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in the auditorium. The introduction of minutes run time) or more. The feed and
CinemaScope and the need to fit anamorphic take-up reels were one above the other, or
lenses to the projectors, saw the end of this side by side. The individual 2000 ft reels
device. of film were spliced together onto one of
the big reels.
Over the years, many projectionists devised
their own methods of producing a smooth Because the film is being taken up in the
change-over. Some preferred the old method of regular manner, the start of the program
placing two pennies between layers of the film ends up in the centre of the take-up reel,
as they rewound it, one at the motor start point the film therefore needed to be rewound
– 3½ turns in from the end and the other at the before it could be screened again. Most
end of the picture image. As the reel of film was tower units had a built in rewind facility,
ending the first penny would fall out making a in some cases rewinding of one reel could
noise when it hit the metal spool box. With an be done while another reel was being
assistant on hand, just using the lamp dousers screened from the other side of the tower.
for change-overs was sometimes favoured.
The platter system, in common with
the tower, required the individual reels
of film to be spliced together as one A three-tier platter, with two features ready to screen.
continuous length. The film was then
loaded onto one of the plates of the platter without the need to rewind it. For single
with the start in the centre of the wind. The screenings however, the time involved to make-
film is fed from the centre of the platter up the film for platter use, generally outweighs
through a mechanism called a payout unit. the advantage. But many projection rooms of
The speed of the platter's rotation is the time have only the one projector, making
controlled by a servo system so that it the platter the only method by which a film
The Degel Electric matches the speed of the film as it is fed to could be screened.
Change-Over the projector.
Together with automation systems, the platter
The unit comprised two electrically operated shutters The film winds through a series of rollers and the xenon lamp made the presentation of
(one for each projector) and a push-button switch. from the platter to the projector, through the movies a virtual press button affair – and the
projector, through another series of rollers back use of semi-skilled staff a reality, except for the
Long Play Systems to another plate on the platter unit which serves critical job of making up the program. Not only
Projection techniques remained much the same as a take-up reel. One of the rollers controls the was it necessary to correctly join the six or more
until the 1970s, when the introduction of xenon take up tension, by feeding that information to reels of film into one continuous length, but
lamps made longer reel running times a the take-up servo. Most platter units consist of most cinemas included a few (often too many)
possibility. Prior to that time, illumination was three or more plates. Two or more film prints advertisements and trailers ahead of the feature
by carbon arc, the carbon slowly burning away can be held by the platter at any one time, as – all of which had to be spliced onto the start
as it produced its high intensity light. The long as one plate is empty to serve as the of the film.
carbons needing to be replaced after about 20 "take-up reel" to receive the film that is being
minutes of run time, this worked in well with played from another platter plate. The situation is completely different today. The
the need to change reels after a similar period. introduction and (almost) universal adoption of
This system makes it possible to project a film digital projection techniques has meant big
multiple times without needing to rewind it. As changes for the industry. No longer is the
the projectionist threads the projector for each expertise of a competent film projectionist
showing, the payout unit is transferred from the required, instead the skill set required is more
empty platter to the full platter and the film then like those of a computer operator.
plays out again from the centre of that plate. In
Xenon projection lamp
the case of a double feature, each film plays Today, the program arrives at the cinema on a
from a full platter onto an empty platter, computer hard drive, the contents of which are
The introduction of continuous run xenon swapping positions on the platter stack copied onto the cinema’s computer server.
projection lamps in the 1970s, made the use of throughout the day. Advertising, trailers, etc are added, along with
a long play systems feasible. programming cues, which control lights,
The platter system offers a big advantage where curtains (if any!), masking, etc.
A long play system is seemingly quite simple: a film is to be screened multiple times, as once
Just join the usual six or more 2000 ft reels of it’s made up it can be screened over and over Once that task is done, the program will run
film making up the full program together, place automatically, being controlled by the main
the film on a big reel or rotating table and feed Below: The tower or “mut” system computer, which already has been programmed
the film into the projector and turn it on. to start the show at the designated time.

But it was not quite that simple. Six thousand Unfortunately, with no one in the bio box, and
feet of film weighs approximately 25 kg. The in most cases, only semi-skilled personnel on
forces of inertia, to actually get the film moving hand, when things go wrong, they stay wrong!
and keep it paying out at the correct speed ★
present quite a challenge.
Notes:
There were basically two systems used: The 1.This was the original standard. Modern projectors,
tower system (vertical feed and take-up, with often come up to speed faster, the point at which
rewinding after screening necessary) and the the leader is threaded may vary accordingly.
platter system (horizontal feed and take-up, 2.SMPTE originally SMPE (Society of Motion Picture
with rewinding unnecessary). Engineers). The “T” for Television was added later.
Images:
The tower was a separate unit mounted usually Ross King and Mike Trickett collections.
behind the projector, and comprised two large Additional information Ross King.
reels with a capacity of about 12,000 ft (130

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