Movie Theater Employee

Movie Theater Employee

PeopleOrderPopcorn

Boston Area, MA

Female, 21

I work at a movie theater. I work the concessions but I've worked long enough to know a little something-something about ushering and cashiers. And a little bit of what managers do. Ask me anything!

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96 Questions

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Last Answer on October 23, 2014

Best Rated

To get into a rated R movie can I just show the ticket worker my birth certificate?

Asked by TreShon Rouse over 10 years ago

So then, how will they know it's yours? If you're going to do that, you might as well get a state id.

In short, no.

How much does it cost to rent out a whole theater for a private event like a kids' birthday party?

Asked by Ray Zuhnets over 11 years ago

It's possible to rent out a whole theater but the price depends on the size of the theater. However, the cost needs to make up for the losses the cinema would have had as if they cancelled the showing. In other words, say a theater seats 300 people so you'd have to pay for all those 300 seats (about $3300) and I don't know think they charge you for other stuff. So we rarely get someone renting a theater unless it was a company renting it for it's employees. We do have birthday party rooms but it's just what they are: rooms with decor targeted towards a younger audience. It's $18/ child and it doesn't include food.

Why is it always either freezing or boiling in the theaters? And if a customer asks the manager to adjust the temperature, will he usually do it?

Asked by Theo O about 12 years ago

I've only been in a cold theater once. And that was when Titanic first came out. Where I work, the ushers have to regularly take the temperature. If a customer complains, I think an usher checks the temperature. If it's truly too cold or too hot, we'll change it.

Is saving seats in a theater allowed? Meaning, if I'm saving a seat for a friend in a packed theater and someone else requests it, does that person actually have the right to claim that seat? (I assume most people respect the saved seat, but for a popular, first-run movie, I can see where this could get ugly).

Asked by brassy monkey about 12 years ago

Ok, if you go into a theater with friends and you find seats, then your friends decide that they want to get food and ask you to save the seats for them, that's fine. Technically, there should be enough seats to accommodate everyone who bought a ticket and you were there first. the only time where there would be a problem with a shortage of seats is when people sneak into a crowded theater. In director's hall, people pay for reserved seats so there's no reason why anyone would be asking for your reserved seat. Of course, other patrons may not like having been denied a seat they prefer so an argument may arise. Then, a manager will be called to solve the dispute. If the people who stole the seat are being really nasty about it, its probably in everyone's best interest if they just find new seats to avoid conflict. Hope it helped :)

With movie theater attendance on the decline, is your theater making any changes or offering new incentives to get people to come see movies?

Asked by hungryBird about 11 years ago

The only thing I've seen lately, outside of the usual promotions, are the new rewards cards. we're all kind of taken aback by the lack of customers lately. Then again, most customers come in during vacation, like winter & summer break. It's also when the best movies come out.

Have you seen any good fights break out in the audience when someone wouldn't shut up or was talking on their cell phone during the movie?

Asked by brassy monkey about 12 years ago

Absolutely. There have been times when we've needed to call police and an ambulance. Fights happen for all kinds of dumb reasons. Cutting in line, being obnoxious during the show and even because someone took their seat! Just las week, this teen was jumped by other teens and they all ran out before anything could be done.

Have you ever caught someone bootlegging a movie? Do they really just do it by sitting there with a digital camcorder?

Asked by Hzah9441 about 11 years ago

I haven't heard anybody catching someone do that. From the bootlegged movies I've seen, it really does look like someone just sits with a camcorder. It'd have to be in an empty theater though, since a crowded one will have obnoxious teens, people getting up and talking as well as MUCH higher chance getting caught. If it's empty, not even the projectionist will glance at the seats. 

However, you might get an usher just taking the theater's temperature and might look at who's there.

*EDIT

Recently, we had a couple of kids sneak into Fast 6 and set up a tripod right at front row! They thought since it was a slow day, they wouldn't get caught. They bought child tickets online (usher was suppose to deny them entrance because they were clearly not under 11) and their bags weren't searched (been doing that since the Colorado incident). After they were caught and were told to put it away, they had the gall to stay and continue recording. When the managers caught wind of it, we remembered that it's a federal offense bootleg. Police were called and they will be persecuted. JAIL TIME!