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LINDON — It may seem like an odd combination: a bicycle that doubles as a portable movie theater. For one Utah company, however, the possibilities of such a system proved endless.
Stuart Farmer owns Open Air Cinema, a company located in Lindon. Ten years ago, Farmer set up his first 40-foot inflatable movie screen at a convention in Utah. Since then, the company has sold thousands of similar screens across the country. About a year ago, Farmer started developing what he now calls the CineBike.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve the outdoor cinema experience,” Farmer said. “As the equipment has gotten smaller and evolved over the years, figuring out how to make it more portable has been a priority.”
The CineBike is a portable bicycle cinema system. The bike itself is a lightweight, foldable cargo bike equipped with a detachable battery pack that charges as the wheels spin. It comes with a saddlebag-style storage unit that houses an LED projector and pop-up screen.
After working on the CineBike for over a year and going through dozens of prototypes, Open Air Cinema developer Marcus Clawson said they’ve been able to hone in on a design that’s both efficient and fun.
“A 20 to 30 minute ride will charge the battery enough to get things started,” Clawson said. “During a movie, the audience members take turns pedaling the bike in a stationary position to keep the electricity running to the projector. Watching a movie becomes a team effort.”
Throughout development, the CineBike has been put to use around the world. As part of its company goals, Clawson said Open Air Cinema has been working to bring the magic of movies, films and other types of media to places where it was once unavailable. Employees recently took a CineBike to Mexico and showed it in a village where residents had never seen a moving picture.
“Not being reliant on a wall power source makes the system able to reach further,” Clawson said. “It’s amazing to see kids flock around the screen in places where movies are so rare. It brings people together.”
During the recent conflicts in the Ukraine, protesters used a CineBike to show video clips out on the streets.
“You're able to carry a message, whether it be fun or educational. In the case of Ukraine, they were able to carry a message instantly,” Clawson said.
In developing nations where gasoline availability and cost make it hard to transport heavy projection equipment, Farmer said they’ve been able to use the CineBike to show movies in areas where it once was all but impossible to do so.
“One of the things that we do when we work on developing outdoor cinema is imagine it out in places where people want it the most,” Farmer said. “We have thousands of people wanting to watch things in developing nations but it can cost upwards of $100 just to get one movie out to some of the more rural areas.”
A priority in the bike’s design was useability. The frame is lightweight and can fold up to fit in a car.
“It’s designed for a mom and her child,” Farmer said. “Anyone can lift it. It's adjustable, even a child can pedal it. There's so many components but it can be folded up to fit in a car.”
