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A former projectionist remembers his life with the film reel


A former projectionist remembers his life with the film reel

On his first day of work as a projectionist at Westwood Cinema 8 in Omaha, Nebraska, Austin Andrie-Grondek analyzed the tapes for The Assassination of Jessie James by the Coward Robert Ford.

“The film was a good three hours long,” said Andrie-Grondek. “So it took me about four or five hours.”

While some theaters still show films on tape, most projectionists have been pushed into the background by digital technology. The Westwood Cinema 8, where Andrie-Grondek worked for about nine months in the 2000s, closed permanently in 2022.

“Films are an art form in every respect,” said Andrie-Grondek. “Even the projection.”

He said he remembers doing tricks for late-night shows, such as playing movie trailers backwards, upside down or with a different sound.

“This experience gives you something unique from that time, and it’s harder to reproduce with a fully digital projection,” he said.

Click the audio player above to hear Austin Adrie-Grondek’s story.

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