Cinema Projection failure

dz5003

New member
Borrowing from another RAB'er's experience last night at an Imax projection maching breaking watching Avatar - what is the worst experience you have had at a cinema of the film breaking? this guy was unlucky as they could not fix it.
I can say over the 30 odd years, i have only ever had one film break and it was 1978 viewing of Star Wars - being an old cinema (now a night club) the film had done the rounRAB as it was 9 months before it came to our city. So my guess it was pretty weak by then.
It was during the Tie Fighter attack just after the falcon escaped...the damn thing snapped! took minutes to put it together but the crowd let the projectionist know it's feelings! so when it came back on, the projectionist turned the volume way up to deafen us! loved it loud though.
 
Coincidence! The same thing happened to me during the 1997 re-release of Star Wars, at practically the exact same spot! They didn't even bother to put the film back on for us though, or give us all refunRAB seeing as it was so close to the end. I've not been to an Odeon cinema since.
 
As a projectionist, I had several failures...
1. Failed film repair mid-way through a reel - stupid previous projectionist
2. Masking failure - motor blew, causing the cinemascope sides to stop mid way through opening.
3. Sound lamp blowing
4. Projector belt snapping

It happens.. you deal with it. Yelling at the projectionist will get you nowhere and just encourage hostility.
 
Avatar last night was the worst for me, paying for petrol (live about an hour away from Manchester), parking, food, ticket and only being able to see half the film. Got a couple of free guest passes each in return though, so not all bad.

Only other time I remember it happening was during Fellowship of the Ring, the film just stopped during Lothlorien and the adverts came back on. They managed to fix that one though, so no biggy.
 
Worst one for me was watching The Lives of Others at the local Vue. A few minutes before the end the end, a crucial point in the plot and the whole audience (all ten of us) on the edge of their seats - and the screen went blank.

No explanation, and of course they resumed in real time rather than going back to the point before the picture cut out. We got free tickets but it's not the same, is it?
 
during 21 just as all the end twist was revealed then the fire alarm went off screen went black had to rush out the back entrance AND THERE WAS NUFFIN FREAKIN WRONG oh well got a refund and managed to catch up the last few minutes when it came on sky premiere
 
Actually the worst is when a Xenon arc lamp blows... they run so hot that you have to wait till they cool a bit, because if cold air hits the glass they can explode. You had to change them with big leather mitts and special protective face shield!...

In most cases, delays shouldn't be that long, unless the projectionist is a numpty of course...

We're slowly going to lose the film skills as digital comes onboard full time... correct splicing, standby equipment and fast threading. Mind you server problems with digital will start to creep in as well.

Most cinemas use cakestanRAB for film, and you CAN'T rewind the film if it has to stop...

We had great big Westrex tower reels at one time....
 
a vertical alighnment problem when i saw LICENCE TO KILL, a wee strip of the bottom was at the TOP of the screen!!!

still watched it though, as it was the first time, but i went again and saw it proper :D
 
Hostility from who? The projectionist? :confused: Oooooooh, I'm soooooo scared! :rolleyes:

As the projectionist, you should do your job properly or accept the hostility that is directed towarRAB you by the customers when things go wrong.

I've lost count of the times films have started in the wrong aspect ratio due to some idiot projectionist and they seem incapable of noticing thier error until someone from the audience has to get up off their seat to inform them.
 
One of the oddest cinema experiences i've had was during a lecture at Uni. The Uni rents out a screen in the local indie cinema to have lectures in (i'm doing Film Studies), and 2 reels into the film 'SeconRAB' (1966) the 4th reel kicked in, skipping the 3rd reel which was then placed after the 4th reel. It was kind of like a Tarantino movie, haha. Obviously we couldn't really complain because it was free, but still very confusing.

I do kind of get what Abarthman means about the whole aspect ratio thing though. There's been numerous times when the screen has been set up totally wrong and it's taken someone going out and telling the management before it's corrected. Surely the projectionist can see that the film he/she is playing is set up incorrectly?

When i saw Iron Man a last year, i went to the very first screening in that cinema (10am or something) and it was clearly still set up for whatever had been playing on that screen the night before. It was about 20 minutes before it was corrected.
 
