Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: How do you know if your eating lunch with a projectionist?

This is topic How do you know if your eating lunch with a projectionist? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Rick Long (Member # 213) on 10-31-1999, 04:51 PM:

Check out the website at;
www.ssp-ltd.com/iatse302/
P.S. Watch your fingers and pass the yummy popcorn.

Posted by Stephen Winner (Member # 8) on 10-31-1999, 06:58 PM:

I noticed this article mentioned "limelight". This phrase is frequently used "this (your subject here) is back in the limelight"

I always thought this referred to a green lens on a spotlamp or something, but this article mentions it in the context of a light source, pre-dating edison bulbs, & carbon arc's What exactly is this? a form of fuel-burning lamp (acetyline?)

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 10-31-1999, 09:03 PM:

At the turn of the century (1900) there were still many towns without electricity. Travelling showmen would bring their hand-cranked projector and show movies with a limelight type of lamphouse.
This is a form of incandescent gas burner. The "lime" is a cylinder of lime set upon a pin in such a manner that it may be turned and raised and lowered as well. A gas jet plays upon it and heats it to a white heat at the point where the flame of the jet touches the lime. The glowing lime gives a brilliant white light, all the light proceeding from a very small area of the lime cylinder.
The gas jet used for the lime light will use ordinary illuminating gas urged to a greater heat by a jet of oxygen; thus two rubber tubes are required leading to the lime-light burner. When the illuminating gas is not available, a supply of hydrogen and oxygen is required, or some of the many substitutes.

That was quoted from the book, MOTION PICTURE WORK by David Hulfish printed in 1915 and reprinted in 1970 by Arno Press.
If anyones interested, the ISBN is 0-405-01617-4.

Posted by Hunter Mann (Member # 204) on 11-01-1999, 12:47 AM:

Thanks for the fascinating info Ken. I'll try to find a copy of that book. I'm new to this Forum, so far it looks alot more interesting than HIAC forums, appears to have less griping and goofing off and a lot more significant information.
The limelight source sounds like it was pretty scary, when you figure the films were nitrate then.
Here's a query for someone to tackle: I have traveled thousands of miles by bicycle, pulling a bike trailer behind me with a 16mm projector, films and a folding screen. I bring free movie screenings to small towns that don't have cinemas(US,Canada and Mexico). I bring along a 100 ft. extension cord and depend on electrical sources at the screening location. Obviuosly I can't haul a generator with me. So here's the query: Prior to my 2-hour screening I have usually pedaled about 50 to 75 miles during the day. That's a lot of energy that possibly could be stored up and provide me with 2 hours of power for the evening show. Any ideas on how I can do this? My preference is to not have to haul six truck batteries with me, afterall I am climbing mountain passes with this bicycle cinema I call Highway Cinema. Thanks, Hunter

Posted by Rick Long (Member # 213) on 11-01-1999, 04:35 PM:

Sounds like a great way of life you've got there, not to mention healthy.

You dont get something for nothing, I'm afraid. Any type of generator hooked up to the bike would provide a drag equivalent to cycling up a grade all day not to mention the weight of the charging batteries.

Now, if the batteries could be charged by induction from the power lines, or solar banks on top of the equipment and your hat....

Posted by Hunter Mann (Member # 204) on 11-01-1999, 11:41 PM:

Thanks! I heard that if I used a big solar panel that I would still have to have heavy batteries as collectors. The best suggestion I've had is to simply drive around the country in a big motorhome, towing the bike and trailer(including several big batteries to store energy). When I get within a mile of a town, I'd just park the motorhome and ride into the town on the bike...Ah, the world loves a fake hero...
One person suggested that I just bag the whole 16mm approach and travel with a vcr and a box of video tapes to show to people. Sounds awful to me!

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-02-1999, 10:33 AM:

If you are looking for a pretty good book about projectors and stuff, may I suggest: Eyewitness Book of Film

Yes, it's a kid's book but I think it's good enough for adults too. It's got a lot of good pictures of old equipment and gives a neat history of film, starting from 'magic lanterns' to Edwin Muybridge and on through the present. (No mention of platters, though)

I keep a copy of it in the back of my car and I loan it to each new trainee in my booth. Also, if you get a curois kid or two, you can use it to 'keep him busy' and out of your hair for a while.

Furthermore, if you want to know what a limelight looks like, there's a pretty good picture of a magic lantern with a limelight in it.

