Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Multitasking of employ with projection department

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Posted by Peter John Anthony. C (Member # 2500) on 03-29-2005, 05:35 PM:

Dear all can you please let me know that is it a good idea of multitasking staffs to projection & cafe or ushers (Ushers and Cafe guys to be trained in projection & will run projection system)
If yes what is the advantages....
If no what are the disadvantages.....
Staffs of ushers & cafes are non-technical guys.

Our plex till date have a good fame & name, it is one of the best movie experiance plex....

All the suggestion & advice will be very useful to me for our future.
Thanks in advance.
Peter

Posted by Chase Hanson (Member # 2779) on 03-29-2005, 06:03 PM:

Cross training is a hot topic in most place of employeement.

In this particular scenario there is ONE primary Advantage and ONE primary Disadvantage.

Advantage: Crosstraining employees greatly increases the utility of your employee pool.

Disadvantage: Depending on job complexities, a person crosstrained to perform many tasks may not perform any one of them very well.

What it will basically boil down to is, Do you have a small number of people who are reliable, autonomous with a strong technical sense that you can make into Projectionists. Or do you have a larger number of hard working, bright individuals who you can make into Booth Operators.

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 03-29-2005, 06:52 PM:

Here we go again. Mike , are you there. [Wink]

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 03-29-2005, 06:54 PM:

When you are driving an automobile, "multitasking" often causes accidents. Would you want your surgeon to "multitask" while you are on the operating table?

One skilled person running and maintaining a dozen or so projectors is pretty efficient utilization of personnel, such that expecting them to "multitask" as ushers or "cafe guys" on the ground floor is a distraction that will affect presentation quality. Being out of the booth usually has them in the wrong place at the wrong time if a projection or sound problem occurs. By all means, your projection staff should be fully occupied with projection work, which should be more than just threading and pushing buttons in a well-run theatre.

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 03-29-2005, 07:06 PM:

Richard-

I don't use ushers or concessionists! I use managers!! [Wink]

Posted by Jason M Miller (Member # 2597) on 03-29-2005, 09:32 PM:

We have to multi-task employees here, we are a 4 screen and we usually don't have the buisness to staff a projectionist. It works out preatty well, we do have a booth supervisor, which is also a usher but when he works he is mostly in the booth.

Posted by Chris Brown (Member # 2800) on 03-29-2005, 09:47 PM:

I've never really been too big on the whole cross training thing to begin with, for exactly the disadvantage Chase pointed out. I'd rather have a staff of people who really know their position rather than a staff who is just "okay" at each position. I do understand the benefits and practical uses but I've never really liked the concept as a whole.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 03-29-2005, 10:53 PM:

This will probably make me seem like an insensitive prick but...

If a theatre isn't doing sufficient business to cover basic costs then it should just close down. I'm sick and tired of theatres that try to improve their bottom line by making cuts instead of figuring out how to improve sales.

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 03-29-2005, 11:00 PM:

Manny, unfortunately that's what happens. Theaters keep cutting back staff to save money. By doing so, a lot of times they make it worse. Business all depends on the movies you get most of the time.

Posted by Matthew Peters (Member # 1495) on 03-29-2005, 11:34 PM:

Like Jason, I work at a 4 screen house where multitasking is the norm.

Just a few nights ago I would have operated all 4 screens, cleaned each cinema and ushered it (real ushering to assigned seats), sold a few tickets and concessions, answered phone calls, broke down part of print… all within a 90 minute period.

But John made a good point, it can be a distraction. It’s often a case of thread-up quick, press go, then start ushering.

Only problem with that is people think that’s all there is to it. I’ve been told off by a floor manager for checking on the equipment. From their point of view the phone was ringing and there was 2 people waiting to be served at the candy bar. Since everyone had been seated I was expected to be back at the front of house straight away. I wanted to do a thorough check of the film path, (which is a little more complex that the standard set-up) even if the show was running.

In a smaller complex (say 1 - 4 screens) multitasking can work pretty well.

