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Author Topic: Independent theater owners Jim Bedford Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 597 From: Telluride, CO, USA (733 mi. WNW of Rockwall, TX but it seems much, much longer) Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-11-2006 09:45 AM                        Brad wrote: quote: Brad Miller Kinoton Love to make Chapin and Larry happy and get these but since we will need four machines and presently have four machines our budget probably won't allow it. Where's the Projector Fairy Godmother when we need her?!?  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 06-11-2006 02:45 PM                     quote: Where's the Projector Fairy Godmother when we need her?!? I think she is still sitting on her ass up in the Hollywood Hills babbling aimlessly about moving to Texas. Anyone know for sure? What kind of projectors are you looking at installing? New or used?  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 06-11-2006 05:05 PM                        I might as well chime in here: I run a 4 screen independant in the town of Cambridge, Maryland. We have a sister theatre 15 miles away in Easton, Maryland. Having worked for the big chains most of my career, it has been quite a lot to get used to. The man I work for, Paul Wenger, is the nicest theatre owner that I met in the business. Sometimes, I feel like I am working at a 'toy' theatre, like everything is in minature compared to all the other places I have been: a minature concession stand (two registers), a minature booth (4 projectors), and 1 box station. It's really weird, like going back in time. I hope someday to own my own location. We'll see if I get there soon.  |  IP: Logged John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 06-11-2006 07:25 PM                     C'mon Brad, don't rag on Jim Bedford. I had the pleasure of visiting with him when I was skiing in Teluride Colorado several years ago. The Nugget is a great little operation. He keeps those old Brinkerts running like a top. Jim, I'm sure whatever you do, you will still have a quality operation. Have fun! That's what it's all about, anyway. Long live the memory of Chuck Jones. As for independents, I work for one. We have thirteen screens in a heavily screened metropolitan area and we manage to more than hold our own, giving quality presentation and hands on service. It's fun to be a thorn in the side of the chains.  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 06-11-2006 07:49 PM                     I work at a single screen built in '28, 1392 seats, we're the only 2nd run in a metro area of around a million. One would think it would be easy, but its still a battle against quick roll over to video and just plain terrible product.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-11-2006 08:58 PM                     Putting in 4 Kinotons shouldn't be necessarily more or that much more expensive than domestic machines. There is the PK-60D that competes with Simplex, Century, and Christie. The FP20s and FP30s on the used market should also compete well with domestic used offerings.  |  IP: Logged Richard Cockrum Film Handler Posts: 14 From: Monaca, PA / USA Registered: May 2004 posted 06-12-2006 06:01 AM                        My wife Glenda and I run a single screen subrun 134 seat theatre in Ambridge, PA. She does the booking, ticket booth, and floor operations. I run the projection booth, concession counter, and do building maintenance. We are weekends only, with the occasional special booking during the week.  |  IP: Logged Jim Bedford Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 597 From: Telluride, CO, USA (733 mi. WNW of Rockwall, TX but it seems much, much longer) Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-12-2006 10:53 AM                        Putting in anything different will cost more than reinstalling our operating Century C's and the Christie P35C's we presently have. Love to find four good SA's or have someone make us an offer we can afford on Kinotons. Of course, we do have two to three years to look and decide before the remodel is complete so we aren't in a panic.  |  IP: Logged Steven J Hart Master Film Handler Posts: 282 From: WALES, ND, USA Registered: Mar 2004 posted 06-13-2006 07:03 AM                        Hey all, I operate the Roxy Theater in Langdon, ND pop. 2100. The Roxy has a 200 seat main floor auditorium with an additional 83 seats in the balcony. We sub-run mainstream films: usually 3 to 4 weeks after the break with an occasional high profile film opening on the break. The Roxy was built in 1936 and was renovated in 1998 when I took over operations. We employ 7 part timers and are open Friday through Monday nights. We present film through a Century C from a Potts platter with DTS/UltraStereo/Crown/JBL sound system. You can check out the Roxy in the Film-Tech Pictures warehouse under single screen. I hope the studios continue to print film for a long time!!!! Steve  |  IP: Logged Steve Scott Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1300 From: Minneapolis, MN Registered: Sep 2000 posted 06-13-2006 11:44 AM                     The theatre I work for is the only theatre operated by Stone Arch Cinema Inc. We are a part of a local company that manages restaurants and business rental properties throughout Minneapolis. Bill Carter is the manager & partner in the theatre end of the business. Our owner also rents out most of the block around the theatre, a former retail mall that has become successful office space & upscale dining. We've inherited most of our equipment from previous companies that once had leases on the theatre. Bill has provided other equipment that hasn't been outright replaced for new stuff. We have a small crew, everyone over age 18. It's usually a perfectly adequate theatre experience for everyone involved.  |  IP: Logged Jim Ziegler Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 753 From: West Hollywood, CA Registered: Jul 99 posted 06-26-2006 02:24 AM                     I'm running an indy 6 screen just south of Fresno. We run it like a chain theatre though and have spent quite a bit of effort over the last couple of years branding the "corporate" name.  |  IP: Logged Donna Sylvester Film Handler Posts: 33 From: Burney, CA, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 07-03-2006 02:49 PM                        Hi. Mine is a Mom operation. I first got into the business after my government retirement about nine years ago. I moved up to the mountains and bought the local single-screen theatre. It has been in continous operation since 1940, and was in pretty bad shape. I continued to show movies, mostly just on the weekends, and gradually fixed the place up. It has the prettiest hardwood floors you can imagine. Nearly everything inside is new now. I had the opportunity to purchase my closest competitor about a year and a half ago. It, too, had been in continuous coperation since 1939--well, except for when it was closed after two fires (one that destroyed the place), and when it was closed to move the building about 50 yards when they realigned the highway. I closed that one for five months and completely renovated it, doing nearly all the work with the help of my neighbor, my son, and local volunteers. My theatres are 17 miles apart. Both are at least 55 miles from any other movie competitor. High school sports and local activities hurt my business tremendously. For the most part, theatre #1 is open Friday through Monday, but does show many first-run movies on the break, often for full weeks. Theatre #2 is open Friday through Sunday. I divide my time between the two and employ ten to twelve part-timers. The population in town #1 is 3500, while #2 is 680. #2 often outperforms #1!! Both theatres have Century projectors, Christie platters, JBL and EV speakers, and DTS. I am in my home office, at home, three-tenths of a mile from theatre #1. I like it when the theatres are closed on Tuesday-Thursday, so I have time to buy supplies, preview movies, ride my motorcycle, deep clean the popcorn machine, etc. I have to travel about 270 miles one-way to attend screenings. I do my own booking.  |  IP: Logged Paul Gordon Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 580 From: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Registered: Aug 2005 posted 07-03-2006 03:13 PM                        I work as a relief projectionist at a independent single screen change over house in Ottawa, Canada(Pop 800,000). The Mayfair has been running since 1932 playing a mix of Art and 2nd run films. Still using Century's from 1942. The theatre holds 460 people, has working curtains, a balcony, Spanish colonial style inside. Pretty old school, most days we have three staff, a Manager, who does tickets, a popcorn person and the projectionist, that's it.  |  IP: Logged Adam Fraser Master Film Handler Posts: 499 From: Houghton Lake, MI, USA Registered: Dec 2001 posted 07-05-2006 10:49 AM                        My family owns a 450 seat single screen theatre in Houghton Lake, MI. We also own and operate a furniture store and a sofa and mattress store on the same property. We have 1 part time employee, 5 Family members, and one business partner that work here. Houghton Lake is a town of about 3000 people base population that explodes in the summer to many more people and dies in the winter. Our single screen theatre is an 8000 sq. ft. log cabin and there is not a night that goes by that patrons dont say that we are the nicest theatre that they have ever been in. We do the theatre more for fun than anything as keeping this building built in 1941 in pristine condition costs a lot of money. The previous owners did extensive restoration of the building after one owner in the late 1950's let the building go into disrepair. We play mainstream product with 2 Simplex XL's, a TECO platter, Dolby Digital, CP55, JBL Speakers, Ashly and Altec amps.  |  IP: Logged Steve Maggs Film Handler Posts: 22 From: Brisbane , Australia Registered: Apr 2000 posted 07-28-2006 09:03 PM                     I work for a family owned independent chain in Brisbane, Australia. They currently have 3 sites - Hawthorne 3, Balmoral 6 and Southbank 5. They are currently building a brand new 9plex in Victoria Point. Photos of the cinemas are available on their website www.cineplex.com.au The complex competes successfully with the majors. The Southbank complex is a former joint venture with Imax and Hoyts which went broke and sat dark for a year. The Imax auditorium has been converted back to 35mm and now features Brisbane's largest screen (if not the largest in Queensland)at 82 feet wide.  |  IP: Logged

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