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Author Topic: How many assistants do you have? R. Andrew Diercks Expert Film Handler Posts: 232 From: Marion, Iowa (In the middle of everywhere) Registered: May 2003 posted 09-06-2004 11:40 AM                     I guess I'm wondering, comparative to screen count, how many assistant managers is average? I have 9 screens and currently have 2 assistants. I have been told that I should have more as my sister theatre which is also 9 screens has 6 assistants. I don't really see the point. It seems to me that only a couple of them have any real power or decision making ability. The others just know how to close down. The new 20 screen that recently opened in my area stated that he had 24 assistants, which seems ridiculous. I suppose he's weeding out the bad though. Do any of you have shift managers or anything of that nature? Thank you for your input.  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 09-06-2004 12:26 PM                        I have 3 full time assistants (40-45 hrs/wk), one relief mngr (15-20 hours week) and two shift leaders (30hrs wk). 16 screens and this works well. I did have 4 full time asst's but lost one a few weeks ago. I've also lost one staff leader and the remaining two have decreased hours due to school being in session. 24 assistants is ludicrous. Someone is simply abusing a title, period. What good woudl all those people do? The right hand wouldn't know what the left was doing and vice-versa. I think that 2 asst's for your 9 screen woudl be fine. Use a couple of your long term, trustworthy hourly staff as your shift leaders.  |  IP: Logged Scott D. Neff Theatre Dork Posts: 919 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Oct 1999 posted 09-06-2004 12:39 PM                        I have a friend who's at a 5-plex and there are 9 assistants. But there aren't that many floor staff because the theatre went from being nicely busy, to being mostly slow. So I guess they kept the assistants there and cut back on hiring floor staff. Regarding the 20 plex with 24 assistants, I know that a lot of large theatres like to departmentalize. 1 assistant for floor, 1 for snack bar, 1 for box office, a 20-plex probably has 2 for booth and possibly extra people if there are satellite snack bars. Sounds to me that that's about six per shift, 2 shifts a day plus a possible midshift makes about 14 per day maybe??? 24 sounds about right. As far as people with decision making abilities, that's probably relegated to upper management. When I ran a 4-plex I generally had 3 assistants. 1 to open, 1 to close every day. I'd have a 2nd manager on shift on Friday night and Saturday mid-shift and possibly sunday morning. And then of course we'd have days off to cover. Three made it perfect.  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 09-06-2004 04:57 PM                        Don't forget - the 20 that just opened near you is manager-operator. That 24 assistant count includes those you might consider to be projectionists.  |  IP: Logged Robert L. Fischer Expert Film Handler Posts: 145 From: Montreal, Quebec Registered: May 2004 posted 09-07-2004 09:12 PM                    My five-plex normally has two assistant managers, but because our GM's wife is expecting a baby in a few weeks, we will have three until one of the other assistants leaves after the holiday season.  |  IP: Logged Jennifer Pan THE JEN! Posts: 1219 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: Nov 2003 posted 09-07-2004 09:53 PM                        There were about 9 at the 24-plex I worked at. Most of them were regular shift assistants and some just worked weekends or holidays. And then alternated during the summer. Also, another AMC 24 I know of only has 2 assistants. Meanly because it just opened a couple of months ago. They currently just have a lot of supervisors.  |  IP: Logged Nate Lehrke Master Film Handler Posts: 396 From: Denver, CO Registered: Oct 2002 posted 09-07-2004 10:33 PM                     I have 4 assistants at a 6-plex. All work under 20 hours each. I think it works fine. I like having part timers as assistants so they don't burn out so fast.  |  IP: Logged Bill Carter Expert Film Handler Posts: 162 From: Minneapolis, Minnesota Registered: Sep 1999 posted 09-08-2004 12:39 AM                     Right now, I have three assistant managers. One full-time salaried, one 30+ hours a week, and a new one working about 20 a week, covering vacations and other oddball shifts. All three of them (in addition to myself) are projectionists. I think it's a lot easier (and quicker) to teach a good projectionist to be a manager than the other way around.  |  IP: Logged Robert L. Fischer Expert Film Handler Posts: 145 From: Montreal, Quebec Registered: May 2004 posted 09-08-2004 11:05 AM                    I agree. I started out in the projection booth and then went on to management. Counting money and filling out paperwork is all common sense and clockwork, but projection takes years to master. I know I'll definitely still be learning for a long time.  |  IP: Logged Jim Ziegler Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 753 From: West Hollywood, CA Registered: Jul 99 posted 09-08-2004 02:10 PM                     I have 4 part time assistants for a 6 screen right now.  |  IP: Logged Brandon Willis Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Richmond, VA, USA Registered: Apr 2004 posted 10-14-2004 11:14 AM                     We have a GM and about a half dozen assistants at the 20 plex where I work. We have a couple of assistants who primarily work the booth (just barely enough to cover all the shifts), and the majority of us, myself included, spend most of our time on the floor. A typical weekday shift consists of a manager in the booth, and 2 on the floor: one in charge of box office and one in charge of concession. On the weekends we have a "floor" manager who assists the box and concession people. We have a First Assistant who is second in command to the GM. We used to have a Second Assistant but that position is vacant right now.  |  IP: Logged R. Andrew Diercks Expert Film Handler Posts: 232 From: Marion, Iowa (In the middle of everywhere) Registered: May 2003 posted 10-14-2004 11:20 AM                     Along the same lines, when you choose an assistant, do people apply and interview for the position or do you just snag someone and ask if they want it? I am replacing an assistant now and we offered the chance to interview and explain their perceived qualifications. Of course the interview is not the only measure of worth. My goal is to make everyone take the promotion and the promoted individual more seriously.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Mehocic Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 804 From: New Castle, PA, USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-14-2004 12:20 PM                     We promote from within without a formal interview. However, you may want to do interviews - at least for the managment positions - incase somebody bitches later that they were more qualified than John Doe for the position he got and is now screwing up . . . (Edited after re-reading Andrew's question more accurately)  |  IP: Logged Brandon Willis Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Richmond, VA, USA Registered: Apr 2004 posted 10-14-2004 02:14 PM                     People from outside apply and go through a formal interview. From within, it's kind of a mixed bag. If an employee expresses interest and the GM feels that they're qualified, he will have an informal discussion about the job with them and then they will apply. I was invited to apply for a management position after about a year as floor staff. I guess that's a good thing.  |  IP: Logged Ramin Hashemi Expert Film Handler Posts: 129 From: Houston TX Registered: Sep 2004 posted 10-15-2004 12:01 AM                     I guess it also depends on what you call assistant manager. To me, assistant manager is like vice president. They should be ready to step in and take over if the manager is not there. Otherwise, I call them supervisors.  |  IP: Logged

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