|
|
This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
|
|
Author
|
Topic: I'm Scared Help Me
|
Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000
|
posted 08-15-2000 10:15 PM
I just found out today we no longer have a service company. Apparently MTS wouldn't give Carmike the 2 million credit line they wanted. So, as of right now, I am our theatre's unofficial tech. Any problem I must handle by myself, because their won't be anyone to make a service call.I was also informed that Carmike hasn't been able to buy essential projector parts, including bulbs, because no one will give them credit (gee, I wonder why?). We have a couple bulbs that need changing, one that has 5300 hours on it, and one that has 8,000!!!! hours on it. And most disturbingly, the film companies have started to pull our prints and send them to the competition. This week it was only Perfect Storm, but I have a feeling this is only the beginning. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? 
| IP: Logged
|
|
Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
|
posted 08-15-2000 10:38 PM
Been there, done that, but with an independent, not a chain.
In some ways, doing your own tech work can be fun and educational, if the management at your theatre doesn't mind if you come in and spend hours tinkering with stuff. Fortunately, the place where I worked had management that was so utterly clueless that they couldn't replace fuses or change lenses without assistance (much less put tickets in the Automaticket machine), so they weren't about to refuse free labor.
The frustrating part here is that you probably don't have stuff like test films, oscilloscopes, RTAs, and the like sitting around in your booth. In that case, it's probably best to not try to adjust stuff (especially soundhead alignment!) that seems to be in OK shape. I wouldn't even try to do an A-chain without the proper test films unless everything was so screwed up that it couldn't possibly be made any worse.
8000 hours on a xenon lamp? Ouch! Post the part number in the "for sale/wanted" section; maybe someone here who works in a theatre with a "change out the lamps at the warranty period" policy could send you one from the "old bulbs" pile.
Trust me, it's amazing how much booth stuff you can get cheaply if you ask nicely or offer to trade some old stuff that you don't need anymore.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1129
From: Marietta, GA
Registered: Jul 2000
|
posted 08-15-2000 10:47 PM
Dustin - I have sympathy for you right now.
(But on the other hand, I'm leaping for joy.) My theater is down in attendance this year, so this Carmike fiasco will only help me. Would you like me to keep you posted on what I find out? I find out quite a bit because my 8-screen splits product w/ 2 4-screen Carmikes, so my booking dept is "on the prowl" so to speak, looking for ways to grab product. I hear that you guys owe Dreamworks over $7 million in unpaid film rental, btw. You might want to consider jumping the ship before it completely sinks. Once the distributors start pulling product, it's all over. The company can't make up for lost revenue if they don't have any product to bring the customers in. But that's just my two cents worth. I'm sitting here w/ my fingers crossed, hoping that my company (Cinemark) will stay afloat long enough that a couple others collapse and we are finally able to breathe again. It seems to me like all the major companies are playing the game of who can stay alive the longest, but once 2 majors fail, the others will pick up those customers and will survive - that's my prediction, but I'm rambling now, so I'm going to end this post 
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oscar Neundorfer
Master Film Handler
Posts: 275
From: Senoia, GA
Registered: May 2000
|
posted 08-16-2000 06:00 AM
Hey Dustin,I don't know if you have any SMART equipment in your theater or not, but if you do, let me know if I can help with any problems. You can always call me at 1-800-457-6278 or e-mail at oscar@smartdev.com. Call even if it is not about SMART equipment, and I will try to help you out if I can. I am sure most everyone else here will also jump in if they can help you. Best regrads, ------------------
Oscar Neundorfer
Chief Engineer
SMART Devices, Inc. oscar@smartdev.com
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
John Pytlak
Film God
Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000
|
posted 08-16-2000 10:30 AM
Pushing xenon lamps 5,000 to 10,000 hours  ! Is there a lesson to be learned here, that a policy of cutting corners on maintenance may go hand in hand with other poor management decisions? Most xenon lamp manufacturers warn that the risk of lamp explosion increases dramatically as you push lamp life well beyond the warranteed hours. I hope you were at least provided all the necessary safety equipment and training for properly handling xenon lamps! What was your measured screen luminance using these very old (and likely blackend) lamps? ------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000
|
posted 08-16-2000 11:51 AM
John, the only safety equipment we have is face shields. I do not know how to change out lamps. There are two people here who do, one, who will be going off to school soon, is pretty good at it. The other, my manager, can but says he isn't very good at focusing them.I think I have the failsafe problem fixed, without masking tape even . Oh, the tools I have-
Screwdrivers
Alan wrenches
A few sockets
Very old, underpowered drill we use for winding up trailers. There's one bit laying around here somewhere for it.
3 MUT's
Splicers
1 Rewind Bench That's it. No test equipment/film, nothing. Previously anything that I would've needed that kind of stuff for was MTS's responsibility.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|
Home
Printer-friendly view of this topic