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Author Topic: Setting Traps Chris Byrne Expert Film Handler Posts: 102 From: Kirwan, Australia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 12-17-2003 03:19 PM                     Every so often, when budget allows, I put all my projectionists through a 'trap setting' training shift to ensure they are confident they can handle a situation if something goes amiss. Simple things like tripping breakers, pulling fuses, dropping faders, isolating microswitches, etc. I am making a standard list in the coming week to test their skills. Does anyone think they have some good traps?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-17-2003 03:23 PM                     I'd pull the Xenon lamp out. This way you know that they are versed in installing and aligning a lamp if one fails. The rest of what you set for them is a great start. Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-17-2003 03:44 PM                     I do this from time to time with my trainees. I have a reel of film made from old trailers spliced up to make a "practice movie". Three or four trailers is enough. Put all the cues on it like a normal movie, just shorter. I have them thread up and run over and over again. The first time through (for each trainee) I let everything go as normal. On subsequent runs I make problems. I open the sound pinch roller. (Simplex 5-Star sound head.) I shut off the LED supply to the sound head. (Pull out the exciter lamp.) I defocus the picture. I rack the framing knob unexpectedly. I have a second "practice movie" that has SCOPE and FLAT film all mixed up or has bad splices in it. I switch in the F-ed up reel when nobody's looking. Sometimes I'll shut off an amplifier or hit a button on the sound rack. If I'm feeling particularly evil I'll walk over with a pair of scissors and cut the film. (Hey, it's not a "real" movie. Only junky trailers!) I have to remember not to be too aggressive with new recruits when I do these things. It tends to scare people off if you're too hard on them. However, if you let people know that you're having "troubleshooting practice" and you make a game out of it, so to speak, people can actually start to have fun with it. You might even get your trainees to start perpetraging "evil" on each other!  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 12-17-2003 03:53 PM                     Chris and Randy, I did the same thing. I assembled several one-hour runs of outdated previews which served as training aids. I would do much of the same thing you guys do. A few other things I would do is carry a scissors around and cut the film either on the pay-out or take-up side on several projection stations within 30 seconds or so of each other. Then I would hound the projectionist's butt like a manager would and get in their way because they are off the screen. I would also trip over the take-up path to knock the show off the screen, turn off pay-out head or take-up drive motors while the machine was running, etc. Anything goes as long as it will not damage the equipment. I make it perfectly clear to the projectionist that I am going to do some very nasty things during the training sessions, and for them to be prepared to get things back in order. After the training sessions, the projectionists were ringing wet with sweat, and after they cooled off, we held an objective critique. Almost 100% of the projectionists were eager for another scheduled obstacle course again. They actually looked forward to it. It was fun, and they learned. There was no bitching or whining from them.....they loved it! After it was all done, we all went out for coffee and laughed at some of the things that transpired.  |  IP: Logged Bryan Fournier Film Handler Posts: 61 From: Greensboro, NC Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-17-2003 04:45 PM                     Those troubleshooting sessions are a very valuable part of training. Knowing how to run a projector "manually" vs. using the automation exclusively really separates you, as a projectionist, from the (thread-up and hit the start button people). Below is my short list. film break xenon lamp does not light no power to some amps tripped breakers no sound/distorted sound platter malfunctions One should know how to fix these problems and many, many more both quickly and efficiently.  |  IP: Logged Chris Hipp Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1462 From: Mesquite, Tx (east of Dallas) Registered: Jul 2003 posted 12-17-2003 04:53 PM                     We have CNA-200's and on one of the termination boards there is a fuse that when it burns out, you can hit start and it will run for a couple seconds and then stops. That one always freaks people out, just take that fuse out and they'll never figure it out.