Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

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Jiiiir 21, 1039 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Page 37 Projection Room Efficiency At Last — a Plan for Getting a ''Picture'' of Booth Apparatus No EXHIBITOR would dream of running his business without books, memo calendars or other trace of paper work. Yet projection room activities, today as always a most complicated business, are often run that way. If the man in charge happens to forget something, it stays forgotten. Until a flash and a puff of smoke bring a reminder in the form of a more or less serious repair job. As for costs, most theatres have no projection room data worth mentioning. The reason for this state of things is that projectionists are not executives and cannot be expected to plan operations on a business basis, while exhibitors are not technicians and don't know how to plan for the projection room. The more efficient chains, however, have alwaj'S run their projection in a businesslike manner, with proper reminders, reports and data on costs. STR now offers all exhibitors a series of projection room forms that can either be used exactly as printed or adapted to the detailed requirements of an individual situation. Proper forms benefit the projectionist as much as the showman. Forms Help Projectionist The projectionist benefits in three ways when he uses proper procedure forms. First, he does better work; has less to worry about. He goes through the same routine of inspection and operation that he would follow in any case, but he accompanies his activity with occasional reference to a chart, upon which he inserts check marks when each operation is finished. He thus insures himself against accidental oversight, never has to inspect anything a second time to make sure it wasn't overlooked, never has to worry about whether he missed checking up on some important item. Second, he is protected against unjust blame. The file of his charts shows that proper routine has been followed, and that breakdown that may occur is not attributable to neglect. Lastly, when the projectionist really needs some part or repair for proper performance, and finds his manager dubious or reluctant about the expense involved, the projection room reports will very definitely show the nature and extent of the need, after which responsibility for performance rests inevitably with the manager. Forms Help Showman The exhibitor who is responsible for a vast multitude of details simplifies his projection problems and increases his efficiency by following a routine, organized procedure, made possible through the use of paper guides. He saves his own time. Properly drawn forms are always so made that they can be checked with a minimum of effort. The present writer at one time checked hundreds of projection room reports a week while in the employ of a theatre chain that did such things efficiently. Except when some unusual condition was indicated, handling the report of a single theatre took STR Presents Plan for Projection Inspections to Prevent Breakdowns— Save Repair Costs STR will publish, in the course of the next few months, inspection forms for daily, weekly and semi-annual projection routines, drawn up on a basis of practical experience. They will be easy for the projectionist to use, involving the minimum addition of paper work to his other duties. And they will be as easy as possible for the manager to check. Showmen will be able to use the STR forms in three different ways: — Undei average conditions, just as they are printed; to meet exceptional circumstances or personal preferences, as they are printed but with some modifications made by the individual showman; as a basis of suggestions upon which the showman can build up similar forms that will conform more exactly with the needs of his particular theatre. somewhat under ten seconds. At approximately the same small expenditure of time tlie individual showman can assure himself of the condition of affairs in his own projection room. In the case of some matter that requires, or may require, his executive intervention, he can follow the progress of the matter from day to day and week to week at no greater loss of time. Forms also assure him that his projection staff are doing their full duty in maintenance as well as operation. In most cases they are anyhow, but occasional slackers are found in any group. It is very difficult to "fool" a properly constructed report form. If some part breaks down that cannot break down without giving warning in advance, and if the record of past inspections shows that that part was consistently reported to be in satisfactory condition, someone stands exposed in his own handwriting. This, of course, is no handicap to any projectionist who does his ordinary work; quite the contrary, when the part does break down he is fully protected against any suspicion of neglect. On every count, relations between projection staff and management are improved by use of a proper form procedure. Nature of Forms Projection equipment needs several different kinds of inspection. Some items must be checked every day, or even oftener. Some are safely checked only once a year. Inspection forms should be supplemented by cost forms, the latter based upon abstraction or condensation of the material contained in the former. There is no other way of obtaining accurate data upon operating costs, which of course should be tied in with first costs in considering the choice of replacement parts, repairs, and new equipment. The exact nature of the forms to be used will vary somewhat according to the details of the individual operation. For example, if the theatre receives sound service from a reliable organization, the projectionist's responsibility for inspection is reduced accordingly. If the service arrangement is one that includes automatic replacement, without charge, of certain parts subject to wear, the cost forms are simplified accordingly. Some chains, however, while buying service, maintain full forms of their own as a check upon the cost or economy resulting from the servicing arrangement. Daily inspection is completely independent of whether or not the theatre receives sound service. It covers conditions that change or may change every day or every few days, such as picture focus, exciter light focus, lubrication and details of cleanliness. Condition of t!ie film, whenever new film is re ceived, obviously is included. In addition, certain points that are very easily checked, and therefore examined daily as a matter of trifling routine, are included. The reading of installed meters is one example. On the contrary, it is not the best practice to report daily on such conditions as sprocket wear. It is better to inspect sprockets at some reasonable interval of time (weekly, for example) when the progress of wear since the last inspection will be more noticeable. The daily report also includes special items temporarily listed for daily inspection, such as parts in very poor condition which ordinarily do not need daily attention, but because of their state of wear will need it until they are replaced. Very new parts may be similarly treated Lastly, the daily form also includes, for the sake of record, a report of troubles experienced, supplies received, parts replaced and similar items of routine. The projectionist of course cannot do his daily work with a report blank in hand; if the form has been properly drawn he will not have to. Weekly Inspection "Weekly inspection" refers to those shortterm procedures which in some theatres may be spaced as much as a month apart. The frequency of these routines is often varied to suit the nature of equipment. A newly equipped projection room should have a thorough going over once a week. After a time, the inspections may be made less frequent. When the equipment becomes very old, the schedule may be returned again to a weekly basis. The weekly (or bi-weeklj' or monthly) inspection is relatively thorough. (It need not all be done on the same day). Its purpose is to catch all possible symptoms of approaching trouble, not only for the sake of avoiding breakdowns but also to keep repair work down to inexpensive jobs, which is very often possible when troubles are caught in time. The semi-annual or annual inspection, however, takes into account all apparatus, whatever its location. It is the time for cleaning, re-soldering and minor replacements on a substantial scale. Its primary purpose is not so much detection of symptoms of trouble as a general overhauling to forestall th£ developmen-t -Qf s««li symptoms. It checks the approach of conditions that may justify transferring some item of equipment from the semi-annual to the weekly inspection, on the ground that the item in question has not deteriorated enough to call for replacement, but enough to need more frequent watching.