Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Wisconsin drive-in goes digital

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-07-2011, 11:17 PM:

The Highway 18 Drive-in in Jefferson, Wisconsin gets a digital upgrade
Video here.

What's old is new again in Jefferson. The Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre has the same 80-foot screen. But it's owner says the venue now holds the distinction of being the only outdoor theater east of the Mississippi River with a digital projector.

Since 1953, people have been traversing the terrain and picking the perfect parking spot to see the screen at the Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre.

For the past 12 years, the theater was operated under the direction of Lee Burgess. But Burgess decided it was time for an upgrade. So, after $80,000 in upgrades, the new digital drive-in made its debut on April 29, 2011.

"We're tryin' to keep the tradition of the drive-in alive, and it's a lot of work, and it's very expensive, but it's very rewarding. This is the only business I've ever been in where people actually thank me for being open," said Burgess.

Burgess says there's enough room for 600 vehicles at the Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre. It's been rare for him to fill up all the spots. But he suspects he just may do that this summer movie season.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 05-07-2011, 11:20 PM:

This is the first I have heard of digital drive in screen.

It better be 3D ready or $80,000 can buy a lot of film prints

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 05-07-2011, 11:53 PM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
Burgess says there's enough room for 600 vehicles at the Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre. It's been rare for him to fill up all the spots. But he suspects he just may do that this summer movie season.

Please tell me he doesn't think people are going to flock to his DI because it has digital.

And fer chrissakes, it's Wisconsin. How many weeks is he even going to be open to pay off that $80k?

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 05-07-2011, 11:54 PM:

That's a shame. Justin West and I were out there a season or two after he bought and re-opened the place (it was dormant for years) and he had a changeover setup with one of the nicest brightest pictures seen on a drive-in screen that he was really proud of. He was doing changeovers because that's how it was done in his day, and he wanted to be as authentic as possible.

Pics, including the screen and booth, on cinematour.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 05-07-2011, 11:58 PM:

Sam, Is this a one-screen drive in?

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 05-08-2011, 12:00 AM:

Yes it is.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-08-2011, 12:39 AM:

If you watch the video, it's sort of implied that the digital gave him a major picture improvement. But, at the very end of the video a close-up of the screen is shown...it looks to me like the screen needs a refinish job.

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 05-08-2011, 02:18 AM:

The Stars and Stripes Drive-In in Lubbock just went all digital.
http://lubbockonline.com/entertainment/2011-04-28/stars-stripes-provides-enhanced-digital-images-screens

Posted by Mark Strube (Member # 4190) on 05-08-2011, 10:20 AM:

I may be checking this out in the weeks to come... I'll be sure to be back with a report. My previous experience at another Wisconsin drive-in (Kenosha) was not very good. It was film, but the picture was so dim we couldn't see anything that was going on in even a slightly dark scene... and they couldn't get their radio signal loud enough to make it sound good. I complained, but they claimed it was set as loud as it would get.

Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 05-08-2011, 11:53 AM:

With newer lenses and a good lamp house pictures at a drive-in can be plenty bright enough but most I have seen never bother.
Technalight lamp houses are very bright across the entire screen!

I wonder if the digitals are being calibrated to lose the blacks and over brighten to compensate for outdoor light issues like the moon?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-08-2011, 01:17 PM:

It's absolutely no surprise to me, these are very wise theater operators! They know that to stay in buisness for the long haul they need digital and so why wait till the last minute when everyone is going to make a mad dash for what equipment is available "off the shelf" Many will end up having to build a new booth that is closer to the screen so lensing will work. Or close their doors for ever and sell to Wal-Mart...

Mark

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-08-2011, 06:02 PM:

quote: Victor Liorentas
I wonder if the digitals are being calibrated to lose the blacks

Very few if any drive ins have good black any longer because of the abundance of stray light pollotion there is at night. There may be a few exceptions to that case but very few.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-09-2011, 01:20 AM:

Couple of years ago, the Spud Dr-In in Driggs, Idaho put a BARCO 32 unit to do digital at this drive-in.

