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First I start it, and it is out of frame slightly, so I turn the knob, but I turned it the wrong way, so I had to turn it all the way back around to get the picture centered. So I fix that. I check the sound and picture and platters for a while, then head to the auditorium to check there, when an employee tells me the owner said that it is out of focus. So I go all the way back up, and the little arm that keeps the turret from opening was not in place, causing the lens to shake a little bit.

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Jeremy, not to pick on you, but everything you listed here is basically your fault. Take it as a learning experience. These are things you should of noticed and or been able to avoid to begin with.

If you had checked the position of the framing knob and or intermittent, you would have known it was at one end of it's travel, before you threaded. And the next question is, why was it so far from centered to begin with, someone regularly threads out of frame?

You should of double checked the turret catch before pressing the start button.

Etc.

It's good that these things churn your stomach, but it can be avoided.

You'll save yourself from the need to purchase tums on an ongoing basis.
 

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Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 02-27-2004, 02:24 PM:
 
Brad, you are right, it was all my fault. And yes, my backup projectionists threads out of frame alot, after I showed him how not to. All that should have been avoided, it was before that showing, and it has been after that showing. I dont know what happened, there is no excuse, so I wont try and make one up. It just makes me look like I dont know what the hell Im doing, and then to have someone ask me why Im stressed about it. I guess, because to them its a job, but to me, this is my career. All that a few days after the owner said he wants me to take some courses to learn tech stuff, so I can be the tech for his theaters. I know it doesnt seem like it from my mistakes in my post, but I am alot better at my job than that. Just chalk it up to experience like you said. Thanks.
 

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Posted by Floyd Justin Newton (Member # 1316) on 02-27-2004, 02:45 PM:
 
Now, that's a good attitude...

fjn
 

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Posted by Brad Allen (Member # 470) on 02-27-2004, 03:11 PM:
 
Very good attitude indeed.

Jeremy, Its best to try to learn to not let mistakes stress you out. That increase's the likely hood of screw ups. Keep your wits about you at all times. It may help you avoid a major catastrophe on a really bad "booth" day. Remember, happens. And if you can make yourself treat mistakes as simply a learning experience, you can train yourself to handle practically anything.

Hope your employer appreciates your attitude and conscience.
 

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Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 02-27-2004, 10:08 PM:
 
Jeremy...

If you have time (or can make it), I'd resist taking anyone's work for granted, especially since you know you have a problem with the quality of your "backup's" operating technique. I don't just walk up and start a machine that someone else has threaded without giving it a quick once-over first... and we have a very short list of people who are even allowed within sight of our projectors. It doesn't take me long to verify that a machine was threaded up correctly, but I do it just the same.

In your case, it sounds like 30 or 40 seconds looking over the machine before you started it would have minimized the problems you wound up having to fix... and were possibly blamed for.
 

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Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 02-27-2004, 11:42 PM:
 
People do make mistakes, not really a big deal in itself.

What would be a big deal is if YOU saw the problem and didn't care enough to fix it.

On occasion I too make mistakes. I would say 1 of every 100 threads would start out of frame, usually because I forgot to set the intermittent to rest before threading. I want to slap myself everytime because like everyone else has said, if I would have checked it wouldn't have happened.

Anytime you start a movie whether there is noone, one person or 1,000 people it should be as perfect as you can get it.

I always get upset a little when my boss tells me corporate is coming for a visit and that everything needs to be perfect. My presentation is going to be the same in an empty audiorium as it would for the CEO.
 

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Posted by Jesse August (Member # 1798) on 02-28-2004, 07:06 PM:
 
Chris
Why run a show when the theatre is empty?
 

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Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 02-28-2004, 07:14 PM:
 
Why not? Electricity is cheap, and you're not using much with the lamp off and the sound system left in non-sync. Why risk having your schedule thrown off by somebody showing up late with a ticket (or someone/something selling somebody a ticket late).
 

