Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Young people with interest in film.

This is topic Young people with interest in film. in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 09-19-2014, 03:13 PM:

A couple of months ago I did a screening on DVD of work by a youth arts group. One of them asked before the show if she could see the projection room, and we got permission to take her, and a few others, up. Surprisingly, they were more interested in the film equipment than the digital projector on which their work would be shown. Unfortunately, the only 35 mm film I had to hand was a couple of loops of PA-35, so couldn't show them anything actually running.

They're back again tomorrow evening so I thought I'd take something in. I still have a handful of 35 mm shorts, so I decided to use the oldest safety print I have which is a 1950s cartoon; this also happens to be an IB print, so it has the advantage of not being totally pink like the Eastmancolor which I have. I think they might be quiet surprised that something that old will still run on modern machines; but then again I suppose that late '80s FP-30Ds will not seem that modern to them. At least it will let them see some film running through one of the machines. They are teenagers, but we still need to keep them far enough back that fingers, or anything else, can't get into the mech.

Posted by Steve Moore (Member # 4753) on 09-19-2014, 03:40 PM:

Good to see that people are still interested in film; it applies at my cinema too. A few months back, we played at 35mm copy of the full monty. We thought it would be fun if i hooked a camera up to the digi machine and gave a talk about the "old way" of showings films, and I explained the reels and the splicing and showed them me starting the film (from westrex tower to Vic 9) and also showed them the countdown leader, explaining that we would not normally do that, but just to show them it from both sides, super imposed over the image of me. On the way out, most of the audience said they enjoyed the talk more than the film itself!

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 09-19-2014, 04:01 PM:

A digital projector is just a black(ish) box with a few buttons and some cables plugged in, there's almost nothing interesting to see for the layman. Look here, I click a few things on a touch screen and voila, movie! Well, I can do that with my iPad too...

A traditional movie projector has many of its guts exposed, you can look at a piece of 35mm film and clearly see the individual frames that make up the movie, you can tell them where the analog sound is, you can see actual waveforms, etc. For those who are a bit into technology, it's way more intriguing than a digital device they tend to use day in and day out.

So yes, I can totally see why such a thing is more interesting than a digital projection system. It's by its very nature a way more physical experience.

Posted by John French (Member # 8349) on 09-19-2014, 04:02 PM:

At my college we have a lecture hall equipped for film projection. Until last year we had regular showings every weekend (we have installed a DLP projector to take over the regular showings), but we still try to show film occasionally when we can. I wonder how much longer it will last, though; as experienced people graduate, I'm not sure if there will be enough showings on film to train new students adequately. In any case there always seem to be lots of freshmen interested in learning more about film projection.

Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 09-19-2014, 07:55 PM:

Even many Teenagers of Today still like to look and are interested in old Cars from the 50's and before;so a lot of them do have an interest in things that were here before them coming into this world. Too bad there aren't more with this kind of interest/attitude; then Film could still have a Place Again...

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 09-22-2014, 08:48 AM:

In another post I let my doom and gloom show about the classics and film, but there may also be a bright side here; as you say, just as people do take an very serious interest in older technologies, e.g., restoring vintage cars and such, perhaps there will be a resurgence of interest in film. I know that in the film school at the college here, they still teach the basics and students still make film on 16mm (although I am not sure how long that can go on given the rising level of difficulty in obtaining film stock). But there may still be hope, although it will be on a very specialized basis and certainly not anything that can make its way back into commercial cinema -- although the resurgence of interest a few years ago in Cinerama at The Neon Theatre in Ohio belies that assumption. But it is nice to know that in some quarters, young people can still be wow-ed by film.

We have a course in film sound and I am always asked to take the class up to the booth. I run two reels, do change-over, show them the carbon arc light source...they seem eager to drink it all in and it's the highlight of the course. They seem most fascinated by the carbon arc lamphouse (yes, I kill the arc and immediately open the lamphouse so they can see the still flaming, redhot tips) and they love to all look through the large barrel CinemaScope anamorphic.