Luckily, the screen isnt that all big (I think only 78 ft wide) and less than a hundred foot throw.

I heard that the picture on the screen is excellent compared to 35mm presentations..

-monte

Posted by Ian Parfrey (Member # 5122) on 05-09-2011, 03:29 AM:

quote: Martin McCaffery
Please tell me he doesn't think people are going to flock to his DI because it has digital.

And fer chrissakes, it's Wisconsin. How many weeks is he even going to be open to pay off that $80k?

My thoughts exactly!

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 05-09-2011, 05:08 AM:

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
It's absolutely no surprise to me, these are very wise theater operators! They know that to stay in buisness for the long haul they need digital and so why wait till the last minute when everyone is going to make a mad dash for what equipment is available "off the shelf

So you're back to DIGITAL again this week then, eh Mark? Nice to see you're consistent in your see-sawing.

Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 05-09-2011, 10:49 AM:

Lee runs a first class operation there at the Highway 18. He's probably one of the few drive-in owners I've met with a good "business sense" about him.

There are now more than a handful of "digital drive-ins" in the country. Most however seem to be in Texas where they can go almost year-round. More drive-ins are preparing for the digital conversion, mine being one of them. While I hate to say it, when the final day that 35mm rolls thru the projectors, more than likely more than half of the nations remaining drive-ins will be gone. Only the drive-ins with decently high grosses with either the cash-flow or borrowing power are going to make the cut. At my place we're looking at a $200k expansion to the concessions/projection building this fall, and looking to convert to digital in the fall of 2012.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-09-2011, 01:22 PM:

What we are seeing here is the number of drive ins that had incorrect/improper 35mm installations.(Old Christie lamps, Motiographs/E7/Super, Brenkert, century C.)

I challenge ANY digital drive in to run split screen with me on 35mm, but with my equipment choice. Must be same film. Louis

Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 05-09-2011, 01:38 PM:

Yes i agree Louis!
A drive-in I worked at was modified over the years with xenon and then platters.They decided to upgrade to Technilight lamps but the lenses were still old kollmorgans!Bright soft pictures!

I then donated some newer Isco lenses and bam!Bright sharp picture that knocked me over!

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-09-2011, 02:36 PM:

I'll take you on Louis! With the new BARCO you can put 38,000 lumens on the screen. You'd melt the filum attempting to put that much light through a 35mm aperature plate. I only know of one sucessful combination of 10kw lamp and a DP-70 with a chiller on the water. And they ran 70mm, not 35.

Mark

Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 05-09-2011, 03:20 PM:

quote: Martin McCaffery
Please tell me he doesn't think people are going to flock to his DI because it has digital.

Based on his blog posting about the conversion to digital, it sounds as though he made his decision after much personal deliberation and awareness of what it meant, including an answer to your question:

quote:
Will I get more business with digital? Doubtful, but my business shouldn’t decline over time as it would if I stuck with 35MM. Will I save on expenses? No, in fact maintenance costs will be higher than with 35M. Is this a good business decision? Only time will tell. Bottom line: I’ve already invested too much time, energy, and money in this theatre to just let it die. My attitude is: ‘in for dime, in for a dollar’.

Sounds like a guy interested in running the best business he possibly can, and putting his money on the line to do it.

quote: Martin McCaffery
And fer chrissakes, it's Wisconsin. How many weeks is he even going to be open to pay off that $80k?

Typical drive-in season here in Wisconsin is Memorial Day through Labor Day, but I've seen some northern-climate drive-in's open as early as late April and stay open until late September.

The Highway 18 is open now and showing movies, but the Big Sky Drive-in near the Wisconsin Dells (about an hour north) is not yet open for the summer. There aren't many DI's left in Wisconsin, so the Highway 18 is one of only very few.

