Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: The company I work for is so cheap...

This is topic The company I work for is so cheap... in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=004683

Posted by Paul Goulet (Member # 297) on 06-16-2006, 05:59 PM:

That they won't let us order the Mylars for the movies that we are showing... [bs]

In my case, it should be the company i used to work for, but I thought it was still on topic..

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 06-17-2006, 04:50 AM:

"The company I work for is so cheap..."

The customers I provide service for spend more money for a hotel room then I make in a year.

Ciao

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 06-17-2006, 10:11 AM:

The company I work for is so cheap!

How cheap are they?

Well, let me tell you...

The company I work for is so cheap, I worked from 9:00 AM till 9:00 PM from Monday until the following Sunday. (7 days in a row.) On the next monday, I came to work sick. I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. My throat was sore and I was coming down with something.

At 11:30 AM I called my boss on the phone and asked him if I could go home at lunch time so I could go to bed and get some rest.

After a moments pause, he said "OK" but he told me to sign out for a half-day's sick pay!

Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 06-17-2006, 06:57 PM:

The company I work for is sooooooo cheep; oh wait, I work for myself. [Eek!]

One company I worked for in the past was so cheep, one day I came in to work early, and they charged me rent. [Big Grin]

Posted by Christopher Crouch (Member # 3784) on 06-18-2006, 03:29 AM:

A company I once worked for was so cheap...

They issued a memo on "resurrecting" hot dogs that had not been sold within a 24 hour period (reffered to as "yesterdogs"). The three step process involved soaking dried out franks in Cool-Aid, to plump them back up and add a "healthy" color.

Posted by Robert Burtcher (Member # 3227) on 06-18-2006, 03:38 AM:

The company a close friend of mine used to work for was so cheap...

... Nobody but the GM was allowed to use the fire extinguishers, even in an emergency. If anyone but the GM used one, regardless of the circumstances, they were written up on the spot.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 06-18-2006, 07:12 AM:

quote: Bruce Hansen
One company I worked for in the past was so cheep, one day I came in to work early, and they charged me rent.

Geez, I do that all the time... and stay late... I better watch out they don't try the same thing.... Next they'll be charging me parking fees to park the company van in their lot!

Mark

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 06-18-2006, 11:41 AM:

Robert, if there wasn't an actual emergency and a fire extinguisher was discharged because someone was screwing off, then yes, they should be written up. If there was an actual fire and someone used a fire extinguisher and got written up for it....call your state's department of labor. They'd LOVE to hear about that. Maybe get the local fire marshal involved to.

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 06-18-2006, 12:45 PM:

quote: Dustin Mitchell
Robert, if there wasn't an actual emergency and a fire extinguisher was discharged because someone was screwing off, then yes, they should be written up. If there was an actual fire and someone used a fire extinguisher and got written up for it....call your state's department of labor. They'd LOVE to hear about that. Maybe get the local fire marshal involved to.

I couldn't agree more. I'd also ad that the cost of recharging the extinguisher should be docked from the employee's check.

On the flip side of that, if the GM did infact state such a policy the Labor and Fire authorities should be notified of this, and said GM should be fired. Any delay in handling an emergency could put lives at risk.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 06-18-2006, 02:48 PM:

Yea..you can tell when you work for a cheap company when they have a points program and give you points to spend with from merits that you work for to earn, that you have to spend the points within the company.

Plus, if there is any "change" involved after any purchase is made. ..That is just too bad. No change or credit given back - you lose.

And if you quit, or get fired, you lose as well since all of those points are taken away since since there is no monetary value given out for the points earned, but still have the option in using the accumulated points within a given time - within the company.

And, if you use the points outside of the company, they call it stealing since the dollar value of the points didn't go back into the company and you get repremanded for such actions.

...just a kid's game this is...

-Monte

Posted by Robert Harrison (Member # 3202) on 06-18-2006, 03:29 PM:

L M B

[ 03-11-2007, 09:35 PM: Message edited by: Robert Harrison ]

Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 06-18-2006, 03:39 PM:

quote: Robert Harrison
From time to time, we show Philipino language movies. I'm not supposed to know this, but I have seen the contracts. The people who rent the theatre for these movies are charged a $20 an hour "projectionist fee" on top of the rental fee. I have never received a penny of this money.

Are you getting a paycheck? If you don't like it, quit and find something better to do. Does the theater ask you to take a paycut when times are slow? Should all of the concession help ask for an increase in pay when the popcorn prices are raised? Why do you deserve extra when your workload has not changed? You can bitch all you like, but it's a fact of life.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 06-18-2006, 04:12 PM:

Gosh Rick, what a hard-ass! You're beginning to sound like Adam! [Wink]

Or worse, ME! HA! [beer]

Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 06-18-2006, 04:42 PM:

I just try to tell it like it is! [beer]

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 06-18-2006, 04:48 PM:

Yeah, me too! [Smile]

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 06-18-2006, 05:12 PM:

I was fired twice, quit 5 - 6 times; the next phase was always MUCH better [Wink]

Larry Winglet's book "Shut up, Stop Whining, and get a Life" is a great read [Cool]

Those Mylars are too expensive...I had one client change to LED boards since the cost of operation was less expensive over time.
Cheap or working to a different manageable level are sometimes the same thing [Wink]

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 06-18-2006, 07:01 PM:

that we recycle 100% of the plastic corn kernels and cardboard sent in to ship out with........oh, wait.....I am the boss. Our rule is WWJB do? (Jack Benny.) Louis

Posted by Robert Harrison (Member # 3202) on 06-18-2006, 09:47 PM:

K M A

[ 03-11-2007, 09:34 PM: Message edited by: Robert Harrison ]

Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 06-18-2006, 11:28 PM:

a simple question? Robert, who was ripped off? Your boss , if he negotiated the contract, he deserves the extra money, that is why he is your boss. Do the "foreigners" really feel ripped off? How many theaters in the states show Philipino movies? How many show foreign movies? Not very many.!

quote: Robert Harrison
If he doesn't want to pay me extra

Again, why do you think you deserve extra? Should he pay you extra because

quote: Robert Harrison
I'm not supposed to know this, but I have seen the contracts.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 06-18-2006, 11:30 PM:

quote: Paul Goulet
That they won't let us order the Mylars for the movies that we are showing...

