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Topic: Anyone have problems booking films with Sony????

Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 10-06-2009 09:26 PM

Sony has become an absolute nightmare to work with. We're being pushed further and further out in terms of when we can get a print from Sony and their terms are becoming increasingly unreasonable. We used to get prints at a 2000 theatre release, and now we can't even be guaranteed a print at 3000 theatres. What's crazy is there seems to be no solid rational behind their decisions. Would couldn't beg a print of Zombieland, but we were offered MJ's movie without even really asking.

They also hold it against us when their movie doesn't do well enough to rate a third week and gets dropped after two weeks.

We wind up not playing about 50% of Sony films on the break. And of those, about 75% come in 3-4 weeks late and play for just one week.

I don't know what other theatres are experiencing, but we are a 5 screen theatre (with a single screen drive-in in the summer) in a smallish market - roughly 50K. It probably makes a difference that the nearest first run theatre is about 40 minutes away. However, there is a discount theatre ($5 admission) about 30 minutes away that is getting most movies 3-4 weeks off the break.

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 10-07-2009 12:23 AM

quote: Justin Hamaker
I don't know what other theatres are experiencing, but we are a 5 screen theatre (with a single screen drive-in in the summer) in a smallish market - roughly 50K.

A theatre that far out shouldn't even be a factor. Our indoor was between two Regal houses and one AMC outlet. We were within 7 miles of each other. While we had it, we were consistently playing 4 of the top 5 films. It's reopened now, and is playing as we did. Very few films lasted more than 2 weeks there.

If there are no obvious problems with the theatre, I've usually found booker issues to be a major factor. Get the right one and you can concentrate on running your business. Get the wrong one and you can pretty much count on eating a lower grade of hamburger.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 10-07-2009 12:56 AM

Heard that:

Clark Film Buying
PO Box 10517, Bozeman, MT, 59719-0517
Telephone 406-587-1251

a booker out of Bozeman, MT, does just that: can really book for the small venues ..

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-07-2009 01:03 AM

^^ That's our booker. They do a great job. Their clients range from big cities to towns much smaller than ours.

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