GREASING THE WHEELS: 16MM PROJECTOR & SPLICER MAINTENANCE Instructor: Alex MacKenzie Presented by Cineworks and Iris Film Collective May 4th, 2019 Tickets HERE.
We coddle our precious 16mm cameras but not so much our old school projectors, and yet these machines are in many ways even more delicate and worthy of our care. Without them there is—simply put—no show. With service and repair people in the world of analog projection now virtually history, it is left to us, the media artists and filmmakers, to keep these reels turning and splices clean. The more knowledge we have, the more confident we can be with our gear, and the less we need to rely on replacing, rather than repairing.
In this workshop (first presented at the International Analog Film Labs Symposium in Mexico City last year), we will explore best practices and maintenance techniques for both 16mm projectors and splicers. This will include upkeep, use, safety, lubricants, belts, bulbs, modification, bandaid solutions, common problems, and simple ways to fix them. Projectors will be opened up to better understand the moving parts and what they do, and we will take a close look at all elements, from film gate to optical reader and beyond. Expect tips and tricks aplenty.
You will leave feeling more confident and clear on the workings of these machines that are so central to the display of your work and so essential to understand and maintain.
All materials will be provided and no experience is necessary.
Alex MacKenzie is a Vancouver-based media artist working primarily with 16mm analog film equipment and hand processed imagery, creating works of expanded cinema, light projection installation, and projector performance that screen internationally. He has presented workshops for over two decades at universities, art centres and underground spaces the world over on a range of film-related subjects including hand processing, photograms, pre-cinema, and projector performance.
Accessibility Notes: Cineworks is currently solely accessible via back alley entrance located between Howe Street and Hornby Street. There is limited free parking at the alley entrance, with additional metered street parking on Howe Street. This event will take place in the Studio on ground level, which is wheelchair accessible. The washroom is gender neutral and located on the second floor and is not accessible by wheelchair access. Please email [email protected] if you require any assistance.
Cineworks and Iris Film Collective pay respect to the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations on whose unceded traditional territories our organizations and our work is based. We are committed to dialogue and collaboration with Indigenous artists and communities, amid ongoing social, cultural and environmental effects of colonialism and globalization, as part of our mandate to engage and support independent filmmakers, media artists and audiences through the transformative powers of the moving image.
