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

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Digital Cinema Forum   » Introductory Reading for New Projectionists (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: Introductory Reading for New Projectionists Bernardo McLaughlin Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Hartford, CT Registered: Oct 2012 posted 11-11-2012 05:52 PM                     Hey folks -- I recently was hired as a projectionist at a small, one theater cinema that runs mostly digital films (we just got a new one and I'm not sure of the make/model) and some 35mm on our Simplex PR1006 Projectors, with a Super Lume-X lamps, and RCA photophone sound attachments (MI 9050 E on on side MI 9030 A on the other). I'm interested in staying with this line of work (I really enjoy it, and after all it's rough out there!) and before pestering my boss about what she recommends I thought I'd see what you all think I should read to familiarize myself with this area of audiovisual technology. I prefer books and periodicals to reading on the computer screen, and videos of course are useful as well. Thanks in advance!  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-11-2012 06:10 PM                        Your best source of info is probably this site right here. Everything that can happen in a projection booth has been sliced and diced by the folks here, and you can ask just about any question and usually get an answer within minutes. (And that's ANY question, not just about theatrical projection!) I'm sure there are some books to recommend but I've never read any...just day to day experience will teach you a lot.  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 11-11-2012 06:22 PM                     ^^^^ What Mike said. Another resource are some books from the 40's and 50's, which have a lot of valid info on optical theory, etc. Those are the books by James R Cameron (not the "Titanic" guy...) and Robert A. Mitchells' "Manual Of Practical Projection". I have both books and they are great. They were given to me by a now deceased colleague so they are not for sale or loan.  |  IP: Logged Bernardo McLaughlin Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Hartford, CT Registered: Oct 2012 posted 11-11-2012 06:54 PM                     Cool, what's the book called by James R Cameron?  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 11-11-2012 06:56 PM                     "Motion Picture Projection". IIRC there were several editions of both books published.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 11-11-2012 07:24 PM                     I have a 1922 and a 1943 release of the Cameron books. Interesting to read in the 1922 book on all of the operations of the Silent Era. The 1943 Edition has three chapters on "Fantaphone" (a pick-on name on RCA's "Photophone", since Disney used RCA for its sound processes whereas the other studios used Western Electic) - the multichannel sound process used in the 1940 release of "Fantasia".  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-11-2012 07:36 PM                        The "old" SMPTE projection book--"Motion Picture Projection and Theatre Presentation Manual"--is good, though dated (late 1960s). There is a newer SMPTE projection book. I would actually like to order one, but don't know where (does anyone?). Last time I looked into it, the price was in the $100+ range, though.  |  IP: Logged Paul H. Rayton Expert Film Handler Posts: 210 From: Los Angeles, CA , USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 11-11-2012 10:08 PM                    The most authoritative book (and up to date!) was published in 2006 and goes by the name "The Advanced Projection Manual". This is an absolutely complete discussion of every aspect of projection of films (though, IIRC, not much about digital) and is of prime value for venues that expect to be presenting archival prints. However, considering the state of things, it could be that ALL prints now are archival -- or very soon will be -- so this is the best background information you could get. The book was published in cooperation with FIAF [International Federation of Film Archives) and the Norwegian Film Institute (it's all in English). It displays as currently available on Amazon.com @ $63, and was also (a couple of years ago) available through the bookstore of The George Eastman House, in Rochester, NY. If you are working in a commercial location and just running average commercial shows, it may appear to be a bit TOO detailed for your purposes. But if you're planning to stay in this area of employment, it will vastly increase your expertise (and awareness of what you are doing, and why) and make you more valuable to employers as film prints become less and less available in the future.  |  IP: Logged Bernardo McLaughlin Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Hartford, CT Registered: Oct 2012 posted 12-01-2012 01:24 PM                     Hey, a little belated but thanks guys for the references, I think I'm gonna order copies of the Advanced Projection Manual and Motion Picture Projection: An Elementary Text-book (Cameron), but not necessarily in that order.  |  IP: Logged Mark Ogden Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 943 From: Little Falls, N.J. Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-01-2012 01:43 PM                     One of the best books was the SMPTE/BKSTS "Projection Manual", a phone-book sized thing put out jointly in 1997 by the British Moving Image Society, SMPTE and the Cinema Exhibitors Association, which also incorporates information from the old Kodak Reel Notes magazine. ISBN # is 0-940690-45-4. Pretty thorough, but I have no idea where to find it today unless someone here has one to sell. Might be the one Scott is thinking of.  |  IP: Logged Ben Wales Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Southampton. England Registered: Jul 99 posted 12-01-2012 02:22 PM                     Also a up todate "Projectionist Handbook" from the BKSTS in the UK, also covers Digital Cinema. BKSTS Projectionist Handbook  |  IP: Logged Bajsic Bojan Expert Film Handler Posts: 190 From: Ljubljana, Si, Eu Registered: Aug 2008 posted 12-02-2012 01:48 AM                     Agree, the BKSTS Projection manual is still by far the best book a would-be projectionist should read. Very illustrative, fun and still thorough. Even for the well seasoned projectionists, it can be like refuge in time of need. Haven't seen one with the digital supplement, but if you know smpte is doing it, it is probably good. The Advanced projection manual is cute, more theory, great for people dealing with archive and older prints. Not so much hands on type of things. The digital chapters are basic tho (The book did come out before DCI). Waiting for version II.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 12-02-2012 08:48 AM                        quote: Paul Rayton The most authoritative book (and up to date!) was published in 2006 and goes by the name "The Advanced Projection Manual". This is an absolutely complete discussion of every aspect of projection of films (though, IIRC, not much about digital) Torkell Sætervadet has just done a digital projection manual for archival projection: there's an advert for it in the back of the latest issue of the 'Journal of Film Preservation'. Can't find anything online, though. Definitely worth having for reference if it's as good as the 2007 one; though as others have pointed out, it's not cheap ($63 on Amazon) and you'll get the most out of his first book if you know the basics and have a few years of experience under your belt - it's not really aimed at beginners. The first (1978 IIRC, and with an orange cover) edition of the BKSTS manual, written by Bernard Happé, is worth having, too if you can find a secondhand copy. Although most of the actual projectors it describes are not in widespread use any more, its coverage of the basic theory, especially on electronics and basic film handling techniques, is truly excellent and will never go out of date.  |  IP: Logged Mattias Mattsson Film Handler Posts: 90 From: Göteborg, Sweden Registered: May 2007 posted 12-02-2012 12:59 PM                     Thanks for the pointer Leo! Really looking forward reading this book. The APM is really good and one of the few books available on the practicalities of archival film projection. FIAF has a page about "Digital Projection for Archival Cinemas": http://www.fiafnet.org/~fiafnet/uk/publications/fbs_generalTopics.html Release date seems to be December 15.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-15-2012 09:07 AM                        I finally got the book that Paul mentions. It is very good and is something that every venue and operator that handles archival material should own. I cannot agree with some of the author's assertions (e.g. that every archival venue should be able to screen 70mm, magnetic sound, 16mm, and various other obscure formats...if we required this of all such venues, most would be out of business tomorrow), but the information is good and would be hard to find in any other single place. It is on the expensive side, but is definitely worth owning. I don't really consider the lack of information on D-cinema to be a point of concern. Any book that included much about the topic would be obsolete by the time it was printed. Maybe in a few years the situation will stabilize a bit.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

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.