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Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 02-29-2004, 02:19 AM:
 
what's the best way of doing this -- just starting the motor (no failsafe), or cutting power to the lamp (rectifier) then starting as normal with automation?

carl
 

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Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 02-29-2004, 02:30 AM:
 
Depends on the automation. If you can disable the lamp ignition (some automations have a lamp AUTO / OFF / ON switch), do that (set to off).

If you're really in to not only saving lamp hours, but saving power, make sure you switch the sound system back into non-sync.

Usually I leave the sync (film's) sound on though, since you'll often have someone complain that you started the movie half way through for them if the film sound isn't already 'on' when they walk in.

Whatever you do make sure you can ignite the lamp at any time during the show or else it defeats the purpose.
 

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Posted by Wolff King Morrow (Member # 2226) on 02-29-2004, 08:07 AM:
 
Edit:

My apologies for editing my posts. I was informed by my employers that I am not allowed to discuss anything pertaining to operation, proceedures, profits, or wages of the company I work for on this or any other public media. Please note I was NOT aware of such a policy, so I apologize for the disruption of the thread.

Thanks for your understanding on this. -Wolff

[ 03-02-2004, 09:54 PM: Message edited by: Wolff King Morrow ]
 

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Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 03-01-2004, 04:01 AM:
 
but why run it all manual? as soon as that ticket is sold, hit start and turn off the motor. you may still have to manually open the douser, switch the sound, and dim the lights, depending on if the feature has started, etc., but you won't have to worry about shutting down.

carl
 

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Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 03-01-2004, 11:02 AM:
 
Not sure about your question, Carl.

You don't want to run anything manual, unless you plan to sit there and wait for someone to buy a ticket. Starting your automation as usual, but "manually" turning off your lamp keeps all of your automation's protection in place, should something go wrong. You'd also want to choose the mode that lets you turn off the lamp AND your hour meter, if this is something that might happen frequently in your theatre. Just disabling an ignition switch (Irem, Neumade?) would probably leave your hour meter running.

The rest of it is a matter of personal choice... whether to manual the lights to some setting, or where to leave the sound. We don't let the sound run in film mode, because our doors stay open in an empty auditorium. Those with those nifty magnetic door holders wouldn't have to worry about that, though!

On manual motor (or lamp) operations... especially with a TA-10... resist at all costs the temptation to let your staff use these switches at startup time! It's almost guaranteed that, once they start messing with them, one will get left on through an entire show. I disconnected the manual lamp switch on my 4K auditorium because the manual switch occasionally got "accidentally" left on.
 

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Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 03-02-2004, 02:55 AM:
 
i was arguing against running manually, which is what i thought wolff was suggesting.

we have ta-10's and my current starting procedure is to thread early on the leader, motor up to a certain point, then press "start" and turn off the motor. i'll admit to leaving the motor on a few times initially, but now turning it off is "automatic".

carl
 

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Posted by Rob Butler (Member # 2274) on 03-31-2004, 03:44 PM:
 
Back on to the original topic of this thread, I know exactly how you feel about people's perception of booth operations. I lost count of how many ushers that seem jelous because while they're working hard, I'm just "sitting there enjoying the movies". Or the people that don't care about showmanship as long as they get their paycheck on Friday.
 

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Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 03-31-2004, 07:50 PM:
 
It's the classic hierarchy: concession thinks ushers are lazy, ushers think box staff is lazy, box staff thinks floor (managerial) staff is lazy, floor staff thinks booth staff are lazy, and booth staffs think IMAX booth staff are lazy. According to this, IMAX booth staff are the laziest compared to concession ... well, based purely on where the theatre income comes from, this seems true!

ARGH!
 

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Posted by Sam Johnson II (Member # 2157) on 04-01-2004, 12:40 AM:
 

quote:

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Back on to the original topic of this thread, I know exactly how you feel about people's perception of booth operations. I lost count of how many ushers that seem jelous because while they're working hard, I'm just "sitting there enjoying the movies".

