10 Things They Don't Tell You About Working In A Cinema
2. You Practically Need A Masters Degree In Ice Cream
"Welcome to Baskin-Robbins. Would you like to try our Mango Fruit Blast?" - Scott Lang, Ant-Man
On top of cleaner, ticket seller, film expert and popcorn maker, the average cinema employee is also expected to be a highly skilled gelato artist. Ice cream has become a pillar of multiplex cinemas in the past few years and it's gone way beyond a woman with a tray of Strawberry Mivvi's and Magnums.
Nowadays there is a dizzying array of scoops of the day, sundaes, brownies, fondants, cookies and waffles. There was also the short-lived, hilariously titled BJ Splash - two scoops of Ben & Jerry's sorbet blended through a regular Sprite. The endless configuration of options are incredibly daunting when you start out.
Staff therefore need extensive training on the ins and outs of the perfect scoop. Those lucky enough to pass with flying colours will be given Scooper Star status. It's indicative of the current state of mainstream cinema that staff are given far more detailed training on the correct weight of a scoop of ice cream (it's 85 grams) than they are on the correct aspect ratios or speaker configuration. Multiplexes are increasingly becoming places to enjoy a three course meal whilst pleasing colours and noise plays in the background.