Before digital took over, a theatre’s projectionist used to be an essential part of the business. Their mastery of the equipment made a trip to the movies possible. A series of photos by Joseph O. Holmes documents the remains of a dying profession.
The Booth is a project exploring the people, places, and processes behind the last remaining holdouts of analogue film projection. Holmes visited theatres in the north-eastern United States for the project. His striking portrayals of tiny dim rooms, scattered equipment, and reels of celluloid seem ancient even though it was only a few years ago that theatres started to convert to digital projection systems en masse.
There are still projection rooms up and running here and there despite the digital revolution. Some believe that the experience of viewing a projected film is a unique and valuable one that deserves preservation. Here’s to hoping that future generations will be able to feel the warm flicker of film — somewhere.