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Author Topic: Digital Fundraising Ideas Andrew Thomas Master Film Handler Posts: 273 From: Pearland, TX, USA Registered: Jun 2012 posted 05-09-2014 10:01 PM                     On the note of on screen ads, we turned what can easily be seen as an annoyance into another bit of good PR when we announced we would only allow local businesses to advertise. Not even locally owned franchises of national brands, real deal local businesses. We also reserve space for community event notices (blood drives, city easter egg hunts, clothes drives, etc.) People love it and we generate $15k a year in revenue for something that costs nearly nothing.  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-10-2014 09:06 AM                        As a 501(c)(3) we raised over $100k from Kickstarter. One route you can consider is to establish a "Friends of the [name of theatre]" organization that is a 501(c)(3) to which people can make tax deductible donations. Their mission can be to preserve the theatre, etc. It takes some work and requires the involvement and commitment of lots of people, but it has worked with other theatre. You wouldn't have to take the theater non-profit (though you may want to consider it), and it also establishes a group ready to take over when you are ready to pack it in.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 05-10-2014 09:27 AM                        Absolutely, plus a few big local names on the board can open up other fundraising opportunities, and a "friends of" organization can also provide a semi-formal framework for volunteers, too - useful both for succession planning and if, as seems to be the case here, the business operation isn't generating enough revenue for everything that needs to be done to be done through paid-for labor.  |  IP: Logged Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 05-10-2014 12:24 PM                     My price is less than half that of the nearest competition, Mike, (two multiplexes 35 miles away). We are in a depressed area. There are many empty buildings downtown where the theatre is located. My booker has never said anything about a "per cap" clause in any contract.  |  IP: Logged Tim O'Connor Film Handler Posts: 1 From: Barrington, IL USA Registered: Mar 2004 posted 05-10-2014 01:41 PM                     We had pretty successful campaign on Kickstarter. I've helped many small theaters with their campaigns as well. The latest being the Wilmette theatre in Illinois. I don't charge anything for tips and advice, just want to give back and see as many small screens as possible survive. If you want to, let me know how to get a hold of you and maybe I'll be able to assist you in some way. Tim Oh yeah, wanted to add that we only charge $5.00. ok, sent you an email.  |  IP: Logged Terry Lynn-Stevens Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1081 From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Registered: Dec 2012 posted 05-10-2014 01:54 PM                     quote: Robert E. Allen My price is less than half that of the nearest competition, Mike, (two multiplexes 35 miles away). We are in a depressed area. There are many empty buildings downtown where the theatre is located. My booker has never said anything about a "per cap" clause in any contract. Robert, I am curious to know: Are you guys first run product? What type of attendance levels do you get on a weekly basis? A price jump in tickets is surely warranted to keep this theatre open with a digital conversion.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 05-10-2014 02:18 PM                     If this is the only cinema in town and the next one ist 35 miles away, there sure would be enough reason to raise funds even for a private/'run for profit' house. This house would have to close down within a year without going digital. Contact Scrabble Ventures, get in contact with local administration, prominent people from you core audience, etc. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-10-2014 02:24 PM                        And concession prices - are they as out-of-date as the ticket prices? I'm not saying you need to charge $8 for a soda but...what are you charging? You can be lower than what the multiplex charges and still be making a decent profit. Our biggest popcorn here is $5.75 (130 oz bucket) and the Carmike sells that size for around $9 and it comes in a crappy bag.  |  IP: Logged Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 05-10-2014 05:27 PM                     Our large soda is $2.50 Mike. Our large popcorn (a 2.3oz box) is also $2.50.  |  IP: Logged Michael Putlack Expert Film Handler Posts: 187 From: Fort Collins, Colorado Registered: Sep 2011 posted 05-11-2014 01:06 PM                        quote: Robert E. Allen There are many empty buildings downtown where the theatre is located. I think if you don't start taking some drastic actions you're going to end up as another empty building! Those concession and ticket prices need to go up. I know this is a thread for fundraising and it might be kind of getting off track, but even if you raise the funds through campaign, you're still not going to make enough cash to make it long term. One other financial hiccup, even if it is a few years down the line, and you're done for. You're not going to be able to pull off one miracle after another.  |  IP: Logged Terry Lynn-Stevens Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1081 From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Registered: Dec 2012 posted 05-11-2014 03:29 PM                     $4 for a movie ticket is a like a time-warp back to 1976, Rocky in 70MM was $5.50 a ticket back then and that was with a surcharge for 70MM. It was $4 for a regular 35mm ticket. The North American average ticket is $8.13 is 2013, charging anything under the average is a mistake IMO. I have a feeling that this location is a one cinema town and its not like the customers have anywhere else to go unless they are driving to the multiplexes that are much farther way. The concession prices need to be raised as well.  |  IP: Logged Andrew Thomas Master Film Handler Posts: 273 From: Pearland, TX, USA Registered: Jun 2012 posted 05-11-2014 05:08 PM                     quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens The North American average ticket is $8.13 is 2013, charging anything under the average is a mistake IMO. We charge a flat $5 a ticket. But we also have a Cinemark 22 minutes down the highway that charges $4.50 evening tickets. Can't really go much higher without people just choosing to go there instead. But in addition, our concession per cap is much higher than most of the higher priced independently owned theaters in the region, and a lot of that has to do with my pricing structure. I've mentioned before that my educational background is in economics, which is pretty much the study of behavior related to goods/services and their prices. Knowing what I know about our local market, I became very confident that our target price per person is $10.00. I want as much of that $10.00 to be concessions as possible because my margins are astronomically higher there than on tickets. $5.00 is about the bottom of the range where I'll probably never have to deal with a studio implementing a per cap ticket clause. Each month since we opened we have seen our concession per cap increase about 25 cents. With only popcorn/soda/candy, we are at nearly $4 per cap. We will be adding gourmet hotdogs and nachos in the next 6 months as well as beer by year end. There is no single pricing strategy to be used. I think Bob is too low in all facets of his pricing, but he would be pricing out a significant number of his customer base at $8.13 a ticket. But he is likely simultaneously pricing himself out of business at his current price level.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-11-2014 09:40 PM                        I don't think anybody (well, except Terry) is suggesting that Bob go all the way up to the average price. That's more than double and he would surely get hung out to dry if he did that, plus the competing theaters may be offering things he isn't (Atmos or Auro or luxury seating or whatever). He already said he is less than half of what his competition charges, which suggests that their price is $8.50 or more. Bob could go to, say, $6.50 in two steps a few months apart. His grosses would improve and he may even find it easier to get good bookings. Concessions -- they should rise too but again, in steps. There's been no further talk of an advertising program, but I would bet that Bob's theater doesn't have one, and could really benefit from one in a town that size. There probably aren't a lot of good advertising options available -- that is our situation here. Bob could hire an area college graphics student (maybe one of his ex-staff members) to create ads, sell them himself and pocket all of the money, OR pay a percentage to an ad company. In his circumstance, I would go the first route if I could. If he doesn't want to beat the streets selling, then he could pay a commission to somebody who is already involved with selling to do it. And don't be afraid to price those ads for what they are worth! Like I said above, Bob needs a multi-pronged approach to this -- and he needs to get moving yesterday.  |  IP: Logged Mike Frese Master Film Handler Posts: 465 From: Holts Summit, MO Registered: Jun 2007 posted 05-27-2014 11:46 AM                        So Bob, what is your plan now? I noticed you have been only running one screen for at least a month. And you are playing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Are you scrapping movies on film totally? I see you are pushing theater rentals after 9pm. I have not seen anyone do this to any extent in the past. I hope you share your success or lack thereof on this. I also see you are pushing game playing on the big screen. We did do this but it was never a significant source of revenue. Maybe you will have different luck.  |  IP: Logged

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