This is topic REGAL Time? WTF! in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 05-11-2002, 04:03 PM:
I went to see the movie DOGTOWN and Z BOYS and a UA (now Regal) theatre. By 10:50am, the 10:30am scheduled film had not even started. When I went out to get a refund, the cashier explained to me that the projectors are set by clock on REGAL time, which is NINE minutes different than regular time. Now despite the fact that the movie (or, presumably, ads and previews) still hadnt started TWENTY minutes after the scheduled showtime, is this truly a REGAL policy? I've never heard of this before.I did inform him that it was inconsiderate NOT to make an announcement if somewthing was wrong, or at least check the theatres to see if movies start on time. (I actually suspect this is a local management problem).
Posted by Christopher Duvall (Member # 284) on 05-11-2002, 04:28 PM:
It sounds like local management. There is no such policy in ANY chain that I can think of. That would be stupid and would confuse and upset the customer.
Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-11-2002, 04:40 PM:
Sounds like the cashier was maybe making a joke. "We run on REGAL time!! 
" The Regals around here seem to always start the shows on-time.
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-11-2002, 05:15 PM:
Have a friend who told me a few years ago that he went to a showing of "Braveheart" at a Carmike in Billings Montana. He arrived 5 minutes before the scheduled show time, but the movie was already well underway. When he asked the ticket kid what was up, the kid said "We have a small crowd tonight, so we started it a little early so we can go home earlier."Showmanship done right! 
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 05-12-2002, 01:42 PM:
Totally unprofessional. If Regal is gonna do this to every UA theater the public will find out soon enough and stay away.AMC starts its shows so the first preview hits the screen at the published showtime. Cinemark (based on a Mike Spaeth post from long ago) has a similar policy.
Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 05-12-2002, 02:31 PM:
The bottom line is:The show starts at whatever time the projectionist's watch says OR whatever time the booth clock says OR whatever time the manager who's telling the projectionist to start film's watch says.
Of course then you have the customer's watch - which could be off too.
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"Running through life at 24 frames per second"
Posted by Kyle Caudill (Member # 1252) on 05-12-2002, 06:01 PM:
Cinemark starts their movie at the published time, except for when a preshow ad is placed on the movie, like a Coke ad combined with a tech ad. Then the movie starts 1 or 2 minutes early, so the first trailer should appear on the screen at the published time.
Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 05-12-2002, 11:55 PM:
I set the booth clocks to match www.time.gov . However, every other clock in the building usually says something completely different. 
Posted by Jeff Akin (Member # 1198) on 05-14-2002, 07:54 PM:
It is NOT Regal Poicy. If one box employee is going to make a comment like that and cause this much confusion, then we should all be a little ashamed of ourselves.I mean, really now. Who would honestly believe that it would be massive corporation's POLICY to start movies 9 minutes from the advertised start time?? That's just naive.
The movies at a Regal start just like they do at an AMC or a Cinemark...depending on someone's watch. I personally set my booth clock to the time on the box office terminals. That way, the box employees have an idea of how far into the movie/trailers/ads the movie is.
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2 Time ICWF Champion
2 Time ICWF Hardcore Champion
Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 05-15-2002, 12:46 AM:
BTW, I didn't REALLY believe that this would be anyone's policy. What I was surprised at was the explanation given to me, as though I would really be stupid enough to believe it. This is the same staff left over from the UA days. It was the local UA management and staff who have created bad will from me for years with incompentence. I'm just hoping Regal will start to make some major changes here.
Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 05-15-2002, 02:17 AM:
I use a time-server as well to set the booth clocks on the automations. I encourage the projectionists to use the timers - the machines "beep" when they're about to do something, so that usually gets their attention. There was one projectionist who was later FORBIDDEN to use the timers because too many of her shows had problems, but she is gone now.
The clocks in the box-office and concession stands are set against the projectors...there's one manager in particular who will ask for a "time check" every couple of days.
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~Manny.
Now...where was I ?
Leonard Shelby, MEMENTO.
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-15-2002, 01:19 PM:
We go by the bank's time'n'temp clock down the street 
It's quite often a couple of minutes off, but the whole downtown basically runs by that clock.
Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-15-2002, 01:25 PM:
"We go by the bank's time'n'temp clock down the street It's quite often a couple of minutes off, but the whole downtown basically runs by that clock."That's funny. In Eugene, the Honda car dealer, which is on one of the most heavily-traveled roads in the city (Coburg Rd), used to have a big time & temp sign. They got rid of it during a big remodel. The elimination of that sign disturbed some people and made the TV news.
Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 05-15-2002, 02:52 PM:
The chronologically obsessed may also investigate the topic "Booth Clocks" in the Film Handlers Forum.
Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 05-15-2002, 04:12 PM:
I set my watch to a time server, too. However, I've noticed that the other projectionists at my theater like to start movies about 3 minutes early. They say this is because that is the time that management has. I think it's more likely that most audience members would have the correct time (set by the Weather Channel, TV Guide Channel, NIST Server, their cell phone, etc...) than an incorrect 3 minutes fast time, don't you?------------------
This one time, at Projection Camp, I stuck a xenon bulb....
Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 05-15-2002, 09:26 PM:
From working a very busy 20 plex---The show was always started ON CORRECT TIME...OR ELSE! Late starts caused havoc on everyone...especially the floor staff who would have to "double-time" to clean a auditorium between shows!
Last show of the night was always started, regardless if there were no patrons...you never know when someone would straggle in.
BUT, if there were no patrons for the last show, I would inform floor staff and not strike the bulb for that show (to save hrs)..but if someone did stragggle in, then I would strike bulb...
Posted by Jeff Akin (Member # 1198) on 05-17-2002, 12:40 PM:
We don't strike the bulb either. We tend to be pretty slow through the week, so I continue that practice for all of our shows during the day too. I was looking through our old Xenon reports, and we've added about a month of life to our bulbs.
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2 Time ICWF Champion
2 Time ICWF Hardcore Champion