There may be hope yet.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 09-22-2014, 10:10 AM:

quote: Frank Angel
I am not sure how long that can go on given the rising level of difficulty in obtaining film stock

Dialling 1-800-621-3456 to order film is difficult?

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 09-22-2014, 12:32 PM:

Interesting how technologies become "cool" just as they're on their death bed, isn't it?

A decade ago no-one attending a festival or rep house/Cinematheque screening would have cared what went on in the projection booth: it was the nasty dark hole where the sad geeks hung out as far as most were concerned. But then the DCP became the industry standard, Tarantino ranted at Cannes and suddenly we have the AMIA film advocacy people, petitions to Kodak, kids making (digitally shot, of course) documentaries about projectionists and projection booths, and a rolling bandwagon that people who previously wouldn't have recognized the difference between a film and a DCP projection feel the need to climb onto. All of us at our theatre have an anecdote about an audience member congratulating us for keeping film alive after just having seen a DCP (and in one case, a BD).

And yes, we get regular visitors to the booth who don't give the d-cinema projector a second glance but can't resist groping, poking and photographing the Norelcos. I think it's because they conform to the stereotype of how a film projector ought to look: big, metal and scary. They don't pay any attention to the FP38-E we use for 16mm usually, either (except for 16mm collectors who occasionally show their stuff here, who are generally in awe of it, but of course are more knowledgeable than your average booth visitor).

Posted by Julian Antos (Member # 5497) on 09-22-2014, 02:36 PM:

Leo Wrote: "kids making (digitally shot, of course) documentaries about projectionists and projection booths"

FWIW, Scott Norwood made two very beautiful short documentaries about projectionists/old theaters, both shot on reg. 16mm and blown up to 35mm.

Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 09-22-2014, 03:15 PM:

I guess that film projectors are now the steam engines of cinema.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 09-22-2014, 03:29 PM:

As Julian mentioned, I did make two such films. On film, and with no DI. One was actually shot back in 2005, but not fully edited until last year (I am slow). They are still making their way through the festival circuit, but I will loan out prints (or DCPs) if anyone wants to see them.

The thing that does sort of drive me crazy about the current fad of film fetishism is that everyone seems to love it for its flaws. Google "super 8 wedding video" (an oxymoron, I know) and you will find lots of really poorly shot wedding footage, complete with light leaks, out-of-focus shots, and generally bad handheld work. Most of that stuff looks way worse than the real home movies that "Aunt Millie" and friends shot in the 1940s through the 1980s. And yet modern audiences are just gobbling that stuff up right now. Same for film projection--the horror movie crowd seems to be really into film screenings, which is great, but they all seem to be happy to watch beat-up, faded, and splicy prints, which is not so great. My fear with all of this is that future generations will never see how great film can be, but rather will see bad examples of filmmaking and presentation and think that all movies must have looked and sounded that bad.

Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 09-22-2014, 05:55 PM:

I was actually amazed that the BELL TELEPHONE SYSTEM series of Science Films that I first saw in school in 1956 were still being shown today in many Schools and in their 16mm Format. So there are still some Film Projectors left in our Schools for the time being.

One of these Films was actually being used in the Movie "GREMLINS" during the Classroom Scenes and was called
"Hemo the Magnificent" Very good films that were done by Frank Capra in a style that could be understood by Children and still be interesting and entertaining to adults. Despite beening made
in the 50's,they still hold up well even today.So some old dated things still have appeal to our newer generation. I have 6 of these Films in my own collection....

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-22-2014, 08:04 PM:

Just like the young people's interest in the analog medium for audio: vinyl, reel and other tape methods, et.al.

A part of history that they missed and there is some of us around that can share and teach them all of this.

Steve: prob still can find those "Bell Science" 16mm series through 16mm groups, et.al.

