I'm a little ticked off so forgive me if it doesn't make sense. Last night my daughter and I went to finish putting together an istall for Crimson Peak. Yes finish, because they didn't send us all the pieces. So we spent 3 hours Thursday putting it together and another 2 1/2 hours yesterday finishing it. This was a huge standee and it had electrical components also. Ok here's my problem, we have been busting our bottoms putting up these big displays ( Alvin & Chipmunks, Vacation, Maze Runner 2) at one particular theater to go back a week or two later to see that they have already taken them down! But they left up other standees that weren't put together the correct way. I had seen a representative come in and pull out a staple gun and just staple the standees together and then there's staples sticking out of them for people (small children) to get hurt . She is also dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. The standee that is still up is also missing some of the characters that were on it from people tearing them off, yet it is still standing but the new ones we did correctly are now gone and thrown away! Yesterday the manager came to look at the standee and said " that's ok, we're not going to plug it in though." WHAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA PLUG IT IN! We just spent 2 days almost 6 hours and you're going throw it up against a wall , not plug it in and put it where not many people will see it!!!! REALLY?! Why are we sent to do these then? I know we get paid but to do all this work and then go back a week or two later only to find they have destroyed it and thrown it away just kills me! Has anyone else had this problem? Or is it just this location? Please help me here!
Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.

@dishopper wrote:

I'm a little ticked off so forgive me if it doesn't make sense. Last night my daughter and I went to finish putting together an istall for Crimson Peak. Yes finish, because they didn't send us all the pieces. So we spent 3 hours Thursday putting it together and another 2 1/2 hours yesterday finishing it. This was a huge standee and it had electrical components also. Ok here's my problem, we have been busting our bottoms putting up these big displays ( Alvin & Chipmunks, Vacation, Maze Runner 2) at one particular theater to go back a week or two later to see that they have already taken them down! But they left up other standees that weren't put together the correct way. I had seen a representative come in and pull out a staple gun and just staple the standees together and then there's staples sticking out of them for people (small children) to get hurt . She is also dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. The standee that is still up is also missing some of the characters that were on it from people tearing them off, yet it is still standing but the new ones we did correctly are now gone and thrown away! Yesterday the manager came to look at the standee and said " that's ok, we're not going to plug it in though." WHAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA PLUG IT IN! We just spent 2 days almost 6 hours and you're going throw it up against a wall , not plug it in and put it where not many people will see it!!!! REALLY?! Why are we sent to do these then? I know we get paid but to do all this work and then go back a week or two later only to find they have destroyed it and thrown it away just kills me! Has anyone else had this problem? Or is it just this location? Please help me here!
Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.

I feel for you! I did the Oz Standee, 160 pieces and it took over 12 hours, beautiful work but I was so tired I did not take any pictures of it. (I should add that I was really sick but the next day I learned it was pneumonia!) My biggest pet peeve was that the pieces were not labeled dark enough that you could "read" the labeled parts. The movie theatres honestly do not care that much (at least the popular theater I merchandised at). There are SO many movie companies wanting the supreme spot but oftentimes they would stick us down the hallway where it was dark and nobody could see our magnificent standees!

You know I had a friend who had missing pieces. He put everything back in the box, told the manager it was missing pieces and left. Now perhaps you were required to return to finish the project.

Yes. They destroy all the standees as SOON as the next big movie comes out. I am sure Minions standee will be thrown out soon because they came out the 10th. The theater told me that they can't possible accommodate all the clients and they have to dispose of them for the "next new movie coming out." For the record, I do not like putting together standees!

Hi,
I get that they have make room for the next movie, but the ones I had set up aren't even playing yet! They kept up older standees that have been up for awhile you can tell by the wear and tear of them and took down the brand new ones. It just doesn't make sense!!!!!

I've never tried the standee assembly jobs, but they sound like trying to put together IKEA furniture, times 100. I'm sure some people would be naturally great at that, but I think I would probably hate it. I'm terrible at spatial relationships and "seeing" conceptually how things fit together. I really admire people who can look at that stuff and figure it out!

It's not that bad and my Daughter and I enjoy doing it together. But now the aftermath is starting to frustate me.

I know that feeling. I put together a couple of San Andreas standees--several of them, really--and one was missing some hardware (scavenged where I could to make it work and another was missing two inner panels. Had to come back and rebuild one that was complete and sent out because the theater sent the first to the compactor. Cripes!

Crimson Peak was a legit 4+ hours by myself. But, the employees enjoy the lights, without exception. Good enough for me if they stay running. One already lost the purple light function from install day Wednesday and when I came back for a WBAR check Friday night.

