This is topic Checking Auditoriums in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Brent Mahaney (Member # 1090) on 03-22-2003, 02:33 PM:
 
I am curious to know how various companies require auditorium checks to be done. I have been to a number of theatres recently with the intent of watching how they are managed, and I've found that the best checks are those that are unobtrusive. When I pay to see a film, I do not appreciate having flashlights waved around and people walking up and down the isles every 15 minutes. I realize the importance of making your presence known, especially during heavily attended shows, but come on! There is no sense in that. One check per show is sufficient unless you have received complaints.

Am I being unreasonable?
 

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Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 03-22-2003, 02:40 PM:
 
We check our theaters at least once per show. NO FLASHLIGHT! We basically just stand in the back, check the screen, the temperature, the audience. Make sure everything is running the way it is supposed to be. We're an indy so we don't have anyone checking on us to make sure we are doing the checks--if they don't see us, all the better. But most people do realise there is someone standing the the back of them *weird tingly feeling*.

At my old dollar theater where I was the GM we used to walk down one side aisle because the thermometers where at the bottom of the theater near the screen, this worked well and everyone saw us without being obtrusive. If we noticed anyone misbehaving we would walk over to the other side isle (in front of the screen but not 'blocking' it) to make SURE they saw us--we usually ended up doing that in the teen movies where we would basically have to 'watch' the movie along with them.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-22-2003, 05:39 PM:
 
Regal here always walks the auditoriums at least once per show. They try to be very low-key about it, but they do usually carry a flashlight. They walk all the way to the front and off to the side near an exit. The checker will pause long enough to look at the screen (and presumably check sound), and leave. Sometimes when a show is really crowded they will use 2 checkers at a time, one on each side. And sometimes they walk the place twice during a show.

I generally don't see Cinemarkers doing a "formal" walk of the auditorium, but someone does check from time to time. Last night at Dreamcatcher, the GM spent about 10 mins. in the auditorium off to the side just observing.
 

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Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 03-22-2003, 06:35 PM:
 
Hello all. At Cinemark, I check all the time. But you're right, not everyone does check. I think its crucial because with 14 screens, no automation system can guarantee everything to run perfect as some people think.

AJ Garman
 

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Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 03-22-2003, 06:48 PM:
 
When I first started we were required to be in AN auditorium throughout the whole set of shows. The theatre was three screener then, so two ushers usually bounced in and out. Looking back on it, that had to suck for the customers in the back rows. Flashlights? What are those? A few years ago the manager threw a group of kids out by ordering me to stop the show, throw on the emergency bypass lights, then rushed the auditorium with his entire usher staff. Like he was in the fricken Gestapo or some shit. That was wrong too, but I still laugh my ass off everytime I think about it.
 

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Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 03-22-2003, 08:12 PM:
 
I have my ushers check twice a show. I have a system set up that uses 'theatre check cards'. Each auditorium has a unique hole puncher down near the front of each auditorium. The ushers are required to punch the cards as they walk each of the 14 auditoriums. I have learned in the past that we do have a certain amount of liabilty in regards to what goes on in an auditorium while the movies are playing. The cards play a double role - 1) Proof that they ushers actually checked the auditorium and 2) A document showing that an employee was in an auditorium at a certain time - which then goes on file for future use in case a patron calls a month later saying that they fell and no one was around to witness it. I have actually used these documents in a court of law and they helped win the case.
 

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Posted by Tim Turner (Member # 1109) on 03-22-2003, 09:07 PM:
 
So once I was standing in the back of an auditorium showing Red Planet, and suddenly a fist fight breaks out not too far from me between some customers.
I want to know exactly, what you all would have done if you were in that situation.
Now becuase I'm an employee there I felt I had the responsiblity to do something about it. Should I have tried to wrestle the two men apart? Run out of the auditorium screaming like a girl? Or simply shout "hey keep it down over there, or you'll have to leave!"
Everyone was panicing trying to run for the door, cause the people in the front have no idea whats going on, does someone have a gun?, is there a bomb?
I just opened the main doors, and went to tell a manager to call our mall security. But Dang! Did I pick the right time to do a theather check!

Thinking about it now I think there a few other things that I could have done, but I wanna know what you all would have done?
 

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Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 03-23-2003, 01:07 AM:
 
Well a similar incident happened to me when I was the GM of my old theater. The big difference for me was that someone came out and told us what was going on. I had 1 employee call the police and then mall security then the other employee stop the film (Hit the big RED stop button )...basically I yelled and screamed, told them the police were the way and they needed to leave, NOW. Mall security was there 2 seconds later but they had already stopped fighting from me yelling.

