This is topic Projectionist Performance Evaluation in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-11-2003, 04:10 PM:
 
While I'm digging through my hard drives looking for the ones I've used in the past, maybe the projectionists here can help me brainstorm on what specific items should be covered on a performance review for a projectionist.

Assume that, while technical service is on call 24 hours, the projectionist is expected to work well on his own and may be called upon at any given moment to unexpectedly come up with a solution for something completely bizarre. Also assume that the theater is also used for several special events every month which may involve presentations, computer, video, large format film, and audio.

Be very specific. Under "Attendance and Punctuality" I would include things like "shows up early and is ready to work at shift start" and "makes his own arrangements for a replacement before calling in sick". Under "Equipment Function and Use" I would include "ability to make a perfect tape splice that will last for thousands and thousands of passes" and break down each piece of equipment that he should be familiar with. Yes, I am very anal, but I want to be very specific to determine who needs more training where.

I have been with this staff for four months and we have made great strides in improving our systems and presentation. This evaluation will not only provide a review of previous performance, but also outline the expectations for the next year as we continue to improve our booth and make significant changes to both our equipment and our programming.

I will, of course, post the final version here for everyone to critique.

(Goes home to look for job descriptions and previous review forms, because that's where paperwork things usually end up anyway.)
 
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-11-2003, 04:17 PM:
 
I'd say that the number of complaints from patrons per shift would be a good way to track that. Also, print makeup/teardown on time, or late, and are previews-headers correct or do you have to get after them to make it right. Is the film clean, or does it look like its been dredged up from the Chicago river even though YOU KNOW its a brand new print. Needless to say it also important to track who's working when so that the right people can be called on the carpet. Also, are service requests done accurately? I have alot of problems with one chain never saying that something has failed, or making a list.....say a DTS drive or that sort....even after I've been there for something else three other times.....Make the right hand talk to the left at all times!
Mark @ CLACO
 
Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 01-11-2003, 06:35 PM:
 
Is it an employee's responsibility to find a replacement if he or she is ill? If they can, great but seems to me that if you're sick you're sick. I don't think you can penalize someone for legitimately being ill whether or not they find someone to cover for them.

Yes, the show MUST go on but ultimately it's the owner or manager who is on the line to make sure that positions are covered and if there is no one else, handling it themselves. In the old days it was the union who made sure there was a warm body up there. That's one of the things that was was given up with the trend to non union booths.
 
Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-11-2003, 08:32 PM:
 
The guys in the booth are there because that's where they belong, not because I needed another body and the concession cashier was sick of dealing with the public.

The staff is expected to make a realistic attempt to solve all problems before calling for assistance, technical or otherwise, and are reasonably trained to do so. I should not have to worry or wonder about how the booth is going to run if I take a day off or a week or two for holiday. I do expect to receive a call about any major problem that was fixed or at least read about the minor ones in the booth log the next time I'm in.

You can be assured that a technical call when I'm out of town where the question "Is it plugged in?" solves the problem will result in a training session.

The guys pretty much dictate how their own schedules flow. When making out the work schedule, I always fill myself in last. Last semester, I was required to work weekdays (I *hate* working weekdays) and next semester I get to work my preferred weeknights. Everyone communicates well with each other and they are expected to be at least reasonably flexible with their schedules, including the occasional (and I do mean occasional) covering of someone else's shift. Yes, I will be happy to cover a shift if no one else is available, or trade shifts if they want to spend time with their families or get laid or whatever.

I prefer to treat my staff with respect and honesty and hope that I get professionalism and honesty from them in return. For the most part, it works for us.
 
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-11-2003, 11:15 PM:
 
If you use "customer complaints" as a means of evaluation, you might want to exclude complaints about sound volume (unless it's egregious--like "no sound"). This is just too subjective and, also, the guy running new films every week on Fridays is going to get more complaints than the guy running "captioned for the deaf" prints on weekday mornings. [Smile]
 
Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-11-2003, 11:35 PM:
 
Here's the start of my list ... I have quite a way to go yet.
 
Posted by Will Morrow (Member # 792) on 01-12-2003, 12:58 PM:
 
Adam, I am curious. Providing someone meets all of your requirements with satisfactory results, how much would you expect to pay them? I realize there is a difference between the amount of screens so for that sake we will say 11. Also, cost of living in the city where they work should be considered as well. So we will say a mid-Michigan college town. Average rent is 350 dollars a month.

