Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: AMC Booth Procedures.

This is topic AMC Booth Procedures. in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Thomas Dieter (Member # 2507) on 03-07-2005, 09:50 PM:

Currently, I am working for Picture Show, and one of my co-workers was previously employed by AMC until she told them what to do with themselves (from the following I have to wonder if it was the other way around).

From what she told me, the projectionist "film crew" had a nac for building a print, and if they became to tired to finish watching the movie, they would just let the film run and go home, leaving the lamp and everything on. Knowing the possibilities of the film having a problem during the initial run is unlikely, but it can still happen.

Can anyone here confirm this having happened in their theatre before or another? What was the reasoning? This to me would be grounds for relief of duties entirely.

I knew there was a reason that I didn't like to attend AMC theatres, but this isn't it. To me, it's just the presentation of the theatre that turns me away from AMC really.

Posted by Jason Gazaille (Member # 2846) on 03-07-2005, 10:14 PM:

I worked for AMC for over a year and a half. We would almost always screen every print all the way through. If we did get into a pinch, we would run it and keep a close eye on it from the booth or have someone sit in the first show. Our projectors would have stopped on their own anyway. We had automation that would shut down the lamp. I thought most AMC's did. I left the company because I didn't want to work on the floor. I also got tired of coming in for 5 or 6 hour shifts. I found a job as a full-time projectionist where I am at now and I'm much happier, though I do miss the people I worked with at AMC. Most of them were nice people to work with.

Posted by R. Andrew Diercks (Member # 1725) on 03-07-2005, 10:32 PM:

I have acutally left a theatre only once while a movie was running unattended. This was for good reason: While viewing a film on seat a few rows back began rocking on it's own. Freaked my ass out, had to leave. I'm not confirming or denying the existence of ghosts but it was still freaky. I would never do that again, and if an employee of mine did, I would probably can them. Luckily when I left, my boss at the time was right with me without even saying a word.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 03-08-2005, 12:33 AM:

All this seems to vary based on the individual theatre. I never heard of anyone intentionally starting a film and then going home (which would be incredibly stupid), but there was one time when a manager didn't feel like shutting the booth down (or even checking the auditoria) at the end of the night. One print (a beat-up print of Pearl Harbor) brainwrapped during the credits and the lamp (2kw) and projector ran all night. Surprisingly, there was no long-term damage to the equipment (even the lens was fine after a good cleaning). [Roll Eyes]

The "official" AMC policy was that all prints were supposed to be pre-screened, but they wouldn't pay us for it, so it didn't happen at the 5-plex unless someone wanted to watch the film. At the 10-plex and 16-plex, there were more employees and pre-screenings were more common. In any event, there was always someone in the auditorium or booth during the screenings.

In Massachusetts, it is illegal to run film without a licensed projectionist in the building (or in the booth if there is no failsafe mechanism installed). In theatres with multiple booths, there is supposed to be a licensed projectionist in one of the booths at all times (though this is commonly ignored).

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-08-2005, 10:56 AM:

quote: Scott Norwood
The "official" AMC policy was that all prints were supposed to be pre-screened, but they wouldn't pay us for it

This sounds a lot like Wal-Mart "requiring" employees to put in hours off the clock (which Wal-Mart was successfully sued for and had to pay restitution to employees that were screwed). I'm not doubting what Scott's saying, I'm just trying to figure out how AMC (or any other exhibitor) could require new prints to be screened, but refuse to pay someone to do it.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-08-2005, 11:14 AM:

the number of times I have had togo out and replace a burned lens when someone did just that and the automation didn't do its thing for some reason [Mad]

as for doing a kob requirement off the clock it is in ontario at least ilegal to be in the work place working and not on the clock. There is no workmans comp and the fines against both the employer and amployee can be very severe

Posted by Dean Kollet (Member # 1789) on 03-08-2005, 11:37 AM:

It's theatre-specific. I worked for AMC for two years and we always had employees there to screen prints. We never let them "run through" and if anyone did anything like that, they would have been fired. If we were in a pickle, booth people would watch them go through, but we were never paid. Never. They just started paying them a few weeks ago I heard because they were having too many problems.

