in a few new theatres, they are quite good, Irem power supply integrated, and they give good light, keep us posted! 
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Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 04-13-2002, 09:39 PM:
I have yet to be impressed by the Big Sky platters. The P-series uses brains with those stupid greyscale stickers to indicate where the payout arm is. Inserting and removing the brains mars up the sticker, rendering it useless. In the first three months, we also replaced at least half of the brains for one reason or another.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-13-2002, 10:04 PM:
Congratulations Ken. Just remember, any time you have a question or problem with a Kinoton product, feel free to call Steve Guttag at work, on the road, or at home 24 hours a day. He'll take care of you. Beware of the Big Sky platter. They claim it is "brain-wrap proof", but that is a lie! Ian proved this at ShoWest while they were running a film.
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 04-13-2002, 10:17 PM:
Congratulations Ken! Sounds like you've gotten on with a good company. May you enjoy many miles of "film done right."Hope nobody minds if I ride on this thread too. After 10 months of under-employment and eight years away from the craft, I am a projectionist once again, also at a company that uses Kinoton equipment (KP60D)--Crown Theatres. Our new 14-plex opens at Neonopolis here on May 2nd. Got off to a bit of a rough start by breaking my ankle on my first day (!) but it looks like I will survive to help see the new place off to a good start. BTW we're using the Big Sky platters too, as does the Brenden Palms 14 here.
Cheers!
Paul
SMPTE Hollywood Section
Staff Projectionist, Crown Neonopolis 14
"Otaku wa tsurai yo" <-- Yeah I know, bad pun. Sue me.
It's tough being a fan!
Posted by Jerry Chase (Member # 660) on 04-13-2002, 11:11 PM:
Congrats to both of youse guys. Paul, I would say "break a leg" but you might take me literally. Ian!, dint yo mamma tell you not to lean on your platter?! Busting big sky guys chops while playin da fool. That's like saying film-guard works on sandpaper. If I were that platter, I'd be sayin' "Hey you big lug! Get offa me!"
Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 04-14-2002, 08:37 AM:
Yes, congratulations Ken! It's good to be "just" a projectionist, since it's sometimes hard to have pride in your job if you also have to clean vomit off the floor... !We are also first time users of Kinoton PK60D projectors and Big Sky platters. BL&S kindly lent us a PK60D for a month, and Big Sky lent us a platter for two months. We liked what we saw, so hopefully this will become our "standard" equipment.
Sorry about your ankle, Paul! (He twisted it while helping move a 900lb console into position.) But look at it this way; you've had your on-job accident, so nothing else should happen for a long time!
Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 04-14-2002, 04:43 PM:
Congratulations Paul! Here's hoping your new scheduleis to your liking and still permits you time to write your excellent posts!All My Best Wishes Ken, on upgrading to a full-craft position!
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(Can you now unstick that projection camp Xenon?)
Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 04-15-2002, 11:26 AM:
Ken, congratualtions. They are getting an asset. Best of luck. Keep us posted as to how it goes.Frank
Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 04-22-2002, 09:43 PM:
OK, guys, here's an update.I stopped by the theater today to help out in the booth. I found the guy who's overseeing the instillation and picked his brain! Here's the equipment package:
Big Sky consol, automation, dimmer, failsafe/cue detector, platter
Kinoton PK60D projector with SRD basement reader
Dolby CP650 with EX in 6 audotoriums
Kelmar rewind bench and 3 media cleaners
The instillation guy said that we're gonna be starting the shows about 10 minutes earlier than scheduled time because there's that much rolling stock! Geeze! I've heard of 2 or 3 minutes, but 10? Could he be mistaken? Has anyone ever seen 10 minutes of ads, *plus* previews?
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-22-2002, 09:50 PM:
Yes I've seen it, and had to assemble those ad packs...at UA. Welcome to the world of extreme rolling stock! BTW, I definitely agree that guy has the right idea. I prefer to try and time things out as close as possible so that the first real *movie* preview hits the screen at the advertised showtime, or maybe 1 minute earlier. If the show is scheduled to start at 8:00, I don't think people should be sitting there after 8:00 hits watching paid ads. (Not that I condone them either, it's just worse when they run at the scheduled start time.)
Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 04-22-2002, 10:55 PM:
Only 10 minutes......most of my clients average 40 minutes of ads / trailers / local newsreel prior to the movie....which they update weekly....they post the feature time and the "ad time" in their advertisements....so they are usually rethreading and on the screen within five minutes.....but then again they are usually not working the floor
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com
Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 04-22-2002, 11:02 PM:
hmmmmmmmm sounds like the early years of film projection before T.V.
Posted by Sam Hunter (Member # 1119) on 04-22-2002, 11:13 PM:
Congratulations!!!!!
I don really know you but I believe you deserve it!!
Rock on!!
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 04-23-2002, 05:34 AM:
10 minutes of ads? Yuck. You'll have "fun" changing these out every week.(Even GCC/AMC has "only" five minutes' worth of ads; Landmark has none!)
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-23-2002, 11:23 AM:
Indeed it is "fun"! Actually, Ken will quickly find himself becoming the master of center drops because of it. I've always considered it good practice to monitor any center drop until it's played through and make sure to teach that way, but in all honesty I've only done a hundred thousand center drops lately because of rolling stock ads and as such I don't even bother to "stand by" any more. Pull the film, splice, wind, splice, drop, thread, set timer, walk away. I can do an entire complex's trailer changes (16 screens or less) in one round now and I haven't had a drop have problems in over 10 years. Yes indeedy Ken, Regal will quickly make you a master at this too! So can the Big Sky platter handle "outward" bulges in a drop, or must they be "inward" like most platters? The Christie is the only platter I'm aware of that can handle outward bulges from a drop without possibility of film damage.
Posted by Steven Gorsky (Member # 603) on 04-23-2002, 11:47 AM:
The first theatre I worked at had Xetron platters, and we never had any problems with "outward" bulges. Looking at the picture of the Big Sky platter it looks like it would be possible.Steven Gorsky
Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-23-2002, 11:48 AM:
Not that I like or condone ads before movies (ACK!). But let me play devil's advocate (not referring to the fictional pinball machine on the Simpsons). If the ads roll well before the scheduled start time, that means not as many customers will see them. Presumably the advertisers are paying to play their ads in front of as many people as possible. Getting the ads out of the way early seems to be circumventing that intent.Personally, I like the idea of running the ads early, but if I were a paying advertiser, I don't think I would be happy about that practice.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-23-2002, 11:51 AM:
The last company policy I saw said the "feature" was to start at the scheduled show time. That being the case, the advertisers should be bouncing off of the walls that their ads are being shown 10 minutes later than policy dictates.
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 04-23-2002, 12:06 PM:
Brad -- trailers? ads? both? (!) Either way, I'm impressed.The most I can do in between one set of shows is 6 screens' worth of trailer changes (usually remove one/add one). This is with a single booth but no start timers. At least I've gotten to the point where I can do trailer changes faster on platters than reels.
Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 04-23-2002, 09:04 PM:
Yes, brad, Regal has made me master the center drop! I can even do it without any kind of marking now! (I used to use cores, which I know you don't recommend.) The only anoying part (and it really can be very anoying) is trying to get the first few trailers back onto the center ring!What do you mean by inward and outward bulges? I think I know what you mean by inward, but how can you even have an outward bulge? Is that where you sorta lay the trailer pack at an angle over the print? If that's the case, that's what I did at my last theater with Teco platters. Don't know about the Big Sky platters. We don't have disks yet, only trees!
Nice pic, Dave.
Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 04-24-2002, 12:23 AM:
Are the Big Sky rings or any of the other ones you used collapsible?
The Strong rings are so its easy to get it back inside the trailers.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-24-2002, 02:21 AM:
Scott, trailers AND ads actually, plus the removal of THX logos where applicable. Ever seen a quadrouple center drop? 
