Does any one here collect films and projectors, at least in part, because of the preservation aspect of it? Part of the draw for me, is indeed to preserve a technology that many people consider obsolete. I sometimes feel like a sort of curator, which makes me proud. I'm nowhere at the collecting level Vidar, Dave or Robert is, but I am pretty passionate about my little collection.

Well done Timothy; I am interested in seeing these films and projectors survive. When I started out that was all there really was if you wanted to see or own moving pictures. I would recommend going into 16mm it's much more interesting to me, and the quality is better. I'll post pictures of some of my cine related items another day.

I have said this before, but my favourite print is a film titled 'The Masked Pirate', also known as 'The Pirates of Capri', why it's so special I can't say, I just like it, and it has great music. I set up my screen, stand, projector, then I make a cup of tea, sit down, switch on and enjoy, and at the end of the film, I think I have had a fantastic evening's entertainment; I haven't left the house, but I have enjoyed myself just as much as if I had been to the theatre. There's also the pleasure of rewinding the reels, setting up the next reel, and watching the countdown to the start. You won't get this much pleasure watching movies in another format.

And I still say you can't watch films on any other format :-) They seem to insist on calling it film, even if it's on a shiny disc, which is wrong (in my opinion)

Maybe I'm swimming against the tide here, but I don't really care about preserving the means of our hobby, I collect film because I
love it, not because I am some sort of "custodian" for a future generation, they won't give a toss about the way we view movies, we are
out of step, out of date, out of time now. I would imagine my library of film, books , dvd and video will be destined for landfill, I care not a jot, I have enjoyed what I have, absorbed knowledge and enjoyed the whole shebang, as for preservation, no, films will be
kept in some other way, our way of enjoying film is on the wane, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, live for the now and to hell with posterity. I agree with Vidar on the film aspect, there isn't any film used today I would think in news gathering, but they always refer to it in this context, the correct term would be "recording", it pisses me off too.

Sad to say,but once our generation passes I doubt many will want to take up the film collecting torch. How many actual film collectors are left now (maybe a few hundred,if that?) With that in mind I enjoy the hobby for the reasons that I do and as Hugh said,once we're gone our stash of films,projectors,etc. will most likely wind up (most optimistically) at a charity shop or in that proverbial landfill.

There is about 750+ on the Facebook page, so assume it's a bit more :-)

And sometimes younger folks feels the magic, though as you say, getting fewer

It is a sad fact Doug, but true, we can't expect "modern kiddies" to be as enthusiastic as we were when we first took up this hobby,
make no mistake, I am a die hard film collector, love the slippery stuff, spent a bloody fortune on it, but it won't sadden me one bit
after my time if all my stuff ends up on a bonfire, I enjoy it NOW, if all us collectors lived nearer, we could share our collections, but
we live on different continents, we are in a minority, I don't mean to be a pain, but a realist, at least to my way of thinking. Enjoy your
films, cherish your projectors, but don't think for a minute that you are doing a favour for anyone in the future, our projectors will be
viewed as praxinoscopes are now. I remember screening a b/w 200' sound copy of "7th Voyage of Sinbad the Cyclops" to my family on
my Eumig S709, it was a miracle, sound films in our home, the first time I had shown a sound film. Kids today would laugh. Like I said,
I am "dyed in the wool" cine, don't want to be a wet blanket, but after my time, it won't matter in the scheme of things.

I didn't start this hobby until 2014, so I am very thankful that these items have been preserved for me to enjoy (even if it wasn't a conscious effort by the previous owners of the items). I was very young when these items were at their peak in popularity. There are collectors much younger than myself and I think that there will still be more collectors to come along in the future, although not as many.

I hope more will discover the magic, but I do think they will be few sadly

gents, this all getting a little bit downbeat, lets all think about tomorrow and what were going to screen. sod the future

Well I hope you're right Timothy, newcomers are always welcomed, but in the minority I fear, but I certainly applaud your optimism
more power to you, it would be nice to think that some of our prints might survive, but I have doubts, I would think that when our time
comes, film will be the last thing on our minds.

Yes, Clyde, you are right. I will enjoy my films until I am unable to either see anymore or can't put the reels on. Look forward to club meeting on Sunday. The African Queen followed by a few digests

I hope Vidar that you are looking after yourself so that your sight remains un impaired, we need you to show us the way.

Just to liven up this show, I have some great naughty films for screen shots,,,,,,,, just kidding.

On that note, do we allow this on the forum? Would anyone stop us? Not sure about those rules

I'm only kidding Vidar, I couldn't if I wanted to.

Yes, but how should we handle it if someone posts porn? And what is porn? Is a breast porn? Would be nice to have guide lines :-)

How about following what network television would allow?

In which country? :-)

Personally I am not offended by naked bodies, have posted pictures on Facebook and not noticed any reaction to naked boobs.

I would like my prints and equipment to survive after my time; I think there will always be a small minority interested in how we used to watch films; some people collect wax cylinders, and phonographs. We were brought up in a mechanical age.

I hope and believe that you are right Robert. Just look what have happened to the record business. Vinyl is live and kicking again

I think it will be more as a novelty item, or antique. In our day it was the only way of watching pictures in the home. There are young people still taking an interest in classical music, and learning to play on a violin, cello, etc.

Mats, only last week I was in a music store and there were several hundred newly pressed albums, including re-issues of classic albums from the 50s and 60s.

I can remember as a small boy my father telling me that Sir Winston Churchill had his own private cinema, and his favourite film was the wartime 'Mrs Miniver'; when I got my cine camera and projector, I really thought I had gone up in the world. We were in a minority then; how many houses in your street owned a film projector, probably none.

The problem for the future is going to be able to find someone with the knowledge to service them, and the availability of lamps, and with that, we shouldn't forget exiter lamps. The film archives are going to have the same problem, they can transfer a nitrate print to safety stock, but will they always have the means to project it?