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Author Topic: General Cinema's New Web Site
Kevin Crawford
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 207
From: Sacramento, CA, USA
Registered: May 2000


 - posted 02-07-2001 12:50 AM      Profile for Kevin Crawford   Email Kevin Crawford   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I heard about a new web page for General Cinema, called www.gcbooth.com. It has some suspiciously familiar looking material on it. Including Tim's Intermittant Video. It looks like a knock off of this site.

What I find amusing is that most General Cinema theatres are not suppose to have internet access, yet it is designed for General Cinema managers that do not have someone competant in the booth. They are talking about putting information that is on the site onto a CDRom so that the theatres can use it. Not that I will ever get to see the CDRom unless it comes out to the theatre by Sunday, it seems pointless to put information that should constantly be changing on a CD.

I am curious what those of you in Film-Tech land think about the site.

As someone who has worked for General Cinema for almost 8 years as an operator, and seeing the way the company has gone down hill and where they are heading, anything they can do will help, not hurt.

They do have Film-Tech listed on the links page. But, I am surprised that they would spend the money when Film-Tech is free.


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Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999


 - posted 02-07-2001 12:57 AM      Profile for Aaron Sisemore   Email Aaron Sisemore   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
This is such a blatant Film-Tech wannabe, almost to the point of stealing the 'look and feel' of Film-Tech!! (although the white letters on a darker background is kinda cool...)

Check out their 'Links' page.... look who's hiding at the very bottom.... the answer lies there

Aaron

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000


 - posted 02-07-2001 01:00 AM      Profile for Darryl Spicer     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Clicked on link but came up saying the site was under construction.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99


 - posted 02-07-2001 08:19 AM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
Looks like the person who ownes the site is Steven Geiger. Is this the person you were referring to Aaron? I couldn't pull the site up as it is "under construction".

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 02-07-2001 08:22 AM      Profile for Scott Norwood   Author's Homepage   Email Scott Norwood   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
This is kind of funny and kind of sad at the same time.

I really hope that someone got Tim's permission to use his great intermittent animation and Brad's permission to use the manuals. It would be pretty rude for them to not even bother to do this much. At least there's a link to this site.

I do find it amusing that a lot of GCC booths have a poster-size chart on "how to make splices." Personally, I take the position that anyone who does not know how to use a splicer should not be allowed in the booth unsupervised. Period. But that's just me.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 02-07-2001 06:23 PM      Profile for Gordon McLeod   Email Gordon McLeod   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I think the site is outright blantent ripoff Brad should get an injunction on the manuals at least the guy is to lazy to do his own scanning

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Rachel Carter
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 248
From: Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
Registered: Dec 2000


 - posted 02-07-2001 06:49 PM      Profile for Rachel Carter   Email Rachel Carter   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
WOW, can you say R-I-P O-F-F!?!?!? They make is so obvious, at least they could try to change the page around a bit.

------------------
"Blood is thicker then blondes" - From the movie, Save the last Dance.

FUNNY!!!!!

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Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 02-07-2001 06:56 PM      Profile for Ian Price   Email Ian Price   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The manuals were copied from Film-Tech because their cover pages are still there.

I was an English major.

I seem to remember that copying ideas was encouraged as long as you noted the source. But copying content was call plagerism and punishable by being expelled.

In the real world, plagerism is punishable by forking over vast amounts of money. Anybody want a cinema chain?


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Sean M. Grimes
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 247
From: Lunenburg, MA
Registered: Apr 2000


 - posted 02-07-2001 06:56 PM      Profile for Sean M. Grimes   Author's Homepage   Email Sean M. Grimes   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The link provided at the top of the page is incorrect it should read www.gcbooth.com there is a period at the end of the code. And yes, not only is the site a rip-off it is also a poorly designed website. some of the scans are absolutely horrible!!!!

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Kevin Crawford
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 207
From: Sacramento, CA, USA
Registered: May 2000


 - posted 02-07-2001 10:59 PM      Profile for Kevin Crawford   Email Kevin Crawford   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hey Brad, if you sue and get some money. Would you mind kicking some back to me? After all, they laid me off. I should get something more than 2 weeks notice and a few extra hours the last week.

Sorry about the period at the end of the link.

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William Hooper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1879
From: Mobile, AL USA
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 02-07-2001 11:12 PM      Profile for William Hooper   Author's Homepage   Email William Hooper   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Heh, I beat them to the "Exploded diagram as wallpaper" idea:

CLICK HERE

Even though I admit that my graphics skills are so limited that the best my stuff ever looks is like a well-laid out parts manual...

I think copyright infringement for just copying to their site .pdf files created by Brad Miller would be a real problem for them; the way folks copyright their own versions of movies that have fallen into PD is that the law states that copyright applies to additional information or changes in content. If they scanned the originals themselves with the permission of the owners, they could be in the clear.



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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99


 - posted 02-07-2001 11:53 PM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
I think the guys were just trying to make a site that was GCC specific to help out their projectionists. As I noticed, their manual download page is comprised of only manuals for equipment that GCC installs. I may be wrong here, but even though they did not specifically say this, I get the impression that they are just trying to make things easier for GCC employees so as to not have to surf through hundreds of manual download links to find what is in their local GCC booth.

Just for the record, I am not interested nor am I going to bother with any legal action. They did both email me and were quite nice and friendly. In the end, the way I see it is that they are just providing another site of help to projectionists for improving presentations and that's the whole point of this one.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000


 - posted 02-08-2001 04:51 AM      Profile for John Pytlak   Author's Homepage   Email John Pytlak   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I agree with Brad that they are just trying to help their employees with an internal website. For example, they did not take the Film-Tech banner page off the manuals, and they do provide a direct link to Film-Tech. By contacting Brad directly, they showed their good faith. What website hasn't put up "borrowed" material? IMHO, this constitutes "fair use", although it is always best to ask permission of the copyright holder. Brad asked Kodak permission to post the back issues of "Film Notes for Reel People" and "Cinema Notes", and it was readily granted, as it would be to any similar site helpful to theatres.

I recall Steve Geiger (who evidently developed GCC's site) has probably been aware of Film-Tech for at least a year. Likewise, I suspect Tim Reed (a Film-Tech regular) may have had some input to their site, as at last report, ASC has him servicing General Cinema theatres in the Northeast. Hope we hear from Tim and Steve here again also!

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion


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Kevin Crawford
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 207
From: Sacramento, CA, USA
Registered: May 2000


 - posted 02-08-2001 01:58 PM      Profile for Kevin Crawford   Email Kevin Crawford   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I would not say that the manuals are GCC specific. They have acquired theatres over the years, as well as built many theatres with varying equipment. I know that they use to have a wide variety of equipment in No. Calif. However, since they don't have anything here anymore it becomes a moot point. But, I saw very little in regards to CinemaCrappica equipment listed, in particular the platters. I do know that they had several theatres built with that stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I think it is a good idea. However, the way they are going about it is wrong. First, it is on the internet. They do not allow the theatre's computers access to the internet. So, they are going to put the pages on a CD. Bad idea since the pages should really be updated regularly. GCC has its own intranet. I think that if the page was to be used specifically for GCC theatres it should be on the company's intranet. Of course that is just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Andrew McCrea
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 645
From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Registered: Nov 2000


 - posted 02-08-2001 03:06 PM      Profile for Andrew McCrea   Author's Homepage   Email Andrew McCrea   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
If I were Brad, yes I'd call my lawyer and have a chat. If I was Brad's lawyer, I would like this site!




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