Projectionists Meeting @ 2010-02-22 18:00:00
Week 7 Meeting Minutes
Apologies: Janis, Omar
Show Reports
Tuesday – Couples Retreat – Sarah and Owen
Couple of minutes late starting due to lacing problems. Sound Trailer v. OOF (prefocus)
Wednesday – Surrogates – Tim B
Qualification show – see report
Forgot about 'Enjoy the Film' slide, leading to it being on for a split-second before ~15 secs black on screen. Some of this was completely black due to forgetting the dowser.
Messy Q-dots also the metal arm near the reader on P1 was clinking. The aperture plates were still rounded.
Thursday – Adventureland – Martin and Alex
The metal arm on P1 was still clinking, identified crap on the roller and fixed during the show
There was gash ad film at the end of the last reel, mistaken for a bonus scene. This resulted in the lights being on low the whole way through, then a car driving backwards and upside-down across the screen, w. sound-track in reverse (but not O/S). The splice was good, though.
Friday Early – Harry Brown – Vicky and Owen
Ads and R1 v. OOF (prefocus)
Owen was confused about 'down', so opened the dowser on the wrong P resulting in a flash of white O/S. Owen now knows about the 'down' button.
R6 had been hastily rewound and a label hastily written out.
Friday Late – Harry Brown – Sam and Andrew
R6 had been labelled R2, the reels were ordered by header and the DMs warned (and asked to warn us). Everything else was fine.
Sunday Early – Fantastic Mr. Fox – Amy
R1&3 OOR. Aperture plates were still rounded. P2 had stability problems. There was a fire-alarm, shut down.
Sunday Late – Fantastic Mr. Fox – Amanda and Daniel
The intermittent on P2 had been replaced without slotting the notch into the slot, the washer was loose and grinding, causing stability problems. Amanda fixed whilst P1 was running.
The Intermittent
Was undoubtedly due to the Snaps test earlier on Sunday. Had Amanda not spotted it then it would have probably been trashed, as happened last year. As we don't have a spare on hand this would have been a serious problem.
We should have checked the intermittent after Alex had fitted it, and probably the whole projector after the snaps test.
This also brings up the issue of how we mess around with the 35mm/70mm conversion for snaps tests. We obviously want trainees to be able to identify that a projector is set up for 70mm, or hasn't been completely converted back to 35mm, but Alex hadn't been taught how to convert himself. The approach encouraged in a snaps test is one of using logic to solve the problems yourself, so obviously a trainee would expect us to want them to convert the proj back themselves, which Alex did, as opposed to asking a 70mm qualified proj to do it for him.
While conversion is pretty straight-forward for the rollers, the intermittents are very expensive (and probably one of the first things to be converted back), so it seems a bad idea to expect a trainee who had never converted 35/70 before to do it on the fly.
The options discuseed were:
Don't touch the intermittent during a snaps test
Keep snaps tests as they are, just make sure the proj is fine afterwards
Keep 70mm out of snaps tests, have a separate qualification for 70mm for those that want it.
It was decided that the 70mm would still play a part in the snaps test, but that the intermittent wouldn't, as it's expensive and this had happened before. Projectionists that want to learn about 70mm in more depth can turn up for a conversion for an actual 70mm film.
Anonproj
Further to last weeks meeting, an anonymous email address has been set up:
anonymousqproj@googlemail.com
the password is WSCQproj
This can be used to comment anonymously on shows by emailing the Chief Proj, who will then bring the comments up at the next meeting (or sooner, if relevant).
Fire Drill
The fire alarm during the Sunday Early show brought up the fact that health and safety isn't formally discussed until the Snaps Test. It was decided that it'd probably scare new trainees off to be told too soon, but it should be covered (especially the fire drill) at the Additional training sessions, at shows and whilst making up films, much like the power path etc.
It was also suggested that a sheet could be put up on a wall, for example in the corridor.
An emergency shut-down button was also suggested, which would turn the lights on, shut the masking and turn everything off etc.
City of God/Men
They are now made up, Tim B and Matt Brennan will project. Slides will be the only thing played in the intermission.
Ticketing details don't concern us.
Tidy the Proj Box
It needs tidying and, more importantly, keeping tidy. Cores, tape, razors water etc should NOT be left out after making up. People should only enter the proj box between lectures, not walk through lectures. The making up book needs filling in completely.
Late Shows
Have been prevalent recently. This is exacerbated by a long ads and trailers reel.
If a trainee is taking a long time to lace the platter it is better for the qproj to lace and the show to start on time than for the trainee to eventually lace up by themselves.
FoH should be ready for the audience 20 mins before the show.
New Trainees
It was decided that Fergus will become a trainee projectionist, but that no other new trainees will be taken on this year.
AOB
Prefocus was causing problems. Was fixed on Sunday
Alex's qualification show will be Sommersturm this Wednesday. Matt Brennan, Tim B, Nikita and Martin can attend.
As of writing, only Omar is signed up to project on Thursday (Pandorum).
It was decided that the first 2 PDF shows are mandatory, the 3rd is suggested.