Darkoz history

Quote: darkoz

Quote: tuttigym

Hey DO, Are you familiar with the post production company Pacific Title located in Hollywood on Santa Monica near Vine St.?

tuttigym
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I know of them. I never worked with them.
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That was my father's company. From the late 50's through the early 80's they did most all the titles/credits, optical special effects, and post production for most all of the major studios with the exception of Paramount. He started out like you as a cutter.

tuttigym

Quote: tuttigym

Quote: darkoz

Quote: tuttigym

Hey DO, Are you familiar with the post production company Pacific Title located in Hollywood on Santa Monica near Vine St.?

tuttigym
link to original post

I know of them. I never worked with them.
link to original post

That was my father's company. From the late 50's through the early 80's they did most all the titles/credits, optical special effects, and post production for most all of the major studios with the exception of Paramount. He started out like you as a cutter.

tuttigym
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Oh wow. I see them listed on lots of seventies films. They were pretty huge.

Quote: tuttigym

Quote: darkoz

Quote: tuttigym

Hey DO, Are you familiar with the post production company Pacific Title located in Hollywood on Santa Monica near Vine St.?

tuttigym
link to original post

I know of them. I never worked with them.
link to original post

That was my father's company. From the late 50's through the early 80's they did most all the titles/credits, optical special effects, and post production for most all of the major studios with the exception of Paramount. He started out like you as a cutter.

tuttigym
link to original post

Oh wow. I see them listed on lots of seventies films. They were pretty huge.

Quote: darkoz

Quote: tuttigym

Quote: darkoz

Quote: tuttigym

Hey DO, Are you familiar with the post production company Pacific Title located in Hollywood on Santa Monica near Vine St.?

tuttigym
link to original post

I know of them. I never worked with them.
link to original post

That was my father's company. From the late 50's through the early 80's they did most all the titles/credits, optical special effects, and post production for most all of the major studios with the exception of Paramount. He started out like you as a cutter.

tuttigym
link to original post

Oh wow. I see them listed on lots of seventies films. They were pretty huge.
link to original post

Had their own sound stage for filming commercials, art dept with artists, negative timing dept, and optical dept for EFX like dissolves and the sinking of an ocean liner. I worked part time in the negative timing area and did a major screw up on the end credits for the original Ocean's 11 film. That mistake can be seen today as it became a permanent part of the film. The credit "flickers" while rolling at the Sammy Davis, Jr. portion. My Dad was furious when he saw it during the dailies and wanted it all redone at no cost to the producers, but Sinatra loved it, and it stayed.

tuttigym

Quote: tuttigym

Quote: darkoz

Quote: tuttigym

Quote: darkoz

Quote: tuttigym

Hey DO, Are you familiar with the post production company Pacific Title located in Hollywood on Santa Monica near Vine St.?

tuttigym
link to original post

I know of them. I never worked with them.
link to original post

That was my father's company. From the late 50's through the early 80's they did most all the titles/credits, optical special effects, and post production for most all of the major studios with the exception of Paramount. He started out like you as a cutter.

tuttigym
link to original post

Oh wow. I see them listed on lots of seventies films. They were pretty huge.
link to original post

Had their own sound stage for filming commercials, art dept with artists, negative timing dept, and optical dept for EFX like dissolves and the sinking of an ocean liner. I worked part time in the negative timing area and did a major screw up on the end credits for the original Ocean's 11 film. That mistake can be seen today as it became a permanent part of the film. The credit "flickers" while rolling at the Sammy Davis, Jr. portion. My Dad was furious when he saw it during the dailies and wanted it all redone at no cost to the producers, but Sinatra loved it, and it stayed.

tuttigym
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I actually feel my time as a negative cutter prepared me for advantage play.

People ask how I weather mistakes at the casino by my crew or even myself or just plain crackdowns that cause huge losses by casino security and it's because of my training as a negative cutter.

I'm used to dealing with costly mistakes and issues.

