Documentary
Going Dark: The Final Days of Film Projection
I co-directed and edited a documentary preserving the final days of 35mm film projection, capturing a disappearing profession through intimate storytelling and small-crew production.
As digital projection rapidly replaced film, an entire profession quietly disappeared with it. Going Dark documents the final days of traditional movie projectionists at Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City, focusing less on the technology itself than on the people whose work had shaped the theatrical experience for decades. Produced by a two-person crew over approximately one month, the project required working within active projection booths, adapting lighting and camera setups to extremely limited spaces, and building trust with projectionists while documenting a historic transition. The completed documentary later received a Heartland Emmy Award for Best Short Format Program.
Role
Co-Director, Cinematographer, Editor
Status
Released
Project type
Documentary
Primary discipline
Film & Media
Year
2026
Format
15-minute film
Team
Two-person crew
Production Model
Independent documentary
Environment
Active movie theater
Subject
Transition from film to digital projection
Recognition
Heartland Emmy Award – Best Short Format Program
Stage
15-minute documentary
Focus
Two-person production crew
New metric
Approximately one month of principal photography
New metric
Multiple projection-booth interview locations
New metric
Heartland Emmy Award recipient (Best Short Format Program)
Digital projection dramatically improved consistency and reduced operational complexity for movie theaters, but it also marked the quiet end of a highly specialized craft. Projectionists who had spent years mastering mechanical film systems suddenly found themselves witnessing the disappearance of the work that defined their careers.
Rather than producing a historical overview of projection technology, Going Dark focused on the human side of that transition. Interviews, observational footage, and carefully composed visual sequences documented not only how film projection worked, but what it meant to the people responsible for bringing movies to audiences.
Working with a crew of two meant every production decision carried weight. Camera placement, lighting, movement, and editing all needed to support an intimate documentary style while adapting to the physical limitations of active projection booths and theater spaces.
Craft
Capturing a Disappearing Craft
As theaters across the country transitioned to digital projection, decades of accumulated knowledge and daily routines were disappearing almost overnight. The opportunity wasn't simply to document aging equipment—it was to preserve the stories of the people who had spent their careers operating it.
The production needed to capture authentic moments inside functioning projection booths while remaining unobtrusive. Tight spaces, limited lighting options, and the realities of working around active theater operations required every shot to be carefully planned without interrupting the work being documented.
Environment
Letting the Environment Tell the Story
Rather than relying on narration or technical explanations, the documentary was designed to immerse viewers in the physical spaces where projectionists worked. Mechanical sounds, dimly lit booths, reels of film, and quiet conversations became the primary storytelling tools.
Production decisions consistently favored authenticity over spectacle. Limited lighting preserved the atmosphere of the projection booth, while careful camera movement emphasized the relationship between the projectionists and the equipment that had defined their careers.
The edit focused on pacing, observation, and emotional restraint, allowing the significance of the industry's transition to emerge naturally through the experiences of its subjects.
Highlights
Production Highlights
Small-Crew Documentary Production Every production role required flexibility. With only two crew members, responsibilities shifted continuously between interviewing, cinematography, lighting, audio, and production logistics while maintaining a natural documentary environment.
Working Within Active Projection Booths Projection booths offered little space for traditional lighting or camera support. Compact equipment, practical lighting solutions, and careful staging made it possible to film without disrupting normal theater operations.
Editorial Storytelling The final narrative balanced interviews with observational footage, using editing to connect personal reflections with the gradual disappearance of traditional projection technology.
Visual Composition One of the documentary's defining sequences synchronized a dolly move with the projector shutting down, allowing the image to naturally fade into darkness as the machine came to rest—a visual metaphor for the profession itself.
Outcome
Outcome
Gallery
Inside the Final Days of Film Projection
Full Movie
Watch Going Dark
The complete 15-minute documentary documenting the final days of traditional film projection at Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City.