Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: National Amusements trailer policy

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Posted by Robert L. Fischer (Member # 2424) on 10-17-2004, 02:17 AM:

Is it the policy of every National Amusements theater to cut the credits off (or cue the zipper or whatever)? I saw Team America at one on Friday night and the credits stopped abruptly about half-way in. I was extremely pissed off because I read about the additional lyrics and whatnot and didn't get to hear it. If it weren't for the fact that I was in a hurry, I would've complained then and there, but I may go back later. Does anyone know anything about this? What a HORRIBLE policy...

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 10-17-2004, 02:47 AM:

I'd say either the idiot cued it wrong or it was a print from a special screening and didn't remove the cue tape.
That happened to me once, the idiots who built the print didn't take off the old tape (it was played but it was an opening day print that had no sneaks) and it shut down at the beginning of the credits.

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 10-17-2004, 12:24 PM:

Robert,

Every contract I have signed for exhibition of films has been worded to say that the films will be shown "in their entirety". I, and the companies I have worked for, have always taken that to mean the credits and even the final rating bar are to be seen by the audience.

Dominic,

There is some inconsistency in the use of Q materials. If the machine edge foil is for lights up in one house it may be the end of show on another system. If the soundtrack side is for end of show on some automations it may not be for others. If the sensors are wired differently the results will also be different, perhaps even opposite. The only real guarantee of proper operation in your automation is to remove ALL prior attached Qs and install new ones at the proper locations for your equipment.

KEN

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 10-18-2004, 04:24 AM:

i see this sometimes. even if it doesn't shut down, the film may change sound formats, or the lights may do the wrong thing. sometimes it will happen after the 3rd reel if it's been played off 6k's. that's why operators should always...

1) remove all cues when shipping out
2) wind slowly through the credits during inspection, watching closely for spurious cues (if they're in the center they can't be felt in passing)
3) pre-screen the print (the whole print, including the credits)

carl

Posted by Jeff Taylor (Member # 443) on 10-18-2004, 08:45 AM:

I've had extensive business dealings with NA and have spent a good deal of time in their booths with both senior company management and local managers / projectionists. They definitely do not have a policy of cutting credits, and in fact have a centralized projectionist training facility that tries to promote "film done right".

Posted by Peter Hall (Member # 695) on 10-18-2004, 12:16 PM:

I agree with Jeff - their policy here is to raise the lights to half after any "feature" credits (eg Shark Tale, Nemo etc) and then only stop after the very final credit. If however they have a break for any reason and the operator "starts" instead of "restarts" (common) then the shutter will close and the CP switch to Non Sync on the lights up pulse.

I find National Amusements' presentation very good here - their theaters are perhaps a little dull but all screens have SRD and most have twin subs and baffle walls. Their kit is also consistent - Centurys (apart from one experiment with Christie), Christie platters and consoles. Their sites are scarily standardised.

Posted by Robert L. Fischer (Member # 2424) on 10-18-2004, 01:59 PM:

Well, it also happened when I saw Shaun of the Dead there and my friend mentioned that it's happened other times. I typically don't frequent that particular location unless there's something I really want to see there, so maybe it's just that theater or a couple of flukes.

Posted by Jeff Taylor (Member # 443) on 10-18-2004, 02:24 PM:

Peter: Generally the same "kit" here in the states; century heads, Christie consoles and platters, JBL dual sub packages, Ashley amps, and yes--they do standardize! They are also highly solvent and pay their bills.

Posted by Joseph Pandolfi (Member # 223) on 10-22-2004, 05:48 AM:

I also work for NA in the booth and we also have the same equipment of Century/Christie package. Also Entertainment Engineering Automation where we "peg the board" for each cue. Sometimes the cue detector will inadvertently pick up a cue even if there is no tape there and "pulse" the automation into the next sequence which in this case shut down the show. It rarely happens but if it does on my watch I would always manually restart the show (motor, lamp, c/o etc.) and bring the automation back online later. I would never motor the rest of the show out. It is not National Amusements Policy to train their managers/operators to do that.

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 10-26-2004, 06:05 PM:

The cue detector's sensitivity might need to be adjusted. Or possibly the automation is matrixed wrong. Either way, it seems to be operator attention at issue.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 10-26-2004, 06:55 PM:

(waiting for Brad to tell us that a CA21 won't do this... [Razz]

)

A TA10 would do exactly this. Assuming for the moment that it wasn't intentional, an early cue would run the shutdown sequence through, and the film would simply motor out.

We have a couple of theatres in our area where this would be entirely reasonable to expect, as the operators don't appear to look at the show after it first hits the screen.

On the other hand, my old antique co-operators do shut the motors down at the end of the sequence... though I expect the honking horns out in my fields would be my first indication of trouble.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 10-26-2004, 08:20 PM:

Followed by the invariably huge guy that shows up banging on the booth door.