Kinoton FP 38 EC

In the late 80s, Kinoton recognised that the existing studio projectors could be improved. Studio projectors, commonly known as “rock-and-roll” projectors in the UK, have special requirements in that their primary use is to repeatedly show one scene, whilst engineers mix the audio for that scene, and other post production work is performed. With a conventional cinema projector, this would require taking the reel off, rewinding it, threading it back up, and jogging forward to the start of the scene again.

With the advances in microcomputer control and precision motors of the 80s, Kinoton decided to build an entirely electronic film projector, using an microcomputer controlled servo motor in place of the traditional Geneva movement (Maltese cross). A clear distinction should be made here between an electronic film projector (which still uses film, but with electronics to control the film transport) with a digital projector (which doesn’t use film of any sort). This electronically controlled intermittent sprocket is directly connected to the servo motor, and therefore can run as an intermittent at 24fps (or any other fps between 1 and 50), or run continuously to shuttle film quickly. For studio, the FP 38 EC could be programmed the start and end frame of a scene, and it will play that scene, then rewind at high speed to the start frame, and repeat.