my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » US booths like Fort Knox (Page 1)

This topic comprises 4 pages: 1  2  3  4

Author Topic: US booths like Fort Knox Thomas Jonsson Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Bromolla, Sweden Registered: Sep 2003 posted 09-28-2003 03:13 PM                       I have been a regular visitor to ShoWest for the past six years. Everey time we (me and one of my employees) also visit either New York or Los Angeles. We have always looked forward to see as many theaters as possible, and hopefully a visit to the booth and a nice talk to the projectionist. 5 out of 10 times we were denied seeing the auditoriums except if we bought tickets (wich we did mostly) But getting into the projection booths seemed like trying to get into Fort Knox, even though we explained who we were. In New York we didn´t get in anywhere. They were even quite unfriendly. At Sony´s theater (Lincoln Center?) they promised to arrange a visit if we came back the next day. So we went back, but the answer was NO - we couldn´t see the booth. In Los Angeles we managed to see ONE booth at a megaplex and Mann´s Chineese mainly because I simply opened the door and walked in. The projectionist seemed quite shocked, but loosened up a bit when I explained who I was. So my question is: what mysterious secrets are kept behind the closed doors of US booths? What´s in there that the rest of the world hasn´t got? We´ve been to Denmark, England, Holland, Italy. They gladly show us their booths, as we do in Sweden as well. France is also a problem. They understand english quite well up till the point when you ask to see the booth - then they don´t understand a word you say. I really don´t mean to affend anyone, but frankly it has been very dissapointing to be denied so many times. We really looked forward to meet theater people in their "natural environment" in the US. Perhaps we just had bad luck, the wrong place at the wrong time?  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 09-28-2003 03:41 PM                        In some places you legally cannot allow anyone, aside from law enforcement officers, into a projection booth while it is running. With deregulation / scrapping of licensing this is less common but may still exist in some places. Personally, in some booths, if I don't have the time to babysit whoever comes into the booth and watch their every step, I won't let them up. It's not hard for somebody that's not used to a dark booth to trip over the takeup path to your platter and end up inserting an unplanned intermission in to your show. Of course, if there's any possible way I can make time to let them up, I do.  |  IP: Logged Bruce Hansen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 847 From: Stone Mountain, GA, USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 09-28-2003 03:48 PM                     You made the mistake of letting us into your booths, and we have copied them down to the lighting fixtures. We don't want you to know this, so we won't let you in the booth. If you wish to see American booth personal in their "natural enviroment", you should go to the local bar. Sorry that you have had problems. Some people in this country are realy paranoid, either due to 9-11, or they just think everybody is trying to rip something off. Did you try asking for the general manager?  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 09-28-2003 04:02 PM                     There are a lot of reasons. Here are a few. *Chain lawyers are overly paranoid. As such they go overboard with theater policies, thinking you are a private investigator of some sort trying to get some information on a law that is being broken in the booth or something overly dangerous up there that hurt their client. (You can vary that a little bit to fit the particular sueing situation.) *The booth is a friggin' pigsty and they don't want you to see it in that condition. (Whether it ever looks decent or not.) *The theater has had accidents in the past when people were permitted to look around the booth. (Such as tripping on a film, shutting down a show.) *The projectionist/manager is mean. *The projectionist cannot leave the "Gilligan's Island stationary bike" made out of bamboo sticks to keep the projector running. *The Jack Valenti theory: a bootleg is currently in process out of a port window. What makes booth tours even harder is when you bring a camera. Just TRY and get a tour when you have a camera in your hand. It's damn near impossible. Again, this goes back mostly to the paranoia over the sueing thing. This is why we have such a hard time getting new additions for the picture warehouse.  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 09-28-2003 04:18 PM                     I can't speak for American theatres, I've only been to one, and there I was invited up. Over here it varies, my first visit to the 'box' was in 1963, aged six. I had been to see Disney's 'The Sword in the Stone'. I got my mother to ask if I could go up; I'm not sure if the regulations had been relaxed by that time, but they let me up anyway. I remember I was amased by it all, carbon arcs of course, glass bulb mercury rectifiers, liquid houselight dimmers all in a traditional outdoor box, with separate rewind room, dimmer room, rectifier room, non-sync room, battery room, film vault etc. and several operators. Today, small, independant cinemas will often allow visits, multiplexes generally will not, except for organised visits such as those by the Cinema Theatre Association which I used to be a member of, and will get round to joining again sometime. Other places where I have been refused include the news theatre at Victoria railway station on its closing night, by then showing cartoons, which refused due to having a nitrate newsreel in the box, which was the last thing they ran. The National Film Theatre, probably due to being too busy, though they used to hold open days from time to time, and I did get in on one of those, and the Empire Leicester Square, which gave no reason. Most other single screen and small cinemas have allowed visits, sometimes only by prior arrangement.