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Author Topic: The Education of a Service Engineer - who helped you? Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-09-2007 08:38 PM                       Since there's not really a school for sound service engineers, most of us entered this arena through the help and generosity of those who went before us. Who were some of the people who helped YOU get started in this business? Today, as I reflected on the passing of Jim Ezell, recalling how he inspired me to pursue the service field, I also thought of someone who was instrumental in my education... but for whom I don't want to wait for an obituary to say so. Louis Bornwasser. Back when I was a kid projectionist at the Kentucky Theatre in Lexington, Louis's knowledge, skill, patience, and exceptional ability to clarify complex principles were an inspiration. I became his biggest fan; everyone at the theatre used to call me "Louis, Jr". His continuing advice and encouragement gave me the confidence to land my first service job. (So, thank you, Louis!) Who took you under their wing?  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 01-10-2007 12:07 AM                       Sorry to hear of Jim's passing. There was a time I saw him at every show and opening. My mentor was Bob Gillespie of RCA, a mix of old and new school. He worked hard, played hard, was funny as hell and was an inspiration to many young operators. He would spend hours with you at your theatre chasing gremlins if you were into it. If the operator was not enthused he was happy to give everything a once over and off to the bar. Another was Ed Bearden who was something of a genius with things mechnical or electrical. Very creative and could invent an elegant fix out of whatever was in the trunk.  |  IP: Logged Jeff Lacey Film Handler Posts: 54 From: Canton, MI, USA Registered: Jun 2005 posted 01-10-2007 12:46 AM                     While I am not a service engineer, I have been able to service my theater myself due to the time and effort of Ron Rudy, who retired from the biz few years ago. I believe some members of this board know him well. Ron Rudy is a great teacher, tech, and an all around good man. I owe much of my ability to run a successful theater to him. I know that without his expertise, I would never be able to half the stuff I do to make sure that we never have a dark screen and that our patrons have the best presentation as possible. For that, I am eternally grateful! Thanks Rudy!  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-10-2007 12:46 AM                     Even though I was also never taught formally in the field of service engineering - just learning on my own from reading and studying the manuals of both sound, light and machine, I picked up so many talents from the RCA engineers that MANN THEATRES, the company I was working with for so long, whom was under contract with - mainly one name one comes in mind of a Mr.Paul J. Swickert(sp) from California. Kindly old gentleman would come into our area and I would do the best to pick up as much tekkie info as I can in the short time that he was at our theatre. He would also, in his short time, being patient enough to show me as much that I needed to know-due to the fact that I really showed interest in this specialist field and he was willing to help me to where when he would call up for the service appointments, I would have the theatre all ready for him and would be his aide in the calls. Luckilly, we were under a quarterly contract, thus I would see him the four times a year. Then, Paul was assigned to a different district and I would gain some info from the other RCA engineers that would come into our district and assist them as well. But, in all when I began in this projection field, that we had a local theatre owner who was an journeyman electrician and very skilled in electronics, thus he would do service work for the small 'indie' houses around where I lived at and it was this time that I began to show the interest in this skilled field. Even then, I would pick up on things that other projectionists wouldn't even bother to fuss with. With my three year tenure with Edwards Cinemas (before the REG acquistion),the chief engineer of this company also lent his hand to me for my quest of technicial knowledge and I very am grateful and, to this day, owe him tons of thanks for what he was and what he did for me. In this very recent time, I must with the deepest of gratitude is to give tons of thanks to Mark G. for the tremendous help that he has given and shared with me in my on-going search to improve myself in this field service world. Plus, I must also give Tristan Lane this whole-hearted thanks as well for the help that he has given me with all the tips that he has shared with me as well. Being where I am now working at, I'm dealing with borderline dinosaur equipment and have to make the best of it to keep this small company that I work for on the straight and narrow. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-10-2007 03:22 AM                        I'm not a tech either, obviously, but have learned a ton of stuff from all the techs that have done the Montana route over the years. Tom Bateman (now deceased), National Theatre Supply Greg Nuismer (does general tech, but he loves sound the most) - freelancer John Eickhof (now doing a desk job?) - Northwest Theatre Service Mark Gulbrandsen - CLACO Equipment & Service ...and a couple of others whose names I don't recall at the moment. And not forgetting to mention all the guys here on film-tech.  |  IP: Logged Chris Erwin Expert Film Handler Posts: 195 From: Olive Hill,KY Registered: Oct 1999 posted 01-10-2007 09:11 AM                     Three names come to mind when I think of those who have really taught and helped me. In no kinda order: Louis Bornwasser, Jim Boyd, and Tim Reed. (o.k. looks like alphabetical order ) Their work and advice is ever evident in my booth and as a result, we have an excellent presentation that we are proud of. I really need to get down to Louisville. Louis-Lunch is on me. Genny's Diner? Tim-been meaning to shoot you an e-mail forever ago. Will be in touch!  