Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Showtimes for Pearl...

This is topic Showtimes for Pearl... in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 05-26-2001, 02:57 AM:

Just curious as to what your earliest/latest starting times for the film are?

Mine... 12:00 & 11:45. And yes, those are both pm. Yes, people did show up for a 3:15min show that started at 11:45 tonight. No, I was NOT happy about the start time, nor the turnout for it, but it wasn't my decision to make, I just run the place...

I'm just a little bit higher on the pile than my employees..

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The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 05-26-2001, 05:12 AM:

First show 9:00 AM
Last show 11:00 PM
This means last show ends at 2:20

It is company policy to thread at night.
I can easily thread up the entire 24 screen booth in an hour, so I had about 2 hours before I had to start.
This was cool because when I'm threading up at nightI hat running back and forth (i do that all day).
I like to thread up in a row and shut the power down as I go.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-26-2001, 07:03 AM:

Hmmmmm, 24 screens probably means you work for an AMC theater. Am I right? If that is the case, it is not company policy. Perhaps it is a booth manager's policy, but AMC as a company does not have that rule.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-26-2001, 07:41 AM:

In another thread, many good reasons are given for NOT threading up the night before. Running the projectors a few minutes without film helps "loosen up" the mechanism and distribute the oil with least strain on the intermittent. Film tends to develop a "set" overnight, and stick in the gate. Dirt can settle on the film that is on the platter and strung out to the projector.

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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
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 05-28-2001, 02:28 PM:

12 pm - 9 pm. (12,1,4,5,8,9)

Posted by Rob Brooks (Member # 186) on 05-28-2001, 05:10 PM:

9am, 930, 10, 11, 12noon , 1, 130, 2, 3, 330, 4, 515, 545, 625, 7, 745, 815, 930, 10, 1045, 1115, 1155, 1215am. Break at 3:25 am. I'm not kidding. I worked 3 days in a row of this.

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Rob

Posted by Jody Southards (Member # 850) on 05-28-2001, 07:16 PM:

11:20am/11:15pm
I usually work double shifts in the booth.
It cost the company more money to keep me there for the 45 min. during which only that print was playing than they pulled from the 2 tickets sold to it.

Posted by Mike Jones (Member # 522) on 05-30-2001, 04:48 PM:

In our 8 screen theatre with two prints our showtimes are:
11:30, 12:35, 3:00, 4:00, 6:30, 7:30, 9:55, 11:15*(on weekends only)
So on the weekdays that gives us 4 shows with one print and 3 with the other.

Posted by Ric Holifield (Member # 351) on 05-30-2001, 09:30 PM:

In our 18 screen theatre with 4 prints, we have showtimes at:
11:20, 11:50, 12:30, 1:30, 3:05, 3:40, 4:15, 5:15, 6:50, 7:30, 8:00, 9:00, 10:35

Ric

Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 05-31-2001, 12:05 PM:

Everyday showtimes: 12:15, 1:00, 3:40, 4:30, 7:00 & 8:00.
Weekends we also have a 10:15PM show...

Posted by Paul Konen (Member # 41) on 05-31-2001, 01:34 PM:

4 prints:
Started at 11:00 am on the hour every hour until 10:45 pm for the last print.

Posted by Taplie Coile (Member # 864) on 05-31-2001, 04:18 PM:

15-screen theatre w/ 3 prints:

1st show at 12 Noon.

Last show 10:50 (Fri/Sat 11:30) - 10:50 show wouldn't be so bad if I had something else that started after 10:00. But, oh well.

Posted by Paul Rich (Member # 243) on 06-03-2001, 10:52 PM:

2 prints - 12:00, 12:30, 3:45, 4:15, 7:15, 8:00 (10:45 Friday and Saturday)

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 06-04-2001, 03:08 AM:

Your right, Brad, it is an AMC.
I guess I made the assumption that threading up at night was company policy since we were requied to do so ever since i started working at our megaplexes.
At the 10 screen I worked at we never threaded up at night, but since the megaplexes were 24 screens (most of them), thats how it was done.

