Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Fundraiser for Projectionist Documentary!

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Posted by Gabriel Rhodes (Member # 892) on 05-12-2003, 10:04 PM:

Greetings projectionists,

Forgive the mass posting, but I thought there might be a few New Yorkers out there who might be interested in attending the fundraiser for Behind the Glass, a 16mm documentary about motion picture projectionists.

BEHIND THE GLASS, a one hour 16mm documentary, will cast light for the first time on those invisible people who make moving images move: the projectionists. The film will profile four projectionists from drive-ins, porn theaters, movie palaces and microcinemas across the country. It will afford a glimpse at the history of image projection-from the traveling showmen who used limelight to bring films to places without electricity, to the men and women working in theatres today who struggle to resist the arrival of automated digital projection. For more information about the film, cast and crew, please visit: http://www.behindtheglass.com

Where: The Screening Room, 54 Varick Street (Just below Canal) in Tribeca. Take the 1/9 to Canal Street or the A/C/E to Canal Street. Also visit: http://www.thescreeningroom.com for more information.

When: May 15th, from 7:30pm to Midnight.

Food and Drink: Hors D'oeuvres will be served from 8pm-10pm, sponsored by Vitaquest. Guinness Beer will be served from the bar for free all night. We will also have limited quantities of Maker's Mark and Original Sin Cider available for free. The Screening Room has a full bar, however, so the sky's the limit!

Raffle: We will be holding a raffle throughout the evening with prizes that include: Lomo Cameras, DVD collections from HBO and The Sundance Channel, Tony and Tina gift bags, gift certificates to Bird, a year membership to The Film Forum, original art by Lisa Sanditz and Emily Sartor, new documentary DVD releases by Plexifilms, CD's and more!

Movies: In addition to screening the sample clip for Behind The Glass throughout the night, we will be showing various short 16mm films from the '60's and '70's. This eclectic mix of films will be screening in The I-Room, an interactive multimedia cinema in The Screening Room's Lounge.

Cost: Minimum donation is $25. All donations above $25 will be processed through our fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas, and will be tax deductible. If you cannot make it to the event, you may still make a donation to the film. To do so, please contact Gabriel Rhodes at: 646-498-9036.

Please contact me if you'd like to know more about the film!

Gabriel Rhodes

Posted by Randy Loy (Member # 112) on 05-13-2003, 02:55 PM:

Some of you may recall that Gabe posted a message to us Film-Techers a couple of years ago when he started this project, looking for interesting subjects to film for "Behind the Glass."

Since that time the project has begun to take shape and I was on site, and even helped lug equipment and operate the slate, when he came to Maryland with his crew to film the first two individuals, both close friends of mine.

My wife and I have seen the sample clip for "Behind the Glass" and we are very impressed! We think that the film will make projectionists everywhere proud. [thumbsup]

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 05-13-2003, 06:50 PM:

I hope he covers the decline and fall of what was once a fine profession. For some even a calling.

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 05-13-2003, 07:13 PM:

I just spoke to Gabriel, and I'll attend the screening with great expectations!
Reservations not needed; cash or checks welcome (but they are not set up for credit cards.)

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-13-2003, 07:16 PM:

I'm not sure I quite agree with the outline for the film. It does show some unique people in this buisness, two of which I know very well. However showing just those people does not give anyone a glimpse into what the art of projection really once was and still should be. There are still some places where that is practiced. It SHOULD also be included in the film. Also seemingly left out are the all important studio projectionists!!
Only four projectionists in a one hour film.......? Common now.....
Mark @ CLACO

Posted by Michael West (Member # 428) on 05-13-2003, 07:45 PM:

one hour would not be enough to cover one projectionist let alone four - i will be looking forward to seeing this documentary.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-13-2003, 08:58 PM:

*Sticking* this topic at the top of the list for the next couple of days. Best of luck Gabriel. [thumbsup]

Posted by Steve Anderson (Member # 364) on 05-13-2003, 09:27 PM:

Gabriel, I saw the clip on the website and it was wonderful!!!
Thanks for sharing your work with us.Good luck with the show [thumbsup]

If you decide to do a follow-up movie about grumpy old projectionist please include Mark G. [Wink]

Posted by Neil McGovern (Member # 1247) on 05-13-2003, 10:26 PM:

Wish I could view the clip on my (linux) bux...

Is it available in anything other than Real player?

Posted by Mike Rendall (Member # 1499) on 05-14-2003, 03:28 AM:

Is it possible that we could rent this film for exhibition over here in the UK? I am sure if it was shipped out here it would be booked by a collection of art house theatres for a small run.

It could be combined with Cinema Paradiso as a pre-feature 'short'.

