Talking Pictures. The Projectionist

[Maurice Leakey]

On Sunday 18 September Talking Pictures TV is running what sounds to be most interesting for people like me.

"Reel Stories: The Projectionist" is the unseen work that cinema projectionists undertake.

A unique profession at a time of great change.

It starts at 1245 and runs for 70 minutes.

[Chip Gelmini]

https://youtu.be/lKHuw06B4W4

its on YouTube now

[Ed Gordon]

Here is short, The Projectionist you might enjoy.

[Maurice Leakey]

Just watched my Talking Pictures recording. After 50 years I was lucky to do my last showings in 2001. It was at a four-screen Odeon in Weston-super-Mare.

It was true what was said. Most projectionists got the sack as they were told there would be no work for them when their cinema went digital.

Some of the largest Multi-Plexs kept on some projectionists as there could be a lot of work in downloading all the films which they might show in a day.

[Steve Lee]

Thank you so much Maurice for pointing this one out for us, I found it quite poignant at times.

From being a professional projectionist like yourself it's hard to look at the industry now and what has become of it, it's so sad as all of the skill and fun has gone forever.
I was good friends with Amanda Ireland who is being interview in this programme, we would discuss digital taking over after we both went to a demonstration screening many years before it became reality and hoped it would never happen.

We both loved our jobs and took great pride in what we did. So much so that we would both try and get the same days off in the week so we could visit as many cinemas around the U.K as we could do in one day and get back ready for work the next day (great fun).

I found another great video on cinemas from I think from the same production company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63uqOUUNBt0

I am so glad I got out of the business when I did, as I can't imagine how soul destroying it would now be to do that job knowing how it was done in the past.

My first and last films,
Who framed roger rabbit 1988 - The producers 2005

[Ed Gordon]

Motion picture production and exhibition has been taken away from the artists, and given to the accountants. Showmanship is dead. Movie palaces gave way to black rooms. Overtures have been replaced with TV commercials. Profits from exhibition is for the investors, with little left over for venue owners who must rely on exorbitantly priced concessions to continue operations. Studios have been replaced with Investment companies.

[Brian Fretwell]

And strangely as complex co-ordination of house lighting, curtains and music can now all be programmed to work faultlessly ever time, they have all been abolished. Presentation is a thing of the past.

[Maurice Leakey]

I liked the comment from one of the ex-projectionists, "I was working for a food outlet that showed films". (Or something similar).

When I retired, I used to pop into town and visit the chief at the Odeon. It was a three-screen cinema with Christie platters. There were just the two projectionists who worked long days. The Chief was always pleased to see me for a chat. Single manning is a lonely time. One day he didn't seem his usual self. He said that he and his mate were getting the sack due to the imminent conversion to digital.

It appears that Odeon had decreed that any of their cinemas with less than five screens would not need projectionists due to the rather simple way of digital projection.

He lasted long enough to teach the Manager how to use the digital system, but not in the box. All wiring went to the manager's office for the downloading and similar functions. Then it was goodbye after many years of service.

[David Hardy]

Hi Maurice .
I too am a former ex traditional Cinema Projectionist . I also watched The Projectionist on Talking Pictures channel on Sunday .
I can relate to all the comments and feelings regarding mulitiplexes and digital made by those older projectionists .

When i commenced my 3 and a half years apprenticeship in the business with a local family run company J.F. Donald at The Capitol Cinema , Aberdeen at the age of 15 my father had to sign an indentures form giving his permission allowing me to do so .

I saw and worked through all the changes within the industry right up to the dawning of the Digital projection era .
When i started it was the good old days of reel to reel 2000 foot spool capacity film changeovers on 35mm Westar projectors , Carbon Arcs , Screen Tabs ,
variable Screen Masking , Coloured House and Proscenium Arch lighting , Westrex Valve Optical / Mag sound systems .

Over a 50 year period i was employed by Rank Organisation ( Odeon ) , ABC , Virgin Cinemas , UGC , Vue Cinemas , Cineworld and a couple independent chains .

I have to state i always disliked working with the long play Philips ( Kineton ) and Strong platter systems and of course Digital .
It took the skills and craft out of the job .

I never enjoyed or liked working in Multiplexes either . However needs must but i was glad to see the back of it all following taking my redundancy .
A lot of my still living traditional projectionists feel the same too .

[Maurice Leakey]

David
I used Christie platters at the Odeon Taunton when it was a five screen, now it's eight. We only had the three plate ones which was a great nuisance if management wanted more than two programmes in one of the screens.
It was a nightmare taking off some two miles, or more, of film, and replacing it with another.

[David Hardy]

Maurice
Yes we only had 3 platter setups at the Odeon , ABC , Virgin , UGC , and Cineworld too . We were kind of lucky at the Virgin / UGC / Cineworld though as we had a special adjustable lifting device on wheels so we could slide the complete feature films on and off with their platter rings still intact on to it . Only problem was we only had one of those for the whole 9 Screen projection box . We also had special clamp locking devices that we could slide under the films on their rings to help prevent any accidents while lifting and moving a show onto any platter .
When i worked in Vue Cinemas some our screens had 5 platters .

[Ken Finch]

I watched it on you tube as I missed it on Talking Pictures. Although I have never been a projectionist, I have known quite a few. I joined The Projected Picture Trust many years ago as a result of meeting one at Group 9.5. Have met quite a few others on visits to cinemas organised by The Cinema Theatre Association. All so dedicated to their work and so many married to the cashier or usherette. All very much underpaid for responsibilities demanded of them. I very often looked out for the change over spots if the film being screened failed to hold my interest! I even did a change over myself once successfully whilst on National Service in Egypt on a visit to an open air cinema, giving one of the lads in the box a welcome NAFFI break. Shush, don’t tell anyone!!, Ken Finch.

[Brian Fretwell]

I wonder if the brief training of managers led to (as Mark Kermode) wrote in one of his books non-3D films being projected with the 3D polaroid filters still on the projector leading to a too dark image.

All this makes me want to re-watch the film "The Family Way" in which the husband works as a projectionist. I wonder if TPTV is going to show it.

[David Hardy]

Ken Finch
I am one of those cinema projectionists who married an usherette ... twice ! However that's another story .