Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Looking to improve a bad house

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Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 11-19-2003, 07:56 PM:

Hey guys, I'm fairly new in the film handling profession (only 1 month). I have read multiple articles and posts relating to running a better show. My problem is that it seems that my manager has taught me ways differently from what I have seen here.

First off, let me tell you about the equipment that we use. It is a small 8-plex with 3 DTS theatres. We use Century "SA" model projectors, Speco Platters, Strong Power Supplys, and I think Xenolite lamp houses.

My typical procedure for threading is...
1)Remove the center ring
2)Place the ring on the take-up platter
3)Push the payout button on the payout platter
4)Thread through the rollers
5)Bypass the projector (The platters are all on the left of the projectors)
6)Thread through the takeup rollers to the take up platter
7)Thread the projector
8)Press the takeup button on the appropriate platter.

My problem with this is when I thread to bypass the projector, The leader 9/10 times lays on the floor. Any ideas on how to improve my threading?

Second, My manager rarely lets me build, when she does though, We never use gloves and if we need to rewind, we do it on another MUT. I'm not sure if this is right or not.

It seems that we seem to have a problem with rollers rubbing on film during operation. I move them, but the end up vibrating right back.

I also notice on the screen during some fils that there is a ghost of the credits for example right at the top of the screen. Any ideas on how to alleviate this problem? [beer]

Last question. I had a copy of Looney Tunes get a brainwrap in the credits due to severe static build up pulling layers of film into the brain. [scream]

Any ideas on how to help this? Also, since I am new, I don't have much experience with fixing brainwraps, Any Suggestions?

One More Thing, I did make a rookie mistake and I think my print of Radio was threaded wrong. I know this because I got a few complaints from customers about the sound being scratchy. I go inspect the film before the next show. Sure enough, Under every sprocket, through 80% of the film there are tiny perforations right on the soundtrack. Is this a fixable error or is the film ruined? Should I not worry about getting a new film since it leaves next Tuesday?
Thank You. I joined this forum because I am like all of you, I am fascinated with film handling and projection.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 11-19-2003, 08:19 PM:

First of all welcome.

If you're bypassing the projector then does that not eliminate the desire to pull off a big quantity of film with which to thread the takeup side? Don't you go from payout over various platter rollers, over to the upper projector arm roller, down to the lower, back to the platter, over various rollers and then to the takeup deck? At what point are you putting film on the floor?

Personally, I use a platter only when I have to which is maybe once a year. (Running a screening room, I get the fun and efficiency of 20 minute changeovers. Nothing like turning a print over to a waiting courier 30 seconds after a show ends.)

Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 11-19-2003, 08:27 PM:

The leader should NEVER touch the floor. See threading tips in the Tips section. It's demonstrated on Christie equipment, but it should give you an idea on how to do it properly.

If there is damage on the soundtrack it is permanent and there is no fix unless you get a new print.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-19-2003, 08:27 PM:

If the film is damaged with sprocket teeth marks there is nothing that can be done to repair it. It's damaged forever. Whoever it is that's threading the projector needs to make DAMN sure the thing is right before hitthing that start button. If there's a bad splice, the film can "jump the track" and do the same thing. Careful splicing is key. Checking the film every 10-20 minutes is another good way to minimize the damage. Had somebody checked the projector like they are supposed to this problem might have been nipped in the bud. Possibly, only one reel would have been damaged.

One problem with film that's damaged like that is that it won't wind up right on the platter. The film often gets "spongy" on the platter and winds up all wonky-like. You are more prone to further damage when this happens. If you have a good rewind bench, you MIGHT be able to break the film down onto large reels and wind it back and forth 3 or 4 times to flatten out the film a bit. It may or may not work. Just be careful! You don't want to make it worse! If it works you can save yourself some possible damage in the future. If it doesn't you haven't lost anything but a little time. The only REAL way to fix it is to replace the print.

You should be careful when threading not to get film on the floor if you can help it. The way you thread, although not wrong per se, could be improved. You'll hear people on this site tell you to thread the projector from the bottom up so you don't get film on the floor. If you can learn that, all's the better. If not, just be careful and don't get film on the floor. It'll take time but you'll learn.

You ought to have a rewind bench in your booth. If you do use it! Shortcuts will only get you into trouble in the long run. The all-time BEST way to build up a print is on the rewind bench. Do you have some really large (6,000 foot) film reels? Build the film up onto those and then rewind. Reel the film from the large reels onto the platter. Done well, you will be able to build the film up in less time than doing in reel-by-reel from the make up table. Even the crankiest managers like things that save time like that! [Wink]

The bonus is that there is less risk of damaging the film or getting it dirty. Always a good thing!