Mike

Posted by Brian Zeisler (Member # 1333) on 05-14-2003, 05:27 AM:

i saw the clip to, and that drive-in looks a lot like the one i work at(of course they probably look all the same). i hope that film makes a tour out to the chicago area, i'd love to see it. after seeing the clip, it almost makes me glad that im not working for a corporate theater anymore. its almost better working at a one screen reel 2 reel theater than the 18 screen mega-plex i got my start at [Smile]

. anyways, i loved the clip and hope i comes out in this direction. [thumbsup]

Posted by Tao Yue (Member # 836) on 05-14-2003, 09:49 AM:

Neil: There are version of RealPlayer for various UNIX platforms, including several non x86 systems.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 05-14-2003, 03:37 PM:

Amen Steve! It was certainly a calling for me. How sad that in many cases today performance is left in the hands of minimum wage employees who really have no calling.

Posted by Lindsay Morris (Member # 1430) on 05-14-2003, 11:46 PM:

Gabriel,

Great to see that someone is actually recording for posterity what so many of us have done and still do today... show moving pictures.
I loved the clips I saw and would like to see the doco released over here in Australia and if you need some assistance to do so just email me and I will put you in touch with 16MM Australia.
They handle Non Theatrical releases in Australia primarily for Columbia-Tristar and some other smaller distributors.
When I am not running my outdoor flat out over summer I am also the West Aust Rep for 16MM. There are many small country locations who can only afford 16mm format and of those most once had a 35mm show but declining populations and TV/Video penetration saw those fold up and go under.
As another post said it would go well with Cinema Paradiso but alas in Australia the rights have lapsed and it is no longer available to screen.
Even if a copy came over for a 6 month period I am sure we could sort out a pretty full on screening schedule for it.
We also handle videos and that format would be popular on some of the circuits we supply video releases to.
Any more clips available yet??
Lindsay

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 05-16-2003, 06:20 PM:

I had a most happy evening last night and enjoyed meeting Gabriel Rhodes and his attractive and gracious cp-producer of BEHIND THE GLASS at the Screening Room fund-raiser.

The two film clips that appear on the website link in Gabriel's post above were shown repeatedly via video projection,
and vintage documentary and other short films via film projection. The crowd of mostly young, enthusiastic and friendly
guests included some projectionists such as Dan Gray, who projects at Telluride, and Katie Trainor (IATSE Local 306), Director of Operations at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, NY, a most vivacious member of the craft.

In addition to the two projectionists shown in the clips, the producers have seven more lined up (click the "Cast" button
in their website linked in the first post) and are open to suggestions. I recommended Gabriel read through the "Who the Heck Are You?" thread to seek out others, but you may volunteer yourselves. I also seconded the recommendation that female projectionists be included, and suggested contacting the unions for input and support. [Click the History button for an interesting history of cinema on the Behind the Glass website.]

I wore my black T-shirt with the bright yellow IATSE logo
and motto "We Put The PRO In PROJECTION." Coincidentally, in the raffles held amid the unlimited Guinness and hors d'ouvres,
I won two T-shirts, two hats, a notebook, a silver paperweight, and waterproof courier's bag, all with the Sundance Channel logo,
plus a VHS tape of Casablanca!

Gabriel had spread word of Film-tech among his crew, and I recommended it to many, some of whom made note in their address books.

All in all, a fine evening. Returning after midnight, I was surprised to see, every 50 feet in the deserted Canal Street subway station, a green-uniformed soldier armed with an automatic weapon. Thought for a minute they were suspicious of my black bag of loot, but I wasn't detained.

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 05-22-2003, 06:28 PM:

I received this email from Gabriel Rhodes today:

Dear friends of Behind the Glass,

Tara and I would like to extend our deep heartfelt appreciation for your contributions and support for our documentary, Behind the Glass. Thanks to you, Thursday's benefit was a huge success. We raised over $4000 which will go directly towards our first stage of production in August. We look forward to building this film piece by piece and we are anxious to show you more footage at the next benefit....whenever that may be! If you weren't able to make it to this fundraiser, we will definitely keep you in the loop for future events.

Raffle winners will be posted on our website this week. Please check http://www.behindtheglass.com for the final raffle results. If you won a prize, please reply to this email and we can arrange for delivery.

Again, thanks for your kind support. We greatly appreciate it.

Gabe and Tara
................

Gabriel Rhodes
69 3rd St. #2F
Brooklyn, NY 11231
gaberhodes@earthlink.net
phone: 646-498-9036

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 05-22-2003, 06:36 PM:

Looks like I won "Legend of Maya Deren" books at the fundraiser.

Posted by Gabriel Rhodes (Member # 892) on 10-03-2003, 11:26 AM:

Hello all,

I have been off the forum for the Summer, working on the film, so I was pleasantly surprised to find all of these enthusiastic responses to this thread. Thank you all very much for your warm support for this film. I very much hope to see it playing in theatres when it is finished and I very much appreciate the kind offers from Mike and Lindsay to show the film in their countries. I will definitely get in touch when we near completion. And special thanks to Gerard Cohen for learning about the fundraiser on this forum and attending our fundraiser. Great to meet you Gerard!

