Yesterday, I was hanging out in Asheville with an old friend, and talking about movies. It’s what we mostly talk about when we get together, and it was even more relevant because he was showing me the basics of three-point lighting for a non-Spark project I’ve been working on. As we talked about all kinds of film-nerd stuff — learning two-camera set-ups, planning inserts and the like — he mentioned that he was thinking about starting up a drive-in movie theater as a kind of side business.
This is the sort of subject that speaks right to my inner film-geek.
Even though drive-in culture was essentially dead when I was a kid, there were a few struggling screens in Joplin, Missouri, where my father lived. Like many kids who are put in the middle of a divorce, I spent my summers with my dad. And since Joplin didn’t exactly have a lot of kid-friendly options at the time, we spent a lot of evenings at the drive-in, watching pretty much every early feature. I can clearly remember seeing the Matthew Broderick flick War Games in a double feature with The Iceman when I was six or seven (even though IMDB insists that they were released a year apart), hearing all the sound through the tinny-sounding window-mounted speakers that the place still used. There was a playground in front of the screen, so that kids who didn’t want to watch the movie could have something to do, and still be within their parents’ field of vision. I remember busting open my toe and having to leave the drive-in — wailing — in the middle of some dumb summer action flick. It’s still a good memory.
For me, drive-ins were very much a part of the magic of my childhood. But while I love the places, and have taken overly long car trips as an adult to go to the few that are still open, I’ve never considered them economically viable. I’ve always thought of them as more like hobbies or side businesses for film fanatics.
So, when my pal mentioned that he was thinking about starting one, I was totally excited and completely skeptical. He’s not the sort of person who is prone to speculative daydreaming, and he actually helps to run a “walk-in” film series in Asheville. But the more we talked about it, the more I started to see the possibilities. And it might just work.
To understand why it might, let’s revisit what a drive-in actually is. On a functional level, all it takes to start a drive-in is: a large, wide, flat vertical surface to use as a screen (you can even use the side of a building if it’s prepped correctly); a fairly powerful projector (decent commercial digital projectors are now in the $20,000 to $15,000 range); some kind of limited-range FM transmitter (the old speakers are awesome, but long gone); and a place for people to park. To make a decent profit, you’ll also need some kind of concession stand, although that can actually be subcontracted out to vendors. There’s also insurance, licenses and fees and contracts to screen current films, but the hard start-up costs aren’t insane by any means. Still, we’re looking at least $100,000 to do this right in the hopes that people would actually brave the weather to watch a movie in a novel setting. It’s a risk, particularly in a place like Spartanburg.
Which brings me to today’s Big Idea: Spartanburg’s Walk-In Theater.
First, let’s tweak the concept. Instead of driving-in and watching the movie in a car, what if it was just an outdoor film screening? A walk-in theater, that is. There’s already something like it happening with the Hub City Church-sponsored Movies In The Park. What if it was a bit more nightlife oriented than that, though? After all, Spartanburg lacks an arthouse cinema, and plenty of people will attend film screenings of classic films just for something interesting to do, as demonstrated by the Hollywood Classic film series at the Chapman Cultural Center. And HUB-BUB has tried out the idea many times, including their current Sauce’s Summer Film Series.
Wouldn’t it be possible to hold a weekly, outdoor/indoor, late-night, walk-in film screening at a place with food and beer? Not as an occasional event during the summer, but as a vital part of Spartanburg’s nightlife. A cheapish, off-the-shelf digital projector would cost like $1,000 new, and odds are that plenty of people in town already have access to one. And it’s a lot easier to screen an older film on DVD than it is to get the rights to a new summer blockbuster. As I understand it — and I may be wrong — as long as the screening itself is free and everyone is welcome to attend, there’s no need to actually license the rights. It’s hard to see this as a win-win thing for the community and any business that would like to support it.
If you’re savvy with the film happenings in bigger cities, odds are this is hardly a new idea for you. Again, just in Asheville there are two weekly free screenings of classic films at just one theater — the Carolina Cinema — and I can tell you from personal experience that they’re generally packed. The theater or venue gets concessions, the crowds get to watch a movie on the big screen, and the costs are minimal. And that’s hardly the only thing like it happening on a weekly basis in that town. Surely, Spartanburg’s increasingly hip community can support more film screenings than it currently does.
And there’s absolutely no reason Spartanburg can’t trump that snooty mountain town on this front. As long as we’re willing to roll-up our sleeves and get to work, that is.
Now comes the brainstorm. Let’s hear your ideas on how to make this a major part of the newly revitalized downtown. Where can we hold these screenings? Who will organize and promote them? What sorts of films should we make a priority? (My take? A double-header of classic mainstream films from 1930 to 1980, followed by classic horror films for the late-night crowd.)
Remember, this is a brainstorm and there are no bad ideas. Silly ideas, yes, but not bad ones. And even silly ideas can have merit. I’ll also start a Spartanburg Film Society in our new Groups section for those of you who want to keep the topic going.
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