Can't wait to hear this! :-)

PS Any lurkers from my company...no matter what Adam suggests, I AM VERY HAPPY IN MY JOB!!! :-D
 
Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 01-12-2003, 02:14 PM:
 
Adam, I assume you work at the Imax theatre?
I had the best way to evaluate performance of the other projectionists at the places I worked- I was the only person who watched EVERY single movie (multiple prints of the same movie not included), so even with advance screenings of new movies I still had to sit in on some of the public shows. I tried to remain low-key so they wouldn't know I was there, but I was aware of who was working at the time. A basic thing I always checked was did the show start exactly on time? Usually the focus, framing and volume were not a problem especially if I was the one who worked the previous shift, but if someone else had made up the print I'd also check that the splices were properly made and that the automation cues were not noticable!
In Davis there are currently 2 separate theatres owned by the same company, and they usually kept me just at one of them unless I was needed at the other. I still watched all the movies at the other theatre though and the main differences I noticed without me around was that trailers were not updated (if it says 'coming soon' and the movie's already out, the trailer should come off!) and the reflective cue tape was usually visible onscreen. The lenses weren't always PERFECTLY aimed at the screens, either.
Most managers I've worked for don't come to shows themselves often enough, though for a while the owner of the company would sometimes show up with family on a busy day. While he raved about a perfect presentation of Lion King that I had run, I wondered why he didn't notice the small bit of something in the aperture plate that I was unable to get out?
 
Posted by Howard Johnson (Member # 62) on 01-13-2003, 06:27 AM:
 
Adam, I think you should be paying at least $20 per hour for these perfect projectionists, and I do not think you should find a replacement if you are ill, it's different if you need a special day off.
 
Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 01-13-2003, 10:03 AM:
 
I've always had a problem with the "find your own replacement" policy. We have it instituted at our theater as well, and it really doesn't make sense. If you're sick you're sick. I work in a highly professional environment at my other non-theater job, and that's the way it is in the professional world, so "expecting professionalism" doesn't really apply here. When I'm sick, I call my boss and say "I'm sick." He says "OK, see you tomorrow." Maybe the answer would be to have more people trained properly in the booth that can take up slack when someone is out sick. Managers should CERTAINLY be able to pick up slack for projectionists. I just don't think making someone call around and find his/her own replacement when they're sick is the right answer. Just my opinion.

Mark
 
Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 01-13-2003, 04:35 PM:
 
My first post although I've been viewing this site for quite a while.

I see a problem with this policy:

"Makes appropriate arrangements when sick and can't work."

I would agrue that if "appropriate arrangements" includes anything more than notifying Manangemnt then the employee may be able to claim time worked for the time spent finding said replacement. Scheduling and staffing is a management responsibility. In the old days (mine) the local Union Buisness Agent ensured a qualified operator was available. Just my opinion...
 
Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 01-13-2003, 05:31 PM:
 
I was NEVER too sick to work in the booth- even on a day when I was hit by a car on my bike, I worked that night with a limp (all down-time was spent on the floor in pain though.)
More fair than having to get someone to cover for you would probably be the willingness to work yourself for someone else at a moment's notice- if someone else calls in sick and you're off, you should be able to drop everything and work. I deprived myself of sleep for an entire weekend because someone decided he couldn't show up, but as the booth manager I felt I should forego sleeping rather than having nobody to run the movies (as I was dead tired working all night the night before I did see if anyone else at all could work, but nobody could so I had no choice.)
 
Posted by Barry Martin (Member # 1376) on 01-14-2003, 03:07 PM:
 
I only call out of work for two reasons: Keep the virus to myself and there isn't a bathroom close enough to my working environment. Both were not factors when working in a projection booth so I always worked sick. I figured I could be miserable at home or get paid to be miserable at work. I do hate people who work closely with others and then come in to work very ill. Half my store was sick one month because people were begged to work despite their illness and it just kept circulating. Skill and technique can take a while to evaluate, all it takes is a look at someone's punch clock record to determine attendance.
 
Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 01-14-2003, 09:07 PM:
 
I agree that a company should have enough trained staff to cover someone calling in sick. However, I see no problem with asking the sick employee to make some attempt to call other employees to see if they could cover the shift. Also, I don't think an operator should wait and call in sick half an hour before the first show starts.

These could be the only requirement for; "Makes appropriate arrangements when sick and can't work."
 
Posted by Barry Martin (Member # 1376) on 01-15-2003, 09:23 AM:
 
Now I remember what I was going to add to my post but obviously forgotten, the calling around for coverage. My current job asks that we do this and it works well. The only problem is that most places consider the employee records (and phone numbers) confidential because of this example scenario:

Employee A likes Employee B despite rejections to advances
Employee A obtains Employee B's home number from work files and harasses
Workplace is now liable for that harassment.

In my booth we made our own list of contact numbers and called eachother frequently enough to remember them by heart most of the time. Which makes asking an absent projectionist to call around fair, however for other employees it can be impossible or difficult especially if you are making offerings to the porceilan goddess every 10 minutes. [puke] [Big Grin]
 




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