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Author Topic: Tips for Booth Operations Bastiaan Fleerkate Film Handler Posts: 85 From: Linschoten, Utrecht, The Netherlands Registered: Jun 2006 posted 04-23-2007 07:31 AM                        I think it's cool for us to show each other our trade secrets and tips. I would contribute something to this cause... On another thread you saw the contraption I made (with help) for changing the trailers and ads every week. We also use something else... We run with an cinemeccanica platter and before we used this the film sometimes would come undone and finding it's way to the motor and screwing up the credits... We tried to use magnetic blocks, heavy blocks, etc, etc... nothing worked is good as this... It's made from an old plastic movie can. You can take at least a dozen from these parts out. Since we use these things, I never have to peel the credits out of the platter again. -> some things in this text could be mildly exaggerated, but all is based on truth <-  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 04-23-2007 09:27 AM                    could have tucked the tail under the film.  |  IP: Logged Alex Cross Film Handler Posts: 34 From: Eccleshill, Brafdord, West Yorkshire, Registered: Dec 2005 posted 04-23-2007 06:23 PM                     Tucking the tail under the film on a Cinemaccanica is asking for disaster in my experience. The film quite often pops out, and always manages to drop down and tangle up with the drive wheel. We use excess trailer junk. Get a piece long enough to wrap around the print, with a slight overlap, tape the two ends together. Works for us. Alex  |  IP: Logged Bastiaan Fleerkate Film Handler Posts: 85 From: Linschoten, Utrecht, The Netherlands Registered: Jun 2006 posted 04-23-2007 07:06 PM                        We had the same problems Alex discribes... I can second his reply... But do some people have other booth tricks up their sleeves?  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Weigel Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1062 From: Edmond, OK, USA Registered: Mar 2007 posted 04-23-2007 10:06 PM                     Ah...the good old tail tuck. Been doing for almost 15 years and not one tail-wrap. I usually find that when others say they pop out its because not enough of the tail was tucked under.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 04-24-2007 01:20 AM                     ..as long as the soundtrack is going in first on the tail tuck. For if the soundtrack is away by twisting the film in the opposite direction, the film has more possiblities of looping over the top of the filmroll on the platter.. and a deadly event occurs if such a mishap takes place. OKEY ,gonna present another 'show and tell' here on how the majority of the cinemas in this part of the state tags their end of the prints ... doesn't cost anything (if you can snitch some clothpins from the laundry area, or spend a few pennies on some clothpins), no platter rings, no tucks, magnet platter stops, no hockey puks, - just a reliable method that holds the end together and never falters. Pict-1 below showing the clothspin method of a filmroll wrap Pict-2 Below showing the necessary "equipment" - about 10ft of scrap film and a clothspin. On larger prints, more longer scrap film. Pict-3 showing how to attach the scrap film to the tail end with the clothspin. . Pict-4 Showing on winding the scrap film around the filmroll with the clothspin still attached to the end of the filmroll Pict-5 Showing on removing the clothspin when the scrapfilm overlaps the area of the filmroll. Plus holding tight the end of the scrapfilm. Pict-6 Showing after removal of the clothspin, to reinsert the clothspin where the end of the scrapfilm and the wrap of the scrapfilm meets. After clipping the clothspin in this area, give the end of the scrapfilm a tug to secure the scrapfilm around the filmroll. Pict-7 Showing what's left on the platter when the film has been taken up on the rewind platter - a nice ring of scrapfilm with the clothspin securing it together. (If Brad wants to move this to the "TIPS" section, be his choice.) thx-Monte  |  IP: Logged Jake Lafree Expert Film Handler Posts: 136 From: Valparaiso, IN USA Registered: Feb 2006 posted 04-24-2007 03:57 AM                        I always use magnets to clamp tails of prints, with a good 6"-8" after the 'pinch', have had a very high success rate with this. This way, if the entire print happens to slide a little bit because the platter is flying, you have that extra slack so you won't have to worry about any 'tail issues'. My fellow coworkers use the same method, but usually only leave 1"-2" after the 'pinch', thus resulting in a tailwrap once in a long while. I'll try to upload a pic Wed. nite.