Quote: darkoz

Quote: tuttigym

Quote: darkoz

Quote: tuttigym

Quote: darkoz

Quote: tuttigym

Hey DO, Are you familiar with the post production company Pacific Title located in Hollywood on Santa Monica near Vine St.?

tuttigym
link to original post

I know of them. I never worked with them.
link to original post

That was my father's company. From the late 50's through the early 80's they did most all the titles/credits, optical special effects, and post production for most all of the major studios with the exception of Paramount. He started out like you as a cutter.

tuttigym
link to original post

Oh wow. I see them listed on lots of seventies films. They were pretty huge.
link to original post

Had their own sound stage for filming commercials, art dept with artists, negative timing dept, and optical dept for EFX like dissolves and the sinking of an ocean liner. I worked part time in the negative timing area and did a major screw up on the end credits for the original Ocean's 11 film. That mistake can be seen today as it became a permanent part of the film. The credit "flickers" while rolling at the Sammy Davis, Jr. portion. My Dad was furious when he saw it during the dailies and wanted it all redone at no cost to the producers, but Sinatra loved it, and it stayed.

tuttigym
link to original post

I actually feel my time as a negative cutter prepared me for advantage play.

People ask how I weather mistakes at the casino by my crew or even myself or just plain crackdowns that cause huge losses by casino security and it's because of my training as a negative cutter.

I'm used to dealing with costly mistakes and issues.
link to original post

Interesting!! No doubt the work is meticulous and exacting as well as tedious. I personally don't see the carryover, but then, I don't know how you do what you do now with player's cards. Thanks for the coversation.

tuttigym

I thought what he was trying to say was that his experience with being involved with an industry that basically disappeared, and then emerging from the ashes like a Phoenix, trained him to roll with the punches. But is ending up homeless rolling with the punches?

If I were to offer any advice to DarkOz, it would be to shift away from

Quote: DarkOz

2 apartments on different coasts. Lots of travel back and forth

A time share in florida

Disney vacations naturally

A collection of antique pinball and arcade machines

Approximately 30% of my income to child support for my 2 children.

Government taxes naturally

And the Dark Oz investment
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I don't read all his posts, but it seems like his investment or saving model has not changed. Still rents doesn't own, still taking the expensive vacations for extended families, still collecting the pinball machines, and the latest DarkOz investment would be CYDY. There's no reason to assume that whatever he is doing in the casinos will last forever, any more than negative cutting.

I think it's the movie business mentality - because these guys make a lot of money in bursts then make nothing. I know top film editors who still don't own their own homes, and blow every nickel soon after it comes in, including on always dining out. The mentality almost seems to be to work mostly only when the money is needed, and not push so hard to find more work when the money is there.

On another subject, I always thought he was a projectionist. Did that industry survive? is there still someone in the movie theater doing that?

Quote: MDawg

I thought what he was trying to say was that his experience with being involved with an industry that basically disappeared, and then emerging from the ashes like a Phoenix, trained him to roll with the punches. But is ending up homeless rolling with the punches?

If I were to offer any advice to DarkOz, it would be to shift away from

Quote: DarkOz

2 apartments on different coasts. Lots of travel back and forth

A time share in florida

Disney vacations naturally

A collection of antique pinball and arcade machines

Approximately 30% of my income to child support for my 2 children.

Government taxes naturally

And the Dark Oz investment
link to original post

I don't read all his posts, but it seems like his investment or saving model has not changed. Still rents doesn't own, still taking the expensive vacations for extended families, still collecting the pinball machines, and the latest DarkOz investment would be CYDY. There's no reason to assume that whatever he is doing in the casinos will last forever, any more than negative cutting.

I think it's the movie business mentality - because these guys make a lot of money in bursts then make nothing. I know top film editors who still don't own their own homes, and blow every nickel soon after it comes in, including on always dining out. The mentality almost seems to be to work mostly only when the money is needed, and not push so hard to find more work when the money is there.

On another subject, I always thought he was a projectionist. Did that industry survive? is there still someone in the movie theater doing that?
link to original post

I would never speak for DO, but this post is truly vacant. Painting a group of people with a broad negative brush is beyond weak and is sophomoric.

tuttigym

The movie business person, including a star, who is left struggling later in life is hardly atypical.

