End of an era for cinema

IT will be the end of an era for the Plaza Cinema when its three historic 35mm film projectors are removed in a £135,000 digital upgrade of the facility.

Computerised technology will throw the ancient art of film, as older generations know it, on the scrapheap, making cans of film and cutting and sticking reels of film redundant.

The Plaza is one of the last cinemas in the country which still uses the traditional technology, with the reels of film spliced and stuck together.

Three highly-skilled veteran projectionists currently work at the cinema, Paul McGonagle, John Bradshaw and chief projectionist Joe Strain (pictured), who has been at the Plaza since the 1960s.

But in October the three screens will be switching from film to digital with the promise of a huge improvement in sound quality.

Plaza director Jan Dunn believes the traditional 35mm reel actually offers viewers a more three dimensional film experience but states that the new technology will help the independent cinema compete with the larger film chains with increased visual and audio quality.

Jan said: “The films currently come in huge cans and the projectionists have to make those films up and they have to load them onto a big projector.

”The film is put on the platter and it is fed through the projector, it's quite a skill.

“We wouldn't be able to operate without our projectionists, particularly Joe, they are so skilled that we have never had any problems with our prints.

”There's nothing like a 35mm film and it's very sad but it's down to money.

“In October our sound will be as good as the major cinemas. We are just waiting for our date of installation but now we have the brand new seats we can offer visitors a fantastic experience at less than half the price of our competition.

”There are not very many independent cinemas left now and small independent cinemas never have the finance to be able to improve things.“

The Plaza will be holding a special nostalgia evening on Saturday, which will see a 35mm screening of singing in the rain with old news reels and nostalgic trailers.

Visitors will also be treated to live music.

Tickets are on sale now at the Plaza box office for £2 each and at the Plaza Support shop or people can pay on the day, Saturday September 15 from 7pm–10.30pm.

Jan added: ”Lots of money is being saved by going digital because film is expensive to make and distribute. Nevertheless it truly is the end of an era.“