You should NEVER put yourself. your staff, or your customers in danger and me standing the the middle of the two men (one with a knife) was a big mistake and I was lucky...I don't think they would have responded the same if I were male. The whole stupid part was it was over one of them talking...grrr and the police let both of them go even though one had taken out a knife! Some people just suck.

That was the first and last time so far that I had to deal with something that bad (other then our robbery when I was in the bathroom --or the other robbery that took place overnight )and I don't know exactly what I would do if it happened again...some people just by nature jump into the middle of it not thinking of what may happen.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-23-2003, 04:56 AM:
 
Dennis, that's a damn good system you have going! Who came up with that? Is there a machine on the market designed for this, or just something that was "converted" for the job?

Rachel, your mall security sucks. They shouldn't have just let them go.
 

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Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 03-23-2003, 07:15 AM:
 
Brad,

There is a system for watchpersons which does everything you require in the way of documentation. The person carries a clock with a rotating time card inside. Each check point has a unique key which records its use on the rotating card. These keys are located at the front of the auditorium or at the thermostat for the room. I have seen some that are beside the front exit doors where the key hangs in a small metal box.

This system identifies the date, time and location of the watchperson. That is evidence for later action as it confirms the presence of the person and the disc is locked inside the clock so it cannot be tampered by the operator. I believe the trade name is "Night Watchman".

When there are noisy patrons in the theatre I use the "Passive Management" technique of sitting in a row directly behind them.

KEN
 

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Posted by Patrick McDonough (Member # 1363) on 03-23-2003, 07:58 AM:
 
we do checks every show and some times more depending on the audience.
 

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Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 03-23-2003, 09:00 AM:
 
When I was an usher at AMC we were required to do auditorium checks every 20 minutes. We had a clipboard to carry around with us and we were supposed to check the image and sound in addition to temperature and anything noteworthy about the audience (making noise, feet on chairs, etc).

That was the only theatre I worked at where there was actually an established policy or rule regarding theatre checks.

Once, at another theatre, I had customers complaining about unruly audience members. I'm a little guy and these were like 3 largert dudes who seemed high or drunk. I had called for a couple of security guards but they were taking their time. The guys were being very annoying and distracting, so I stopped the movie and raised the lights to full level. Then I announced that security was on the way and that the movie would resume after the three gentlemen had been removed. They got up and left on their own.

I've also had to deal with fist fights but I call the police right away for those -- not just security.

As a preventive measure, I used to let police come in and enjoy the airconditioning and free soda and popcorn just to encourage them to make us one of their usual stops when they did their rounds. I always felt very secure once I got to know a couple of officers by face and name. Most times, I could anticipate their arrival because they were on a fairly regular schedule. I learned that from the manager of the first theatre I ever worked for. That was in Detroit.
 

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Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 03-23-2003, 01:19 PM:
 
Actually, it was the police that let them go not the security guard, the security guard just held them there until the police showed up!
 

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Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 03-23-2003, 05:00 PM:
 

quote:

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As a preventive measure, I used to let police come in and enjoy the airconditioning and free soda and popcorn just to encourage them to make us one of their usual stops when they did their rounds.

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something about the potential public perception of "different treatment due to gifts being given to the deputies".

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Regal here always walks the auditoriums at least once per show. They try to be very low-key about it, but they do usually carry a flashlight. They walk all the way to the front and off to the side near an exit

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I despise theaters that do that. You're watching a movie & engrossed, then someone walks through your field of vision & stops in what is for all purposes down right or down left, the two most watched areas of the field of vision. Imagine a theater with stage plays sending someone walking out to the end of the apron to just look at the audience & then walk off.

Check it from the back of the house, like somebody with a little class.

[ 11-03-2003, 03:06 AM: Message edited by: William Hooper ]
 

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Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 11-03-2003, 01:54 AM:
 
For traditional auditoriums, I just stay in the doorway area in the back, and I am as unobtrusive as possible. In stadium, I usually hug the wall with the rail and peek ever so slightly over it to check the audience. I twy to be vewy vewy sneaky!

AJG
 

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Posted by James Falloon (Member # 1933) on 11-03-2003, 02:39 PM:
 
I check the theatre at least onece per reel (about every 15-20 min) more often if there are teens. Usually that involves poking my head out the projection room door, from there I can see just about everything and check the focus, framing, sound, temperature and gereral audience behaviour.

