This is topic Projectionist aka ... in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Bryan Fournier (Member # 264) on 12-18-2000, 09:22 PM:
I have worked as a projectionist for 10 years, both union and non-union, but I was always a projectionist. I have worked for 3 theatre chains, all in the top ten in size, and have noticed a trend recently. Most chains refuse to call projectionists just that, even though the job remains virtually the same. Here are some examples I've heard recently:Booth Manager
Manager
Operator
Service Supervisor
Usher
anything but "projectionist". Why has projectionist become a bad word? Fear of organizing? A negative image of what a projectionist represents? I'm curious if any one has any more names or input. Thanks
Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 12-19-2000, 08:52 AM:
I'm not sure exactly how it works, but some chains do that to try to avoid the union. They say, "We don't have a 'projectionist'. Although, I have seen this 'plan' backfire on them, too.
Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 12-19-2000, 08:59 AM:
Just like everything else from the 1990's, it is not politically correct to call anyone by what they do. I find no problem beng called a projectionist because, among other professions, thats what I am. As more and more pin-head educated human service majors make their way into the film industry, the terminology will become more silly and down right rediculous. Thats my opinion. Others?
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 12-19-2000, 09:34 AM:
I take great pride in calling myself a PROJECTIONIST. 
"Senior Technical Specialist" is a career my engineering degree gave me, but PROJECTIONIST is a passion that I have lived for over 30 years, since my first changeover in 1967.
------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 12-19-2000, 11:20 AM:
Here! Here! I was lucky enough to be initiated into the projection booth at the early age of 11. While I've had to fight my way kicking and screaming back upstairs from the manager's office, I'm truly blessed to be back doing what I love to do (and getting paid for it!) -- being a PROJECTIONIST.
Posted by George Roher (Member # 91) on 12-19-2000, 09:36 PM:
I'm a Motion Picture Machine Operator
Posted by Jerry Chase (Member # 660) on 12-19-2000, 10:18 PM:
I've gotta say that I like the idea of keeping the title "projectionist" reserved for those folks that are truly proficient in the booth. If a person can't change a lamp, or can't gracefully and quickly recover from the common problems, then the title of projectionist is too much.As a general term, I'd use "operator." I've known some lifetime union guys I wouldn't call "projectionists." As for what a company calls me, I'm reminded of the old saying "Call me what you like, but don't call me late for supper." If the paychecks keep coming and working conditions are fair, I wouldn't be upset being called "that jerk in the booth."
Posted by Carl King (Member # 398) on 12-22-2000, 12:29 PM:
My provincial license says that I am a FILM PROJECTIONIST.You know what? They're absolutely correct!!!
Posted by Ethan Harper (Member # 472) on 12-22-2000, 06:41 PM:
Cinemark refers to their projectionists as "Usher-B". They don't want to call them projectionists and they use the term "Usher-B" so they can still have them work shifts down on the floor.------------------
--"That's my story and i'm sticking to it!"--
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 12-22-2000, 11:08 PM:
That's right... it's a legal maneuver, to avoid having to negotiate with the IA.
------------------
Better Projection Pays!
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 12-27-2000, 05:28 PM:
Tim--that's exactly the same story I've heard about Cinemark.According to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I'm licensed to be a "Motion Picture Operator."
(BTW, Tim, email me when you get a chance...)
Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 12-27-2000, 10:42 PM:
The Cinemark thing extends to their Imax theaters, too. You're a "Projection Manager" or an "Imax Technician".
Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 12-28-2000, 02:52 AM:
Hmm..
Until recently, my nametag at work stated that I am a "Projectionist".It now says that I am the "Head Projectionist".
…and no, I am not part of a union either!
~GLB
------------------
In some cultures, what I do is considered normal.
Posted by Manuel Francisco Valencia (Member # 710) on 12-28-2000, 01:22 PM:
The "Usher-B" title is a serious thorn in our booth operation. We are a little short on skilled projectionists so what my GM has done is train every usher to run booth. By run he means thread and start, thats it. So instead of having just ushers and projectionists we have nothing but usher-bs! I think this is the worst possible way to run booth.
Posted by Christopher K. Williams (Member # 418) on 01-12-2001, 08:29 PM:
Regal has the same anti-projectionist attitude. When they took over our theater, they stated that they only wanted "Managers" running the booth. I guess they believe that projectionists should be doing something more "productive" than simply building prints and running the show. Fortunately, we have a great manager who disagrees with them, and so he made me a manager on paper, though I have no managerial duties. He says that the projection room is our "bread and butter" and that even when a manager is running the booth, they are to ONLY run the booth during their shift... not count inventory, count tills, etc.
I am proud to call myself a Projectionist!
Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 01-12-2001, 10:34 PM:
In some areas Cinemark still uses union projectionists. In some areas they use both union and usher-b's at the same location. It's a way to seperate the two without causing waves. I do not agree with having all your ushers trained in the booth because there is not enough hours to go around for everyone to have enough shift's in the booth to keep your skills up. I have three other people trained to work in my booth. I have two assistant managers that I have personaly trained to work in booth when needed. I have no problem being called an usher-b because in my heart I know who I am and the bosses know who I am. I bet you have more scratching problems and other projection problems because to many people have their hands in the projector head.
