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Author Topic: Debating on buying Drive-In John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 04-03-2010 03:55 PM                     quote: Mike Frese 4 mos for a commerical property is not very long It is if you're the one trying to offload it before the season starts again.  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 04-12-2010 06:26 PM                     If you've never seen this and you are a drive-in lover, it's really quite cool. Google Maps US Drive-Ins (You need to have Google Earth installed).  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-12-2010 06:41 PM                     Hey Steve Did they end up selling it?  |  IP: Logged David Kilderry Master Film Handler Posts: 355 From: Melbourne Australia Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-16-2010 05:17 AM                        I'm wondering too!  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-02-2011 07:57 PM                     Still wondering... Don't know how old this picture is, but it still seems to be there at least according to this...  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 08-02-2011 08:38 PM                        Just throwing in my 2¢ about purchasing a drive-in. I have been operating a drive-in for the past six years and I see two critical issue in deciding whether this is a viable investment. The first is whether converting to digital is feasible from an equipment and price standpoint. For example, my drive-in has a 450' throw from the projector to the screen. A digital system to cover that throw would be more expensive than the revenue generated in 2-3 seasons. With film (potentially) being on the verge of elimination, any theatre without digital just would not be viable. Even if film doesn't completely go away, it may be very difficult to get prints in a timely fashion. The second is whether the drive-in can get product on the break. As the windows between DVD and/or Pay-Per-View shrinks, it continues to erode the demand for secondary release venues. Of course individual results will vary. We had a $5 theatre open about 30 miles away from us a few years ago and we saw an immediate decline in interest for the drive-in. From my perspective, a drive-in just doesn't make financial sense unless you are in a large market. In a rural community there probably isn't a large enough customer base to make it a viable business more than a few years out. Of course if you're getting the land at a good price, the long term viability of the drive-in business may not really matter.  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-02-2011 09:07 PM                     quote: Justin Hamaker my drive-in has a 450' throw from the projector to the screen. A digital system to cover that throw would be more expensive Justin How big is your screen? The 450' throw doesn't matter too much, it's the size of the sheet it's trying to fill.  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 08-02-2011 09:16 PM                        It's about 100' wide; I don't remember the exact dimensions off the top of my head.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-02-2011 10:21 PM                     maybe an NEC 2000 w/ a 6k bulb, or a BARCO DP32 with the same wattage of bulb might work .... Might have to build a small projection building closer to the screen with that throw and screen width for there may not be lenses that size for throw and size of screen. I bet your prime lens has to be close to 6 inches on the anamorphic attachment and 4.75 for the flat  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 08-02-2011 10:52 PM                        You really think the 2000 with a 6K bulb would work? I was under the impression we would have to use the 3200 or possibly stack 2 projectors to get enough light on the screen. We're using a 4K Xenon bulb right now and we sometimes have problems with dark movies (Dark Knight, Harry Potter, etc). This is especially true on the full moon because it shines right on the screen. Lakeport Auto Movies  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-03-2011 02:35 AM                        The 2000 isn't designed for that big a picture, I don't think.  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-03-2011 04:46 AM                     In 2D mode you might get there, but not certainly not what you could potentially get with other options.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-03-2011 10:11 AM                     Why of the possibility of an air conditioned and sealed booth building being constructed closer to the screen, if going just single machine, but can easily see a stacked unit being installed in your present booth - but still have to be sealed from dust and air conditioned. Course, the nice thing with digital is no shutter to cut off 50% of the light illuminated - it's a straight shot all the time, just that your light path is being bent a few times with the angled reflector, prisms and the chip mirrors of a DLP unit.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-03-2011 12:46 PM                     The only way I see to properly light up any Drive In Screen is to install 4K digital projection equipment. The extra light afforded by the larger DMD's and say a 6kw lamp should adaquately light a screen surface in decent condition. I may even be brighter than then the current filum installation. I am presently looking at doing a 4K installation for one drive in... Mark  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-03-2011 01:51 PM                     Looking at Justin's location via google maps where it might just be feasible to do that projection building in the middle of the yard as long as it, esp. if that's the booth/conc building in back along the tree line. With the introduction of the 4K DLP chip, this could bring back the interest and business in the Drive-In if pictures can look as good due to the larger chip on the screen. Plus, wonder if screens were painted with the street paint - paint with a bit of reflective qualities in it .. and you would have a high gain screen to aid in the digital presentations. -Monte  |  IP: Logged

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