Save The Starlite Drive-In
Donation protected
The Starlite Drive-In, Bloomington , Indiana, is fighting for it's life.
Who would think that a business 60 years old would need to be basically standing on the corner of the internet, begging for help ?
The plight is not one single item that caused this, but many things all added together :
Hollywood
Shipping costs
DVDs and Netflix
Outside Food
Land values
Property Taxes
Daylight Savings Time
Cable TV
But the final push toward the edge was Digital Conversion.
You see, since it was introduced 35mm film was the way to go, the standard , the only way to see new movies.
And then Hollywood discovered Digital.
1999 George Lucas films some scenes for Star Wars and declares that he will someday make entire films on digital, doing away with 35 mm film.
GASP !
In 1999 there were 4 digital theaters. Now it's the other way around, almost all theaters are digital and there are very few 35mm theaters and those left can't hardly get prints to show.
Many industry "know- it- alls" say this may be the last year for 35mm prints.
So there is the long story in a nut shell.
The world has changed, but the Starlite won't give up.
It needs a new heart.
A digital projector.
Costs? The entire operation will be right at $100,000.00 DOLLARS.
Projector, sound system, operating source, new power lines, HVAC, filters for lab type room to house the unit, and the major install work.
YOU CAN SAVE IT.
Who would think that a business 60 years old would need to be basically standing on the corner of the internet, begging for help ?
The plight is not one single item that caused this, but many things all added together :
Hollywood
Shipping costs
DVDs and Netflix
Outside Food
Land values
Property Taxes
Daylight Savings Time
Cable TV
But the final push toward the edge was Digital Conversion.
You see, since it was introduced 35mm film was the way to go, the standard , the only way to see new movies.
And then Hollywood discovered Digital.
1999 George Lucas films some scenes for Star Wars and declares that he will someday make entire films on digital, doing away with 35 mm film.
GASP !
In 1999 there were 4 digital theaters. Now it's the other way around, almost all theaters are digital and there are very few 35mm theaters and those left can't hardly get prints to show.
Many industry "know- it- alls" say this may be the last year for 35mm prints.
So there is the long story in a nut shell.
The world has changed, but the Starlite won't give up.
It needs a new heart.
A digital projector.
Costs? The entire operation will be right at $100,000.00 DOLLARS.
Projector, sound system, operating source, new power lines, HVAC, filters for lab type room to house the unit, and the major install work.
YOU CAN SAVE IT.
Organizer
Yvonne Freeman
Organizer
Bloomington, IN
