High-budget actors and actresses once commanded the ultimate shine, but a new star has come to light. Yes, the noble Projectionist has upstaged them all, attracting the attention of two big directors; Michael Bay and David Yates. You might remember that our buddy Michael “We’re-all-in-this-together” Bay politely asked projectionists to burn through their bulbs to make Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon explode through our retinas more effectively. Great, no big deal, just a throw thousands of extra dollars into the expense pits of our movie theaters.
It was a move that quickly evoked ire and some choice mutterings of “not cool bro” through the interwebs. Can’t you just go home already? Is it really necessary to impose on the projectionist your vision of the film? David Yates, director of (1/2) the Harry Potter franchise thought so.
But here’s where the similarities end. Do yourself a favor and open up Michael Bay’s latter and David Yates’ letter side by side. Bay doesn’t even sign his letter! David Yates gives projectionists a gooey “With Thanks,” and a signature. Yates waxes nostalgic about the talent “in front of and behind the camera”, taking the time to note that this is the culmination of 10 years of film. For lack of a better word, he’s more… well, cinematic about it. Maybe this puts the request in a better light?
Still, Yates calls the projectionist “the extra member of the crew” and he’s right. Yes we can compare the level of tact and sugar directors utilize. But the truth of the matter is that it’s more complex than flipping up a dimmer switch to make a movie appear bright, clean and generally amazing.
Which is why it’s interesting that technology has prodded a few directors into reaching out to projectionists, since protectionists themselves are quickly becoming a dying breed. Sixty years ago, more than 3,000 projectionists worked in New York City. Now there are less than 400. Soon digital projectors will replace the remaining dedicated workers in this difficult and skilled field. And then who will directors write to cajole for the best viewing experience? Robots? Who knows what kind of uppity ideas they’ll get after seeing Transformers!
(Photo via The Playlist)
