Page 38 - CINEMARECORD-98

Mike Trickett

n today’s cinema projection room, there are film was a source of dissatisfaction, and a Although feature
Ino rotating reels, no platters, no rewind bench challenge to those trying to follow the story. films were
and no projectionists! The two projector installation was slowly generally supplied
introduced – in the larger theatres at first, but by the film
“The word projectionist, referred to the men eventually just about universally. In fact, it exchanges on 1000
who followed this calling. In addition to being became an advertised feature, the non-stop foot reels until the
highly specialised and highly trained mechanics program was advertised and the “change-over” 1940s, most
of the most expert kind, they must in addition, became a new challenge for the projectionist. projectionists used
be artists in their own particular line of work.” to “double up” the film onto 2000 ft reels,
Quoted from the introduction to Motion Picture Film at this time (in fact right up to the 1950s) making only one change-over every 20 minutes
Projection by James R. Cameron (1922 edition). was cellulose nitrate, or as it was more necessary.
commonly called, simply “nitrate”. Nitrate was
The beginnings of the Cinema Industry contain highly flammable, and if by film failure, or poor Tape splicers were unheard of in those days,
many examples of these showmen; those men operation, the film remained stationary in the which meant all joins had to be made using the
who projected moving images onto a screen for projector’s gate, the heat from the projector’s old method of scraping the emulsion off one
the paying public. Most were self taught and light source could ignite the film, with side of the film and making the splice with film
had little or no formal training disastrous consequences. cement, which meant every time the two 1000
ft reels of film were joined to make up a 2000
Many of the early film screenings were in fact After a few projection room fires, the various ft reel, at least two frames of the film was lost
only novelty items within a regular Vaudeville Regulatory Authorities became involved, (one from each reel), the result is that many
performance. The fact that many of the 35 mm eventually introducing licensing of original prints of early films have a jump in the
films of the time were only about 60 feet in projectionists and introducing other regulations, action at that point.
length, with a running time of about one minute such as an assistant and in some cases, a
was not a concern – these short films were fireman being present in the larger cinemas. The Change-over
basically inserts or curiosities shown as part of A skilled projectionist could screen a full
a live performance. Safety features such as enclosed spool boxes feature, involving five or more change-overs,
on the projectors, fire traps at the point where without an interruption and with the audience
The early presentation of film was quite a the film left and re-entered the spool boxes, totally unaware of the work going on in the
complex affair – not so much the actual became mandatory. One such item was the projection room.
projection, which of course was hand cranked, Bramley Shutter. Devised by Hoyts engineer,
but the operation of the light source – whether Mick Bramley, it comprised two parts: A To facilitate this change-over, the film has a
it was limelight, acetylene or electric, there was switch in the film path, that could detect the leader at the start of each reel, the leader is
considerable skill (and danger) involved. presence of the film and a solenoid operated marked with the word “start”, and a series of
shutter behind the film gate. If the film broke, numbers counting down to the point where the
the two sections of the detector would move image appears. At 24 frames per second, a full
(1)
Limelight burner together, opening the contacts of a switch and leader will run for eight seconds. The end of
removing the voltage from the solenoid causing each reel of film has a set of cue marks
the shutter to drop, cutting off the light (and corresponding to the timing of the leader. These
heat) from the film. are usually dots or circles which appear on the
screen in the upper right corner. The industry
standard leader was devised by the SMPTE (2)
and is generally referred to as an Academy
Leader or Countdown Leader.

As the reel of film being projected approaches
Many projectors of the time didn’t have take-up its end, the first cue appears twelve feet before
reels, the film was simply allowed to drop into the end of the reel, equivalent to eight seconds
a box or bin below the projector – the film being at 24 frames per second. This cue signals the
then rewound back onto the supply reel for later projectionist to start the motor of the projector
projection. containing the next reel. After another ten and
a half feet the second cue appears, this is the
With the introduction of longer films and signal to actually make the changeover. At this
complete programs of film entertainment, The Bramley Shutter - left the film path detector point, both the sound and the lights sources
purpose built or modified premises became the and right, the solenoid operated shutter. have to be switched from one projector to the
main venue for the presentation of “the other. If correctly done, a seamless change-over
pictures”. One of the Health Department regulations of will result.
the time specifically prohibited having more
It was not unusual to than two 1000 feet reels of nitrate film in the Of course, various change-over devices were
see a film of the projection room at any one time (one currently introduced to assist the projectionist in this
period advertised as being projected, the other threaded up on the aspect of his job. The simplest of all was a
“A Drama in Four other machine ready for the change-over at the sliding rod with a shutter at either end mounted
Parts” – the four parts end of the reel). in such a way as to close off one or the other
indicating four reels projection ports. Another was the Degel
of film. The balance of the film had to be stored in a Electric Change-Over unit. This comprised an
metal film trunk in the rewind room, which had electrically operated shutter mounted in front
The need to stop the to be separate from the projection area. As well, of the lens of each projector, a push button
projector every 10 – the projection room ports had to have fire switch near the projector alternated the shutters
15 minutes and shutters, which would automatically close in between open and closed. These produced a
thread the next reel of the event of a fire. very loud “clunk”, which could often be heard

38 CINEMARECORD # 98