Cinema projectionist jobs

The definitive guide to a career as a Projectionist, including information on pay, employment growth, companies, top colleges, and any prerequisite schooling you may need to get started.

The use of film or digital technology allows projectionists to display moving visuals on a variety of screens for audiences of varying sizes, including both small and large groups. Projectionists have traditionally been employed in movie theaters to ensure that film screenings are carried out without a hitch.

Who Is a Projectionist and What Do They Do?

Duties

The following is a list of the responsibilities that fall on the shoulders of a projectionist:

Inspect the films that have been received and establish a list of any technical problems that need to be fixed.

Maintain control over all aspects of the cinema's technical operations, including but not limited to its heating, lighting, fire alarms, and ventilation systems.

Ensure that movie screenings adhere to all of the relevant legislation and criteria pertaining to health and safety.

After turning on the projector, check to see that the pictures are the appropriate size and in focus so that they can be easily seen.

Make arrangements for additional professionals, such as a repair person, to visit the location in order to replace components and fix equipment that is already there.

An Average Day in the Life

The projectionist is the person who, on a daily basis, is responsible for setting up and inspecting the film projection equipment, in addition to the screen and curtain controls. The majority of your time will be spent effectively running various pieces of equipment in order to play movies in a number of different theaters at the same time. You will be responsible for doing small repairs such as replacing worn sprockets and informing maintenance of any larger repairs that need to be performed in order to ensure that specific films run without any interruptions.

In order to repair areas of the film that have been interrupted, a projectionist may sometimes need to splice the film as well as manually or mechanically rewind it onto reels. In the end, your job will consist mostly of attentively monitoring the projectors' operations to ensure that they run well and to determine in advance whether or not you will need to switch over from one projector to another.

Work Schedule In Addition To Common Hours

The working hours of an individual are going to be determined by the hours that a movie watching place is open. Cinemas and theaters are not often open in the mornings but rather in the afternoons and nights. Because some theatres stay open until quite late, even on the weekends, the working hours there might be unpredictable. The majority of projectionists operate on shifts, which means they are responsible for various periods of the day.

In this line of work, employees carry out their duties inside, in cramped spaces that are clean, well-ventilated, and devoid of dust so that the film may be preserved. Because film reels are so heavy, the effort involved in this line of job is often hard. It is important for projectionists to be confident working at elevated levels so that they can properly maintain large screens and drapes.

Development of the Position

Since 2004, the majority of job openings in this industry have remained relatively the same. Despite this, there is an anticipated rise in demand for cinema projectionists, which is anticipated to result in the creation of up to 1,490 more job openings by the year 2018. The number of jobs that are available to pursue in this line of work is expected to increase by 1.98 percent over the course of the next several years.

Common types of employers

Employers who fall under this category include educational establishments, healthcare facilities, museums, movie theaters, and so on. Alamo Drafthouse, Cinepolis USA, Video Tech Services, US Space and Rocket Center, Satikos Theatres, the Smithsonian Museum, Sunrise Theatre, IMAX Corporation, Greenwich International Film Festival, and AMC Networks are some examples of the kinds of businesses that hire people. Other companies that hire people include the Greenwich International Film Festival and IMAX Corporation.

Early workers in the film industry often get valuable experience working for major cinema chains before making the transition to smaller, more specialized theaters. Progression in this domain might provide doors to management and administrative positions for projectionists.

The Steps Needed to Take to Become a Projectionist

There is no one particular academic credential that one must possess in order to join the area of cinema projectionists as a career option. Having a credential from an accredited high school, on the other hand, will provide you an edge over other people who are competing with you in the market. To be successful in this profession, you must need to have a passion for movies and the film business. The most important qualification is that applicants must be at least 18 years old, which is necessary because of categorization restrictions.

There are several opportunities to participate in training programs and classes, which are offered by a variety of organizations. If you want to work in the film business as a projectionist, it is in your best interest to complete courses that will be evaluated by such industry. Joining a film club or taking classes in film production at a higher education institution are two common ways for people to obtain experience in the film industry.

To get your foot in the door, you should begin by submitting an application for a job as a Trainee Projectionist or another role in the cinema that is comparable to the function of a projectionist until you are able to take on the duty of a projectionist on a full-time basis. With more expertise, you'll be able to predict the requirements of upcoming events and effectively manage a wide variety of audio-visual equipment, including video projectors, sound mixers, stage lighting, 3D lens convergences, and other similar devices.

You are required to have advanced technical abilities in the areas of sound equipment, camera operations, and electrical components. When it comes to monitoring the control operations of various pieces of equipment and systems, such as gauges or dials, for uninterrupted projection, having a strong attention to detail offers you an advantage over other people. It requires a high degree of hand-eye coordination, together with strong vision and hearing, to be able to keep films in focus.