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Our company would like to test the theatrical viability of a small independent feature. Our question: Are you equipped to project using a DVD and would you be willing to do so for a feature? If the DVD test is successful then we will convert the HD to 35mm and expand its release.

Thanks for your input,

Chris

Our theatres are not. WE regularly show dvd or VHS but in our experience the film makers comes with their own projectors. Example: we have a best of the Maine Film Festival showing and they bring the projector. We have a Boogie Board Beach and the people who made it will be doing projection.

We do have a projector on our lists of "nice to have" but don't currently.

In my opinion: if you are doing this as a film test having a projector to shop it around at test sites makes it much easier.

Best of luck.

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Michael Hurley
Impresario

Mike, thanks for the input. We're looking into renting a couple DVD projectors for our test markets.

Chris

Went to book Saraband with Sony Classics and it is only on digi and they asked if we had a dvd player and then said they'd had a lot of trouble getting dates because of so few projectors for a dvd.

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Michael Hurley
Impresario

As it turns out. Our little low budget feature is about to be picked up for distribution both theatrically and on DVD by a major studio. So we won't have to do it "on the cheap."

The deal memo calls for a 7 figure P&A commitment - so we're thrilled.

When it becomes official, I"ll post a submit a post. Thanks for the insights on DVD projection.

Chris

There seem to be three qualities of video projection in movie theatres today.

Pre-show advertising using a $1,500 LCD video projector with either a DVD player or being served by a computer with Quicktime or something like it. It's usually low quality, painful to watch, doesn't unnecessarily fill the screen and looks awful.

Some theatres, mostly art theatres are equipped with $6,000 to $50,000 LCD or DLP projectors with special ordered lenses. These theatres may have DVD players, Betacam SP decks, Digibeta decks, Mini DV and the like. The better ones have switching capability as well. These usually look acceptable for video presentations. The images are bright enough and fill the screen. Nobody will be fooled by it, but it gets the story told.

Lastly there are 100-200 theatres worldwide that are equipped with full on Digital Cinema. This isn't video, it's more like a computer server and display and most of these installations can't jack in other video sources. Most of these installations are in big urban markets in big plexes. The good news is that most of these theatres have the advertising projectors in most of there auditoriums as well.

So for somebody to do a small scale DVD release, only those few art theatres might be equipped to show them. But there are a lot of big plexes now that could show it badly, but those big companies will not be smooth to work with.

We have a multimedia projector at our theater which is used as an advertising full screen projector, we also are able to show DVD widescreen format that produces a FLAT film like image, very sharp and clear. It accomodates birthday parties, powerpoint presentations for business men, and even XBOX for those into serious gaming. It is made by EIKI and with a special lens did not cost an arm and a leg. We are very pleased with it. Just to let you know.