Bigger and Better

Josh Jacobs (Photo by Jana Birchum)

When the Bullock Texas State History Museum announced last month that they were temporarily closing their IMAX theatre to switch to digital projectors, it didn't come as much of a surprise. Back in 2013, IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond outlined a plan to convert theatres around the country, and now it's Bullock's turn. Going away are the massive 70mm film projectors, making way for a state-of-the-art dual digital IMAX projection system, complete with an all-new sound system and screen. What does this mean for you, film enthusiast? Well, say goodbye to IMAX 70mm, but say hello to a much more robust slate of films at the Bullock.

"It comes down to distribution," says Josh Jacobs, the recently appointed director of film and theatre for the Bullock Museum. "Last year the only feature films available to us were The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Christopher Nolan's Interstellar. So we went the entire year without a feature. The latest Hobbit film [The Battle of the Five Armies] wasn't even available on 70mm. It was digital only. That's how it's going to keep going. So to remain capable of showing anything we had to go digital." It's a move that makes financial sense for the museum, and with the ability to not be locked down to a single format, patrons will have a lot more options and the Bullock IMAX will be able to show a wider range of content. And while Jacobs laments the loss of the analog IMAX 70mm format, to remain a viable theatre in this town, it was a change that had to happen.

Jacobs comes to the position after seven years as the director of the Alamo Drafthouse's Rolling Roadshow, where he and his crew set up outdoor theatres for Movies in the Park, the Long Center's Sound & Cinema, the Marfa Film Festival, and countless other events. He says his time with the Rolling Roadshow prepared him for this new gig. "I think the biggest thing I'm bringing from the Roadshow is the ability to think on my feet. It's the ability to have a solid plan and execute it. You've got a thousand people coming out for a show, and they're all staring at the back of your head. You're not hiding in a booth somewhere. You've got all eyes on you if something goes down. I definitely learned stress management from those days."

Along with chief projectionist David Ripper and his team of technicians, Jacobs hustled to get the $150,000 conversion set up in record time. "We actually had to knock a hole in the back of the building to be able to get the new screen inside the theatre." That screen, the biggest in Texas at 65-by-85 feet – as certified by the Giant Screen Cinema Association (yes, that's a real thing) – will soon be showing more than just one new release a year. "The ability to have IMAX films, first-run films from the studios, repertory films, and live-streaming events such as concerts and opera is exciting. There are so many directions we can go with this."

To get the largest screen in Texas into the Bullock Museum, a hole had to be cut into the building's outer wall. (Photo by John Anderson)

One of the films Jacobs is especially excited about is "Dark Universe," a documentary created by the American Museum of Natural History that illuminates the cosmic mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson. "Prior to going digital, there would be no way to screen this. But the museum was able to create a DCP of the film and send it over to us so we can show it." "Dark Universe" is currently playing at the theatre through Feb. 12, and the Hollywood space opera Jupiter Ascending, by Lana and Andy Wachowski, opens this Friday, Feb. 6, which will be followed by Insurgent in March.

Jacobs also hopes to expand on the Bullock's existing programs, such as the ongoing B Movies and Bad History series (recently partnered with the Texas Archive of the Moving Image) and the Music Under the Star series of concerts. He's reaching out to various music bookers to bring in new acts and hopes to utilize the intimate 200-seat Texas Spirit Theater as a music venue. He wants to facilitate partnerships with the Austin Film Society and continue relations with the Austin Film Festival, which regularly screens its Made in Texas series there. It's all under the brand Texas Focus, and ideally it would be a monthly series of films that highlight the Lone Star State's contributions to cinema, as well as workshops and lecture series with filmmakers as well. He wants the museum and theatre to not just be about showing films, but supporting folks who aspire to become filmmakers, helping connect them to the resources they need to thrive.

As to claims that this is one more death rattle signaling the end of film projection, Jacobs isn't too concerned, although he has had discussions about it. "They're mostly friends that are part of the film community, but I'm not hearing a lot from the average moviegoer. But it's filmmakers, cinephiles, and film enthusiasts. They're the ones that care. They're the ones that seek out those film screenings where they know there's a pristine print being shown. There are a lot of folks who are sad that the 70mm is going away. But really, it's something we can't stop. If I had unlimited resources, I would keep the film projectors and we would do both. So when Christopher Nolan or Paul Thomas Anderson put out a film, we could show it. But realistically and financially, that doesn't work. So we have to do what's best for the museum. One of the benefits to the conversion is that as we're able to offer more content, that's bringing in more revenue to the museum. And that's not just for the IMAX, that goes to the museum as a whole. So we get to have more funds to bring in better exhibits."

"People can go to the Alamo Ritz and see a stellar 70mm presentation. So it's not like we're starved for that in Austin, and that's why I wasn't as broken up to see IMAX 70mm go. Digital makes sense for us. I'll still go see 70mm films in Austin, but we have a massive 65-by-85 foot screen that we want to make the best use of and get as much great programming on to that screen as we can, rather than just watching it sit there, waiting for the next Christopher Nolan film."

The transition to digital is the next logical step for the theatre, which hopes to further convert to next-generation laser projectors in a year or two. "We've been seeing this happening for 10 years," Jacobs says. "The technology keeps changing so rapidly. Up until a decade ago, it was the same technology we've had since the 19th century. There have been upgrades to it, but it's still just a gate, film, and a light source. I'm curious to see where this stops. When do we hit that point where we say, 'Okay, we've planed out and this is what the cinematic experience is'? Until we get there, it's going to keep changing, and the industry is going to follow whatever is happening. So we either stick with Betamax or go with VHS."

The Bullock Museum IMAX Theatre is located at 1800 Congress. For showtimes, see www.thestoryoftexas.com.