Projectionists Meeting @ 2011-05-16 18:15:00
Monday 16/5/11 (week 4) 18:15 SSL
Present: Tim G (chair), Fergus C, Martin M, Tim D, Nikita S, Owen R,
Matt Breeze, Alex W (late with apologies)
In Attendance: Andrew M, Rob M, Yeng S, Olie B, Tristan B, Neil A,
Yolanda C, Max Hunt, George M, James M, Natalie T,
Kath B (late with apologies), Rachel C (late with apologies)
Apologies: Omar A, Rob G, Tim K, Ed M
1. Welcome and Apologies
Everyone was welcomed and the attendees were asked if they had been given any apologies.
2. Training
a. Tim G informed those present that Yeng completed her snaps test on Saturday (14th May), but she still has to cover aspect ratios and sound formats. It was arranged that these would be finished after the meeting.
b. Yeng’s qualification show will be the early showing of Paul this Friday. Rachel, Tim G and Alex said they could attend. Martin, Fergus and Owen were maybes.
c. Yeng has borrowed Nikita’s proj keys for her qualification; hopefully we will be getting more sets by then (though Tim G thinks this unlikely).
d. Kath’s Snaps Test was organised for this Saturday (21st May). Owen, Nikita, Fergus, Rob G and Tim G can attend.
e. Tim D’s has suggested a cool way of training advanced level trainees – get them to train you! This is quite helpful for them to consolidate their knowledge as well as introducing them to training trainees themselves. This technique was used at Kath’s last show and she stated that it was to her benefit.
3. Technical Officer’s Report/ Outdoor Screening Tech
a. Alex stated that the new speaker has arrived and will be fitted after the meeting (Alex is confident that the process with be straight forward).
b. Alex has fixed the broken speakon cable.
c. No Outdoor screening updates.
4. Prioritisation of 35mm or digital
a. This issue was brought to the committee due to the need to have a formal committee policy on the matter. Once the digital projector is installed, as well as 35mm and 70mm, we will also have the capability to show digital formats (this was in fact the intention when digital cinema was decided upon). Tim G understands that to avoid the Films Officer being drawn into Proj, DM, Exec and FilmSoc politics and to avoid him/her being perpetually lobbied by individuals or committees – it is best that one is prioritised.
b. Tim G believes that the committee stands, quite openly, in favour of prioritising 35mm, for the foreseeable future.
c. However he pointed out that we will be requiring enough films next term such that we can train projectionists in digital. It was countered however that training a qualified or trainee projectionist to use the digital projector will be quite easy and given that we will no doubt be having to show about 3-4 films in digital, due to them only being available in digital, it is believed that no prioritisation of digital for this reason is required.
d. It was brought up that it may be easier to show A+Ts on the digital project. It was Tim G’s opinion that no matter what happens with regard the A+Ts, there should only be one set, either 35mm or digital, and that the Ads and Trailers (as well as all of the other parts that comprise the reel) should always be of the same format.
e. It was brought up that there may be instances where films are available in 35mm and digital formats, but there is sufficient reason to believe that the condition of the 35mm print would be near or close to unplayable. In these instances the committee sees no reason why the digital format should not be preferred.
f. It was the opinion of Tim G and several other members of the committee that given the dawn of widespread digital projection - the 35mm format now has a shelf life, given that digital is cheaper for new releases and more popular old films are being re-released digitally. They believe that at some point in the future, near or far, we will no longer be able to get hold of enough 35mm films, both new releases and classics, to train a sufficient number of projectionists (but Tim G is firmly in the belief that this is tending towards the far future, when he will no longer be at the society, and so he doesn’t care).
g. The committee would like to know hold many trailers are in available in digital, what the deal is with digital ads, and how many classics are now in digital (Films Officer).
5. Future of 70mm in our society + End Game plans
a. This point was brought to the committee because Tim G was concerned, given the amount of 70mm projectionists that will be leaving at the end of the year, whether there will still be enough 70mm knowledge to continue to show 70mm. It was the general consensus that we should continue to show 70mm films as long as there is the desire and the skill within the projection committee or as long as playable 70mm prints are still available.
b. Owen said that this was clearly a decision for those remaining.
c. Fergus stated that three qualified 70mm projectionists are remaining, and also that he and Tim G probably know enough to project a film on their own.
d. The committee would like to know how many 70mm are still available – this is a job for The Films Officer!
e. The last part of this discussion was about the 70mm end game plans within the society, which depending on the outcome of the last point may or may not be in the foreseeable future.
f. George was firmly of the belief that 70mm should not die quietly, either by a sudden unavailability of prints or an unforeseen lack of expertise to show them. Given what 70mm has meant to the film and cinema industries, as well as to our society – we would be doing it an unforgivable disservice to not make our last 70mm showing a major event; where we can all raise a glass (except those in the proj box) and toast the end of a great era.
