... only to be greeted by the biggest queue for tickets imaginable. You join it whilst desperately hoping that the person in front of you isn't going to be the one to buy the last ticket to the film you want to see! With only a few minutes left until the film starts you make your way to the screen and begin the scout for the last row of seats available that have just enough space for you and your mates. You finally get seated only to find that there are twenty minutes of adverts and trailers before the film anyway. Then finally after the whole ordeal the theatre darkens and the film begins. But despite the entire trauma and the hassle that going to the cinema can be it is still by far the best place to see a movie. Nothing can beat the experience of seeing a film up on the big screen, of soaking in the full digital surround sound, and of course the comfy chairs complete with cup holders. All this combines together to enhance and enrich the movie goers’ experience. But is the Multiplex the best place to see a movie? Since moving to Stoke I discovered that there was a local Film Theatre that not only offers a cheaper and more pleasant alternative to the local multiplexes but also provides a place to view movies that are often missed by the larger commercial cinemas. In a world where you can easily see any film you want, whether it be on DVD, Digital TV or the Internet it's still nice to think that there is a place where you can watch these films in the environment that they were intended to be seen in.
I spoke to one of the projectionist at the Stoke Film Theatre Andy Frodsham, to hear his views on the future of the local cinema, as well as to share in some of his insights of what really happens within the projection box. | 