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I had this problem where I used to work. The concession people, and I think even some of the managers (who weren't the most competent) viewed the projectionists as lazy. I think this is because our rushes pretty much occured during different times. Because our movies (four of them) started and let out at roughly the same times, we'd be cleaning and threading and stuff back-to-back. Depending on the schedule, when we were done, concession would just be starting their rush of people coming in or be in the middle of it. If we had the full crew working, that means there wasn't much room to help concession, and we didn't have much to do until all for movies were started and the vast majority of the people were cleared out so we could start cleaning it.

Sad to say, this, among other things that I'll not bother getting into, led to a negative working atsmosphere for pretty much everyone. Let's also just say, if I didn't know before, I definitely learned the concept of backstabbing there . Funny how I miss the job, though...oh well, hopefully I can land a job at a new theater being built across town
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 04-01-2004, 03:31 PM:
 
Nobody seems to notice how heavy film cans are until you ask them to help you lug one up the stairs.

Working at the megaplex, it wasn't too bad because we had an elevator that went from the booth to the loading dock. But, here, there are no elevators. Ya' gotta' carry the stinkin' things up the stairs. Furthermore, I have to lug them from the mail room which is in another building across campus.

When the film comes in, I always get a call from the mail room to come pick them up. When I get there, they invariably complain how heavy they are. I just look at them and say, "No shit?!" I have to carry them from the mail room, across campus, up the stairs and back again for every film we play! They only have to move them, maybe 20 feet, from the receiving room to the pick-up area!

One time, we got two films in one delivery. I didn't have a dolly handy so I carried them all in one trip, bellhop style. You should have seen the look on their faces! I just told them that, over the years, I have lugged over 1,000 film cans. They think I'm giving them a line of bull.

So, my answer is: If you think I'm lazy, then why don't YOU haul this shit around for a while!

Oh yeah! How did all the projectors get up to the booth? What about that semi-truck full of speakers? Who unloaded all the seats for every auditorium in the building? How about those popcorn poppers? Add it all up and I'd say that I, PERSONALLY, unloaded 4 or 5 semis full of equipment and supplies in order to get that theater operational! That was just MY share. There was probably about 2 or 3 times that amount I didn't unload. The other guys on the booth crew pitched in, too!

Who do you think they call when the sacks of popcorn and the BIBs of soda need to be stacked in the stock room?

Do you think an usher would do all that?! Don't bet on it! They are all a bunch of wussies!

And they think *I'm* lazy?!
 

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Posted by Rob Butler (Member # 2274) on 04-01-2004, 05:43 PM:
 
You'll find this kind of thinking in every industry. Truck drivers think that train engineers are lazy because all they have to control is the speed. Laborers think that machine operators are lazy because they sit there all day pulling levers, etc. For the most part, ushers aren't allowed into the booth, so they never get to see how much work is actually involved. As far as they know, you just walk in and hit play and the system does the rest. For someone that knows absolutely nothing about how a projection booth works, you can see how when someone hears the term "automation system" they interpret that as "completely automated" or "it's a big DVD player". Every so often, if an usher's giving me s*** about how lazy I am and how hard he has to work, I'll offer to show him the booth when he goes on break, usually, the usher takes me up on the offer, that's when I make him stand there and watch me thread up, after that, I usually seem to get a little more respect from that usher.

I've been laughed at by other employees when they find out how important the presentation quality of a show is to me. To the ushers, it's all about customer service, kindness, and professionalism, they make sure that the guests are happy from the moment they step in the door, till they sit down in the theater, but as soon as their asses hit the seats, that's where I take over, and I take my job seriously, not just because I'm paid to do the job right, and not just because one simple screwup could destroy a whole print, but also because if I screw something up that affects the show, the ushers have to deal with a few hundred angry guests which leaves them angry with me.
 

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Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 04-02-2004, 02:05 AM:
 
Yes, that's the key right there! The fact that your presence as projectionist is NOT NOTICED is the testament to how good a job you're doing. One tends to take for granted that which works its best by staying invisible.

