35mm Workshop Review
Last Saturday, our 35mm workshop took place in the Blue Salon – a colorful mix of technology, mishaps, and lots of fun! The participants, who had no previous experience, learned everything important about analog film projection: from the start band to film orientation to sound cleaning – and why it shouldn't get on the screen. Small mistakes caused laughter and lightened up the workshop.
At the beginning, everyone was allowed to choose a trailer. This approach helped to understand in a practical way what is important when handling film material: Where is the front, where is the back? How does the film run? What needs to be considered when inserting it? After the theoretical introduction, it was time to get down to business: the film material was inspected, sorted, and finally inserted into the projector by hand. Occasionally, the focus was lost for a short time, and one or two films actually ran backwards for a moment—minor beginner's mistakes that were taken with humor and accompanied the learning process.
At the end, everyone presented their own trailer to the other participants. The atmosphere was relaxed, stage fright included, and everyone was happy about the progress they had made together. Four hours of concentrated work had turned complete beginners into unofficial film projectionists. There were no official certificates, but there was plenty of practical experience and a palpable enthusiasm for analog film art.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who attended and whose commitment, patience, and curiosity made the workshop such a special experience! This marks the end of an exciting semester in the Blue Salon—now it's time for the summer break. We are already looking forward to the next analog round and to bringing more film classics to life on 35mm together with you. 🎞️
Special thanks go to the Riemschneider Foundation, which sponsored this workshop – without their generous support, this event would not have been possible.
