Movie theaters are having a rough go of it these days. In addition to the fact that audiences are becoming even more glued to their TVs and streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, there is also a widespread push to eliminate film projection in favor of digital. There are certainly advantages to using digital projectors in theaters: They provide a crisp image and it's easier to distribute movies once they are completed by studios.
But digital projectors are also very expensive, typically in the range of $50,000, well beyond the budget of most independent theaters. As a result, these institutions have been trying to raise funds for digital conversion in a number of ways, including through municipal economic grants and crowdfunding campaigns.
Successful examples of such efforts include the Brattle Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which raised $140,000 on Kickstarter.com that is going to be used for a new digital projector and theater renovations.
For indie theaters that are struggling to make the transition, this may be a good direction to head in. Typically, these institutions have a local following of movie fans who like to see alternative films that aren't typically shown in major theater chains. A crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter or IndieGoGo can be used to animate these patrons into saving the theater.
If you're considering such a campaign, custom gobos can play an important role in getting out the word to followers. A gobo featuring your mission, funding goals and websites can be projected before movies. They can even be displayed on the outside of the theater building, advertising to passersby that a neighborhood institution is at risk of being shut down due to funding shortages.
To find out more custom gobo design, contact Gobosource.com today!
