The Academy Ventures Into The Projection Booth

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present an in-depth look at the evolution of motion picture projection, exploring the advances from early cinema through today’s digital technology in “Inside the Booth: A Journey through Projection,” a three part series beginning on Thursday, March 29 and concluding on Friday May 4, at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Presented by the Academy’s Science and Technology Council, the programs will be hosted by Academy Chief Projectionist Marshall Gitlitz and silent film historian and projectionist Joe Rinaudo. Programs begin at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 29 (Sold-out; standby tickets available)
The Birth of the Projection with a screening of “Sherlock, Jr.” (1924) 
Focusing on early cinema, the first night of the series highlights the work of such film pioneers as Thomas Armat, George Eastman, Thomas Edison, Georges Méliès, Eadweard Muybridge and the Lumière brothers. The evening includes a live demonstration of hand-cranked films and a screening of Buster Keaton’s classic silent comedy “Sherlock, Jr.,” which tells the story of a lonely projectionist who longs to be a detective.

Thursday, April 19 – The Golden Age
An exploration of the rise of varied film and sound formats and the proliferation of movie palaces, illustrating how the craft of projection began to solidify into the art form it is today. Film clips and live demonstrations will be used to explain concepts such as optical and digital multi-channel sound and long-play devices.

Friday, May 4 – The Final Curtain
The series wraps up with a look at the impact of television along with the evolution of wide-screen formats, 3D and multiplexes, and a discussion of the advances in digital cinema projection. Other technical developments in projection will be explored, including the move into the higher resolution of 4K and beyond.

In conjunction with the series, the Academy will present “Tech Art 2: The Projection Story,” an exhibition celebrating the often-overlooked craft of projection. Showcasing 35 full-color images shot from 2009 to early 2012 by photographer Vince Gonzales, the exhibition captures artifacts from the Academy’s Richard O. Bartel Collection (one of the world’s most comprehensive collection’s of projection equipment), the USC Hugh M. Hefner Moving Image Archive and Paramount Pictures. Projectors and equipment will also be displayed alongside Gonzales’s photographs.

Gonzales and Julio Vera, the Academy’s museum project collections manager, will give a free gallery talk in the foyer of the theater on Saturday, May 5, at 2 p.m. Reservations are not required. Admission is free. The exhibition will be open for public viewing on May 5 and Sunday, May 6, from noon to 6 p.m., and whenever Academy public programs are hosted at the Linwood Dunn Theater. For more information, visit www.oscars.org or call (310) 247-3600.

Tickets to the “Inside the Booth: A Journey through Projection” are $5 for the public and $3 for Academy members and students with valid ID. Tickets are available online at www.oscars.org, by mail or at the Academy box office. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. All seating is unreserved.

A standby line will form on the day of the event, and standby numbers will be assigned starting at approximately 5:30 p.m. Any available tickets will be distributed shortly before the program begins. Ticketholders should plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the event to ensure a seat in the theater.

The Linwood Dunn Theater is located at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood. Free parking is available through the entrance on Homewood Avenue. For more information, call (310) 247-3600.

For more information call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

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