6. Equal Ops Breaches/Claims procedure
a. Fergus reminded everyone of the correct claims procedure. This being: any problem with a person should be dealt with in this order:
i) The grievance should be discussed with said person.
ii) If either this has not solved the problem or you feel unable, for whatever reason, to discuss it with them and if it is a matter pertaining to a member of the projection team in their role as a member of the projection team or if you are a member of the projection team and the problem occurred during your duties as a member of the projection team then you should discuss it with the Chief Projectionist.
iii) If you feel the matter has not been solved by the Chief Projectionist or that you feel, for whatever reason, that you cannot speak to the Chief Projectionist or if the matter does not fall within the purview of the Chief Projectionist as stated above then you should raise the issue with either the Vice-President or President.
iv) If, for whatever reason, you do not feel comfortable discussing this issue with either the President or Vice-President or you do not feel that either of them has resolved the issue satisfactorily then you should speak to the Societies Officer at the Students Union, however an emphasis should be placed that we would always prefer to solve these problems in-house.
b. Tim G reminded everyone that grievances should not be aired on any of the mailing lists that projectionists have access to.
7. QProj email listing
a. Tim G informed everyone that an anonymous projectionist has asked to be removed from the mailing list. This was due to the fact that said projectionist believed that the listing was being misused on two counts.
i) That offensive and deliberately argumentative emails were being sent to all of QProj.
ii) That the listing was being used for matters that did not relate directly to the matters the projection committee had any say or any power upon, and that related to other areas of the society.
b. Tim G asked the qualified projectionists if they could perhaps try to focus on projection issues only on the listing (as there tend to be enough of those to be getting on with).
8. Anonymous QProj
a. Tim G reminded everyone of the Anonymous QProj Gmail account.
b. This is a Gmail account available to all qualified projectionists.
c. The login and password are available to all qualified projectionists.
d. All emails sent from this account are moderated by the Chief Projectionist – who will only allow through appropriate emails.
e. It is to be used only for constructive criticism if a projectionist feels concerned of reprisal for making a comment. It’s uses can include: correcting inaccurate show reports (though in the first instance this should be done during proj meetings unless again one is weary of reprisal) or suggesting if QProj emails are inappropriate.
9. Time and Date of next meeting
The next meeting will take place on Monday 23rd May at 18:10 in SSL
10. Rotas
a. Owen R signed up to the showing of The Mechanic on 18/5/11.
b. Alex W signed up to the showing of Blue Valentine on 19/5/11.
c. Rachel C was de-signed from the early showing of Paul (due to Yeng’s qualification) on 20/5/11.
11. AOB
a. Due to 4.f. in last week’s minutes Neil will be helping make-up The Mechanic and Blue Valentine.
b. Max needs his AT1 – Tim G will take this on Wednesday.
c. Rob M and Yolanda need platter training – this will also be taken on Wednesday.
d. Rachel again drew attention to the poor frame rate issues in the Marketing Video, stating that it does not look professional. There was some discussion about ways in which to rectify this, but no conclusion was reached.
e. Tim G relayed a request from Scott (Marketing Officer) that if projectionists noticed anything wrong with the slides of marketing videos - to also email him about it.
f. Martin pointed out that the A+Ts are getting quite long, and that the KPMG and Marketing video should be included in the timetable. It was agreed that the proj committee feels 20mins is a good time to aim at and that following consultation with the DM committee a formal upper and lower limit should be made.
g. Rachel then suggested that the start-up procedure is changed so that one presses run on the projector when the ‘Enjoy the Show’ slide appears instead of at the end of the Marketing video. It was also decided that the banned logo on the slide should be removed.
h. Fergus (holder of the non-constitutionally existent exec role of vice-president, who is responsible for organising socials – though you wouldn’t know it) has promised us some off campus socials!
i. There will be a tech session after the meeting in L3.
Meeting Ended at 19:20