A theatre technician cleans a cinema screen from the ground. Photo: Specialty Cinema
It’s usually when the movie is about to start when a Jaffa hits you on the back of the noggin.
But, on the rare occasion, it will divert from its intended cranium attack and hit the cinema screen instead. Theatre technician Michael Malachowski cleans cinema screens so you can enjoy Ryan Gosling or Scarlett Johansson free of items from the candy bar, in front of you at least.
“I was actually a manager in an office of an insurance company and I just wanted to get out of the office and do some hands on work,” Mr Malachowski says.
“I had a friend who already worked at Specialty Theatre and he just said there were some jobs going, so it was by a chance arrangement.”
There are substances you would expect to find on the screen, though rebellious patrons will always unite when it comes to leaving a particular mark.
“Your standard is obviously your Coke, you’ve got your Jaffas, you’ve got your little jubies, you’ve got your Maltesers, you get your spit bombs,” Mr Malachowski says.
He says the strangest thing he has found on a screen has been graffiti, seeing the texta vandalism just twice in his 10-year career.
“I remember them clearly, one was just somebody’s name — it was their tag. But the second one was not forgettable because it was a particular drawing of man parts.”
Seven-step cleaning process
Surprisingly, the screens only need to be cleaned every 10 years. Mr Malachowski uses a seven-step process to clean them, with two people required for each job. For screens up to eight metres tall the process is done entirely from the ground, any taller and they use scaffolds. He is only able to clean matte white and pearl screens because the newer silver screens are too fragile.
“We have a water pump that’s basically attached to an extension device, a big sprayer, like a spray gun,” Mr Malachowski explains.
“First, is to actually remove any debris on it. Any dust, any dirt, anything like that. Basically wiping down the screen.
“The next part would then be to spot clean any large marks, so if we’ve got any lollies hanging off it, any major Coke marks or whatever, we try to get to those marks first.”
After a good rinse with water, his next move is to put a strong detergent over the screen, similar to a car or truck wash. Next, another rinse off before the screen is sprayed with a brightening agent. The process is completed with a final wash.
Along with the cleaning, Mr Malachowski installs screens, speakers, curtains, acoustic panels and projection windows throughout Australia and internationally. He has travelled to Singapore and Switzerland, and although he knows his job is an oddity, Mr Malachowski is gratified from the work he does.
“I got out of an office job to do this. You can actually build something, clean something, create something, change something and physically see the end result,” he says.
