A Devotion to Showmanship
With a passion for movies that he’s had for as long as he can remember Mark Louis, director of presentation for Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, started working in the theatre industry almost 40 years ago. When watching movies, he realized early on that the slightest imperfection in the presentation was a distraction. Even unavoidable distractions like on-screen cue marks on 35mm film prints would grab his attention. He says he found himself wondering why imperfections like those marks were present and could they be avoided. That frustration with a less than perfect presentation and a fascination with how movie magic actually worked is what lured him to the technical side of the business where he remains to this day. I recently spoke with Louis about his career in exhibition and his role at Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas.