Background

Peter J. Knight, Moving Image Specialist/Projectionist/AV Technician, Cinema Consultant and Writer/Journalist.

Let me give you some background to myself.

I have been involved with the cinema exhibition industry since 1997 when I became involved with the Flix – Loughborough Student Cinema, whilst at university. This is where I learnt the art of being a projectionist and about the cinema exhibition sector in general. Within this organisation I was not just involved with showing the films, but also with the running of the society. This included being a lead member who produced a strategic review and was instrumental in improving the society. In recent years it has gone on to win awards at the university and also nationally. Despite graduating in 2000 I am still actively involved with the society and train up all their new projectionists to industry standard (they have just become the first student cinema in the country to obtain the BKSTS/CEA Projectionist Certification) and acting as a general friend to the society. In February 1999, I organised and ran a five day film festival in conjunction with the local cinema. Whilst at University time was also spent working in the AV department of the Students’ Union Entertainments department.

Since 2000 I have been actively working as a freelance Projectionist and AV Technician in venues across London, from small arts theatres such as Norden Arts Centre in Maidenhead and the Catford Broadway Theatre through to preview theatres including BAFTA and Disney. Other freelance work has also included working in the Cinema Tent at the world famous Glastonbury Festival in 2008-2013.

Since 1997 when I started as a projectionist at university I have been producing a website dedicated to the subject. This has now grown into an internationally recognised resource which receives several hundred thousand hits a year and is one of the highest results in a Google search. The ‘Mad Cornish Projectionist’ (www.madcornishprojectionist.co.uk), has become a brand and is now a respected location on the Internet. This website and it’s role has expanded to a consultancy role, and includes modern Digital Cinema. In 2010 I was commissioned to work with Barco to look at the new 4K projectors being launched.

In 2011, I have taken on the responsibility for writing the BKSTS CTC Digital Handbook and Certification Scheme (extending the film certification scheme already in existence), which will compliment the Film Projectionist Handbook. The Digital Handbook was available from March 2012. In late 2012 into 2013 I was part of a sub-committee who formed from the BKSTS CTC in order to rethink the training offering provided by the committee following the change in the industry from projectionists to managers showing many of the films in the industry. You can read about the course here.

Over the years I have provided advice and consultancy a large and diverse range of people and companies, including film and television companies. I am always happy to help anyone who gets in touch in whatever way that he can and feels that this area will continue to expand for him in the future. So please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or require any help.

A sister side to Mad Cornish Projectionist was launched for projectionist recruitment – The Projectionist Agency (theprojectionistagency.co.uk) is considered that the two websites provide the best results for many cinemas and theatres who are trying to recruit technicians for their sites. In 2013 this site was decommissioned and taken over by We Can Still Show Film due to the decline in the number of projectionist roles now available. Some jobs still come up and these are now advertised via the main website; this has the added benefit that it goes out to a wider number of people.

Over the years a number of articles have been written and published in cinema related journals, including Cinema Technology Magazine and as a regular contributor for ScreenTrade Magazine. In 2000 a report about the Cinema Exhibition Industry written as a piece of coursework whilst at University was reproduced in a wider Business Studies pack which was sent to every secondary school in the country.

I have a love of cinema in all its forms, no matter where it is shown or how it is shown, although obviously there is a real passion for 35mm film. I can say that I am interested in early cinema from Zoetropes (and earlier) all the way through to digital and the latest technology. I wish to help and support as many cinema/projection projects as I can, in whatever form I can.

In 2007 I joined the BKSTS Cinema Technology Committee and in 2010 I became one of its two Vice Chairman. In April 2010 I also became the Chairman of the Projected Picture Trust which is based at Bletchley Park.

March 2013 saw the launch of new website “We Can Still Show Film” a website which is dedicated to recording the projectionists, venues and companies who are still able to run film, especially 35mm now that most of the industry has gone over to digital.

In 2014 I was award a Fellowship of the BKSTS for his work in the Cinema Industry. I also recognised that with the change over from film to digital that it was important to keep the skills of the projectionist alive. Also from experience I am aware that there are a large number of collectors and people with both knowledge, skills and collections of both film and projection right across the world. I feel that it is really important that there is a network for all these people and organisations to be able to share this information. As a result I started the Cinema, Film and Projection Heritage Network. This is still being developed, and has continued to during 2015 with the assistance of others.

From 2000-July 2015 I worked at the BBC 

Born and brought up in Cornwall, Peter is very proud to be able to call himself Cornish. Leisure interests including spending time relaxing with friends in nice traditional pubs, or on the canal – there is nothing like spending a relaxing time on a narrowboat on a sunny afternoon. Other interests include walking.

Companies and locations Peter has shown films:

  1. Flix – Loughborough Student Cinema, Loughborough
  2. Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead
  3. Soho House
  4. Electic Cinema, Nottinghill
  5. Broadway Theatre, Catford
  6. Firmdale Hotels (Soho Hotel, Covent Garden Hotel, Charlotte Street Hotel)
  7. The Hospital
  8. UIP, Hammersmith
  9. BAFTA
  10. Wired, Charlotte Street.
  11. The Engima Cinema, Bletchley Park (volunteer work)
  12. Windsor Arts Centre (now known as the Fire Station Arts Centre)
  13. Glastonbury Festival, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
  14. NBC Universal
  15. MPS Preview Theatre
  16. EOne
  17. British Film Institute, Southbank
  18. SSVC Mobile Cinema Lorry
  19. Nightflix
  20. Channel 4
  21. London Film School
  22. Art Works Guils via ProScreens

If you want to know further details about me then you can get further details via my Peter J Knight website.