Treatment
Working Title - Projection
Estimated running time -
5-6 Minutes
Plot Summary – To
investigate the difference in the day to day work of a cinema
projectionist in the time when film projectors have been retired in
favour of digital systems. Are the skills of a projectionist now
obselete? Would there be an argument for returning to film, in the
same was that (in recorded music), vinyl has made a comeback in the
last few years?
Themes adressed – Technology,
nostalgia, film, skills and hands.
Pre-production and production methods – As
pre-production, Eamon and I have been viewing a number of cinematic
short documentaries to get a feel for what styles of photography are
most effective in this kind of production, as well as to get an idea
of what kind of pacing we should aim for. We have confirmed access to
the Odessy Cinema projection room and are now seeking permission to
shoot in the QFT and Tudor cinemas. The Odessy is going to be our
example of a digital facility. The QFT have both film and digital
projectors, and since it is a historic venue for film in belfast we
are very hopeful that we will be able get footage of their projectors
and screens in operation. The Tudor is one of very few cinemas which
are still using film exclusively.
Setting/Location – Our
film is set in and around the three cinemas mentioned above, with
some shot also to be acquired in BMC millfield where we have enlisted
the help of our head of course, Joe McKinney, who is himself a
trained projectionist.
Intended Audience – Our
intended audience is, first of all, our classmates and tutors and
extends to Film and cinema enthusiasts and short documentary
enthusiasts.
Research – Many
internet forums feature entries from projectionists and cinema-goers
who all have differing opinions on which medium is the more
beneficial. Many, saying that the whirr of the 35mm projector is a
sound that should be added to digital projectors and various other
romantic/nostalgic ideas. The main upside of digital, it seems, is
that it has the potential to make cinema much more democratic –
giving filmmakers who cannot afford film reproduction for projection
the chance to display their work in high resolution, to a cinema
audience.
Budget – Since this is
a very small production (only two crew members) the only required
budget is for transport for the crew.
Equipment – As it
stands, we plan to use my Sony a37 camera for the bulk of the
footage, and possibly one of BMC's Sony Z5 camcorders for dolly shots
and establishing shots of the exterior of the cinemas. For Audio we
will be using BMC's sound kits and mics as well as my own zoom H4N
and shotgun mic.
Crew – Matt McQuillan
and Eamon O'Neill. Sharing all pre-production roles. Eamon will
direct the production and Matt will operate the camera. A sound
recordist will be recruited from our class.
Shooting Schedule – We
plan to shoot all Odessy and BMC footage in the week commencing
25/11/12 and QFT and Tudor footage as soon as possible afterwards,
subject to confirming permission from these facilities.
