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.
Write to us using the form below and your story may appear in a future edition of “My Analogue Life”.
There is a lot happening in the world. Marketplace is there for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down world events and tell you how they affect you in a fact-based and accessible way. To continue to do this, we depend on your financial support.
Your donation today supports the independent journalism you depend on. For as little as $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
