No Movies This Weekend, But Temporary Fix In The Works
The lights are momentarily down at Hull’s Drive-In.
“For the past year, there have been moments during a movie where suddenly half of the screen turned red or blue,” explained Executive Director Rhianna Schlief. “This requires the projector to be restarted, taking 45 minutes. One night last week, the projector didn’t reboot. Our theater manager worked hours diagnosing the problem, and the technicians came to the conclusion that the light engine was no longer working.”
The drive-in was unable to show any movies last weekend, and won’t be able to this coming weekend. However, a new light engine is scheduled to be installed this week that hopefully will enable the screen to come to life by the planned May 22 showing of “Lilo and Stich.”
However, that is just a shortterm fix. The board of Hull’s has determined that a new projector needs to be purchased.
“There are many parts to a projector that have been replaced over the years at Hull’s,” said Christian Reter, the theater manager. “Our current projector is 15 years old. Bulbs, temperature sensors, circuit boards, new PIB and media boards, and burnt wiring have all been replaced over the years, with more parts failing and needing replacement each year.
“The projector has many parts that allow the movie to be projected on the big screen,” he continued. “The light engine is the most expensive and delicate part of the projector, having a colored wheel, an imaging processing chip, and optics that give the movie its color. In all, there are roughly 22 parts of a projector; some can be replaced, other parts are no longer made.”
Projectors, he said, are only expected to last between 10 and 15 years, and the Hull’s board has known the projector is on its last leg, so this news wasn’t unexpected. However, setting aside funds for a new projector was not able to happen due to other desperately needed upgrades first.
“It’s a tough call to decide when to spend money on a new projector that is valued around $200,000,” said Schlief. The parts alone are between $5,000 and $15,000, plus installation and shipping costs.
“It’s a hard choice deciding to pay for an expensive short- term Band-aid - plus additional parts as they break on an outdated projector - or to fundraise money to buy a new top-notch projector and have guaranteed quality movies for the next 15 years,” she continued. “Additionally, companies aren’t making the parts to the current projector anymore, or are outdated and not compatible. On top of that, the wait time of receiving the new projector will take months, and for this to happen at the beginning of the season is untimely.”
The new light engine that is to be installed this week will hopefully keep the movies running until the drive-in can secure a new projector that will guarantee a night with no malfunctions.
“Christian has worked countless hours researching new projectors, talking to potential sources and weighting the pros and cons of each projector,” said Schlief. “Ideally, Hull’s would like to have a projector that didn’t come from a country that currently has high tariffs, and would be able to be installed within this next month.”
The projector being considered is a laser projector. “It has a much quieter operation … Laser light assembly lasts for 30,000 hours as opposed to each of our bulbs lasting for 800 hours,” said Reter. “Due to the light source being laser - and not xenon - it has significantly less heat, resulting in no need for an exhaust fan anymore, and the projection booth will not be as hot, which will create savings in the HVAC bill. Lastly, it will have 4K resolution, twice as many pixels as we currently have!”
The Hull’s board is working on the financing for the projector, which may take the form of money that Hull’s has on hand, bank financing and a fundraising campaign. The “Projector Campaign” the board is launching will dedicate funds for the new projector, one that will be brighter and clearer for Hull‘s viewers.
Hull’s is familiar with fundraising, with a few years away from finishing the land fund and recouping funds after important upgrades to the concession stand, bathrooms, and stage addition. “As a 501c3 nonprofit, all of our income goes right back into keeping the drive-in up to date, and showing movies,” said Schlief.
“While securing funds will take some time, we want to do anything we can to keep Hull’s a living part of the Rockbridge community,” she said. “We appreciate the public’s understanding as we work to get the projector up and running again - just in time for ‘Lilo and Stitch!’”
