Describe your typical day at work
A day can be quite different but generally it consists of leading a superb team across our various territories to achieve the best Sound & Projection Experience. This can take the form of cinema visits, meetings and management of allocated capital expenditure, Design meetings and workshops for new cinemas and refurbishments. Working with suppliers and building relationships and good working principles. I get involved with industry bodies to learn and offer my experience on technical matters and generally do everything in my power to help ensure the presentation standards and technical excellence is achieved wherever possible.
The moment you fell in love with the Big Screen?
This is easy and sticks in my mind always. I was 14 and went to see Gremlins in the cinema. I wasn't old enough to see it but I wore by best shirt and tried to look 15 so I could get in. I did. I sat down very excited and looked around to the projection window. I saw a man there lacing up the projector and he waved at me. From then on, I loved everything about cinema and I knew I wanted to be a projectionist. I became one when I was 19 and always waved at people if they saw me through the porthole window.
The best thing about the cinema experience?
One of the best thing about the cinema experience, other than the anticipation of the lights going down and the screen coming on, is seeing a movie with a packed audience who all can’t wait for it to start and hopefully have such a great experience they don’t want it to end. But the very best moments, for me, is experiencing a movie that fills you with humble reverence that brings you to tears, because that’s when the experience, and film that gave it to you, stays in your mind forever.