Posted by John Eickhof (Member # 323) on 01-13-2001, 12:10 AM:
It's knda funny if you consider the official IATSE moniker...'International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees & Moving Picture Machine Operators' It was always thought that an 'operator' was someone who knew how to press the right buttons, and a 'projectionist' was someone who lnew how to give the best possible result on the screen for the patrons...so...IS there any real (reel) difference between the two? I don't think so, I believe that anyone who cares about what they do can call themselves
whatever they want! I would prefer an 'Operating Projectionist' Oh well!!!------------------
John Eickhof President, Chief Slave
Northwest Theatre Equipment Co., Inc.
P.O.Box 258
Wendell, ID. 83355-0258
208-536-5489
email: jeickhof@nteequip.com
Posted by Heyward Garner (Member # 722) on 01-22-2001, 11:34 PM:
I hope that people still read this topic... I work for Carmike Cinemas, and like many of you others, I do not officially do what I do. Our handbook states that we are not allowed projectionists, that the management is supposed to do it themselves. However, our district and division managers know full-well that I am THE projectionist. My title on paper is doorman (usher). My title at work is Booth Manager. Damn to some I have been called a floor manager who works upstairs. The list goes on. I don't understand this phenomenon... I am proud of my work and what I do. I am a PROJECTIONIST.
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 01-26-2001, 03:22 PM:
Heyward,Drop me a line when you get the chance. I'd like to talk to you personal email...
Thanks!
------------------
The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 01-26-2001, 03:25 PM:
Oops... brain fart...Must have been the fact that I screened O Brother Where Art Thou & part of Chocolat within a 12 hour time frame... 
My email addy is jasonwan@sccoast.net
------------------
The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 01-26-2001, 08:44 PM:
Christopher from Redmond, WA. - Welcome to the same feeling I had when I worked for those people. You are not alone.
Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 02-22-2001, 11:27 AM:
This is the final word..The IATSE in the USA and Canada stands for, "International Alliance of Theatrical Stagehands and Motion Picture Machine OPERATORS of the United States and Canada.I don't believe that in any IATSE contract that I signed were the booth personnel referred to as " Projectionist" just "Operators".
Posted by Jerry Chase (Member # 660) on 02-22-2001, 12:25 PM:
"This is the final word..The IATSE in the USA and Canada stands for, "International Alliance of Theatrical Stagehands and Motion Picture Machine OPERATORS of the United States and Canada."Huh? Wouldn't I. A. T. S. & M.P.O. would be the acronym?
Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 02-22-2001, 01:01 PM:
I am looking at Several IATSE business cards from Locals here in the NYC area. Card one has the IATSE Logo with a 52 in the center..which is the local for Motion Picture Studio Mechanics
Card two Has the IATSE logo with 1 in the center...which is the local for the stagehands.
Card three...has the IASTE logo with a 306 on the center...this is the local for the motion picture machine operators.
IATSE is the acronym which was used before the Motion Picture Operators joined with the
Stage employees, "E" being for employees. However they are all referred to as IATSE members.
Posted by Kevin Crawford (Member # 469) on 02-23-2001, 10:30 AM:
No, you are all wrong. I.A.T.S.E. stands for I Always Take Something Extra.
Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 06-26-2004, 01:31 PM:
It has been 1219 days since the last post.
Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 06-26-2004, 01:31 PM:
Years ago UA referred to the "threading monkeys" ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
as:
**BOOTH USHERS** ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
WTF I guess we were suppposed to show the projectors where to aim the picture?!? ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
And yeah, whayyy back when I was a BU.
Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 06-26-2004, 02:47 PM:
It's an attempt to avoid the "P" word. If you don't employ any projectionists then the projectionists union has no reason to come a knockin'.
Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 06-26-2004, 03:30 PM:
Harkins is the same way. Though the only operators are managers, when scheduled for a booth shift, projection and presentation is your only responsiblity. There is usually an extra booth manager on Thursday nights whos only responsibility is make-up tear-down.
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 06-26-2004, 06:37 PM:
IATSE a.k.a. I Am Tired of Seeking Employment. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Mercenary projectionists
When the money runs out
So do we.
Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 06-27-2004, 12:29 AM:
The title really doesn't matter. I'm called a Projectionist, I call myself a Projectionist, but no one really has an official title where I work, except managers.
I'm the only projectionist who does not work floor shifts. I made this clear from the get-go. I don't mind helping out downstairs, cleaning theaters, stocking concession, helping managers... IF there isn't work to be done upstairs, but I WILL NOT work an ENTIRE shift downstairs. I didn't spend six years gaining experience, improving my presentation, reading manuals, and talking to fine people like yourselves to be forced to stand and rip tickets for eight hours. ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
Question: What's to stop the Usher-B's from forming a union? Or the Concession-B's or the other Worker-B's?
I swear to Jim Cavizel, if someone were to call me an Usher-B, I would from that point on call them Manager-X or Supervisor-Q.