However, at the theatre I just came back to a few days ago, i was told that we do not thread up on thursday nights and only move prints.
We also dont thread on friday nights because they are supposed to clean.
Im not sure if they do the same for Saturdays or any other day of the week.
Ill have to talk to the manager in charge of the booth to see exactly how that works.

Posted by Bill Langfield (Member # 818) on 06-05-2001, 12:29 PM:

I don't see a problem with looping the leader around the projector.
Morning projectionist can test/warm the projector,then lace/thread up.

Bill.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-05-2001, 02:46 PM:

Bill Langfield said: "I don't see a problem with looping the leader around the projector. Morning projectionist can test/warm the projector,then lace/thread up."

A potential problem would be that the leader is exposed to whatever dirt settles on the film overnight. Would be a real concern if clean-up crews were stirring up dust at night. (e.g., using blowers to clean auditoriums, which IMHO should be BANNED )

Posted by Bill Langfield (Member # 818) on 06-06-2001, 01:23 AM:

John,
The only effect I can see cleaners making on the projection room with thier vacuum cleaners or blowers, is dust on the port glass. Cleaners are not allowed into bio boxes and should be locked at all times.
Also there is no point in covering the plates over night, as the air-con is off.
The dust from air-con can only arrive while you are actually open and running the show.
As for leader touching 'that dirty floor',
as I've suggested before there should be no
dirty floor to begin with.

Bill.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-06-2001, 01:37 AM:

Keeping the floor to "white room" cleanliness is far more difficult than simply threading up in the morning and keeping the leader off of the floor. How long does it take to thread the platter? 30 seconds if you are really slow??? How much extra time does it take to keep the leader off of the floor? Perhaps 10 extra seconds if you have to clamp the leader down to the projector somewhere before threading "top down"??? Surely no one is THAT pressed for time. If time is that short at a given theater, their presentation will probably be crap anyway, for there won't be time to check the loop sizes or to clean the projector head as necessary.

I am not arguing that the floor should not be kept clean, but the math does not add up.

Posted by Bill Langfield (Member # 818) on 06-06-2001, 07:13 AM:

Ben Affleck, Josh Harnett, Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding Jr, Alec Baldwin

It was the end of innocence, and the dawn of a nation's greatest glory.
December 7, 1941 - A day that shall live in infamy

Brad,
I'm struggling here, as there are people here that know too much and I therefore will not pretend I can ever win a debate, though much can learnt in process.

However my reason for night shift to loop the film past the projector is that they can do this one at a time as each show finishes, after all they are not going anywhere until the last show is over. I know no morning shift person who objects to this, anywhere.
The film need never touch the floor, and as you suggest use a cloths peg to make sure of that.

With the film looped through you can then use the time saved to check or replace house lighting, isle lighting, foyer lighting, check morning email, read the diary.
Why do something in the morning that could have been prepared the night before.
I dont believe that the dust that settles on a leader that has been looped through is signifficant.

Currently the manager and projectionists arrive at 9am for a 10am first session, floor/candy/box staff arrive at 9.30am (though they always seem to show up early, this is good) and doors open at 9.45am. (This can change on weekends or holidays)

It's not that one is pressed for time, it just creates more time to be able to lace up SLOWLY
and ensure loops are the correct size and rollers have not been missed.
It is not a race, I prefer people to start a show a few minutes late (no matter what time of day - and if sessions have been programmed too close together) than miss a roller and destroy a whole print (even though all projectors should be checked every 30 minutes)
(Even if running late means loosing points if there is a mystery shopper in there)

Like I said, I'm willing to loose any debate, as long as there was something learnt from it.

As lame as the stuff I say might be.....
Get this, I told a big boss to tell the Biggest boss to have a look at at film-tech forums, she just laughed and said the 'CEO of an international company has better things to do' I said 'Yeah a company with a bad name - internationally' (I think you know which company)
That said, it's just not that company, they all seem to be cheap asses - they work to budgets
even though seats need repairing, Xenons replaced, sound upgraded, foyer areas need fixing, they say NO your over budget. Then wonder why people are going to the theatre in the next suburb.

