Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: mistakes

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Film Handlers' Forum » mistakes

Author

Topic: mistakes

Tom Hutchinson
Film Handler

Posts: 11
From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Registered: May 2001

posted 06-18-2001 05:44 PM

Is anyone old enough to remember two projector booths, using WE 211 or similar soundheads with the motors mounted on the side of the 5 point pedestal, belt driving a huge 18" or so flywheel? Well, if you have a chair in between the two projectors and are sitting, watching the show through the port, your right hand might at times rest lightly on top of the flywheel. And if you weren't paying attention, and the projector was running, and instead of your hand coming down on top of the flywheel it came up just under the belt.....you get the idea. Damn good thing those motors were mounted on hinges....

Then there is the classic, which has happened to most old projectionists; you set the full 2000' reel of film on the booth stool to attend to some other business; when you come back half the reel of film is wrapped around the legs of the stool.

I was projectionist at the wine-and-cheese grand reopening of a single theatre as an art house a number of years ago. Things were hectic and busy and lots was left to the last minute. I was running the black and white 1950s detective show for the audience of contributors and patrons of the cinema while making up the midnight show (Heavy Metal)plus the show that started the next day.

Everything went fine until the fourth changeover, when instead of the black and white detective show there was a color, animated bird with a naked women sitting on top flying across the screen. Having learned a long time ago that the worst thing you can possibly do is admit to an oopsie, I left the bird and nudist fly along, while finding the correct reel and threaded it on the other projector, re-trimmed the lamp, and changed back over to the correct reel of the detective show.

I was so embarrassed that I would not be seen in the lobby as the patrons exited. However, I was standing behind a door and heard one buxom fur-clad woman ask her husband "what do you suppose the director intended with that curious animated sequence?". Which goes to show something; I'm not quite sure what....

| IP: Logged

Randy Loy
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 156

Registered: Aug 1999

posted 06-19-2001 10:15 AM

I have a friend who is 87 and has been a projectionist since 1936. In the 1950's he was running a B-western in a downtown movie house and accidentally threaded up and changed over to a Woody Woodpecker cartoon in the middle of the feature. To this day he still cringes when the topic comes up.

| IP: Logged

Jerry D. Cox
Film Handler

Posts: 35
From: Nashville, TN, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 06-19-2001 12:11 PM

Yes i remember running a paer of W.E. 311 sound heads there was no gears in them the film came down around the sound drum an went back up to the Proj. an back down tru a flat guld.The Photo. tube was in the door an when you open the door if you was running you would kill the sound.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.