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 05-09-2011, 05:04 PM:

quote: Scott Jentsch
Sounds like a guy interested in running the best business he possibly can, and putting his money on the line to do it.

Well, as someone who runs an arthouse in Montgomery, Alabama, I can respect crazy [evil]

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-09-2011, 09:15 PM:

Donno, but I think his decision came down to more like "I can stay in buisness with digital, I can't continue that much longer with filum."

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 05-10-2011, 07:18 AM:

Mark are you jumping from the NEC to the barco cart now?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-10-2011, 12:11 PM:

Gord,

Since leaving CLACO I've not been stuck on any particuluar cart, I can sell what fits the job. If a piece of gear does the job it can get installed.

I will say that there are manufacturers I prefer to work with because of their committment to very high standards of customer support. With the BARCO it is at present the projector with the highest light output.

Mark

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-10-2011, 12:41 PM:

What kind of measurements does one use for digital conversion anyway at a drive-in? Is it the length of throw and width of screen thingey?

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-10-2011, 12:54 PM:

quote: Tom Petrov
It better be 3D ready or $80,000 can buy a lot of film prints

Digital 3D from a single projector doesn't work so well on large screens, like those of outdoor drive in theaters. RealD and Dolby3D both have serious issues even with indoor screens that reach large sizes. Drive-in screens are typically even bigger than that. A double stack projection setup (IMAX-branded or not) might help things some. Still, you have all the outdoor light contamination from car headlights, street lights, signs, houses, etc. Low image contrast and lack of brightness are going to make for one really shitty yet high priced viewing experience!

I think the drive-in operator ought to stick with 2D. Even if he could get 3D to work (I'm not convinced drive-ins could do 3D well) the 3D thing is kind of "jumping the shark." The quality of movies, too many shitty post-process 2D-3D conversions and the high cost are growing threats to 3D.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-10-2011, 02:03 PM:

3D at drive ins: loss of light. I'm not even going to mention the use of tempered (polarized) light in windshields. Louis

Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 05-20-2011, 10:05 AM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer
Couple of years ago, the Spud Dr-In in Driggs, Idaho put a BARCO 32 unit to do digital at this drive-in.

Newspaper Article

Idaho’s iconic Spud Drive-in goes out of business

By Angus M. Thuermer Jr., Jackson Hole, Wyoming
After 58 years as a landmark on the west slope of the Tetons, the Spud Drive-in and its mammoth truck-mounted potato replica are out of business.

The drive-in theater between Driggs and Victor, Idaho, will not open this summer, manager Keith Zednik said Wednesday.

The theater and its property are owned by Wydaho Group LLC, made up of Lenny Zaban and other partners, Zednik said.
The company had hoped to transform the theater when it bought the property in 2009. It appeared headed in the right direction when owners booked Widespread Panic for a concert in 2010, drawing a crowd of more than 4,000.

“Since the event was such a success, we intended to make it an annual occurrence,” the business’ management said in a letter to the editor submitted to the Jackson Hole News&Guide on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, we were surprised and quite disappointed to find that there was competition in the area for the same event on the same weekend in 2011.”

The letter did not specify what that competition was, but Grand Targhee Resort has booked the popular band to play shows July 1-3 this summer.

The letter said Spud management came into the area at some expense and risk, seeking to blend into the community by selecting quiet weekends during which to spread its wings while it respected other businesses in the area, the letter said.

Owners were disillusioned , however.

“We personally feel that our work and efforts in 2010, for whatever reason, did not receive the same respect in return,” the letter stated.

The drive-in cannot operate under the old movies-only model, the letter said. Management is “quite disappointed and heartbroken,” according to the letter.

Zednik said the landmark will not immediately disappear. “The truck and potato will stay,” he said.

Known as “Old Murphy,” the Chevy cab-over truck is a 1946 model. The spud itself weighs 2 tons.