Posted by James Faber (Member # 2796) on 03-30-2005, 01:34 AM:

I also work at a 4 screen as booth manager, and I have to do a bit of multitasking. I go down and help clean after every set of shows, but it usually isn't too long, 5 minutes maybe because we have a good staff, and I still close concession. Closing concession usually only takes about 20 minutes(once again, due to our kick-ass staff), so I really don't think it's too much to ask. I don't mind doing the work downstairs as long as they let me go back up as soon as everything is finished. I get a little worried when I have to run errands with film going, though. I'm often the one sent to get anything the theater needs, but I don't do it unless there is someone else booth-competent there.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-30-2005, 02:19 AM:

..all of this is called a "service orientated work force"-the new trend in this new modern society. See how much one can get as much out of an employee and pay him as little as possible. With this, one can see a "caste" system being developed and in operation very readilly.

One can see multitasking as a form of job security, whereas one can see multitasking, especially in projection, a disaster due to ill-training and ill-operations.

Goodbye to quality. It's a "white collar"/suit world out there who's (thinks that their) ahead of the game.

-Monte

Posted by Tracy Bellar (Member # 3049) on 03-30-2005, 04:54 AM:

unfortunatly some Theater owners force the hand of the managment in this way. They don't see the seperation of jobs. They see every employee as someone to use in any way they see fit. Sometimes someone(Concession worker) could be trained to do the booth and it would be benificial. However, Once they have a little training they think they know enough to take over your job. They don't see the years of experience and can't forsee problems that they may incure and don't know how to deal with. A theater owner that only cares about concession sales would see anyone that knows a little of the booth as qualified enough to do the job like a seasoned projectionist. I hate to have to fix problems that arise because someone didn't know what they were doing and didn't take the time to train to learn what they are doing. Automation and platter systems have ruined the view of what a projectionist really is. If you are not constantly rewinding reels and doing everything manually they think you don't deserve to be paid well and see it as a job anyone can do until something goes wrong then who do they call? To many people don't have enough experience and training an consider themselves to be an operator/Projectionist.

Posted by Mark Hajducki (Member # 1732) on 03-30-2005, 06:40 AM:

The problem with most smaller cinemas is that the peek demands in most sections coincide. (The box office is busiest before a show starts which is when consessions has the most customers, the theatre needs cleaned and the projector threded). After this there is another quiet period untill the next showtime.

The larger multiscreens get round this by having enough steady work in all the departments.

One system I have heard of (never seen in action though) is combining consessions with the box office (combined software is avaliable) which could reduce your staffing at quiet times.

The main problem with staffing to the the lowest limit is having an unplanned busy period (or other crisis).

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 03-30-2005, 08:10 AM:

I have seen how it works when you combine cocession with the box office. Personally, I don't want to buy my tickets at the candy stand. A lot of people don't want to wait until you finish serving popcorn to someone in order to get your ticket. I work at a quad and everyone's job is separate. There is 1 manager and 1 assistant manager on at all times. 1 person in the box office, 2 behind the candy stand and 2 to 3 ushers on the floor. 1 person in the booth. We are open 12 hours a day, every day of the year. If we started multitasking and cutting staff, we would lose business. Customers would not stand for the decrease in the quality of service.

Posted by Phil Blake (Member # 2012) on 03-30-2005, 08:44 AM:

I agree with Manny , cinemas should look more at selling than cutting , however some situations its a matter of economics rather than greed.

Our 3 screen is normally quiet on week nights a nd busy on weekends , nothing new there , but it was set up so one person can run it during week nights and then we have the crew in on the weekends. This works fairly well , week nights I run the whole show alone ,it can be difficult if unpredicted crowd turns up , but it is very economic. My other 2 projectionists are also trained to run shows solo.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 03-30-2005, 08:56 AM:

Selling tickets at the concession stand can work on slow nights, especially in a single-screen venue which doesn't do much concession business.

Having one person run the whole theatre is insane. I did it once at a single-screen when the concession person didn't show up and it was hectic and not really safe, especially for an all-cash business. I don't know what I would have done if anything had gone wrong. This was in a non-automated changeover house (6000' reels), but even with platters and automation it would be a bad idea.

