A stand-alone subject of the film projectionist curriculum, and the foundation the other five are built on.
How light becomes a picture on a screen.
Projection is an optical trick performed twenty-four times a second, and it only works because of how the eye and the brain handle what they are given. This subject starts there - with light, photometry and the physiology of vision - and then follows the beam through filters, lens elements and projection optics. You will learn why a sequence of still frames reads as continuous motion, what the units of light actually measure, and how screen luminance is verified against the standard.
The second half is the optics of the light path itself. Filters and where each type belongs, lenses and the geometry of the projected image, and the optical aberrations - spherical and chromatic aberration, coma, astigmatism, distortion - that a technician has to be able to recognise on a real screen before they can be corrected. It closes with projection lenses: construction, anamorphic and spherical optics, and matching a lens to a given auditorium.
There are no entry requirements. The subject is built to be followed by a complete beginner, while still giving working technicians the theory behind decisions they already make by instinct. Purchase grants a non-exclusive licence for 12 months from the date of purchase.
Film Optics is the foundation for everything else in this curriculum, which is why it appears in both bundles. If you only ever take one subject, take this one.
Available on its own, or as part of Classic Film Projection and Digital Cinema (€300 each, saving €60), or Complete Projectionist (€540, saving €180).
The subject runs over two weeks. Each week is a self-contained block of lessons closed by a knowledge check - passing it is required to move on.
Film Optics
Part 1
the principle of film projection, light, physiology of vision, photometry
Part 2
optical filters, lenses, optical aberrations, projection lenses
Part 1 in detail
Principle of projection
the intermittent image, the shutter, flicker fusion, why 24 fps works
Light
the nature of light, the visible spectrum, colour temperature, sources and their characteristics
Physiology of vision
structure of the eye, rods and cones, persistence of vision, contrast and adaptation in a darkened auditorium
Photometry
luminous flux, intensity, illuminance and luminance, the units, measuring screen brightness and holding it to standard
Part 2 in detail
Optical filters
absorption, interference, dichroic and heat filters, where each belongs in the light path
Lenses
refraction, focal length, converging and diverging elements, imaging equations, depth of field
Optical aberrations
spherical and chromatic aberration, coma, astigmatism, field curvature, distortion, vignetting, and how each one appears on a real screen
Projection lenses
construction, anamorphic and spherical optics, choosing a lens for a given throw, focus and image geometry
Lessons combine video lectures, illustrated reading and interactive elements, available 24/7. Knowledge of the most important concepts and principles is checked by tests throughout, and passing them is a condition of progressing through the subject. A certificate of completion is issued on finishing.
Practice with a real projector matters, and it cannot be arranged remotely. You get guidance: what to arrange in a local cinema, what to ask for, what to try, and how to document it. After completing all the courses, you should be fully prepared to start your own practice.
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Optics underpins every projection job there is, classic or digital. Whatever else changes in this trade, the beam does not. A technician who understands light, photometry and lens behaviour can diagnose a dim, soft or distorted picture on any machine ever built — and can tell the difference between a fault and a room that was never set up correctly. In cinemas and repertory venues that means setting and verifying screen luminance, selecting and matching lenses, and reading image faults off the screen. In technical production for film festivals it means commissioning temporary screening rooms where nothing arrives pre-calibrated.
The same knowledge is drawn on in film archives and vaults, for reference projection and for assessing print condition on screen; in post-production and grading, where the viewing conditions decide what a grade actually means; and in equipment installation and service, where optics have to be specified for a given auditorium geometry. It is equally an advantage when studying film and audiovisual technology.
Film Optics is the first of six subjects covering the whole projectionist trade. It stands on its own, and it is also the prerequisite in substance for Film Print, Construction of Film Projectors and Digital Projection - each of which assumes you already understand what the light is doing.
When does the course start? Are there fixed dates?
The courses are entirely online and self-paced. You decide the start date and the tempo.
How does the course work?
Each subject is a structured sequence of lessons that takes you into the material and explains each topic to the depth the trade requires. Lessons combine video lectures, reading and interactive elements. Knowledge of the most important concepts and principles is checked by tests throughout, and passing them is a condition of progressing - so that finishing the subject means something.
What do I need?
A computer or tablet with an internet connection, and the willingness to work through the material properly. There are no entry requirements - the courses are built to be accessible to complete beginners while still adding something for people already in the trade.
Do I need any of the other subjects first?
No. Film Optics is the natural starting point of the curriculum, not its continuation. If anything, the other subjects assume this one.
Is there any practical training?
Not as part of the course. Practice with a real projector matters enormously, and it cannot be arranged remotely - you get guidance: what to arrange, what to ask for, what to try, and how to keep a record of it. After completing all the courses, you should be fully prepared to start your own practice.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. A certificate of completion is issued for every subject you finish, listing the subject, its scope and the hours involved. It is a record of training, not a licence to practise - no such licence exists in most countries.
How long do I have access?
Twelve months from purchase, for each subject you purchase.
Can I take an examination?
This projectionist training has a formal counterpart in the Czech Republic, where it prepares candidates for a
state-recognised professional qualification examination, leading to a certificate with a Europass supplement. That examination is held in person and in Czech, so it is realistic only for candidates who can travel and speak the language. Everyone else should treat these courses as what they are: the knowledge itself, certified by us.
There are no entry requirements for this subject - no prior study, no qualification, no experience in a cinema.
What you need to study
Equipment
a computer or tablet with a stable internet connection
Audio
headphones or speakers for the video lessons
Time
roughly 8–10 hours per week to keep to the two-week schedule - less if you take longer, which you are free to do
Helpful, but not required
Physics
secondary-school level - the optics is developed from first principles, but familiarity makes it faster
Access to a cinema
somewhere you can look at a real projection setup while you study
Purchase grants a non-exclusive licence to the e-learning course for 12 months from the date of purchase.
