MCP is a leading provider of media, cinema and projection services in the UK. Founded in 1997 by Peter Knight, a former student of Loughborough University, MCP has grown from a personal website to a professional company with offices in London, South Wales and Cornwall. MCP offers a range of services, including celluloid and digital projection, non-standard and outdoor screenings, projectionist certification and training, and online media consulting. MCP has worked with various clients across the country, delivering high-quality and innovative solutions for their media needs. Peter Knight is the owner and operator of MCP. He has over 25 years of experience in broadcast, cinema, projection and online media. He is also a member of the Cinema Technology Community CEA. You can learn more about Peter and his work on his Linkedin Page or his personal website.
Site History
MCP started as a simple website in late 1997, when Peter was studying at Loughborough University. It was initially a way of saving bookmarks that were useful to him. Over time, the website expanded and included links, coursework material, and other bits and pieces. In 2000, Peter bought the Mad Cornish Projectionist domain name and hosted the website on its current server. As the website became more focused on cinema and projection, Peter decided to split it into two sites: one for cinema-related material and one for non-cinema material. The latter site is no longer online, but you can find some of Peter’s non-cinema material on his personal website. The former site is what you see now: a comprehensive source of information and services on media, cinema and projection.
MCP has existed in various forms since 1997 and over that time has become well-established in the industries that which it operates. With offices in London and Cornwall, there is no location that MCP has not been involved with.
MCP is owned and operated by Peter Knight. Find out more about Peter via his Linkedin Page here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterjknight/
Site Purpose and Objectives and Extra Information
Welcome to the ultimate website for projector and cinema enthusiasts. Whether you are looking for reviews, tips, guides, or news, you will find it here. Our mission is to provide you with the best and most relevant information on everything related to projectors and cinema. We value quality over quantity, so we do not duplicate content that is already available on other websites. Instead, we link to the original sources, giving credit where it is due. For example, Film Tech is a great website that has many manuals and pictures that we do not need to replicate here. We also care about your user experience, so we keep our website simple and fast. We do not use unnecessary animations, sounds, or videos that would slow down your browsing. We respect your privacy and do not collect any personal data on this website. However, please be aware of the copyright information before using any of the content on this website. We appreciate your support and feedback. If you have any questions or suggestions, please visit our FAQ section or contact us. Feel free to link to our website and share it with your friends.
Background
Peter J. Knight, Moving Image Specialist/Projectionist/AV Technician, Cinema Consultant and Writer/Journalist.
My name is Peter J. Knight and I am a Moving Image Specialist/Projectionist/AV Technician, Cinema Consultant and Writer/Journalist. I have a passion for cinema exhibition that started in 1997 when I joined Flix – Loughborough Student Cinema as a student at the university. Flix is a student-run community cinema society that operates with professional cinema equipment and shows a wide variety of films, including the latest blockbusters, indie gems and international films. Flix also live streams National Theatre productions at half the price of mainstream cinemas. At Flix, I learned the art of being a projectionist and gained valuable insights into the cinema exhibition sector. I also took on leadership roles within the society, such as producing a strategic review and improving the society’s performance. Flix has won several awards at the university and nationally, and I am proud to be still actively involved with the society as a trainer and mentor for new projectionists. In fact, Flix has become the first student cinema in the country to obtain the BKSTS/CEA Projectionist Certification, thanks to my training. In 1999, I organised and ran a five-day film festival in collaboration with the local cinema. I also worked in the AV department of the Students’ Union Entertainments department while studying at the university. Since 2000, I have been working as a freelance Projectionist and AV Technician in various venues across London, ranging from small arts theatres like Norden Arts Centre in Maidenhead and Catford Broadway Theatre to preview theatres like BAFTA and Disney. I have also worked in the Cinema Tent at the world-famous Glastonbury Festival from 2008 to 2013. Since 1997 when I started as a projectionist at university I have been producing a website dedicated to the subject. This has now grown into an internationally recognised