My Latest Video

[Graham Ritchie]

Its now all coming together with picture and sound, a couple of weekends ago the Heritage Park was busy, more than usual, just in time for the Westar doing its thing rather than being a static as it had been in the past. I had to ask a youngster to hold a torch so I could see the framing and get it right in the gate. I felt many eyes just behind me watching very closely. Gave away lots of strips of 24 frames from old Movieland Hop and Rio trailers.

It was a good day and at present putting some more seating in.

[Douglas Meltzer]

Graham,

Nicely done. The Westar is one beautiful machine!

[Chip Gelmini]

Very similar to Century projectors

[David Hardy]

I learned my skills as an apprentice cinema projectionist away back in 1969 on Westar 35mm projectors . The only difference was that we had the Peerless Magnarc carbon arc lamphouse and we also had 35mm stereo magnetic sound heads fitted to our machines . I once owned a Westar 35mm at home but sadly had to let it go due to a move to a smaller house . I have very fond memories of operating those Westar's at The Capitol Cinema , Aberdeen , Scotland .

[Graham Ritchie]

Thanks Doug

[Brian Fretwell]

They had a Westar in the foyer of the Pheonix where "Film is Fabulous" was held yesterday. It was said to be in working condition and a "Please do not touch" sign was on it. I omited to tale a photo, unfortunately.

[Graham Ritchie]

At last the work down at the park is finished . I had one youngster that day who politely said to me that I need more seats, my reply was you are right....so how am I going to do this was my thought mmmm. I went in later with some rollers under an inch in dia. levered the projector up onto them, switched the motor and lamp on and pushed the projector back watching the screen, getting it back as far as the lens will let me to the screen width. Although on my own, it was quite easy moving the projector, as my son said to me later that's how the built the pyramids ha ha exactly I said.

After that fun time, I moved the cinema seats back and included an old low couch that can seat another three in front, went to Bunnings hardware store, asked if they have any old pallets you don't want, none, I was told but as I was walking away. I heard, I think we have one out back in the skip, brilliant I thought, not only did he get it out for me, but gave me a hand taking it out to the car. Over the weekend I used that pallet and after screwing more wood to the top of it an extra cinema seat was fitted. I call that one the expensive $20 one to sit on that is .

So with more seating it was back to Bunnings to buy more wood and a couple of 2400mm by 1200mm sheets. After marking out the cuts, out with the skill saw, later it was moving the rear framing back then attach the sheets, paint it all up and stood back. Now that's better, more seats, and larger area.

"DONE" at last, Its certainly been an interesting project to do, but the bit I like the most is talking to folk that are looking around, I have spoken to some very interesting people, although that slows the work it really does not matter, its nice to have a chat and hear from others.

I have some more 2000ft reels already to screen, "that" I am looking forward to doing, believe me

[Graham Ritchie]

Well it still has taken me a few more weeks to finish painting and the like, like so many things we do there is also just one more thing over the weekend it was to finish up with some painting and hanging up some old movie posters. Extending it has really paid of. The extension in just less than one metre, but it does make a difference. Over the weekend I made a shelf, this is where the amp will sit and most likely a few other things. One of the things I have noticed is how much darker the screen area is, which makes it more ideal for showing films. I will catch up with the photography crowd soon as they are busy working on the still stuff at the moment get them away from it and upstairs for a break, and bit of a Christmas screening one Wednesday. My idea is to bring in my B/H 16mm and run the full print of the NFU film "A Train For Christmas", I think that would be a nice way to finish of this year.

I did take some photos yesterday of the extension etc

Apart from Steven giving me a hand to move the Westar upstairs, everything else I have done myself, so am really and do mean REALLY pleased to see the end of it. As mentioned before, its been the time talking to folk coming through the place that I have enjoyed the most, its always interesting to hear there stories and of course giving strips of 24 frames away

The $20 dollar seat mounted on the pallet from Bunnings.

Although this screen is fine for flat I do have a pull down Scope screen that I will fit just in front of it later on that I can will adjust to the Scope image






The new entrance

The projectionist seat

[Graham Ritchie]

Sadly the bottom fell out of my 36volt 400watt power supply latelyso it back to the eco-shed for old speaker to use, for a new and this time adding a cooling fan to the MK2 improved model. I still used an old lamp switch from a scrap B/H 16mm, a stronger handle from an Eiki and a CB from my junk box.

This is the end result better cooling of the transformer I measured 38 volts with the lamp going 36 volts "spot on".

Amazing what you can put together from bits and pieces.

[Graham Ritchie]

Today was a bit of a fun day running the Westar, the place was quite busy an those old Hoyts cinema seats, have certainly proved to be popular. I ran a reel which included a Donald Duck cartoon followed the the final horse race from the film "The Black Stallion Returns" plus gave away more film. It feels good after all the work that has been done, to now get the benefit of it. The Westar is running really well, with the image and sound, look and sound good, but most importantly folk seem to like and take an interest in it all, and that's what its about.

So today was a good one, I even managed to get a recruit from one youngster to hand rewind the 2000ft reel with no problem at all. One lady with her family on leaving said to me, this was the best part of Ferrymead. That's nice I thought and thanked her for those comments.