Learn how to be stealthy, not only is it less distracting for the patrons, it means you can sneak up on any talking kids, and target a specific individual(s), not just the group. Because I'm also the projectionist, it's not possible to sit behind consistant offenders, so I have to seperate them, (send them to sit on opposite sides of the audotorium where they can't talk to each other), and watch them from the port windows. usually it works ok.

What I would like to know is if anyone has seen relationships between audience bahaviour and presentation quality, ie having a restless audience because the movie was too quiet etc?
 

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Posted by Timothy Ervin (Member # 733) on 11-03-2003, 03:07 PM:
 
We do checks theatre walks every 30 minutes.
 

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Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 11-04-2003, 01:34 AM:
 
At our drive-in... we have our parking attendants continuously "rove" the field all night long. I've done it a couple of nights. Pretty interesting things happen out there in the dark.
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-04-2003, 10:00 AM:
 
When I worked at the drive-in (1967-1970), we were expected to patrol the lot too (between 2000-foot changeovers on carbon lamps!). Also turned off unused speakers so the neighbors wouldn't complain about the sound and "sneakers" couldn't hear the movie well. Biggest job hazard late at night were the huge RATS that liked to feed on the food tossed from cars. Got attacked by a gang of "sneakers" only once -- police were called.
 

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Posted by Chris Liczbinski (Member # 1957) on 11-05-2003, 04:17 PM:
 
At our theater (cinemark) I do one quality check per show, more than one wouldn't be possible with 15 screens unless I am focused on a few theaters where a problem might arise.

We have a presentation log that has room for the date, time and name of projectionist, and then numbers 1-15. If the theater looked good, then that is what we write, if the lights did not go down all the way we write that down, or things like "multiple scratches far right side" etc. This helps us to determine roughly when a print was scratched or how long a theater has had an automation problem or what have you. These are kept on record.
 

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Posted by Blake Zaugg (Member # 1455) on 11-09-2003, 12:20 AM:
 
We have our ushers check the theatres at least twice, preferably three times during the show. Checks include walking down the aisles looking at the customers for outside food/drink, noisy people, sound problems. Sometimes if customers have a problem they will grab the usher for help.

I tell the ushers to run through their 5 senses when they go in to the theatre. First just stand at the back for a bit and let your eyes adjust, look at the screen is everyhting in focus, framed etc... Sound, both the film and customers, touch - temperature, is it too hot or cold?, Smell - yes, exhaust fans may need to be turned on if it is stuffy. (The only sense I don't have them check is taste )
 

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Posted by Erika McCarty (Member # 2006) on 11-12-2003, 08:52 PM:
 
I'm a Cinemarker, too...but we don't fill out paperwork for every check. A former booth manager got an official log for us to write any problems we noticed during our shift. Basically we log scratches (the rare occassion ), automation issues, etc... I try to check every screen once a round by stepping into the back (no flashlight) but at a 14 screen I don't always have time...
 

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Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 11-13-2003, 01:02 PM:
 
We've instituted manditory theatre checks complete with a check list.
 

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Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 12-09-2003, 04:46 PM:
 
The following is the Performance Check List for Theatre Managers from the Director Publix Theatre Managers Training School. Date 1930

This performance check-up is considered of invaluable service to a theatre staff, and plays an important part in the operation of Publix houses. It was compiled by Jack Barry, director of the Publix Theatre Managers' Training School, and provides a complete check on screen, sound mechanism, stage mechanism, orchestra, organ, stage performance, stage lighting, and house lighting. All exhibitors are advised to giv it careful study.

Screen

• 1) Blank screen
  2) Dirty screen
  3) Shaky or bulging screen
  4) Defective masking of the screen
  5) Unsteady picture
  6) Poor definition
  7) Travel ghost
  8) Flicker
  9) Poor illumination
  10) Misframing
  11) Faulty change-over
  12) Unnatural speed
  13) Distortion
  14) Dirty aperture
  15) Punch-marks, rain, scratches, thumb-prints, warped
  film, oil spots
  16) Slides offline
  17) Cracked or smeared slides
  18) Poor slide change-over
  19) Noisy projector
  20) Flipper late, or misplaced
  21) Sound track visible on screen
  22) Glare spots on screen
  23) Spread light on apron

• 1) Fuzzy sound
  2) Flutter
  3) Ground noise
  4) Echo
  5) Improper musical introduction to sound shorts
  6) Needle noise
  7) Sound and picture out of synchronization
  8) Faulty synchronization of change-over
  9) Volume too low or too high
  10) Jerky Fader change
  11) Noisy moving of stage horns
  12) Horns moved into position too late
  13) Loose units in horns
  14) Failure to remedy "pockets" in "dead spots"
  15) Improper framing of the transvox over silent screen
  16) Motor generator or fan noises