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Jonsson Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Bromolla, Sweden Registered: Sep 2003 posted 09-28-2003 04:20 PM                       Bruce: We tried everything. If the manager was there she/he was busy and we were mostly asked to come back some other day. We didn´t feel very much like doing that. I would like to add that I have been a projectionist for a very long time, and the employees that accompany me on our trips are trained projectionists as well. This we have always pointed out. We know what to do and not to do when visiting booths. One time in New York an usher(is that the right word?) got an OK from the manager for us to see the booth. He stopped the projectionist who came walking by us and told him we would like to see the booth. The man looked as if he´d been kicked by a horse, shook his head, turned around and walked away from us. The usher had an even longer face than we did. Well, I guess it´s not the projectionists who makes the rules, but people with ties who can´t even spell the word theater. Still I think it´s a shame we can´t meet at your "home".  |  IP: Logged Ken McFall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 615 From: Haringey, London. Registered: Apr 2001 posted 09-28-2003 04:42 PM                     On a visit to New York I was welcomed into the booth and spent about an hour chatting. It was the only show I'd asked at as I didn't want to spend my whole trip having a busman's holiday, but the welcome was warm and very enjoyable. In the UK generally there's no problem, but with the increasing reliance on single manning, I've worked running 15 screens on my own, it's easy to understand why you may be refused.... they just don't have time to catch a breath! Employers just don't want people to see the conditions some projectionists work under. Often over 12 hour shifts with no breaks. Nice idea that Working time directive thing.... when's it coming?  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 09-28-2003 04:51 PM                     These days, with the main chains, it's probably a matter of corporate policy, but traditionally, the projection box was the chief's 'castle'; even the manager wouldn't enter without his permission. As for photography, I've never been refused in any projection box which I was permitted to visit. This is often on a 'personal use only, not for publication' basis, and, obviously, flash photography is not permitted while there is an audience in the house.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 09-28-2003 05:13 PM                        That is why we have the internet and websites like this. Next time you come to Los Angeles, let me know and I will hook you up with the right people to get into any booth you want.  |  IP: Logged Josh Jones Redhat Posts: 1207 From: Plano, TX Registered: Apr 2000 posted 09-28-2003 07:15 PM                        FWIW, visit my booth anytime:) I can also get you into any of the other shoeboxes we have to offer up here. Josh  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-28-2003 10:33 PM                     Thomas, you didn't get in because you didn't give the password: "Film-Tech".  |  IP: Logged Dean Kollet Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 591 From: Florida State University Registered: Jul 2003 posted 09-28-2003 11:05 PM                     I'd let you in our booth.....the combination is... 1.....2.....3.....4....5 sorry, I just watched spaceballs  |  IP: Logged Nicholas Roznovsky Expert Film Handler Posts: 156 From: College Station, TX, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 09-28-2003 11:36 PM                        That's incredible! That's the combination on my luggage!  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 09-29-2003 12:22 AM                     As others have stated here, it is probablly a matter of corporate policy, which I can understand. I was working for a large chain when the 9/11 incident happend. Shortly thereafter, we recieved an email that we were not to allow anyone that we did not personally know into the booth. I guess other chains have adopted similar polcies. After seeing a movie at another large chain, I explained to the manager who I was and asked for a toor of the booth, but politely said that he couldn't and explained why. At least he was polite about it. These policies are not an excuse to be rude.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 09-29-2003 01:36 AM                        At the National Film Theatre/MOMI we were told not to on health and safety grounds - i.e. fear of legal action if some kid stuck his or her finger in a sprocket. Only one of the other cinemas I worked in had any set policy on this (box tours only with the duty manager's permission), and there no-one took any notice of it. In most places I would get a steady trickle of people - one every couple of months or so, I'd guess - asking to see the box and I'd always show them round if I had time. I used to think that the NFT was a bit paranoid on the safety issue, until I started working for a company which, IMHO, had a recklessly stupid policy with regard to kids. This was that for the Saturday morning children's matinee, a child could come up to the projection box and start the film if it was their birthday. Most of them weren't tall enough to reach the buttons and douser anyway and their parent used to have to lift them up to do it. A lot of these children were as young as 4-5. If a xenon had blown up when they were standing next to the lamphouse (OK it couldn't actually hurt them but I'm sure their parents would have sued for 'psychological injury'), or they lost their balance and fallen against a moving part it could have been a serious incident. Furthermore in one of these sites there was a long flight of stairs up to the box and under company rules we were forbidden to carry out any first aid on members of the public. So the injured child would have been stuck up there without help until the ambulance arrived. I don't know if the company concerned still does that gimmick, but if so it's an accident waiting to happen.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 4 pages: 1  2  3  4

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

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.