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Author Topic: How many theatres still have more than one projectionist? JC Cowles Film Handler Posts: 77 From: St. Paul, MN Registered: Jun 2001 posted 08-17-2005 01:22 PM                     I'm just curious how many theatres out there still run more than one projectionist at a time--not including over-lapping shifts. It shocks me when I find 20+ screen theatres with one poor sap running his or her butt off trying to thread film and start projectors on time. Does this even exist anymore? Edit: And I'm speaking more in terms of multi's, not specialized screening rooms, IMAX or Omni and such.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 08-17-2005 01:49 PM                     We have two people in the booth on Thursdays: One runs the shows, the other does all the building up and breaking down. -Aaron  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-17-2005 01:57 PM                    Only one projectionist here. 16 houses. There are 2 people onboard thursdays, one to run the projectors, one to make up movies. I think it depends on the booth layout. I know of a few muiltiplexes that have several small booths instead of one large booth. In that instance, I could see needing maybe 2 people, but with one big booth, I dont think more than one projectionist is necessary.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-17-2005 02:24 PM                     LHM's Gateway 12 in SLC has a full crew of operators since they run full time. Four guys, including the booth manager, rolls the shifts. Mgmt people don't deal with the upstairs-they've got better and more important things to do downstairs. When I was booth manager at a 21, I had five employees under me. We took care of upstairs and the mgmt personnel took care of downstairs.  |  IP: Logged JC Cowles Film Handler Posts: 77 From: St. Paul, MN Registered: Jun 2001 posted 08-17-2005 04:08 PM                     Frank, I worked in a theatre with two separate buildings when I worked at . Three projectors in one and 8 in the other. We only had one projectionist, although Management was projection trained and could help start films if you had be in the other building. Har Mar 11 in Minnesota. It could certainly be done, but when problems arose, if you were in the other building, they could quickly get out of hand, like a brain wrap.  |  IP: Logged Don Sneed Master Film Handler Posts: 451 From: Texas City, TX, USA Registered: Aug 2001 posted 08-17-2005 04:39 PM                        In the states 1 or 2 projectionist will run a 16 + screens....now in Japan things are different...a 16-screen will have 8-projectionist on duty at any given time, a 12-screen will have 6-projectionist on duty...go figure !! But I will say for the Japanese projectionist, they keep their machines & booth spotless, it is so clean you could eat your dinner off those machine, I been in booths over there that is 10 years old & you would never know it by looking at their clean machines & booth, it looks brand new....I wish all USA booths were kept this way..  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-17-2005 05:25 PM                     quote: Don Sneed ...I wish all USA booths were kept this way.. ..the same reason that Japanese automobiles are far superior than the US built ones... That country has what some other countries try to have, or just don't want to talk about it, and that is called -> PRIDE and CARING about their employees. I've owned 8 Japanese vehicles (5 of them Toyotas) in my lifetime and you can see the quality in these..(and I now own a Suzuki wagon...6 yrs running and has never been in the shop..) quote: JC Cowles It could certainly be done, but when problems arose, if you were in the other building, they could quickly get out of hand, like a brain wrap. Place like that should invest into wrap detectors for their platters to minimize this potiental hazard being that the workforce is stretched out to the max. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Heath Dutton Film Handler Posts: 37 From: Montgomery, Alabama / United States of America Registered: Jul 2005 posted 08-17-2005 08:18 PM                     Hey, 16 screens here... We typically have only one person running the set. On Thursdays we have up to 4 projectionists here at the same time (2-3 building while one runs the set, or two running half the set while building, all depending on how many prints we are to receive). On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the hours of 3-9 (peak hours) we will have a second projectionist so that the set can be split in two. This is just for insurance (if a technical difficulty occurs one can handle the problem while the other runs the set). I would like to have two here at all times, but the company wouldn't have it.  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-17-2005 08:37 PM                    6 projectionists for 12 projectors? Thats rediculous. I admit 1 projectionist for 16 screens is bad, but cmon, theres gotta be a nice medium there somewhere.  |  IP: Logged Will Wheatley Uhl Film Handler Posts: 10 From: Manchester, NH Registered: Dec 2003 posted 08-17-2005 08:50 PM                    I thread all ten houses myself.... I buildup and break down every print... Im the only one who said, "Clear splicing tape is better than white"... Im the only one cleaning everything...  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-17-2005 09:56 PM                     quote: Frank Dubrois but cmon, theres gotta be a nice medium there somewhere. Them Japanese have the bucks to do this. Plus, they have a reputation of quality to uphold and they're going to do it no matter what. ...I like to see the US entertainment market try to keep up with this... -Monte  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-17-2005 10:39 PM                    Theres NO WAY theaters in the US would even try this. In my opinion, it is overkill. You could cut that number (of japanese workers to projectors) in half and still have overkill. Overstaffing doesnt breed quality. I own an american car and have had tremendous luck...I have had friends that owned japanese cars that turn out to be crap. So its all relative I spose. If they have the money to waste and (most likely) a surplus of people to fill the spots...then fine. Gotta wonder what a group like that gets paid, and how much popcorn (or sushi) would run at the concession stand. They gotta pay for those workers somehow.  |  IP: Logged Terry Velandra Film Handler Posts: 5 From: warren mi usa Registered: Jul 2004 posted 08-18-2005 12:21 AM                     15 Screens, Two Booths, one projectionist expect for Thursday where there is two, one in each booth.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-18-2005 12:29 AM                     Course, you have to realize that in Japan, entertainment is the extreme norm of activity and theatre business ranks on top in that catagory. People hit the cinemas in throngs, spend the Yen up the hoosegow over there in Aisa and they don't care how much it costs to get in to see a movie - one of the main reasons that studios over here release a movie that rather stinks over here, but will kill overseas, especially in the Asian countries. Those people demand quality and will easily pay for such a commodity, thus the proprietors will ensure such a return to the customer-even if it requires the 8 operators for a 16 screen cinema. And the proprietor will expect such care on the equipment and surroundings to ensure the longetivity of such, since most of the equipment and parts has to come from overseas. In the olden days when some of the operators belonged to the IA, there were two operators in a single house booth in large venue houses in the large cities and this was a required arrangement. Operators, wearing white shirts and ties-being of the professional nature, and being dressed up was deemed professional to follow the job/career. But back then, nitrate was the norm-safety on occasion, B/W was commonly seen on the screen with a spattering of Technicolor releases, the economy was pennies to live on, no such thing as a TV set, let alone DVD, and people loved to get out to watch a movie-the easiest form of entertainment to attend and spend less than 10 bucks, which included dinner afterwards. Time marches on....and so does changes. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Martin Brooks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 900 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 08-18-2005 12:41 AM                        quote: Frank Dubrois I have had friends that owned japanese cars that turn out to be crap. So its all relative I spose. That might be your experience, but surveys consistently show that Japanese cars are far superior to American cars. Open up the annual Auto issue of Consumer Reports and read the repair charts - there is no comparison. The worst of the Japanese cars usually have better repair records than the best of the American cars.  |  IP: Logged

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