This is topic Our Movieland on Vimeo in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.


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Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on November 21, 2016, 03:51 PM:
 
Well its taken me ages to figure out how to do this, but for those who are interested here is a 15 minute "Part One" of what we once did. The video was shot on 16:9 back in 2008-2010 but has uploaded as a squeezed 4:3 "drat" so the image is not quite right....but for the moment it will do [Smile]

I will upload Part Two....next week, anyway here is the link.

https://vimeo.com/192402050
 
Posted by Mathew James (Member # 4581) on November 21, 2016, 04:13 PM:
 
This is fascinating to me. Looking forward to part 2 graham! I think i would have heart failure if that 35mm snapped while viewing and i had to splice it FAST and get it going again for the audience [Smile] Too much pressure [Smile]
What are those 2 cd drives at the 7:10 mark? What is that for playing or recording? Does sound come from the film directly or is it synced. Sorry i know nothing.
 
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on November 21, 2016, 05:16 PM:
 
Thanks Mathew

Because of polyester film stock, its incredibly strong, however its also very unforgiving stuff if you get things wrong [Eek!]

Young Chris in the video, only had around 16 hours training in threading all three different projectors. Roughly another day spent getting the hang of those platters, and that was it. I gave him a set of keys to the place, put him on the evening roster "after school". I would leave around 6pm to go home, and he would then take things through to close...he was very much on his own [Smile] but picked things up incredibly quick...he simply had to [Eek!] at just 15 years old and giving him that job was going against a "universal negative attitude" that "I" was making a big mistake.

Looking back and giving him that job was the best decision I ever made at that place....sometimes you just have to have faith in people.

The unit you refer to Mathew is the "DTS" doing its thing at the Cinema 3 screen. [Cool]

Once again sorry about the 4:3 squeezed image on the upload, but it gives an idea what it was all about back then.... Part Two next Tuesday [Smile]
 
Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on November 21, 2016, 06:43 PM:
 
Lucky Kid!

He had an experience very few from his generation even know exists!
 
Posted by Dave Groves (Member # 4685) on November 22, 2016, 07:38 AM:
 
Wow Graham, what a nice kid and what a fantastic film. Your faith in him is impressive to say the least. Not sure mine would have stretched as far. How many hours a week did he work alone? Shame the Cinema closed. Looking forward to part 2.
 
Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on November 22, 2016, 09:04 AM:
 
Great Video Graham.
Reminds me of everything I don't miss about being Projectionist
in a Multiplex Cinema. hahahahaha !

I hope Andrew Woodcock does not see this he will have heart attack. There is no Auto Threading involved. If you read
this Andrew of course I am only kidding.



[Wink] [Wink] [Wink] [Wink] [Wink] [Wink]
 
Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on November 22, 2016, 11:29 AM:
 
[Smile] [Wink]
 
Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on November 22, 2016, 11:55 AM:
 
Nice to see that, Graham, and Chris is one lucky kid to have earned your faith, and been able to work with film.
 
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on November 22, 2016, 09:11 PM:
 
Thanks everyone [Smile]

Dave
Initially just Thursday night, that expanded to Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday etc etc.

To find someone with that kind of enthusiasm and more importantly the right attitude is rare. I always believe if you have those two things, the rest will fall into place. [Smile] Yvonne my wife, used to make a lot of home made pumpkin soup and put in a container for me to give it to him for an evening meal, just before I left the cinema that night...so he was well fed.

I was pleased that he managed to later obtain an electrical apprenticeship and move on. The cinema for Chris had been a good stepping stone for a future and well paid job.

Funny thing though after he left to start his trade and we were soon to be closing down, he called in one day, when I said I needed to do a "CV" he sat down on the office computer and typed one out for me. I am pretty hopeless with that kind of stuff. So there you have it.... "pay back" [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Dave Groves (Member # 4685) on November 23, 2016, 05:01 AM:
 
Lovely story Graham. Will you ever go back to Cinema work? I suppose watching a digital projector is a bit like watching paint drying!!!
 