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 03-08-2005, 03:13 PM:

I worked at an AMC where we actually did pay people to screen prints for a while, but that started when the theater was under a different set of managers than when it stopped.
The funny (or sad, you pick) thing is that screenings were still paid under the new set of managers without them even realizing it for nearly a whole year and only stopped when "budget concerns" and it was made known that we actually were paying people to do it.
From that point on, a print would be screened with a warm body in there only if someone wanted to watch it.
Otherwise, we watched the trailers from the booth and tried to remember to check on it every 15 or 20 minutes.
After a while I stopped getting upset over problems not being reported even if there was a live body in the theater.
It all became a case of "You get what you pay for."

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 03-08-2005, 05:55 PM:

I'm sure it depends on the theatre management. Despite what the policy book said, we were never required to screen films by theatre management, and thus we did not, unless someone wanted to watch the film. In practice, it was a nonissue.

The policy book also mandated the use of silver paint markers to indicate reel ends. That got ignored as well.

Posted by Dean Kollet (Member # 1789) on 03-08-2005, 06:23 PM:

And the policy that said we couldn't use Yellow splicing tape b/c if affected the presentation.....but it was ok to go into a 75% filled house and ask them to move to a different theatre so that we could sell more tickets...again, sets of managers are different.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 03-08-2005, 09:18 PM:

At our theater (AMC) we occasionally get asked by home office if we're screening all the movies. When we tell them "no" they don't understand why, and they yell at us. We also get told by other people at home office that we don't have money in the budget to pay people to screen movies, so stop asking for approval.

Sometimes we get notes in the cans asking us in the nicest language possible, short of "pretty please with cherries on top" to run the films through before showing them to the public and make sure they're ok. Then those same distributors send the prints at 7:00 PM on Thursday night. Our Thursday nights are over by 11 PM - we have no late round.

I'm thinking in particular of "The Village" where they printed up really nice cardboard notes in the can that said (paraphrasing) "Remember that the best way to ensure a successful open is to run the print through to check it before showing it." Unfortunately, we didn't see that note in time because even though they sent us the movie over 24 hours in advance, they didn't give us the combination to the padlocks on the cans until two hours before show time. Thanks guys! [fu]

Now this may sound harsh, but too bad. This entire industry is fucking retarded when it comes to this, and I wish to God that NATO and the MPAA would get together and once and for all get their heads out of their asses and figure out what the hell they want to do, and then DO IT. Sorry, but this pisses me off. Actually, no, I'm not sorry. Click here to see why screening prints before showing them to the public is a fantastic idea that should be embraced by everyone. But until the industry does that, every theater will make up their own policy, and unfortunatly, stupid crap like what was posted at the beginning of this thread will be common place.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-08-2005, 09:44 PM:

So allow me to paraphrase. The AMC home office has thoughtfully provided a nice policy manual for each of its theaters. But AMC then fails to empower anyone in the chain of command to actually carry out those policies, at least in the booth.

Why not cut through all the BS and issue a new policy manual stating that Job 1 for every theater manager is to maximize his location's short-term profitability. Get rid of the extraneous "shadow policies" and just be open about it.

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 03-08-2005, 09:56 PM:

Because that would be too easy.

It is not theater policy to screen prints...but however, I do try and watch all films that are built up the day before or the morning of just to be safe.

Kurt

[ 04-06-2005, 06:58 PM: Message edited by: Kurt Zupin ]

Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 03-09-2005, 12:36 AM:

Careful guys.. A projectionist I had working for me I was able to get because he was run out of his booth manager job at a chain for saying stuff on Film-Tech that the chain did not like..