John said something like, 'if cinema's were run by people who have worked thier way up through the ranks, things would be different'.

Bill.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-06-2001, 08:06 AM:

I don't expect that participating in Film-Tech would be high on the priority list of the President or CEO of a theatre circuit, lab, studio, or equipment manufacturer. But mid-level management who can have a direct impact on the quality of prints and their presentation are missing a golden opportunity if they aren't "tuned in" to the real world discussions found on Film-Tech.

Encourage others to participate in Film-Tech. If you see something of interest to a manager or co-worker, pass it along, and tell them where you got it. If you deal with a service or equipment engineer, ask why they don't participate in Film-Tech. If you attend a trade show or business meeting, spread the word!

For the almost 800 registered participants, there are probably thousands of "lurkers" who read Film-Tech regularly. One of them may be in a position to solve a long standing problem or change a bad practice.

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 06-09-2001, 02:46 PM:

John,

Sadly, most of the 'higher ups' that *I* have come across, both in this industry and others, have operate under the idea "If it's not OUR idea, it's not the right idea". As long as upper mgmt in ANY filed has this mentality things will only progress to get worse. This is not good for anyone. But, when you're in mid-level mgmt, what are you to do? Question authority in risk of retaliation? I am *sure* that there are SEVERAL people on this list who 'lurk'. I know of one lister who submitted a post only to be instructed by oen of his superiors to remove it... Thankfully, it wasn't put that way to me... I'd have politely told them to KISS MY ASS, or something to that effect.

I'm straying from the topic, so I'll stop now. I simply believe that, as you said, if someone finds information that helps them on this forum.. USE IT. We have enough damage to our industry as it is... Keeping patrons in seats shoudl be our biggest common goal. You can't do this with crappy presentation, and I don't give a how good your popcorn/soda/candy/nachos/hot dogs/coffee/etc.. is!

Enough said...

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The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-09-2001, 08:48 PM:

Bill,

Let's see...my response to your reasoning to thread up the night before is that if your projectionists must be worrying about lights, there is one problem right there. But taking that into account, why can your projectionists not check the lights the night before as the movies are coming down to save the opening guy the hassle? Also, I wouldn't want to be responsible for threading a movie that someone else has already partially threaded up. Finding a threading mistake someone else has done is actually more difficult and time consuming than just threading the platter myself. At least that's the way I see it.

As far as starting shows late to ensure "film done right", I wholeheartedly agree with you. Some people just seem too worried about "right now" and the customers that are presently sitting in the chairs to take a look at the long term and ask themself "is my shortcut that I am doing going to adversely affect the presentations for the remaining run of this print?" Trying to get a show on screen too fast and scratching it may have saved that particular show, but how many more after that will be destroyed? If only more people would think like that.

Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 06-09-2001, 08:51 PM:

Getting back to the original point of this thread, which I believe was the show-times of Pearl Harbor, did anyone else find that the movie came in much closer to 3 hours than to 3.15 which everyone was anticipating? Of course, quality control on these prints was crap, so maybe they just left some out of our prints.

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"Asleep at the switch? I wasn't asleep, I was drunk!" - Homer Simpson

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 06-09-2001, 10:12 PM:

quote:
Also, I wouldn't want to be responsible for threading a movie that someone else has already partially threaded up. Finding a threading mistake someone else has done is actually more difficult and time consuming than just threading the platter myself.

I agree, Brad. I hate starting a show I didn't thread. Regardless of who did the threading. It's not that I don't trust anyone, but I just don't trust anyone.

And I hate when I get interrupted in the middle of threading a projector. If you walk up and start asking me questions (or phone me or walkie-talkie me) while I'm threading, I'm going to ignore you until I'm done. If you're important, you _might_ get a "hold on a sec, I'm almost done".

</rant>

Uh, what was the topic?