I am trying to remember the title of the Donald Duck cartoon but cant, poor Donald was having trouble sleeping because of his noisy neighbor, until the powers at be, above in the clouds gave him the means to get back at his neighbour, if that's any help. The 35mm print certainly looked good.

I have a couple of small jobs still to do down there, but more than happy now things are running a bit more.

[Graham Ritchie]

Well although the temperature today is just over the 30C mark, and it was hot upstairs down at the Heritage Park. I did manage to move the projector back another 6 inches this made the image even bigger "da da" but importantly the image now fits the full width of the screen plus about an inch or so into the black side and bottom masking...done still to do the black at the top. Having a sharp black masking all round will look good. The next we job was to solder a loose connection on the right channel input to the amp, although it was working yesterday, I could get it to go on and off at a connector, so it was out with the soldering iron with new wiring connections...done.... Thought that's enough of this place, I think a bar upstairs serving ice cool drinks would be a real money spinner in this weatheranyway back to real world got away, but stopped at the nice air conditioned mall "muffin break that is" for a large coffee.

My sciatic nerve is getting better no problem moving the projector on some steel bars this morning, although in saying that I don't think I would have tried moving things around last week, exercise certainly helps a lot, oh! to be 21 again.

I am over the moon with the Westar its great to let folk see a 35mm projector run rather than some static exhibit that it had been for a number of years downstairs that meant very little to visitors, much better for them to see it running the "wow" factor you might say

[Graham Ritchie]

I came across this old Press cutting that someone had put up on the internet, of the final screening of "The Black Stallion Returns" 1983 at the Odeon here in Tuam Street. Sadly the cinema is no more. I would guess this actual print had not been through a projector in 40 years. This week for the first time since the Odeon, folk were sitting is seats watching the final race reel and commenting on it. Its nice to connect what was on the screen to the Tuam Street Odeon. The cinema stopped showing films back in the 1980s and become a church. After the earthquake most of the building was pulled down, only the frontage remains.

So there you have it folks the actual print or should I say part of it screens again to the public after sitting for 40 years in film cans

Good I can still edit one thing I forgot to mention and that is a few days ago I think I screened that reel 5 or 6 times is that I tell folk that there is an extract from a well known film on it, and that can you guess the name of it?that gets everyone attention. One lady with her family said give us a hint?...it starts with The "B" .....mmmmm...this is the kind of thing I enjoy, after a while, is it "Black Beauty"...no but you are getting warmer. Meanwhile her kids are looking back at me, the projector, the screen, there mum. Somebody else called out during the desert scene...is it "Lawrence Of Arabia".....no....keep guessing though...give us another hint?....The B....S.... after a while and a few more call outs from this lady...another hint?...The B...S...R....the film was made in 1983 and is the second film. The first starred Mickey Rooney. All this time the kids are fascinated at the goings on here.

Well it finished there mum did not get the title, I said its "The Black Stallion Returns"....ah big smiles all round, so there you have it, you can have a bit of fun with folk, guess this and guess that it makes life more interesting

[Graham Ritchie]

I was down at the park today working around the screen area. I came away feeling guilty not running any film, as I was asked more than once about it I did however let some kids who I should add wanted to try rewinding 2000 ft reels on the hand rewinders they seemed to enjoy doing that plus more strips of give away film from old trailers of Rio. They want to come back in a month to see the projector going and will try to accommodate those requests The level of interest in the Westar and 35mm film is amazing, so I need to finish what I am doing and get back to projecting. I have some good cartoon shorts lined up T/J and the like, so must sort things out and stop feeling guilty about not running the old girl while busy with other things

[Osi Osgood]

Graham, lovely room that. For all of you fellow projectionists, (of 35mm), a question. Did you "time out" the approximate time that a lamp would function, and then simply replace the lamps either before or after a nights projections, so as to keep the lamp from going out during "business hours"?

[Graham Ritchie]

Hi Osi

You are right, the Xenon lamps did have a recommended life in hours from the manufacture that the lamps should be changed, in saying that, you were allowed, if I remember right an extra 25% over those hours if everything is still fine. We kept a record of the lamp serial number, when it was fitted, plus other details including the lamps warranty "paperwork" for each projector. As for changing them, I would generally go in early in the morning when its nice and quiet to change the lamp. The time taken was mostly getting the mirror to lamp adjusted. In the ten years I was there, only twice did a lamp fail "explode" under those hours and that was late at night, once with the Bauer the other with the Simplex, both lamps were covered in that warranty period and replaced at no cost to us. We did keep plenty of new spare lamps in stock as well.

I always worked to the manufacture recommendation, that way you are still covered in the warranty for a lamp replacement if needed, at no cost to the cinema. The Xenon lamps were around the $800 dollar mark that makes them expensive, in general though the Osram we used were very reliable.

I did take a short video of one change, this was our part timer doing it for the first time. I have to add the projector I liked the most was this Kinoton we had, it was quiet smooth running machine, brilliant with film. I had plans to go all Kinoton had film and the cinema continued into the future.