Mattson Tomlin's The Projectionist is a perfect example of the capabilities for independent film in the digital era. The young filmmaker created and crewed the entire film himself, from penning the script to scoring the scenes. This film is the obvious work of an intensely dedicated and hardworking filmmaker, which comes as a relief in a time where most directors who are given a shot at a project with a high production value tend to trail off into laziness. No longer can no-budget films hide behind their lack of sponsorship; The Projectionist is proof that with a little initiative a director can work around any funding issues. This is revealed most prominently in Tomlin's use of locations, particularly the bank and the hospital. Tomlin uses the lack of lighting setups to his advantage, giving certain sequences an organic palette of dark colors (the color scheme and lighting of the bank and the museum are very reminiscent of Fincher).
That being said, The Projectionist still suffers from the same problems most first-time indy features do. Tim Richards nearly steals the show from the lead Dan St. Louis, and often I found myself more interested in the side characters than the main focus of the film. Also, some of the scenes go on a little too long, and a few key beats are repeated once too often (the namesake of the film particularly). None the less, the Projectionist is great for what it is, and shows an immense amount of potential in Tomlin. Definitely a must see for any aspiring filmmaker.
