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Author Topic: Art films and profitability? Chad M Calpito Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: San Diego, CA Registered: Apr 2006 posted 07-15-2008 12:43 PM                        At my theatre, we play a mix of Big Films and Art Films. Most of the time, we get Art films with no advance time to run trailers and display one sheets. Other times, we get Art Films from the local Landmark Theatres where there has been talk about the film. Most of the time, we have a few scattered people throughout the auditorium and other times, there will be a decent crowd.  |  IP: Logged Kenneth Wuepper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1026 From: Saginaw, MI, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-15-2008 04:35 PM                     It has been our experience that the Art Film audience is anti-multiplex. Recently we booked a title and advertised it heavily. The local multiplex picked the title up and played it the full week before our single showing. Not remarkable was the fact that our single showing out grossed their entire week. Oh yes, and they played it a second week so they had it playing the same day as we. I had to apologize from the stage before playing a preview with one of our features. It seems that these folks do not like trailers either. Our best advertising is with our own little publications and the internet. The real secret to art film success is the regularity with which these films are presented. The patrons need to know that they can come to your theatre on a certain day and you will be showing an art oriented film. If you are careful about selecting the titles, they will not even check but just come as they know the film will be entertaining and unique. Our little film strips in the lobby make unique take home reminders of our films. We publish a series of six titles each time and there is always 2 weeks or more before the first showing. Yes, that lets the multiplex know what we are showing but if they book it ahead of us, they don't steal "our audience" as these folks are insulted and see that as an effort to steal their patronage. You must be patiently committed to building an audience for this product. It may take a while (perhaps more than one year) but the patrons are very happy to see the films and will be supportive of your efforts. Learn your audience and tell the world what you are playing. KEN  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-15-2008 04:56 PM                     quote: James Westbrook I'm glad I'm wrong. Maybe that would work here... .. It can work, but don't expect miracles right off the top. It'll have to grow in since you're coming up with a "novel" idea that nobody's ever heard of. But, you'd better plan on doing some heavy duty advertising so the whole county of Sedgewich will eventually know about you. (I was in Wichita last month coming in on US-400 from Pittsburg heading home...)  |  IP: Logged Robert Crabtree Film Handler Posts: 91 From: Largo, FL Registered: May 2008 posted 07-16-2008 04:26 AM                     Something else to think about- age distribution in the community. In my neck of the woods, seniors disproportionately are the ones seeing art/indie movies. When I went to see TransAmerica at the local indie theatre, all but 3 of the crowd of 80 people were in their golden years. Even when I worked at an art house in a college town, I saw more seniors than usual go for those shows than the Regular Mainstream Movies in our other 12 theatres. While the company I work for has a much greater presence in CA than in FL, more of our art houses are in FL. If you're frequented by lots of seniors, art movies might be a good move. One thing that I think bucks this general trend- movies not in English. On the rare occasion the regular first-run received a subtitled movie, almost all of the refunds came from seniors exclaiming "We didn't know you had to read the movie!"  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-16-2008 04:58 AM                     quote: Robert Crabtree age distribution in the community Nah, not really - age really has nothing to do who attends this form of entertainment. I've seen young adults to senior citizens attend this little 4plex in my area and have been well pleased, satisfied and thus being loyal regular customers to this local venue. It's usually the well educated, upper class and very socialistic sort of people of all ages that attends this form of entertainment for the simplicity of being entertained that has more of a "mature and original" (grown up) content within the films - not the typical "stories and plot that a 5yr old can figure out." content that dwells in the mainstream movies today.. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Laurie Higgins Film Handler Posts: 45 From: Norcross, GA, USA Registered: Jun 2008 posted 07-16-2008 04:39 PM                        It's been my experience here in Atlanta that all the art house theaters have to dance as fast as they can to make any money. All the theaters that are left are half art house half regular films. They also do all kinds of midnight movies and special showings to try and draw a crowd. They have also all subdivided into home made multiplexes like enclosing the balcony and making a second theater. That is what they did at the Plaza Theater, an official Atlanta Landmark. You have to climb a ladder to get into the booth they built for that one. You can also hear the other movie through the wall. Yay!  