Come by one trailer changing/print building night for the 7:00 round and I'll show you (just stay out of my way...I'll be on a tight schedule!) If you care to stay for the entire night, you can watch me change out all of the cleaners and build all of the prints, break down what must go out and run the booth, *most* of the time being done by 12:30-1:00 AM. Of course for the entertainment, you must make the dinner run.Ken, one of these days I plan on making a detailed picture page on the right and wrong way to do trailer changes. There is simply no reason whatsoever for any show to run without every ad and trailer being presented, and I've amassed quite a number of tips to speed the process up. However, there are so many ways and some procedures are better for certain situations (like if it is the first, second, third, last trailer and so forth) that the page will indeed be difficult to write and get appropriate pictures. I just haven't had the time.
BTW I was thinking about the design of the Big Sky platter at ShoWest. I think it can *probably* handle the outward bulges, but due to the design if it didn't hold the film securely on the first set of fingers, severe print damage could occur. I'd have to play with one to find out.
Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-24-2002, 11:23 AM:
"Nice pic, Dave"He wears a tie, so he must know what he's talking about.
Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 04-24-2002, 11:55 AM:
Yes indeed, Dave, "Master [non]Film Handler."
Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-24-2002, 12:16 PM:
You know when you're showing off your booth to a friend and before you can stop him the guy reaches out and touches something on a running projector playing to a full house on Friday night and he calmly says "What does this do?" and you about crap your drawers? That's definitely not me. No, not me at all, I would never do something like that.
Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 04-24-2002, 11:14 PM:
David S. said:
"You know when you're showing off your booth to a friend and before you can stop him the guy reaches out and touches something on a running projector playing to a full house on Friday night and he calmly says "What does this do?" and you about crap your drawers? That's definitely not me. No, not me at all, I would never do something like that. "
The warning that should be given to any non-film handler about to set foot in a booth:
If it moves, do NOT touch it.
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 04-25-2002, 01:24 PM:
Just to back up to the subthread about drop-in trailer changes...Can anyone submit a quick shot of an "outward bulge" drop-in? I'm still having trouble envisioning what one looks like. My place will be using Big Sky platters too.
quote:
Congratulations Paul! Here's hoping your new schedule is to your liking and still permits you time to write your excellent posts!
Wow, thanks for the kind words Gerard! Nice to know someone thinks I write good. Paul
Gimpy Film Putter Inner
Crown Neonopolis 14
Neon National Forest, NV USA
PS: Re booth tours, anyone remember this old warning sign? Just a little corny/cheesy '60s humor
ACHTUNG!
Das machine ist nicht fur der fingerpoken und mittengrabben. Ist easy shnappen der springenverk, blowen fusen und popen corken mit spitzersparken. Ist nicht fur der verken by das dumkopfen. Das rubbernecken sightseeren be keepin der hands in das pockets. Just sit back und relaxen und vatch das blinkin lights und der rotatin machinen.
Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 04-25-2002, 06:27 PM:
Paul,After high school I went to a reknown community college where I studied aviation maintenance and earned my ratings. Anyhow, that sign was attached to all training aids. What did happen some time before I went to this school is tragic. The instructers always stressed safety. Students were told that if they wanted to see a gyro work, then get an instructor to help set it up on the proper test bench. But under no circumstance should it be run up on raw shop air lest it overspin and turn into a shrapnel bomb!. Well, two students did not listen and did as they were told not to do. As predicted, the gyro turned into a shrapnel bomb...killed one guy and amputated the other guys hand!
Posted by Andy Muirhead (Member # 712) on 04-27-2002, 06:28 PM:
Just bumping this thread up:Paul said:
"Just to back up to the subthread about drop-in trailer changes...
Can anyone submit a quick shot of an "outward bulge" drop-in? I'm still having trouble envisioning what one looks like. My place will be using Big Sky platters too."
Since Brad mentioned those Outward Buldges, it's been bugging me like hell what they are! Like Paul, i'm wondering what they look like, etc.
Any more info would be greatly appreciated!