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This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
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Topic: Who or what inspired you in this business
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Monte L Fullmer
Film God
Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted 03-14-2005 02:04 AM
Okey...now it's my turn to tell my story:
..and I have to go back to the mid 50's...
My father was a school teacher. I was 5 yrs old. I really can't remember how it started, but every time when DAD would have a film to present to class, he'd bring home the B&H Filmosound model 185 16mm home and show us family, including aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews and friends and have a "movie party" of sorts. He'd show all the films that the school were showing that week over the weekend. Very, very educational films and some entertaining ones along with the bunch. Well, as a 5yr old, I'd never seen such a machine as a machine that can project moving imagery, plus having sound on a movie screen that my DAD rigged up on the wall using a bedsheet.
This machine was the most fascinating thing that I've ever seen! Course, being a bit of a "take it apart and put it back together" sort of kid with his toys, thus having some mechanical drive in me, seeing wheels and spur cogs spinning around pulling that strip of plastic through a machine and moving pictures come out and all of us being entertained by such a device as this.
After this, whenever my school(s) were having films, I would manage to sit close or near the projector-just to see it run.
Okey, now let's move up to 1962. We had just moved out to the country (I was a city kid) and didn't know anybody. I met this boy in my 6th grade class. He told me that his DAD was a theatre projectionist and he knows how to run 35mm film projectors. "35mm film projectors?" I said. Never heard of such of a machine. He then proceded to show me pictures of such machinery that his DAD took with him standing on a stool to thread the machines.
My friend has a massive collection of 8mm films - Castle Films, Disney Films and anything that he can get a hold of. Now, I'm bit with 8mm stuff...(lol). We'd watch his films when I could go over to his house and eat pizza while being entertained by his prized collection.
Okey, now let's head to 1969 - when we graduated from high school. Here is a pict of his first collection of 35mm equipment that he acquired from an old shutdown theatre that was given to him. We were in our front yard and my mother taking the foto:
This was an old Simplex Standard setup. He got the machinery cleaned up and running, but never got the old tunger bulb rectifier to work, yet the lamphouse was in very good condition with a practically new mirror.
That fall, he was offered a job at a drive in where we went to college. He had to turn it down for schooling factors, yet he told me about it and I checked in on it.
Well....you know the rest of the story...35 yrs later.
My friend in this picture is heading off to ShoWest this week..
He has a home theatre setup now with 35mm equipment. I take care of his setup from time to time.
You might say "friends forever" ....
Yes Chris, this job is MASSIVELY ADDICTIVE! I've had other jobs with potential career opportunities, but this occupation has such magnetism to enjoying it that it really "get's into the blood" so to say. When you advance in life with your career that you're acquiring, you'll never forget this field of work.
-thx Monte
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Thomas Dieter
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 234
From: Yakima, WA
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 03-14-2005 10:47 PM
Well, I have to say that my reason for getting into the business was to attempt to support myself while in school, and just enjoy myself. I started my Sophomore year in High School, fall of 1998, and just enjoyed working as a concessionist, advancing up to Ticket Taker, and then to Doorman(Usher's were more of the person to walk in the theatre and check them every 5-10 mins. Doormen cleaned the theatre after the show).
After about 2 months of working there, I went up to the projection booth to get candy from the candy room, and stood their for about 5 mins just watching the projector run and the film feed out of the platter.
About 2 days later, the manager that hired me was showing me some more things to the doormans duties like changing pop cylinders and such, and he was telling me at the same time, that if I kept up with my work ethic and enthusiasm, I would be one day up in the booth making 8-10$ an hour sitting on my ass doing nothing, while everyone down here is busting theirs just to make minimum wage. That did it right there.
I went home that night and spoke with my mom, told her that I wanted to become a projectionist, and possibly a theatre owner, and she said go for it. My step-father on the other hand wasn't so optimistic. All he could say was, "You don't have the work ethic to do that, and you can't handle such a responsibility" and the list goes on. Needless to say, he wasn't very supportive at all, and every chance he got, he would say something along those lines.
Finally, in the summer of 2000, I went to England, Ireland, and Wales with the People to People Students Ambassadors program for 3 weeks. Came back 3 days before my Birthday, Aug. 1, and went to watch Coyote Ugly. While I was in the managers office letting him know that I was back in town ready to work, the head projectionist came into the office, and as I went to the box office to get my ticket, he said, "Once you have your ticket, I need to talk to you." So I went to the booth and sat down with him, and he said that they were looking to train another projectionist as the fill-in that they had right now wasn't working out. She didn't care for the films, and just took the job for the money really, and he asked me if I wanted to be trained. I said yes. I started training that September, and by the end of September I was on my own. Roger, my trainer, stated that out of everyone that he has seen trained, and train himself, I was the fastest learner, and that I should take pride in that, and the work that I do.
My first day on my own, I went home and told my step-father I was a projectionist, and that I proved him wrong. He has yet to say I couldn't do something since, and I don't think he's going to. My life motto is, if you tell me I can't do something I want to do, just watch, I'll see you when I do achieve it.
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Paul Mayer
Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under!
Posts: 3836
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Feb 2000
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posted 03-15-2005 02:34 AM
Art Schruhl was my mentor into this world of projection. He used to supply and run 16mm movies for Las Vegas' summer recreation program, which is how I met him in 1970 when I was finishing 9th grade. His real job was spotlight operator and projectionist for the Folies Bergere at the Tropicana Hotel. I guess he saw something in me and extended an invitation to his booth... bad mistake. I became a fixture in that booth during my high school years. He, along with several others on that crew, taught me their craft and helped sponsor me into their guild. Art was more of a father to me than any combination of my real or step dads.
Art Schruhl, Johnny Johnson, Louie Bradfield, Jay Carlow, Jack Gregg, Don McCullough, Cass Plumpton, Kenny Brown, Bob Schomer (Tropicana); Larry Little, Edgar Wertsbaugh (Cinerama dome); Carl Lowe, Kenny Higgins (Fox Charleston Plaza); Ken West (Sahara); Kinsey Turner (Las Vegas Hilton); Dave Rogers, Marty Izzo, Terry O'Connor, Angelo Molinaro (Caesars Palace); Louie Wutkie (Skyway Drive-in); Woody Jones (Las Vegas Drive-in); Rory O'Connor, Jim Ostrum (Redrock); Bob Cadigan, Neil Nagata, George Ferguson, Ron Olney, Ray Gonzales, Dave Becker (Trans American Video). They all inspired me.
[ 03-20-2005, 01:33 PM: Message edited by: Paul Mayer ]
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