My view is that a single-screen theatre requires a minimum staff of three: one each for concession, boxoffice, and projection. The boxoffice person can go home after the last show of the day starts and the cash is counted and boxoffice report completed. On busier nights, a fourth person should be added--either in concession (if the stand is large enough to accommodate two employees) or as an usher/doorman. Larger theatres may want to add a fifth employee. In larger towns and cities, there should be at least two employees in the downstairs/lobby area at all times for obvious safety reasons.

I don't know much about staffing a multiplex, but I suspect that the same basic scheme would work for a twin or triple on weekday nights, but that a quad would require more staff.

As for "multi-skilling"--I have no problem with the idea that employees who have the necessary skills and desire to work in multiple positions can be effectively trained for all of those positions. I do have a problem with the idea of expecting anyone to perform two or more jobs at once. Concession employees shouldn't be sweeping theatres and projectionists shouldn't be ripping tickets, except on separate shifts.

Posted by Peter John Anthony. C (Member # 2500) on 03-30-2005, 09:06 AM:

Thank you very much for your replies. I am unhappy because we run 15 shows a day, with multasking the mistakes will be repeated by each and every trainee.

Thanks a ton once again
Peter

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 03-30-2005, 11:54 PM:

Scott - depends on how you stagger your showtimes ... in a quad you could run a 7:00, a 7:15, a 7:30, and a 7:45 and everything would go VERY smoothly with the aforementioned staff. I usually run with 2 staff in a 14 on slow weekdays (we only do 50-100 patrons on a typicaly weekday between 2:00 and 10:30 ... and my showtimes are VERY staggered). Never had a problem.

Posted by Chase Hanson (Member # 2779) on 03-31-2005, 01:10 AM:

quote: John Pytlak
By all means, your projection staff should be fully occupied with projection work, which should be more than just threading and pushing buttons in a well-run theatre.

I agree with you on the first half of this statement, and disagree on the second.

In a well run theater, the majority of a projectionists focus should be threading and puching buttons.

Projectionists or Booth Operators shouldnt be up to their eyeballs in odd ball tasks and side duties if their job is to start theaters. I dont like to have to run my half of the booth while having to do 11ty billion booth duties...its a distraction. And I dont like my operators doing it either, if there is other things that need to be done...than other people will do them.

Posted by Paul Trimboli (Member # 1509) on 03-31-2005, 05:02 AM:

I too have multitasked. Not a good idea at all. This was in a single screen, having to do projection duties and still have to man box office and concession was crazy. The building was 4 stories with the bio box on the top floor, in the event of an emergency with the projectors it takes a good amount of time to get up there. I agree with Scott, have a minimum amount of 3 people on. I would actually have a shift supervisor, candy bar/floor and box office/floor and projection, that way they supervisor can sell tickets, and have either a second ticket seller, or 2 candy bar, or a floor person. Cutting back staff gives a theatre a really cheap look. Its not just going to see the movie that counts- its the WHOLE experience, waiting in a long line or have below average cleaning of a cinema is not an experience you want your customers to have!!! I could not get past the stupidity of the idiots that managed the place, cut staff and ever cost is the way to run a good cinema [Mad]

To sum up- multitask with the cinema workers. The projectionist are there to do their job and can help out if things were needed, but do not rely on them.

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 03-31-2005, 11:44 AM:

It all comes down to how much business your particular theater does. I know theaters by me that only open nights during the week. During that time, they have 2 people on. The projectionist and 1 person to run box, candy and clean the theaters. This is a triplex. That's fine because there is very little business. At my theater, a quad, you would never get away with that. We are open all day, everyday. We have a minimum of 6 people on even during the day.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-31-2005, 12:15 PM:

quote: Scott Norwood
Selling tickets at the concession stand can work on slow nights, especially in a single-screen venue which doesn't do much concession business.

It'd have to be a DAMN slow night. I had an occasion not too long ago on a Wednesday when my concession worker didn't show up, so I sold tickets at the concession stand. Maybe I was just disorganized because I hardly ever work concession, but it gave me a new appreciation for my concession crew.