1. Filling the water fountain. Have the newbie take buckets of water and pour them down the drain of the fountain. Make sure the newbie knows that the fountain will be filled when it is water backs up in the drain.

2. Buy a gallon of "Technicolor" from the local store of choice. Point out a scene to a newbie from a movie with awkward coloring such as the muted colors of Saving Private Ryan and tell the newbie that you need a gallon of "Technicolor" to replentish the print back to normal. Even funnier if the local store in in on the joke.

Has anybody else done or seen such things in their places? I would love to hear other stories as this...

Showing someone how to make a cement splice on acetate film, and then giving them polyester film to demonstrate that they can make a splice.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Another thing we had was the "Marquee Stretcher" which was located in the theaters basement, wherever that is. I always thought this was kind of dumb.

Later on I made up a fictional device called the "Squeegee Sharpener". Because in order to clean those windows, that rubber squeegee had to be sharp!

I once made a new female employee climb up to the marquee platform to get the marquee stretcher. She didn't bother to tell me beforehand that she was afraid of heights. But she climbed up anyway. I literally had to climb up and drag her back down. Fun.

I get the feeling that I've posted this stuff in similar thread somewhere.

Such an item exists, John! its better known as a brain-wrapping platter!! <rim shot>

>>"Marquee Stretcher" which was located in the theaters basement, wherever that is.<<

...and some older theatres I have seen actually *do* have basements(!)

Some of those old practical jokes have been known to 'backfire': I remember hearing the story of the Air Force crew chief telling one of his subordinates to find him a couple gallons of 'Prop Wash' and not to come back until he got it. Well the subordiate was AWOL for about a week and had traversed several states and finally returned with two gallons of a genuine commercial product called 'Prop Wash' ( likely for marine propellers) Needless to say the crew chief got what was coming to him.

Aaron

Some of the real things theatre owners think up for the staffs belong in the practical joke catagory. One owner decided that every cup picked up in the auditorium had to be crushed ad/or punctured, so that it couldn't be re-used. Ushers routinely came out with their hands covered with soft drinks from the half full cups until the owner could be convinced that a concession thief wasn't going to crush the cups he would use to recycle, and everyone else was wasting their time.

Another owner dictated that no leaf blowers were to be used in the auditorium, supposedly to protect the screens. The screens were painted gypsum board.

Spoilage counts at many places require the manager to save hot dogs, buns, pretzels and cookies in unrefrigerated areas. After about a month of a D.M. not showing up to count off the spoilage, the practical joke is to get a new kid to sort the blobs of moldy food for the D.M.

Another owner saved the expense of movable masking "because there weren't going to be any more scope prints."

You are asking for the Department of Health to come in and shut you down. Fumes of rotting food stuffs can contaminate the whole room, making it (and practically everything in it) a health hazard!

If I saw that, I would report it to the health authorities.

Would you knowingly eat something that was sitting next to a soggy, smelly, rottin' maggot-infested box of green weenies?

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There then followed a frantic search round the box trying to find where he'd put the Indiana Jones reel, and eventually got the leaders swapped back again and the film laced up with barely two minutes until the changeover.

I wonder what the kiddies' parents would have said if that reel had gone on...

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All my best
Thomas
..in70mm - The 70mm Newsletter
www.in70mm.com www.dp70.com www.70mm.dk www.hauerslev.com http://hjem.get2net.dk/in70mm

At Kodak, we generate "perforation holes" by the truckload! Talk about "missing chads".

BTW, the "perforation holes" are all recycled to recover the silver and film base.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

There are left handed threads, which anyone who has used a weed-eater probably knows. Also, there are screws that can be turned only one way. A favorite place where these are used is in bathrooms, to join the stall panels together. The screwdriver blade to drive these properly has to be sharpened oddly, kind of like the blade of a scissors.

Putting the seats (Griggs) in the upright position keeps the customers from banging their shins on the metal pans. Part of cleaning between shows was always pushing the rocker back so the fronts of the pans lined up.