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 07-16-2008 04:54 PM                        I've been told by some people who love art houses that they find that kind of thing to be part of the experience. Crappy sound, crappy screens, sitting on old worn down sofas and recliners, scratched prints, etc. For my money, I would much rather watch these films in a proper theatre environment so I can enjoy the movie without other distractions.  |  IP: Logged Galen Murphy-Fahlgren Master Film Handler Posts: 405 From: Canton, MI, USA Registered: Oct 2007 posted 07-26-2008 03:45 PM                     Even though it is a nonprofit historical theater, I saw this article, saying that my local arthouse is hurting financially due to building repairs. I've been there several times this month, and probably the busiest I've seen it was for My Winnipeg, for which I'd guess attendance at 100 or so. This theater deserves to be open forever, because it is gorgeous, historic, and has the absolute best presentation I have ever seen.  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 07-27-2008 07:41 PM                     I believe that what makes them art films is that they are not commercially viable, if they were they would be in the multi plex raking in the bucks. Art films typically have little or no appeal the the general movie going public, often boring, poorly made, covering subjects or stories that few want to see, many I've screened were shot out of focus incorrectly exposed. After being hit by that kind of stuff a couple of times people reluctant to go back, justifiably so. Art films have never done well in this market, we've tried it many times, they stay away in droves. [ 07-27-2008, 09:16 PM: Message edited by: Bill Enos ]  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 07-28-2008 12:00 PM                     With some rare exceptions, most foreign, art, independent films that have potential to do well are picked up by the major distributors. The remaining titles may, or may not, be good films but they require more effort in promoting than most majors are willing to give (ie, spend). The problems is that most independent distributors do not have the resources to promote these films either. Unknown (to the public) film equals no attendance. It could be the "best" film ever, but without distributor promotion your audience is going to stay home. Those few "art" houses that are successful have spent many years building up an audience that will trust their programmer enough to gamble on an unknown title.  |  IP: Logged Galen Murphy-Fahlgren Master Film Handler Posts: 405 From: Canton, MI, USA Registered: Oct 2007 posted 07-28-2008 12:15 PM                     Except that with the internet, an unknown title remains so for a matter of minutes. I don't have to trust the programmer if I can look at the theater's website, look up the title, cross reference it against IMDB and review sites, etc. All I need is to know about the theater and have an interest in films other than the crap I'm constantly playing at my own theater. I guess the problem for arthouses is that there aren't enough people who are so disaffected with Hollywood, but still love films. I drive a 30 mile round trip pretty much every week, pay $2 in parking, $6.50 for a ticket, $4 for gas, just to see a movie at such a great theater, playing movies that are better than those that I'm playing. Much of the time, I've never heard of the movie before reading it on their website.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 07-28-2008 12:31 PM                     Except that with the internet, an unknown title remains so for a matter of minutes. Alas, for most of the art film audience, searching the internet is more trouble than they are willing to go though.  |  IP: Logged Galen Murphy-Fahlgren Master Film Handler Posts: 405 From: Canton, MI, USA Registered: Oct 2007 posted 07-28-2008 12:43 PM                     What are you trying to say?  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 07-28-2008 01:26 PM                     quote: Mitchell Dvoskin was the last to post Except that with the internet, an unknown title remains so for a matter of minutes. Except that this movie will only be "slightly less unknown" rather than "known." Sure, there are sites geared towards indie films, but the average person isn't visiting those. And sure, IMDB lists every movie around, but I can only search for movies I've actually heard of.  |  IP: Logged Galen Murphy-Fahlgren Master Film Handler Posts: 405 From: Canton, MI, USA Registered: Oct 2007 posted 07-28-2008 01:44 PM                     Well sure, but I'm assuming that someone who wants to see art/indie films already knows where to look, they just want to verify that the product is what they're interested in. I can name all the major venues for art/indie/classic films in a 30 mile radius. When I get a hankerin' to see such a film, two minutes on the internet tells me just what movies are playing, and what they are about. This would've taken me a half hour or more making phone calls, assuming a theater that is open three days a week even has someone answering phones at 2:30 Monday afternoon. Going to an arthouse theater is a result of having a specific interest in cinema. If you have that interest, chances are you may be willing to take a few minutes of your time on the internet to satisfy it. I've spent more time than that posting on Film-Tech today, not to mention car forums and surfing news sites, but then again I already know what movie I'm going to see tonight. The Wackness at the Michigan Theater, 7:15. The only reason I've seen trailers for it is because I frequent this theater regularly. They have the best presentation ever.  |  IP: Logged

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