The first offer was from a Regal theatre in northern Virginia. I decided against this one because of the hour long drive, and the fact that the shopping mall it is in seems to be going down hill.

The second offer was from a Hoyts near Baltimore, Maryland. This is the one I accepted.

I had never been to the theatre before, but I was briefly shown the booth after a interview. I had noticed they had all Christie equipment, and I actually looked forward to the learning experience (I had only worked with Neumade/Xetron stuff before).

My first day of work I discovered the following:

Most of the cue readers don't work.
They have problems with thrown prints.
The splicers probably have never been cleaned, and need new blades (they don't have spares).
They have no platter failsafes.
The have 3 Kelmar cleaners and 3 bottles of FilmGuard, but they don't use it because their tech (NCS) said it does something to the rollers , which of coarse is .
Almost all their prints have horizontal base scratches in the middle of the picture.
They clean prints with PTRs (which I think is where the scratches are coming from).
They don't put their policy trailer on (not sure if this is good or bad thing as I've never seen it).
The people that build prints throw the reel bands away, and some of the heads and tails.
When they build prints they have problems determining where to cut.
They also cut off all the preceding black on trailers and screenvisions.
They don't replace all the screenvisions like the're suppose to.
One print has an out of frame splice that nobody will fix.
Almost all of the leaders have an out of frame splice so it is impossible to thread in frame.
The have a small collection of DTS disks.
They have 4 DTS players that they got drive replacements for, but only 2 of them had the replacements installed.
One auditorium that is suppose to have SRD has been running in analog for over 2 months because the tech that troubleshooted the processor was going to get new cards from Dolby, but never came back.
They have red exit signs in the auditoriums that shine onto the screen (I mentioned this to the GM, and he said no customers have complained).
They have 3 booths, and no remote status panels.

Anyway the maybe is from AMC. I'm still looking into that, but I want something more.

I tried to get a job with a service company, but they didn't think it was what I wanted to do. I am a technical kind of person, and I want to do the best job I can.

I have worked mostly with computers (I have my A+ certification), and I have worked with sound and video equipment a lot (my father is a broadcast engineer).

I guess I am posting this to vent my frustrations, and also to see if anyone in Maryland is looking for a either a tech trainee, or a projectionist that cares what the customers see, and wants to give a quality presentation.

Steven Gorsky

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Projectionist

I would have taken the job and fixed the joint up. None of those things sound like they are beyond you, or most of us here.

I don't want to comment farther, as I work for that great company, and well erm,
like I said no further comment is needed.

Hoyts, erm rules...erm, goodnight now.

Horizontal base scratches are usually due to improper alignment of the film as it winds onto the platter during makeup or takeup.

PTRs have proven to be a very low risk way of cleaning film. The "rolling contact" and soft polyurethane surface make scratches highly unlikely since there is no rubbing contact with the film surface. PTRs are widely used on telecines and printers to clean negatives, with no instances of scratching ever reported in this critical application.

Almost all the problems you mentioned seem to be specific to that theatre, and should be addressable if the local management cared enough to fix them. Unfortunately, someone has let quality slip, and is not enforcing proper procedures and maintenance.

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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

Anyway, yes quality has more the slipped at this theatre, and I did think I would be able to do something about it. Unfortunately I don't have enough experience to fix some of the problems, and am not in a position to do anything about the other supposed booth personal, which includes the booth manager, and the GM (I'm way down on the bottom of the totem-pole). The other problem is there is no time to fix things. There is no break period, with 14 screens there is something always starting, and when there are small gaps everything is running.

The theatre is only about 4 years old, so this is pretty sad.

Steven Gorsky

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Projectionist

When opportunity knocks, it is usually the back door.

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The main problem was that even stuff I could fix, I didn't have time to, and I wasn't going to give away my time (a friend of mine had done this before, and warned me not to make the same mistake). The way their schedule worked there was always something starting, so I was constantly rethreading and starting movies.

They were also lacking in the booth supply department i.e. no extra leader and no spare splicer blades. The leader they were using not only had lots of splices but was also really short.

I had planned on doing the drive replacements on the other 2 DTS players, but like I said there was no time, not to mention no decent work surface.

As far as the other booth employees and manager, there was no one I could complain to as the GM didn't have a problem with their practices.

I guess I am just to much of a perfectionist.

Steven Gorsky

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Projectionist

Be detailed and precice. If you find a problem, write a novel if you have to but make sure everything you find and everything you do is written down. I have a saying: Answer the 5 "W's"... Who? What? When? Where? Why?

