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All this talk of self-serve soda machines and running the lobby in the most efficient way possible got me to thinking about timer started projectors again. We have two automations in the back that are capable of starting with a timer. We used to use them when we were chronically understaffed. Now we hardly ever use them anymore. We have never turned our staff on to the timers; it’s just something we use if we need to.

But for a small rural 2-screen, I might seriously consider using them all the time. They can be very reliable. A friend of mine use his timers exclusively at a 16 screen with four booths because he couldn’t guarantee that he would be there when the movie needed to start. He always checked back.

So for a two-screen theatre I would install timers and thread the shows before I opened and set the timers. Then as manager, I could sell tickets while I had one employee sell concessions. Then after the films had started I could check the auditoriums and the projectors.

What do you all think of projection timers?

IMHO, "Film Done Right" should have a projectionist check the focus and framing as soon as the projector starts, and at the start of the feature. If a mistake in threading is made and no one is close by when the projector starts, you may not notice it until someone complains, and by that time, you may have damaged the print.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services
Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Eastman Kodak Company
Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Telephone: 585-477-5325 Cell: 585-781-4036 Fax: 585-722-7243
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Website: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

John,

I agree with you in principle and that's why we don't tell our assistants about our timers or why we don't use them much ourselves. But place yourself in this situation, and by placing yourself, I mean John Pytlak.

You have a small theatre in a small town. It has 2 screens. You are the manager. Your lobby is steps across. You sell tickets and let the timer start the show. As soon as you hear the show start (not THX) you dash accross the lobby and look in on it. The later after the previews you have the time to go up stairs and check the running of the show. Would this be acceptable on a Wednesday night?

On a Saturday night you would have a cahier and a concessionist. You would still be the operator along with getting change and hooking up the new oil.

Under these circumstances, I would use a timer. I am sufficiantly confident of my threading ability and the fact the I double check my threads to feel comfortable using a timer.

[This message has been edited by Large (edited July 25, 2002).]

I have done something like this in my little theater for years. while it is not on a timer I have a remote start in the concession and 2 cheap cameras on the platter in the booth. we start the show check the screen and then later go upstairs. very seldom have I ever had a problem doing it this way, and never any brain wraps because we have a monitor or any potental problems

Oh boy... a rural two screen? I resemble that remark. We have an auto starter, no time, but push the remote button and away she goes. We do it almost never because of a chronis fear of the problems that invariably erupt at the start. But, done right? It can and does get done right all the time. I may look into it for 2nd tier list.

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