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 12-17-2003 05:05 PM                     Setting traps, eh? Hmmmmm, let me think about this. Place a piece of cardboard sandwiched in between the prime and anamorphic lens Replace the projector oil with Elmer's glue Smear oil onto the shutter blades Disconnect a leg of the 3 phase Snip off a few pigtails on the diode connections Jam a paper clip in between two gears in the projector Blast the xenon on a Century shutter until you get a hole in it. Spray WD40 on the xenon bulb Remove the light filter on AW3 platters Reverse the connections on the failsafe (microswitch type) so the arms must be down to operate Flip the flat and scope lenses in each other's mount on an auto turret Set the sound processor to "remote fader" and place a jumper instead of a potentiometer on the remote fader connections Disconnect every safety switch on every door and blower inside the lamphouse Split the spark gap in the ignitor Oh wait, you meant setting traps for training purposes!  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 12-17-2003 05:43 PM                        Geez, Brad... you are viscous (yah, I know!) I was wondering though... if your curriculum was intended for typical operators (as opposed to the real projectionists of the '60s)... or maybe you got your paperwork mixed up with the "anti-booth terrorist" training seminar that we all need in today's modern theatres!  |  IP: Logged Greg Pauley Expert Film Handler Posts: 173 From: Huntington, WV, USA Registered: Jun 2000 posted 12-17-2003 05:45 PM                        I think Brad's new evil picture is no joke!  |  IP: Logged Bryan Fournier Film Handler Posts: 61 From: Greensboro, NC Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-17-2003 07:33 PM                     You might also want to consider a written quiz bfore training completes and the person is scheduled to work on their own. This quiz of say 50 multiple choice questions can ensure the trainee is grounded in the foundations of our craft (ie sound formats, aspect ratios, etc.) I'll provide you with the first question: Q. At what speed does 35mm film run through a projector? A. 16 frames per second. B. 20 frames per second. C. 24 framed per second. D. 28 frames per second. The answer is of course D. 24 frames per second. I know this question is quite easy for anyone with any experience in the field, but you would be surprised how many people are working in a booth who do not know the answer. Can anyone come up with any other questions?  |  IP: Logged John Westlund Expert Film Handler Posts: 204 From: Burney, CA, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 12-17-2003 07:39 PM                     Actually that answer is of course C. 24FPS Sorry I had to.  |  IP: Logged Bryan Fournier Film Handler Posts: 61 From: Greensboro, NC Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-17-2003 07:42 PM                     Sorry for the typo!  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-17-2003 07:57 PM                        Ah, but what about silent films and the need for variable frame rates? I hate tests like this where one spends more time trying to figure out what answer was intended by the test-maker than trying to figure out the actual correct answer. Other possiblities that come to mind without thinking too hard: - preamp card in processor with input trimpots set to zero - blown fuse in amp, exciter supply, or processor - broken drive belt on Simplex 5-star (or Cinemeccanica or similar) - aperture plates or lenses mixed among projectors - masking stops set wrong - film with Dolby A-type soundtrack (shows them what to do if a film obviously has a stereo track but sounds bad in SR) - focus ring set wrong on scope lens - broken takeup belt (if reel-to-reel) - platter left in makeup mode (if platter) - rollers out of alignment - sound lens out of focus (results in lack of high frequencies) - defective motor card (if AW-3 platter) - melted changeover blade gets stuck - fire shutter misadjusted - shutter loose on shaft - gate tension horribly misadjusted - automation left in interlock mode - fire alarm pulled mid-show (usually kills automation in newer multiplexes) - automation set to "intermission" mode (rather than "timer" mode, e.g. on Maxi-10) - defective relays in automation box - wrong size carbons (in carbon house) - automation disabled--need to run show manually (only in automated houses, of course) - cable comes disattached from DTS, SRD, or SDDS reader - projector/soundhead low on oil (do they check? don't let them start show until they do!) - lens cap on (really!) - takeup tension misadjusted (if reel to reel) - wrong prints in wrong houses (or reels mixed up in cabinet) - etc. This sounds like it would be fun!  |  IP: Logged Darren Crimmins Expert Film Handler Posts: 130 From: Dallas, TX, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 12-17-2003 08:07 PM                     The best traps are for those who try to run the booth and are not qualified to do so.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 12-17-2003 09:40 PM                        If a newbie can't figure out and fix Brad's traps, then they do not deserve to work in the booth. They are no better than movie pirates. And movie pirates are worse than murderers.  |  IP: Logged

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