Start-Up Routine

There are many facets involved in the presentation of a film, prior to the film itself arriving on the screen. At Warwick Student Cinema, there is a full start-up routine that should be followed as closely as possible.

Allowing the Audience into L3

After the setting up of the speakers and other facets of front of house, L3 should be readied for the entrance of the audience. The Duty Manager (DM) will ask the projectionist if they are ready to let the audience into L3, unto which the answer should only be yes if all of the following hold:

1. The slideshow presentation is being projected on screen by the digital projector (play the 'start_up_2012' playlist).

2. The masking has been set to wide (1.78:1).

3. The spotlights are the only lights on and they are set to high.

Note. 1-3 are automated within the 'start_up_2012' doremi playlist, with the exception of tripping some of the fluorescents if required.

4. There is music playing in L3 from a CD (usually at 3.0, but potentially higher or lower).

5. The corridor light is turned off.

6. There are no issues with the front of house (on-stage) area.

7. A sound and vision check has been undertaken within L3 to ensure that 1-6 are all OK.

Starting-Up the KPMG Video

At half past (or other scheduled start-time of the film), the projectionist should wait for one of the slides to fade out to black. During the subsequent fifteen second slide, the music should be faded from 3.0 down to 2.0 at 0.1 per second, then quickly down lower. Since the slides last 15 seconds each, this provides a few seconds prior to the slide fading out.

When it does so, we need to start the KPMG video running. To do this, the projectionist should press the P3 button once (Do not press it more than once!) and the PC button simultaneously, to bring on the video and switch to the appropriate audio track. In total, the KPMG video runs for 2 minutes 40 seconds, with the last piece being the KPMG Chief Exec joking “this is for YouTube, is it?!”.

Starting-Up the Adverts

Sections of the Slideshow, KPMG video and 'Enjoy the Show' slide.

The next thing on screen is a still, blue KPMG slide. When this fades to black, the projectionist should hit run on the ads reel and open the dowser. There is then the Enjoy the Show slide, for fifteen seconds, during which time, blank opaque film (high density mylar) is running through the projector. When the Enjoy the Show slide fades to black, the projectionist should change over to the running projector, hitting P1 (or P2), in addition to Dolby Digital and opening the masking to XWide (1.85:1). If this is done smoothly then the audience should hear the ‘Pow’ of Pearl & Dean.

As soon as the image, sound and masking have been pressed, the projectionist should concentrate on racking and focusing the film, followed by going into the back of L3 to perform a sound and vision check.

Trailers

Throughout the adverts and trailers reel, the projectionist should be keeping an eye out on the screen for each of the different segments of film, as they may be slightly differently racked. It is also important to remember that since the audience are in the auditorium, it is possible that the light settings could be adjusted accidentally or maliciously, so the projectionist should stay near to the viewing windows.

Four stills from the 'Coming Soon' logo

At the end of the adverts, there will be a closing Pearl & Dean piece, followed by the main advertiser’s clip. (Currently VW). After this will come the Coming Soon Logo. When this fades out to black, the spotlights should be dimmed from high to low for the running of the trailers.

Starting-Up the Film

Four stills from the 'Courtesy' logo

At the end of the trailers, there is a Courtesy Logo, asking all patrons to turn off their mobile phones and pagers. When this fades to black, the lights should be turned off completely.

This is then followed by the Feature Presentation Logo.

Four stills from the 'Feature Presentation' logo

As soon as the fanfare (music) for this stops, the projectionist should hit run for reel 1, open the dowser and change over to the relevant projector. At this point, if the film is in scope ratio (2.35:1), the masking should be set to open, or if the film is to be played in SDDS, this will need to be selected.

(Note: DTS should never be manually pressed - it will pick up from SR/SRD if at all possible).

The projectionist should immediately concentrate on racking and focusing during the sound trailer and certificate. Once these seem OK, the dowser should be closed on the projector that showed the ads and trailers and once the film has run through, the projector should be stopped. If the platter is in use, then this is also a good time to set it to null. This should be followed by another sound and vision check inside L3, still during the opening titles.

Shutdown Required

On various occasions, either due to a special screening (such as the sponsored event or The AllNighter), or at particularly busy screenings where the DM has informed the projectionist of the need, it may be necessary to perform a shutdown prior to the start of the film. if this is the case, then all of the above should be performed in exactly the same manner, up until the end of the Courtesy Logo.

Instead of following the usual procedure above, the projectionist should, upon the fading out of the Courtesy Logo, simultaneously press the CD button and put the spotlights back up to high. If the delay is due to a large audience and difficulties with selling tickets on time, or seating people, then the projectionist should also turn the slides back on, adjust the masking accordingly and fade the music back up to 3.0.

In either case, once the delay is over, the projectionist should not play the Feature Presentation Logo. instead, they should go straight into the film (if necessary, after a one slide music fade), adjusting the sound and masking as required upon start-up of the film's sound trailer.