Tim Kennelly ’87

“It’s always unpredictable enough to be interesting!” says Tim Kennelly ’87 about his career behind the scenes in Hollywood. Kennelly is a projectionist for Paramount Studios and chief projectionist for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. As an expert in screening delicate 70mm film as well as newer digital technologies, he says there’s always something new to keep things fresh.

Last summer, that included a 10-week run screening Oppenheimer in 70mm film. The classic format — a type of wide, high-resolution film — has experienced a recent revival in specialty theaters around the country. Kennelly estimates he projected the eventual Best Picture winner nearly 100 times. “Celluloid film is a beautiful medium when it’s well preserved and well presented,” he says. “I kind of chafe at any representation of film as a scratchy old shaky thing, because when done right, it can look beautiful and spotless.

“It’s a mortal medium, so it takes care to preserve — I love the physical interaction of working with film prints, and I really love showing people how great it can look.”

But it isn’t all traditional film techniques for Kennelly; his day-to-day involves lots of newer technologies, too. On any given day at Paramount Studios, he might screen dailies for a work in progress; run a marketing screening for influencers or critics for an upcoming movie; project a film that the Acquisitions Department is thinking of buying; or, during Emmy nomination season, facilitate “For Your Consideration” showings (screenings of television episodes that are vying for Emmy noms, usually accompanied by panel discussions with shows’ creators and casts).

“I don’t think it’s two opposing things, ‘film versus digital,’ because they’re both worth preserving, and they both have incredible capabilities,” Kennelly says. “Let’s keep them both around for many years!”

— Anne-Ryan Sirju JRN’09