As many of my UK friends know,I'm the West End's longest serving projectionist (32 years next month) & in the current digital revolution,am frequently refeared to as 'The Last Projectionist Standing by BBC film critic Mark Kermode. 32 years is a very long time & so there's no easy way to announce this,so probably the easist way is to post the very kind words that appeared in the company newsletter last week...
Internal Announcement It is with regret that I announce that David Norris, Projection Manager at The Empire Leicester Square will be leaving us in May. David has been offered a fantastic opportunity with Universal Pictures. I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the company to thank David for his contribution to the business and in particular for helping make The Empire, THE premiere cinema in the UK and wish him all the best for the future.
Operations Director 16th April 2012
I will be very sad to go and it wasn't an easy decision to leave but studio based jobs do only come up once in a blue moon so I think I would be crazy to turn it down. I will still be lurking on here as well as facebook & twitter as well as keeping in touch with my close personal friends who use this site personally but just thought I would make a small post to explain exactly why I won't be lurking around Leicester Square as much as I have been
Congrats! Definitely the move to make. Even though I work one day a week now I hit 40 years last month. As long as there is some celluloid out there....
Congratulations, Dave - grab it with both hands and run with it. Be like Harry when he gets offered the big one shortly...he'll be too but you can bet that he'll get over it.
Congrats! Definitely the move to make. Even though I work one day a week now I hit 40 years last month. As long as there is some celluloid out there....
Thanks Henry..I haven't run any 35mm for at least 2 years now but I know what you mean. Coming to LA in the next couple of months to see Nick Redman & the Burlingame's so maybe we can hook up for a beer?
Congratulations, Dave - grab it with both hands and run with it. Be like Harry when he gets offered the big one shortly...he'll be too but you can bet that he'll get over it.
Where will you be geographically?
Chris
Chris,they are moving into new offices just behind Centre Point...
Best of luck for the future Dave - the Empire won't be the same without you. Thanks again for showing me round the projection room - it was good to see that historic 70mm projector!
Sounds like a great opportunity and very well timed. I think our job will be gone by this time next year, except maybe at a few independents. Already I'm being eased out of my job and need to start looking to the future.
The best of luck with your new career.
P.S. I've only ran 2 35mm prints over the last year (for our bookings department) and it seems so strange now. Noisy and mechanical but a lot more fun than scheduling on a TMS.
Congratulations, Dave - grab it with both hands and run with it. Be like Harry when he gets offered the big one shortly...he'll be too but you can bet that he'll get over it.
Where will you be geographically?
Chris
Chris,they are moving into new offices just behind Centre Point...
Didn't realize there were so many projectionists here. I used to be one, but getting paid minimum wage to run up and down 75 steps until 4am wasn't my cup of tea (lost a lot of weight though ).
My old theater still has around 6-8 35mm projectors. While I was working, we had 3 digital (2 Sony 4Ks and 1 Christie Digital) and 15 35mm projectors.
Sounds like a great opportunity and very well timed. I think our job will be gone by this time next year, except maybe at a few independents. Already I'm being eased out of my job and need to start looking to the future.
The best of luck with your new career.
P.S. I've only ran 2 35mm prints over the last year (for our bookings department) and it seems so strange now. Noisy and mechanical but a lot more fun than scheduling on a TMS.
Uhtred Are you at the corner house in Nottingham or the Showcase?