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Topic: Pay and presentation questions...

Don Cross
Film Handler

Posts: 97
From: Charleston, WV, USA
Registered: Jan 2005

posted 02-11-2005 06:18 PM

If one wouldn't mind naming (company or theater only please) names when answering the following questions...

Whats the lowest paying projectionist pay that you've noted recently? Please feel welcome to include both union and non-union payscales. Also feel welcome to include the specific market or city of the theater.

On the other end of the spectrum- the highest pay or best compensated?

Theater with most poorly maintained equipment?

Theater with the best (operation room) type of equipment or the highest tech set-up?

Best and worst for presentation?

Any theater which would be better run by a primate?

Thanks in advance for the answers and contributions!

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Jason Black
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1723
From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 02-13-2005 01:52 PM

Noticing that no-one has replied, I'll bite:

In regard to lowest pay, try any major chain and see what the 'booth crew' who are paid, most commonly at minimum wage, do to film.

As far as best pay? The Imax locales do well, or so I have been told.

Best environment? Again, Imax, from what I've seen.

Worst kept? Any big chain theatre in a small, 'hometown' market. These folks don't know any better and accept the sqaulid presentations that they are subjected to.

Best kept? Indie owned by someone who LOVES the business of FILM. Not one that is an upstart of some corporate bean counter who is more concerned with making 3000% profit at the concession stand.

Any theatre which could be run by a primate?
See any major chain theatre. (sigh)

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Peter Mork
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 181
From: Newton, MA, USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 02-13-2005 04:49 PM

I resemble that remark. Humans are primates.

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Paul Mayer
Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under!

Posts: 3836
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 02-13-2005 09:55 PM

Here the pay ranges from $7 an hour at most of the multiplexi up to around $25 an hour at the Luxor IMAX. All non-union, IATSE Local 720 having been run out of the theaters here back in the '80s. In fact there are no union movie theaters anywhere in the state of Nevada. Don't have exact numbers, but union operators for trade shows like ShoWest get somewhere around $25 an hour. Double-system stuff like dailies probably gets somewhere around $30 an hour, $35 an hour if you're also doing the tech work. Local 720 has been unable to organize any of the new hotel showrooms, but does have contracts with most of the AV companies and hotel convention facilities in town.

[Edit] As for presentation, all screens here suck to various degrees. The best ones in town (Century Orleans) just suck less than the worst ones (hands down UA Green Valley 8, close runner up UA Rainbow Promenade 10). No one here practices consistently good film handling or presentation. No one.

[ 02-14-2005, 11:44 AM: Message edited by: Paul Mayer ]

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-14-2005 07:52 AM

Until 2003:

AMC 5-plex: $13.70 (union, 32 hours/week)
AMC 10-plex: $14.80 (union, 36 hours/week)
AMC 16-plex: $17.something (union, 40 hours/week; this was the flagship GCC theatre before the takeover)

These contracts were carried over from GCC, though the hours were reduced.

AMC cancelled those contracts and that union local no longer exists. I believe that they pay the non-union "booth manager" $11/hour at the 5-plex and $14/hour at the 16-plex. Not sure about the 10-plex.

Keep in mind that the cost of living in this area is quite high in the metro Boston area and even $17/hour doesn't go very far.

The 16-plex has always been very well managed and puts on a good show. The same is not true for the other two houses, both of which have gone downhill since the AMC buyout (in all respects, not just film presentation).

At other theatres in the area, I've heard of pay rates in the $11-15 range. The few union jobs that are left might pay more; I don't know. One-off screenings at nontheatrical venues do pay more per hour, but there isn't much of that type of work.

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Dean Kollet
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 591
From: Florida State University
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 02-14-2005 09:20 AM

AMC in Tallahassee, FL
20 Screen

I trained a 'booth usher', and when after training he was still making $5.15 an hour. I left the job a few months ago, and I was the highest paid at 6.35. I was Booth Supervisor. The most I've ever heard anyone making at this location was about 6.50. Of course, the booth manager makes like 9.00 an hour but the people that actually do the work get paid much less as you can see. I make more running a one screen college cinema with a much better setup.

When I visited the AMC Empire 25 in NYC, I spoke with one of the managers and he told me they make anywhere from 25/hr. on up. Union of course.

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Bill Gabel
Film God

Posts: 3873
From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 02-14-2005 02:19 PM

quote: Don Cross
Highest pay or best compensated

In the Los Angeles market, The highest paid job goes to the Directors Guild Theatre projectionist. With that full time job, he was making over 130k a year.

1) Directors Guild
2) Academy of Motion Pictures Arts
3) Writers Guild
4) Television Academy

Those are the top jobs in Los Angeles. The Studio Projectionists are also some of the Best Compensated operators working in this field. And the Studio Projectionists that work the Bel-Air circuit for the Studio Executives and Talent.

quote:
Theatre with the Best type of equipment or highest tech set-up.

The Academy in Beverly Hills, DGA in Hollywood, any of the Main Screening Theatres on the Studio lots. (Paramount, Columbia, Fox, Universal, Warner, MGM) They have all the high tech equipment for all types of film and video screenings.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 02-15-2005 04:31 AM

When EDW's was still in business before they left town, I could have been an IMAX projectionist, being cooped up in that booth all day looking at the screen, and making $22/hr doing this. (some serious FAT for sitting on the job...)

But I decided to stay at the "35" house taking care of 21 Christie machines for $16/hr as their local engineer/technician, since I had to watch 28 other Christies in two other towns, making sure they ticked and purred okey. I wanted to keep my sanity in moving around instead of being cooped up in an IMAX booth all day.

Now, I have to "babysit" 32 Simplex "leakers" ... and doing a daily "wiping the oily nose" thing, for just about the same pay.

Ain't life FUN..????

-Monte

[ 06-15-2005, 02:33 AM: Message edited by: Monte L Fullmer ]

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