Re: Showing Original Films

Excerpt from a letter on the basics to members of the Rowly, Massachusettes Historical Society by Bob Brodsky. The members are planning a fundraiser and wanted to know about projecting 16mm movies from 1936 which document town life.

Our experience is that original films, carefully handled, can and should be shown for educational purposes, to the community concerned and to outside groups. The key to success is preparation on all fronts.
Choose a Suitable Room: A theatre or dark hall with good sightlines to the screen (not too wide because from the sidees the light from the screen grows dim). Lightly sponge spots off the screen. Any appropriate size room with moveable chairs will do if it can be totally darkened. No seating should be too close or too far from the screen. There needs to be good passage and knee-room between rows. Center aisles waste good sightlines, and films can be effectively shown to people seated at tables.
Food: Food must always accompany a screening. The place must smell good. Pot-luck suppers rate #1. Fund-raising suppers are okay, but only if all the food is homemade, no store-bought bread or canned beans! At least, serve po-corn, desserts, and drinks hot and cold.
Preparation of the Films: Select only the best films and put the funniest up first, the "heaviest" at the end. You can't leave 'em laughing if you've lowered the boom at the beginning.
Clean the Film: Clean and assemble the films in order on large unbent reels for a minimum of interuptions. (ed. note: BB & TT trained them for this) Make sure there is lots of leader on the head end and some black leader on the tail end so the screen doesn't flash white white while you're turning the room lights back on. After the show, turn on a small lamp first before the bright room lights. Keep some masking tape on hand in case the film breaks and you have tape film ends together during the show (pending good repairs after the show).
Preparation of the Projector: Be familiar with its operation and idiosyncracies. Have a spare bulb on hand. Clean the lens carefully with a soft cotton cloth by breathing on it, and then clean the entire film path with Lemon Pledge Furniture Wax on a cotton swab. Be careful not to get any of the white liquid wax on any optics.
Make sure your power extension cord runs where no one can trip over it, or tape it down securely.
If anyone is going to narrate the show, make sure beforehand she/he can be heard over the projector noise. If a P.A. is to be used, test it beforehand and set the volume slightly louder (to compensate for bodies absorbing the sound) and make sure there will be no feedback squeal wherever the speaker may move. Do basic training with the speaker about using the mic.