Change-overs (Mike Williams)

Mike Williams interviewed by Richard Wallace

Projectionist Mike Williams explains the process of changing over from one projector to another between reels.

You’d know when you need to change over because you can see how much … some cinemas had bells on the, on the projectors that would start vibrating a couple of minutes before the end. We never had anything luxurious like that, you just used to look at the film in the spool box and decide you were near the end so you or the other projectionist would go round, strike up the arc on the other side, stand there, look out of the porthole. When the first cue dot goes through you start up, on the second cue dot … in between this you open the dowser, last thing, you open the dowser as late as possible, ‘cause you don’t want the heat playing on the film unnecessary, you open the dowser, second dot, pull the shutter and change the sound over at the same time with the other hand … simple as that. And then whip round quick and close everything down on the other side if you’re on your own. Again, very easy, can be carried out by one man very easily, but the legal ruling was there should be two men in a box, you know, so most of the time there was.

Title

Change-overs (Mike Williams)

Subject

change-overs
using the projector

Description

Projectionist Mike Williams explains the process of changing over from one projector to another between reels.

Creator

The Projection Project

Source

Interview with Mike Williams

Publisher

University of Warwick

Date

01/12/2015

Contributor

Richard Wallace; Mike Williams

Relation

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/7970

Format

.mp3

Language

English

Type

Sound recording
interview extract

Coverage

1956-1964

Interviewer

Richard Wallace

Interviewee

Mike Williams

Date of Interview

24/08/2015

Location

Cardiff

Transcription

You’d know when you need to change over because you can see how much … some cinemas had bells on the, on the projectors that would start vibrating a couple of minutes before the end. We never had anything luxurious like that, you just used to look at the film in the spool box and decide you were near the end so you or the other projectionist would go round, strike up the arc on the other side, stand there, look out of the porthole. When the first cue dot goes through you start up, on the second cue dot … in between this you open the dowser, last thing, you open the dowser as late as possible, ‘cause you don’t want the heat playing on the film unnecessary, you open the dowser, second dot, pull the shutter and change the sound over at the same time with the other hand … simple as that. And then whip round quick and close everything down on the other side if you’re on your own. Again, very easy, can be carried out by one man very easily, but the legal ruling was there should be two men in a box, you know, so most of the time there was.

Original Format

One-to-one interview

Duration

00:01:05

Bit Rate/Frequency

320kbps

Cinema

ABC (Olympia) Cinema, 67 Queen Street, Cardiff

Citation

The Projection Project, “Change-overs (Mike Williams),” Cinema Projectionist, accessed April 19, 2024, https://cinemaprojectionist.co.uk/items/show/20.

Output Formats