I am not a projectionist myself but whilst reading through a number of posts I have noted a number of comments about scratches, presentation etc of film.

I find it extremely pleasing to see that so many projectionists do care about about the quality of presentation and the audience's viewing experience.

It would be nice to see say the Oscars or the Golden Globes regularly give out a special award to the theatre chain or single theatre that excels in film presentation. This would encourage excellence in film presentation IMHO.

cheers Peter

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A nice idea, but how would the winner(s) be selected fairly?

By ME, of course! And I'll use my own criteria!

Steve

Very true. The projectionist is the artist-technician who is the final (and hopefully not the weakest) link in the chain that has brought the magic of movies to the world for over a century.

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When training under my old head projectionist (George), we had this piece of paper hung up that exclaimed pretty much the same thing Paul said. I guess to say we're kind of the magician's assitant. The magician being the projector itself, helps project and focus the images onto the big screen, while we help to maintain this process in the best way possible. Hopefully that sounds right, I dunno I'm kind of tired but I felt that I should post here because like Peter I am also pleased to see that there are so many that do care about the quality and handling of all the movies out there.

Viva La Projectionist! (I don't speak spanish, so don't rip me if that's wrong :-P).

Platters putting on a "better show"? Now, what does a platter have to do with putting on a better show? Those of us who are old enough to have worked with changeovers and 2000' reels know full well that the "better show" comes from the operator. take care of the prints and project with care and you will always have a "better show"

"A nice idea, but how would the winner(s) be selected fairly?"

How about by a panel of respected projectionists and Industry experts?

And presented by... John Pytlak of course!

cheers Peter

This year, the gold award goes to Regal River Oaks Cinema 8, Decatur, AL, and the silver award goes to Carmike 10, Huntsville, AL. Both of these theatres have been excellent this year. I'll post these awards some time in January.

All you have to do is read these posts on this forum and you can FEEL the passion that projectionists and cinema technicians have for good presentation. But look at our ages for the most part, we are veterans, not 20-somethings eager to get into this arm of the industry. Where are the young turks of technical cinema? The reason we got into this incredible field was because we were enchanted (or cursed, however you want to look at it) by movie magic -- more precisely, BOOTH magic. But that was because 20, 30 years ago, there still WAS movie magic. We sat in gorgeous movie palaces, watched great 70mm presentations and we were hooked. I remember as a kid, I would sneak past the ropes and work my way up to the top balcony of the RKO Keiths in Queens -- a lavish palace with two story, baroque statue/water fountain in the main lobby. I would sit outside the projection booth door which was always propped open a crack and watch transfixed as the projectionist plied his craft, threating these incredibly huge projectors and striking the arc. I would what him make a change-over and look down at the screen -- I could seen the light beam jump from one port to the other but could never see any break in the picture on he screen....MAGIC. I wanted to be that magician.

Problem is, today, there are no movie palaces, those places so removed from the reality outside their doors, that just walking in was a unique, special experience for a kid. Find a kid today who actually WANTS to be a projectionist. Most think that a projectionist does about the same thing you do to operate a VCR....you just push PLAY (which will not be too far wrong if DLP becomes a dominate system). Nothing at all mysterious and engaging about that. Consequently there are fewer and fewer new-comers in the field. And there is lesser and lesser need for high-tech cinema technicians -- a chain hires one and he goes from theatre to theatre on a bi or tri-monthly maintenance basis (if even that) or is called in only if a problem arises. Other than that, the booth is run by, well, that'e the question, isn't it....certainly not by a kid who once thought that just being allowed into a projection booth by a kindly projectionist who found him sitting next to the door, was the best thing in the world that could ever happen.

I wonder if there is a similar forum for theatre managers and exhibition executives, and if we visited it, do you think we might find the same kind of concern and passion for presentation and showmanship excellence that is evident here? Again, I won't answer that, because I was the one who saw the management memo from Cineplex-Odious (before they became Loews and before they become Sony) posted in a 12-plex in Brooklyn which ORDERED managers and booth personnel "....NOT to repair any equipment or replace any consumables, specifically xenon bulbs, UNTIL THERE IS A PATTERN OF PATRON COMPLAINTS." Having that tucked in the back of my brain, forgive me if I have a sneaking suspician that all of those SMPTE evaluation sheets that I filled out and send in, spent less that a few seconds before they wound up in a trashbasket under the managers' desks.

It was used as more of an acknowledgement of a job well done and since the manager's had their "Go for the Green" contest (which had it's flaws...more on that later), the projectionists had their contest too.

The manager's were given an incentive to raise their per-persons so the level they had to aspire to was based on their theatre's previous performance. We a dying theatre with relatively low attendance could often win these contests by padding their concession sales. That is, if you have a single or twin that was doing 10-50 people a show, the manager might treat the staff to some candy (and actually pay for it). Their Per-person would shoot right up. Obviously a busy plex couldn't do that since a couple of sales wouldn't make a significant dent. The key is that the prize money was the same regardless who won! The winner in these contests were almost always a single or twin...hmmm I wonder why?

Steve

I was thinking at what kind of theater has projected Star Wars... Million of $$$$ has beed spent: than print was put in anyone's hands...