If you have film gloves use them. They aren't that expensive and they'll save you a lot of trouble with dirty film in the future. If your manager is cheap they CAN be washed! (I can hear the screaming already!) If you buy the heavier, good quality film gloves instead of the cheap flimsy ones you can wash them in the washing machine on the gentle cycle using a "clean rinsing" laundry soap like "Tide Free" or "Ivory Snow". Truthfully, it's easier to just use them once and toss them but if you must, it's doable.

Finally: Static... Two words... FILM GUARD!
(Okay it's one word but, what the hell! [Big Grin]

)

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-19-2003, 08:28 PM:

Don't forget threading step 0a) remove projector gate and clean it and trap; step 0b) replace gate; and step 0c) clean sprockets using a toothbrush.

The streaking effect during the credits is known as "shutter ghosting" and can be fixed by properly timing the shutter. Unless your Centurys are farily new, there should be a knob on the front of the machine toward the top and near the lens (opposite side from the focus knob) labelled "shutter." This is the shutter timing adjustment. Turn the knob until theh ghosting goes away (don't turn too far or it will start ghosting again).

If you have static problems with all prints, then you probably have a temperature and/or humidity issue in your booth. Fix with humidifier, dehumidifier, or HVAC upgrade. If your problems are just with one print, the issue is probably with the print itself. I'm sure that John P. would want to hear from you if the print is on Kodak print stock. Filmguard is useful for helping with static issues, too, and can be used for this purpose even if you don't have a media cleaner. See the instructions that come with it for more info.

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 11-19-2003, 08:44 PM:

Steve, The leader is on the floor when I thread through the upper roller on the projector. I need to thread down to the lower but it is hard to reach till I get it very low to the floor. My platters are oppisite the operation side of the projector.

Thanks for the advice, I'll start fixing them asap.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-19-2003, 08:55 PM:

quote:
Don't you go from payout over various platter rollers, over to the upper projector arm roller, down to the lower, back to the platter, over various rollers and then to the takeup deck?

The part in bold above is where you are making your mistake. Do NOT put the film in this roller until the entire platter is threaded. By putting the film in that roller, you are putting the film too close to the floor. Look at the "Threading 101" page in the tips section for pictures.

I would comment on the other questions, but they have already been well answered. [Smile]

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 11-19-2003, 09:05 PM:

Like Scott said, keep the machine clean using a tooth brush. Don't get lazy and use the tooth brush while the projector is running though. That could get expensive fast. Turn it over by hand.

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 11-20-2003, 04:56 AM:

quote:
Don't you go from payout over various platter rollers, over to the upper projector arm roller, down to the lower, back to the platter, over various rollers and then to the takeup deck?

depending on the installation, it might not be possible to skip that. on our 2 projectors with gear-side platters (and the 3rd as well), there is conduit running from the front of the projector to the wall in front. if you bypass the bottom roller, you'll never get the film on it later. it may have been stupidly installed, but there it is. however, with care and bottom-up threading (or a clothespin) it's still possible to keep the film off the floor.

carl

Posted by Edward Jurich (Member # 1787) on 11-20-2003, 08:14 AM:

If the booth floor is kept clean (a clean booth is a happy booth), then the first few feet of leader touching the floor is not a problem.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-20-2003, 01:54 PM:

It's very difficult to keep the floor perfectly clean, but you should certainly try. But always keep the leader off the floor, no matter how clean you think your floor is.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-20-2003, 06:30 PM:

Per Carl's post 2 steps up, yes your installing technician was a foolish and lazy idiot for installing your equipment like that. However like you said, you are stuck with it. The solution in this manner is to put the film in the upper roller, open the soundhead door and wrap the film around the projector skipping the lower roller and back to the projector. That should cure your problem.

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 11-20-2003, 10:08 PM:

Thank You Brad, That would definately work.

BTW Is it unusual that my manager isn't letting me build through the holidays? Or is it that she just doesn't trust me yet.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 11-20-2003, 10:31 PM:

As long as she knows you can build without scratching the print it shouldn't be too much of a concern because of course you preview your shows before subjecting an audience to them, right?

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-20-2003, 10:51 PM:

You would know your situation better than we would. How do YOU feel about it? Do you think you could do it? IF so then talk with the boss and tell her so. Be polite about it!

