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Author
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Topic: Strong DMC35-3 platter incident
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John T. Hendrickson, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler
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Posts: 889
From: Freehold, NJ, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 07-29-2002 09:50 AM
Just now getting around to posting this. Last Thursday I left the theater after building up our three prints of Austin Powers Goldmember for the special evening shows, thinking everything was under control. Wrong. Friday morning I come in to find an incident report written in the log concerning one of the Austin Powers shows.Seems one of our operators claims that he was standing near the projector looking out the port and hear a loud "pop-pop", then discovered that the film "had jumped off the first two dancer rollers on the platter." "It just jumped off?" I said. "That's not possible" Now I have been around this business a long time, and I have never, ever, heard of anything like this happening, unless of course, someone walks between the projector and the capture roller and trips over the film. Naturally, neither operator on duty is admitting to that happening. I am at a loss to understand how a new print, on its second show, could just come off the dancer on the third reel. This Strong DMC35-3 has performed flawlessly for nearly two and a half years ( as have all our other DMC35's) Even our older Strong microswitch platters that don't have the guide rollers have never had this happen, unless again, somebody tripped over the film. Am I missing something here??? Is there something I don't know about? Am I losing it in my old age? Or do you folks think my original suspisions are correct? I checked out the print on Friday, and there is no damage to the print, thankfully. I am, however, extremely upset about having a show go off screen, no matter how short the duration. A head is about to roll on this one. Looking forward to your comments.
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Brad Miller
Administrator
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Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 07-29-2002 03:24 PM
Static would have nothing to do with a film coming off of a platter's takeup roller.John, if your platters are on the operator side of the projector, then assuming the film came off of the first two rollers on the takeup chain of the platter, then someone definitely did walk into the film, whether they are admitting it or realizing that they did or not. The only possibility would be if the elevator is not moving smoothly up and down. If there is a drag at some point in the elevator's travel, then it is technically possible the elevator briefly got "stuck", but Strong's rollers have nice large flanges, so even that I'm not buying. By the way, can someone please explain to me why Strong puts keeper rollers on every roller except that one in the takeup elevator???
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Randy Stankey
Film God
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Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 07-29-2002 09:35 PM
Neither can I imagine that the film would just "jump" off the rollers. This is not to say that it CAN'T happen... virtually anything's possible. I just can't shake the feeling that somebody goofed and won't admit it.In the booth(s) that I ran, we had a rule: If you goof and admit it, the worst that will happen to you is getting scolded, "That was a stupid-ass thing to do..." Even if it was a total F*** up. Obviously, malicious behavior or horse play is excluded but people who behave like that wouldn't be allowed to work the booth in the first place. If you goof but try to lie about it or cover it upand get caught you are in trouble TWICE! Once for F***ing up and once for lying about it. At least the guy wrote an incident report about it. If it was me in the situation I'd take the guy aside and restate the policy then ask, point-blank, "Are you SURE there was no chance that you goofed?" If your guy comes clean that would be the end of it. If the guy swears that it wasn't his fault, I'd ask him (her?) if he had any idea how it happend, investigate to the best of my ability and if I couldn't find a good reason I'd leave well enough alone. However, if the same (or similar) incident happened to the same guy I'd take him out and give him a serious talking to. I'd make sure to restate the policy again and make it crystal clear. If "accidents" kept happening to the same person, the company's disciplinary policy would be put into effect. (Warning... Write-up... Suspension... Dismissal... or whatever.) In other words, give the person every chance in the world to make good but make it clear that nothing less than ones best work is expected. Personal style of management should also be accounted for. For instance, the first incident where you took the guy aside might be considered the first warning. I, myself, tend to be quite lenient. (Some say lenient to a fault.) On the other hand, when a person shows that they don't have the responsibility to do a job right I make sure they don't stay around very long at all.
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