This business chews you up and spits you out.

To clarify a few things.

I was never a projectionist in a movie theater. I was a negative cutter.

I matched the scenes the editor put together. The editor uses a cheap copy. Then it was up to me to match what he did by locating the footage in the original negative, cutting and splicing the shots together.

Any scratches dust fingerprints will show. Cutting in the wrong spot (before digital could fix it) meant tens of thousands of dollars in repairs. The footage was the original so a damaged shot meant editorial had to now edit in a new shot. That meant the post would have to fix the soundtrack as well.

It wasn't unusual for a film to have one mistake that cost twenty grand to repair.

So that is what I meant by being able to roll with the punches of advantage play. Sometimes the money is flowing in and then all of a sudden one miscalculation and suddenly you suffer a huge loss when a profit was expected.

As for the entire industry, job to job is true of all entertainment. That's why movies always have the cliche of the writer trying to cajole an advance from his editor while trying to find his next book idea.

It's a way of life. Some people find it bizarre like Bill Ryan referred to it but you know what the regular Joe's get all lost when suddenly they don't make money. Look at the pandemic. To me it was just another shutdown. I get shutdown all the time in advantage play. I just took it in stride. While everyone else was crying they were dying and couldn't buy food.

Quote: MDawg

The movie business person, including a star, who is left struggling later in life is hardly atypical.

This business chews you up and spits you out.
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A good rule of thumb is to invest your first million long-term and forget about it. Live off your current income and let that money double or triple in the next few years.

Quote: billryan

Quote: MDawg

The movie business person, including a star, who is left struggling later in life is hardly atypical.

This business chews you up and spits you out.
link to original post

A good rule of thumb is to invest your first million long-term and forget about it. Live off your current income and let that money double or triple in the next few years.
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Yeah but that's a select few in the entertainment industry.

A gaffer for example works movie to movie. He isn't making a first million. He's probably getting paid $100 an hour until the film is finished which may only be four weeks. Then he is looking for that next production.

So someone in the entertainment business might make $20,000 a week. But not every week. For some reason that's a difficult concept here lol.

Quote: MDawg

I think it's the movie business mentality - because these guys make a lot of money in bursts then make nothing. I know top film editors who still don't own their own homes, and blow every nickel soon after it comes in, including on always dining out. The mentality almost seems to be to work mostly only when the money is needed, and not push so hard to find more work when the money is there.


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This isn't completely accurate.

You assume that entertainment people just blow every nickel soon as it comes in. That implies irresponsible spending on luxury items.

Often, a person who suddenly discovers they are between gigs winds up with the bills mounting.

So when they finally get that well paying gig again, they have to play catchup. They have to pay three months back rent and maybe two months child support and a bunchof overdraft fees on their credit cards. So when their new gig is up it appears to you they "blew it". Meanwhile the guy is just in a cycle of catching up.

The film and television business is unfortunately cyclical and unsteady. One minute you have a secure job as electrician on the latest cop show, next the cop show is canceled for low ratings. And you couldn't possibly have a job lined up right behind that because what production is going to hire a busy electrician. So now your show is unceremoniously canceled and you are searching for a job again.

Well what happened to the projectionists? Did they go the way of the negative cutters?

Quote: MDawg

Well what happened to the projectionists? Did they go the way of the negative cutters?
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My friend's Dad was a projectionist. When we were in high school, he worked at one of the most prestigious old movie palaces on Long Island. By the late 1980s, the only jobs he could find were in porno theatres. Ironically, many of the porno places were beautiful old theatres from the golden era of movie-going, and he was able to secure many pieces of architecture the new owners didn't appreciate.

Quote: MDawg

Well what happened to the projectionists? Did they go the way of the negative cutters?
link to original post

My friend's Dad was a projectionist. When we were in high school, he worked at one of the most prestigious old movie palaces on Long Island. By the late 1980s, the only jobs he could find were in porno theatres. Ironically, many of the porno places were beautiful old theatres from the golden era of movie-going, and he was able to secure many pieces of architecture the new owners didn't appreciate.
While we were in high school, Jim expected to follow in his dads' footsteps, and I saw them at work a few times. I lost track with Jim but would see his Dad occasionally until about 2000 when he finally retired and moved away.

