Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Interview Questions

This is topic Interview Questions in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Dan Suomi (Member # 2585) on 02-23-2010, 01:37 PM:

Does anyone have a set of interview questions that they ask people in job interviews for a 35 mm booth position? I just fly by the seat of my pants when interviewing people and I would like to have a set questions list specific to booth.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 02-23-2010, 02:33 PM:

I have no idea how this relates to the projectionist position, but typical job interview questions are a pet peeve of mine. It has been a number of years since I was last in the job market, but here are some of my thoughts:

When I have interviewed or been interviewed for IT/software-related positions, I have always hated the textbook style job interview questions: "tell me about yourself"; "what is your greatest strength/weakness?"; "where do you see yourself in five years?"; etc. I really don't think that this type of question/answer format provides any useful information about the candidate.

I also think that specific technical questions ("what are the exact commands needed to enable BGP on a Cisco model XXXX router with XX.X IOS?") are pretty useless. If the candidate is smart and interested, he should be able to learn how to use any piece of hardware or software. Any specific knowledge will be obsolete in a few years. Therefore, I think that interview time is better spent trying to figure out whether the candidate can work with the others at the company and whether the candidate is smart and interested in the job, rather than trying to see if he already has some specific piece of knowledge.

Finally, I dislike personality tests (which are insulting) and Microsoft/Google-type interview questions ("you have some balls and a balance scale; how do you determine which ball is heavier/lighter than the others by using the balance as few times as possible?"). The algorithm-type questions may have some value for software positions, but the value is limited, and they take a great deal of interview time.

Rather than doing any of that, I strongly prefer interviews that are based more on dialogue than specific questions. I like to ask people about previous positions, what they did there, what problems they encountered, how they solved those problems, and why the chose the solutions that they did. This can show confidence and intelligence (or lack thereof) as well as gives the candidate a chance to demonstrate some knowledge and reasoning.

Just as important is the question of whether the candidate can work with the existing employees. A smart, knowledgeable employee is useless (or maybe worse than useless) if everyone hates him. It is important to find someone who knows when to fight to do the "right" or "correct" thing and when to accept the general consensus in the organization. It is also important to find someone who can clearly communicate information in a correct and concise manner. It is worth spending some time in a job interview to determine this. Similarly, I do think that there is some value to asking about a candidate's hobbies and activites outside of work. The best people whom I have worked with have all had strong non-work-related interests.

The above applies most directly to my experience in the IT and software industry, but the general ideas are valid for any interview.

Posted by Matt Gress (Member # 5377) on 02-24-2010, 01:52 PM:

In my booth, its "How do you feel about: heavy lifting, heights, solitude, troubleshooting, long hours, late nights." Then I like to know, "Are you mechanically inclined and can you keep cool under pressure?"

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 02-24-2010, 03:36 PM:

I'm sort of with Matt, I have them watch what I do for the evening while chatting with them about what's involved, hours, the need to do it all correctly every time, etc.
At some point I point out that the job also involves long periods of solitude sometimes with not much to do and that can be difficult for some people and that if you can't do something to keep awake or stave off boredom, or feel the need to do some drugs this is not the job for you. Reading is allowed as is internet surfing, homework. No TV.

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 02-24-2010, 04:07 PM:

I think this belongs in the Ground Level forum.

Posted by Elise Brandt (Member # 5552) on 02-26-2010, 10:56 AM:

You have to scare them off [Big Grin]

with the truth. You'll be alone all night, when you hit a problem you'll have to deal with it yourself or sink, you can't have friends around, just maybe a book. You can't sit there and nod off, you have to keep an eye on everything at once and be prepared; although most of the time nothing happens, the second it does you need to be there.

Most effectively explained while demonstrating.

Just have to point out, very much off topic that your name "Suomi" is Finnish for Finland.

Posted by Alan Plester (Member # 852) on 02-27-2010, 05:05 AM:

One of my favorite questions to throw at candidates is " what do you think the job involves" this I have found to get a huge silence, whilst they think very hard before answering then when they have answered, you tell em like it is.
Had some candidates the other week for the amusement arcade that I work in,threw the question at them, the answers can be quite staggering, even laughable, but to my mind it`s a good one and gets them to stretch the thinking.

Posted by Jeff Logan (Member # 1163) on 03-08-2010, 07:36 PM:

I always ask them what make and model of equipment they ran at their previous theatres. If they can rattle off the makes and models of the head, soundhead, lamphouse, platter and sound system types, they are a probably a knowledgable projectionist. If they stammer and say something like, "I dunno they were big and kinda gray", you know that they are no more than a "switch clicker" who has been barely taught to "operate" the equipment.

I know of a sound engineer who also asks the make and model of the equipment when someone phones him with an emergency problem, even if he remembers the equipment in that booth. If they can answer, he knows that they are a real projectionist whom he can talk through the problem. If they can't answer (even if they're hopefully standing right there in the booth), he knows that the problem is more than likely a really stupid operator error they made.

A "real" projectionist should also know the "nomenclature" (part names) of a projector, ie: film gate, trap, intermittent movement, names of each sprocket, sound drum, pad rollers, dowser, change-over shutter, etc. A quick quiz while touring the booth will uncover the presence or lack of this knowledge. It's important to know the part names so a sound engineer can talk you through a problem over the phone so you know what he's talking about. There is no such part as a "thingie" on a projector and anyone who uses such terms can't speak the "language" of the booth and is going to be worthless in an emergency.