Ace Wood built the drive-in in the spring of 1953. Owners will entertain offers for the property, Zednik said. Interested parties can contact him at keith@spuddrivein.com.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-20-2011, 04:42 PM:

It's too bad. The Spud was going along just fine BEFORE these people from Chicago bought it. New people from Chicago don't know or understand anything about how this area of the country works and that shows. That takes time living in the area and getting to know how people and buisnesses work.
BTW: Grand Thargee is a nice resort! A much better place than the drive in to see a band perform.

Mark

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 05-20-2011, 09:31 PM:

So wait, the guy put in a Barco and the next year went out of business? Bet he was a little more than just "disappointed"! More like diappointed and broke!!

So Mark, the DI was doing fine when they were running film, but went belly up when new owners put in digital? And you attribute this not to the fact that they may have bitten off too much to chew in debt, but to the fact that they are from Chicago and didn't know how people do business in Idaho? What wildly different ways do they do business in Idaho that someone from Chicago -- as unbusiness savvy as those Chicagoians are -- just can't run a successful theatre in Idaho?

As far as the Highway 18 goes, Lee might have been better off putting in a second screen rather than digital, thus getting the benefit of actually drawing more customers and socking the extra $$ away toward a digital install down the line.

As almost any DI operator will tell you, a second or third screen almost always guarantees higher grosses. Putting in digtal first will get very little in the way of a bigger draw, unless, that is, his film presentation was so far below par that it was keeping people away, which Barry said it wasn't.

Thing is, yes, IN THE LONG film may go away. But in the short term, there is no imperative from a business standpoint to invest in a technology which. even if it becomes the standard, isn't going to get MORE expensive in five years, if anything, the longer you wait, the more improvements may be made and prices may even come down even more than they already have. What's more, LASER technology may be on the horizon with will be MUCH cheaper to operate than Xenon based digital not to mention the whole thrust of LASER technology is to make it much less expensive than Xenon light engines according to Kodak's White Paper. So unless someone has heard studios ACTUALLY saying they have a date-definate when they will start making prints scare or not at all (i.e., digital only releases), I believe a theatre that is running profitably and with good presentation, has no urgency to invest that huge chunk of money into digital earlier rather than later. When the time comes does come, then do it; seems to me that time will present itself with unmistakable certainty rather than what we have now which is just speculation upon speculation, with the-sky-is-falling folks who seem to delight in being the bearers of dire news. Like the-world-is-going-to-end-tomorrow people.

If I were in that position, I would wait until the last minute when a studio was telling me, "this is it...no more prints." I mean, how long will it take to install a digital projector...a week or two? Someone explain to me what the rush is all about?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-20-2011, 10:02 PM:

quote: Frank Angel
So Mark, the DI was doing fine when they were running film, but went belly up when new owners put in digital?

Yea, the DI survived fine all these years. Not knowing how an area operates, any area for that matter that you move into to do buisness shows me that the new owners have a lack of buisness fortitude. To be dependent on a single band to help float your buisness and one at that which was going along at least ok all these years is a wacky buisness scheme to say the least.

Mark

Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 05-20-2011, 10:08 PM:

Yes Frank!
I agree and that is exactly what I tell everyone who will listen!

Very tough lately with this apparent invasion of the digital projection snatchers! [Wink]

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 142) on 05-21-2011, 07:41 AM:

The drive-ins that survive long term will be digital. We added an extra screen late last year, that at the moment, is more important.

There is at least one drive-in that runs all year round not far from WI and that is the Ford Wyoming in Detroit. It does pay to be close to a large population and have heaters as they do.

I can't understand how many Summer season drive-ins survive now in the US and Canada. Here in Australia all drive-ins run all year round and always have.

We have done our best with big xenons (5k) correctly aligned and replaced regularly, installed the best lenses we can for light and sharpness and kept up both screen, port glass and reflector cleanliness. It is a battle keeping a good image on screen, but vitally important for drive-ins especially. It actually never gets completely dark here given all the light pollution from surrounding factories.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-21-2011, 07:42 AM:

Frank: you are spot on.

