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Author Topic: AMC Metreon SF Dolby Cinema Problem Terry Monohan Master Film Handler Posts: 379 From: San Francisco CA USA Registered: May 2014 posted 03-22-2017 11:13 PM                     Went today for the first time to our first Dolby Cinema set up at the AMC Metreon in San Francisco to watch the 2-D movie Logan. I knew something was wrong when my friends and I entered the nice size remodeled auditorium as the sound was on for the pre show but no picture on the giant scope curved screen. Went to hunt someone down as everyone else just sat there. Found someone and they went into the booth and after 5 minutes turned on one projector in a mirror two projector set up. Just after they left the other projector came on with the same information that played a few minutes on projector 1. So now we have two separate images showing and this was not 3-D. I had to go out again and get someone to come back. After 4 minutes they got both projectors going with the same image in snyc just in time for the main feature. Great base and a clear picture plus kick ass base sound even in the seats. I hope next time I see a movie here the Dolby Cinema will be working from the start. The day manager did give me some re enter tickets. The old Loews/Sony former candy counter lobby is being torn out. All the big fun things will be gone soon. The big giant hot dogs/drink cups and popcorn images will be history.  |  IP: Logged Brian Woods Film Handler Posts: 32 From: Memphis, TN Registered: Dec 2005 posted 04-05-2017 11:25 AM                    Here at AMC, we would like to apologize for the life alternating event that you experienced. We do apologize that you had to tell us that the picture was not on. We however did resolve it, and gave you readmit passes for the problem. We also see that it was such a life changing event, you shared your experience with the world. With that, we thank you....Please feel free to let us know when you have any other issues that are life changing and will need to be posted on social media. -AMC  |  IP: Logged Leslie Hartmier Expert Film Handler Posts: 100 From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Registered: Jul 2012 posted 04-05-2017 03:01 PM                     Hmm, let's see... - Mentioned going to a location. - Found that stuff was wrong for indeterminate amount of time. (To be fair, might have only been 30 seconds) - After what generally would be a somewhat long time, someone made it work, but didn't check to make sure it was all working right. - Had to go out to inform the operators of the location that it was not working correctly (might have been beneficial to have a followup auditorium check without customers alerting staff), and it barely got fixed in time for the paid-for feature. -Compliments the quality of the audio and video. -Makes a gentle comment that they hope that there will be a flawless presentation when next they patronize the location (not if, even. When.) - Expresses wistfulness/marginal regret about a change occurring in the location. Yes indeed, you were right to call out this individual for them tearing mercilessly into the location's innocent staff for the decreased experience quality. Seriously though, other than providing foodstuffs to excrete later, all we truly have to offer is (hopefully) an outstanding *experience*. Anything that detracts from that is counter-intuitive to what we are trying to accomplish, and I assure you, that matters greatly to the bottom line. Should we shame people/locations for having presentation issues? Of course not, unless it is a regular thing. However, when a location makes a mistake, or has a problem, it should NOT be swept under the rug. Instead, posting it in what amounts to an insider forum is beneficial for many, so that they can see what didn't work, perhaps how to fix it, and even a description from someone acting as a patron, so they might see it from the other side. I confess, I might be a bit embarrassed to have it brought into the light if it were my location, but if all the policies in place worked, there wouldn't be that post, as gentle and in the end, complimentary as it was. I don't know that the snark was necessary. It rather causes you to come across as petty. Leslie  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 04-05-2017 03:19 PM                     Since when did it become the customer's responsibility to make sure the shows run correctly? It is a complete failure of the cinema if a customer has to inform the cinema of an issue. They paid money before entering to be served, not to be a volunteer employee. If you don't want public postings, don't have problems and if you fix them, fix them properly.  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 04-05-2017 04:06 PM                       All good points here but who is Brian Woods? Maybe not even an AMC employee judging from the wording.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 04-05-2017 04:07 PM                     Wow, is that an actual AMC statement? I can't believe AMC is letting one of their employees out into the wild to drop his (and their) pants. Is their training really that bad? Now, will we see another, 'higher', AMC suit trying to remediate? - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-05-2017 04:07 PM                     I think he was just interjecting a bit of sarcasm...  |  IP: Logged Marcel Birgelen Film God Posts: 3357 From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2012 posted 04-05-2017 05:11 PM                     Is that you, Wang Jianlin? Seriously, if this was sarcastic, it was entirely misplaced and if this is real, it's just lame and pitiful. Why not just take it like a man and apologize for the mistake that happened? It's not like we've never been part of a screwed up show in one way or another.  |  IP: Logged Buck Wilson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 894 From: St. Joseph MO, USA Registered: Sep 2010 posted 04-05-2017 06:24 PM                     Well this certainly is an interesting thread. Brian, as has been mentioned, it is not the customers job to have to inform staff that something is amiss. On the original topic, I, too, have seen more than a handful of issues getting the preshow seamless with the trailers/feature in AMC Dolby Cinema auditoriums. I'm not sure if it's because the technology in them is seemingly ever changing and they just can't keep up on getting everything smooth or what. I've seen late starts(5+ minutes), "active desktop recovery" shown on screen, choppy image transitions, etc.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 04-05-2017 11:48 PM                     I'd be amazed if Brian was an AMC employee. AMC carefully controls their public statements and would never have a mere employee or manager make such a public post and would likely not only admonish said employee would quite probably terminate them. I think everyone gets the point that "things happen" to everyone but what is missed by his statement is that it should NEVER be the customer's responsibility to be the informant. Furthermore, there was multiple screwups in the described event so it wasn't corrected the first time and again, the staff was the last to know, not the first.  |  IP: Logged Brian Woods Film Handler Posts: 32 From: Memphis, TN Registered: Dec 2005 posted 04-05-2017 11:49 PM                    It was sarcasm. I don't work for AMC. You are correct, managers should have caught it and double checked to make sure it was fixed. My only thing I might have done different is use that pass and come back and see if they corrected their issues. If they haven't, then I would say it's worth posting about your issues you experienced with them. I'm sure everyone has a 100% day every day? We all screw up... and hopefully we can apologize and not repeat the issue again. I say go back and see how your experience is the second time around. I am now interested in knowing how it goes. Did it go well, or did the same thing happen again? Other issues? Again it was sarcasm, and no one had posted on the thread, and was I interested in other people's thoughts.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 04-05-2017 11:56 PM                     The thing is, automation is no excuse for a bad show. If AMC or anyone else chooses to reduce labor and use automation, there is the risk of reduced performance. Then again, odds are, with automation, there is an improvement in consistency. Automation is very good at repetitive tasks. The trick is in finding the balance such that customers always receive the best of people and automation. However, just because everybody does it is no excuse for doing a poor job. Our industry faces an ever increasing challenge to define itself from home presentations and other forms of entertainment outside of the home. Poor experiences really take a hit into that. The industry needs to do better than give away a distributor's product (free passes) for continual screw ups. I never understood why readmits should be free to the exhibitor. The distributor should collect on every show, regardless of what form of ticket was used to enter. If you give out a lot of readmits, it should cost you the exhibitor. It wasn't the distributor's fault that your equipment/people failed. [edit] I see that Brian deleted the text of his post right above mine. I didn't see anything wrong with his post, it was just a clarification of his thoughts without the sarcasm. Unfortunately, for him, the internet never forgets and there is a copy of that text. [edit again] I see Brian has merely altered his text from before. I guess everyone is entitled to a rewrite.  |  IP: Logged Brian Woods Film Handler Posts: 32 From: Memphis, TN Registered: Dec 2005 posted 04-06-2017 12:15 AM                    I agree with you. After typing it out, it wasn't the real point I was aiming for. I think I was aiming for we all have made mistakes, had issues, and not been 100%. I would have gave them another chance to see if they corrected their issues with the pass they gave me. If not, then I would maybe made some comments.  |  IP: Logged Frank Cox Film God Posts: 2234 From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada Registered: Apr 2011 posted 04-06-2017 02:14 AM                        I walk into my auditorium and stand at the back for (at least) a minute or two after starting a show. That way I know what's going on on the screen AND in the audience. (One night I actually discovered a guy standing in the aisle beside his buddies and waving a beer around in the air.) I guess nobody else does that, either. I'm really starting to think that I'm the last guy left in the world who actually cares what happens in his theatre. Sigh....  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 04-06-2017 06:04 AM                     Brian - this is a Dolby Cinema, not your round the corner Mom & Pop location. They charge a premium. They have to deliver a premium experience. No excuses. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged

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