8mm Forum: This might not be new but I loved it....

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Topic: This might not be new but I loved it....

Chip Gelmini
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1733
From: Brooksville, FL
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 11, 2018 09:26 AM

Clips from real movies - scenes that were shot inside the projection booth.

I enjoyed this a lot as I identified many pieces of equipment that I worked with early in my career.......

https://vimeo.com/76383856

~cg~

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted January 11, 2018 10:12 AM

Smoking in a projection room. [Confused]

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Maurice

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Dave Groves
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 508
From: Southend on Sea, Essex, UK
Registered: Feb 2015

posted January 11, 2018 10:57 AM

Some wonderful clips, some wonderful old machines and a joy to watch. Thanks for posting this.

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Dave

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Clive Casey
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 112
From: Barrow-in-Furness, UK
Registered: Dec 2017

posted January 11, 2018 11:44 AM

Hi Maurice, When I was a projectionist in the days of 2000' reels and carbon arcs, we smoked in the projection room, we even had a fireman that used to join us in the projection room to watch a film and have a cig. It was safety film, but I still think it was against the law [Big Grin]

Clive

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Graham Ritchie
Film God

Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006

posted January 11, 2018 12:05 PM

I remember watching a short film taken in a "Odeon" cinema somewhere in England. The film was included on one of Keith Wilton wonderfull videos. I shows the projectionist lifting the side cover lighting a cigarette from the arc lamp [Eek!]

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Chip Gelmini
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1733
From: Brooksville, FL
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 11, 2018 02:49 PM

I ran the old time stuff for the first 10 years of my 35 year career. After that, big reel changeovers and platters was it until digital recently changed everything.

That video brought back lots of great memories. From indoor cinemas to outdoor drive in theaters. The sound of 35mm buzzing through those machines at 90 feet a minute can never be out done.

Even at my home cinema, I've duplicated 35mm projection nearly 90% - but the sound of super 8 just isn't the same as 35mm carbon arc - when you're standing right next to the machine.........

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted January 11, 2018 02:54 PM

And certainly not so hot. [Big Grin]

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Maurice

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted January 11, 2018 04:37 PM

We never dared smoke in our projection box.

The penalty was severe if caught.

1...Sacked !

2 ... Or the Chief Projectionist would place our heads between the positive and negative carbon rods and strike up the arc.

I know what I would choose. Not to smoke in the box.

Those carbon arcs were great for keeping your Fish and Chips or Pies warm though.

I miss the smell of carbons in the morning. [Big Grin]

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Jim Cowell
Junior
Posts: 10
From: Brisbane, Australia
Registered: Jan 2018

posted January 17, 2018 09:54 PM

Back when you didn't need a pair of tweezers and a magnifying glass to thread your film... [Big Grin]

When I was about 8, a friend of my parents', who was a projectionist at the local, let me into the room to see the machines. I was overwhelmed. He gave me an old advertising slide, which was two squares of thin glass pasted together with a transparency between, like a sandwich.

I used to sit at the breakfast table at home and hold that slide in the sunlight that came through the kitchen window, and "project" it on to the kitchen table top. It was endlessly fascinating. Wish I knew what happened to that slide.

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted January 18, 2018 02:59 AM

I started life as a projectionist in 1952 at age 17 at the Odeon Bristol. The national ads were silent, we kept the reel and only inserted new ones, or removed old ones, as required. Sound was from the non-sync.

All local ads were on 3.5" square glass slides, and projected on a Premier slide lantern with hand fed low intensity carbons. The holder accommodated two slides, whilst one was being projected the one just viewed was removed and the next one inserted. The end of the lens had a cap on a hinge which was used to fade in and out the slides.

Slides had two spots, at the left and right top, to indicate the correct way up. The slides lived in a small wooden box attached to the wall alongside the lantern.

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Maurice

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Jim Cowell
Junior
Posts: 10
From: Brisbane, Australia
Registered: Jan 2018

posted January 18, 2018 04:33 AM

Yep, 3½ inches was about the size of that slide, as I recall it, Maurice.

I don't think it was an ad for an upcoming film, but rather a cigarette ad or furniture ad or something like that. Probably be worth a few bob today.

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted January 18, 2018 04:48 AM

Maurice and Jim ... We too used to show local advertising slides and also make one up when someone was required to attend the managers office or foyer.

Requests such as " Is Doctor A. Smith in the audience ? If so please report to the cinema managers office. There is a phone call for you. "

Or ... " Will the owner of car registration number XXXXXX please report to the cinema foyer. Thank You " and other stuff like that.

If I remember right we had a Brenograph Carbon Arc Slide projector.

HAPPY DAYS ... [Smile]

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted January 18, 2018 06:14 AM

Yes, David.
Those slides were on grey smoked glass and were scored with a pointed sort of pen with the required message.
When such slides were shown over a running film the dowser was lowered slightly to reduce the picture brilliance.

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Maurice

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Jim Cowell
Junior
Posts: 10
From: Brisbane, Australia
Registered: Jan 2018

posted January 19, 2018 01:05 AM

Oh yes I remember seeing those "handmade" slides, from time to time, David.

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted January 19, 2018 10:52 AM

Yes guys those slides were great for helping improve your handwriting skills. Seen by a 1000 or so patrons at a show. [Smile]

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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