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This topic comprises 4 pages: 1 2 3 4
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Author
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Topic: Are movie theaters doomed?
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Per Hauberg
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 883
From: Malling, Denmark
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted 12-03-2007 02:17 PM
You can have an example from the most humble site in business:
My place is one of the smallest in the country: screen 1 seats 88, screen 2 just 39 visitors. 5.000 inhabitants in the village, 2-3 miles to the competition - 3 modern houses with 5-8 screens, max 550 seats.
I run about 80-100 titles a year, and will sell about 27.000 tickets in 2007. -Just 5 years ago, it was a stable 35.000 a year. 10-12 first-runs every year, the rest coming within 2-3 months from opening. Biggest hit: "Titanic" 10.200 tickets !!Ticket price must be 60 DKK - about 10 $, or I will have no films before the video-release. That means, box-office makes about 1,6 million DKK = 162.000 US$, and no: The danes do not buy concessions as an american audience: I'm lucky, when they spend 1,5 buck a head ! A 2K installation will cost about 125.000 $ per screen right now - And no ! I don't think it is a matter of me, not having looked foreward in time, because I haven't got those 250 grants lying there. I had to buy me a Kinton FP30D three years ago for Screen2 for about 23 K$ - thats acceptable (and a fine peace for the money), even for those 39 seats, but 125K...?? My two vintage 1960 DP70 are still running fine, and could do so until my retirement, so why spend that much money for ![[dlp]](graemlins/dlp.gif) . I don't think, many in the audience will stand up and shout about pictures being better than before.
When (if... ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif) ) the digital picture becomes a must, half the danish cinemas will be closing, and I am afraid, I'll be among the minus part.
The video window is very firm in Denmark: Foreign film comes on DVD 4 months, danish productions 6 months from cinema premiere, video distributors still pressing to get an even shorter window.
Mosts DVDs selling at 30-35 $, Disney a bit more, and to compare, 1 litre of 95 octane unleaded is today 10,21 DKK = 1,70 US$ (3,785 litre = 1 US gallon).
But I'm still here - running World Premiere friday on "Golden Compass" - Advance sale: 2 tickets ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
And that, Gentlemen - is the situation as today, december, the 3rd, 2007 in Malling, Denmark !
P.s.: Monte: Did You find the key again for Your MakeUp Table, so life can go on ?
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Ron Curran
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 504
From: Springwood NSW Australia
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 12-04-2007 12:48 AM
We bleed all the cinema’s riches. After, that is, the install of 4 track mag, then Xenon, platter, automation, Dolby SVA, then DTS, then Dolby Digital, then ES, then …
Of course, to show certain features before video release we had to invest in a server and digital projector, followed by a 2K upgrade and an up-spec projector.
Along with this, we lost many weeks of income to alter for disability facilities, followed by the same authorities closing us down again to alter the access again due to a change of policy that resulted in a 20% loss of capacity.
Yes, it’s all cream to us independents.
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Phil Blake
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 558
From: esperance western australia
Registered: Nov 2003
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posted 12-05-2007 08:07 AM
I see the future of our cinemas is in the hands of the makers.
I todays fast disposable society we don't screen a hit that will hang on for 7 8 or 10 months straight. Those days are gone , we simply entertain or rather entice people to our houses with something that is popular or in the younger ones terms "Cool".
I don't see any type of TV ,DVD ,Cable etc as a direct threat to our patronage. We are offering a night out , if people choose to stay at home we are not in the race to compete. However If they choose to go out , then we are competing against restaurants , hotels, clubs, casinos etc.
As for the technology , 100' screens 10k xenons 8 tier platters and sound systems that are from another world may very well impress all us operators , but frankly most say 14 to 29 year old patron could not give a rats ass about it all.
They are indeed going out to see a "cool" show together with their partners for a night out.Or if the show that that great it is just simply cool to be seen there. Alot just go for that reason. I guess this makes up for the majority, then we do have the respectable citizens that do wander in for entertainment and escapism from the house and the lonely who gather for friendship , they are the best type , not mess and not ripped up seats but sadly not enough of em.
When I look back over the past five years and all the marketing tricks I have tried , our takings have been up and down with only one common factor present. If we have a film that is hot and the town is talking about it , they will pour in the door.
No matter how bad or good it is, if it captures the audience and it is "Cool" it will work, word will spread and it happens automatically.
The problem is that the gap between these types of films is getting larger, we are being sold too much Crap , Movies have lost their dynamic stand alone greatness, They are churned out by the dozens and maybe one out of every 30 is the one that they want. Trouble being we have suffered the 29 failures in between.
I also believe price is also a major factor , 10 years ago we ran movies in the local hall , $5 for kids , we would get over a 150 kids in on a Saturday afternoon for a 6 month old sub run.
Now we are running new releases in a dedicated cinema and charging $11 for kids we get about 15 to 20 kids in on a Saturday afternoon.
As long as we have the right "item" on our shelves at the right price , we will always have bums on seats.
The problem of selecting the "Right Item" is the hard part.
Even looking back trough attendance at the Drive in on the 1960s before the town had TV this trend was still the same , it the movie was not something that was talked about , it would draw only a few cars.
Distributor promotions is one last point that does make a difference.
I have found heavy advertising by distributors makes a huge difference to attendances.
My last days at the Drive in in 1986 we ran a triple feature of a home movie/ documentary films by an Aussie adventure Alby Mangles , mentioning that name will make a few in the industry cringe! , However the marketing those films received from the distributor was an absolute saturation. In 1986 we were battling TV and video and we were just about buggered. The three nights we ran those features we got more cars in than the drive In had ever got in its 20 year history.
It is also amusing to look at the reactions . people seem to appreciate watching a heavily advertised crappy show and walk away happy. But If they walk up and watch an unknown crappy film they will walk out very unhappy.
I guess the moral is you cant polish a turd but if you sell it well people will buy it.
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