Meet the projectionists: Jon Lowe

What and where was your first job as a projectionist? 

I was a trainee at Cineworld Sheffield, a 20-screen multiplex, back in 1999.

How did you first get into it, and was the training on the job? 

I studied fine art and filmmaking, so after graduation I sought film-related work, which was a bit thin on the ground in South Yorkshire. One glum evening I walked into the cinema across the road from my depressing graduate job at BT, asked if they needed a trainee projectionist. I happened to be in the right place at the right time. The training was on the job, when multiplexes still ran 35mm prints on cake stands.

Of all the films you have projected over your career, is there one screening that stands out most vividly in your memory? 

Probably Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999), as I somehow managed to get the reels in the wrong order. Weirdly nobody noticed.

What is the future for projecting analogue film? 

I think it will remain a niche for certain auteur directors who have the clout to demand the vast expense. Otherwise it will be relegated to cult screenings for fleapit cinemas and specialist exhibitors. I can’t see a renaissance akin to vinyl records, as the entire exhibition sector would have to be retro-fitted. I do hope film will continue to be stored correctly by international archives even after it’s been digitised, to avoid it being lost and forgotten.

Why is projecting film special, and different to digital projection? 

It’s a very tactile and ‘alive’ medium, in that it ages over time. Every screening will be different, as the print gradually show its age and history. The chemical alchemy of film is a fascinating process that seems magical. It’s a shame that younger generations won’t get to experience this thrill. We do need to store films for posterity, as digital drives will not have the same longevity, and recorded history risks being lost.

What is the most common misconception you’ve encountered of what a projectionist does? 

We don’t sit watching films all day long.

What’s your best war story of a projection that went horribly wrong? 

Luckily nothing too horrific. I recall accidentally lacing up The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) at a kids’ screening. Luckily it was noticed before any real trauma was induced.

The BFI Film on Film Festival runs 8 to 11 June 2023.