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Topic: Who the HECK are you??
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Tony Gallimore
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 108
From: Willis, Virginia, USA
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 09-14-2009 11:18 PM
I have an extremely long history with the theatre industry... so I hope you'll pardon me if I become long winded! My association with the business began when I went to work at a neighborhood drive-in at the age of thirteen. I started out cleaning the field, mowing and such. I used to hang out with the projectionist a lot, make a few changeovers, thread up, and eventually began to fill in for him on his day off. He took off to a private school a year or so later and I became the projectionist at fifteen. About the same time, I started working part time at a radio station, so I was able to record and maintain a current music pre-show for use at the theatre. That was before BMI, ASCAP and to a lesser degree SESAC became so greedy. Eventually that theatre lost it's lease, so I moved on to the indoor theatre in town and worked there during most of high school, eventually moving to another drive-in where I stayed until college. All of these theatres burned carbons, and made changeovers every 18 minutes. Eventually, I helped convert one of them to platter and zenon. I still couldn't get the carbon soot out of my blood and partnered with a friend to operate a single screener for a few years, after which I transitioned over to broadcasting again and eventually formed a partnership and built a radio station. I still stayed in contact with several theatre's in the area and did some technical maintenance for them and even worked part time here and there. Even after the big transition from carbons and changeovers to zenon and automation, I still kept close contacts within the industry and filled in as often as I could fit a few days in my schedule just to keep up with the changes in the industry. There have always been close similarities between broadcasting and theatre electronics, so I've been right at home as aspects of both broadcasting and film migrated heavily toward computerization. In 2000, we sold the broadcast station, and I went to work for a school system in their computer labs. Last year, I was fortunate to be able to retire and devote most of my free time to my home theatre project and a little travel on the side. My project at home started with a couple of Simplex E-7's riding on RCA 9030 soundheads with a 2000 watt incadescent bulb in a converted Ashcraft lamphouse. I wasn't too happy with the inadequate bulb, so I have acquired a couple of ORCON II consoles, platters, Century projector and sound head and lots of prints. I've had a blast restoring the automation, sound and rectifier systems in the consoles... this mania could go on for years... and I still have digital to move on to! Thanks for the ear!
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Gavin Lewarne
Master Film Handler
Posts: 278
From: Plymouth, UK
Registered: Aug 2009
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posted 09-18-2009 05:03 AM
Hi All!
I am the recently appointed (9 months now) chief Projectionist for an independant arts centre in Plymouth, UK.
I had no prior history in projection, but have a mechanical and electronic background. Due to the lack of any skilled projectionists in this part of the world, i was given the job because of my aptitude for all things mechanical and electronic.
I started off being trained by our very experienced second projectionist, who quite rightly would not let me near the projectors until i had mastered film handling to his satisfaction. We screen many single copy and archive prnts here, including valuable first run stuff from abroad. Our booth has no automation, and we run manual 6000ft changovers. Even the changeover shutters are operated by hand! Therefore, film handling is very much the most important part of the job.
After i was trained in handling the film, He then went on to "show me the ropes" with the actual projection, and his limited knowledge of maintaning the machines.
Prior to my employmentm, the Chief Projectionist was very "old school" and very much considered all the equipment as "his" alowing no-one to even clean them. If something simple was repaired while he was off that person was in for a telling off, even if it was just the changover cable!. His mindset was "the machines will work how i want them to, not how they are meant to" - this was even written on the front cover of the servicing notebook! He also referred to the other two projectionists as "machine minders".
The projection booth was a mess and quite dangerous when i started, and after much cleaning and tidying up i was ready to do some major repair work to the power distribution system. once i was sure that people were not going to get electrocuted i started on learning about the machines themselves and digging out the user and service guides.
9 months later and now i recieve compliments from the other projectionists about the cleanliness of the booth and machines, my open-mind to training them to perform other tasks and general quiality of our screenings.
Anyway, i have been lurking here for quite some time before i joined, and would love to thank everybody here for the help!
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Celine Negrete
Film Handler
Posts: 70
From: Nevada City, CA
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 12-04-2009 11:10 PM
I am Celine Negrete, the soon to be manager/projectionist for a 62 seat, single-screen independent arthouse called The Magic Theatre in Nevada City, CA.
I previously worked as a projectionist for the AMC Kabuki 8 Cinemas in San Francisco (for 5 years). Even though it was a multiplex that hired folks for the booth from off the floor, we had a great, meticulous, presentation-focused booth manager who trained all of us to have very high standards and exceptional booth skills.
That was a long time ago (15 or more years)! We had state-of-the-art equipment,etc. Now....I have a Simplex E7, 6k reels, a teeny tiny booth and a sweet little theatre.
Couldn't be happier.
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Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 12-05-2009 11:26 AM
Hi everyone!
Just to update here... My Girlfriend and I have moved to New York State recently. I moved to take a G.M. position with "Bowler Hat Cinemas" a local independant circuit in New York and Pennsylvania. However, this position did not work out (The owners are thieves, and they tried to pay me less than what we had agreed upon for salary. I could say a lot more here but I won't If anyone is interested in the details email me.) So I was again in a position to look for a new job in a new and unfamiliar area.
Thanks to fellow Film-Tech member (and my new boss!) Gene Stavis I was able to get practically my dream position at the School Of Visual Arts Theatre in New York City. I am the Assistant Technical Director of this two screen multi-purpose special venue theatre.
The theatre can show film in 16mm, 35mm (2.35:1, 1.85:1, 1.66:1, 1.37:1) and 70mm.We are an all changeover house with Kinoton DP75's and Simplex 1060's with full CP-650's with SR*D. We have a NEC 1600 connected to an AMX system which is fed by Beta SP, Digi Beta, HD Cam, Mini DV, DVC Pro, DVD, and Blu Ray decks. We can also route any external source (Digital or Analog) such as a laptop for powerpoint presentations (on our huge screen ![[Smile]](smile.gif) ) or an external deck, or DC Server to our NEC. We have a DMA8 so we can also use any external digital AES audio signal, as well as Left and Right analog with or without pro-logic encoding, or any external 6 channel outputs.
We also have full theatrical lighting system's and a full seperate PA system in each house. It is awesome to work in a place where you are truly doing something different everyday. It is also nice to get to work in a "Dream" faccility after putting in so many years at sub par commercial theatres!
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