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Author Topic: Training Program John B. Keathley Film Handler Posts: 29 From: Fort Worth TX Registered: Mar 2009 posted 07-28-2009 07:41 AM                     I will be training new projectionists in the next few weeks and I need to come up with a training program for them. Any suggestions? I have a rough concept, but it's not good enough for my GM.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-28-2009 08:23 AM                     Depending on what chain you work for nothng may be good enough for your DM...  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-28-2009 12:16 PM                     Beginner's booth training Advanced booth training Ridiculously advanced booth training Just use the videos and certify them each step of the way.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-28-2009 12:33 PM                     quote: John B. Keathley but it's not good enough for my GM. What does he know? Maybe he should do the training then. "Heaven Help Us!" -Monte  |  IP: Logged Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 07-28-2009 05:35 PM                     Last I heard Kodak was offering a projectionist training program. But I think it was at their facility. Perhaps they also have some material available.  |  IP: Logged Sally Ann Burgess Expert Film Handler Posts: 120 From: Queenstown, New Zealand Registered: Apr 2008 posted 07-29-2009 04:54 AM                     My training programme has been streamlined somewhat in the last few months, but basically I have a checklist that starts with start of day procedures, where spares are kept, and health and safety. I use a trailer for the trainee to lace up over and over, once I'm happy with that (they must lace up perfectly 3 times in a row) we move on to basic troubleshooting like wrong film procedures (just in case)and manual controls. The most important thing for me when I'm training is to drill the CHECK CHECK and CHECK again rule into their heads. The checklist has a "shown" column and then a "proficient" column that only gets signed off when I'm happy. I also wrote a projection procedures manual for them to dip into which includes all the problems I have ever dealt with and what the cause and solution is. I hope that helps.  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Althaus Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: Bedford, TX Registered: Dec 2008 posted 07-29-2009 07:06 AM                     I found the best way to teach troubleshooting is to tamper with a presentation. We're lucky enough that we have several shows a day that are empty so we don't have to worry about angry customers. I also have them trail me during a normal shift to see how I do things (like cleaning).  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 07-29-2009 08:16 AM                        One of the best things I've found for training on threading is to put together a couple 3-4 minute trailer packs on two adjacent projectors. The trainee goes back and forth between the projectors threading over and over for 2 hours. Do this before you open or after you close. On average the trainee will get probably 25-30 repetitions over 2 hours. I have also used trailer trailer packs to to help teach how to fix problems like out of frame splices, threading the wrong movie, fixing film breaks, fixing brain wraps, understanding aperture and lens settings. For the last, I would find flat and scope trailers that are "letter boxed" so they understand what is and isn't normal.  |  IP: Logged Andy Bajew Expert Film Handler Posts: 136 From: Bellaire, Texas Registered: Jun 2009 posted 07-29-2009 08:39 AM                     quote: Jonathan Althaus I found the best way to teach troubleshooting is to tamper with a presentation. This is also a great way to make sure they are checking everything. Towards the end of the training week, I will come in early one day and thread up 1 or 2 projectors and purposely do 5-10 things wrong on each thread--recording what each one is, of course. I give them a little speal about I got bored and thread a few projectors and noticed I messed up X amount of things, and to please fix them. I find playing stupid helps to test their knowledge--pretend you don't know what you are doing and ask them questions to make sure they know it. I am not one to rely on a written test to prove a persons capability like the rest of the theater staff. I've noticed it helps a whole bunch to visually show things that normally aren't seen (i.e.-dowser).  |  IP: Logged Richard P. May Expert Film Handler Posts: 243 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Jan 2006 posted 07-29-2009 09:56 AM                     The Kodak training program was in Los Angeles, but was discontinued several years ago.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-29-2009 11:14 AM                     Remember, when they start to get an attitude about how easy everything is, give them a brand new trailer of something animated and tell them to "build it". Let them build it however they like. Don't remind them to do ANYTHING. Then have them run it over and over non-stop for a couple of hours without pointing out a single mistake they make. Then take a look at the print on screen and point out that they were the only person to handle that print and how much they suck due to the film damage and dirt. Not only does this usually do the trick, but this is also the point where people actually learn the importance of adding extra tail leader.  |  IP: Logged Jarret Chessell Master Film Handler Posts: 288 From: London, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jan 2009 posted 07-29-2009 09:11 PM                     quote: Jonathan Althaus I found the best way to teach troubleshooting is to tamper with a presentation. I really don't like that approach. You have some poor kid learning how to thread... they thread the projector perfectly, double check it... you come along and pull the film off a roller, they start it and the automation shuts it down, they aren't sure what's wrong because they checked everything. I think that confuses them. I typically inspect the threading before the show starts, if they do something bad and it will wreck the film I point it out and explain what would have happened and offer tips... alternately, if they do something bad and I know the automation will catch it, I let it happen, this way it's their mistake, it becomes their problem and they'll remember it way better than being "set up".  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-30-2009 10:34 AM                        In some other thread, somebody mentioned a 15-minute "training reel" they'd put together from old trailers. It contained a misframed splice, a backward splice, a misplaced cue, and a couple of other tricks. The trainee was given that reel and timed to see how long it would take them to get through the "show," fixing all the problems as they happened. That sounds like a good (and devilishly fun) idea but I haven't had to train anybody for a couple of years so haven't had a chance to try it.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-30-2009 12:02 PM                     quote: Justin Hamaker One of the best things I've found for training on threading is to put together a couple 3-4 minute trailer packs on two adjacent projectors. The trainee goes back and forth between the projectors threading over and over for 2 hours. Do this before you open or after you close. On average the trainee will get probably 25-30 repetitions over 2 hours. It also helps to remove the framing knobs during at least part of the training session so they learn to remember to set the intermittent sprocket before threading!!!  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-30-2009 12:34 PM                     I just do repetitive threading on white frame mylar leader when I train recruits. They lace, I check, I take out and have them do it over again.  |  IP: Logged

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