Looking back at the dangers of being a projectionist long ago

In this video I show you an old projection booth and the scars left from the early days of cinema projection. I cover nitrate film (As in what is used to make Nitroglycerin, same stuff), how it was combustible and some of the fire safety procedures. I also talk about how a projectionist use to be a uni degree and what this entailed.

[profwaggstaff]

dvsbstrd is correct. It was nitrate film that was flammable. Acetate was called Safety Film because it wasn't flammable.

[thomaspeacock]

I was a projectionist in the USA from 1971-1989. I remember well the 2 projector, carbon arc set ups that we all had. Film stock switched over from nitrocellulose to acetate by the 1940s due to the hazards of "nitrate" film. Some of the fire control devices remained in theatre projection rooms well after the film stock switch. Our older theaters in Denver, CO at that time still had the lighting rheostats you speak of. In many theaters, lighting and interior design set a certain mood. A mood somewhat mysterious, or adventurous, but always put the audience in a different world than outside on the street. One row for blue, one for red, one for green, etc which could be dimmed by color or tied altogether with the white "house lights." Theatres always had a curtain in front of the screen, with the more luxurious cinemas using heavier "waterfall" types and suburban movie houses employing "traveler" curtains that would part and open from the center to each side. 

The artistry of a film presentation was lost in part by General Cinema Corp when they went "minimalist" in their interior auditorium design. Screen curtains were banished along with multiple light schemes. All of their auditoriums were designed so as to face a bare screen lit up in blue. It looked like a cardboard box bottom. Aesthetics were awful, but they did invest in good projection systems like Century SAW, DAW (single shutter, Model A, water cooled and double shutter, Model A, water cooled). Automation systems were introduced in the 80s with xenon lamp houses replacing carbon arcs, larger reels (6000 ft capacity) replacing the standard 2, 000 ft reels. It wasn't long before reels were largely replaced by the horizontally oriented "platter" systems where all sections of a feature were spliced together into one large spool of film. Where I left the business, film was still used and console automation systems were common. It's completely different now, isn't it? I sometimes still miss it, and I believe I could still thread up the projectors I remember using.

[strictlysega]

great video, , would love to see more of these..!
keep up the good work

[dvsbstrd]

Aside from that, great job. I look forward to your video about digital cinema.

[CineTechGeek]

You are 100% correct dvsbstrd, I was wondering how long it would take some one to notice I said the wrong type.

[arricammarques]

Skilled staff ensured proper film presentations.

[bestpeter]

Love it. My uncle was working many years. Revind 35mm ny hand! I was helping him.

[Exakta]

Cool...yeah, pretty much all the theaters around here...East Coast, USA, have been split up into smaller theaters as well...where is this one located btw?  I didn't quite catch that...

[AverageJoe]

very interesting sir. i had know idea there was so much involved. is it hard to become a projectionist these days?

[robfriedrich]

0:30 How long was acetate in use before polyester took over?
I know about the transition from nitro to safety acetate film, what was done in the 1950's and as far I know, some formats as Cinerama or Todd AO never used nitro film.

[Austingipsy]

Had a degree, no I think back in the day the career path was work your way up from spool boy. Rewinding the reels for the projectionist until one day you get to Lace up . Definitely handy to have electrical expertise but most cinema circuits had engineers to do the install and 6 monthly service. It's a projection box in the UK, Americans call it the booth but never heard it referred to as a firebox. That's a bit sinister ! They usually had fire shutters on a lead link . If the projectionist was overcome by the smoke or heat of a nitrate fire, and couldn't pull the cord the link would melt and drop the shutters. I guess that is a bit grim !

[CineTechGeek]

A kid who gets a job selling candy/chips/drinks. In Australia it is called the CandyBar. So these kids start young, and if they have the aptitude, they may get some work in projection. And if they are good at that, they may become a projectionist full time. This is a typical way to get a job like that "these days". But there is accept ions.

[CineTechGeek]

Well, usually the smarter of the candy bar kids seem to become the projectionists. Tho this area is all changing. You will probably get candyBar kids doing more, but knowing less at the systems become more automated. A tech with IT type background is likely to become very important and probably servicing many sites.

[goldoderblut]

nice analog equipment you have - the 16mm machine is a selecton ii?

[AtOddsAlways]

I'm a former union projectionist in the U.S. Unless I have no idea what I'm talking about, "acetate" film, at least to us Yanks, was considered far safer than its early predecessor, "nitrate film." In fact, our version of acetate was essentially non-flammable. On the other hand, nitrate film (it was chemically nothing more than a transparent form of nitrocellulose or gun cotton) was extremely dangerous and necessitated the precautions you have outlined. Are yopu sure you didn't mean to cite "nitrate film" instead of acetate? [Post script: seems someone in the reply thread already caught this.]

[dvsbstrd]

Just a little note, you mention acetate film as being flammable, but cellulose acetate film was non-flammable safety film. Cellulose nitrate film was the flammable substance.

[CineTechGeek]

Actually yes. Even with 3 it is VERY hard. But we have a lot of country based cinemas that have three. In the city, yes you need more like 6-8 to really have a going concern. Its a hard fact of life for the historic nature of being a cinema..

[kevinbeckenham]

What year did the Change over from flammable Cellulose nitrate to Cellulose acetate film.

[AppleCorp]

Nowadays it takes an act of congress to have an actual showing of a nitrate print. They just had one in New York not too long ago. It's rare, if anyone gets the chance to see one, I've heard it is remarkable.

[AverageJoe]

sorry i'm from southern usa in Texas and i don't know what a "candybar" kid is?