Posted by Jason Gazaille (Member # 2846) on 03-09-2005, 02:25 AM:

In a response to Mark,
What if you DO screen the print, and call the depot to get the reel replaced immediately, and yet you don't get one? What if you get 6 prints from the ETS depot only 7 hours before the first run of the morning? We do our absolute best at our theatre to screen them as early as possible but if you get no support, is it really worth it?
We screen our prints for build-up errors more than anything and almost always there are none. Reel replacements usually never come in time for the public not to see it. I still haven't gotten my R-4 for The Jacket yet...

Posted by Brian Hogan (Member # 940) on 03-09-2005, 04:21 AM:

the problem always comes from the projectionist-vs.-manager dilemma. correct me if im wrong, but projectionists HATE when managers (other than the booth manager) tell them what needs to be done. i can understand this to a point because many managers dont really know much when it comes to booth. but for the managers who DO know how things run in the booth, they should step in if they see something not right.

projectionists HATED when i would watch a regularly scheduled movie and then report to them that i found a couple of lab splices a week after it was built and screened. hated me for it because i found them not doing their job AND not paying them for screening that movie because of not doing their job.

Posted by Wolff King Morrow (Member # 2226) on 03-09-2005, 04:50 AM:

I assume you're looking for a lab splice in that avatar picture? [Big Grin]

Posted by Dean Kollet (Member # 1789) on 03-09-2005, 07:26 AM:

quote: Jim Ziegler
Careful guys.. A projectionist I had working for me I was able to get because he was run out of his booth manager job at a chain for saying stuff on Film-Tech that the chain did not like..

Agreed, but then again, I hope that people think when they are posting. I got in trouble for posting a problem I was having with an SDDS processor. I ended up fixing it 30 minutes before we had a big screening of a movie, but I still got in trouble. And for what? I guess it was 'secret' that AMC (which I didn't say I worked for in any of my posts about the topic) has SDDS processors in a lot of their houses.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 03-09-2005, 09:11 AM:

quote: Jason Gazaille
What if you DO screen the print, and call the depot to get the reel replaced immediately, and yet you don't get one?

We did our part. As much as we hate the situation, at least we did everything we could, and we get to bitch at someone... in this case, the depot.

quote: Jason Gazaille
What if you get 6 prints from the ETS depot only 7 hours before the first run of the morning?

Well, that would be BAD. And that's exactly what I'm talking about. It's not just the theaters, the distributors and the depots have to get in on this to fix it too. We had our print of Gods & Generals show up less than an hour before the first show. For those that don't remember, that was a 14 reel movie, with an intermission in the MIDDLE of reel 8 - which needed to be located and "cue'd" to bring the lights up and down. We couldn't even build up the trailers while we waited for the print because... the trailers were coming in the can - which is a rant for another thread. Not only was it on screen less than five minutes late, but the print was flawlessly built up, and we were the only theater in town that did NOT cancel the first show. The theater down the street from us put up a sign that said "SOLD OUT" according to our customers.

quote: Jason Gazaille
We do our absolute best at our theatre to screen them as early as possible but if you get no support, is it really worth it?

So do we. And you're right that it sucks that the home office and the movie companies don't back us up in that endeavor. That's why NATO and the MPAA need to get together and make a decision and stick to it.

Posted by Wolff King Morrow (Member # 2226) on 03-09-2005, 03:54 PM:

quote: Dean Kollet
Agreed, but then again, I hope that people think when they are posting. I got in trouble for posting a problem I was having with an SDDS processor. I ended up fixing it 30 minutes before we had a big screening of a movie, but I still got in trouble. And for what? I guess it was 'secret' that AMC (which I didn't say I worked for in any of my posts about the topic) has SDDS processors in a lot of their houses.

I heard from a tech that AMC has an aggressive zero-tolerance policy against employees posting on Film-Tech about procedures. I can understand certain things need to be kept confidential, but when you're merely asking for help on a technical issue, theater chains should be thankful you care enough about your job to get the answers you need.

