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Author Topic: Independent theater owners Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-13-2011 09:57 PM                        I suppose it might be easier for an operation like Melanie's where she's playing everything off the break. I think it would be harder to get movies on the break though. I know there were times in the film era when our booker would have a few prints and would circulate them among his clients. We would quite often get movies pretty quickly that way. Since digital started we have nobody to swap movies with, but I expect that will change in the next year or two. Melanie - your town is about the same size as ours, so you might want to sometime try a movie on the break. You might be surprised how much the business will increase. Our first on-break movie was Mission Impossible II -- we did over 2x as many tickets on that movie as we did on the original MI. Maybe try it with something that almost everyone is sure to like, and a movie that is almost guaranteed to be a quality show that'll have legs. (The upcoming Hobbit films come to mind.) Three weeks is tough, it's true -- we hardly ever do a three-week booking. But if a movie is really good, we've had a couple of times during holidays where the second week actually surpasses the first.  |  IP: Logged Melanie Loggins Expert Film Handler Posts: 154 From: Wayne, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2011 posted 09-14-2011 08:09 AM                        Monte, you may be right. I started with a booker because I was flat-out overwhelmed by everything I was trying to learn, and knowing that someone else would just get me a movie was a relief. But lately I've had to fight the urge to contact the film companies directly, either because my booker didn't answer a question, or because it seemed to be taking a very long time to get an answer. I think someday I would feel confident to do it on my own. But for now, it's still nice to know that he has all the contact info, so when a movie from a new company comes up, he can just handle it for me. As for taking movies on the break, I would have to feel VERY confident that it would be worth paying a percentage that could be twice as much. And our business model (volunteers to help me sell concessions) means that I'm the only employee. A two-week run means I would have to work every night for two weeks, which is daunting. We opened with a movie on the break, and it did ok, and I would have taken Harry Potter if I hadn't had community theatre conflicts.  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-14-2011 08:30 AM                        As long as you are going off the break anyway, you may want to try being a calendar house. If you could put out your schedule a month in advance, it gives you the opportunity to get the word out to people when a film is going to be there. You also can play trailers, put up posters, etc. It doesn't always have to be last minute, though it does require some planning.  |  IP: Logged Melanie Loggins Expert Film Handler Posts: 154 From: Wayne, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2011 posted 09-14-2011 10:17 AM                        I do play trailers and put up posters, as I usually know at least a week or two out what I'm going to show. I mean, I can look at the national numbers and gauge my audience and have a pretty good idea what I'm going to show. And since I, like a lot of us I suspect, find that my greatest competition is the first-run theatre 45 minutes away, I'm always trying to get movies as soon as they go split week. And so far, I've only had a couple of problems with that, both from the same company who won't make up their mind until the very last minute. (Really? I can't have The Help yet? It's not in the top and it's been out for weeks! Let me have it! AAHHHH!) Even though it means a lot of last-miunute decisions, I like having the flexibility to skip a movie that looked promising and then was awful/performed poorly.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-14-2011 12:21 PM                        quote: (Really? I can't have The Help yet? It's not in the top and it's been out for weeks! Let me have it! AAHHHH!) I feel your pain. We had planned to have it on the 9th and still can't get it yet. Hoping for the 30th. The good news is, it's a great word-of-mouth movie so hopefully some people who saw it already will come again with a friend or two. quote: Melanie Loggins I think someday I would feel confident to do it on my own. There is a small chain here in Montana where the owner's daughter took over their booking several years ago. In their situation, their previous booker retired and the young lady had been working in the chain's home office for years, and had gotten interested in the booking process, so she decided to give it a try. She's still doing it today. If you would like to talk about it with her I could give you her email or phone -- contact me via PM.