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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Community   » Film-Yak   » Anyone work for Carmike theatres? (Page 1)

 
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Author Topic: Anyone work for Carmike theatres?
Allison Parsons
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 630
From: East Peoria, IL
Registered: Oct 2004


 - posted 04-13-2005 12:00 AM      Profile for Allison Parsons   Author's Homepage   Email Allison Parsons   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
So, It's basically official that GKC is now being bought by Carmike and the changes are going to happen in May. So, my question is, does anyone work for Carmike and what should I expect? I've already been told that our new uniforms will be a bow tie/vest/white shirt [Mad] (good god..) I'm sure you can't compare Carmike's policy's to GKC's if you haven't worked at both theaters, but I thought I'd still ask. Thanks!

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000


 - posted 04-13-2005 01:50 AM      Profile for Dustin Mitchell   Email Dustin Mitchell   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
What position do you work at at GKC?

Go ahead and email me if you want and I'll help as best as I can.

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Christian Volpi
Master Film Handler

Posts: 349
From: Arlington, NE
Registered: Apr 2004


 - posted 04-13-2005 02:05 AM      Profile for Christian Volpi   Author's Homepage   Email Christian Volpi   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Carmike? Dear God! You poor bastard!

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Matt Kerekes
Film Handler

Posts: 73
From: Rio Rancho, NM
Registered: Oct 2004


 - posted 04-13-2005 02:23 AM      Profile for Matt Kerekes   Email Matt Kerekes   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Maybe Carmike has changed some policies since I left in June of 2003 but I doubt it. I only hope for your sake that they have, but if not be prepared for VERY long hours with VERY little compensation. Maybe with the expansion of the company change will come. Good Luck.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 04-13-2005 11:15 AM      Profile for Mike Blakesley   Author's Homepage   Email Mike Blakesley   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Carmike is the cheapest company in the industry.

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R. Andrew Diercks
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 232
From: Marion, Iowa (In the middle of everywhere)
Registered: May 2003


 - posted 04-13-2005 11:27 AM      Profile for R. Andrew Diercks   Email R. Andrew Diercks   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Isn't it amazing that companies can file bankruptcy, gain government protection against closure and soon after make a major buyout. K-Mart is doing this as well with Sears.

Regular people have their credit shot for 7 years.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001


 - posted 04-13-2005 12:26 PM      Profile for Bobby Henderson   Email Bobby Henderson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
It's hard to name any movie theater company that didn't file bankruptcy (Cinemark maybe?). It's also difficult, if not impossible, to find any theater chain anywhere in the United States without more than its fair share of embarrasment-class theaters. I've seen bad theaters operated by Carmike (and even publicly bitched about one in a newspaper in Albany, GA). But I have certainly seen much worse.

I just thought I'd bring that up because it sounds like Carmike has been singled out lately in this forum. I don't hear anyone giving any well deserved bashings to AMC, Loews/Sony, Cinemark, United Artists, Regal and any number of others where I have seen deplorable theaters or been disappointed with shit-class show quality.

Carmike actually does have some nice theaters. The one in my town is pretty decent, especially for a 10 year old theater (certainly a lot better than what most chains are putting into cities of 100,000 or fewer residents).

The one in Christian's town (Sioux City, IA), is probably an old theater formerly owned by another chain (Carmike's website doesn't show it to have anything playing in digital sound or any of that stuff). Not far away in Des Moines, Carmike has a 12-plex with THX, digital sound and stadium seating on all 12 auditoriums. So it sounds like they're making some effort there.

Now, I'm not going to apologize for Carmike's business practices. Their strategy in the 1990's of trying to be the first chain to have 5000 screens was pretty ill-advised and a major reason of what put them into bankruptcy. Theater customers aren't going to give a damn over how many screens a movie theater chain owns. The point of pride ought to be on quality, not quantity of movie screens. Unfortunately, not enough customers give a damn about quality either. The exhibition industry on the whole knows this and is lapsing into complacency about it.

quote: Matt Kerekes
I only hope for your sake that they have, but if not be prepared for VERY long hours with VERY little compensation.
I don't know how this is applying to box office and counter people, but George Bush's new overtime law that went into effect makes it difficult for anyone to get more than 40 hours per week. Now, if you're the theater manager and on salary, yeah, you're going to be putting in some really serious time. A good friend of mine manages the Carmike here in Lawton and he works longer hours than anyone else I know.

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Jarryd Beard
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 229
From: Hellertown, PA
Registered: Jul 2004


 - posted 04-13-2005 01:37 PM      Profile for Jarryd Beard   Email Jarryd Beard   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I agree with Bobby as far as Carmike's newest designs go. In State College, both theatres were former Cinema Worlds. However, the new Carmikes I've been to are quite impressive. In Pittsburgh, the flagship theatre seems to be the Loew's Waterfront. However, once you get past the lobby, the auditoriums and presentation are pretty much shit. The much smaller Carmike 10 and Wynnsong 12 (Another Carmike Name), have less elaborate lobbies and exteriors, but auditoriums (especially the comfortable seats), are quite nice. Also, almost all new Carmikes are at least THX certifiable, if they don't go for the certification.

My biggest complaints are Screenvision rolling commercials and an outrageous number of trailers. Also, new mandatory showtimes make for chaos before and after movies. I enjoy the vest and bow tie uniforms as they keep up with the old theatre style, as opposed to polo shirts. However, the concession upselling policy has to go.

