The New York State Exhibitor (1933)

H Page 16 Jul 1 O’ 3 3 Y OU R THEATRE THE PROFESSIONAL PROJECTIONIST BY DR. ALFRED E. GOLDSMITH ONE DEFINITION of a “craft” is “an occupation or employment.” A “profes¬ sion” has been defined as “any calling or occupation involving special mental and other attainments or special discipline.” There are reasons worthy of consideration for regarding the delivery of pictures and sound to the theatre audiences as of such nature as to justify designating projection as a profession. THE FINAL STEP in the processes of picture (and sound) production and exhibi¬ tion is the projectionist’s work in the the¬ atre. If the theatre equipment is permitted to remain in poor condition or if it is inex¬ pertly handled, audience satisfaction is jeopardized. The labor, materials, and ex¬ pense which have accompanied the making of the picture in the studio (including of course the work of the author of the story and of those who have adapted it to cine¬ matic needs), the cost of making and deliv¬ ering prints, and the expense of operating the theatre and advertising the production in question may, in an extreme case of apparatus inadequacy or unskilled projec¬ tion, be lost so far as the audience is con¬ cerned. Since the audience is the direct source of whatever financial support the motion picture industry enjoys, and since the continuance of the activity of every branch of the industry thus depends on audience satisfaction, it is obviously poor policy to economize unwisely in the fields of projection personnel and their equip¬ ment. IT IS LIKELY that it is particularly hazardous at this time to risk displeasing the audience. Audiences are today made up of many persons who may be nervous, harassed, and insistent on being presented with so perfect and compelling an illusion that they are, in effect, transported to an¬ other world where their daily problems may be forgotten. It is for this psychological release that they make a bargain at the box office— and they are impatient if the bar¬ gain is not kept. It is not intended to minimize in any way the fundamental im¬ portance of all the other processes and activities involved in the motion picture field, but it must be insisted that the pro¬ fession of projection takes its place with those other, and more generally mentioned and understood, professions which are in¬ volved in the world of pictures. THERE IS ONE ASPECT of the work of the projectionist which has not been emphasized so strongly as it might be, and that is the recurrent need that the pro¬ jectionist shall meet small and great emergencies promptly and effectively. If the projectionist were serving a few people at a time, his promptitude and effectiveness would be relatively unimportant. But, considering that hundreds or thousands of persons have their attention concentrated on his work, any prolonged interruption or avoidable imperfection is shown up glaring¬ ly and creates a profound and unfavorable impression. The meeting of an emergency may be a comparatively simple task in some instances, as for example in maintaining sharp focus of the picture. Yet it is an urgent task even in these cases. If, how¬ ever, film breakage, equipment failure, or above all a film fire, should occur, the pro¬ jectionist immediately becomes by far the most important person in the theatre. He can make or mar a reputation in a very few minutes; and in extreme cases he can prevent an appalling disaster or panic by cool and skilled work. IT IS INSTRUCTIVE to examine simi¬ lar professions in the motion picture and radio industries. In the latter field, the control room operator has a function in relation to sound transmission which is in general similar to the work of the projec¬ tionist in the control of the sound level in the auditorium. It is true that the level of the sound recorded on a properly made film is such that less level adjusting is required in the projection room than in the broadcast control room, and this is fortu¬ nate considering the numerous additional duties of the projectionist. The men hand¬ ling the operation of a broadcasting trans¬ mitter encounter some problems similar to those of the projectionist. They also deal with sources of power, amplifiers, and out¬ put circuits, although the detailed nature of the circuits and equipment and the mag¬ nitude of the powers involved are widely different in the two cases. It is significant, however, that the resourcefulness of the radio men in the face of an emergency which threatens a prolonged interruption of service is as necessary as in the case of the projectionist, yet the projectionist has tne additional element of danger involved in the possibility of a film fire. Physical danger as well as mental distress may occa¬ sionally be encountered by the projectionist. IN THE MOTION PICTURE INDUS¬ TRY, the camera man and the sound recordist have duties of a nature roughly similar to those of the projectionist, except that each of them is required to concen¬ trate only on either the picture or the sound, whereas the projectionist must con¬ centrate on both. Focussing, centering the picture, maintaining or judging illumina¬ tion, handling sound level controls, and maintaining electrical equipment in steady operation (with great financial and pres¬ tige loss in case of an interruption) are elements found in the work of both the studio men and the projectionist. It is worthy of mention that the camera man and the sound recordist are granted recog¬ nition and at least some brief fame through their honorable mention on the leader strip of the film. The projectionist, on the other hand, enjoys anonymity. If the recital of the names of stage managers, painters of scenery and purveyors of shoes, on a the¬ atre program is a justifiable procedure (and it probably is) it might be well to let the audience in a motion picture theatre know the names of the skilled projectionists who are steadily working for them “behind the scenes.” THE NATURE OF THE ROUTINE WORK of the projectionist is readily enough defined. It consists in the mainte¬ nance of a bright, sharply focussed, centered picture free from travel ghost, and the pro¬ vision of clear sound of correct level and controlled tone quality. In addition, the care of the film while in the theatre de¬ volves on the projectionist, together with such incidental operations as rewinding, patching or splicing, and the like. The equipment for picture projection and sound reproduction must be well understood so that any repairs except those requiring unavail¬ able parts or special testing tools, may be rapidly made by Tiim. He must co-operate with the engineer, the apparatus manufac¬ turer, and the service man. In addition, a gift of oratorical persuasiveness is useful to the projectionist who is discussing the purchase of testing equipment, spare parts, or replacements for worn parts, with some of the less generously inclined exhibitors. In justice to the more far-sighted exhibi¬ tor, it should be stated that in his case this persuasiveness is not required. UP-TO-DATE ACHIEVEMENT* From the architectural design to the minutest detail, the World’s Fair at Chicago is the last word in modernness. Naturally GENERAL REGISTERS, with their background of successful progress and dependable service were made standard equipment. WRITE FOR OUR LATEST CATALOGUE GENERAL REGISTER CORP. ttl Prospect Street BROOKLYN, A. Y. BRANCHES IN PRINCIPAL CITIES THE CHICAGO WORLD’S FAIR