Course, you know, you could make up a bucket of bleach water and soak a trailer, unrolled, in this bucket. This will bleach the emulsion off the base film stock. Then, take all of that out of the bucket, rinse it good and let it air dry, hung up all around the booth, or take it outside on a clothes line (if you have one to use..)....
...and there you have it...polyester CLEAR threading leader...

Then, splice this clear lead to the trailer pak, using the first reel's leader of the feature as your frameup/countdown leader.....

-Monte

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 06-19-2006, 03:45 AM:

I believe he's referring to the Title Art for the auditoriums.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 06-19-2006, 07:23 AM:

quote:
You're beginning to sound like Adam!

No... he's beginning to sound like me... He recently spent too much time in Utah... more than a day here and it DOES affect you that way [Eek!]

. And I've been here 9 years.... [Big Grin]

Mark

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 06-19-2006, 09:13 AM:

I once worked for a company so cheap - the president gave himself a pay cut once.

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 06-19-2006, 09:20 AM:

Recycling...love it [Big Grin]

One client we used footlockers and popcorn to ship items and parts back and forth...they would last 10 - 15 trips and cost less than cardboard boxes [Razz]

Slotted metal lumber for custom projects and rental use great for recycling...unbolt and reuse and last for years. Fun to be cheap; it allows you to be extravagant when required [Cool]

Posted by John Koutsoumis (Member # 1855) on 06-19-2006, 09:38 AM:

quote: Richard Hamilton
You can bitch all you like, but it's a fact of life.

How sad... [thumbsdown]

The Theatre I work for rightly has the "projectionist (that's me) fee" worked into the rental rates. If for some circumstance a print/s will take longer to prepare than the usual 1 hour that i'm paid for in addition to the screening times (for instance i've screened 7 hour marathon films for the Melbourne Cinematheque), they will charge the hirer the additional hourly "projectionist" rate, which is $26 and I get every cent of it. Why should the boss see any of it? They don't do the work I do.
I think in Robert's case the fact that it's called a projectionist rate is the problem. Why not also have a concessionist or box office rate?
But anyway, not really knowing the situation it's hard to comment.

Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 06-19-2006, 10:26 AM:

quote: John Koutsoumis
Why should the boss see any of it? They don't do the work I do.

No, but they are the reason you have a job there! In this case, Robert is upset because he "saw" a contract which he admits he was not supposed to see. All I am saying is that he is getting paid to do a job. If it really is a problem then he should talk to his boss.

I used to take my BMW to a shop for basic service. Say an oil change for example (not including parts). When I took my Porsche there for the same service, the labor rate was about ten or fifteen dollars an hour more. These rates are posted at the desk. Does the mechanic see any of this profit. Same mechanic each time.

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 06-19-2006, 11:46 AM:

This is ridiculous. If you want the damn 'projectionist fee' then give up your salary. $20 an hour might be more than your making but remember the rental people are probably only being billed for the showtime-say 1.5/2 hours. So the 'projectionist fee' needs to cover make up/break down time too.

Posted by John Koutsoumis (Member # 1855) on 06-19-2006, 08:52 PM:

I'm not on a salary. I'm on an hourly rate and there isn't work all the time for instance this week there's only one show that i'm required for but next week there's 4 full days. It always varies. I don't whine I like the job and wouldn't want to do anything else that's why I make the sacrifice.

quote:
No, but they are the reason you have a job there!

Yeah but in my case management made this agreement with the persons or companies hiring the Theatre because i'll invoice them for the extra time I need to prepare the prints and they didn't want to foot the bill so they past that cost to the hirer. Simple.

On top of that I do a lot of cleaning and maintenance unpaid, but I don't complain because as I said I like the work.

I think the agreement is fair. I have no trouble with management.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 06-19-2006, 10:11 PM:

quote: Mike Spaeth
I believe he's referring to the Title Art for the auditoriums.

Whoops..sorry on this..you can tell that I'm not familiar with those since I've never worked with any theatre that used these art mylar titles...

I hear the word mylar and immediately think of leaders ....

*sheepish grin* - thx Monte

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 06-20-2006, 01:20 AM:

I understand, Monte.
Your theatre must be using those 3 inch track letters or simular. I dealt with those at my original theatre. I discovered, with amusement, how awful some of my co-workers spell. I handed this fellow named John the letters to a midnight showing of "Carrie" in 80, didn't look at the mini-marquee above the auditorium entry until after we closed the stand and discovered he had slapped up the letters to spell "Carier".
He had also spelled "Double Feature" on the outside marquee "Dubel". (He asked the cashier how to spell "feature", thus he had that word right.)

Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 06-20-2006, 02:48 AM:

My company's so cheap....That they never give out raises!!! WOOHOO! seriously, they don't.

Posted by Diane Linton (Member # 3711) on 06-22-2006, 09:17 AM:

My company is so cheap we have 5 gallon buckets in the halls catching the leaks from the roof/air conditioners. We only get raises when minimum wage goes up. And we have a special summer kids series and we'll fill up two theaters, but we only have one movie so we have to cut it in half and have an intermission.
And we don't have a tech. We have a guy who was trained by a tech, but he himself is NOT a tech. And he only comes when it's something we can't fix. And he usually breaks something else when he comes.