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 09-14-2011 01:15 PM                     quote: Martin McCaffery you may want to try being a calendar house Many moons ago, cinemas, esp in small towns that played well off the break, but then were called, "2nd Run Houses", they WERE indeed called 'calendar' houses - houses that scheduled films for an entire month and issued flyers, handouts and the like. Plus with posters in cases with opening dates. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Frank Cox Film God Posts: 2234 From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada Registered: Apr 2011 posted 09-14-2011 01:42 PM                        Not that many moons. Up until about a month before I did my digital conversion earlier this year I sent out a monthly flyer to every mailbox in the area. Advertising opportunities are pretty limited here. I used to advertise in the local weekly newspaper, but quit after they put in "now playing Spiderman" the week prior to its actual playdate and nobody noticed. Obviously nobody was reading that ad. My main advertising now is my website and email mailing list. The "now playing" section of my website gets a truly amazing number of hits, and a large portion of those hits are from smartphones (blackberries and the like). I haven't lost anything (other than a bill) by not printing a monthly flyer.  |  IP: Logged Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 09-14-2011 01:49 PM                     Back in '06 when I was managing a rural single-screener that played about 4 weeks off the break I had a great booker (Frank Rash) who kept me booked a month in advance. I can't understand why anyone would have less of a lead.  |  IP: Logged Bradley Peters Film Handler Posts: 4 From: Boissevain, MB, Canada Registered: Dec 2010 posted 09-14-2011 06:11 PM                     At the community owned single screen that I helped run we had a monthly schedule arranged through a booking agent. We didn't mail out flyers but we did make up some paper sheets that we posted around town with the schedule. As it was we were only open two nights a week plus an extra night once a month with a film booked through the TIFF Film Circuit organization in Toronto. (And, like Melanie we also hosted drama productions and such on our stage.) We've been closed for a while now due to some problems with our building and are trying to get reopened. If and when that happens we haven't decided how exactly we're going to operate.  |  IP: Logged Per Hauberg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 883 From: Malling, Denmark Registered: Jul 2000 posted 09-14-2011 07:21 PM                        I guess, I've got to be in this fine club, too: I bought my "Malling Bio" summer 1973, just 20 years old, and have been running it ever since. -The Home office is a desk at the end of my dining room on first floor over the cinema. Malling has been growing during these years - from 3.000 to about 5.000 souls, and going from village to almost suburb. Only 14 km's (8,5 miles) from Aarhus, next-largest city of Denmark (a bit short of 300.000 inhabitants). In 1973, you could go to Aarhus by train 7 times a day. Aarhus at that time counted 8 single-screeners (from 300 to 1000 seats). Two of them ran three shows a day, the others just 7 and 9 p.m. Today, Aarhus can be reached 8 times every hour by train or bus, and there are 4 cinemas: A four-screen arthouse, a five-screen, running for mid-age plus audiences, and the big mainstreamers: BioCity, run by the Nordisk Film chain and newcomer (2004), german-owned CinemaxX, the latter really coming to take over everything, big or small... -It's even build together with the Aarhus main station, meaning that our local train from Malling goes right into the foyer of CinemaxX. Since the opening of CinemaxX, I have almost totally lost my younger audience, who were more than willing to respond on the "biggest screen ever". Toughest example: The first four Harry Potter movies were worth about 200.000 danish kroner (37.000 US Dollars) average for me. After CinemaxX going down, down down to the last Potter, which made just under 50.000 DKK - 9.000 Dollars ! My ever-steady niche has been kid's stuff - especially since Disney gave me a first-run on "Lion's King". This is going down, too, since 3D came, and I installed the only 2D cinema in the whole country. 