• 1) Clumsy entrances and exits
  2) Faulty line work
  3) Dancers out of step
  4) Dancers out of tempo
  5) Line arrangement for size
  6) Crooked line
  7) Costumes not clean
  8) Voices not loud enough
  9) Miscues
  10) Faulty make-up
  11) Properties incomplete
  12) Too many bows
  13) Numbers repeated too often
  14) Poor arrangement of units
  15) Omissions
  16) Unplanned encores
  17) Stalling
  18) Superfluous and unnecessary "ad-libing"
  19) Continuity disregarded
  20) Similarity of dance routines
  21) Lack of contrast of unit
  22) Performers visible off stage
  23) Failure of M.C. to sell an act
  24) M.C. cues
  25) Gestures
  26) Poor diction
  27) Lack of variety in introductions
  28) Announcements made too soon before applause dies down
  29) Familiarity with audience overdone
  30) Failure to subordinate M.C. to performer after
  introduction

• 1) Tardy or wrong size spot
  2) Over spread flood lighting
  3) Glare from shiny surfaces reflecting light
  4) Manipulation of dimmers
  5) Spotlight halo
  6) Ineffective chose of colors (gelatines)
  7) Improper lighting on transparenties
  8) Lights behind scrims at improper time
  9) Failure to mask off-stage lighting equipment
  10) Cracked gelatines
  11) Burned out lamps
  12) Footlights unsheltered from balcony
  13) Spot reflection
  14) Bad contact at stage pockets
  15) Improper spotting of performers
  16) Effect machines at improper speed

• 1) House lights late
  2) Picture house lighting too bright
  3) Lights bumped on or off
  4) Stray light from booth, house fixture, etc.
  5) Glare spots in auditorium
  6) Color combinations

• 1) Jerking curtains
  2) Fouling of drops
  3) Failure to mask battens
  4) Noisy sheaves
  5) Improper "live" or "die" trims
  6) Unsteady stage braces
  7) Improper off-stage masking
  8) Noisy traveler
  9) Noisy lowering of drops
  10) Off-stage noise
  11) Ripped scenery
  12) Set off center line
  13) Platforms not rigid
  14) Improper storge of scenery
  15) Visible wires
  16) Borders not trimmed
  17) Failure to draw curtains to meet
  18) Failure to mask towers
  19) Too rapid or too slow lowering and raising of
  curtains and drops
  20) Dirty stage apron

• 1) Noisy entrance and exit
  2) Loud and discordant tuning
  3) Untimely elevator
  4) Lack of proper "elevator" music
  5) Wrong levels of elevator
  6) Orchestra out of tune
  7) Lack of uniformity in bowing of violins
  8) Wrong combination of instruments
  9) Ineffective speedometer signals
  10) Untidy music racks
  11) Talking in the pit
  12) Tardy cueing of newsreels clip
  13) Cueing to the newsreel improperly timed
  14) Poor arrangements
  15) Inefficient use of mutes
  16) Selections too lengthy
  17) Leader's showmanship
  18) Glare from instruments
  19) Traps and sound effects
  20) Overplaying voice or picture
  21) Defective grouping of musicians

• 1) Organ lift untimely
  2) Improper color spot for selection
  3) Music on rack disorderly
  4) Personal appearance of organist
  5) Glare
  6) Organ out of key with orchestra on coordination
  7) Monotony of stops
  8) No music during trailers
  9) Organist improvising and not following the score
  10) Improper control of volume
  11) Improper selection of stops
  12) Improper selection of tempo during slide present-
  ation
  13) Console dirty
  14) Cyphers
  15) Carelessly spotted
  16) Failure to catch direct cues
  17) Signals for change of slides not properly timed
  18) Failure to change selection after feature concluded
  19) Too long pauses before stage show or following
  presentation
  20) Light left burning

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12) Horns moved into position too late

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11) Improper selection of stops

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I say play the whole thing with the 4' kinura & 2 2/3' flute on the solo, 4' violin celeste (only, no VI) on the accomp, 16' tuba on the pedal, & if they don't like it they can talk to the union.
 

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 12-10-2003, 12:25 PM:
 
Hmmm. Come to think of it, I watched a movie not too long ago that had a not of "Needle Noise." It was opening day, too, so I don't know HOW they managed to screw up their Vitaphone disc so soon. But they also didn't have a proper musical introduction for the sound shorts either. Come to think of it, the organ player NOR the organ were anywhere to be found! I will never go back to that theater again...

=TMP=
 

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