Until recently Consolidated Theatres (Pacific) had two professional projectionist working at the theatres including Film Tech member Chris Siu but I just learned from my friend Alan Sakaida, Pacific's sight and sound head technician that the Twins now have management personal in the booth running the show at all times. The presentations at the WAikiki has always been flawless until today. The pre show advertisments and the analogue poicy trailer sounded flat with no surround but I had no problem with that but I was shocked when the SDDS digital sound and all of the movie trailers with digital tracks also played with no sound coming from the surround speakers. I immediately complained but nothing was done with the surround sound until the movie was half over. What little I heard when the surrounds featuring Dolby EX kicked in sounded great especially when the alien (s) was breaking into the house. I stayed to watch the trailers and the first 15 minutes of "SIGNS" again at the next show and the presentation this time was flawless and everything sounded great! It was unfortunate that my timing was bad and I had to sit through a sub standard performance because an unskilled person was in the booth

It is very sad to see a wonderful theatre fall victim to cooperate greed and play their films in a unprofessional manner. If this trand continues, I think I will upgrade my picture and sound and watch all my movies at home. When I do, it will include a 16 X 9 High definition projection screen and the best sound system featuring both Dolby EX and DTS ES. I have a great system now but if I plan to see all of my movies at home instead of a theatre, I want to get the best equipment I can afford.

-Claude

Your story is sad, but it is what's happen every time I go to the theater in my town. Sound devices are often left to their destiny (I saw a 6 screen multiplex with CP500 and SA-10 with no projectionist in the booth: who select EX or no-ex???) and the result is what you've heard.

It's funny, I too come to your solution: arrange a hi quality setup Home Theater in my house, partially using professional devices.

It's sad, but sometimes it is the only thing that a real "moviegoer" can do.

Bye

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For persistent or chronic problems, it is also important to document the problem in writing, not only to the local theatre management, but to the circuit management.

Here is contact information for the major theatre circuits:
http://www.boxoffice.com/giantstop.html
http://www.boxoffice.com/issues/jul00/canada.html
http://www.boxoffice.com/issues/jul00/europe.html
http://www.boxoffice.com/issues/dec99/asia3.html
http://www.boxoffice.com/shows/cinemaexpo/2002/european_giants.html

In general, the VP of Projection/Engineering, or VP of Operations should be copied on any report of chronic problems.

Often it is a tug-of-war between the "bean counters" and the technical people within a circuit. Documentation of problems stemming from poorly choosen cost-cutting methods will help the technical people fight for "Film Done Right".

I agree with you that theatres risk losing much of their audience to home theatre unless they have "Film/Digital Done Right".

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

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A KIWI eats,roots & Leaves.

Home Dolby EX is the same as the theatre version where the rear surround sound is achieved by matrix of the right and left discreet surround tracks. Home DTS-ES is a full 6.1 discreet process without the use of matrix. Also, I have found that while Dolby digital sounds great in my home theatre, I feel that DTS is better most of the time in my humble opinion.

I did the next best thing when I sent an email to Alan Sakaida last night and asked him to let the local CEO at Consolidtaed Theatres read my Film Tech post and suggested Mr Yim to alert Consolidated's head office(Pacific Theatres) in Los Angeles to also read it. Let us hope that the people at the head office will read my comments I had posted about the Waikiki #2 poor sound presentation here at Film Tech and will make every effort to make sure that everyone who works in their booths are fully qualified and know what they are doing and what had happened yesterday will not happen again..

-Claude

Do you really think that inform the management can solve the situation? Yes, "double-duty" personnel will left unattended the booth. But in my experience managers often do not care about the presentation. I know a very well equipped theater in my town. Biggest screen has SDDS-8, DTS, DD, EX, triamp. The projectionist told me that once he come to the manager asking him a tech because one of the digital player was faulty. He replied "no, it is not possibile". The projectionist replied with the problems encountered. The manager replied "no matter, use analog".
So I wonder "why he installed all of that stuff???".

I understand that management is the straight line to hit the point but, unfortunately, sometimes the best solution is to build our own home theater!

Bye

As I noted, there is often a "tug-of-war" between those who want to cut costs regardless of the effect on quality, and those who really want to have good presentation. When cost-cutting measures result in chronic poor presentation, written customer feedback is one of the most useful tools those in charge of projection can use to get adequate funding.

Likewise, customer feedback is helpful in identifying those theatres that have chronic presentation problems needing attention from upper management.

Not reporting problems and retreating to the security of your home theatre does nothing to improve the quality of presentation in theatres, which is the industry we all work in.

Chris,

It is very obvious from what you said that the operator who worked at the booth yesterday at the Waikiki Twins did not know or care about how to run films properly at these magnificent theatres. The only people I can fault is the management at Pacific Theatre's head office who seem to be more interested in making a profit than their customers getting their monies worth from an outstanding presentation in both picture and sound when they replaced their professional operators with staff people.

-Claude

That is exactly why it is so important for us to speak out when we encounter bad presentation. If we don't write about problems, upper management only hears of problems when passes are given out, and even then, assumes that's all it takes to "solve" the problems. If the audience ultimately goes to other theatres or stays home because of presentation problems, upper management may not make the connection and leave the problems unresolved.

Take pride in your expertise and being a "cinema professional" and let theatres and their management know when they fail your expectations.