why I don't feel bad about being on my phone in the theater right now

[smileyeagle1021]

So, i am posting this from my phone, in the movie theater. I feel no guilt about this because my movie was supposed to start 45 minutes ago... but our projectionist can't figure out how to use the projector. It's a digital projector, I've used them before when I worked in a theater and they are the easiest thing ever to use... you click on the movie title and it plays... but they accidently clicked the wrong title, which happens, but he didn't know how to change it so he just shut the projector off and now can't figure out how to get it turned back on.

Eta- seriously, it's been an hour now... had I screwed up this badly when I worked at Westates Theaters, I'd have been walked off, wouldn't even get to finish my shift (because firing me before I finish my shift would at least cut the losses from all the passes that have to be given out)

[Kitten in the box]

Sounds like they owe everyone that was in that movie house a FREE ticket to a movie of their choice. I'd ask about the free ticket.

[PepperElf]

indeed.

last time i saw movie screwup was back when my bf and i went to see green lantern.

they couldn't get the projector started (audio worked though) so finally they just gave up on making us wait and upgraded us to the 3D movie.

although one man didn't want that because he was blind in one eye... although I'm not sure how that would have been an issue. I mean as long as he still wore the glasses he'd be able to see the movie, but hey, afaik he accepted a refund or another ticket instead i guess.

[Captain Trips]

indeed.

... one man didn't want that because he was blind in one eye... although I'm not sure how that would have been an issue. I mean as long as he still wore the glasses he'd be able to see the movie, but hey, afaik he accepted a refund or another ticket instead i guess.

It would matter because the 3d effect depends on binocular vision - without the glasses, you would be seeing each eye's image in both eyes, and with the glasses you effectively miss half the picture. (Not quite, but a good enough analogy.)

My sister, due to eye-muscle situations, does not have binocular vision, she can't go to 3d showings because of this.

[NorthernZel]

It would matter because the 3d effect depends on binocular vision - without the glasses, you would be seeing each eye's image in both eyes, and with the glasses you effectively miss half the picture. (Not quite, but a good enough analogy.)

My sister, due to eye-muscle situations, does not have binocular vision, she can't go to 3d showings because of this.

Indeed. I have a slight retina damage on my right eye and have tried to attend a 3D movie with Lil Zel. Though I was able to enjoy the movie, I only experienced the 3D effects now and then, not all the time.

So it's 2D movies for me from now on - kinda sad really, since I'd really want to watch "The Hobbit" in its full 3D HFR glory... oh well.

[MoonCat]

When the first Lord of the Rings movie opened, and they started the previews, we were appalled to see only the bottom half of each frame. Don't know how else to explain it, but somehow the projectionist had it "off center". I went out and asked one of the ticket takers to please get someone to straighten this out. I told him, "I did not wait 25 years* for this movie just to only watch the lower half of every frame!" They did get it fixed before the movie started.

(that was how long it had been since I'd first read the book)

[Ironclad Alibi]

I told him, "I did not wait 25 years* for this movie just to only watch the lower half of every frame!" They did get it fixed before the movie started.

(that was how long it had been since I'd first read the book)

I had read it 35 years before the movie came out. I still have the first edition of the paperback version Ballantine published in 1965.

[Shalom]

Wuz I you, I'da wandered around to the manager's office, and told them I'd like to apply for the projectionist's job that just opened up five minutes ago...

[magician5]

I look at a projectionist's forum now and then (I'm an old film guy) and the truth is that the digital systems are so bound up with encryption and "rights management" that when they go wrong, they REALLY go wrong!

Believe it or not, the projectors won't work without a downloaded "key" that specifies what showtimes and theaters the movie may play, and there isn't much leeway. This one factor is always going wrong, and there are others on top of that.

[spark]

I once went to see a matinee of a Disney film and the projectionist apparently forgot to switch from last night's film, because they started playing some rated-R horror movie instead! We were very puzzled all through the commercials beforehand, and when the film itself started we finally had to get up and go find somebody to fix it.

There weren't any children there, it was a weekday, but my cousin who'd come with me was developmentally disabled and probably would have been really traumatized by watching the horror flick. Heck, I probably would have been too!

[PepperElf]

It would matter because the 3d effect depends on binocular vision - without the glasses, you would be seeing each eye's image in both eyes, and with the glasses you effectively miss half the picture. (Not quite, but a good enough analogy.)

to be honest that still doesn't make sense to me but... he wasn't forced to watch it in 3d and he took a refund instead. so all's well for him.


hmm. smiley - did you ever get to see the movie?

[greek_jester]

to be honest that still doesn't make sense to me but... he wasn't forced to watch it in 3d and he took a refund instead. so all's well for him.

IIRC (please correct me if I've got it wrong) 2 pictures shot at slightly different angles are shown overlapping. The glasses you're given are configured to cut out the inappropriate image for each eye, so that your brain is tricked into seeing the image in 3D.

If you have problems with your eyes working together for true binocular vision (e.g. me) or you have impaired sight in 1 eye, then the effect won't work & you'll get 2D at best, or a blurred picture at worst.

[telecom_goddess]

It would matter because the 3d effect depends on binocular vision - without the glasses, you would be seeing each eye's image in both eyes, and with the glasses you effectively miss half the picture. (Not quite, but a good enough analogy.)

My sister, due to eye-muscle situations, does not have binocular vision, she can't go to 3d showings because of this.

Exactly. Same thing with me. I can't watch anything in 3d and really see the 3d effect. Hell I have trouble going up and down stairs because of it! They look flat.

[PepperElf]

IIRC (please correct me if I've got it wrong) 2 pictures shot at slightly different angles are shown overlapping. The glasses you're given are configured to cut out the inappropriate image for each eye, so that your brain is tricked into seeing the image in 3D.

If you have problems with your eyes working together for true binocular vision (e.g. me) or you have impaired sight in 1 eye, then the effect won't work & you'll get 2D at best, or a blurred picture at worst.

of course he wouldn't have seen 3D i mean not with only one eye working. however with just only one eye getting the signals from the lens then it would have been 2D which was what he wanted to see to begin with. i'm not sure how it would be blurry though, not with only one "channel" getting to his eyes.

if i ever see another 3d movie tho i'll test it out by closing one eye
mind you this is the "real 3d" stuff. the previous versions of 3d never worked well for me

but again he took a refund or another ticket i guess. afaik they didn't force it on him

[Jay 2K Winger]

There weren't any children there, it was a weekday, but my cousin who'd come with me was developmentally disabled and probably would have been really traumatized by watching the horror flick. Heck, I probably would have been too!

Really? Considering some of the things your would-be clients try to ask you for?