This is topic Support for projectionists in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Peter Kerchinsky (Member # 1098) on 05-20-2002, 06:10 AM:
We had a couple DEMAND, not ask, for a refund after watching part of LADY AND THE DUKE at our theatre. They said we were playing the picture on video, not on film, and they were protesting due to the fact theatres were eliminating projectionists in the booth and running video features. Of course, the film was shot on digital video and transferred to film. They claimed the quality of the presentation was lousy and that it looked "phoney" (?)
My manager did explain to them that indeed it was a 35MM print. but they stil refused to stay and watch the remainder.
They commented that they hoped the film people would not go this route and stay with 35MM film. A remark was made something like "if we wanted this type of quality we'd stay home and watch TV".
Posted by Paul Cassidy (Member # 951) on 05-20-2002, 07:17 AM:
Well we need more of these people to counter the " Attack of the Lucas Clones" 
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A KIWI eats,roots & Leaves.
Posted by Daniel Boisson (Member # 1027) on 05-20-2002, 02:16 PM:
we have people all the time asking to rewind, or pause the movie. Its funny how they think it's all on VHS.------------------
3% Body Fat. 1% Brain Activity.
Posted by Bill Hallsworth (Member # 1240) on 05-20-2002, 02:40 PM:
We've been accused of using all kinds of things besides 35mm...DVD, video, even one time Beta.Bill
Posted by Peter Hall (Member # 695) on 05-22-2002, 08:54 AM:
Paul - HI - how's NZ ? It'w worth seeing EPII in true dark chip DLP presentation - the saturation and picture steadiness are unequalled in 35mm. COntrast is fair but argueable, otherwise it can look as good (some would sy better - in my mind the jury's still out) as film.
Are you still involved with the Westside and Crystal Palace ? If so, how are the Kalee 12's and the Ernemanns ?
CHeers
Peter
Posted by Paul Cassidy (Member # 951) on 05-22-2002, 09:48 AM:
Hi Peter , well the "Palace" has the Kalee's in storage behind the screen and he has installed Restored WestStars with RCA sound Heads with Peerless Marg Arcs and 6000 ft Reels ,but since we do mainly Bollywood we use the 2000ft Reels change overs ,with the original port change over slider, the "Westside" is Now a Warehouse Material shop and I have all the plant at home (Curtains ,Projectors,masking motors,Recifiers, 2000ft reels etc etc)we even had the seats at one stage but I donated these to a local church, there will be a local community Centre built soon and the "Westside" plant will be installed there in a Multi use Theatre ,we plan to have a sort of running museum of cinema and show selected films for the locals and the ocasional block Buster in Carbon Arc Glory.
Just to add that there are NO cinemas here in NZ that have DLP digital projection , so not able to do a comparison ,only to say that last I saw "Lord of the Rings" I needed to look at the Port windows to make sure it was film I was watching as it was so clear and steady with no visible que marks or film joins , I thought the fangal things had been sneaked in .
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A KIWI eats,roots & Leaves.
Posted by Paul Cassidy (Member # 951) on 05-22-2002, 10:08 AM:
Peter Hall , if you go to Page 13 on "Who the Heck are you" the are some photo's of the "Westside" when it was run by Hoyts and Digby Slater and the gang were the operators------------------
A KIWI eats,roots & Leaves.
Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 05-22-2002, 07:55 PM:
The fact that there were no cue marks was apparently an oversight.I heard that Geraldine ran a faultless show with changeover & no cue marks.
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 05-24-2002, 06:38 AM:
I quite frequently had to project archive prints and showprints with no cue marks, under threat of the death penalty if I marked the print in any way. My technique (works fine with a DP70 or a Westar, can't speak for any other projector) was to put two layers of joining tape across the film on the first frame of the four that should contain the motor cue. As this runs through the projector you'll hear an audible 'click' which gives you the cue to start the motor on the incoming machine. I'd then be looking at the head leader running down, and as soon as the first frame of picture enters the gate, press the changeover button. When rewinding and packing off each reel you simply peel off the tape cue. Assuming you use good quality joining tape, no-one will know it was ever there.
Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 05-25-2002, 01:41 AM:
The last time I had a similar complaint I brought them upstairs to show them how everything worked...............------------------
"Running through life at 24 frames per second"
Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 05-25-2002, 04:01 AM:
I once had the chief of a fairly well known RFT in England beating down my booth door during the EIFF, he wanted to know who'd done our digital installation, as it sounded about a hundred times better than his. I politely and quietly took him up the stairs into the booth and showed him the 20 odd year old CP55/SRA5 and ancient Westrex amps, with no OBE or surround eq'. I then suggested that he ought to shout loudly at whoever installed his digital!I always had a fairly open booth policy, as long as we weren't in the middle of lamp change or something, and even at times people wanted to see but it wasn't convenient, I'd try and make some kind of appointment for them to come back and have look. The last two multiplexes I've opened had 'booth tours' on opening day. Mr Joe Public was, on the whole, quite amazed at what really goes on behind the glass.
Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 05-26-2002, 03:49 PM:
I am one of 2 cinemas in New Zealand with a box downstairs.
At the end of a session I leave the door open so people can see the platter.
If they want to see more, and I have time, no problem.
I will most allways have time for an inquisitive mind.
Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-26-2002, 08:54 PM:
Booth tours: "The Last Emperor", in 70mm. Right before the show the projectionist came down to the auditorium and addressed the crowd. He did a quick explanation of 70mm, and held up strips of both 35mm and 70mm film for the audience to see. And he invited anyone in the crowd who was interested to come up to the booth, either during the movie or afterward. HELL YES!! I went up there during the show (DUH! 
). The projectionist was an older fellow and I bet he had probably been a "real" projectionist most of his career. He cheerfully explained everything.He also cared about showmanship. The trailers were screened flat, then the waterfall curtain closed. Pause, curtain raises again and at about 75% open the side masking started moving out to the scope position, and the movie started. YEAH BABY!! The theater was the Edwards Town Center Cinema in Costa Mesa CA, and this was the only time I ever saw them do "showmanship" like that (at that theater anyway).
Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 06-01-2002, 03:00 PM:
Dear Leo, The operator in the Regent Theatre in Bay City, Michigan was very near sighted. He relied on the lens stops set by the other shift operators and he made a chemical splice at the first set of cue marks on every film he screened.
I think of him every time there is a splice at the Q marks.
Oh, Yes! He was one of the honor students of the old German school of projection... Otto Focus, Professor
KEN
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-05-2002, 08:12 AM:
I once did a few relief shifts in an old fleapit which had been coverted from one screen to two by simply building a second auditorium at the back of the first. The projector's beam from the screen 1 box shot right across the roof of screen 2 and then across the screen 1 auditorium. The throw must have been something like 300 feet (I do remember that the 1.85 lenses were 160mm).I'm not very short-sighted, but I am slightly, and had terrible trouble focusing the picture. In the end I quite simply bought a pair of binoculars into work and looked through them while focusing. Problem sorted.
Posted by Paul Harnden (Member # 1034) on 06-06-2002, 03:15 PM:
The old Regal 7-plex I worked for was against booth tours for insurance reasons, which I was cool with. I did however sneak two of my friends up one time and my parents another to show them what I did. My dad was the most impressed because he thought that I just sat in a room and pushed a button every now and then.
We used to also have an old style reel-to-reel sitting down in the lobby so customers could walk by and see how it works. Unfortunately it was taken out and put into another theater.