8 movies in 2 days (Sept 25, 2009)
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The projectionist is mentally preparing...
Doesn't happen very often, that we let everything go and start all new films. That prospect is a lot to handle - 3 films off, 3 films on. This week it's even more exciting (read that: overwhelming) because we are- for the first time in our theater's history- playing five films at once. So, five films will have to come off Thursday night, and be out the door Friday- as we build three new ones.
Those words don't do the process justice. Lots of folks don't know the 'behind the scenes' of getting a 35mm film on screen at a theater, so here is the nutshell version. The film comes in eighty pound metal canisters, that contain 5-9 16" reels. On each reel is about 20 minutes of the film. Each of those reels has to be inspected, and spliced together on a large platter that will hold the entire film. Once assembled, the film plays as one piece, running through without any projectionist intervention, unless there's a problem. When building that film, every single inch of it is checked by hand as the reel winds onto the platter- searching for any bad splices or film damage. Did I mention that there are about 10,000 feet for a normal 2 hour film? Yes, your hands get dirty! While building the film, we add very small metal cues to the film to tell the automation system when to raise or lower the lights, or shut down at the end. If you look carefully, you can see the cue pass by at the start of the last trailer (lights down cue) or at the beginning of the credits (lights up cue). It will appear to be a vertical dark box, about 18" wide and 4' high on the screen- and it passes by in less than a second. Breaking down the films is the opposite, but takes about half the time of building them.
Now, with that having been said, I think Thursday will be OK. You may have already met our new manager, Scot. He comes with film experience, and management experience in both independent and corporate theaters. Not only is he going to help build and break down films this week- he's bringing his own splicer! Say hi to Scot next time you're in, you'll be seeing more of him behind the counter. Obscure film question? I'll bet he knows the answer! He likes films, a lot.
So take your pick, do any of these EIGHT films appeal to you? Move fast, five leave on Thursday. Hey, if you want to see all of them between now and Saturday night? We'll let you in for half price if YOU can watch them all. Details over there --> Do it!
Doesn't happen very often, that we let everything go and start all new films. That prospect is a lot to handle - 3 films off, 3 films on. This week it's even more exciting (read that: overwhelming) because we are- for the first time in our theater's history- playing five films at once. So, five films will have to come off Thursday night, and be out the door Friday- as we build three new ones.
Those words don't do the process justice. Lots of folks don't know the 'behind the scenes' of getting a 35mm film on screen at a theater, so here is the nutshell version. The film comes in eighty pound metal canisters, that contain 5-9 16" reels. On each reel is about 20 minutes of the film. Each of those reels has to be inspected, and spliced together on a large platter that will hold the entire film. Once assembled, the film plays as one piece, running through without any projectionist intervention, unless there's a problem. When building that film, every single inch of it is checked by hand as the reel winds onto the platter- searching for any bad splices or film damage. Did I mention that there are about 10,000 feet for a normal 2 hour film? Yes, your hands get dirty! While building the film, we add very small metal cues to the film to tell the automation system when to raise or lower the lights, or shut down at the end. If you look carefully, you can see the cue pass by at the start of the last trailer (lights down cue) or at the beginning of the credits (lights up cue). It will appear to be a vertical dark box, about 18" wide and 4' high on the screen- and it passes by in less than a second. Breaking down the films is the opposite, but takes about half the time of building them.
Now, with that having been said, I think Thursday will be OK. You may have already met our new manager, Scot. He comes with film experience, and management experience in both independent and corporate theaters. Not only is he going to help build and break down films this week- he's bringing his own splicer! Say hi to Scot next time you're in, you'll be seeing more of him behind the counter. Obscure film question? I'll bet he knows the answer! He likes films, a lot.
So take your pick, do any of these EIGHT films appeal to you? Move fast, five leave on Thursday. Hey, if you want to see all of them between now and Saturday night? We'll let you in for half price if YOU can watch them all. Details over there --> Do it!