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 03-09-2005, 04:59 PM:

Wolff, that's pretty stupid, but it wouldn't surprise me.
I ran came across a few myself who really discouraged use of this site period.
I was once told that there were some who though I was a bright guy, but I "just needed to get off that Film-Tech site" which made me laugh.
No one ever told me that I COULDN'T post though.
Not that I would let them tell me that in the first place.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 03-09-2005, 10:14 PM:

I know some folks get their feathers ruffled when I post here, but I've never been told not to either.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-09-2005, 10:23 PM:

Face it guys, there will always be some of the higher-ups who are greatly embarassed when one of their workers post something that they feel is stupid or should have otherwise have known better, for it puts on display their poor training. Also whenever a higher-up does something retarded or just plain wrong, they don't want THEIR bosses to read about it.

What you do off of company hours is however none of anyone's business except your own. This includes whether you like to go to bars, walk around the mall or post on an internet site. That being said, if you come across a situation such as a manager refusing to hire someone because of their race, it would be in poor taste to state the person's name and where they work. Just use common sense. It's like Wolff said, your superiors SHOULD BE HAPPY that you care enough about your job to spend part of your time off learning how to improve your presentations. I would hate to work for anyone that did not appreciate the extra effort.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-10-2005, 12:38 AM:

quote: Mark J. Marshall
I know some folks get their feathers ruffled when I post here, but I've never been told not to either.

I fully agree here, plus what Brad has posted.

Being around the film world a good few years has made me somewhat well known in a few states, and sometimes gained "notorious" status in what I do and what I have done.

Then with my newly introduced presense here on FT, this catagory of being "notorious" has been magnified some since now I'm being watch by my followers and peers, present and former, domestic and worldwide.

I've worked with many large circuits, some have pulled out of the cities that I've worked in, some have gone out of business all together and some have merged with other circuits. In almost all cases with these changes has caused within me, good and bad attitudes about the changes.

Sometimes, when we get "too good" in our trade, we get pretty well set on how things are supposed to run - kind of a King and his Kingdom....the EMPIRE that we have created.

But when the company that we work for decides to make a major change, mainly by mergers decides on different operational conditions, good or bad, we DO get our feathers fluffed real bad.

When we do get our feathers fluffed, keep our comments to ourselves and don't "bitch and whine" about your shortcomings from present and former employers here on FT, for this site has gained somewhat worldwide attention and the large circuits are also watching this site as well.

If you're going to gripe and complain about things, use the email section, so the comments can be kept private and not be publicially announced.

I present this for I've done the same: griped on my past work experiences with a circuit that I worked for, here on FT. And eventually heard that my comments weren't appreciated, thus accidently "burn my bridge" so to say, which I wasn't planning on. Thus, now I keep comments to myself on how circuits operate after this "waking up" that I experienced.

Never worked for AMC ....

Just think, if Brad didn't invent FG, where would we be then?

thx-monte

Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 03-10-2005, 06:02 AM:

At my favorite theate chain, booth personnel were required to screen prints...especially is it was a major release. Screening prints was done of the employees off-time. The company considered the privledge of being able to privatly screen a film after-hours was payment enough.

Cheers

K

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 03-10-2005, 10:52 AM:

quote: Will Kutler was the last to post
required

quote: Will Kutler
privledge

Doesnt make much sense to me...

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-10-2005, 11:49 AM:

quote: Will Kutler
The company considered the privledge of being able to privatly screen a film after-hours was payment enough

It would be interesting to see the employer make that argument in front of a judge. There is NO WAY IN HELL that would stand up legally. A company cannot require, or pressure, hourly employees to do ANY work, including screening new prints, off-the-clock. "Screen the prints on your own time or we might have to fire your ass, because someone else will want your job bad enough that they'll work off-the-clock." I don't think so. That's total BS.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-10-2005, 02:24 PM:

quote: David Stambaugh
"Screen the prints on your own time or we might have to fire your ass, because someone else will want your job bad enough that they'll work off-the-clock."

Yep. Total BS!

..I always tell employess of the circuit that used to I work for, that if EVER they set foot into the theatre to do anything related to the theatre, to make sure that they sign in. These employees use to come in on their own time to help out on stuff if that theatre was short handed or another.

