Routine between change-overs (Phil Fawke)

Phil Fawke interviewed by Richard Wallace

Projectionist and cinema manager Phil Fawke describes the process of changing-over a film including replacing the carbon rods in the arc lamps.

And of course in those days you had carbon arcs as well which burnt away, they had to be carboned up every time, at the end of every 20 minute reel. And while I was at the Regal, Foleshill Road at Coventry they had hand-feed arcs there. And if you can imagine trying to run a show on your own, which sometimes you were on your own. On a change-over trying to feed two arc lamps up when one’s round here and the other one’s round here, it’s a bit difficult because if the things come close it gets blue, if they get apart it goes brown you see. It was just terrible really. You had a job. You used to have to sort of feed the one up hoping that it didn’t burn away enough while you’ve got enough time to lace the other projector up, rewind the film and get the dot as well to change over.

Title

Routine between change-overs (Phil Fawke)

Subject

change-over process

Description

Projectionist and cinema manager Phil Fawke describes the process of changing-over a film including replacing the carbon rods in the arc lamps.

Creator

The Projection Project

Source

Interview with Phil Fawke

Publisher

The University of Warwick

Date

09/12/2015

Contributor

Richard Wallace
Phil Fawke

Relation

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/24797
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/48440
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/5886

Format

.mp3

Language

English

Type

Sound recording
interview extract

Coverage

1940-1980s

Interviewer

Richard Wallace

Interviewee

Phil Fawke

Date of Interview

04/12/2014

Location

Birmingham

Transcription

And of course in those days you had carbon arcs as well which burnt away, they had to be carboned up every time, at the end of every 20 minute reel. And while I was at the Regal, Foleshill Road at Coventry they had hand-feed arcs there. And if you can imagine trying to run a show on your own, which sometimes you were on your own. On a change-over trying to feed two arc lamps up when one’s round here and the other one’s round here, it’s a bit difficult because if the things come close it gets blue, if they get apart it goes brown you see. It was just terrible really. You had a job. You used to have to sort of feed the one up hoping that it didn’t burn away enough while you’ve got enough time to lace the other projector up, rewind the film and get the dot as well to change over.

Original Format

One-to-one interview

Duration

00:00:51

Bit Rate/Frequency

320kbps

Cinema

Regal/Vue, Portland Place, Leamington Spa
Regal, 511 Foleshill Road, Coventry
King's Norton Cinema, The Green, King's Norton, Birmingham

Citation

The Projection Project, “Routine between change-overs (Phil Fawke),” Cinema Projectionist, accessed March 28, 2024, https://projectionproject.warwick.ac.uk/items/show/425.

Output Formats