When you do trailer changes, DOCUMENT IT.
When you fix something, DOCUMENT IT.
...Build / Break a print, DOCUMENT IT.
...Sweep the floor or wash a window or clean a projector, DOCUMENT IT.
When you take a break and when you come back from break, DOCUMENT IT.
When you go to the bathroom, DOCUMENT IT.

Then make two copies. Put the original in the booth log book. Send a copy to the office and keep the other copy in a safe place that only you know where it is. This way, if the management starts tossing things out on you, there is at least one backup copy left for you to refer to.

This has a lot of benefits. You will very quickly discover who is working and who is slacking. It will be appearent in just a matter of days that you are doing your job the way it is SUPPOSED to be done. You can also use it to help absolve you of possible guilt in case somebody tries to say, "Well, So-and-so did such-and-such." Thus, the reason for the backup copies. Last, but not least, when you have a problem you have a "history book" to look back on. For instance, do you always see a certain pattern of scratches but don't know where they are comming from. If you ALWAYS document scratches you might find that scratches appear when a print plays in "Theatre X"

Management can't logically keep you from doing this because everybody who is anybody knows that you are supposed to be keeping records. I believe it is what's known in legal circles as "common practice". The caveat is that you must keep your reports FACTUAL and to the point. Don't go accusing people of things you don't have evidence for. Don't go making comments. Don't write anything personal.

Keep it to the basics:

12:00PM -- Started shift. UB's on duty: Steve (Proj 1-7) "John" (Proj 8-14)
1:30PM -- All shows running. No problems.
1:40PM -- Found bad splice in #5 (Pearl Harbor) Repaired.
2:00PM -- Swept booth floor #1-#7. (Steve)
2:10PM -- Made rounds of all proj. Refocused #10 (Shrek)
3:05PM -- Found film jumping off top roller of platter (feed-out) in theatre #12. (Animal) Corrected problem. Will check roller alignment as time permits. (Could not determine if film is damaged. Will report if damage found.)
etc, etc. etc.
6:00PM -- Ended shift. ("Joe" is relieved by "Fred". John is relieved by "Jim".) All is well.
etc, etc, etc.
12:30AM -- Last show ended. No further problems.
12:35AM -- Ended shift. "Fred" and "Jim go home for the night.

Note the subtle way in which I made it clear that "John" is slacking off because he had a focus problem that wasn't taken care of and he misthreaded a projector. You even gave him a way to "save face" by saying that there might have been a mechanical problem at the root of it. Don't go sugar coating things. IF it was clearly a misthread don't cover for him. Still, if there is a possibilty of a mechanical problem you want to make it abundantly clear. Who knows, that guy might have YOU to thank for saving his hide!

They just don't care, and will (to put it bluntly) take advantage of you. You will do 20 good things, but then get yelled at for the one mistake.

We have to double our staff real soon with a sister theatre opening up two blocks down the street.

Now to say that all Hoyts are badly ran is a very generalistic comment to make. I have been running my theater now for two years, and was a booth manager for three years, all at Hoyts. The company has always treated me well, par for the course, and if something was needed to improve presentation, it was taken care of. It is not a chain that is the problem, it is people that might as well manage a Burger King that do not know SHIT about the actual product that are the problem. If the manager does not properly do his job, first sincerely let him/her know and if there is no change, there are no reasons that one should not go to the a.d. if properly documented .

I have friends that used to work for GCC (the best "presentation" company that is in a two hundred mile radius of Syracuse)that not only would build a movie with the make up roller rubbing against the platter, but also use china markers to mark splices!!! The best (which I hope that John P. can back me up on) presentation in a seventy mile drive was at the Marketplace GCC in Rochester. Not the same theater as my first example - but -70% of companies actually do care about presentation, it is the dumbass general managers and clueless area directors that fu*k up the film.

end of rant.

Sorry for that on a whole I have only seen a few chains that will go nameless that are just popcorn pushers and payroll rapers. IF the company let these bastards go on in there jobs then "God Bless Them" I will go back to the second run independents that think that only having a reel of green emulsion scratched film is the best print that they have ever seen.

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Admittedly, decisions made by the head office can make it hard for local management to "Do Film Right". Flawed theatre design (e.g., no adjustable masking, insufficient lamp or sound power), stinginess (little money for maintenance or to retain good people), or unrealistic rules may cripple theatres at the local level. But a really good and resourceful local manager can often "turn a sow's ear into a silk purse" of a theatre -- witness the comments by Evans Criswell regarding his favorite theatres. Good managers train their staff well, set a good example themselves, and expect and reward the best in their people. I find good management has usually "risen through the ranks", so they can appreciate each job well done. They are accessable to their people and their customers, and ENJOY personal contact --- they are aware of everything going on, but don't micro-manage.

