A $25,000 grant from AT&T helped the Campus Center and RHA Movies in Wells Hall by offering students what was missing - better picture and sound quality.
Tom Leach, movie coordinator for the Campus Center, said two auditoriums in Wells Hall were outfitted with two 35 mm projectors over the winter break.
“The picture quality is much better than its has ever been,” Leach said. “Three out of four auditoriums now have the 35 mm, which will mean brighter pictures, and the sound will be better.”
The grant, donated last semester, allowed the movie program to retrofit the auditorium and install two new projectors, film platters and a renovated ventilation system.
This upgrade also will benefit the East Lansing Film Society when it hosts its annual film festival in March. Leach said the film society always had problems finding enough venues to show 35 mm films.
The movie program, sponsored by RHA and paid for by a $21 residence hall tax, presents three or four movies per week, about three to five months removed from theaters. The program occasionally runs classic, foreign and cult films, Leach said.
Leach started the movie program when he was a student in 1965. He was involved with the program for nearly 26 years as a student and consultant.
He expects the movie program to show “Harry Potter”, “Oceans Eleven”, “Ali” and “Monsters Inc.” this semester. The film society will show Richard Linkletter’s “Tape” later this month.
“The whole concept was devised to give the students who are here on the weekends a few more things to do,” Leach said. “With East Lansing not having a theater, it is a great place to come and watch a movie.”
Last weekend’s debut of new equipment was noticed by English senior Nicole Birkett and her friends after watching “Training Day” Saturday night.
Birkett said she attends Campus Center movies about once a month. Birkett said the change between film reels was much better and the film was in focus.
“(Before), the sound would go out for a couple of minutes and the picture would be out of focus,” Birkett said. “The picture would be halfway on the screen and halfway on the wall. Most of the time it was out of focus, but it was free so I didn’t mind.”
Keith Redmond, RHA’s assistant movie director, said the new projectors saved RHA from continuously renting movie equipment.
“(The grant) helped out drastically,” he said. “It opens up more variety.”
With the addition of the projectors, RHA will show four movies this semester, up from the three showed previously.
Redmond was excited about the nearly 650 students that showed up for the 7 p.m. shows last week.
“It’s definitely getting better,” Redmond said about the program’s popularity.