I'll tell you what I do in my booth:

The film program at my college is staffed entirely with Work Study students. I wouldn't even let them into the booth if I didn't think they were capable of doing the job and doing it correctly. Next, everybody comes up to the booth for the first one or two films and just watches while I do things and explain it to them. I watch them just as much as they watch me.

After the first couple of films I have a pretty good idea of who's capable of what jobs. I mentally divide the group up into "Builders", "Operators", "Breakdown-ers" and "Helpers". Each student gets concentrated in one of those areas at first. As time goes on, the ones who show aptitude learn more jobs

At first, I always stay nearby while they work. As they get better and better at their jobs I move off into the background until I am able to simply tell them to do their job. At no time, even if I let them work 100% independantly, am I farther away than a phone call. (We don't have radios but I do carry my cellular at all times & my number is posted by the phone in the booth.) Everybody works under the strict understanding that, if there is trouble, they are to hit the "Stop" button (or stop what they are doing) and call me. As long as that rule is followed, I will not hold their mistakes against them. (Unless there was negligence or fooling around.)

If your boss is a good manager, I would expect that she's doing the same, or similar, thing with you. (Based on what I know of the situation I have no reason to believe otherwise.) How do you think things are going? Does she always hang around watching you when you work? Does she let you work independantly on some jobs and not others? My bet is that she's watching you from a distance to see how well you do your job.

My advice is to study up and practice as much as you can. Let the boss know that you are working hard but don't go so far as to say, "Hey, boss! I'm studying up so that I can build up movies." That's just tacky. If you are doing a good job she will eventually let you do other tasks.

Unless she's a total power freak she has no reason to keep you from learning new jobs! She hired you to WORK! If she doesn't let you do what she's paying you for she's wasting money and time. She has better things to do than to do all the work that others should be doing!

My bet is that she thinks the stakes are high right now. It's the beginning of the holiday season. The theater is getting busy. She can't afford to let any stupid mistakes happen. Upper management is probably watching. Once you prove that you are capable of doing the job and doing it well you are sure to be building up films! Just have a little patience! [Smile]

PS: In my post above I talked about what happens to a print when it gets sprocket marks in it. I found one of my old pictures of what a damaged print looks like when it winds up on a platter.

Posted by Chris Trainor (Member # 9) on 11-21-2003, 03:16 AM:

I didn't notice anyone respond about the static/brainwrap issue.

At my theater we would spray FilmGuard on a rag and wipe down the print with it after it was built on the platter. The filmguard helped cut down on static a lot. We would do this generally once a week with each print in our two smaller houses (main house had a cleaner applying filmguard on every run so it wasn't needed there).

See if you can get your manager to spring for a bottle of the stuff, it works great... even if you don't have an actual film cleaner.

--Chris

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 11-21-2003, 04:29 AM:

I have assistants who can't seem to keep the film from dropping to the floor when they gather up all the excess lab footage at the head of some prints. While it is very good to have protection footage to protect the print, it can be a challenge to manage it while spooling down to find frame lines to properly thread on. Some try to wrap it around their arm, some around their neck; because some just can't get comfortable manuvering all that film while trying to thread the machine, we decided to put a small common waste paper basket on the floor beside the projector. They can drop as much gack footage as necessary to get to the workable frame lines. I have them line the bucket with plastic bags which they change very week or so. This way the same dirt that settles on the floor doesn't wind up in the film drop bucket.

This is for change-over operation. I don't know practical it would be for platter booths.

Frank

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 11-21-2003, 06:01 AM:

I'd rather have too much leader, although I've also seen yards too much of it on the front. Sometimes there's not been enough to go two turns around the takeup.

A changeover booth I work is used only sporadically, & (happily) they don't even send anyone up to clean. It's never really dusty, because a HUGE return air shaft is open to the adjoining storage room. But if I come over, generally the floors will be a little dirty & there's not enough time to do housekeeping to the extent of sweeping & mopping until the night's over.

I just bring two old beach towels to put on the floor under the front of the takeup magazines, let all the leader drop onto them, & spool up from there on the takeup.

Running a booth that's in occasional operation is sort of like field medicine; you control specific areas like the bench & projectors first until you can set up everything by the book.

