|
Author
|
Topic: The Old School Projector
|
|
|
|
|
Simon McConway
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1085
From: Doncaster, UK
Registered: Jun 2004
|
posted March 06, 2008 03:15 PM
The 8399 is a superb machine. It's based on the old 600 series of wooden cased machines by Bell & Howell. As I understand it, Bell & Howell made these again, as a kind of re-design of the older machines; these can run off DC, so could be used on a ship which is one reason why they brought it back. However, I got mine a few years back, after it had stood motionless for a long time; straight away, it sprung into life! They use the 1000w lamps with the B & H base. A while ago, one December when I was using my 8399, the bulb went. Nothing strange about that you're thinking, so I reached for another A1/91 lamp. Opening the box, a receipt fell out, showing when the bulb had been bought. This lamp had been purchased on the same date as I was fitting it, but 38 years earlier! What a coincidence! Anyway, these machines are built to last!
I work in a school, and I still show the pupils various 16 mm films. Can't say I've used my 8399 (not bright enough for the long throw we have in the hall), but have used B & H TQ1s and also the very bright B & H 666 (with MARC 300 arc lamp). Pupils love the old films and the sound of the projector plus the necessary dark room mean an experience they'll just not get with digital projection. Right, must get my 8399 out...
| IP: Logged
|
|
Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
|
posted March 06, 2008 03:21 PM
Hi Graham,
Your post brings back happy memories of the Bell and Howell being used in my school in Wales in the 1950'. The geography master was the only person allowed to use it, apparently the only person who KNEW how to use it! One Christmas, amid great fanfare, the whole school was filed into the main hall for a showing of Olivier's Henry V. Unfortunately the B&H was not in a good mood that day, and kept losing its loop through every reel, so there were frequent interruptions with everybody staring at the back of the room at the now completely frazzled geography master! But that did'nt bother me - I was more interested in the projector than the film! ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
--------------------
The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
David Pannell
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1072
From: Horsham, West Sussex, UK
Registered: Nov 2004
|
posted March 07, 2008 03:54 AM
My school experiences with projectors were somewhat more staied than the other contributors to this thread.
Either I'm older than I thought, or else our school was well behind the times!! ![[Frown]](frown.gif) ![[Embarrassed]](redface.gif)
Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the "film lessons" we had, even though without exception, they were ALL educational. No entertainment value at all really. Subjects covered were austensibly: French, Geography, History, and General Science (as it was known in those days) comprising Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
We had 3 projectors in the school, all of which were Ampro Premier 20s. How I loved those old machines! Physics was my best subject, and as the founder member of the school Science Club, where we used to build projects after school and in the lunch-hour, I gradually was able to persuade the physics master to let me run the projector whenever a film was scheduled. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
"Happy Days".
When I left school in 1960, there was talk of upgrading to either Bell & Howell machines or the Ampro Stylist range, but I don't know if it ever materialised.
That is where my enthusiasm for Ampro projectors began and was nourished, and to this day it hasn't diminished. As I believe I have said before, I now have 3 pristine Ampro machines: The Standard Stylist, The Stylist New Educational, and my pride and joy, The Stylist Major Mk 2.
As I am sure we will all agree, apart from anything else, it is the sense of nostalgia which takes over every time that motor starts up and the film begins its journey of delight along the tortuous route through the projector - gathering speed in short order up to the designated fps, at last to emerge onto the take-up reel, and finally the appearance of that shaft of light, transporting us into the realms of fantasy.
WONDERFUL!!
--------------------
Dave.
Valves and celluloid - a great combination!
Early technology rules OK!
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jonathan Sanders
Film Handler
Posts: 82
From: Bath, England
Registered: Oct 2005
|
posted March 08, 2008 03:04 AM
When I was about ten (around 1971) my primary school headmaster encouraged me to bring in my 8mm projector to show silent comedies to the rest of my class. The school was on a mostly very poor council estate, so I suppose owning an 8mm projector was similar status to a top-of-the-range HD set-up today!
Knowing my interest in old films, the headmaster gave me some old 9.5mm prints that had been dormant in the school cupboard for ages, but there was no projector. I sold the films through Exchange & Mart magazine for 30 shillings (a lot of money to me then) and I remember an uncle teasing me that I'd have to start paying income tax.
In my secondary school years (the rest of the 1970s) 16mm projectors were used regularly, especially in geography lessons, to show us educational films.
