Working as a relief projectionist (Mick Corfield)

Mick Corfield interviewed by Richard Wallace

Projectionist and BECTU representative Mick Corfield describes his experiences working as a relief projectionist in a variety of cinemas around the UK.

Projectionists are a strange breed. I mean, when I was a relief projectionist if the projectionist wanted a genuine day off I would be treated like royalty. There would be tea, coffee, even sandwiches being left, magazines of various descriptions to help me through my 14 hour day, the TV plugged in ready. Absolutely, you know what I mean, seriously looked after. If the projectionist wanted to get time and a half and do it himself, I have been to more than a few cinemas where the switch room has been hidden by fire extinguishers so I couldn’t turn any of the power on, so then they’d have to ring this fella and then I would look an idiot. Sour milk. And then when you delve into it a little bit more you find out that actually it was his seventh day and he was on double time or whatever. It’s not my choice to do this, you know, they’ve said, “You’ve got to have a day off.” If you were wanted, perfect, if you were not wanted every single thing conceivable that could go wrong would go wrong. And you find that hard to believe but I’m afraid that’s human nature. I’ve been in many a time and films have shut down and thought, “I know what that is.” I’ve know many a time when films won’t start and I know what that is, because a trip’s been moved out. Projectionists aren’t as sweet and everything wasn’t as wonderful as people make out.

Title

Working as a relief projectionist (Mick Corfield)

Subject

working at other cinemas
working with other projectionists

Description

Projectionist and BECTU representative Mick Corfield describes his experiences working as a relief projectionist in a variety of cinemas around the UK.

Creator

The Projection Project

Source

Interview with Mick Corfield

Publisher

The University of Warwick

Date

08/12/2015

Contributor

Richard Wallace
Mick Corfield

Format

.mp3

Language

English

Type

Sound recording
interview extract

Coverage

1989-

Interviewer

Richard Wallace

Interviewee

Mick Corfield

Date of Interview

03/08/2015

Location

Coventry

Transcription

Projectionists are a strange breed. I mean, when I was a relief projectionist if the projectionist wanted a genuine day off I would be treated like royalty. There would be tea, coffee, even sandwiches being left, magazines of various descriptions to help me through my 14 hour day, the TV plugged in ready. Absolutely, you know what I mean, seriously looked after. If the projectionist wanted to get time and a half and do it himself, I have been to more than a few cinemas where the switch room has been hidden by fire extinguishers so I couldn’t turn any of the power on, so then they’d have to ring this fella and then I would look an idiot. Sour milk. And then when you delve into it a little bit more you find out that actually it was his seventh day and he was on double time or whatever. It’s not my choice to do this, you know, they’ve said, “You’ve got to have a day off.” If you were wanted, perfect, if you were not wanted every single thing conceivable that could go wrong would go wrong. And you find that hard to believe but I’m afraid that’s human nature. I’ve been in many a time and films have shut down and thought, “I know what that is.” I’ve know many a time when films won’t start and I know what that is, because a trip’s been moved out. Projectionists aren’t as sweet and everything wasn’t as wonderful as people make out.

Original Format

One-to-one interview

Duration

00:01:14

Bit Rate/Frequency

320kbps

Citation

The Projection Project, “Working as a relief projectionist (Mick Corfield),” Cinema Projectionist, accessed March 29, 2024, https://cinemaprojectionist.co.uk/items/show/419.

Output Formats