42 YEAR OLD FILM PRINT running on a 35mm projector // Up In The Booth

[@johntomik4632]

I ran 8 projectors 25yrs ago. The sound really brings back memories. I learned a lot and it was a ton of fun!

[@UpInTheBooth]

You never forget that sound! 📽️ Thank you for watching 👍🏻🎞️

[@jeremyschwab6088]

me too! I worked for an 8 screen UA theater when I was 16 and got trained on the projectors early on. We were always short staffed so I had to setup the films and then run back downstairs to serve popcorn and tear tickets. ;)

[@johntomik4632]

I can still smell the popcorn:) and the film:)

[@nickfanzo]

Same here. I’ll never forget the brain wraps my staff would create either. Ugh

[@superjdt]

I worked as a projectionist for 15 years through university and it was great to come back to it all with your video. How many times I threaded up just like you show! A good life to you.

[@UpInTheBooth]

Thanks for sharing!

[@yorgle]

Having the huge platters with the 8-track style "pull from the center" is super clever... the take up platter becomes the source for the next showing without wear/rewind needed. so neat!

[@samspencer582]

The real heroes of the movies are the projectionists and the movie restorers, not the stars, directors or the script writers.

[@MadGoat]

This brings back memories. I ran 16 projectors 20 years ago. I also remember when they rereleased the first LOTR extended edition. It barely fit on the platter, I think we had about 2 inches to spare. Then we were told to move the film from one side of the cinema to another one with larger seating capacity. That was a 3 man job. Sorry 2 man job and a manager to “supervise”. I miss those days immensely.

[@evergriven7402]

is it ever a practice to run one film through 2 projectors to show one movie to two auditoriums with about a 5 min start time difference ?? TIA

[@MadGoat]

@@evergriven7402 yes, we did on rare occasions run some movies in two theatres at the same time. Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter come to mind for occasions that we ran two in tandem. We on lily had three copies but they wanted to run it in 5 room on opening weekend. I remember we had rollers on the walls and even some mounted to the ceiling for such occasions.

[@evergriven7402]

@@MadGoat :) Had film going all over the place, then. LOL Were the features that had one print to two projectors advertised to start at the same time or was there a 5 minute delay ?

[@MadGoat]

@@evergriven7402 nothing was advertised, the patrons couldn’t tell the difference. Also there really wasn’t any delay really. I mean there was about a 30 delay if we went from a larger house to one of the smaller houses at the end, but that was rare, and the delay was about 10 seconds. Usually we ran them in adjacent theatres, so the delay was about 3-5 seconds. But yes, having film running across was something you had to watch for. It could hurt you, but most importantly it could cause the film to snap and making us hand out free movie vouchers.

[@andrewbarnum5040]

I was working the Projection shift the night LOTR opened. We had a single print and 2 of the largest theaters sold out. It was one of the few times we did an interlock and had the film run accross the booth on a pulley system. Don't remember any film larger than the platter. Black Hawk Down was pretty crazy close to the edge. Moving prints was always fun, it was a 2, sometimes 3 man operation. We had clamps we were supposed to use but we were lazy and almost never did.

[@nickfanzo]

I ran platter systems for many years and have seen every idiotic brain wrap, film fling etc you can imagine . Ugh Good days, I ran 9 theaters at once 6 days a week for 10 years. I am proud I worked in the booth. I am amazed I found this channel . I can still thread a movie in my sleep

[@Designsbyg]

Its nice to see a setup thats still running. It would be nice to walk thru your booth, just once...so I can see how you set things up. This tech is a lot of fun. I don't run mine often enough.

[@reyjulio]

I miss film,digital is only a big hd tv for home.

[@UpInTheBooth]

Thanks for watching

[@iaincameron4116]

Miss those days we used Christie platters and projectors. Our lacing up set up was slightly different but that would depend on the equipment in use.

[@UpInTheBooth]

Thanks for watching Iain 👍🏻🎞

[@amtraktraveler9118]

I miss 35 mm projection. Digital sucks.

[@kierank1982]

Sheer artistry. I still have nightmares dealing with film stock and editing it way back when I studied film production. I remember thinking how many times I went to the cinema and took it all for granted.

[@tripjet999]

The safest way to store a movie is on FILM, not digital.

[@Losttoanyreason]

Boy! That is complicated. Looks very gentle on the film compared to those Bell and Howell we had in school to show them awful films (pre VCR day)we watched for English lit, history or science class.

[@garymattscheck9066]

What I'd like to see is a demonstration of a Vitaphone disc synchronized with a film.

[@Aluxious45]

That was super cool!

[@UpInTheBooth]

Thanks for watching 👍🏻🎞

[@SpOoNMaN77]

It’s funny, the difference in terminologies. In my booth, we called the payout unit, “The Brain” and the collar was called “The Ring”.