Reports that "film is gone" have been made since 2004 or before. There are no announcements from labs or studios. They seem to originate from the top of N.A.T.O., which has been proven wrong since "Dec of 2005." Louis

Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 05-21-2011, 08:36 AM:

quote: Frank Angel
Someone explain to me what the rush is all about?

These are the options as I see them:

1) Have plans/agreements in place to in 12 mos to have equipment installed by Sept 2012 to receive VPFs
2) Wait till the last possible minute with the hopes that equipment will drop in price after the built-in demand goes away

Since every significant chain (let's say 10 or more locations) has announced plans to convert (and it is being done to receive the VPFs) by the end of next year, 2/3rds of the screens accounting for over 90% of the box office gross will be digital. Probably 95%+. If you do not believe pull up your Rentrak account and look at the grosses.

Now if this was 2013 this summer instead of 2011; I believe you could still get the big movies on film: Panda 2, POTC, Transformers, Green Lantern, etc. But what are you going to play in the spring and fall. A movie like Water For Elephants or Soul Surfer at approx. 2800 and 2200 locations respectively might only have a couple hundred film prints (Soul Surfer maybe ZERO). Then what???

Why will a studio chase after 5% of the business that may cost them 80% or more to get??

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-21-2011, 06:13 PM:

Because film is cheaper for the studios, that's why. Not what it should cost, but what it does cost (contracts.) Louis

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-21-2011, 10:08 PM:

Louis... So film is cheaper? How so? You're saying a 35mm print of a 6 reel movie costs the studios less to buy than the $150.00 it costs them to put together a DCP package? Also, you must have missed that Technicolor closed their Hollywood release print facility at the end of last year. What other kind of film is disappearing announcements do you need to be notified of? The announcement at Cinema Con this year was the first actual date I've ever heard given by anyone and that date was based solely on the present rate of conversion. Not much more need be said...

Mark

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 05-21-2011, 10:09 PM:

The DCP costs signficantly more than $150 when the VPF cost is included. Presumably, most of the theatres that have installed [dlp]

are eligible for VPFs, and many of the 35mm-only houses are not. Not everyone plays first-run titles from major distributors exclusively.

As for the Spud DI, it sounds as if it would have failed with or without [dlp]

. Too bad the owners didn't really understand the business or their market.

As for the Wisconsin DI, I wish them luck. We need more successful drive-ins.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-21-2011, 10:14 PM:

Scott, I'm only talking about cost of manufacturing a 6 reel film print vs. a DCP sans the VPF. Not everyone is collecting VPF's. I believe you will find that VPF money comes from other distribution budgets anyways.

Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 05-21-2011, 10:40 PM:

quote: Scott Norwood
The DCP costs signficantly more than $150 when the VPF cost is included

Add the $800 or so VPF to that $150 and the studios still must think that is cheaper than film......or they would not have agreed to do it. Then in 10 years when the VPFs are gone....cha ching for the studios!

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-22-2011, 06:34 AM:

I think the studios would run you for President IF they only had to pay $150 (or even 10x that) for a digital print. I agree that is the raw cost, but it is NOT what they have to pay. Louis

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 05-22-2011, 07:35 AM:

The DI Discussion Group had this:

quote:
I saw this on Facebook.

"Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre
Had our first disaster of the season. Projector went down last Friday and we lost the whole weekend. Bad computer board. New one arriving tomorrow morning. "

They hope to be up this weekend as they're opening "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"

Here's wishing them luck.

Posted by Dave Bird (Member # 490) on 05-25-2011, 02:08 PM:

Looong time between posts... I know there's probably a couple drive-in owners who want to strangle me on this, but I just don't see this conversion as a big deal. These things won't be as reliable I suppose and will become an ongoing expense like anything else. The main worry is will people keep coming to movies, and I can't guess that. But I think you need to understand finance to know whether you should be scared of this.
We are a very, very small rural seasonal drive-in in Canada. Short season, 16 weeks or so, and I see no problem at all in re-jigging some of our expense lines to carry a digital projector at current interest rates in perpetuity (as I assume we'll be replacing them every 7 years maybe?). I've even had the audacity to say we may be adding to the bottom line with the film work and travel/shipping expense gone. Your results may vary.

