|
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
|
Author
|
Topic: usher cinema check's?
|
|
|
|
Evans A Criswell
Phenomenal Film Handler
![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubbmembers/381.jpg)
Posts: 1579
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Mar 2000
|
posted 01-11-2002 06:22 PM
I'd be happy if the ushers that walk into the theatres were trained to notice many common projection problems and mention them to the booth staff. As far as I know, one theatre in my area does this, and it's a primary reason why the presentation quality is so good there.I've seen many users come in, look at a badly misaligned image, noticeably out of frame image, an image with very nonuniform brightness, shutter ghosting, poor focus, etc, or hear that the sound was poor quality and not playing in digital as it should be, and go straight to the exit door, make sure it's closed, and walk out. Training the ushers to notice projection problems and getting them to carefully check the image and sound when checking auditoriums, and have them report anything they find to the booth staff, seems to be a very cheap way of implementing some quality checking that would work very well, provided that the problems found are actually corrected in a timely fashion. This method required no more extra time from anyone than normal, except in the cases when a problem is noticed. ------------------ Evans A Criswell Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Information Site
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brad Miller
Administrator
![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubbmembers/02a.jpg)
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
|
posted 01-12-2002 03:29 AM
"The usher must make sure that the entire audience sees him when he checks the auditorium. Now that doesn't mean he has to be a distraction."Anyone see anything wrong with that statement? I'm not picking on you Ken, that's just kinda funny. I do fully agree how ridiculous this is. First off, if the patrons see the usher, then by definition it is a distraction. Unfortunately I can vouch for the "mystery reviewer" HAVING to notice the ushers do at least one check (some chains I think it is two) during the movie or they get points taken off of their score. I'm against any staff being seen (unless there is a problem they need to take care of), but this is the way it seems the pencil pushers want it done. By the way Evans, I made a "what not to do" reel of film a couple of years ago for employee training. It was nothing more than some trailers spliced out of frame, backwards, parts scratched and such to show employees what the various projection problems were. Of course some of this had to be done "on the fly" like an aperture shifted out of place and sound problems (of which a business card intermittently blocking the leds for digital and constantly tapping the optical guide rollers to simulate warble in analog worked nicely). Did it work? Of course not. First, the floor staff was completely turned over within a matter of a few months and second these underpaid kids couldn't care less. It's a GREAT idea, but it doesn't seem to work in too many places. Hats off to the manager of the theater that does this in your area with success though.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler
![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubbmembers/1002d.jpg)
Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001
|
posted 01-12-2002 12:00 PM
Brad M, I see your point. I guess what I mean is they can walk down to the front of the auditorium, glance at the audience, and leave, without makinig a big ordeal out of it. Although it must have looked really cool, I would find what Evans mentioned (the two usthers waling in sync) to be very distracting.As far as making sure the audience sees the usher, think of it this way: The purpose of an auditorium check is to locate and identify any presentation or environmental problems and to report such problems to the management so that they can be corrected, right? (In theory; I know most ushers don't pick up on most presentation problems in reality.) The Company doesn't want its patrons to have to sit through an entire presentation with any such problems, so it requires it's ushers to perform such checks. Thus it requires the "blind checkers" who evaluate the theater to make sure the ushers do that, otherwise the theater looses points. And since you never know when a blind checker is coming or where they are sitting, you must make sure the entire audience sees you every time. If there were no blind checks I would want the ushers to stay in the back. Also, when I go into an auditorium to check for a specific problem, I stay in the back because I know the ushers have already checked it.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
James R. Hammonds, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler
![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubbmembers/673e.jpg)
Posts: 931
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Nov 2000
|
posted 01-13-2002 01:15 AM
Want to know whats distracting?I once worked at a theatre where the manager wanted you to monitor the theatre in this fashion: Go in and sit in that back for a couple scenes. Then sit in the middle for a couple scenes. Then sit near the front for a couple scenes. This way you could hear if anyone is talking anywhere in the theatre. I always thought this would be distracting aside from being a rediculous way of doing things and I never did it. At the most I would stand near the back for a bit and then, if the show wasnt full, I would sit near the front for a little while, being as unobvious as possible.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|