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Topic: The first movie you ran on your own was...?

Jeff Stricker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 481
From: Calumet, Mi USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 12-07-1999 06:16 PM

About 1961, a short 16mm Christmas flim titled "The Littlest Angel". It was animated and I remember it had excellent color.

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Mike Beerbower
Film Handler

Posts: 12
From: Erie, PA, USA
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 12-08-1999 06:51 PM

The first movie I ran alone hasn't started yet. In fact, I've got... 20 minutes yet. I'm a workstudy at Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA (check out our facility in the Projection Picture warehouse), and Randy (Stankey) left a message on my machine this weekend and said "This week's film is yours." Of course, I didn't panic (much). After regaining consciousness, I figured it couldn't be that bad. After all, it's only a 13-year-old print on acetate stock. It's just a one-time show in front of 250+ people, some of whom happen to be wealthy benefactors of our auditorium. No biggie. :-)
So now, the film's built up, the projector's cleaned and threaded, and the film looks a hell of a lot better after a few screenings than when it first came in (we run FilmGuard, and I cut out all the awful splices).
Fifteen minutes left. Barring exploding lamps, breaking film, or Acts of God, I think it'll go fine...
Later!

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Mike Beerbower
thespian99@hotmail.com
"We don't know a millionth of one percent about anything."
-Albert Einstein

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 12-17-1999 06:19 PM

(cut)
The first movie I ran alone hasn't started yet. In fact, I've got... 20 minutes yet.

So, Mike...
How did it go? What was the movie? Any comments from the punters?

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Stephen Jones
Master Film Handler

Posts: 314
From: Geelong Victoria Australia
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-17-1999 07:38 PM

I ran my first movie back in 1970 can't remember the title.It was at a country theatre, the manager who was in his 60s and liked betting on the horses.After a few weeks he failed to turn up and the start time was fast approaching so I threaded up and waited and waited for the big moment to arrive the sweat was pouring off me and the heart was pounding. Well I got the show up and running whith out to much trouble then came the first change over Checked everything over and over and praying that I wouldnt miss the c/o cues And thank heavens I didnt even miss a beat it all went perfect.After the show finished he appeared from the bookies next door to the theatre with a smile on his face and said everything go all right and from that day on I did all the projection at the theatre at the tender age of 16 a couple of years later I sat for my projectionist licence and passed it wasnt long after that I obtained work at a major chain which I worked for 23 years and now about to start work with a new company.I remember my first projectors with many good memories, Centrex projector heads (Australian copy of the century) W.E universal base sound heads, W.E amps and Peerless arcs.Do any of you guys remember your first projector you first worked on I would be interested to find out

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 01-08-2000 06:29 AM

Hey, Mike Beerbower

It couldn't have been THAT bad! Don't you want to share your new experience with us or are your nerves still so shot you can't get that glass of whiskey to your lips to steady your keyboard fingers?

It's funny, even now, some 20 years after that first night, I still get the same feeling doing a changeover in a new booth.

MMMmmmmmmmm... whiskey...

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Ari Nordström
Master Film Handler

Posts: 283
From: Göteborg, Sweden
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 01-08-2000 07:20 AM

The first one I ran on my own was "Poltergeist 2". I was on my second or third day of learning the craft but the projectionist that was supposed to work that evening thought I knew enough, so he gave me his keys and went home to watch some sports event on TV.

The theatre had a changeover booth with AGA Ultra projectors using small reels, and a mono tube amp. It closed down a year or two after I ran my first show.

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Per Hauberg
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 883
From: Malling, Denmark
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 07-11-2000 05:50 PM

First 16mm (1969): Jacques Tati's PLAY TIME
Wonderful film - but not to be seen on 16mm
or 35 - This one for 70 only. -Wish i had the time to be in Oslo for that one performance august 2000....

First 35 (1971): There's a girl in my soup (Peter Sellers, Goldie Hawn). Sweet little nothing - but it was my first all by myself...

First 70 (1974): Where Eagles Dare -Maybe because it was my first, but it's stille one of the greatest - even though its a blow-up.
One single print ran in almost every 70mm house in Denmark (60+ cinemas at that time) again and again. Junked 1981. -My oh my, it was used !

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Stephen Brown
Film Handler

Posts: 91
From: Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 07-12-2000 06:05 AM

When I started out I got the enviable job of doing the Saturday Matinees. The actual first movie was "Kiss and the Attack of the Phantoms" (1980). I still fondly remember arriving Saturday morning to make up the Cartoon reels and find cartoons on cores with every second sprocket broken. MMMM what fun.

One of the first major movies was "Grease". I think I had shown it 168 times at last count, all off 20 min reels with Carbons....

And the equipment was perfect... Kalee 21's with President Arcs. Now that was projection fun!!!

Regards
Steve Brown

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Martin Frandsen
Master Film Handler

Posts: 270
From: Denmark, Europe
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-12-2000 11:37 AM

My first time to run a film alone would be a print of ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' in 35mm. I had a good teacher, he gave me a reel filled up with old 'crappy' trailers and said ''now it's your turn'' and i got it right the first time!

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Andrew Poulain
Film Handler

Posts: 13
From: San Rafael, CA, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 07-12-2000 01:38 PM

1991 The Rocketeer in 70mm at the Century 22 theater in San Jose, CA

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Andrew M. Poulain
Field Service Technician
THX Division
Lucasfilm Ltd.
apoulain@thx.com
415-492-3955
Cel: 415-302-0825

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Dave Cutler
Master Film Handler

Posts: 277
From: Centennial, CO
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 07-12-2000 03:10 PM

Braveheart, May 1995. Was also the first print I built (when it was re-released for the Oscars).

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Antonio Marcheselli
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1260
From: Florence, Italy
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 07-12-2000 03:53 PM

Hello from Italy!! Sorry for eventual syntax errors...

My first movie was "Il cielo in una stanza" (italian movie).
That day, the second projector broke a belt...
A good start... :-)

Bye!

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 07-12-2000 06:40 PM

Lordy! Someone's been trawling the archives...! See what a good idea it is to keep them here whateveryournamewas?

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Tom Wurz
Film Handler

Posts: 17
From: Highland,CA USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-13-2000 10:41 AM

My Father let me run our 8mm home movies of our trip to the San Diego Zoo.

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Frank Rapisardi
Film Handler

Posts: 96
From: Methuen, MA, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 07-13-2000 12:58 PM

The first movie I ever ran on my oun was Barberrella(Spelling???)Anyway,it was at the old Wameset Drive-In,in Tewksbury Ma.Old carbon ach machines with changeovers.I was learning at this time,but the projectionist who was teaching me never showed up that night! We held 1000 cars and the place was a complete sell-out! As luck would have it everything ran fine.The next night the owner fired the projectionist and I became the senior man in the booth!By the way I was only 17years old!But this helped pay my way through college.I've been a teacher for 30 years;a projectionist longer than that!It's really been a lot of fun.

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