3D to me, is seldom a plus to any picture, and I sincerely from day one have believed, it is going to die as it did several times before. I don't want to pay extra money for the gear, and I don't want to ask familiy audiences to pay 30 kr extra pr. ticket to see it, because I think, it for some family's will mean a visit less to the cinema now and then. Mon, dad and 3 kids to pay 25-30 dollars extra - and for what ? Not many films delivers an experince so much better, because of 3D ! The matinees are still good (not great anymore, though) and then there are the kid's grandparents: A nice, quite audience to films, I like to show - but not the very best consessions-buyers... Well: Malling Bio (opened 1943) - in 1973 a single with 170 seats. -Since 1981 screen one: 88 seats, screen two: 39 seats - in a side building - not causing the old cinema to be smaller of size - just roomier for those coming inside.... (48 inches from back to back). 1974, screen one got a pair of Philips DP70 to run 70mm on 16 feet screen with 6 track Bang and Olufsen amp. Big joke, but much fun, until the very last danish 70mm prints were junked summer 1999. DTS and SRD since 1993, SRD-EX 1999, Kinoton DCP30 SXII march 2011, leaving one of the DP's sitting beside, with absolutely nothing to do. Same time, CP65 out, 650 in. No need to say, that the Philips BluRay player gives me better picture on this small screen than 35mm used to. Fine for arthouse titles, which are normally only distributed in one or two prints for the whole country, but almost banned by our cinema associations. Only two minor distributors send out BluRays, representing 3-4 titles a month, glading dealing from day one with everyone, whos willing to. -How is this situation in the States ? Screen 2 runs a Kinoton FP30D with Kinoton tower and platter. Dolby CP65 and DTS plus the SRD from screen 1 to be put in. -But for what ? 35mm prints will be gone in half a year here. BluRay also possible here, but again - as soon as the biggest arthouses convert to D-cinema, also this will be gone - and then, Malling is back to single screen, I'm afraid. Total installment costs for 2D digital screen one, ended up in more than 900.000 dkk (165.000 dollars). That being tough enough, how on earth should I find almost as much one more time, to be paid with the 39 seats in screen 2 ??? Weekdays, I'm running 3 shows per screen, weekends 2 x 5. No days off but midsummer's night and dec., 24. and 31. The top was the "Titanic-year" 1998 with 36.000 tickets total - 2010 just 25.000. I hope, it stops here.... Tickets and concessions go together in a small kiosk between the two projections booths, making it possible, after going dig, to run the house single-handed. On big ocasions with with one youngster on help. A retired collegue comes in a couple of times every year, taking over, so I can have 3 or 4 days off. And that's about it ! As I understand from Your writings, booking procedures are quite different from Yours at my side of the globe: Every cinema makes its own booking with the distributors. UIP Denmark represents Universal and Paramount and a few independants, The Filmcompaniet sells Fox, Warner their own big import, DISNEY also have got SONY, Nordisk Film mainly their own big, danish lineup. Remembering 7-8 phone numbers will do ! Their clients are about 165 cinemas total in this small fairytale country. Our lifes had been nicer without CinemaxX, but othervise, -it's ok. I'll try out for another ten years, if health allows, -but will there be cinemas then....?? About 50% of my films today are first-runs, thanks to digital, and I'm very happy with the change - execpt for right this minute: I've just loaded "Super-8" (6 weeks late - I did not have room for it... urgh), but the KDM will not work. This only second time since march, I've got trouble, and I'm in luck: My german tech will be be here tomorrow for normal service, so I'm not even afraid ;-) Malling Bio is - due to my way of life and low daily costs - a living. -Mostly because, I haven't got sparetime to spend money. I have a roof over my head, a place to sleep, and did until now, never go to bed hungry. The bank manager don't like my constant desire for new gear, but had to admit, that this time it was "digitalize or die". And so we go on: new morgage - living until next update ;-) With a polite "please" after each request, I normally succed in getting films booked in due time to print a montly flyer (homeoffice laser printing, black and white only), distributed by the very nice "Friends of Malling Bio" association. -Every member covers his or her own road - 3.500 single sheets with a calender and a small illustration for each film. No payd-for newspaper advertising for long. It might increase sales, but I dare not try... -Ticket-system online (www.mallingbio.com)with reservation possibility and info on the films, and a weekly "newsletter" per e-mail for everone asking for it. (That's about 1100 right now.) Today, Denmark is going to elect a new government. -Everyone is going to be glued to the television - as at national hand- and football games, really sending cinemas to zero. It will be a quite day ! Photos in Film-Tech warehouse not updated - I'll see to that. Do excuse spelling and handwriting ! And now, local time is 02 in the morning. I bid You all goodnight ! Per  |  IP: Logged Frank Cox Film God Posts: 2234 From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada Registered: Apr 2011 posted 09-14-2011 08:38 PM                        If you're printing that many flyers it might be worth your while to look into purchasing a Risograph digital duplicator. The cost-per-sheet is substantially less than any laser printer and a Riso is no more to operate as a photocopier. And you could print flyers for other people too, if you wanted to. Or menus, coupons, placemats, whatever...  |  IP: Logged Mike Frese Master Film Handler Posts: 465 From: Holts Summit, MO Registered: Jun 2007 posted 09-14-2011 11:23 PM                        quote: Robert E. Allen Back in '06 when I was managing a rural single-screener that played about 4 weeks off the break I had a great booker (Frank Rash) who kept me booked a month in advance. I can't understand why anyone would have less of a lead. Bob, 2 issues: 1) No studio rep will guarantee you that you will get a mainstream movie 4 weeks out let alone 4 weeks out from it's initial release. 2) Film, which you still insist is a viable format for some time to come; makes counting on a movie even more difficult. Art/Indie: Studio reps will book you these movies 4 weeks out. Which I do think is a wise thing to do. I also believe you can't just play one here and there and get any long-term traction. You need to devote some serious time to these movies. You might be able to get by not booking them in the summer and playing the rest of the 9 mos. Booking: Once you have been open for at least a year, I believe most can book move-over pretty easy on their own. It sure is nice to be able to get answers straight from the studio reps. Plus if you are a small town single screen theater, you probably are only playing movies from the bigger 6 studios.  |  IP: Logged Melanie Loggins Expert Film Handler Posts: 154 From: Wayne, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2011 posted 09-15-2011 08:52 AM                        A month out? That sounds like luxury right there. I don't even know what I'm showing NEXT WEEKEND! I guess I could make it simpler on myself and just go with something I don't really want (Warrior) but I'm losing The Help audience every week I don't have it. But I HAVE to bring it, because I have some ladies who deliberately did not go see it in "the city" and will be angry with me if I made them wait for nothing. Maybe it's not like this for everyone running a small theatre in a small town like I am, but since we just reopened, and did it with volunteers and donations, the theatre is pretty high-profile. Everyone in town feels a lot of ownership in it (although not enough to keep all of them from driving to see something on the break....) I literally can't go anywhere in town without having a half dozen people ask me about what's coming and, generally, telling me what they want to see. I'm still definitely on social probation and I feel like every weekend is crucial right now. I can't get lazy. (Especially after last weekend's Tree of Life disaster.) I have a calendar I keep in pencil of what I think I might like to show, and I just filled it in through December. But I wait to see how things go nationally, so that calendar sees a lot of eraser action. And Frank Rash is my booker, too! He's been so incredibly helpful in this last year that I actually feel a bit guilty about leaving him to go on my own. If everyone else is planning a month out, I must drive him nuts...  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-15-2011 09:09 AM                        quote: Melanie Loggins I literally can't go anywhere in town without having a half dozen people ask me about what's coming and, generally, telling me what they want to see. You're a STAR! Welcome to showbiz As for Tree of Life, as someone sorta said earlier, it's audience building. There are some people out there who wanted to see it, maybe there are more for the next MAJOR art film. Maybe you can run split shows on the weekends. Or start up an art film club within your organization to run a special art film series on Tuesdays or something. You're lucky to be in a position that you don't have to fill every week with an art film, but you can grab a handful of the likely ones and zero in on the audience. Of course, as a non-profit, you could also go for grants to help fund a series. You've got the building all week, may as well put it to use.  |  IP: Logged Melanie Loggins Expert Film Handler Posts: 154 From: Wayne, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2011 posted 09-15-2011 09:16 AM                        Martin, I AM a star. This week Wayne... next week, THE WORLD! Or not.  |  IP: Logged

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