[@UpInTheBooth]

Was just having a conversation with someone on Facebook about all out different names for things! 😂 Thanks for watching! 👍🏻

[@SpOoNMaN77]

No problem, I still have a deep love for projection. I also have a trailer collection similar to yours. I cut most of mine together though on 2k reels.

[@UpInTheBooth]

@@SpOoNMaN77 Nice! I see a lot of people put them together on one spool, I always liked having mine separated! Just incase I ever need one particular trailer!

[@andrewbarnum5040]

Same here, when I worked for AMC theaters it was called the Brain and Center Ring. Damn I miss threading up those 35mm projectors. I do a lot of 16mm and Super8 these days but 35mm was leaps and bounds more fun.

[@JeremyGreysmark]

Some cinemas still run those machines? I have worked as a projectionist for years until I stopped in 2012 because everything went digital. I have used the FP30D and the FP50 from Kinoton, we also had a 70mm Victoria 5 machine too :). I miss those days... I thought no cinema has proper machines anymore? Do you guys still show prints sometimes, or was it just a one off to check if the machine still works?

[@UpInTheBooth]

Yes, where I work runs 16mm, 35mm and 70mm. We also have x2 Victoria 8s... We regularly run prints still... Last year we ran Once upon a time in Hollywood on 35mm and Joker on 70mm, there's some videos here on my Channel of those! 👍🏻🎞️

[@sebastianbjork7722]

Big difference between FP30D and FP50?

[@JeremyGreysmark]

@@sebastianbjork7722 You essentially thread them the same way. They are very similar and share a lot of parts. The FP30 is skinnier and has the rectifier on the outside, but with the FP50 it is integrated within, hence the bulkier machine. I am not too sure if you can get the FP50 as an "e" version too. But you can get the FP30 with an electronic geneva drive or the mechanical. Bot machines take the same automation modules too. So essentially it is the same thing :D

[@sebastianbjork7722]

​@@JeremyGreysmark Thanks for the information Jeremy. I´ve had my eyes on the FP30 and especially for its skinnier size.

[@arielo_archivo_audiovisual]

Nice machine! it's a kinoton? I have a philips fp 20 from the 60's is very similar

[@ubikRoyBatty]

I love my fp20.

[@UpInTheBooth]

Yes, it is!

[@dazzfromaus4797]

These old film prints do eventually go tona samon pink colour over time and if there not stored at the correct temperature.

[@peterlv68]

Why have so much of the film exposed between the rollers to the projector? That seems like such an easy way to run into it if you're on the taller side. Is there a specific reason for that?

[@UpInTheBooth]

Like the position of the platter stand? It has to be there, it's a very small booth nowhere else for it to go! If you walk along the wall you won't bump into anything 👍🏻

[@ANTONYTHEDRAWINGMAN]

thank you for great video...35mm film and projectors can never be equalled for quality.can i ask you something that always has perplexed me.if you are joining films together and there is no visible frame line...ie maybe a black fade in fade out....how do you know that you are cutting on the frame line and that the film wont go out of rack because you cut in the wrong place. kindest regards.

[@UpInTheBooth]

Hi Anthony, thanks for watching! If you had a fade in or fade out, we would usually use a footage counter, where you can clamp the film into the footage counter (which has rack lines marker on it, and just run the film to where you need to cut it, and you can use a marker / chinagraph pencil to mark where you need to make the splice, simple as that!

[@ANTONYTHEDRAWINGMAN]

Up In The Booth ...I see.is that how it was done in every projection room then?👍

[@UpInTheBooth]

At least the booths I've worked in!

[@ANTONYTHEDRAWINGMAN]

Up In The Booth ....thank you so much for this info.ive had a passion for cinema projectors and 35mm-70mm ever since I was young and got to visit a couple of projection rooms....I happily would have lived there.😂

[@rufinogomesdearaujo328]

Trabalhei 12 anos com esse sistema até 2008 .. antes era o carvão. PROJECIONISTA desde 1965.

[@sgav8r]

Wouldn’t a cyan gel correct a bit of that red tint?

[@UpInTheBooth]

Not too sure to be honest, good idea though, never known of anyone trying it before

[@MrMahn21]

It would help a bit, but would skew everything else more cyan especially highlights

[@clurkroberts2650]

No, it would not. this is the loss of information. A gel would just tint everything

[@andrewbarnum5040]

@@UpInTheBooth it would help when the film starts to turn red. When it is fully pink, the cyan filter / gel makes it worse. I have tried this for 16mm with different shades of cyan filters. I am assuming gels work the same way.

[@Marcuscaravan]

@@clurkroberts2650 Gels actually work extremely well, I use Cyan Filters while projecting faded film and although it does tend to tint highlights it does bring the shadow areas back to black. There is a loss of colour information though and the films are very desaturated. Still hugly superior to no filter at all!

