Sue Kiesel, left, recently donated this Wood Duck photograph to Bob Card, center, and Helen Zyma, right, to be raffled off on Wednesday, July 31 for a $5 donation. Photo by Dana Armington
Bob Card and Helen Zyma, owners of the Strand Theatre, will be looking to install their digital projection systems sometime between mid-October through mid-November.
In addition to obtaining digital projectors and servers, the new digital systems will require upgrading of electrical, sound and even air conditioning which is required to keep the servers at specific temperatures.
With the Strand’s four screens and the level of work required, the total cost of conversion will be close to $300,000.
The Save Our Strand (SOS) committee is seeking to raise $150,000 through its fundraising and the 90th Anniversary Gala scheduled for Thursday, July 25th.
The availability of 35mm prints appears to be fine for this summer with some delays on very popular movies, according to Nick Rose, executive director of CAP-21, co-sponsoring organization of the anniversary event.
As distributers reduce the number of prints after the busy summer movie season, there may be some additional delays.
Only Fox Films has announced a final date of film production on December 31, 2013.
The other three major distribution companies have not announced final dates but this probably will occur by the beginning of next year, Rose said.
The Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council (MVREDC) provided a grant to assist with digital conversion but this grant requires all four screens to be converted by the end of this year or the grant will be forfeited.
Card and Zyma do not want to disrupt the summer and early fall movie season, but this creates a very narrow window within which all the conversion work must be accomplished.
The Strand will convert one screen at a time with the full sequence requiring about one week.
For information about the 90th Anniversary Gala or to purchase tickets, or to just donate to the SOS Fund, contact CAP-21 at (315) 369-3353 or go to www.cap-21.org.