As far as projectionists go, I'm pretty sure most Carmikes have managers take care of those operations. This may be different depending on any contracts you might have if part of a union. The two Carmikes in State College still have the union in their booths 5 out of 7 days per week. However, my understanding is that this stems from the union contract with Cinema World before they were purchased by Carmike in 1994.

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999


 - posted 04-13-2005 02:51 PM      Profile for Tim Reed   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
What can I say about Carmike that I haven't said already?
quote: Tim Reed, a long time ago...
I got to know some of the nicest people I have ever met, dealing with the Carmike circuit. It was a distinct pleasure working with them, and the good nature extended all the way to the home office in Columbus - right down the line.

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Matt Kerekes
Film Handler

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From: Rio Rancho, NM
Registered: Oct 2004


 - posted 04-13-2005 06:15 PM      Profile for Matt Kerekes   Email Matt Kerekes   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
As it applies to floor staff and other hourly positions, they do not usually get more than 40 hours a week. However salaried managers are overworked. At least they were when I was there. I have also worked for Regal, Cinemark and a few small chains, and Carmike takes (or took) the cake for overworking salary managers. Not so much at their bigger theaters where they each worked about 48 hours a week, but at the dinky 4 screen that I managed I was REQUIRED to be there 60-70 hours a week and my assistant manager wasn't even allowed to open or close the building unless it was my one day off which was Wednesday. I said before, maybe they've changed, but this thread was also just requesting info about Carmike or I could have said some things about the others too.

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

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From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000


 - posted 04-13-2005 06:50 PM      Profile for Darryl Spicer     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Bobby Henderson
It's hard to name any movie theater company that didn't file bankruptcy (Cinemark maybe?).
Cinemark never filed for bankruptcy.

THe local Carmike here is a discount house. I have yet been there that there wasn't some sort of Projection issue. No sound till the DTS kicked on. Strobing in the xenon lamp that indicated a bad diode. Scratches through out the entire presentation this including the house trailers (policy and stuff). Saw the same ad run five times, never wanted to shoot a damn M&M popping out of a box more than that night. Didn't even have any trailers after the ads. Of course the rediculous showtimes they run that have been discussed in another thread causing lines to run half way out into the parking lot.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

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From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004


 - posted 04-13-2005 07:11 PM      Profile for Monte L Fullmer   Email Monte L Fullmer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Matt Kerekes
As it applies to floor staff and other hourly positions, they do not usually get more than 40 hours a week. However salaried managers are overworked.
What this is called basically is the "house nut" rules -keeping within budget to make a buck.

Some states have an overtime rule for hourly employees that require overtime pay over 40hrs.

The sad thing is that theatre business is not a PRODUCTION occupation since the employees are not manufacturing something or anything for sale for profit to the company, and to pay the employees extra for.

They are just performing service work for a simple wage.

Circuits see this non-productive form of occupation and paying overtime for employees doesn't justify to the company when trying to make a profit, which is mainly in the snakbar due to the high percentage film takes from the gate.

Thus, with employees on salary, in the case of management, these people can "fill in" the big blank spots with their required additional hours that they have to be at the theatre that the hourly people can't "fill in" within their 40hour/week rate.

Kinda getting took for as much as possible for little pay the circuits have to give out.

I used to work for Carmike back in the early 90's when they took over a small chain called Excellence Theatres, that they themselves went under due to mis-management of sorts, but didn't stay long since my booth responsibilities were taken away to MO's.

-Monte

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999


 - posted 04-13-2005 08:12 PM      Profile for Tim Reed   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Darryl Spicer
No sound till the DTS kicked on. Strobing in the xenon lamp that indicated a bad diode. Scratches through out
Darryl, that's awful. Rodney Hughley's supposed to be servicing those theatres.

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Sam Graham
AKA: "The Evil Sam Graham". Wackiness ensues.

Posts: 1431
From: Waukee, IA
Registered: Dec 2004


 - posted 04-13-2005 08:33 PM      Profile for Sam Graham   Author's Homepage   Email Sam Graham   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Bobby Henderson
The one in Christian's town (Sioux City, IA), is probably an old theater formerly owned by another chain (Carmike's website doesn't show it to have anything playing in digital sound or any of that stuff). Not far away in Des Moines, Carmike has a 12-plex with THX, digital sound and stadium seating on all 12 auditoriums. So it sounds like they're making some effort there.
Not true. Carmike's website CLAIMS all THX, but in fact, the 12-plex had maybe one or two houses built THX-certified. Same holds true for the Wynnsong in Johnston, which originally opened with THX certification on either six or eight of its sixteen screens, but which is only renewed on the two "largest" (insert laugh track here) houses.

If you read the showtimes for these two plexes on Carmike's website literally, they're playing every movie in a THX auditorium in both Dolby Digital AND DTS simultaneously. I don't even think they opened all digital in the first place, let alone being capable of such an amazingly silly technical feat.

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000


 - posted 04-13-2005 10:04 PM      Profile for Darryl Spicer     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Tim Reed
Darryl, that's awful. Rodney Hughley's supposed to be servicing those theatres.

Tim

The last time I was there was probably a year and a half or more. I just got tired of watching bad presentations there. Even if the tickets were only a buck. Hopefully he has gotten things straightened out there. I know National Cinema Service used to service them when they first opened back in 96 or 97

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