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Filmmaking Memories

More OFU films now available on YouTube

Just uploaded: three “new” OFU films from the archives. If you liked seeing the early shots of Stag Hill in the Rag ’69 and Under Construction films, why not take a look at Peter The Cow, in which a panto cow tours campus? Then, head over to our most mysterious film, Kidnap!, a short thriller. […]

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Filmmaking

Danny Leigh: “Digital technology saved a dying medium”

“The ritual of 35mm is gorgeous. But it’s only a ritual. It’s not the movie.” Article in The Guardian by Danny Leigh. It’s an argument we’ve heard before, and with which I largely agree: it is more satisfying to make a film (or a photograph) without artificially constraining yourself by the technology. Unfortunately, one of […]

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Exhibition

Quit your job, become a projectionist

Article in Time Out. Admittedly it’s easy to be critical, but I’m really not sure about the inelegant job title “technical services technician”. Or the hours. Or the prospects. The quoted pay seems pretty optimistic too …

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Filmmaking Memories

Fame (and fortune?) at last as 15-year-old OFU film makes the news

Article on local radio station 96.4 Eagle’s website with accompanying OFU footage.

Categories
Filmmaking

Super-8 is back

Against all the odds, Kodak – which went bankrupt as recently as 2012 – has announced that it’s “reviving” Super-8 cameras and film. Kodak’s got a press release from CES 16 and here’s the Super-8 Revival product page. They’ve also lined up a load of top Hollywood directors to sing the praises of this “analogue […]

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Exhibition

Arthouse cinemas are facing the last picture show

Article by the Telegraph’s chief film critic arguing that the Competition Commission has made a significant error in its handling of the acquisition of Picturehouse by Cineworld. It’s comparatively rare to read a story in which a big company taking over a smaller, independent one is considered to be a good thing, but it’s a […]

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Exhibition

Leonard Maltin: “If you don’t care about running a cinema business, go and open a fast food restaurant instead”

Video rant on YouTube and brief transcript extracts c/o Indiewire.

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Exhibition

The screen is silver, but the seats are gold

AMC Theatres – best known in the UK as the operator of the country’s first multiplex at Milton Keynes, although their business here has been rocky – has started to refit its cinemas with spacious premium seating. According to the New York Times article, this involves reducing theatre capacity by 64%, yet may still make […]

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Exhibition

Mark Kermode: “Give us proper cinemas”

Mark Kermode in the Radio Times stating, clearly and concisely, what many of us have known for some time – that going to the cinema ain’t want it used to be. Hat-tip to OFU alumnus Matttew for spotting and Tweeting.

Categories
Exhibition

Photos and memories of film projection

Gizmodo republishes some photographs of projection booths in the final days of film. There are a few nice comments from former projectionists below the article. The photographer is Joseph Holmes.