Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Your Big Boners

This is topic Your Big Boners in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-13-2003, 06:02 PM:

I have two that stick in my mind as my all-time biggies:

1) At an Iwerks Board meeting, we all discussing our product performance vs. costs. Some Doofus unenlightened board member was hassling me that he had heard from someone (dickhead) that our audio systems were not on the level of a certain competitor. Well, me never known for mincing words, informed the whole Board that my audio systems "...outperformed those 'others' and KICKED ASS big time and took no names!" After the pregnant pause, I returned to my "professional" demeanor. What a jerk! Ummm...him not me!

2) While in a gigantic sales presentation to Disney, with hordes of BIG Brass there...and even some Silver, I was explaining how everything we did was 1st Class. And momentarily forgetting what group I was speaking to, I said "...we never 'Mickey-Mouse' anything." Whew! Thank God, they all took it in good nature. It was a big-time slip of mine! Yikes!

What are some of yours?

>>> Phil

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-13-2003, 08:32 PM:

Hey, Phil, #2 is pretty good! I'll have to remember that one.

On opening night of a big multi I installed in Chicago, I was in the booth chatting with the founder of the corporation that owned the place. With a great deal of pride, he approached the Eprad processor on the wall (name changed to protect living processors), stuck his thumbs under his suspenders, rocked back and forth on his heels and said, "Yep, only the best for our theatres, we spare no expense. What do you think of these units?" Well, since he asked... I kind of glanced at him sidewise, as if he was kidding me, and I proceeded to tell him why they're not the same as, nor better than a, Dolby processor.

"Wha.. wha.. what's wrong with this equipment?!", he was incredulous. "Our purchasing agent says they're great!" Then my boss, who had overheard the conversation, sensed a need for damage control and quickly slid between us, "Well, what Tim means is Dolby is like the Cadillac, and Eprad is a Chevrolet."

I didn't miss a beat. "Yes, but Chevrolet doesn't make a car and call it a Cadillac!"

Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-14-2003, 10:05 PM:

And you said I was stirring the pot [Wink]

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-15-2003, 12:39 AM:

I'm sure you're not refering to me as I said no such thing.... All I said was I want posted full-resolution of all your pics so we all can decide on which ones we like the best... [Razz]

>>> Phil

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 08-15-2003, 05:18 PM:

I was working as a box office cashier for Cineplex Odeon in Beverly Hills back around 1994 when this happened. Being in B.H. we got more than our fair share of stars coming in but I never got used to it. On every occasion, except one (see below), things went well.

So I got this customer in front of me who bore a striking resemblance to Shannon Dougherty (sp?) but I wasn't 100% sure that it was really her so I just said something like: "Do people tell you that you look an awful lot like that girl from Beverly Hills 90210?"

She looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "yeah, I get that a lot."

A lot of attitude coming back at me as she took her tickets and change. So I said..."yeah, but then SHE's got those fucked up eyes."

I'll never know for sure if it really WAS her but I was still wrong for that one!

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-15-2003, 05:28 PM:

Not as boneheaded as the others, but here's my limp contribution:

I was about to write an article for Videomaker magazine on animation back when I was about 20. Videomaker is a camcorder/editing mag for home video. This was the first time I had ever written for a national publication. I was pretty excited and a bit nervous about the whole thing. The publisher and I were talking on the phone about it, discussing format and topics, etc. After the conversation was pretty much over, he said "Do you have any questions?" So I asked "Is the video information on LaserDisc analog or digital?" Of course this had NOTHING to do with my article and NOTHING to do with the mag, since LaserDisc was rarely mentioned in a camcorder/editing mag, and NOTHING to do with what we were talking about. It was completely random. I still cringe to this day when I think about it. Why was I such a bonehead?

Of course maybe the joke's on him, since he replied "digital!"

The next time I wrote for them only one e-mail was exchanged and I could think before I asked stupid questions. I have many more situations, and I'll post them if I can remember them. I kinda try to block 'em, ya know? [Smile]

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 08-15-2003, 05:42 PM:

I may have typed this one up before, but here goes....

Back in our changeover days, we had a slide projector near the right-hand machine that would show things like "STARTS FRIDAY" on the screen during trailers.

I was training a new projectionist and he was about to make one of his first changeovers. The motor cue came by, and he flipped the switch....and nothing happened. I was frantically looking at the machine and tyring to figure out why it wasn't running, when the theatre owner busted into the room and yelled "GET THAT SLIDE OFF THE SCREEN!"

Turns out the kid had mistakenly flipped the switch on the slide projector...and there was a "love scene" going on in the movie...and the slide in the machine was "COMING SOON."

Took a while to live that one down. [sex]

Posted by Edward Jurich (Member # 1787) on 08-15-2003, 11:55 PM:

Threaded up cartoon number 2 of 3 during a kids show not even noticing that it was tails out until changeover....and 1000 kids stamping their feet while I quickly threaded cartoon 3 on the other machine.

Posted by Kyle Watkins (Member # 986) on 08-16-2003, 12:34 AM:

After being trained to build prints, only been taught on a few. They ( manger) ask if I though i could do it with no help. I said Sure. At that time I did not no anything about what trailer to put on. So i pick a few out, it turns ou that i put a RED band trailer on. The print was "The Lion King". Even to this day im glade i was not woking when the parents came out screeming.