Corn Exchange Wallingford
Digital Cinema Appeal

The Corn Exchange has made the decision to buy a digital projector.
It will cost £55,000.

The Corn Exchange has been showing films to Wallingford and district audiences for the past 31 years.

Since the birth of cinema at the end of the 19th century, films have been produced, circulated and screened on photographic film. As the commercial UK cinema chains embrace digital technology traditional 35mm films are being phased out.

Commercial cinema chains are now installing digital projectors at a rate unforeseen only a couple of years ago. Of the 3750 commercial cinema screens in the UK over 75% have already converted to digital and it is now estimated that over 98% will be digital by the end of 2012. This means that the majority of cinemas will require films in digital format. It will become uneconomic to make traditional 35mm copies of films so this format will rapidly disappear.

Small & independent cinemas are in danger of being starved of films to show unless they also install digital equipment.

If cinema in Wallingford is to continue we need a digital projector.

The Corn Exchange has not ignored the change to digital and has already spent £25,000 buying and installing a digital sound system. This has greatly enhanced the audio experience of the current 35mm films and is an essential part of a new digital cinema system. Already some new films are not available in 35mm format so we must buy the digital projector soon.

Availability of funding will determine when we can order the equipment. Programme schedules could allow installation in August this year if sufficient funds are available.

Faced with this large capital expenditure we, like many other small independent cinemas, are turning to our patrons for help.

If you enjoy and value your local cinema
please make a donation.

Any amount, no matter how small, will be much appreciated.

You can donate by cheque, cash or online

Please send your donation to:
DIGITAL CINEMA APPEAL
CORN EXCHANGE, WALLINGFORD OX10 0EG
or hand it to a member of our staff.
Please make cheques payable to
“Sinodun Players - Digital Cinema Fund”

If you would like to make a Gift Aid declaration, please download our Gift Aid Declaration form here.

Thank you!
The Trustees and Board,
Sinodun Players, Corn Exchange Wallingford

Some frequently asked questions:

Why does the Corn Exchange need digital projection?
If the Corn Exchange Cinema is to continue screening the latest films we need to install a digital projection system.

Is there any alternative?
No. Like the switch from analogue to digital television, once 35mm films are no longer available there is nothing to watch unless we convert.

What are the advantages?

There are major environmental and economic savings to be made by moving from 35mm film to digital.
Duplicate film prints use up to 18,000 feet of film stock for a full-length feature film. A major film release in the UK alone may require several hundred copies of the film which have to be processed onto photographic film, stored and transported to individual cinemas. A digital ‘film’, which is just a data file, can be delivered quickly and reliably via disc, fibre optic cable or satellite - resulting in huge savings in raw materials, process water, energy and transport costs.

Improved quality of presentation
Digital technology delivers crystal clear, razor-sharp, stable images for the ultimate in picture quality. Digital images on screen will be picture-perfect every time, greatly improving the cinema experience. By contrast, the more times photographic film is run through a projector, the more prone it becomes to scratches and fading, wear and tear and breakages.

The Corn Exchange will be able to screen live shows. Digital technology will enable the cinema to show live entertainment such as opera, ballet, theatre, and music concerts beamed by satellite to Wallingford. Such events are proving extremely popular with a wide range of audiences nationwide and are encouraging new people into cinemas.