[@Germannio]

Good video!!! For those who has not known the REAL cinema projection, to see what happens up in the booth as you says. Regrettably that print are faded, a typical problem of Eastman Kodak positive emulsions, but however the running of the film is uniform and smooth taking in account that is an acetate base print that could be a bit difficult to screening because its intrinsical brittle nature. Please watch my videos to see how we are preserving the true 35mm film screenings and our projection booth.

[@UpInTheBooth]

Thanks for watching! Will check out your videos 👍🏻🎞️

[@amtraktraveler9118]

Red on film. I have a 16mm print of Sound of Music and it’s red too.

[@andrewbarnum5040]

I own a copy of The Sound of Music on 16mm and it's turning Red. Wish more IB Tech and LPP was used so the film still looks decent years later.

[@HellaReckless]

So cool.

[@showreel2]

was that mirror projection port hole

[@UpInTheBooth]

Not sure what you mean?

[@showreel2]

@@UpInTheBooth it just looked like the porthole glass was angled. years ago we had a periscope system where the projector was on a different floor and projected into mirrors

[@UpInTheBooth]

@@showreel2 Ah yes! I understand now! The 35mm porthole is angled, but it was never used for the mirror system

[@theannoyedmrfloyd3998]

They restore films digitally now, but they should also strike a new print in Technicolor.

[@MichaelBeeny]

Why? no one want's 35mm film any more.

[@vile2818]

@@MichaelBeeny It would be nice if luxury theaters hosted 35mm showcases for the more "artsy" films. There's definitely a creative benefit to shooting and projecting on film as opposed to digital, but yeah it's not for every film.

[@psychoween]

As a projectionist, I would like to get your opinion on something. I love film, but if I had the option of running a bad film print or a digital version, I'd choose the digital. I feel the quality of the presentation is more important than format. I don't want my nostalgia interfering with the audiences experience. Thoughts anyone?

[@andrewbarnum5040]

Run the film over digital. Digital is like watching a big screen TV, film on the other hand is a bit magical assuming the protectionist kept the film off the booth floor and actually threaded up (not down) the projector. Most people view film vs digital in the 6 in one, half dozen in the other fashion. Film might not be as sharp as digital but in 2021, watching a movie on film is a real treat. When 2001 was showing on 70mm up in Queens NY (I am from Philadelphia), I drove Almost 3 hours and spent close to $75 in Turn pike fees to go see it and it was worth every cent. A once in a life time experience. Some movies are not available on film, but when they are the choice should be simple, CHOOSE FILM!!

[@MichaelBeeny]

The thought of watching a 40+ year old film with the colour faded is no treat for me, even if in 35mm. I have my vintage films now in Bluray that look absolutely stunning. Probably better than any original cinema 35mm print ever was. No poor quality mono optical prints full of hiss and crackles. Some on Bluray even have stereo sound made for early mag prints. Watched on my 86 inch TV why would anyone go to a cinema, full of people eating, talking and playing on telephones. Just for information, I started in the cinema as a kid, changeovers and carbons. I've had my own cinema, worked for ABC and later chief engineer for UCI cinemas in the UK. Haven't been to a cinema for 15 years. I have the best all at home now. Do kinda miss it however! The truth is, these days, apart from a few film enthusiasts, people really don't care. They often watch films on a telephone and are quite happy to do that.

[@psychoween]

@@MichaelBeeny I feel the presentation is more important than the format. The filmmakers work hard to make the best quality film possible and I feel that showing a flawed version of the film, when given a choice, does a disservice to the creators as well as the audience.

[@MichaelBeeny]

@@psychoween Hi Todd, Do you not think a good video transfer, colour corrected, mark free, splice free is better than a badly faded 35mm copy? I know which one I would rather see.

[@carlos_placido]

Can you remove that movie with your arms and put in another plate ?

[@UpInTheBooth]

Yes.... but you need to be VERY CAREFUL if doing it alone!

[@carlos_placido]

Sometimes 3 different movies on the plates and we need to remove one because is going to another diferent auditorium .

[@LonzosSprayPainting]

Is it possible to purchase a projector like this with those platters? i mean obviously I probably don't have the money but still is it possible?

[@sbcinema]

👍

[@andrewbarnum5040]

Oh no, you let the film touch the floor. Threading the platter then the projector prevents this and no one has to watch the booth floor projected on the screen. Just a tip from a film nerd who has threaded a few thousand projectors. (8mm, 16mm & 35mm) Never threaded 70mm but it's on my bucket list.

[@LonzosSprayPainting]

why did I have to miss out when this stuff was the only way u could show movies

[@Solqvic]

So many loop... Why?

[@whitelion7976]

Film is real. Digital is crap