Quote: MDawg

Well what happened to the projectionists? Did they go the way of the negative cutters?
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I really don't know. I assume today theater's have someone handling the projectors even if it's just monitoring the pushing of buttons.

But asking a negative cutter about theater projectionists is like asking a formula one race car driver about the taxi cab business because of course they both drive cars for a living

Quote: darkoz

I have NEVER tasted alcohol

I also have never tasted hot coffee, hot tea or hot chocolate.
link to original post

At this point given that you differentiate between cold and hot coffee (the implication was no caffeine, which is obviously incorrect), for all we know maybe you chug those tooti frutti drinks where the alcohol isn't tastable all day long. For all we know you're drunken on Long Island Iced Teas from morning 'til night.

You certainly like to parse words.

"But not every week."

Quote: darkoz

Starbucks BOTTLED coffee I can tolerate especially the Mocha flavor.

Starbucks in person I can only tolerate Frappuccino with milk only so it's more like drinking a milkshake
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Quote: darkoz

Not even iced tea.
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Huh? So why the aversion to hot tea but not to cold coffee?

Maybe you won't drink hot chocolate, but you will drink a cold chocolate smoothie. Maybe you'll drink a cold matcha tea latte.

Obviously the issue isn't the caffeine, theophylline or theobromine if you will drink a cold bottled mocha.

Quote: MDawg

Quote: darkoz

I have NEVER tasted alcohol

I also have never tasted hot coffee, hot tea or hot chocolate.
link to original post

At this point given that you differentiate between cold and hot coffee (the implication was no caffeine, which is obviously incorrect), for all we know maybe you chug those tooti frutti drinks where the alcohol isn't tastable all day long. For all we know you're drunken on Long Island Iced Teas from morning 'til night.

You certainly like to parse words.

"But not every week."

Quote: darkoz

Starbucks BOTTLED coffee I can tolerate especially the Mocha flavor.

Starbucks in person I can only tolerate Frappuccino with milk only so it's more like drinking a milkshake
link to original post

Quote: darkoz

Not even iced tea.
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Huh? So why the aversion to hot tea but not to cold coffee?
link to original post

Well I don't remember why I said I 'never tasted". I certainly have tasted all including alcohol.

Spit the alcohol out along with coffee variants and tea etc. That's how I know I don't like the taste.

I probably meant I never DRANK coffee or tea etc.

It's not that big a deal to me that transcripts of my posts need to be raised in objection lol.

Quote: MDawg

Quote: darkoz

I have NEVER tasted alcohol

I also have never tasted hot coffee, hot tea or hot chocolate.
link to original post

At this point given that you differentiate between cold and hot coffee (the implication was no caffeine, which is obviously incorrect), for all we know maybe you chug those tooti frutti drinks where the alcohol isn't tastable all day long. For all we know you're drunken on Long Island Iced Teas from morning 'til night.

You certainly like to parse words.

"But not every week."

Quote: darkoz

Starbucks BOTTLED coffee I can tolerate especially the Mocha flavor.

Starbucks in person I can only tolerate Frappuccino with milk only so it's more like drinking a milkshake
link to original post

Quote: darkoz

Not even iced tea.
link to original post

Huh? So why the aversion to hot tea but not to cold coffee?

Maybe you won't drink hot chocolate, but you will drink a cold chocolate smoothie. Maybe you'll drink a cold matcha tea latte.

Obviously the issue isn't the caffeine, theophylline or theobromine if you will drink a cold bottled mocha.
link to original post

I never once mentioned caffeine or those chemicals.

I don't like the taste.

Why is that difficult to comprehend.

I love Tuna fish and hate salmon. Why? It's not because of mercury.

Quote: darkoz

I drink soda so have nothing against caffeine.
link to original post

So you have nothing against alcohol as long as you can't taste it.

