I, Robot

[cinema guy]

My job is getting replaced by a computer.

The cinema where I work is replacing the old 35mm film projectors with shiny new digital ones. This week we had a Theatre management server installed. Not only does it contain all the movies and trailers and adverts that we show, but it will start the films.

I am not going to lose my job because loading the films and setting up a week's worth of shows is quite a task. However, there will be long shifts where there is nothing to do but keep an eye on the server. And I am certainly going to be getting less hours.

[XCashier]

I'm sorry your hours are getting cut. Is there anything they'd let you do to make up more hours?

[Victoria J]

I'm sorry you're losing hours.

You are at least better off than Victor Meldrew, whose troubles started if I remember right when he was replaced by a small electronic box. Or Homer Simpson whose job could be done by one of those perpetual motion birds dipping into water...

As someone who likes to go to the cinema I am very dubious about people being replaced that easily. It's bad enough that no one keeps an eye on the screens most of the time, but at least there was someone checking regularly. I know that with each new technology they eliminate some of the things that can go wrong (I was amazed even 10 years ago to go to a cinema in a small town and find the film was actually out of focus, films don't break and there's no way of putting them in the projector wrong) but even if they eliminate all those problems you still want someone around - technology can fail and other customers can be even more annoying.

Last time something did go wrong (Batman - The Dark Knight) and sound cut out it took the cinema a good few minutes to notice. People left to find staff but it all took time. Once the last films have started playing there's almost no one around. (Then they announced they'd have to stop the film for well over 5 minutes and really annoyed people by restarting sooner than that so some people missed out as they went to the toilet, and everyone else was disturbed as those people came back while the film was running. They made up for it by just greeting everyone at the exit and giving a free ticket, a disgruntled mood just deflated as people relaxed after getting ready for a fight to get their money back ).

In short - I don't think you can be replaced by a machine. I will hope that the machine immediately causes trouble so you have to supervise it at all times. (It is in any case the only way to prevent them eventually rising up and over throwing us).

Incidentally - how is 3D going ? I understood some places were thinking about doing less as some people can't or won't watch films in 3D.

Victoria J

[cinema guy]

Quoth Victoria J

(I was amazed even 10 years ago to go to a cinema in a small town and find the film was actually out of focus, films don't break and there's no way of putting them in the projector wrong)

The film is spliced together from multiple reels, so the joins can part. You can actually lace the projector out of rack, or even with the soundtrack on the wrong side. As the film runs through the projector emulsion comes off the film and can build up on the projector gate, casuing the film to move out of position by a very small amount, causing it to go out of focus.

All reasons a film can go wrong.

Of course those things won't happen with digital.

Last time something did go wrong (Batman - The Dark Knight) and sound cut out it took the cinema a good few minutes to notice.

At the cinema, I have to run 8 projectors single-handed. No way to keep an eye on them all the time.

(It is in any case the only way to prevent them eventually rising up and over throwing us).

Incidentally - how is 3D going ? I understood some places were thinking about doing less as some people can't or won't watch films in 3D.

There are indications that the 3D bubble is about to burst. Both Pirates 4 and Kung Fu Panda 2 have done a lower proportion of their business in 3D than expected. At the cinema where I work, it has been noted that for kids films like Rio, 2D did remarkably well. However, as we begam full digitalised, we got 4 new digital projectors this week, all with 3D.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

Gah. Movie tickets are expensive anyway, and 3d? When most movies aren't actually made for it? Yeah no.
Anyway.
I agree with Victoria-- they need people around. Watch the projectors catch on fire or something. Or be even more intensive than the other ones, requiring mechanics (who, we all know, make the real money here) and unacceptable down-hours.

[cinema guy]

The mechanical projectors were well maintained and ran 364 days of the year for upto 14 hours a day with hardly ever a fault or problem.

Not only are the digital ones tempramantal, we do not have the know how to keep them running. So the company has had to recruit more engineers.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

Ha. $$ for Engineers > $$ for peons. The mechanical ones sound pretty sweet...

[telecom_goddess]

I'm curious about the 3D aspect to. I am one of those rare people who can't see in 3D and can't appreciate what 3D does for things...due to having no depth perception. So this 3D craze has been annoying as hell for me.

[Victoria J]

Quoth cinema guy

Of course those things won't happen with digital.

Presumably you get computer type problems instead. Which are rarer but much harder to diagnose and resolve when they occur I would guess. As well as machinery becoming increasingly complex and less likely to be repairable by the actual people using it...

Quoth cinema guy

At the cinema, I have to run 8 projectors single-handed. No way to keep an eye on them all the time.

But at least you are checking in every so often.

Quoth cinema guy

There are indications that the 3D bubble is about to burst. Both Pirates 4 and Kung Fu Panda 2 have done a lower proportion of their business in 3D than expected. At the cinema where I work, it has been noted that for kids films like Rio, 2D did remarkably well. However, as we begam full digitalised, we got 4 new digital projectors this week, all with 3D.

Maybe if they made 3D films properly it would be better. I saw the trailer for Pirates 4 in both 3D and 2D and the found the 3D really annoying because of the scenes with the "cut out" effect. It's a huge big budget film and some of those scenes had the same depth as a paper toy theatre. (Particularly odd as the big action scenes did seem to be done better, it's wherever there were people just standing around that they are in cut out rows). If I had gone to see it I would have chosen 2D I think.

I quite like 3D done properly, and don't have trouble seeing or get headaches etc. I don't even have problems fitting the glasses over my real glasses.

If I had seen Kung Fun Panda 2 I'd have probably chosen 3D, it's at least done correctly for the animated films. (I wouldn't have minded taking my baby sister to that but haven't had a chance).

It seems like cinemas made this huge investment, but the film companies haven't invested in the equipment to make decent 3D films. In the mean time only the animations and a small number of more or less gimmicky films like Avatar (made to experiment with the technology) really make use of the technology but it's almost impossible to find cinemas showing a lot of other films in 2D.

Sorry to derail your thread, and good luck dealing with your new robot overlords.

Victoria J

[cinema guy]

The best 3D is often in the worst films. 3D effects in Sanctum and a Turtle's Tale were awesome.

Animated films do seem to be where it works best. Though there are a number of retro-fitted animated films coming.

Oh and Titanic is getting a 3D retro-fit.

-------------------
So we have had several new digital projectors. One didn't work because there was something that couldn't be aligned. Engineer had to come out. We lost 2 shows. Another failed today, after just one full day of operation. We need a new part and an engineer to fit it.

Skynet and all our projectors are now monitored by a company in Norway. Instead of calling an engineer when something goes wrong, we ring Norway. Norway then phones the engineer.