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 11-21-2003, 06:19 AM:

i've never run changeover so maybe i'm missing something, but why not store all that excess leader on the takeup reel where it going to end up anyways?

carl

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-21-2003, 09:30 AM:

For reel-to-reel shows, I usually find it easiest to loop excess leader around the douser handle on the lamphouse. This works especially well with old-style Christie K20s or Peerless lamps, both of which have big douser handles that stick straight up. Trying to hook excess leader into the takeup reel can sometimes be cumbersome, especially with 6000' reels or 2000' reels with enclosed reel magazines. Whatever works, I guess, as long as the leader stays clean and off the floor.

I really do get annoyed, though, when receiving prints that have excessively long leaders (I'm talking 20-50') without framelines. If I were running one of these prints for a number of shows on a reel-to-reel setup, I'd probably add ~10 feet of frameline leader at the start of each reel so that one could thread up on that and then motor down through the clear section to the actual countdown.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 11-21-2003, 11:13 AM:

Unless I'm using enclosed magazines I've always wound the head on the takeup reel regardless of it being a 2000' or 7000' reel, or anything inbetween. It's a heck of a lot easier to do if you're using roundthane drives that can slip a little.

Winding the leader on to the takeup reel eliminates having to motor down the leader, which IMHO is a good thing.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 11-21-2003, 03:00 PM:

Daryl writes, "I've always wound the head on the takeup reel regardless of it being a 2000' or 7000' reel, or anything inbetween."

I wonder if I'm missing your point (or vice versa). It is desirable to thread the projector in frame, so one has to pull out enough leader such that you have visible frameline indications in the vicinity of the gate in order to frame properly.

If you're a platter house, you presumably have a house threading leader on the print, so you're guaranteed framelines. But if you're a changeover house and the reel has very long protective leaders of clear film, then it's awkward. If you're dextrous and skilled, you can hold the excess film in your hand (or wrapped around the douser handle, etc.) while you pull out film to reach the frameline indications. This is pretty easy with 10' of film, but becomes more challenging with 20' or 30'.

I don't see how you could easily wrap it around the takeup reel at this point. You'd either have to pull it all out first (which leaves you with juggling the film until you're gotten it all), or you have to thread it through the projector, advance it, and then re-frame, or you wrap it around the takeup reel and advance both the takeup and supply reels in sync with each other by hand taking care not to scratch the film on the unthreaded projector as it runs by.

In these situations, I try to take notice while inspecting on the bench and throw down a piece of paper tape with frameline markings on it a few feet in from the end of the leader.

"Winding the leader on to the takeup reel eliminates having to motor down the leader, which IMHO is a good thing." It also means you're handling the film much closer to the projected image, which is undesirable.

--jhawk

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-21-2003, 03:33 PM:

Daryl is saying it is not hard to attach the head of the leader and spin the takeup reel by hand to get to the framelines. I agree and whenever I have a "one time" show with excessive amounts of clear on 2000' reels, I do the same thing.

If I am running the show on large reels, they would have been spliced together on the bench and I would have *at least* added 10 feet of frameline leader of some sort to thread in frame on, then motor down to the starting point.

That being said, if the show is going to run more than once, or maybe twice, I will always add frameline to the head. I agree with John that handling the film on the countdown itself is not such a great idea, as the idea is to handle the film as far away from the first and last frame as possible. Those who have worked a changeover booth with me or been around my screening room probably noticed I tend to put about 50 feet of head and tail leader on those reels (again, assuming the print is not just a "one time" show).

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-21-2003, 03:47 PM:

Brad--I think I can imagine a new use for the CA-21 (if you already haven't set it up this way): put a foil cue at the appropriate place on the countdown and then set the automation to let you thread up anywhere with framelines, hit "START," and then let the automation motor the film down to the appropriate frame and stop at the exact point on the leader where you would want the film to be threaded for each changeover.

This would take some trial and error (and wouldn't necessarily be frame accurate, due to differing feed and takeup reel sizes), but would make it really easy to work with prints that have so much extra leader added to the head and tail of each reel.

Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 11-21-2003, 04:48 PM:

I'm not sure if he still has it programmed or not, but the last time I was down there, the machines would automatically motor down to the cue. Neat, huh?

JJ

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-21-2003, 06:14 PM:

Already done Scott. I guess you weren't in the booth during the threading of the 2nd movie, or you would've seen that.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 11-21-2003, 07:52 PM:

I recently ran the CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and there must have been a good 30 ft of frameline-less lab gack before the sync countdown. Amazingly, someone added a foot or two of frameline leader ahead of the lab stuff. It was a really perfect compromise between having a goodly amount of protection leader that is difficult to handle and an easy way to thread up without having to juggle 30 ft of polyester spaghetti in order to find framelines.