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-24-2007 10:49 AM                        I used to use the clothespin method except I used a long strip of masking tape to hold the ends of the scrap film together. That method won't save you if you have an unbalanced print due to static or some other reason for uneven platter spinning...it's gonna throw, no matter what. The F-T platter ring is among the cheapest items in the booth yet it's probably saved me more headaches than any other item up there. The other thing I like about it is, if I have to "distort" the film pack for whatever reason (fix a splice, remove an errant cue, add or remove a trailer, etc.) it doesn't really matter if the film pack is uneven on the platter - the ring will stop any problem from happening.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 05-12-2007 02:10 AM                     BUILD YOUR OWN START TIMERS! (Attn: all Cinemarkers) Buy one of these timers (Buy the "good" package. It comes with 3 extra modules you won't need, but could use for other things.) Buy one of these for every auditorium you want a start timer on. Set the universal module to "momentary" and either "relay only" or "relay and buzzer". Connect a two conductor wire from the two terminals to the two wires on your START button. (If you don't want to make this a permanent modification, just buy a cheap pack of "alligator clips" from Radio Shack and cut them in half. Use the alligator clip end to clip onto to the START button wires and strip 1/4 inch off of the other end to connect to the module.) Set up a house code (for example "A") and then dial in each universal module to the number of the auditorium. Program your timer and kick back! The START button will still work as normal for those pesky manual starts. Or if you want to be super cool, buy one of these and have a wireless remote control to start the movie with! (You could also set up another module across the STOP button as well to use as a remote controlled stop during screenings for when some dumbass makes a misframe.) It's also a super fast way to start an interlock at a theater without any interlock circuitry. Just set both projectors to be interlocked on the same number and press the button on the timer/wireless remote! (Or set the timer to fire both projectors at the same time.) Seriously this does work. I used this exact setup back in the early 90s at a few theaters.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 05-12-2007 04:00 AM                     (...you think that Cinemark would allow such devices in their booths..that's extra money that has to be spent let alone something to add into the booth for booth idiots to have to think past their abilities...Looks very interesting though, I do agree..) Like me, I've got CPA-10's that can do programmed clock starts like with these devices mentioned above, but rather be by the machine due to the curse of Murphy's law. Thus, we do the button pushing... since people can't seem to get it in their heads on how to thread in frame outside of me driving in their heads on how to do the practice when I'm not there...  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 05-12-2007 04:17 AM                     Monte, the "attn all Cinemarkers" was an inside joke between me and the Cinemark head honchos who lurk on the forums. Still if someone cannot thread in frame, they have absolutely NO business in the booth. I've been using start timers of some form or another for almost 20 years now and I have NEVER had an out of frame start when using them. But yes I do understand what you are saying...when you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.  |  IP: Logged Michael Moore Expert Film Handler Posts: 188 From: Dover, DE / USA Registered: Jun 2006 posted 05-12-2007 08:25 AM                        you know all you need is a neodymium magnet. I took my magnet from my speco lp270 platter and replaced it with an even smaller magnet; (size of a penny) neodymium magnet that has felt on bottom. You can not move it even with pliers. But however you can slide it and with felt on the bottom you never scratch the platter. My speco runs smooth and I never have a problem with tails getting lose or getting caught up. for the people who are paranoid just use three or four of them. mike  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 05-12-2007 11:06 AM                    Problem with start timers now is the fact that with the pre-show content NCM provides is so random as to when it is complete that it is not possible to keep up with all the start timer settings to prevent early or later than normal starts.  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 05-12-2007 12:13 PM                     And if anyone's at an AMC, it's company policy to only do "manned" starts. Using timers is not allowed.  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 05-12-2007 07:10 PM                     Many companies maintain this policy, which is a very good idea. Yes, everything should always start in frame, in focus, etc. In a perfect world. But here's the deal. NO ONE is perfect. For that matter, no machine is perfect, either. The most skilled conscientious projectionist could still have a bad day and start one film out of frame. Or the platter may decide not to take up, or the lamp may not strike, or.... You see my point?  |  IP: Logged

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