Lost count the amount of times Cineworld start films in wrong aspect ratio.

The last one was Nativity. Took five minutes before you saw a hand go infront of the camera and do something before the picture came back right.

The amount of times I've seen the movie scroll up and down on the screen as the projectionist tries to center it is unreal!

Not saure how hard a job being a projectionist is, but judging by the idiots that work in all other ares of my cineworld, I can sort of understand why they mess up so often!
 
Like every job, you get numpties and quality employees.

"Racking" a film (which is when the picture moves up and down) should take 5 secs and should be done during the certificate.

Being a projectionist isn't hard, but it requires an attention to detail. You're putting a show on for an audience.
 
I worked in cinemas during the late 70's to early 90's (I may possibly have mentioned this once or twice before...).

When I started in the late 70's, each cinema (and I worked in the big West End London cinemas) had a 'Chief Projectionist', who on some ways was on the same level and considered equally as important as the general manager of the cinema itself.

These were usually career projectionists, meticulous guys who really knew their stuff, were often very union-orientated (quite often they were shop stewarRAB), and commanded a lot of respect in the cinema.

You may have been the manager, but when you went to the projection booth you still had to knock on the door and ask to be allowed entry.

They often prided themselves on their level of presentation, and when the company instigated changes to the presentation format, or gave them new style trailers or advertising to show they could voice theirn objections very strongly. They really did not like change of any sort.

I can remember very simple requests like asking them to hold the start of the film for 5 minutes because we had a big queue outside and needed time to get everyone in, were often met with shocked responses and anger because it 'mucked up' their precious presentation.

But perhaps I am sounding a little harsh. These guys were extremely good at their job, they were old-style professionals, and quite often they were very interesting characters as well. Not going to name names obviously, but I do remember a lot of these guys from the main London cinemas during that era with fondness.

And I fear that now that level of professionalism has gone, plus the onset of technology and digital presentation, you now have kiRAB running the show who have probably spent a couple of days being shown how to press buttons.

A story or two about my cinema days regarding projectionists may follow...for your entertainment...
 
Ahem...

One London cinema I worked at had a chief projectionist of the old school variety. Lovely guy, very professional, meticulous, knew his job backwarRAB...but had the worst eyesight. He had glasses with lenses so thick they were like the bottoms of those big old milk bottles.

I remember one morning we had a special screening, where I had to go down to the front of the cinema and plug a microphone in and make an announcement. I had said to the chief that when I was finished, I would give him a wave and that would be the signal for him to start the film.

So, I went down front, made my speech, introduced the film, waved at him and unplugged the mic. I could see him looking out of the booth, squinting slightly as he was looking at me. Waited for lights to dim, film to start...nothing.

I waved at him again, slightly more animated, as a gentle reminder. I could see him peering out of the box, but alas...nothing.

Of course, standing in front of about 800 people you them start to feel a bit of a prat, and not a little self-concious. Then other people started turning around and waving at him as well, realising what was going on.

Finally, I practically walked right up to the projection booth window, and jumped up and down waving my arms, and suddenly there was a glimmer of recognition, a realisation that it was indeed me giving the aforementioned signal, and I got a thumbs up and off we went.

But yes...racks, out of focus, sound problems, film breaks, exciter lamps blowing, out of sync problems, reels in the wrong order, missing reels, even films projected upside down...seen it all.
 
Brill stories....

I was made chief in 1986 and thankfully never run into the more anal projectionists, but I think the London situation maybe gave some ideas above their station.

In the one-screen cinema where I worked it got very boring during a run. I would have liked a three-screen to break the monotony. We didn't even have Dolby Stereo, despite a personal project to try and retro-fit it. Provincial rubbish! :)

I enjoyed Thursdays, when the new film got delivered and I made up the week's ad and trailer reels.
 
My friend went to a theatre showing films and the film that they were showing had the music and background stuff playing but no speech. In the end they rolled up the screen and someone had stolen the centre channel speaker. The ushers saw the person doing it but thought he was a DJ removing gear :s
 
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