Go Digital or Go Dark: SeaView Theater Needs Your Support

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— from Joey Mount —

The Challenge
Movies have been distributed on 35mm film for over 100 years. Beginning in 2014, however, all major studios will be switching to digital format. This will substantially reduce their production and distribution costs. It will also provide a better movie-going experience in both picture and sound quality. The new digital projectors and required sound equipment are expensive — around $60,000. The film studios have offered major multiplex theaters subsidies to make this conversion, but independent single-screen theaters like ours on Orcas Island are not eligible. By early 2014 we will not be able to get movies that will work with our projector. For many small theaters like the SeaView, the end of 35mm films leaves a stark choice: Go digital or Go dark.

The Seaview is as much a labor of love as it is a business
SeaView theatre owner John Mount has worked for 53 years to provide a movie-going experience on Orcas Island. John’s half-century of dedication is a labor of love. Due to our small population, the theatre barely covers operating expenses through ticket sales and concessions. John is committed to keeping this theatre alive for the community. He owns the building and the property and is making legal provisions to guarantee that the SeaView Theatre stays a theatre.

The Friends of Seaview Theatre
When we learned of the threat of losing our theatre, a small group of concerned islanders met with John. Like him, we believe movie theaters are fundamentally important to the health and well being of small communities. They’re not just a big box where you watch the latest release. They’re a place to gather, laugh, and explore new ideas. Especially for our youth! The theater is one of the places, like the village green, that keep the community connected. It would be a shame to lose this valuable community asset.

A movie theatre in a small town is vital for the local economy
In response, we formed The Friends of The SeaView Theatre, a community action group to help create a vision for the future. The goals are: exciting programming that includes independent films as well are first-run movies, matinees, and film festivals (the first is already slated for the fall of 2014). But we need to keep the doors open by raising the one-time cost of $60,000 to convert to a digital projector. Communities across America are saving their small town theatres, we can do it too! It’s our hope that we exceed our goal. Every dollar we raise over the conversion cost will go toward upgrading the theatre — new seats, marquee and more. We want a theatre in our community that we can all enjoy and be proud of for generations to come.

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