And will I trumpet to the heavens how great this is for fans? YOU BET! I know this doesn't do a thing for presentation and you know that, but I subscribe to the great Bill Veeck school of marketing: He once needed to renovate some shipping ramps at great expense under the outfield stands at old Comiskey Park. The new beer trucks were too large and obviously needed to be accomodated. What does he do? Talks about how much money he's spending so he could honor one of his star players (who hated water) with a new sailboat! And made a big day of it (after which the boat was returned to the dealer and the player received a small farm instead). You bet we'll be talking about how great this thing is, how much we spent and how much better they'll enjoy the "modern, digital" drive-in. I'll shed a tear for my 58 year old XL, and we'll get back to making popcorn!

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-25-2011, 04:19 PM:

quote:
You bet we'll be talking about how great this thing is, how much we spent and how much better they'll enjoy the "modern, digital" drive-in. I'll shed a tear for my 58 year old XL, and we'll get back to making popcorn!

Nice! I'm doing the same here, except I don't trumpet the "digital" word too much because we are an "old fashioned" movie theatre. We even still use words like film, thread, splice, etc. when talking to patrons. But I'm more than happy to show the equipment to anyone who asks the slightest question. I would bet the majority of our patrons don't even know we converted.

Posted by Troy Powell (Member # 5505) on 05-25-2011, 05:24 PM:

How in the hell is he making it on a one screener? In order for us to make it in a drive in was to at lease put 2,3,or4 screens min. just to get first runs. Then you have to consider the snack bar size to take up the extra load. Our snack bar was built for a 1 screener so we had to open an hour before the show and we still had patrons out the door. $8000.00 in food aint bad for one night.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-25-2011, 06:10 PM:

quote: Mike Frese
Add the $800 or so VPF to that $150

They're certainly not paying that to everybody. The average VPF, if you divide it over the whole number of digital prints, has to be much lower.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-26-2011, 04:01 AM:

It actually is around 800.00

Posted by Chad Bateman (Member # 6006) on 06-14-2011, 12:12 PM:

In Relation to the drive-in going digital topic, one of my customers is hoping to convert his Single DI to Digital. I was hoping that someone knew a good way to run sound from 5.1 digital to a basic 2 channel Analog? I am wondering if using a CP-750 with a JSD-80D would work to tie everything to the FM transmitter. Thanks for any help!

Chad

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 06-14-2011, 12:53 PM:

I thought we lost the Spud. Louis

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 06-15-2011, 04:57 PM:

Hi Chad...

To feed a drive in transmitter you are going to have to develop something along the lines of a LT / RT signal by mixing the 5.1 back together. No need for a full blown processor except for a D to A such as the DAX 602. A small inexpensive Mackie mixer should do the trick and they are very reliable and quiet on line input. Since 5.1 D-Cinema is uncompressed some sort of limiter... either seperate or built into the transmitter... might be necessary so you don't bury the dialog or over-modulate the transmitter. Not all the transmitters commonly being used have built in limiters.

quote: Louis Bornwasser
I thought we lost the Spud. Louis

Louis, I am pretty sure the Spud is done... at least until the economy get considerably better. That whole area of Idaho has to compete directly with Jackson, WY. Something thats all but impossible to do. Jackson has 3 theaters with 7 screens. It's where the people that live near the Spud go to shop, dine, etc. (Or Idaho Falls which has even more theaters/screens, restaurants, stores, etc.) It's a nice area but not accomodating to movie theaters.

Mark

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 06-18-2011, 09:23 PM:

Can one use a Barco DP32 to hit a screen 175 ft away and a screen width of 90 feet, or is the need of a closer booth in store?