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Author Topic: How To Make a Living of Projection Greg Routenburg Expert Film Handler Posts: 178 From: Toronto, ON, Canada Registered: May 2003 posted 06-30-2003 01:40 PM                     Hey everyone, I'm a house projectionist at a theatre in Toronto. I am finding it difficult to cut it financially and I was wondering how other people have solved this problem. I really enjoy this field but need to find a way to make it work for me. If anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 06-30-2003 02:46 PM                       Hi, Greg! I'm sorry, this probably isn't going to be what you wanted to hear, but take it from someone who has been there, and now regrets he didn't choose another field when he had the opportunity - before starting a family and having dependents. I couldn't find a way to continue as a projectionist over 20 years ago. That's when I went into service. The job of projectionist has been "over" for at least a quarter-century now. By and large, the only remaining "good" jobs (if you can call $12 an hour good) won't be that way for long. Further, since the service end of the business looks like it's headed in the same direction (becoming de-professionalized; the placing of unskilled, overworked, not-much-better-than-minimum-wage-paid workers to do the job, under often ridiculous circuit policies), I've been out of that since being laid-off of my last gig. I have amassed a lifetime of skills useless to employers in other fields -- certainly not enough to make a liveable wage and support a family. Please, get out now and gain an education in something with a future.  |  IP: Logged Joe Beres Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 606 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 06-30-2003 03:08 PM                     Tim is essentially right, but there might be a few options out there. Either way, I can't recommend a college education enough. You look young, and even if you are a few years out of high school, it isn't too late to get into school. If you want to get into the service end of the film exhibition game, get an electronics degree. No matter what, keep your options open. Decent paying projection jobs are few and far between, but there are a few places to look for them: Colleges with film programs (a few still run 35mm screenings for their classes), art museums that have a film and or multimedia element to their programming, and specialty screening facilities (for dailies, etc - there might be one or two in Toronto) Gordon McLeod might be a good person to chat with. Look for him to pop into the Film-Tech chatroom.  |  IP: Logged Greg Routenburg Expert Film Handler Posts: 178 From: Toronto, ON, Canada Registered: May 2003 posted 06-30-2003 04:27 PM                     Cheers guys, a technician job would be great, it's just finding a place that needs one. I studied Computer Networking and Electronics in college but unfortunatly the computer field is dead aswell. Does anyone know of a technical company that I can apprentice under?  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 06-30-2003 05:12 PM                     Alot of the things that Tim and Joe stated above are right on the money. The chains are never going to pay what you are worth anymore, without you having to work every position. One problem you may have with college screenings is hours and budgets for programs. I have a friend that handles film services at a college and he tells me about cutbacks and things. The real money in projection is at specialty screening facilities. Like the studios, labs, post-production houses and the network screening rooms. It's not just knowing Flat or Scope, or SRD or DTS formats. You have to know all production film and video formats. I left the theatres because you could see the writing on the wall. The local was giving more away than they were keeping. I became a Studio Projectionist in Hollywood and after afew years was able to transfer to New York.  |  IP: Logged Ron Lacheur Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 650 From: British Columbia, Canada Registered: Feb 2002 posted 06-30-2003 05:21 PM                     Greg, I was in your position about a year ago. I really love doing projection work, but there's no future in it unless your doing something specialized ( IMAX, studio projectionist ). When I worked at the theater, I got talking to the union projectionist and he said don't even bother. He quit before the last negotiation because he saw the writing on the wall. He suggested I check out the film production end of things as that is booming here in Vancouver, ( and in Toronto too ). You might wanna check into that, the pay is really good. I just have to get some experience before I can apply for a permittee.  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 07-01-2003 01:46 AM                    my suggestion to you is this. Look harder into the computer field. Get into the programing end of it. There are jobs out there but a lot of them want you to already have the experience. Try to find something that is entry level that you can work your way up into a better position. If you still want to run projection you can. Just treat it like a hobby in your spare time. A couple of days in the booth can cure the itch. Once you get it the itch will always be there. It's called loving the job more than the pay. Unfortunatly that will not pay all the bills.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Cope Master Film Handler Posts: 256 From: Overland Park, KS, United States Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-02-2003 12:31 PM                     I've been involved with software programming for almost 30 years now. I work for a large telecommunications company and the current trend is to send the programming and related support jobs "off-shore" where the work can be done cheaper. My advice these days is not to get into any profession that could be easily outsourced to another country to save money.  |  IP: Logged

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