The Geneva Movement

As I sat there in the movie theater last night, I noticed the whir of the projector. This sound took me back to the days when I was a apprentice movie projectionist.

Yes, you read that right.

I had to apprentice to run a movie projector. I had to do it for 80 hours.

To run a movie projector.

I had to apprentice for 80 hours so I could then take a test and then be LICENSED to run a movie projector.

Yes, you read that right.

Back in the days before Safety Film, movie film was nitrate based and was flammable and a projectionist needed to know stuff about preventing fires in movie theaters. Now that makes sense. You needed to know that you didn't want to throw water on that kind of film because the water would make the nitrates in the film turn into an acid, for example.

Of course, when safety film came in, it didn't burn. Part of my training was to watch Nitrate Film burn. And you know what... it burns and Safety Film doesn't.

Anyway, during my apprenticeship I kept asking what would be on the test. Chuck, the guy that taught me had no idea. Either he had forgotton what to study, or he had taken a union test which passed him as far as the State was concerned.

Anyway, I did my 80 hours, and then I went to a government office and took the test. Here's one of the questions that I got...

Explain the Geneva Movement and how it applies to a motion picture projector.

"What!?"

I never heard Chuck talk about that.

I also needed to know about "keystoning".

"What!?"

I never heard Chuck talk about that either.

I flunked.

I went to the college library in my small town and looked up this stuff and barely got the information that I needed.

Reason #43 growing up in a rural area can SUCK!!!

So I learned what the Geneva Movement was and I can tell you all about keystoning.

Chicks dig that.

Yes, you read that right.

Kurt