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 11-05-1999, 02:06 AM:

quote:
This is a form of incandescent gas burner. The "lime" is a cylinder of lime set upon a pin in such a manner that it may be turned and raised and lowered as well. A gas jet plays upon it and heats it to a white heat at the point where the flame of the jet touches the lime. The glowing lime gives a brilliant white light, all the light proceeding from a very small area of the lime cylinder.
The gas jet used for the lime light will use ordinary illuminating gas urged to a greater heat by a jet of oxygen; thus two rubber tubes are required leading to the lime-light burner. When the illuminating gas is not available, a supply of hydrogen and oxygen is required, or some of the many substitutes.

The lime being calcium carbonate, the stuff they grind up to mark HS football fields, not the tasty citrus fruit. Limelights are *very* pretty. They put out a lot of light & were mostly used for follow spots.

What's even more amazing is that before the prevalence of pitcher theaters, stage theaters from about 1820 (50 years after the declaration of US independence) until about 1920 were lighted by gas jets. Footlights, border lighting, etc. Some of these houses remain, almost all were electrified starting with disconnecting the gas lines, running wires through the pipes, & replacing or adapting the jets for incandescents.

(Typical historical description of 1800's theater: "The magnificent Hephaestus Theatre, built in 1824, featured 800 seats, a magnificent chandelier, & 2 balconies burned down in 1829. The New Hephaestus Theatre was built on the site in 1831, on much the same lines. When the New Hephaestus Theatre burned down in 1840, the third Hephaestus Theatre was erected on the same spot..." etc.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 11-29-1999, 02:58 PM:

There is an excllent Austrialian film called The Picture Show Man that deals with the travelling exhibitor (with powers 6B) and Limelight
Many exploded as the gas generators usually sat right under the lamphouses

Posted by Stephen Winner (Member # 8) on 11-29-1999, 09:33 PM:

are limelights still built? this would be the perfect thing for an outdoor theater such as the one the previous poster left about making electricity with a bike generator. I think it would be much easier to carry around a cylinder of propane!

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 12-19-1999, 12:30 AM:

You will please note that I am now a "Expert Film Handler" with all the rights and privleges confered hereto. I would like to thank Brad and everyone at Film-Tech for this great honor.

I have gathered much knowledge after working for many years in this industry, but, well let's face it: there are people here who know more than me and have been knowing it longer.

However, I'm sure I can convince you all that I am still worthy of this title:

First, I am so sick of popcorn that I don't even want it for free. The smell actually make me nauseous. And please, don't even talk about that stuff they put on it. I've seen it when it's still cold. Yellow looking evil blubber-fat. Gag!!!

Second, like any projectionist, I drink as much soda as I can. I need the caffeine to keep going. I don't want any of that baby decaffeinated stuff. So, at the end of the night, I am one twitchn' puppy. My own personal 'jitter and weave' is pretty high. It's amazing I thread in frame. BTW, at our theater, mixing a little of every soda flavor together is called; "A Suicide."

Third, I'm the only one who knows anything at my theater. Everyone else is stupid. Why won't they listen to me! Idiots. If I could just get rid of the manager, staff, and most of the patrons, things would be better.

Lastly, I working on a great invention. It's an auto-threading projector. There a little chopper on the projector to trim film end, right? You push a lever, and guides move in to direct the film around the sprockets, etc. You turn on the projector and feed the film in the top and it goes through, and comes out the other end. Give the film a little tug, and the guides snap back, out of the way. No? Well, how about this: The entire film comes in a big, flat cartridge. Only the beginning of the film is spliced to the tail end with a peice of aluminum foil. The film is 140mm wide and the feature is evenly split onto the four 35mm sections. You and someone else push the cartridge into the back of the projector until it snaps in. The projector automatically starts. When the contacts are shorted with the foil, it changes to the next section. Setting it to "REPLAY" will make it run undefinitely. Pretty good, huh?

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 12-19-1999, 01:22 AM:

He's the one whos eyes dart around constantly looking for things that may be wrong. It's quite disconcerting for the uninitiated other conversee, but it's true all the same. Difficult to get out of that habit of checking constantly on multiple screens once you leave the theater.

Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 12-26-1999, 04:40 PM:

Hi John, would that cartridge you just shove in the back of the projector, with the sensing foil come with 8 TRACK sound?