The Lost Art of 35 mm Film Projection

The Lost Art of 35 mm Film Projection

MY TIME IN THE MOVIE THEATRE BUSINESS Hoyts Cinemas Saratoga 6 Concession, Box Office, Maintenance 1988– 1990 Hoyts Cinemas CCM Supervisor, Assistant Manager 1990 Hoyts Cinemas Saratoga 6 General Manager 1991– 1996 Off Broadway Theatre & Grille Director of Movie Theater Operations 1996 -2001 Reel Meals Dinner and a Movie Projectionist 2006

Palace Theater I. A. T. S. E. Projectionist Union 2009 Bow Tie Cinemas Movieland Assistant Manager 2007 -2011

WHAT DOES A PROJECTIONIST DO? ? ?

FILM PRINTS 35 mm film prints were picked up at the local film depot or shipped directly to theatre.

BRING FILMS TO PROJECTION BOOTH These cans were VERY HEAVY and usually had to be carried up a long flight of stairs to the projection booth! Each can held 3 or 4 reels of 35 mm film. The reels were 2000 foot reels. A 2 hour movie was usually stored on 7 or 8 reels.

PROJECTION BOOTH

THE EQUIPMENT LAMPHOUSE & PROJECTOR PLATTER SYSTEM SOUND RACK

OLD CENTURY PROJECTORS

INSIDE THE LAMPHOUSE: 2000 WATT XENON BULBS USED XENON BULB

MAKE UP AND BREAKDOWNS Make Up/Breakdown Table Splicer Splicing Tape Trailers (Previews)

WHAT IS THE ASPECT RATIO OF THE FILM? FLAT SCOPE

HOW TO MAKE UP FILMS • Splice Trailers to Blank Film Leader on Empty Platter • Add Cue Tape to Theater Policy Trailer • Reels are numbered 1 -6 etc. Splice the beginning of each reel (Head) to the end (Tail) of the previous reel • Add Cue Tape to the beginning of end credits to bring up house lights • Add Cue Tape at the end of credits to close douser and cut off sound

THREADING PROJECTORS

FIRST REMOVE THE RING THEN THREAD THE FILM THROUGH THE PLATTER CENTERPIECE

NEXT THREADTHE FILM THROUGH THE FIRST ROLLER CONTINUE THREADING THROUGH ROLLERS OVER TO THE PROJECTOR

BRING THE FILM DOWN IN FRONT OF PROJECTOR, AND THEN THROUGH THE BOTTOM ROLLER

THREAD THROUGH ALL ROLLERS BACK TO PLATTER SYSTEM ATTACH LEADER TO THE RING THE FILM WILL REWIND TO AN EMPTY PLATTER

THREADING FILM THROUGH THE PROJECTOR THREADING DIAGRAM LENS TURRET WITH FLAT AND SCOPE LENSES

OPEN THE GATE AND ALL THE PAD ROLLERS

THREADING FILM THROUGH THE GATE AND INTERMITTENT SPROCKET

CLOSING THE GATE AND THREADING THROUGH ADDITIONAL SPROCKETS AND PAD ROLLERS

THREAD FILM THROUGH THE FAIL SAFE AND CLOSE THE LENS TURRET

PRESS THE START BUTTON AND START THE SHOW!

THE BEST PART OF BEING A PROJECTIONIST: PRIVATE RUN DOWNS OF NEW MOVIES!!!!

BUT THE WORST PART OF BEING A PROJECTIONIST… OR MAYBE LONGER IF…

FILM BURN BRAIN WRAPS AND PRINTS FLYING OFF PLATTERS

SOME PROJECTIONIST ANECDOTES…. FIRST FILM EVER THREADED: THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989) LARGEST MOVIE RUN: GETTYSBURG (1993) 2 PRINTS RUN TIME 4 HR 31 MIN. WORST FILM DISASTER: HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE JULY 15, 2009 FIRST SOLO FILM MAKE UP: YOUNG GUNS 2 (1990)

BUT NOW THOSE DAYS ARE GONE…… PROJECTION BOOTH WITH ALL DIGITAL PROJECTORS TODAY MOVIES ARE SHIPPED TO THEATRE ON HARD DRIVES

THANKS FOR LISTENING TO ME RAMBLE ABOUT MY THEATRE DAYS!! IMAGES: https: //www. pushing-pixels. org/2011/11/21/the-fine-craft-of-filmprojection-conversation-with-kyle-westphal. html http: //www. redballoon. net/~snorwood/gallery/album 10/80010021 r? full=1 http: //www. jasonbennion. com/2015/10/ https: //www. quora. com/Whats-the-most-common-film-projector-intheatre http: //www. film-tech. com/warehouse/tips/threading. html http: //www. filmtech. com/warehouse/tips/threading 2. html http: //www. iceco. com/images/AW 3 Rlr_front. Right. jpg https: //videohive. net/item/film-technician-splicing-35 mmfilm/9605419 https: //www. digitalcommonwealth. org/search/commonwealth: bk 12 8 d 78 n https: //www. roxytheatre. net/pages/Projectionbooth/booth 3. html https: //www. cnn. com/2013/05/31/tech/innovation/digital-filmprojection/index. html https: //hiveminer. com/Tags/projector%2 Cspool http: //www. slate. com/blogs/behold/2013/10/16/joseph_o_holmes_ photographs_projection_booths_in_his_exhibition_the_booth. htm https: //losangelestheatres. blogspot. com/2017/09/tower-theatrebooth. html