Brad said:

quote:
I would have *at least* added 10 feet of frameline leader of some sort to thread in frame on, then motor down to the starting point.

Isn't that what why the MPAA provides that strip of blue film at the end of the last reel?....in case you need frameline footage, you snip lengths of that off and use it to thread in frame. I always thought that was very considerate of Jack and his henchmen. [Big Grin]

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 11-21-2003, 10:34 PM:

quote:
I had a copy of Looney Tunes get a brainwrap in the credits due to severe static build up pulling layers of film into the brain.

Remember that brain wraps are not always caused by static. Usually if it is static, the film will "snake" and jump a roller on the brain; thus causing the brain to either go full throttle or not at all.

Were you there when this occurred? it sounds to me that someone left tape (from moving the print) on the tail and it screwed it up. One thing is for sure though, anytime you have a brainwrap or anything of the sort, you must find out what caused it before your start he movie back up. If you dont it will probably happen the next round.

Also, you seem very eager to learn new things and that is good. However, make sure that you always get approval from your manager before trying something new. I have seen guys that were pretty good in booth screw up royally because they thought they would do something to impress me or whatever. As far as build up goes, it really depends on the person in charge. I was in booth for over a year before I Started building up.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-21-2003, 10:50 PM:

All that sticks is not static:

http://www.film-tech.com/manuals/H5056.pdf

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-22-2003, 07:01 AM:

Brad--I guess I missed that. No need to worry, however, since I think I've seen enough of the CA-21 to have completely fallen in love with it. It's a great product.

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 11-22-2003, 11:25 AM:

Chris,

It happend on opening day, 3rd run for the day. I was downstairs monitoring Radio and got a call on the radio. I fixed the wrap, (Had to lose about a foot of credits) and wound it for next show. I was watching the credits for the next show and I saw the film start pulling laps into the brain. As I pulled the film back, I hard static clicks, and thats why I think it was static.

BTW I sprayed static guard on the platters the next morning and I havent had a problem with it since.

Also, Is it bad that there isnt a drop of FilmGuard in the house? My manager just doesn't seem to care. I know that I'm only making minimum wage but I'd like to see the film being taken care of. Don't you think?

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 11-22-2003, 02:08 PM:

YES, it is bad. As stated by John Pytlak in another thread, Film-Guard is probably the most inexpensive way in improve your on screen presentation.

If you heard a clicking sound then you probably had some adhesive residue on the print. Was it a used print? It could have been where someone pulled of a cue and didn't remove all the sticky stuff. Also, I had a leak in the ceiling right above a platter a few weeks ago, which got water on the print and made it stick together. Film-Guard cures all though.

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 11-22-2003, 02:39 PM:

This was a new print Chris.

I honestly don't think that any of the platters have been taken care of before I got there. They are all out of balance, scrathced up, and dirty. I am doing my best to at least help the problem. I will post pictures soon.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-23-2003, 09:20 PM:

Here's what I'd do if I was in your situation, Richard: Sit tight for a while.

You've been working there only one month. In most businesses there is a 90 day probation period. If your manager has any problems with you she has the right to let you go within the first 90 days. AFTER 90 days you are likely to be eligible for a pay raise and to be put on the payroll permanently. The manager doesn't really need much of a reason not to keep you on. She just doesn't have to like your attitude or something about the way you work. In different states, the rules are different but this is a general rule in most areas of the country.

What I'm saying is that it's too soon for you to be making waves. I KNOW that's not your intention. I KNOW you are trying to do the best job that you can. I KNOW that you only mean well. The problem is that not everybody in the world is as smart or as hard working as you are. People like that often take offence when somebody else tries to tell them things. This will be especially true if your manager is a "weasel".

I don't know your manager. She could very well be a nice person. Watch out for weasels, though! They can turn the situation around on you. They'll make YOU look like a "smart aleck". They'll turn YOU into the bad guy. If you aren't careful with people like that you could end up in the dog house real quick!

So... What do you do?

First, study. Can you find the manuals to your equipment? Read them! If there aren't any in your booth, download them from this site. Do everything you can to learn how to run your projectors correctly.

Second, don't tinker until you have proven yourself to other people. You're going to read a lot of things in those manuals that say to turn some screw or adjust some dial, etc, etc. Don't do it! Ask your boss! If you mess up a projector because you read something in a manual and got the bright idea to try it, you might find yourself out on the street! Wait until you've learned a thing or two. You'll understand a lot more later on.