You're not aware that the posts about "have NEVER tasted alcohol...also have never tasted hot coffee, hot tea or hot chocolate" implied an anti-ethanol, anti-stimulant, teetotaling stance?

Quote: MDawg

Quote: darkoz

I drink soda so have nothing against caffeine.
link to original post

So you have nothing against alcohol as long as you can't taste it.

You're not aware that the posts about "have NEVER tasted alcohol...also have never tasted hot coffee, hot tea or hot chocolate" implied an anti-ethanol, anti-stimulant, teetotaling stance?
link to original post

No I was not.

Perhaps that's the problem with people who believe implied means explicitly obvious.

To my knowledge hot chocolate doesn't come with either caffeine or any stimulant chemicals. So it's inclusion should have been obvious I was listing my taste preferences

Hot chocolate contains theobromine, tea contains theophylline, coffee caffeine. Rotate one molecule on caffeine and you have the others.

But let's get to the obvious - you're drinking caffeinated sodas, cold caffeinated beverages and alcohol where you can't taste it. You could be stimulated and drunken all the time, the implication that you are averse to drugs was wrong.

Quote: darkoz

I have NEVER tasted alcohol
Never smoked a cigarette or puffed a joint
Never been high in anyway aside from sex and gambling highs

One friend quipped a drug test on me would only find toxic levels of Doritos and Pepsicola

I also have never tasted hot coffee, hot tea or hot chocolate.

Im known to eat chef boyardee cold out of a can. I have a weird palate. And I always have felt I am an easily addicted person. Ironically that has made me extremely immune to addiction since I refuse to even try anything


link to original post

I literally mentioned doritos and chef boyardee in the surrounding text. How could you not understand I was discussing taste preferences?

I explicitly stated "I have a weird palate"

Quote: MDawg

Hot chocolate contains theobromine, tea contains theophylline, coffee caffeine. Rotate one molecule on caffeine and you have the others.

But let's get to the obvious - you're drinking caffeinated sodas, cold caffeinated beverages and alcohol where you can't taste it.
link to original post

I don't drink alcohol where I can't taste it. I could if I wanted to. But I don't. For the reasons listed in the original post which you seem not to understand

Since you are so fascinated.

I tried alcohol. Must have been 30 years ago. Don't like the taste.

Tried alcohol where I can't taste it. Still didn't drink more than a taste because I know I get easily addicted.

Tried hot coffee and tea. Don't like taste.

Never tried anything stronger. Not weed, not cigarettes nothing. Would be spending all my money on those if I even tasted or took a drag even once I am sure.

That's probably where the never tasted comment came from. My bad.

The whole OP post was about your responding to that homeless end up that way because of drug / alcohol problems, "One friend quipped a drug test on me would only find toxic levels of Doritos and Pepsicola."

But now we find that there is no aversion to drugs or alcohol as long as you can't taste them or they are housed in a tasty transport.

At a minimum further proof that you like to parse words.

Quote: DarkOz

I know I get easily addicted.

You addicted to pinball too?

Quote: MDawg

The whole OP post was about your responding to that homeless end up that way because of drug / alcohol problems, "One friend quipped a drug test on me would only find toxic levels of Doritos and Pepsicola."

But now we find that there is no aversion to drugs or alcohol as long as you can't taste them or they are housed in a tasty transport.

At a minimum further proof that you like to parse words.

Quote: DarkOz

I know I get easily addicted.

You addicted to pinball too?
link to original post

That is not what I said.

If you are insistent on cutting out certain parts of the post to prove something I didn't say I will have to complain that you are deliberately misquoting.

I have never been alcoholicaly impaired nor drug impaired in my life. Don't want to get addicted.

Furthermore don't like the taste of alcohol.

If you are claiming otherwise you are calling me a liar.

The use of the phrase "never tasted" was incorrect on my part and probably should have said "never been intoxicated" or "never partook" . Call it an Errata.

As for pinball I wouldn't call it an addiction. However several family members have claimed I am. Depends on your definition of addiction