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Author Topic: National Amusements trailer policy
Robert L. Fischer
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 145
From: Montreal, Quebec
Registered: May 2004


 - posted 10-17-2004 02:17 AM      Profile for Robert L. Fischer     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Is it the policy of every National Amusements theater to cut the credits off (or cue the zipper or whatever)? I saw Team America at one on Friday night and the credits stopped abruptly about half-way in. I was extremely pissed off because I read about the additional lyrics and whatnot and didn't get to hear it. If it weren't for the fact that I was in a hurry, I would've complained then and there, but I may go back later. Does anyone know anything about this? What a HORRIBLE policy...

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Dominic Espinosa
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1172
From: Boulder Creek, CA.
Registered: Jan 2004


 - posted 10-17-2004 02:47 AM      Profile for Dominic Espinosa   Email Dominic Espinosa   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I'd say either the idiot cued it wrong or it was a print from a special screening and didn't remove the cue tape.
That happened to me once, the idiots who built the print didn't take off the old tape (it was played but it was an opening day print that had no sneaks) and it shut down at the beginning of the credits.

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Kenneth Wuepper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1026
From: Saginaw, MI, USA
Registered: Feb 2002


 - posted 10-17-2004 12:24 PM      Profile for Kenneth Wuepper   Email Kenneth Wuepper   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Robert,

Every contract I have signed for exhibition of films has been worded to say that the films will be shown "in their entirety". I, and the companies I have worked for, have always taken that to mean the credits and even the final rating bar are to be seen by the audience.

Dominic,

There is some inconsistency in the use of Q materials. If the machine edge foil is for lights up in one house it may be the end of show on another system. If the soundtrack side is for end of show on some automations it may not be for others. If the sensors are wired differently the results will also be different, perhaps even opposite. The only real guarantee of proper operation in your automation is to remove ALL prior attached Qs and install new ones at the proper locations for your equipment.

KEN

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Carl Martin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1424
From: Oakland, CA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002


 - posted 10-18-2004 04:24 AM      Profile for Carl Martin   Author's Homepage   Email Carl Martin   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
i see this sometimes. even if it doesn't shut down, the film may change sound formats, or the lights may do the wrong thing. sometimes it will happen after the 3rd reel if it's been played off 6k's. that's why operators should always...

1) remove all cues when shipping out
2) wind slowly through the credits during inspection, watching closely for spurious cues (if they're in the center they can't be felt in passing)
3) pre-screen the print (the whole print, including the credits)

carl

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Jeff Taylor
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 601
From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY
Registered: Apr 2000


 - posted 10-18-2004 08:45 AM      Profile for Jeff Taylor   Email Jeff Taylor   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I've had extensive business dealings with NA and have spent a good deal of time in their booths with both senior company management and local managers / projectionists. They definitely do not have a policy of cutting credits, and in fact have a centralized projectionist training facility that tries to promote "film done right".

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Peter Hall
Master Film Handler

Posts: 314
From: London, UK
Registered: Dec 2000


 - posted 10-18-2004 12:16 PM      Profile for Peter Hall   Author's Homepage   Email Peter Hall   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I agree with Jeff - their policy here is to raise the lights to half after any "feature" credits (eg Shark Tale, Nemo etc) and then only stop after the very final credit. If however they have a break for any reason and the operator "starts" instead of "restarts" (common) then the shutter will close and the CP switch to Non Sync on the lights up pulse.

I find National Amusements' presentation very good here - their theaters are perhaps a little dull but all screens have SRD and most have twin subs and baffle walls. Their kit is also consistent - Centurys (apart from one experiment with Christie), Christie platters and consoles. Their sites are scarily standardised.

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Robert L. Fischer
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 145
From: Montreal, Quebec
Registered: May 2004


 - posted 10-18-2004 01:59 PM      Profile for Robert L. Fischer     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Well, it also happened when I saw Shaun of the Dead there and my friend mentioned that it's happened other times. I typically don't frequent that particular location unless there's something I really want to see there, so maybe it's just that theater or a couple of flukes.

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Jeff Taylor
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 601
From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY
Registered: Apr 2000


 - posted 10-18-2004 02:24 PM      Profile for Jeff Taylor   Email Jeff Taylor   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Peter: Generally the same "kit" here in the states; century heads, Christie consoles and platters, JBL dual sub packages, Ashley amps, and yes--they do standardize! They are also highly solvent and pay their bills.

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Joseph Pandolfi
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 213
From: Milford, CT.
Registered: Nov 1999


 - posted 10-22-2004 05:48 AM      Profile for Joseph Pandolfi   Email Joseph Pandolfi   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I also work for NA in the booth and we also have the same equipment of Century/Christie package. Also Entertainment Engineering Automation where we "peg the board" for each cue. Sometimes the cue detector will inadvertently pick up a cue even if there is no tape there and "pulse" the automation into the next sequence which in this case shut down the show. It rarely happens but if it does on my watch I would always manually restart the show (motor, lamp, c/o etc.) and bring the automation back online later. I would never motor the rest of the show out. It is not National Amusements Policy to train their managers/operators to do that.

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Steve Scott
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1300
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Sep 2000


 - posted 10-26-2004 06:05 PM      Profile for Steve Scott   Email Steve Scott   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The cue detector's sensitivity might need to be adjusted. Or possibly the automation is matrixed wrong. Either way, it seems to be operator attention at issue.

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002


 - posted 10-26-2004 06:55 PM      Profile for Jack Ondracek   Author's Homepage   Email Jack Ondracek   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
(waiting for Brad to tell us that a CA21 won't do this... [Razz] )

A TA10 would do exactly this. Assuming for the moment that it wasn't intentional, an early cue would run the shutdown sequence through, and the film would simply motor out.

We have a couple of theatres in our area where this would be entirely reasonable to expect, as the operators don't appear to look at the show after it first hits the screen.

On the other hand, my old antique co-operators do shut the motors down at the end of the sequence... though I expect the honking horns out in my fields would be my first indication of trouble.

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Daryl C. W. O'Shea
Film God

Posts: 3977
From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from)
Registered: Jun 2002


 - posted 10-26-2004 08:20 PM      Profile for Daryl C. W. O'Shea   Author's Homepage   Email Daryl C. W. O'Shea   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Followed by the invariably huge guy that shows up banging on the booth door.

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