Third, stay busy. You say that there is a lot of dirty equipment in your booth. Well, you could clean it! To tell the truth, the BEST way to improve your presentation in ANY booth is to keep the equipment clean! Sweep the floors! Mop the floors! Clean out the projectors! Do your port windows look like they've been licked by a dog? Is there an inch of dust and cobwebs on the window sill? Break out that bottle of Windex! What about those scratched up, dusty platters you were talking about? Ask your manager to show you how to clean them! (Possible bonus points on that one! [Wink]

) If you do this faithfully, people will start to trust you more because they know you are a serious, hard worker. A side-effect to all this is that you'll learn more about how projectors work than anybody could EVER hope to explain to you.

Side story... When my father wanted to teach me how to fix cars he didn't open the hood and dive in to teach me stuff. Y'Know what he did? He pulled the family car up into the yard and made me wash it! I learned more about cars that way than he could ever explain in a lifetime! Later on, he taught me some other small chores... How to check the oil... How to fill the windshield washer... etc. When he trusted me, I learned to change a tire. You can see what I mean, can't you? You learn things in small progressions. If he had tried to teach me how to rebuild a carbeurator the first time I probably never would have learned anything! The same thing goes for projectors! Dont' try to rebuild the carb! Just be satisfied with keeping everything running smoothly and cleanly until you have put some hours under your belt. [Smile]

Dude! I wish I could have your working in my booth! I think you're the kind of smart, motivated person that every theater needs! I know you have that great urge to roll up your sleves and get your hands dirty but I advise you to take it easy for just a little while longer. Who knows! Maybe your manager will make you a "shift leader" or something like that. Just hang tight. IF you don't you risk getting on the manager's bad side. That won't help your career! [Frown]

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 11-23-2003, 09:34 PM:

Randy,
I think that summed up everything [Smile]

I truly appreciate the feedback. I agree...The best thing I can do right now is slow down and take one step at a time. I can relate with your side story. My father is a mechanic and when I started with cars he showed me things one thing at a time.

Thank You

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 11-23-2003, 11:16 PM:

Randy,

I'm almost sure that I know Richard's boss and I can assure you that HE isn't a 'weasel'. You know , it's sad in a way, but many big chains really don't seem to care about the actual presentation, rather, it's the profits generated by the concession stands that mean the most to them. The end result, IMO, is that many, many managers are out there who weren't trained 'professionally' on projection equipment. They only know what they have been taught first hand by their predecessor. Some are better at learning the REAL reason we're in this business, some aren't. I'm still not sure where I fit in. I try to keep my presentations onscreen, without any down time, wihout making emergency service calls for stuff that I can do myself. I try to make sure my equipment is cleaned routinely and that my operators don't damage prints by improper handling.... If all this is done so that no complaints arise, the films all look good, and we sell some popcorn and drinks, then it's all the better. The image onscreen means more to me than that bag of corn with a 3,000% markup on it. [eyes]

YMMV.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-24-2003, 08:27 AM:

I never meant to say that this manager is a weasel. I was just refering to the fact that there are many weasels out there and you have to watch out for them. When you have only worked at a theater (or any business for that matter) for a short time it's hard to tell the "white hats" from the "black hats".

Hearing that the manager in question is probably one of the good guys is encouraging news. That means that Richard's hard work and patience will be recognized.

I'd like to see some before and after pictures of the place. If you've got this much motivation to clean up your booth I can only imagine what it will look like in 3-6 months! [Smile]

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 11-24-2003, 02:36 PM:

Randy,

I didn't mean to imply that you referred to Richards manager in particular. I'm only stating that *if* his mgr. is the same person I know, he's one of the better managers out there, at least from what I've experienced.

I may be mistaken tho, as Richard referred to a SHE, an dthe fella I know woudln't fit that category... unless surgery was involved.. [Smile]

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 11-24-2003, 03:04 PM:

Jason, My manager is a woman. She took over a few months ago.

BTW Mike Pressley is now the manager at the Palm Cinema in Lakeland

Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 2038) on 11-25-2003, 12:11 PM:

Great to see someone is actually worried about doing it right!

I run a sub-run old single-screen house, two projectors, manual X-overs, just like the old days. Since I get USED prints some of these things are a disgrace. My (first) print of "Lost In Translation" had 6 reels of sprocket scratches dead-center in the picture. It is really nice to receive a print from someone who takes care of it. Thank you to those who do.