I only care about the picture--do 30+ standees in about three weeks (Alvin, Maze Runner, Vacation, Sinister 2) and you feel the same way. That's all I get paid for, so anything after isn't my problem. The aforementioned theater already ruined my Maze Runner install as it is all taped up just to stay standing. I ain't messing with it.

One of the managers at that AMC theater apologized because he thought my TED 2 would have to come down as soon as I left. No big. I get paid for the picture. Move 'em around, trash 'em, whatever...I only get paid for the photo op. Passersby tell me that I must have the coolest job ever. Fine by me. I'll hear it again with five more installs after my trailer check later today.

*I'm also surprised that my Minions installs have weathered okay. Some theaters have roped them off. Another has one with the actual plastic characters, which was sweet looking. That one naturally got broken. I would probably have been torqued if I had put together the Peanuts standee and watched some idiot 200-lb adult sit in it and ruin the chair...I've seen a few of those disappear already right on into the compactor.

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2015 04:49AM by AlfredB1979.

I know for some it's the picture and the pay, but to do all that work and not have it on display for awhile is just frustrating. I take pride in my work and it's not just money and a picture to me, there is a much bigger story to it.

I've been doing them just over 7 years and yes they throw them away pretty much when the movie comes out. I've seen them throw away brand new unopened banners simply because there's no more room. Somebody was doing the Maze Runner one and gave up saying the tabs didn't line up, lol. They called me to go finish it. You get to know all the managers and employees after a while and look forward going to certain theaters.

Funny thing a few weeks ago...I was doing a trailer check for each print of Minions and the one that was supposed to be in 3D was playing in 2D. The audience had their 3D glasses on and didn't even notice. I told a couple of employees and they went in there to check it and came out laughing. That made my day.

I just want to say I am so glad I don't have to do Standees anymore! I am not a "builder of things" and two times I was lucky enough to have a co-worker who helped me put them together. She LOVED doing them! I am very grateful there are those that "get it" and understand them. I see your beautiful work now when I go into the theaters.

As a kid, my mom worked in the mom & pop video store industry (pre Blockbuster) and my claim to cool was to open standee boxes, toss the instructions to the side, and piece them together in no time flat (I was in elementary school!). Now when I visit theaters and see these massive, interactive displays, I can't believe how intricate and advanced they have become. That being said, I am not so sure about my standee making skills and have left that to my fellow shoppers. I just want to give a kudos to those of you who take these on and make them look fantastic! Job well done, though reading the background for making them makes me feel like finding out my favorite shoes were pieced together in a sweatshop.

I'm curious as to what the pay is for these types of jobs.

@tbclay wrote:

I'm curious as to what the pay is for these types of jobs.

Well, I worked for a set rate at a merchandising company. I was paid by the hour. My compensation for the Oz standee was $120. But that was for 12 hours of work! Never again. Thanks again to those of you love doing these. I amazed how great your standees look and YES I know how hard you worked to put them up!

Oh, lord!

The pay is all over the map. I did one that took 5 minutes for $12. Their pay rate is goofy and not well researched as to what it should be. I enjoy doing them anyway. I have a webpage of standees I've done in various stages of construction. Send me a message and I'll reply with the link. I only added a few from 2015 in January and need to update but I have the entire 2014 standees and 1 from 2008 (my first).

Thank you to all for the kind words. The pay tv I get now for putting these standees together can be anywhere from $ 17.50-$35.00. These are all flat rates nothing is paid hourly, it would be nice for the bigger ones though.

I don't mind if they want to throw away a banner or standee that has no plac to be put up, but at least display the ones that I took 6 hours of my time to build for customers to see!!!!!!!

My first and last standee was "Salt" and though it looked good, I vowed never to do it again. Never! Had my son not assisted me, I was tempted to abandon it. It was difficult and my son did most of it, til the wee hours of the morning. My son was scheduled to fly to Montreal. He almost missed his flight. Many times they offered a bonus but I declined. The caller asked, "How much bonus do you want so I can assign it now?" I said I was not interested. He got angry and hang up!

Some of them are crazy hard and have a gazillion parts and if it wasn't for my daughter they wouldn't get done. The one thing that makes it difficult also is where you have to set it up. Some theaters have a section off to the side where customers don't getin the way and then there's the other where you get ignorant people who walk right over the pieces no matter how neat you keep it or say "Don't step on the cardboard" and they say "Oh!" as they KEEP WALKING ON THE CARDBOARD!!!

Oh very true. We had to do in between two of their biggest auditoriums where people had to fall in line. We had to move the cardboard a number of times. Angelina Jolie had to be set up in different places as the standee was huge. And then we had to look for the one in charge and not only in the movie theatre but somewhere else up in the building. It was a nightmare. All the while I was afraid my son was going to miss his early flight. Never, ever again!

Once my daughter goes back to school in a few weeks I won't be doing them anymore. I couldn't do them without her!