Page 25 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2003 #41

Was it satisfying work?
Oh, frustrating at times, because I
wanted them to pass. Some were
struggling, poor nervous souls, their
hands would be shaking when they
were trying to thread-up and I saw
some mighty big top loops in the
projectors.
Did it take you back to your own early
years, when your hands would have
been the ones shaking?
When I went for my licence, Ken
Neck from the Regent theatre was
representing the union on the Operators
Board and he asked me, “Now son,
how do you set a projector, how do you
time a projector shutter?” I said, “You
turn the projector over until the
intermittent movement just begins to
move and you spin the shutter blade
around until it’s two-thirds covering the
The bio-room of the RMIT Radio Theatre c.1950: Western Electric Centrex projectors
aperture.” He said, “But if it’s only
with Hamilton and Baker arcs. Image: Colin Williams
two-thirds covering the aperture you
should have travel ghost” and I replied,
I was declared redundant, which put
“Yeah, but that’s in theory not in
some money in my pocket, which
practice.” I think I won that one,
suited me at the time. This was in 1994.
because I knew what I was saying was
right. Of course in my time you had to My health slowly picked up and
be 21 before you could sit for a licence, soon I was asked to do bits of
but now it was 18. projecting for the Victorian Arts Centre,
at the Myer Music Bowl, which was
For how long did you do this licensing done by rear projection, and there were
work? one or two screenings in the Melbourne
About five years. There was also a Concert Hall. One of those films was
representative from the Department of Pandora’s Box (1929), complete with
Public Health, and one from the an orchestra. And Dendy Brighton
Theatrical Union. We set the papers as came looking for someone to do casual
a team. Seven or eight people would sit operating, which also suited me.
for each exam, which was held three At about this time the theatrette in
times a year, so about 20 or 25 people the Rialto building (Collins Street) was
went through in a year. When I started being serviced by a friend of mine,
out I used to look at some of the Tony Rochewood, ex Greater Union
projectionists and think, ‘Gee whiz, I’m chief engineer, and he wanted back-up
a youngster.’Years later you realize with his service contract to look after
there’s someone looking up at you, their so-called Rialto Vision. This was a The Rialto, until recently Melbourne's
thinking you’re the old man of the system built in Melbourne using a tallest building. The film show is still part
system. Kinoton projector, running at thirty of the visit to the Observation deck.
Was there enough work for those who frames a second producing an image in Rollers top and bottom with control
passed the licence test? a 3:1 ratio. With this aspect ratio and on arms in it and the whole film was
a big screen persistent vision is better at
Well we seemed to fit everybody in. wound into these four boxes. Each one
30 frames per second than the standard
I was always watching for good held about 20-minutes of film for a 40-
24 - less flicker. The image was non-
projectionists for Village. You could tell minute story, so each cabinet was about
anamorphic with sound off a CD disc
those with a sense of presentation. half-full. And from one end of the
linked up to the projector.
You’d get plenty of second-rate ones cabinet film rolls to the other end, out
who were going to lead to trouble for How was it synced? and back in another slot to a continuous
you and everybody else. Off the pulses, off bar-codes on the loop.
At 61 or 62 my health started to side of the film. The films were
play up a bit. A mini-stroke knocked promotions for Victoria - the snow
me for a loop, and I decided, or my resorts, the Melbourne Cup, and later
body decided for me, or my mind on the Grand Prix. The film was on a
decided, something decided for me that continuous loop, in four film cabinets
I had to give up this stress. that we called ‘telephone boxes’.

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