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Author Topic: Let people to all the movies they want for the price of a single ticket Frank Cox Film God Posts: 2234 From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada Registered: Apr 2011 posted 11-17-2017 04:38 PM                        Or perhaps for generating immediate cash flow in time to hand out executive performance bonuses and then locking the door? I still don't see where their profit comes from in this thing. How long can they sustain a business model that seems to be predicated on *FLUSH*?  |  IP: Logged Justin West Master Film Handler Posts: 271 From: Peoria, IL, USA Registered: Jul 2001 posted 11-26-2017 10:37 AM                     https://sanjactimes.com/3660/showcase/moviepass/  |  IP: Logged Marcel Birgelen Film God Posts: 3357 From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2012 posted 11-26-2017 11:59 AM                     quote: Frank Cox Or perhaps for generating immediate cash flow in time to hand out executive performance bonuses and then locking the door? I still don't see where their profit comes from in this thing. How long can they sustain a business model that seems to be predicated on *FLUSH*? You don't need to be a genius to figure out their ingenious business plan. - They're backed by a company that makes their money with "big data", so they'll milk all the data they receive from the customer. They will sell all the data they collect from their users to whoever writes them a check. - Once they have a sufficient amount of subscribers, they'll pressure both the studios and the exhibitors to give them better deals, because THEY ARE THE FUTURE. Whoever doesn't bend over, will be dropped from their list... In other words, they are your worst enemy. They're only here to become a new kind of middle man between you and the customer and meanwhile lower the profit margins for anyone involved except them, while not adding anything of real value in the process.  |  IP: Logged Manny Montes Master Film Handler Posts: 270 From: United States Registered: Feb 2010 posted 11-29-2017 01:16 AM                     There are two problems that no one has been able to explain to me: 1. Data - Sure, moviepass tells it's investors its going to collect and sell data but I see a few issues with that. First off, if you look at reddit and the moviepass subreddit you'll see that people are going to any movie they want since it's effectively "free" after the first one of the month, and it doesn't give accurate viewing habits. Second, every studio and major chain I know of collects this data internally already and i'm sure they have a hell of a bigger sample size than movie pass can (since they only have 600k subscribers max). 2. Making Deals - So this second part is based on movie pass trying to bully their way into concession revenue sharing, discount tickets, etc. I just don't see this happening, the big 3 know that they can simply wait out moviepass and their VC money will dry up, so why would they crack. At the rate MP is running through money they've got less than two years to capitalize on this without more funding behind them. In short, enjoy moviepass while it lasts, it won't make major changes in the industry in itself, however I do think that we will see some of the big 3 try this subscription model internally (and probably at a higher price point).  |  IP: Logged Marcel Birgelen Film God Posts: 3357 From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2012 posted 11-29-2017 05:15 AM                     I guess we can all figure out how this is going to end. But I'm afraid it won't do so, without inflicting some damage to the perception of the value of a ticket.  |  IP: Logged Frank B. McLaughlin Film Handler Posts: 76 From: Denver, CO Registered: Dec 2011 posted 11-29-2017 05:47 AM                        . . . and I can remember when I had to have two sets of restrooms in my twin so the patron could not migrate.  |  IP: Logged Harold Hallikainen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 906 From: Denver, CO, USA Registered: Aug 2009 posted 11-29-2017 11:00 AM                        Patron "migration" is an interesting topic. Is there currently a problem with people watching one movie, then going to another auditorium to see another? I can see that reserved seating could minimize this if the theater is checked for occupied seats that are not supposed to be. Also, staggered start times may help in that the end of one movie puts someone in the middle of the others in other auditoriums either discouraging entry in the middle of the movie or enforced "no late entry." Is "patron migration" currently an issue? Harold  |  IP: Logged Marcel Birgelen Film God Posts: 3357 From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2012 posted 11-29-2017 04:10 PM                     I guess that in most places, it's really a non issue or at least such a marginal issue not really worth sinking a lot of money into for countermeasures.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 11-29-2017 05:07 PM                     Of course, cinemas could crush MoviePass by no longer accepting debit cards. Cash only, and an ATM machine with a fee in the lobby. Wow, if I could use my MoviePass at a theatre's ATM to get direct free cash, I would stop by daily for my free $12/day, and not bother to go to the movies. That would crush MoviePass rather quickly. And of course, the major circuits could create their own monthly pass. MoviePass stated business model seem to be based upon markets where there is a lot of competition, since the only pressure they could bring to bear would be for them to eventually make the pass good only at theatres that play ball with them, thereby siphoning off customers from the others. If AMC/REGAL/CARMIKE refuse to go along, that will eventually be the end of MoviePass. Around here in Northern New Jersey, beyond a few independents with questionable presentation, you have a choice of AMC, AMC, and AMC. Other parts of NJ have a choice of REGAL, REGAL, and REGAL.  |  IP: Logged Travis Cape Expert Film Handler Posts: 122 From: St. Louis, MO, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 11-29-2017 08:58 PM                     I've been using it often. A cashier at an AMC once told me that they wouldn't be taking it much longer, but that was two months ago and they are. It's rather difficult to use if you're going with other people. You have to be very close to the theater to activate the card. You also have to buy a ticket the day of the show. Many of the better theaters in the area have reserved seating. I use MoviePass when going alone. If I am going with someone, I buy the tickets on-line and avoid MoviePass. I am well ahead of the program. I went to an AMC yesterday and was asked if I was on their Stubs program. I could have gotten a $5 ticket. I used MoviePass, so they rang up a full price ticket. Oh well, I didn't pay it. I understand that MoviePass has some information about me, but what value is it? I go to movies a lot to pass the time. It's much more fun to watch movies somewhere I don't work.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 11-30-2017 12:28 PM                     I suspect their real business plan is to get a lot of people used to using the pass, and then either raising the price or limiting the number of uses per month, so that they can push themselves into the black. I don't think that will work, but that is the only thing that makes sense. I don't think that selling demographic info and attempting to pressure theatres to profit share is going to raise enough money to offset their current pricing scheme.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-30-2017 12:31 PM                        Maybe it's kind of like gift cards and rebate coupons... they hope people will buy it, then not use it nearly as often as they think they will. We have quite a few "outstanding" gift cards that I'm sure are sitting at the bottom of a drawer or down behind a bookcase.  |  IP: Logged Dave Bird Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 777 From: Perth, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jun 2000 posted 11-30-2017 12:50 PM                        I've always been interested in at least thinking about how a "frequent customer" deal could be done. Many businesses, even airlines and sports teams now see the value in volume, but I just keep coming back to the answer I give customers when they ask for group discounts. No way to justify it when being charged a set percentage. More visits, more dollars at a slightly lower average margin makes sense to me, but....  |  IP: Logged Harold Hallikainen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 906 From: Denver, CO, USA Registered: Aug 2009 posted 11-30-2017 02:26 PM                        I think an early payment for a quantity of tickets could be profitable. A couple friends own a theater that sells a pass good for a bunch of admissions at a discounted price. The theater benefits in a few ways. They get the money now instead of later, so there's a "future value of money" advantage. A certain number of passes will be lost or otherwise never used, so you get to keep that money. The "bird in hand worth two in the bush" situation where you have less risk that tickets will not be sold since you've already sold them. The "Costco Effect" where people will tend to choose your theater over another because they have already invested in it. Harold  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 11-30-2017 04:39 PM                        quote: Harold Hallikainen Is "patron migration" currently an issue? It happens, but it's are relatively insignificant problem. Most people are not interested in spending 4-5 hours at the theatre in a given day. I see three issues with prepaid tickets. First, you still have to pay full film rental on those tickets. By discounting you are counting on tickets not being redeemed to hold down the per capita admission prices; otherwise you wind up paying a higher film percentage. Second, if you have a price increase you don't receive the bump for those tickets. I don't know the laws on whether prepaid tickets can expire, but this could be a major issue if they do not. Third, it creates a perception for the customer that everything has to be available at a discount. It doesn't really create loyal movie goers if they are only coming because of the discount. I've found that people coming because of a pass or discount are not any more likely to spend at the snack bar. In fact, when I worked at a theatre which offered "Tightwad Tuesdays" the concession per capita dropped significantly on those days and there were far more snacks snuck in. Ultimately the viability of this idea really depends on the percentage that go unredeemed, and whether prepaid tickets can expire. In California gift cards are not allowed to expire, and cards with a value under $10 have to be redeemed for cash upon request. Would those same rules applied to prepaid tickets?  |  IP: Logged

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