Too bad there isn't a "Great Presentation/Thank You Projection Team" tip jar on the tables where you would find Customer Satisfaction cards. I mean, even if one out of every 500 people through the door on a flawless Saturday night left a buck ... well, that would make me a happy guy.

Okay, well, you could argue that it's our JOB to be flawless, so why should we deserve a tip? Well, wait-staff in a restaurant have the job to take an order and bring out food, and that's precisely what they do (well, nowadays, it's not even your SERVER who actually BRINGS the food, some restaurants), yet tips are perfectly accepted in society for THEM. Hmmm ... perhaps I should do a search on TIPS FOR PROJECTIONISTS threads before I just start ranting on a tangent ...
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 04-02-2004, 07:47 AM:
 
I made a short film in college, showing my fellow Grandview Drive-In projectionist Carl inspecting a print and putting on the show. The title was "The Unseen Showman".

IMHO, floor staff should be shown what happens in the projection room, along with training on what projection and sound problems to look for and listen for as they patrol each auditorium. For example, being able to report if there is a framing or focus problem, or a problem with the sound. Good communication between the floor staff and projection crew is important.
 

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Posted by Rob Butler (Member # 2274) on 04-02-2004, 03:21 PM:
 
You gotta love it when management cuts down on turnaround time to get an extra show in and pins the blame on the projectionist because the show started late.
 

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Posted by Stewart Anderson (Member # 1809) on 04-03-2004, 05:25 PM:
 
My favorite is when they schedule a print to move and interlock with only a few minutes to get it ready. They think about the floor staff and how long it takes to clean a theater but sometimes forget all about the projectionists.
 

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 04-04-2004, 12:29 PM:
 
I found that letting the floor staff "tour" the booth is a bad idea at times. Most really enjoy it, ask questions, and even respect the projectionists more after having seen all that goes on.

But some of them are like little cats. You give them a taste of the "outside world" and they'll meow and meow until you let them go play in it.

=TMP=
 

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Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 04-07-2004, 12:30 PM:
 
As I always say "Being a Projectionist is not a Job. Its AN ART!!!!" And I bet all those who encountered this bloody site and contribute to the forums are the ones who want FILM DONE RIGHT to have a flawless presentation. Now seriously we have to thank Brad Miller for being the GENIUS in starting up this place, Joe Rediffer for his deep trust and loyalty in making sure the site runs fine and of course all the moderators. I know that some contribute more than others but some might not find the time to write. Special Thanks to John Pytlack for he is the LINKMASTER. Mark for all his advices and expertice and of course GORDON. Gordon. I LOVE YOUR RACKS!!! (there are so many we could thank but I only name a few) And Many thanks to all the others in here. I just felt like saying it to all because we are the only ones to know how much to appreciate each other because we know that is a hard work for a projectionist keep everything running smoothly. Of course the more time you spend in the industry the better you become but always ASK when you are not sure. The wisdom of knowledge is learn that you know NOTHING at all. Always accept advices. As for me I steal time every while to jump in and watch the forums. Projectionists need to understand as others have said here that if no one notices them then that means they are doing a good job. I used to be a projectionist/technician but now I am only a technician and I love it when I get to handle projectors, processors e.t.c every now and then. I visit many sites and I hear people comparing presentation in different screens. That is when you see people actually appreciate the projectionist (although they don't know it). Just hang on everyone. Keep doing what we are supposed to do. Making FILM DONE RIGHT. Don't care of what ushers have to say. Always remember. YOU ARE ON TOP. YOU ARE THE KING OF THE CINEMA. WITHOUT YOU THEY CAN NOT WORK. If you choose not to start a movie then who gets the blame??? THEY DO!!! (at the end you get it though from the manager). The point I am stating is that the cinema is a circle. The Projectionist is the middle of the circle. If people don't understand it then just live with it. LIFE IS A COMPROMISE. But you are right. Ushers and floor crew appreciate a projectionist only when they actually see the hard work he/she has to do.
Take care everybody.
Demetris

Because "Being a Projectionist is not a Job. It is an ART"!!
 

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