Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: How many screens can a tech service?

This is topic How many screens can a tech service? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 09-06-2005, 08:08 PM:

Just out of curosity, how many screens can a tech service and still have time to do a good job?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-06-2005, 09:55 PM:

That depends on the skill of the tech, whether he works more than 40 hours a week or not, his attitude, what kind of equipment he is having to service and the skill of the projectionists operating the equipment. There is no easy answer, but some of these chain techs that are responsible for 200 screens are seriously overworked, if that answers your question.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-06-2005, 10:15 PM:

We service close to 700 screens scattered over 9 states! We have three full time techs, one tech helper, one full time sales person, a full time team of three that do Theatre interiors and seating, and a full time bookkeeper that really is the one running the company all here in SLC at CLACO... oops I forgot Harrison the dog, our mascot, he controls the inventory of dog cookies. We also employ one tech that lives in another northern midwest state, one retired tech that also pretty much works full time***he retired from Hill Air Force Base as an avionics tech but we're not really letting him sit around much***, and one private contractor that we use to send to remote and obscure sites that none of us regular guys want to go to(he's at one of them right now!), and one tech that we all cover for so he can work another job at a Drive In.

Couldn't say how many I handle directly but its WELL over 100, probably close to 150 screens. I have my service routes that only I do in order to keep things consistant at those sites... I only do top notch work!! I try to only service the nicest customers in the prettiest and most interesting places and leave the grumpy ones in the dull places to the boss [Wink]

. I like to sneak in time in the shop once on a while when no one is looking and build audio and film related things..... [uhoh]

. I've been so busy this year that both my auto tags have expired, my Harley is still sitting in storage and I'm three antique projectors behind in restoring! I need a vacation... some R&R time, and the end of this week I am moving... granted ony 300 feet from here.

Mark

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 09-07-2005, 12:45 AM:

I used to service about 120 screens in NC, SC & VA. I would help out with some screens in the adjacent areas of KY & GA.

I could "Handle" that many screens but I spent more time putting out fires than actually taking care of the machines and training people to run them.

It really depends on the people at the theaters. If there's one or two people at each theater you can count on to take care of the machines... Keep them clean and do minor adjustments... you'll be OK. If, like me, you had a bunch of kids who tinkered all the time you're going to be running your ass off and getting little real work done.

The outlier for me was one theater in Lynchburg, VA. They had a guy there who took care of virtually everything. If I got a call from them I KNEW it was a problem! All I ever had to do was go there a couple-few times a year and do A-Chains and preventative maint. The place was perfect!

If I had a couple places like that I'd have been on easy street.

Considering the amount of chasing down silly problems I had to do, I would have been happier if I had 1/2 the number of theaters. 50-60 would have been a comfortable number for me.