Collegiate Times

The Lyric in downtown Blacksburg has installed a new projector that will allow audiences to view PowerPoint presentations and small budget DVDs.

The $23,000 piece of equipment, a Sanyo PLV-WS10 digital projector, was installed in late January and had its debut performance on Feb. 15 when the documentary “Screaming Queens” was screened.

“We’ve made a leap in technology,” said Susan Mattingly, executive director of the Lyric.

The new projector will not be used to screen the feature films that the Lyric usually presents. It will be used for making presentations and playing DVDs of films that have lower budgets and cannot afford to be made into 35-millimeter reels.

“Some art house films aren’t being made on 35 millimeter reels because the process costs millions of dollars,” Mattingly said.

Films on 35 millimeter reels must first be printed and the shipped carefully to its destination. These reels usually weigh approximately 60 pounds, Mattingly said.

“Smaller independent companies make their films straight on to DVD,” she said.
In addition, the theater can now make PowerPoint presentations a more cinematic experience.

“Now we can hook up to computers and project presentations from the booth,” said Ashley Maynor, general manager of the Lyric.
Before, whenever the theater hosted speakers with presentations, a smaller projector had to be placed on a box in the middle of the floor seats.

“It helps us to be a more state-of-the-art theater,” Maynor said.

The projector also gives the advertisement slideshow that is shown before every film a sharper image. Because of this, the theater is hoping that more businesses will want to advertise because of the quality and better-lit images of their advertisements.

“The projector opens new possibilities for the theater,” Maynor said.

The projector was funded through community donations. In addition, the Lyric received $5,000 from both the Town of Blacksburg and Montgomery County.

“It is an asset to the community,” Maynor said.