Almost everything Steven mentioned in his "booth/theatre from hell" was a local issue. As Sean notes, there are well-run theatres in every circuit, and probably some theatres that no one could ever be proud of. IMHO, whether a theatre is a gem or a piece of depends much more on local management than on the head office.

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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

My experience with Hoyts is based on the three theaters they had near me. Since I don't work there anymore, I can tell you the particular theater I worked at was the twin in New Cannan, CT (not the six they just finished building.) Admittedly, this was about ten years ago. Hoyts had bought these theaters from UA.

(At least with UA, everything got done somehow. Equipment breakdowns may have been fixed in the cheapest manner; only one of the three packs of splicing tape ordered may show up, but at least something happened.)

While the manager certainly knew nothing about the booth, problem reports and request for supplies were submitted, but ignored. If it is the local manager, where's the supervision?

> Most of the cue readers don't work.

It happens, sometimes you just have to turn the lights down manually when the show starts. If you can, swap out parts from other readers to troubleshoot, then order replacement parts.

>They have problems with thrown prints.

I've heard alot about christie equipment and static problems. Some causes could be relative humidity, type of floor (carpet?), or even film paying out improperly and rubbing on something. Get a humidifier and a case of static spray... and use the filmguard - this stuff really helps.

>The splicers probably have never been cleaned, and need new blades (they don't have spares).

Hey, now you have something to do while you're chatting on the phone or listening to the game between sets. Use a paper clip or a small screwdriver to clean out the gunk. Replacement blades are reletively cheap.

>They have no platter failsafes.

If you mean wrap detectors on the platters, welcome to the real world. Most theatres i've been to don't have these. I'll admit they are nice, but you shouldn't get wraps in the first place .

>The have 3 Kelmar cleaners and 3 bottles of FilmGuard, but they don't use it because their tech (NCS) said it does something to the rollers.

What i would give for one cleaner and a bottle of film guard! Hey, if you don't need your second cleaner send it my way

> The people that build prints throw the reel bands away, and some of the heads and tails.

Okay okay, ill admit to throwing those annoying bands out of the way. It was the way i was trained. I did start saving them for a while, but its really not worth it. There's plenty of leader to protect the flim which probably does alot more then a piece of cardboard. Its also much easier for the next person to build up the print... just make sure there is a head on the reel and label it!

> When they build prints they have problems determining where to cut.

yeah sometimes you have to retrain the guys, i know its not fun but you'll enjoy the outcome.

> They also cut off all the preceding black on trailers and screenvisions.

I always cut at the green band. I just leave the black on at the end of the trailor for the transition.

> They don't replace all the screenvisions like the're suppose to.

ahhh.. more training..

> One print has an out of frame splice that nobody will fix.

That probably wouldn't be the end of it. I worked every friday morning (but not thursdays) at the 18 plex. For the first month i came across movies with 4 bad splices, backwards trailors, missing cues, missing trailors, half of the policy upsidedown in the middle of a movie, prints at the wrong projector... One time someone dropped a print and loaded it on a platter upside down(keep in mind that the film dirrection is now going the wrong way). they left a note saying to let it play through... How did i solve the problem? I started working thursday mornings :P

> Almost all of the leaders have an out of frame splice so it is impossible to thread in frame.

Yeah that IS annoying. Just order a few rolls of new leader.

> The have a small collection of DTS disks.

Pitch em, and remind the crew to start putting them back on tear down.

> They have 4 DTS players that they got drive replacements for, but only 2 of them had the replacements installed.

Plug and chug baby!

> One auditorium that is suppose to have SRD has been running in analog for over 2 months because the tech that troubleshooted the processor was going to get new cards from Dolby, but never came back.

I've heard the wildest things why people turn off the SRD reader. Check the cables, clean the lense, replace the bulb (if its not the LED kind). Also try a different print to make sure the SRD track isn't scratched.

> They have red exit signs in the auditoriums that shine onto the screen (I mentioned this to the GM, and he said no customers have complained).

We have those also. It helps alot of you take one of the bulbs (closest to the screen) out. Be sure to leave both of the battery backup bulbs in there! Im sure different color diffusion plates are pretty cheap if you want to go with green or blue.

> They have 3 booths, and no remote status panels.

The theatre i work at has 6 booths. Its a pain, but do you know what you can do? Just make those three booths the cleanest 3 booths you've ever seen and take pride in your work. By doing your best you'll feel like you've made a difference. Not to mention you'll have fun doing it. Hey, i don't know nearly as much as alot of the guys/girls here but if i have a question I just ask, and everyones friendly enough to help out. Good luck!