In the past, comprehensive training courses in the cinema exhibition industry have been few and far between. Over time, especially as experienced cinema technicians retire, this topic has often been raised as something that needs urgent correction in relation to upcoming generations and a fundamental lack of passed on know-how. But the good news is that this has, more recently, been addressed. Those addressing it – and this writer, among others, has contributed their bit – do so out of pure passion and a recognition of how important it is to pass the baton on and train others, so that they can grow and develop in their roles.

Thirty years ago, when attending university in Loughborough in the United Kingdom, I was shown how to use a film projector by a fellow student, who had been shown themselves. The use of the term ‘shown’ here is entirely deliberate because there wasn’t a great deal of actual knowledge transfer, simply a basic demonstration. This was back in the early days of the internet and so information-at-your-fingertips was far more limited. Projection manuals did exist but weren’t widely known about, were hard to find and were often general in their approach.

Over the years, certain industry figures who really know their stuff have given their time and expertise back to the industry they love by training others. Having benefited personally from these very people, and from the companies and organisations mentioned shortly, it’s rewarding to be able to give back.

It is a real pleasure to have created and delivered a number of different global cinema training courses that mainly focus on both digital and celluloid projection. The true reward comes from watching someone successfully present their first 35mm film showing to a live audience, or to overcome a challenge that they have been experiencing as a result of training and support.

A (Very) Brief History of Cinema Training
In many industries, there is often a set of defined qualifications and processes required to do a particular job. Lawyers or electricians, as two separate examples, have to complete thorough, vocational training courses to be able to carry out their roles. If you are a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver, you will have to first obtain your regular driving licence, then pass an additional hazard perception and theory test, plus another practical test. After that, every five years you must complete an extra 40 hours of classroom training to continue to drive an HGV.

In industries such as haulage, where ongoing training is partly safety-related, the requirements are rigorous. However, there is no similarly fixed formula for the cinema industry. This can be both a benefit and a challenge.

Historically, training in the cinema industry was heavily focused on the role of the projectionist. In the United Kingdom for many years there was an informal apprenticeship system focused on projection booths. Often, someone might have been employed from 14 or 15 years of age as the “rewind boy,” doing nothing but rewinding reels of film. In some instances, they might not even touch the projector for months while being taught the importance of cleanliness and attention to detail in the projection room. Then, over time, they would work their way up through the hierarchy, eventually becoming the main projectionist or even the cinema’s chief projectionist. From there, they might go on to become the regional engineer for a cinema company.

The advent of digital cinema – and later, the impact of COVID – has changed this traditional approach to training and development. Both factors led to workforce changes, with many experienced people leaving the industry and new talent coming in.

And even away from the technical aspects of the projection room there are plenty of areas where training is necessary for other roles.

Class Is In Session – Training Opportunities
Below is a (non-exhaustive) list of some current training courses and those who provide them. There is a slight, unintentional bias towards training for the technical aspects of the cinema industry. If there are any missing opportunities or that cover a different area within the exhibition industry, please email tips@celluloidjunkie.com.

Most manufacturers and suppliers offer training to their partners and customers on an individual basis. However, if you are looking to undertake any training in professional or personal development independently, these are some of the organisations that openly offer training.

Note: Please note, this list is specifically for cinema exhibition. We have not included courses related to filmmaking production, as there is a considerable amount of public information available already.

United Kingdom

BFI FAN Hub Network
Offers a number of training opportunities to organisations within the FAN hub, some of which can be viewed online. Many of the training courses are around the development of film programming.
Website: BFI FAN Training & Events

Cinema Technology Community (CTC)
The first iteration of the CTC dates back to the 1980s and has always provided in person technical training courses. These courses have changed and been updated over the years. Now that the CTC has a global reach there is also an element of online informal training.
Website: Cinema Technology Community

Independent Cinema Office (ICO)
The ICO is an organisation that works with independent cinemas across the UK and is partly funded by the BFI. They offer a range of in-person and online courses, often focused on management-level topics such as film programming. The ICO also produces online guides to topics such as running outdoor cinema events, along with a number of their courses running as part of the BFI Fan Network.
Website: ICO Training & Events

Dimensions
Offers free autism training for cinemas.
Website: Dimensions Autism-Friendly Cinema Training

Cinema Integrators
Your cinema integrator will be able to offer you bespoke training relating to your cinema setup and equipment that relates to your specific environment and needs so it is always worth contacting them to see what they can offer in relation to training.

United States of America

International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) and CineTRAIN
The ICTA has recently partnered with CineTRAIN to offer an online course covering the fundamentals of cinema technology, available at ICTA CineTRAIN. CineTRAIN itself is a business-to-business training provider offering tailored courses for cinema staff.

Global

QSC
QSC provides a large number of online and in-person training courses across its product range. For cinema, they have “Cinema 101” and other courses exploring the QSC audio ecosystem.
Website: QSC Training

Barco
Offers various training options, some of which are available online and some are in person.
Website: Barco Training

Christie
Provides a range of technical training and certification courses that are available online or in person.
Website: Christie Training

Arthouse Cinema Training (CICAE)
The last courses advertised took place back in August 2024. This was a one week indepth course, aimed at those who manage and run arthouse cinemas.
Website: CICAE Training

Site-Specific Training
Many cinemas provide bespoke in-house training to their staff and volunteers, but these are not publicly available, so they are not included in this list but for more information, reach out to the individual company.

Online Content and Videos
YouTube and Vimeo both have a large number of short training and information videos uploaded by manufacturers and professionals, including material on some legacy equipment that may still be in use. Many of these pages also contain marketing or promotional videos, so some scrolling may be required. Here are a few links to get started:

Dolby
Dolby Cinema Support on Vimeo

Barco
Barco on YouTube and Barco Cinema

Christie
Christie on YouTube

Osram
Osram on YouTube

An Inconclusive Conclusion
There are undoubtedly other companies and organisations that offer training, either online or in person, that haven’t been mentioned here. Any omission is unintentional, but please get in touch so this list can be updated. That said, a key question remains: What specific training is currently missing from the cinema exhibition industry? Where are the gaps, and how can they best be filled? Keep an eye out for a future article answering these questions.