=TMP=
Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 06-27-2004, 02:17 AM:
Tom's hit the nail on the head, just because the company calls them usher-b's or whatever doesn't mean they can't unionize. As far as I know the only employment group that can't unionize is managers and apparantly (from reading past posts on this site) there are exceptions even to that. Even if the supposed 'exceptions' don't apply just calling somebody a 'booth manager' doesn't make them a manager in the eyes of the law. As I stated in the 'Union Projectionists' thread over in FHF if you don't have the supervisory powers outlined by state and federal law that would categorize you as a manager then you aren't a manager not matter what your company says.
The whole usher-b/booth usher thing is only part of the method by which the big chains were/are trying to keep the union out. You see anyone can start a union drive at their place of employement. Once an organization drive starts things are basically frozen until the vote is taken to unionize or not to unionize. Most policies can't be changed, numbers of hours and types of shifts the employees involved in the organizing effort are geting can't be drasticaly changed, etc. A good example would be a company that is facing a highly organized union drive with large amounts of printed material be handed out to employees. The company might decide to attempt to counter this by starting their own 'newsletter.' Under current rules (if I remember the particular lecture in Labor Law Relations correctly) the company can't do this because they didn't have an established newsletter before the union drive began.
So lets fast forward and say the union drive was successful, all of Cinemark's usher-b's are now IATSE (or whatever union they joined up with, whouldn't necessarily have to be the IATSE after all) members. Changing their job class and duties would be illegal because that would amount to discrimination based soley on the fact that they unionized. But what IS their job? Well, if you look up their job title in th employee handbook-a very important legal document for any company by the way-you can bet that there is no mention of usher-b's running projectors. If there is perhaps it is only in passing saying they may help managers during particularily busy times. In any event, running the booth is NOT their primary job responsibility. Thus it would be perfectly legal for the Big Chain to schedule them exclusively on the floor, cleaning theatres, ripping tickets, etc.
So ends theory. In practice many of the chains have had to face the reality in recent years that manager run booths in 12 plexes and up are usually not workable. I'm no labor law expert but I'm willing to bet there would be a good chance a union could argue in court that although its newest members official job was one thing for all practicle purposes they were projectionist and were then being discriminated against in scheduling due to their new union status.
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-27-2004, 09:26 AM:
Actually even IATSE is ignoring "operators" as it is nolonger IATSE and "moving picture operators" but International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians,Artists and Allied Crafts of the United State, its territorries and Canada
of interestis the efforts of cooperation between IATSE and BECTU in the UK
Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 06-27-2004, 10:59 AM:
It looks like the IA has switched their efforts towards film production now.
[ 06-27-2004, 04:50 PM: Message edited by: Ron Lacheur ]
Posted by Dean Kollet (Member # 1789) on 06-28-2004, 10:31 AM:
At work I'm called a booth usher, Even though 3/4 of the people call us projectionists. I love what I do enough to be called and paid as a Booth Usher. If someone asks me what I do, I tell them I'm a projectionist. I'm proud to say I'm a projectionist, and I worked my ass off to learn everything so that I could say I am.
Posted by David Ingalsbe (Member # 2433) on 06-28-2004, 04:02 PM:
wow, Ok I have to watch what I say. I wish that I had it that easy. I am a booth manager so in adition to being the unofficial head projectionist I also have to help do things like counts and drains. With the summer sesion I get to spend more time in the booth preping projectors for things like spiderman 2 but this only seems to be because of problems that always pop up when the big movies hit. ![[Mad]](mad.gif)
I don't really care what my title is as long as i get to have the time to do my job.
Posted by Emma Tomiak (Member # 1862) on 06-28-2004, 08:52 PM:
I am an "Hourly Assistant Manager".
Basically, a projectionist and a floor supervisor combined.
Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 06-29-2004, 03:27 AM:
I have been an usher, an usher-booth, a head projectionist, and currently a booth manager. Although the manager part doesn't really seem to matter, no one listens to me. Probalby because I'm a jovial smart-ass 80% of the time ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
My "titles" have included:
projectionist
the nerd from upstairs
and more recently "dom-dizzle"
But I know, deep down...I'm Dom the increadible projectionist geek-man!
Posted by Alan Dallas (Member # 2537) on 07-07-2004, 08:14 AM:
It's very muttled these days thats for sure.
At Harkins Theatre's it's laid out like this.
Projectionists are called Assistant Managers. There are 4 'levels' of Assistant Managers. Or AM1 thru 4. A starting AM is trained in Booth Management. We're effectivly just a Projectionist but
eventually we're trained in all areas of theatre management. Hence the other levels. Staff is more flexible that way. Floor staff aren't even allowed in our booth without being accompanied by a Manager.
Posted by Robert DeLoss Marken (Member # 2440) on 07-07-2004, 09:28 AM:
Hi! Years ago, late 40's - early 50's, when I was a full time "projectionist", our union name was "Motion Picture Machine Operators". The motto was: anyone can operate a moving picture machine but it takes a professional to put on a show.
Bob Marken
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 07-09-2004, 11:01 AM:
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
)