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Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 11-14-2006, 09:18 PM:
 
Im running Santa Clause III in two houses. I never adjust framing to the trailer pak, but wait for the feature. On this movie, I have noticed that if I get what I think is good framing, I will cut off the top of the yellow line at the top of the screen when the out-takes are playing. I've set the framing so that I can just see the yellow line.

Other operators at this theatre are driving me crazy with their adjustments of my framing. Gawd, I wish I could lock the framing knob!

On a similar topic, Running With Scissors has titles very low on the scope screen. After adjusting the framing to make it look good, someone came along and set the framing low on the screen so that when the title came up, it was slightly cut off by the masking on the screen. My warnings posted at the projector, have been ignored.

How do you handle several people running the equipment?

I never thread out of frame, either. It's not rocket science, as you know.
 

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Posted by Justin Gorka (Member # 3727) on 11-14-2006, 09:43 PM:
 
We have similar problems, but I've 14 screens to correct. Drives me potty. Mostly I think it is sloppy lacing up that's not in rack!
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-14-2006, 09:56 PM:
 
So lock the godamn framers down. Problem solved!
 

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Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 11-14-2006, 10:37 PM:
 
I tried that approach and it didn't work. Some people just don't get it. they think the framing knob is there to correct their threading problems. I showed everyone time after time after time that I could thread a projector and start it up in frame without touching the framing knob. Some "threaders" seem content with doing it their way and if the big boss doesnt want to do anything about it, then its something you have to live with until they leave. If I could fire them..I would, its inexcusable, but alas, it must be tolerated. I feel for you Bruce.
 

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Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 11-14-2006, 10:44 PM:
 
I took all the knobs off at the 6 plex I used to work at.
Train them to thread properly, make all your splices correctly, and you'll never have a problem.
At first it's like "oh how dare you make me show some interest in my job" but after a while they get used to it...
 

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Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 11-14-2006, 11:51 PM:
 
I think Bruce's problem (and one shared by many) is that he apparantly isn't in a supervisory position so his ability to punish the other threaders for poor performance is non-existant. He is also likely unable to lock down/remove the framing knobs without angering his supervisor.

Feel for you man.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-14-2006, 11:54 PM:
 
A theater's presentation is only as good as it's worst projectionist.

Sadly, it only takes one.
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-15-2006, 12:29 AM:
 
I locked down the framing knobs at a 16-plex I worked at. Only one little goofball complained, and that only lasted for a few weeks since I ignored his complaints. But Bruce's problem sounds like it has a bit more to do with the screen and lens not being ideal matches for each other.
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-15-2006, 12:58 AM:
 
Bruce, isn't your projector the one where the fratistat freezes up? You know... The fratistat that's connected to the spline on the end of the cam. If that happens, you can't turn the framing knob anymore. Remember?
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-15-2006, 02:49 PM:
 
I hate to argue this point, but I think locking the framing device or removing the knobs or whatever is just stupid. It's like removing the headlights on your car because you don't ever plan on driving at night.

Mistakes and slipups do happen, especially with late-Friday print deliveries. I would much rather have the ability to make a one-second correction to the framing than have to shut down the show for a re-thread.

Any booth people who are too idiotic to be able to thread and splice in frame should be canned. Problem solved.
 

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Posted by Blaine Young (Member # 3992) on 11-15-2006, 03:55 PM:
 
On the subject of framing, has anyone see the very odd printing that was done on the Flat trailers for "Deja Vu". Normally when a scope film is printed for flat trailers, they center the 2.35 image in the 1.85 frame and you get the standard letterbox effect. For some reason, all of the flat v2 trailers I've seen for this film have the image flush with the top masking, which creates this huge black area under the image. We have several complaints from people saying the image is "up too high".

This is the first time I've seen a trailer printed this way. The first one I just wrote up as a 'one-off' printing mistake, but I've now seen 3 copies with the same issue.
 

