Mobile Outdoor Movie Theater A Proposal to the Student Development Directive Matt Ball; March 6, 2009 Intro The

Duke community has an active fascination with all things film: students host Freewater Presentations, freshmen compete in the Froshlife movie competition, and many students scramble during the weekend of the Movie Making Marathon. As we are beginning to see now, in fall and spring months, the campus is blessed with wonderful night-time weather. In an effort to bring together members of the Duke community in an outdoor, social setting, I am proposing that the DSG Student Development Directive purchase a mobile outdoor movie system. The following document will describe the technical makeup of such a system, some thoughts on logistics, and the potential benefits a mobile outdoor movie theater could bring to the Duke community. Technical Description A representative from Open Air Cinema, a west-coast commercial group, helped design an outdoor theater system for this proposal. Their full price quote, including detailed descriptions of the components, is attached at the end of this document. A rough mock-up of the system is shown in the image below (please note that, in the image, only the screen is on the same scale as the person).

The system would consist of a very bright digital projector, an inflatable screen sixteen feet wide by nine feet tall, an air blower for the screen, professional quality speakers, a DVD player, an audio mixer, and carrying cases for all of the equipment. The system works out to $4,878 including shipping, technical support from Open Air Cinema, and warranties on all of the components (warranty durations are specified in the price quote). The following bullets will briefly cover the technical rationale for choosing some of the system components: Sanyo PLC-XU78 Projector: 3000 lumens is bright enough to overwhelm any ambient light around the screen; the 450:1 contrast ratio is good; it weighs less than seven pounds The screen is large enough to be viewed by over 200 people; being inflatable, its quite light and resistant to wind damage The speakers are 400 watts each, powerful enough to entertain large crowds Logistics Details on the systems administration need to be resolved. There are several entities that could operate a mobile outdoor movie theater: a student organization could be formed to be technical advisors to any group that wanted to hold a showing. Freewater could incorporate the system into their operations. DSGs Student Affairs Committee and the Office of Student Affairs could form a small subgroup of students that would administer the system. The system could even be given to the library and be checked out in some fashion. If the system is funded, more discussion is needed with DSG to resolve this question. Copyright must also be considered; for large-scale showings, companies like Criterion Pictures USA can provide licensed movies for screenings. Freewater films could also be contacted to determine their procedure for preventing copyright infringement. The system requires a fair amount of electricity, primarily due to the powerful speakers and the screens air blower. In discussions with Open Air Cinema, it was learned that a battery-powered system would be cumbersome and a generator would likely be too loud. This may confine the projector to sites near electrical outlets; long extension cords would mitigate this problem but alternative options remain under consideration. Potential Benefits Unlike traditional movie theaters, outdoor screenings are inherently social. The experience of watching a movie under the open sky promotes more interaction among audience members who might not otherwise meet. As movies are enjoyed by all types of Duke students, each screening would be a small act of community-building. The ability to hold more public showings of student work would also go far in supporting and enhancing the campus film scene. The system has many potential untraditional uses as well. Campus bands could use it during outdoor performances, displaying their own images and music visualizations. The system can be set up during large outdoor events to help distant audience members see and hear whats going on the stage. Gaming groups can also utilize the system to play with their friends while enjoying the great outdoors.

Contact Any questions about the system may be directed to Matt Ball, mab43@duke.edu, (919) 428-4533. Brandon Wilson is the Open Air Cinema representative that provided the quote and advice; he may be contacted at brandon@openaircinema.us or (801) 796-6800 x207.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1464 West 40 South Suite 500, Lindon, UT 84042 Phone: (801) 796-6800 Fax: (801) 796-6806

Request for Quotation

(This is Not an Order) Quote Date*: Mar 6, 2009 To: Matt Ball Item # Quantity Description CBH-16PA 1 CineBox Home 16x9 System with Pro Audio Upgrade 16 Open Air Home Screen: - 16x9 front projection surface (220" Diagonal Projection Surface. Matt white, wrinkle resistant, smooth ripstop nylon) - Black-backed projection surface blocks lights from behind, improves contrast ratio - (1) Air Blower - (8) clip-on easy-cinch straps - (4) Twist in yard stakes CineBox Home Console - Protective carrying case - (1) Sanyo LCD projector (3000 lumens) - (1) DVD player - (1) User-friendly audio mixer (includes DVD, MP3, Microphone compatibility) - (1) Microphone Professional Audio - (2) Mackie speakers & speaker bags (Active, Bi-Amplified, 400 watts continuous power each) - (2) Professional speaker stands - (2) 50 XLR Speaker cables Essential Extras - CineBox training DVD - Tech support - Weatherproof cases/ bags for all equipment - Individual component manuals - 3 Year Manufacturers Warranty on Projector; 2 Year Manufacturers Warranty on Speakers, 90 Day Warranty on Screen; 30 Warranty on all other items for Open Air Cinema (Additional Manufacturers Warranty on items depends on product) Subtotal SHP Tax Shipping and Handling - Delivery time is 3 6 weeks from time of order Sales Tax Total

Unit Cost $4,699.00

$4,699.00 $179.00

$4,878.00

Quoted by: Brandon Wilson; p:(801) 796-6800 x207 e:brandon@openaircinema.us f:(801)796-6806 *Quote Expires ONE MONTH after Quote Date