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on November 23, 2016, 12:14 PM:
 
Dave

It was good while it lasted but I would never go back to it. I cant anyway to "old" My background was really being a motor mechanic 60s-70s then later onto aircraft 70s-2000, that's really where I come from trade wise. I am now very close 65 years of age [Eek!] and will soon get the old age pension [Cool]

The years have certainly gone in quick since I left school at 15 years old. At present I work for a bus company doing school runs, that has been an excellent job, but I intend to finish up in April next year.

Looking back at all the places I have worked for, its the people you remember the most and to a certain extent still keep in touch.

Its been a good run [Smile]
 
Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on November 23, 2016, 01:15 PM:
 
Graham you echo my own sentiments after around 40+ years in
the business.

I started at 15 years old as an Apprentice Projectionist way
back in the days of Reel Change-overs , Carbon Arcs etc.
It took me 3 1/2 years to fully qualify and gain my Projectionist
Certificate.

My how things have changed but not for the better.
 
Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on November 23, 2016, 03:52 PM:
 
I've never heard anyone say on their death bed, "I wish I'd spent more time in work!"

I first heard that one off my late father when I was only around 17.
I was a young foolish man, with bags of deluded ambition, never out of my overalls as my Dad used to say.

33 yrs on, No truer words have I ever heard spoken since!!

[ November 23, 2016, 06:32 PM: Message edited by: Andrew Woodcock ]
 
Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on November 24, 2016, 09:06 AM:
 
The only guys I know who were happy to spend more time at work
are those who were happy to get away from their wife or girlfriend. [Big Grin] [Big Grin] [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on November 24, 2016, 09:45 AM:
 
How very very sad. [Confused]
 
Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on November 24, 2016, 12:18 PM:
 
Sad but true ! [Smile]
 
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on November 27, 2016, 02:57 AM:
 
Well folks the "Part Two" video the "final part" has just been uploaded.

It covers making popcorn, rolling ice cream, changing a Xenon lamp, plus running a film down the roof to the Cinema Three Kinoton projector, sadly its all but history now.

https://vimeo.com/193216753
 
Posted by Dave Groves (Member # 4685) on November 27, 2016, 11:12 AM:
 
Thanks Graham. One of the most interesting things I've watched and certainly one of the saddest as the pictures of the demolition bring it to a very final end.
 
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on November 27, 2016, 04:16 PM:
 
Thanks Dave [Smile]
 
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on December 03, 2016, 03:02 AM:
 
Well the last few weeks have been strange. The other full time projectionist that I once worked with James, called in for a chat as he had just been made redundant at his work, then last night young Chris, the kid in the video wanted to call round today, as after completing his electrical apprenticeship and with a downturn in work has also been made redundant.

To top things of the bus company I work for lost out for its school work tender for "some one cheaper" so at the end of the next term its "ta ta" from me. Its just as well I get the pension this Christmas [Cool]

I do feel sorry for the young ones these days. With James and Chris losing there job and income is without doubt is a terrible experience, as I have been there myself in the past and its not nice. [Frown]

Its a pity that since the cinema closed its not been easy sailing for many of the staff, sadly its a tough old world out there.
 
Posted by Dave Groves (Member # 4685) on December 03, 2016, 08:24 AM:
 
And I doubt it will get any easier Graham. My wife and I were only saying yesterday that the less bright kids of years ago would always find a job. Today, the only folk making really good money seem to be in I.T. and it's offshoots. Now the strata of society (for want of a bettter explanation) below them are the folk working in retail and struggling to afford a house, leaving the less bright to scratch round and end up on benefits. For us in the U.K., Brexit and it's uncertainties approaches and I wonder if the world will still want (or afford) our services. Oh for Mystic Meg and her Crystal ball!! No doubt, when we visit New Zealand next March to stay with our daughter we shall see for ourselves how things are going in your Country.
 


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