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Posted by Matthew Peters (Member # 1495) on 11-15-2006, 04:47 PM:
 
Blaine,
Couldn't you just 'chop off 3/4' of a frame (at the start)?
 

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Posted by Blaine Young (Member # 3992) on 11-15-2006, 04:57 PM:
 
You could chop off 3/4 of the frame, but then the image will ride the lower masking and leave the huge gap at the top. You would actually have to cut off 1/8 of a frame = which isn't easily done
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-15-2006, 05:31 PM:
 
Yea..I've seen a couple of misprinted "hard matte" trailers like this where it wasn't completely centered in the frame area - just a bugger to work with, or just take the trailer off if the hassle is too much from the audience (unless, you have trailer chekers in your circuit that is checking for this trailer to be on certain features...), or wait for some more versions of the trailer to come your way, via in the cans or special order...

-Monte
 

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Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 11-15-2006, 10:03 PM:
 
Thanks for all the comments. I am not alone. I know that.

Joe: My lenses and masking are all right. With no film in the gate, there is just a very slight even overshoot of the white light on the masking. My tech is very careful about this.

We are running Christie PG35's in all houses. Today, I put big "NO" stickers on the framing knobs. Probably wont make a difference, but its an effort.

You guys are right. I am not the supervisor, but am the only person besides my GM that build prints, and we both do it the same way, and never have framing issues. I have had several good "school" sessions for the other operators, and only one will admit to ever adjusting the framing, and I tend to think he thought he was doing things right, until I pointed out to him that trailers are allover the place in the frame.

I will continue doing things right if it kills the kids!!!
 

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Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 11-15-2006, 10:46 PM:
 
Why would anyone start a film out of rack? It is easier to get the film in the proper position whilst lacing up than to fiddle around with the framing knob during the show. On the model I worked with if you had the intermittent sprocket in the right position you could do the framing and upper loop 'blind'.

If you want to let people know about issues with machines don't you have a noticeboard for the team? We had one where people could leave messages and it was expected that you read it at the start of every shift. Techs would leave things for us to do and we would let techs know if something was up with a projector. This was very useful for us where we usually worked alone with 14 screens to run. You have decent grounds for disciplinary action if staff don't take heed of any notices.

Trailers framed like 'Deja Vu' aren't unusual, seem several this year although can't remember which titles. They look shoddy, don't see what is wrong with cropping a scope film to create a flat trailer.
 

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 11-15-2006, 11:12 PM:
 
Are the flat trailers for "Deja Vu" really printed as described, or did the person building up the print simply splice away an extra one-fourth of a frame? Is the MPAA approval green band intro printed off-center too? (I've only seen the trailer in scope, so naturally the imagery filled the frame.)

Even if printed as described, where's the problem?? Just don't program the trailer first in your sequence. Or, if it bugs you that much and you can afford to babysit the projector for the duration of the trailer, simply adjust the framing when the trailer begins and re-adjust the framing upon the trailer's conclusion.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-16-2006, 03:28 AM:
 
I already removed a couple of Deja Vu trailers once I saw that misframing in the printing. As policy, my theaters will no longer promote that film. We threw them all in the trash!

Problem solved. I recommend everyone else follow suit.
 

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Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 11-16-2006, 12:25 PM:
 
If you misframed a flat trailer for a scope film when making up wouldn't the rest of the film go out of rack? Probably a stupid question but in my short stint as a projectionist I made up three films and really wish I'd had the chance to become proficient in it especially since I can break down films fine.
 

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Posted by Blaine Young (Member # 3992) on 11-16-2006, 02:37 PM:
 

quote: Michael Coate

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Are the flat trailers for "Deja Vu" really printed as described, or did the person building up the print simply splice away an extra one-fourth of a frame? Is the MPAA approval green band intro printed off-center too? (I've only seen the trailer in scope, so naturally the imagery filled the frame.)

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