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 01-10-2007 09:29 AM                    Well I am not a service engineer but I have done a lot of on call work for our three local theatres including the one I work at and pretty much installed last year with our companies engineer whom I give credit to learning a lot of things. But, it was John Harvey who taught me a lot of things in the early years and I credit him for being the one who taught me more about trouble shooting and being aware of everything and not just a guy who threads a movie and pushes a button.  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 01-10-2007 10:27 AM                       I love Monte's remark about a kindly old gentleman coming to town. I also remember those days and I am starting to resemble those remarks.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 01-10-2007 10:49 AM                        Besides a couple of RCA engineers (long, long ago), I'd have to say that I picked up a lot from the late Vern Klingman. Aside from flat-out knowing his stuff, Vern seemed to have a talent for walking into a new project without preconceived parameters he couldn't get past. He kept an open mind, an even temperment and applied himself equally to everything I saw him take on. Maybe the progress of this business is growing a different crop of engineers... I don't know. But it doesn't seem that people like Vern are being replaced by those who have a real instinct for the job... at least not easily.  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 01-10-2007 11:27 AM                       Vern Klingman came from the booth like a lot of us and thus had an insight and interest in what he was doing. Vern was Dolby's first choice for the cinema tech job that I eventually got. I was the first tech they hired who had actually worked inside a movie theatre.  |  IP: Logged Bob Koch Expert Film Handler Posts: 183 From: williams ca Registered: Nov 2001 posted 01-10-2007 01:18 PM                     Three. First when I started with RCA in 1949 and was sent to Salt Lake city there was Emil deNuef old enough to be my Father and a wonderful man; taught me everything, even how to drive in the snow. 2`nd; Elbert m.[alias Al] Lewis my competitor when I came to Sacramento, he worked for Altec and always helped me. Had a memory like you would`nt believe and knew EVERYTHING about a projection room. Was my friend and mentor for over 50 years. Lastly, Sam Chavez,who brought me from my place of darkness dwelling on such things as,Photophone, Mirrophonic,ERPI,Universal Bases, 41,42,43 and 86 and and 87 amplifiers into a new, brighter, lesser paying and enlightened world of no arc lamps, automation Dolby and THX and multiplexes. Only thing that remained the same was the powers that be`s lack of enthusiasm for spending any money in the projection room  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 01-10-2007 02:07 PM                     There was a very knowledgeable older gent that taught me projection, but no one taught me the servicing of projection equipment. Not because no one would, but there just wasn't anyone servicing the theaters I worked at when I started in 1976 and I didn't know who to ask. I went to the library and found a few Cameron books, which I thought were the greatest thing because they actually had real detail about projectors (even thought they were out of date even by then.) I also found SMPTE journals; you know, when they actually had articles about film in them. I got very good at 'bootstrapping' and finding out information for myself in those pre-internet days, but admit it would have been nice to have someone to answer basic questions.  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 01-10-2007 02:38 PM                     Going down that path there where some good people when it came to technical roadblocks that required a more helpful push J.T. Finley - Altec. Very practical and ready to answer every dumb question. Edward H. Howe - National Theater Supply and Holiday Amusement. A boss who was a good teacher. Jim Moon - RCA. He was very giving of his time and enjoyed his work. Elias Duchese - Altec then independent in Puerto Rico. Very creative tech who was happy when he was whistling Mozart. Norm Lauterbach and Ira at Wolk. Give a teenager a break on his parts order!! Alysson Defaria - U.A. and Dolby Los Angeles. A prince in a family of technicians; alway finished a job better and twice as fast as expected. These magicians are long gone...I hope I continue improving on these pathfinders.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-10-2007 02:40 PM                     I've been doing booth work for 26 years now but I didn't learn this trade from others of this trade in the beginning. I worked several other jobs that primed me well for this work. Jobs at Panasonic, Canon USA, and in Broadcast Television gave me the combined knowledge that allowed me to work in this trade. Aside from that I was always the home shop machinist type and built many steam engines and other thingys in the shop. So I am self taught as far as machining/mechanics and real world training for all else would apply to me. I am not a projectionist although I served a short stint in Local 110 in the early 80's when they attempted to get me to jump sides when I freelanced for Willis Johnson... Today I'm glad I turned em down as I'd most likely still be stuck in the Chicago area. Later on I learned alot from the likes of Bob McRae, Sam Chavez, Lonnie Jennings, Ben Kehe and Corky Coble... "The Dynamic Duo", those at THX, one whose name I can't mention here that sells horn loaded systems, and others at the major vendors including Jim Ezell. Its all these people that I have to thank for all the knowledge they have unselfishly shared with me over the years. There were also other unselfish techs whose names I can't remember along the way that I met who were happy to share their knowledge with me. Today I always try to do the same for other inspiring techs so they can keep things running. Mark  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 01-10-2007 06:42 PM                        I came in from broadcast & cable. Bill Sanders/Christie was once with Altec. George Paleveda spent 30 days with me getting started in Louisville. But the best was Norm Schneider Sr. (father of the one from Smart) was my district manager at Altec. He, personally, lifted the W.E. speakers in placed at the Biograph Theatre in NYC and never left the job until retirement. about 1926 to about 1973. He was the main one...he was THERE during the sound era. Louis  |  IP: Logged

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