In the sixth form, when I was aged 18, I started a film society with a schoolmate and we rented 16mm features. We showed a few modern (then) films like Monty Python but I was able to include many classics like CAPTAIN BLOOD with Errol Flynn, though Fritz Lang's (subtitled) TESTAMENT OF DR MABUSE didn't go down very well.
Several of the teachers joined our film society, which helped our prestige against those who didn't really approve of it, such as the headmaster who warned us against "drunken film orgies" due to the 2 percent proof cans of shandy we sold.
I find it surprising, in retrospect, that I was allowed to start the film society at all, as it was a very ordinary grammar school in Lancashire, and most of the staff never really approved of my enthusiasm for films. I won prizes every year and when I chose a biography of Boris Karloff they tore off the dustjacket (never returned to me) so that the "great celebrity" - a local news presenter - who dished out the prizes could not easily spot my embarrassing selection. Over thirty years later, I still have the jacketless book and still resent their petty-mindedness.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
James N. Savage 3
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1375
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Jul 2003
|
posted March 08, 2008 06:47 AM
From '69 to 81' (my school years), we saw alot of 16mm educational films. And once, my school ran a 16mm print of "The Incredible Mr. Limpet" with Don Knotts. We thought it was the COOLEST school experience ever.
Many years later, as a police officer, I was the coordinator of the "school safety programs", dealing with elementary schools, safety patrols, etc. My first month on the job, I began visiting schools to arrange 'safety assemblies'. My supervisor gave me a cardboard box with some VHS tapes about kids and safety (this was the early 90's). I started doing assemblies at the schools showing the videos, wich were very lame, with very little production quality.
Now imagine this- an auditorium full of about 300 kids, all sitting in front of a television, probably about a 32 inch screen. THIS WAS MODERN TECHNOLOGY! I came to find out, that all of the schools still had 16mm projectors, back in storage closets. So, I went to my supervisor and asked him about how we could posibly get ahold of some 16mm safety films. He looked at me, sort of puzzled, and said, "Them old things!? I don't know, but there's a closet full of 'em in the back". And there they were, right under my nose, stuff from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. So I picked a few, one with Jimminy Cricket, another cool one with two cartoon hippies (live action/animation mixed) that used alot of phrases like "groovy" and "I dig it". Then, I went to the schools and had the principles dust off those old 16mm projectors and pull down those huge movie screens hidden up on the stage. For an extra touch, I 'briefed' a few of the safety patrol kids before showtime, and taught them how to run the 16mm projector. Then, I would call on them during the assembly, like "Now patrol Timmy will start the movie about traffic safety". To all these kids, this was a new technology! ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Needless to say, the assemblies went over MUCH better with the 16mm. The kids felt important, and many teachers commented on "why did they ever stop using this".
Well, that was over 10 years ago, and I'm sure the coordiators after me switched right back to the videos, but, at least these young kids got to experience something from the past, something that had been 'out-dated' since the mid-eighties. For those couple of years, I really enjoyed going to work!
James.
| IP: Logged
|
|
Claus Harding
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1149
From: Washington DC
Registered: Oct 2006
|
posted March 08, 2008 11:09 AM
Ah, classroom films....
In my high school in Denmark ('75-'78) we had 16mm and, occationally, film strips.
In every class there was one or two kids who wound up being 'it' when it came to these projectors. I guess you can imagine who was 'it' in my class from the fact that I am writing here...
The fact was, none of the teachers had much of a clue about running the 16s. We had green and slate-grey Bell and Howells which, as I recall, were in good working order, but the mysteries of threading, let alone how to cope with the inevitable sprocket tear from the rental prints, gave us many an 'abstract' moment on the screen.
So, when they realized I didn't mind volunteering my services, they pretty much let me run the machines. That, plus the fact that out of school I was well into Super-8 already, made for good training.
Our German teacher was ambitious. He showed an episode from the German crime series "Tatort" (Scene of the Crime) called 'Bitter Almonds' and also some Australian film involving a long-distance truck driver; I wish I remembered the title.
We even had a bit of horror: someone else showed a silent cutdown of 'the Mummy', narrated by an older student with a suitably melodramatic delivery. I remember the film scaring the heck out of me.
Fun times in high school. Little did I know that 30-some years later I would have several of those beasties in my home ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Best,
Claus.
--------------------
"Why are there shots of deserts in a scene that's supposed to take place in Belgium during the winter?" (Review of 'Battle of the Bulge'.)
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