Right now, we are pushing hard to get the production done. We just filmed projectionist James Bond in Chicago and I'm heading to Los Angeles next week to conduct research for the film. I was just awarded a grant from NY State Council on the Arts, so that should help to pay for some more filming. I intend to have the film finished in the next year or two. Work work work!

In response to concerns about the number of characters...I would love to include more projectionists in the film, but I'm more concerned with telling complete life stories and any more than 4-5 projectionists will unfortunately spread it too thin - that's my belief. I appreciate hearing your concerns and criticisms...as well as your support....keep 'em coming.

Thanks,
G

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 10-03-2003, 12:45 PM:

I didn't see the original postings about this film, but I'm quite intrigued with the prospects for such a documentary.

I see this as a "Standing In The Shadows of Motown" for projectionists.

From my viewpoint, I think the most important aspect of such a documentary is to demonstrate how the loss of craftsmanship and professionalism in the booth negatively affects the way that we present our cultural heritage in film, just as the advent of mass merchandisers and shopping malls has destroyed much of the art of craft in this country.

Therefore, I think the film needs to be about more than about projectionists who are involved in obscure ventures. If the film is only about them, it's just a freak show.

In one point in your clip, it's stated that the old (palace) theaters were works of art. That's certainly true, but if that's all that is said, the implication might be that since theaters are no longer works of art, that we don't need films presented as if they were art. I think it also needs to be said that the projectionists of that era, especially in first-run houses, achieved the highest standards of presentation. Maybe there should be some interviews with some of those people. Perhaps there should be an explanation of how Cinerama required at least four operators.

There's also a statement in the clip that because of automation, there's a lot in the booth that no longer needs to be done. While there are certainly some aspects of automation that are positive, if that's all that is said, a viewer might come to the conclusion that it's no longer necessary to have a true professional in the booth....that a projectionist is nothing more than an elevator operator and is no longer necessary. I think the point needs to be made that it's absolutely necessary.

While I realize that you don't want to put words in the mouths of the subjects, documentaries certainly have points of view and I'd love to see this one have such a point of view as well.

Posted by Gabriel Rhodes (Member # 892) on 10-03-2003, 02:03 PM:

Hi Martin,

Thanks for your suggestions. I fully agree with you about the dangers of only profiling projectionists who work in obscure ventures. I am making an effort to include projectionists in more "typical" environments as well.

The clip only contains a capsulated version of what the final film will be and I am planning on enhancing many of these themes in detail in the longer piece. My POV is that projection is an art form and one that will be sorely missed when it is gone...in fact, one that is missed now, as far as my cinematic experience is concerned. So, I hope to make people appreciate that in the rush to develop technology, quality is iften sacrificed. That's an American story, ain't it?

Gabe

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 10-03-2003, 05:42 PM:

quote:
My POV is that projection is an art form and one that will be sorely missed when it is gone...in fact, one that is missed now, as far as my cinematic experience is concerned.

Perfect!

quote:
So, I hope to make people appreciate that in the rush to develop technology, quality is iften sacrificed.

I don't think technology has that much to do with it. IMHO, like many industries (radio is another example), it's the fact that in American society, almost the only way we now measure success is by shareholder value and therefore, we cut costs to the bone no matter what the sacrifice in quality.

And those at the end of the chain get screwed the most. So while it's not unusual for films to have budgets of $75 million and above and for A-list actors to receive upwards of $20 million for a film, the studios and distributors then screw the theaters by demanding 90% of the take in the first weeks of a film's release.

Since the theater chains, in turn, have had incredible capital costs (and resulting debt) in building their giant multiplexes and overscreening many areas, this has resulted in theaters in which the only real profit center is the snack stand. Theater management is willing to sacrifice presentation quality and put the popcorn kid in the projection booth where he/she is operating 20 screens for 30 to 50 cents each per hour.

And the reason why they're willing to sacrifice that quality is because to them, what presentation means is a perception of quality, not the actual implementation. So what's important to them is stadium seating, rocking chair seats, digital sound (regardless of its quality) and fancy signage over the concession stand, not pristine prints, quality control in the booth, aligned projectors, properly equalized rooms, etc. And that's all aside from such aspects of presentation such as curtains, light shows, ornamentation, star ceilings, etc.

What they don't see is that in the medium to long term, this will drive customers back into their homes, especially as the prices for HDTV comes down and the theater to DVD window gets shorter and shorter.

Posted by Gabriel Rhodes (Member # 892) on 10-04-2003, 06:24 PM:

Hey Martin,

Your analysis of the problems with the film industry are spot on. I couldn't agree more about the studios and theater industry driving people back to their homes when HDTV prices drop. That's why they're talking about having televised sporting events in their theatres....theatres will become tv and vice versa. So much for quality projection....so much for projected movies period.

G