Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Vancouver International Film Festival

This is topic Vancouver International Film Festival in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Andrew Peter Chobaniuk (Member # 3886) on 10-01-2006, 06:25 AM:

I'm working it all next week, not as a projectionist tho [Frown]

Posted by Floyd Justin Newton (Member # 1316) on 10-01-2006, 09:03 AM:

[Confused]

Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 10-01-2006, 03:35 PM:

Have you worked as a projectionist for a film festival before, Andrew?

If you have not, I'll tell you it's a challenge...making up and breaking down more prints in a day than some theatres do in a week, properly working with prints shipped on cores (and, sometimes, no cores at all [Mad]

), working with both film and video, etc. You have to think on your feet and put in the extra effort to do film (and video) right. Film festivals are sometimes the only opportunity for the public to see certain movies, so the projectionist's role in making the opportunity worthwhile is definitely not to be taken lightly.

Good luck! [thumbsup]

(PS: You may want to change the topic name to something a little more descriptive.)

Posted by Andrew Peter Chobaniuk (Member # 3886) on 10-03-2006, 01:52 AM:

ive never worked it before
but my GM told me that the booth is pure mayhem
last night a reel was put on backwards and they cancelled the show, not sure why, give me 15 mins and its fixed

its interesting working downtown at granville, completely different style of complex than my home theatre in north van. theyre both empire theatres now, but at one time granville was ciniplex odeon and esplanade (my theatre) was Famous Players

granvile has 7 cinemas
esplanade has 6

Posted by John Koutsoumis (Member # 1855) on 10-09-2006, 10:41 PM:

I've worked the Melbourne International Film Festival both this year and last. We averaged 5 shows on weekdays and 7 on Saturdays. It's not hard, you just need to get things rolling right. There was mostly 2 of us on at a time (changeovers).

The only problems I ecountered was our 3pm show on the first day still had not arrived by 2pm. I was constantly told every 10 mins right to till 2:45 pm that it was on it's way. Well it never showed up and I had 10 mins to make up another print to screen in it's place.
Also a short film had not arrived and it was still on the platter at another venue and I had less than half an hour to rush over there and get it off. Just got back in time (actually they had given up on me and started the slide show). It screened off the core from a split reel.

And yes many prints without cores and some without leaders and others back to front, etc.

At one festival many years ago an Iranian film shown on 2 6000ft reels was started on reel 3 (it was a 5 reeler), screened all the way towards the end of reel 5 with end credits near approaching. Wasn't till this point, when the projectionist went to thread the next reel, that he realized the error, threaded up lightning fast and changed over to the first reel. That ran all the way through till the end of reel 2 which he then switched back to the remainder of the last reel. The 500+ audience scratched their heads and many stormed out in riot mode.

But festivals are fun and you do get to see a variety of films that one would not get to experience at the local multiplex.

Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 10-10-2006, 06:21 AM:

Ive worked at a few festivals, the London and Sydney would be the highlights, London at the National Film Theatre which had no problems at all!!!!

And the Sydney at the 1927 2000 seat State Theatre

which for me was always a battle against the silly 1970s automation when doing 2000 ft spools, pretty theatre but [Big Grin]

Posted by Ian Woloschin (Member # 3709) on 10-10-2006, 06:52 AM:

I think if I were to be doing a film festival I would hope there were two projectors capable of changeovers rather than a platter. Might make for more work during the movie, but also makes for a lot more opportunities to fix any problems you cause [Wink]