..don't give the company ANY of your free time!

-Monte

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 03-10-2005, 04:39 PM:

quote:
Yep. Total BS!

Yep. Will is full of shit. That is not a policy at that circuit.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-10-2005, 04:48 PM:

If an off-the-clock screening policy is something dreamed up by a local hotshot manager, that person is putting the company at risk of being sued. The corporate office should formally and sternly warn local managers NOT to be doing anything like that.

Posted by Thomas Dieter (Member # 2507) on 03-10-2005, 07:27 PM:

quote:
quote: Will Kutler was the last to post
required

quote: Will Kutler
privledge

Doesnt make much sense to me...

I don't see how it dosen't make sence. Infact, it makes total sence. If you are watching the movie, it's just like you going to a midnight showing of it. Now if they required you to fix any problems that there are with the print, then I would understand having to be on the clock. I have to say that the theatres that I have worked for have paid me to preview the show as I was the person that built the print. If anyone else from the theatre watched it, they were to be off the clock. Only makes sence to pay the person that built it to watch it to fix it when the film is done.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-10-2005, 08:58 PM:

Cinemark used to pull that crap where they wouldn't pay the projectionist to screen the movie and interestingly enough used the same "priviledge" yet "required" tactic. I don't think they do that anymore though.

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 03-10-2005, 09:18 PM:

They didn't when I worked for them (1999-2003).

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 03-10-2005, 10:01 PM:

If ANY company wants to insure proper presentation, they shoudl REQUIRE that all prints be screened, whether by a mamber of management, or by the operators, or by a staff member TRAINED at what to look for...

Anyone who is responsible for checking a film during a screening SHOULD BE PAID TO DO SO. End of story. I'm not saying that ALL employees who WANT to watch the screening should be paid, but the one who will report any problems SHOULD be.

In the end, you get what you pay for. Out of frame splices that the public sees on Fridays are nothing more than piss poor management, be it on the local level or on up the food chain.

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 03-10-2005, 10:06 PM:

I pay one person PER SCREENED PRINT.

However, that person is required to fix any problems IMMEDIATELY. I am not going to pay someone to watch a movie, only to have the same missplice Friday morning cause they didn't feel like fixing it.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-10-2005, 10:27 PM:

Mike, I quit Cinemark in Feb 1993. I think it was sometime early 1992 they started paying one projectionist to screen prints, but was under the impression that we were the exception and others theaters still weren't paying their staff.

Again this is all 10+ years ago. Still, there was a time...

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 03-10-2005, 10:36 PM:

I don't doubt it ...

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 03-10-2005, 11:29 PM:

Mike,

I somewhat agree with what you stated.. More often than not, my booth guys are busy breaking down while films are screened. The person being paid gets a radio.. and will contact the booth, who will take care of the problem. It simply isn't possible to have my booth fokls do it all.. build/break/screen every week. I onlyhave three guys and I split the approx. 90s/week between the three of them.

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 03-10-2005, 11:37 PM:

I was always in favor of late screenings. We didn't start screening our pictures until all of the prints were broken down. It also prevented some of the riff-raff (high school employees trying to bring friends, etc) from attempting to come to the screenings. I was never a big fan of "employee party" screenings ... the employees can come opening weekend (as long as the picture isn't sold out for that particular show - which was usually rare). I never strictly disallowed extra employees from screening, but the later it started, the fewer would show up. Usually, they would start around 1:30. I took the first film to be screened, as being salaried, I was "free" for payroll budget purposes ... and then would add one paid employee/manager for each subsequent movie that needed to be screened. If we had 5 movies ... I screened one ... and paid 4 other people to screen one each. They'd usually be on the clock until around 3:30 ... but it's my payroll budget.

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 03-11-2005, 09:05 AM:

quote: Thomas Dieter
If you are watching the movie, it's just like you going to a midnight showing of it

I realize that, but theres a big difference if I'm a customer or employee who decided to come watch a midnight show or if I'm an employee (booth or floor employee) who is being required to screen a print. I guess its my privilege to stay at work off the clock, when I can be at home asleep.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 03-11-2005, 09:52 AM:

One person should get paid to screen each movie. The privilege is for all the other employees to stick around and WATCH the movie(s) too if they want to.

