Meet Deckchair Cinema's New GM
Previously Deckie Ops Manager, James Parker was appointed General Manager after his predecessor Alice left to travel the world. We caught up with him for a chat.
Was GM a role you thought you'd ever end up in?
It’s a role that I thought would be fantastic, but I didn’t know if I would ever get the job. It’s such a cool place to work – the cinema is an awesome place, a not-for-profit that really exists for its members. It’s a privilege to be able to be General Manager, I really love it! Of course, we miss having Alice around.
There have been big changes at the Deckie over the past couple of years, with the construction of the new deck as well as Cyclone Marcus wreaking havoc. Any other big changes you can tell us about?
The Deckie is constantly evolving. The way the cinema currently is is awesome, but it continues to change as time passes. At some point down the road we’ll upgrade the projector, but structurally, the cinema set up is going well and I’m going work hard to look after it. We try to identify any issues as we go; for example, queuing for food on busy nights has led to the extension of the caterer’s area, which has worked out really well. There’s a mahogany bench linking this space to the deck, which is quite poetic as it’s made from a tree that fell during Marcus.
How is the 2019 program shaping up so far?
Program One has just ended and Program Two looks fantastic! It’s really difficult to program a cinema that screens one film per night, as it’s a hard decision to decide what makes the cut. Everyone wants to see something different, and we like to surprise and challenge the audience with films they probably should see. The program committee do a fantastic job and have their fingers on pulse within the industry – in a way, they are responsible for the success of the cinema.
Random question – tell us something we don’t know about you!
Hmm, something people don’t know about me. How should I answer that… I want to make myself sound good but it’s tricky. I’m a really keen rock climber and have travelled around Australia, UK and Europe. Australia really is the perfect place for rock climbing – dry days, cold nights for camping and lots of incredible remote locations.
Find out what's on at the Deckie by visiting their website.
James' tips from Program Two
