History

In June 1950, the Sheffield University Film Unit began screenings in Graves Hall (where Interval Bar is now situated) and Darts (the student magazine now under the Forge Media umbrella) reported that its purpose was ‘to present in an atmosphere totally different from the bustle and push of the ordinary commercial cinema, film classics that would otherwise not receive a showing in this benighted city.’ It was this same year that Film Unit joined the British Federation of Film Societies (now known as Cinema for All, founded 1946).

At its inception, Film Unit  included its own Production Sub-Committee, shooting and editing films for the Student Festival each year. They made films on 16mm and 8mm film initially, but eventually downgraded to 8mm after 1967 due to financial difficulties. On one occasion the Production Chairman travelled to India, returning with enough footage for 2 films, however mostly films were documentarian, aimed at describing student life. Known titles from this period of time before Filmmaking Society split off include: 

• Recreation

• Undergraduate

• Broomhall and Castle Market (1965, watch on BFI Player) 

• Sheffield Student RAG Week (1967, watch on BFI Player)

• Unknown (1972, watch on BFI Player) 

• Yorkshire Student Grants Demo (1973, watch on BFI Player)

Screenings in those days used a pair of Gaumont Kalee projectors (example pictured here). Films were analogue, and arrived in ~20 minute long reels to be threaded up individually onto each projector, swapping the source each time a reel ended with a foot pedal. Eventually in the 1980s, the carbon arc lamp houses were converted for Xenon bulbs - a modern, much easier technology to use with didn't require constant lamp focussing.

In the early 1990s, with the changeover model becoming seen as outdated, Film Unit sold off its two Gaumont Kalees. The committee got into a lot of trouble with the Students' Union as technically they were the rightful owners! It was at this time that Film Unit bought the Cinemeccanica equipment it maintains to this day, a Victoria 5 fed by a CNR-3 35 platter system. This allowed films to be made up and broken down before and after screenings, with reels being spliced together with tape into a long, continuously playing spool. Only one projector was required for this process, but before and after showings for projectionists became a lot more involved. 

In 1997/8, Film Unit also moved from Carlton Screen to Pearl & Dean for their advertising. 

Eventually Film Unit moved to the Nelson Mandela Auditorium in the new Students' Union building it is situated in today. The Victoria 5 and everything was brought over to the current projection box where it has remained ever since. In the light of DCI projection becoming the industry standard, Film Unit was forced to adapt in the summer of 2012. Film Unit bought the Christie CP2210 2K projector and Doremi Showvault server from Arts Alliance Media for £39,500, and has been screening digitally in the auditorium ever since.