resource which receives several hundred thousand hits a year and is one of the highest results in a Google search. The ‘Mad Cornish Projectionist’ (www.madcornishprojectionist.co.uk), has become a brand and is now a respected location on the Internet. This website and it’s role has expanded to a consultancy role, and includes modern Digital Cinema. In 2010 I was commissioned to work with Barco to look at the new 4K projectors being launched. In 2011, I have taken on the responsibility for writing the BKSTS CTC Digital Handbook and Certification Scheme (extending the film certification scheme already in existence), which will compliment the Film Projectionist Handbook. The Digital Handbook was available from March 2012. In late 2012 into 2013 I was part of a sub-committee who formed from the BKSTS CTC in order to rethink the training offering provided by the committee following the change in the industry from projectionists to managers showing many of the films in the industry. You can read about the course here. Over the years I have provided advice and consultancy a large and diverse range of people and companies, including film and television companies. I am always happy to help anyone who gets in touch in whatever way that he can and feels that this area will continue to expand for him in the future. So please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or require any help. A sister side to Mad Cornish Projectionist was launched for projectionist recruitment – The Projectionist Agency (theprojectionistagency.co.uk) is considered that the two websites provide the best results for many cinemas and theatres who are trying to recruit technicians for their sites. In 2013 this site was decommissioned and taken over by We Can Still Show Film due to the decline in the number of projectionist roles now available. Some jobs still come up and these are now advertised via the main website; this has the added benefit that it goes out to a wider number of people. Over the years a number of articles have been written and published in cinema related journals, including Cinema Technology Magazine and as a regular contributor for ScreenTrade Magazine. In 2000 a report about the Cinema Exhibition Industry written as a piece of coursework whilst at University was reproduced in a wider Business Studies pack which was sent to every secondary school in the country. I have a love of cinema in all its forms, no matter where it is shown or how it is shown, although obviously there is a real passion for 35mm film. I can say that I am interested in early cinema from Zoetropes (and earlier) all the way through to digital and the latest technology. I wish to help and support as many cinema/projection projects as I can, in whatever form I can. In 2007 I joined the BKSTS Cinema Technology Committee and in 2010 I became one of its two Vice Chairman. In April 2010 I also became the Chairman of the Projected Picture Trust which is based at Bletchley Park. March 2013 saw the launch of new website “We Can Still Show Film” a website which is dedicated to recording the projectionists, venues and companies who are still able to run film, especially 35mm now that most of the industry has gone over to digital. In 2014 I was award a Fellowship of the BKSTS for his work in the Cinema Industry. I also recognised that with the change over from film to digital that it was important to keep the skills of the projectionist alive. Also from experience I am aware that there are a large number of collectors and people with both knowledge, skills and collections of both film and projection right across the world. I feel that it is really important that there is a network for all these people and organisations to be able to share this information. As a result I started the Cinema, Film and Projection Heritage Network. This is still being developed, and has continued to during 2015 with the assistance of others. From 2000-July 2015 I worked at the BBC Born and brought up in Cornwall, Peter is very proud to be able to call himself Cornish. Leisure interests including spending time relaxing with friends in nice traditional pubs, or on the canal – there is nothing like spending a relaxing time on a narrowboat on a sunny afternoon. Other interests include walking. Companies and locations Peter has shown films:
- Flix – Loughborough Student Cinema, Loughborough
- Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead
- Soho House
- Electic Cinema, Nottinghill
- Broadway Theatre, Catford
- Firmdale Hotels (Soho Hotel, Covent Garden Hotel, Charlotte Street Hotel)
- The Hospital
- UIP, Hammersmith
- BAFTA
- Wired, Charlotte Street.
- The Engima Cinema, Bletchley Park (volunteer work)
- Windsor Arts Centre (now known as the Fire Station Arts Centre)
- Glastonbury Festival, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
- NBC Universal
- MPS Preview Theatre
- EOne
- British Film Institute, Southbank and Stephen Street Cinema
- BFBS Mobile Cinema Lorry
- Nightflix
- Channel 4 Cinema
- London Film School
- Art Works Guils via ProScreens
If you want to know further details about me then you can get further details via my Peter J Knight website.