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Topic: Projectionist worked to the bone

Paul Cunningham
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 146
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 10-08-2000 07:31 AM

Somebody forgot to tell this guy that he was allowed to take a meal break.

Seriously though, how many hours a week do you work?
Do you get any of those nice shifts that start at 9 am finish at 12 midnight and are then expected to start at 9 again?
Is there a fridge and cooking facilities in your projection room?
Do you get enough of a break between shows to go and get takeaway or do you rush out for a minute leaving the shows unattended? (I know people do, so don't deny it)
Are you expected to help out at box office or candy bar? Clean the auditoriums?
What is the longest you ever get to sit down in the one place for?

Just things I am curious about.

Paul Cunningham

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William Hooper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1879
From: Mobile, AL USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-08-2000 11:43 PM

I forget -

Do the lens turrets in the US & Canada rotate clockwise & the lens turrets in Australia rotate anti-clockwise, or is it the other way around?

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Jesse Skeen
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1517
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 10-09-2000 12:36 AM

I've had a couple days where somebody else wanted the day off so I consented to working about 15-hour days. I'm kinda crazy that way though

They must like me at my new theater, they've got me on a weird long shift tomorrow because someone else can't come in til later. Am I complaining? NO!!! Heck, I already stayed the whole day there today, working day shift then watching 2 movies afterwards. (No, they didn't pay me to watch the movies; got to watch the late showing of "Digimon" in an empty theater!)

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Frank Prete
Film Handler

Posts: 55
From: Victoria, Australia
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 10-09-2000 05:41 AM

Jesse, you should be paid to sit through Digimon

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Paul Cunningham
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 146
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 10-09-2000 07:46 AM

William, do you look down into drains at the water swirling or do you look up out of the drain???
Cheers Paul

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Tom Kroening
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 214
From: Janesville, WI USA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 10-09-2000 12:30 PM

i usually work shifts like 10:30 - 6 or 5:30 - 1 a.m. The shifts are nice but I do have one problem. We are a manager run operation and im usually up in the booth. Now for some reason this company thinks that we have time to come downstairs and do manager stuff durring our shift upstairs. Why would it be any different from when there were projectionists? I always have work to do upstairs and once and a while id like to kick back and take a little break since we never get them. Instead of getting stuff done upstairs I have to come down and worry about sending employees on break, counting money, closing the day, its rediculous. People working downstairs bitch if i don't help. Maybe I should start bitching that people downstairs aren't helping me. On the other hand, I wouldn't want someone to come upstairs and start working on something without asking me. They have no idea whats going on since they havn't been up there all day, and the same makes sense to me about going downstairs. Why should I take responsibility of this money when i had nothing to do with it? I couldn't even watch the employees.Ohh well... such is life i guess.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-09-2000 01:01 PM

Our normal shift at Ontario Place cinesphere Imax is approx 10am-midnight no breaks 3 days on 7 days off during the summmer
We have washroom fridge kettle coffe maker and micro in the booth
I keep filing in purchase recs for a sauna and hot tub but purchasing never fills them for some reason

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Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-09-2000 01:37 PM

I have been working under 40 hours per week. But this week, My partner has been on vacation. That means two doubles, being on-call 24-7 and staying late tonight.

When you own the place, you run out of excuses.

I just want to go home, put my feet up, crack a beer and watch some TV! Is that too much to ask?

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 10-09-2000 01:44 PM

Ian: When you own the place, you can always live in the projection room! But don't turn up the TV too loud!

------------------
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

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 10-09-2000 03:12 PM

On this side of the pond we do have some safeguards against projectionists routinely having to work crazily long hours. First there is the European Working Time Directive, which basically makes it illegal for an employer to ask anyone to work over 48 hours per week unless they sign an opt-out volunteering to do so.

Under UK law it's also illegal for any cinema employee to work on a Sunday if they have worked on the previous six days consecutively, although I have never come across any instance of an attempt to enforce it.

I have signed the Euro opt-out, because my company can't pay me for overtime beyond 48 hours otherwise. All it takes is holiday cover for one colleague and another going sick and the hours can get ridiculous. My record is 10 consecutive 'double' shifts, including two of 9am - 3am (that place did late night shows on Fridays and Saturdays). If I work 'em, I want to get paid for 'em!

Personally I prefer 'doubles', because in a sensibly organised rota it means more complete days off.

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 10-09-2000 04:45 PM

Hey Paul

You didn't tell me you had Yorick working for you! I knew him once. He's great. (and he eats almost no confectionary from the candy bar).

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Matt Ashburn
Film Handler

Posts: 16
From: Martinsville, Virginia, USA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 10-09-2000 07:14 PM

"When you own the place, you can always live in the projection room! But don't turn up the TV too loud!"

At my theatre (Hollywood Cinema), the guy that owns the place DOES live there at times-- literally. He runs the TV Station too, so he has pretty long days. His room is in a corner of the booth with a bed, TV, etc.

Matt Ashburn
Hollywood Cinema (Martinsville, VA)
University of VA Newcomb Hall Theatre (Charlottesville, VA)

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Greg Pauley
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 173
From: Huntington, WV, USA
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 10-09-2000 09:31 PM

Great Picture Paul!
But, I think this shows that you Aussies should lay off this vegimite Stuff!

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Stephen Jones
Master Film Handler

Posts: 314
From: Geelong Victoria Australia
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-09-2000 09:56 PM

Shit Paul youve lost a bit of weight mate,your working to hard haha.Is that one of my old Centrex's in the pic,she looks well.I reconnised the old girl staight away as I mentioned before they were very reliable when I had them in the Eastside Drive-.in in Tasmania.
As for Hours ect I work 71/4 Hrs a shift and often finish at midnight and start at 9.00 am Ive got one of those shifts to night.As you saw when came down on your visit we havs a frige microwave,Dunny (for our U.S friends an Aussie word for toilet)and a shower also a lift for carrying of film from downstairs.Give us a call sometime.

Stephen

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Michael Cunningham
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 186
From: Anchorage, AK
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 10-11-2000 12:14 PM

One question about your picture above, where are you sending that film to?!? It looks like it comes out of the soundhead and then goes straight back through the pedestal. Is the platter behind the projector? Or is there some takeup reel on the pedestal that is just out of frame, beyond the picture edge?

As for work hours and such, I normally work a straight 40, 10AM to 6PM, five days a week. But of course, Thursday nights almost always throw that for a loop. As to ameneties, the only thing we have in the booth is a coffee pot, and we had to buy that ourselves!

-Mike

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