And some of them were pressed on IB tech stock.

Posted by Manny Montes (Member # 5639) on 09-23-2014, 06:18 PM:

I'd agree with monte, there was actually a video on youtube called "kids react to NES" or something similar, where they bring out a ninteno entertainment system and this one girl has no idea what it is but says "I have a phone case that looks like this". It's currently in style to have retro stuff, even if you might not know what it is.

Plus let's be honest, for adults doing booth tours, most have seen a similar (but smaller) projector in their conference room, very few have ever seen the inner workings of a 35mm projector. Sometimes they're more amazed than the kids.

Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 09-23-2014, 10:03 PM:

Well someone is interested in 35mm Projectors; I put up an Album of around 110 photos of 35mm projectors/related booth equipment on Google a couple days ago and it already has over 2500 views.Too bad I can't find out if it's more kids than adults doing the looking [Confused]

Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 09-23-2014, 10:57 PM:

Link!

Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 09-23-2014, 11:57 PM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer
Steve: prob still can find those "Bell

Science" 16mm series through 16mm groups, et.al.
And some of them were pressed on IB tech stock.

I already have 6 of the Series that I've owned since

the 80's. They are all in the Blue Turn Lock Plastic

Cases with the Bell Telephone Emblem on them. The

Titles I don't have are "It's About Time" and "The

Alphabet Conspiracy" 4 of the series Titles have

been on DVD for a number of years. I highly suggest

that people buy them and see how Good these

Productions were and how they still hold up

today...Titles are "Our Mr. Sun" -"Hemo the

Magnificent"- "Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays"

and "Unchained Goddess" All Excellent Films...

I hope this Link goes to the Projector Album; I have

over 2000 public pictures on Goggle so you could

run into just about anything. You have to click on

about the 50th thumbnail when it shows more or you

only see half the Pics. Big Surprise Buck you might

be in one of the Photos [Wink]

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/113841334883936792664/albums/6061729252196261953

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/113841334883936792664/albums/6053587700708444833

Posted by John Eickhof (Member # 323) on 09-24-2014, 01:45 PM:

Boy, I remember those! However the one I have that is 35mm is "How to use your new rotary dial telephone" Late 1940s!! Lots of laughs!

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-24-2014, 03:48 PM:

Of course they hold up over time... when you stop to consider that some of those Bell System films were directed by Frank Capra!!

Mark

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-24-2014, 05:15 PM:

I have one Bell Science episode on Rhino VHS: "Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays."

My mother used to work for "Ma Bell", and if I wanted to see these films, she could order them at her work. Thus, I could borrow our church's B&H 185 and watch these films at home when I wanted to.

At one time, or still on there, these would pop up on YouTube to download and similar.

-Monte

Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 09-24-2014, 09:32 PM:

That's interesting Monte about borrowing your Church's 16mm Projector. That's what I use to do from our Church back when I was about 12yrs. They had a B&H 285. I was taking that thing home on a weekly basis. When I finally got enough money together to buy my 1st 16mm Projector I thought for sure it would be a B&H projector but I ended up buying a Kodak Pageant AV-085.

I have a mint condition 185 in my collection that was given to some Big Shot at B&H around 1950. It has a special engraved Silver Plate on the Left side riveted on. When I bought the projector I doubt it had more than s few minutes of run time on it because it was Super Immaculate condition. He probably just took it home after the awards ceremony and put in the Closet...Lucky for Me [beer]

Bell and Howell 185

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-24-2014, 11:52 PM:

Need bulbs for that 185? Got quite the few. PM me if interested.

-Monte

Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 09-25-2014, 02:13 AM:

Thanks Monte, but I already have a ton of Sylvania DFY Lamps.I bought a pallet of Bulbs years ago that had come out of old Skaggs Drug Stores. Paid a Buck a Piece for them [Eek!]

Do you think I got Ripped Off [Roll Eyes]