It's In Revelations, People!
Projectionists hate getting calls about things that are wrong--usually when it's something really stupid or there's a misunderstanding as to the technicalities of film presentation. However, I like getting calls when there's something genuinely wrong because it means I can make that presentation better, learn from mistakes, etc.
Midnight show of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. A fair crowd arrives to watch it last night. Being a Thursday where we have lots to do, and being unable to preview the print, there is a fair risk of something going wrong during the 1st show to the public. However, we sort of have to go on faith under these circumstances. The entire movie ran without one complaint---and then the masses come out, probably really angry, that the digital sound kept popping in and out...THIS IS THROUGH THE ENTIRE FILM. No one complained that whole time. How could they stand it? I mean, I know that you don't want to miss anything, but missing a couple of minutes is better than listening to sound problems the entire show...I mean, right?
The travesty of this is that the problem could have been fixed very easily. And it's amazing to me that people come out of a movie all hot about something that went wrong, after the fact. Unfortunately, people, projectionists cannot babysit a projector all night--the onus, unfortunately, falls on you to complain most of the time. If you wait an entire show to complain, then you have no one but yourselves to blame. I wish I could accept all of the blame, but it's impossible knowing the logistics of my job.
posted by Chris @ 4/29/2005 01:22:00 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
That sounds annoying as hell to have to deal with. This is why in general, I really hate most people.
But on a semi-related note, this reminded me of that "From Dusk til Dawn" print I helped you save from ruin. That was a crazy night; I do not envy your job.
I gotta tell you though, Jonathan, sometimes even a big mess with a film print or projector can kind of be fun to deal with. I imagine Chris and I share this feeling, that there's something about being one of the few people in the building or in the district who can fix a problem.
When I was a GM, near the end of my run, I had a blast one day when we had a film brain wrap. (A brain wrap is where the film gathers like a tossed salad on the platters and is therefore twisted and knotted). Due to that specific problem, and the fact that the show was sold out, I had to get it fixed fast. So I cut the film, unraveled it down the hall, and started the film running again before I'd even connected it back together. I was showing off a little for a few employees, I guess, but it was fun. A race against time.
There were other times too when the problem was just so weird that it's like a mystery...like Sherlock Holmes having to find the root cause and try different fixes.
Man, theater memories are rushing back in spades today.
Hey Chris, wasn't it "Waiting to Exhale" that I helped you unravel that one time?
Geez, Chris, how many movies have you destroyed?!
Just kidding.
I know I destroyed a print of Scream 2 (when we worked together) all by my lonesome. That sucked. No one helped me unravel anything.
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