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 03-11-2005, 10:02 AM:

Hourly employees MUST be paid for any required work time, including previewing. This is federal law. Salaried employees are screwed, as it would be part of the job.

Posted by Chase Hanson (Member # 2779) on 03-11-2005, 03:02 PM:

I think there is a pretty big distinction in terms that is being lost here...in reguards to the translation of Corporate Policy (theory) and Theater Policy (practical).

Policy requires that all prints be screened proir to demonstration to the general public, OR a sit in evaluation is done on the first showtime on the opening day (or something like that). By a booth operator, other qualified crew member (Crew Leads or Operations Coordinators) or a member of management.

The practical application of this varies, at the 3 theaters that i know of, Screening duties were generally split between thursday teardown crew, Fridays build up crew; and Voluntary screenings be they Open Employee screenings offered by a member of the management team or Limited Privledge Technical screenings offered to booth operators to voluntarily attended. IE

Me: Hey you wanna come in at 11pm and watch Willy Wonka...

BO: OMG LYKE TOTALLY, JOHNNY DEPP IS SOOOOO HOOOOTTTT...can I bring my friend? She really likes Johnny Depp too.

Me: Yeah that should be cool.

And then i get a sterns talkin to from the Senior because I technically dont have the authority to permit non-employees to view non-public screenings. [uhoh]

Posted by Amanda Jones (Member # 3326) on 11-05-2005, 01:37 AM:

I was searching for a different topic and came across this so I decided to add my two cents.

Worked for GCC turned AMC and we NEVER screened prints. Once in a good while I was asked to screen prints but it was rare and it was always the crappy movies that we ended up not getting a single customer for.

As for employee screening parties I know that the 3 AMC's here in town do them but at my theater now we don't. The manager screening the print is allowed to bring 2 people with them. Everyonce in awhile we will reward one of our staff a chance to screen a movie. The other night we were shorthanded on managers to screen movies so we allowed one of our employees to screen it.

Posted by Thomas Dieter (Member # 2507) on 11-06-2005, 03:21 AM:

Wow, I'm glad that I saw this thread come up again. I just recently went up to an AMC theatre to watch Flightplan. I was actually there to see the opeening show of Doom, but due to other complications I was late, and had decided to go see the above.

I purchased my ticket, and was not impressed by the digital display in the boxoffice with missing letters on shows. Having not had anything for breakfast, I bought a thing of Resees Bites [not the best of choices, but I'm at a movie theatre] and a large Sprite [I HATE COKE PRODUCT COMPANIES!!!!] This cost me more than my ticket [Eek!]

. I waited for my friend who also got something to eat and drink, and proceeded to our movie. We were 30 seconds late or so as the first preview had started. I sat down, and looked at the screen, it was slightly blury. The preview ended, and it didn't get better. I mentioned that I would be right back, and went and told the ticket taker, and I quote: "Would you tell your operator to focus Flightplan?!" [<----- I told that to my manager, and she chuckled]

They confirmed the movie and house it was in, and radioed to them. I went back in, and it was still out of focus, and sat back down in my seat. The preview was just about over, and during it's credits, I saw it become focusd. At the same time, I saw [I assume] a manager walk in and look at the booth, and then back at the screen a number of times. The movie was focused, and the manger left.

The final preview I saw was the Cell Phone Policy trailer, which caught me off guard, and I thought someone's phone was going off, and I started to look for them. Then I saw on screen it was saying to turn them off or silent. From what I saw, I was not the only one that pulled out the cell phone to turn off/silence their phone.

All in all, A good movie, slightly dirty, and fairly steady.

AMC West Oaks 14
Ocoee, FL
My rating of them. **/*****
Their prices is what killed their rating. Never had I paid more for my concessions when purchasing 2 items.