FUBAR of the Opera

[cinema guy]

The cinema has a splendid new digital projector, used to screen 3D films. This can also be used for 'alternative content' - opera, concerts, and eventually when we gat the capability, live sporting events.

We have our first opera showing on Monday. The hard drive arrived on Wednesday, followed shortly by an email saying they'd sent the wrong ones and new ones would follow on Thursady.

We had a subsequent eamil saying we need to check through the 3-hour opera. Depsite the fact it is a school holiday and the digital projector is in use from 10am through till midnight. So the only time it can be checked is Minday morning. Better hope their is nothing wrong with it.

[Nashida]

*keeps her fingers crossed that all is well*

And slightly off-topic, but a couple of theaters near home will screen the Boston Red Sox when they have a home game during the regular season. I can go to the theater and pick up a schedule pretty soon, I think. Maybe after spring training.

But those things are a blast to go to. It's a lot of fun to gather up a bunch of friends and go watch the game on the big screen. I hope this new projector works out for you.

[cinema guy]

I have been given the task of checking the opera.

Yay, more hours! Boo, opera early on Monday morning!

[fireheart]

Have fun with that Leopold! (cookies for the reference)

[cinema guy]

Well act three wouldn't play properly, and after several phone conversations it was deleted and reloaded. We still couldn't get the intermission to play properly. Finally act 4 has German subtitles.

I came home and left the boss to deal with it. There's no time to play anymore because

[cinema guy]

I was working on the kiosk last night, so I was well away from projection and the ensuing catastrophe.

So a computer file was sent, about 10 minutes before the show was due to start.

The start was delayed in an effort to get it to work. In the end they started the show, with the intention to fix the subtitles during the intermission. The show started late. Act one and two went off without a hitch.

There were only two people serving on kiosk so one woman got very angry at having to queue.

Aparantly phone calls flew back and forth. The computer file was loaded during the intermission and it corrupted the whole show. The customers waited and waited after the intermission but the projectionist could not get it to play.

One of the girls working on floor refused to continue to try and pacify the customers.

There were 70+ angry customers who had paid £13.50 ($20) for tickets.

Eventually, refunds were given as well as complementary tickets for future films/shows. The intention is to try and organise another showing of Aida purely for the customers who missed it.

Given that two films were taken off to show the opera, and that refunds and comps were given, and another showing may be organised, I would guess this will have cost the cinema hundreds of pounds.

[Dark-Star]

Someone should be taken to the woodshed for that kind of stupidity. The losses are going to be even worse when you figure in the effect of all the bad publicity.

Good night, I've never organized any showing bigger than a few dozen people and I know to test everything thoroughly beforehand.

[cinema guy]

We tried to test everything, but because of the school holiday the week before the digital projector wasn't free during operational hours until the morning before the show, so when problems were found with the digital print, we had very little chance to sort it out.

The fault lies with the company who supplied the digital print.

[fireheart]

If that always fails, there's always "what's Opera Doc?" and "Long-Haired Hare"