Showboat Theatre goes digital
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POLSON — Big changes are taking place at the Showboat Theatre as the theatre switches from 35mm film to digital movies. The latest Harry Potter movie was the first digital movie for the theatre.
According to CEO Becky Dupuis, the theatre looks the same, but the projection room has been revamped with new equipment to show the digital movies.
“All new projectors, all new speakers, even the wiring had to be redone as well as a new exhaust fan running at 500 cubic feet per minute,” Dupuis said, listing some of the new additions to both the Polson and Ronan theatres.
“The picture quality is better, and the picture quality doesn’t degrade (over time),” Dupuis said.
Previously used 35 mm film would get scratched, dusty, dirty and just wear out, but the digital images stay the same.
“ . . . the colors are beautiful, everything is sharp and the sound is so nice,” Dupuis added.
Another advantage Dupuis noted was that training a projectionist is much easier. Before, with 35 mm film, it took at least six months to get a projectionist up to speed on the basics and much longer for them to learn to troubleshoot.
Now the images come to the theatre on a seven-pound hard drive, which has to be inserted in the machine and queued up with a computer.
Not only is this easier, but it allows the projectiontist to concentrate on customer service in the lobby instead of leaving and being gone for five minutes during the theatre’s busiest time, Dupuis explained.
Besides consistent images and sound, using digital technology will make it easier to access alternative and art films as well as live performances such as opera, sporting events and even some Broadway plays filmed for movie theatres.
In the past it has been almost impossible to get a copy of an alternative or art film before it comes out on DVD, Dupuis added. Now, with quicker time frames, films such as “Water for Elephants” might come to Polson or Ronan.
The movie industry will quit using 35mm film in 2013 so the theatre chain had to make a decision, either update their equipment or sell and close the theatres, Dupuis said. They chose to upgrade, Dupuis said, a big investment.
Since the film companies are saving so much money on virtual print fees, they have agreed to help pay for the equipment. Dupuis said she doesn’t know how much money they will receive.
Another advantage, Dupuis noted, is “The UPS guy thinks we are fabulous now. The old films were 65 pounds. These are not even 10 pounds,” making them easier for the UPS man to deliver and employees to carry upstairs to the projection room.
