1. The Procrastinator Pickle History and Background
A discussion about the current construction of the Procrastinator Theatre.
30 November 2007

2. A Twenty Year View
ASMSU Films – operating on campus since time immemorial
1991 – “The Procrastinator Theatre” was born
Linfield 125

3. The Procrastinator as a Student Service
Present
Services
Services
Operating Costs
Operating Costs
Important to bear in mind that The Procrastinator is a valuable student service only so long as it provides VALUE added to the students
1991
1997
2005
2007
2008
Over the last ten years, services have declines while costs have not.

4. Planning 2004 – SUB Renovation Project 2005 – Digital Projection
200 Seat Procrastinator Theatre key selling point
35mm projector
2005 – Digital Projection
Projection Booth removed from blue-prints

5. Digital Switch
Decision was made assuming technology would be ready and available
Technology is ready
Not available – may never be available

6. Digital Cinema - Ready
Standardized in 2005 – specification issued by the Digital Cinema Initiatives group (DCI)
Top to bottom: print creation, distribution to theaters, exhibition
Anti-Piracy Specifications
Equipment Specifications
$100,000 per screen for equipment (vs. $30k allocated)
Over 4,000 domestic screens
(including eight at Bozeman’s Carmike Campus Square 8)

7. Digital Cinema – Not Available (to us)
Industry Structure
Precludes The Procrastinator Theatre from getting digital prints
Key Point #1
Without prints, having the equipment and
location is moot.

8. Non-Theatrical Designation
Necessarily a non-theatrical venue
Located on a university campus
Paid for with student dollars
MSU cuts the checks
Distributors will not do business with non-theatrical venues
(Or, at least not directly)
Revenues too small
Volatility too high
Lots of non-theatrical venues – college campuses, churches, prisons, etc

9. Non-Theatrical Booking
35mm Prints booked through one of two non-theatrical booking agents
Swank Motion Pictures & Criterion USA
A “middle man”
No direct Distributor-Venue interaction
Volatility – when I took over as films chair, we had a print that was supposed to go back to the distributor that I didn’t know about. Ended up keeping the print for four months.

10. Digital Distribution The Digital Print itself The Authorization Key
Controlled by each distributor
Neither non-theatrical booking agent can handle digital prints

11. The Pickle
As a non-theatrical venue, The Procrastinator cannot get prints directly from distributors
No alternatives for getting digital prints
When finished, The Procrastinator Theatre will not be able to book digital prints.

12. Alternatives to Digital Prints
Swank Digital Player – Swank’s “alternative” to Digital Cinema
Quality Inferior to DVDs
DVDs & HD-DVDs
Designed for 32” and 60” TV’s, respectively – not a 30’ screen
Lossy compression, limited video resolution

13. Neither would provide a theater experience
Net Result
Neither would provide a theater experience
Downgrade, rather than upgrade, from Linfield.
Original intetnion – creating the new theater

14. Conclusion
Key Point #2
To be an operable and viable movie theater, the SUB Procrastinator Theatre must have a 35mm projector.
At this point, a few days ago, I contacted Tom

15. Discussion.

16. The Pickle, Part II
When the 35mm Projector was eliminated in 2005, so to was the projection booth

17. 2004

18. Current
No room for projector

19. Necessary Modifications
Expand Booth to accommodate Projector, platter, build table
Fire Suppression
HVAC
Electrical
Access hatch

20. Current, non-viable plans
Proposed Revisions
Hatch

21. Not so fast, there…
Seemingly painless – just push out a few walls and chop hole in the floor
Cost proposal to A&E
Response from A&E
Projection Booth
Ceiling Supported

22. Theoretical Future A “guestimated” $30-50k to redesign floor
Plus any various “hardship” fines
Three to five weeks for structural engineers to redesign structure
Graduation Deadline

23. Where do we go from here?
Without remodel, the SUB Procrastinator will not be usable as a viable movie theater