Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: New survey reveals surprising fact: Lots of people hate pre-show ads!

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Topic: New survey reveals surprising fact: Lots of people hate pre-show ads!

Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 01-02-2005 06:08 PM

We don't show any ads at all, but we do have a big Pepsi sign on the side of the building. A few years ago we had the wall sandblasted and painted white, and it was about 5 months before Pepsi's signpainter came around and redid the sign. We got endless complaints during that 5 months that the building "just didnt look right" without the sign. So I guess some advertising is welcomed by people. Go figure.

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William Hooper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1879
From: Mobile, AL USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-03-2005 02:53 AM

I dislike slides more than ads. Dim, squint at them, just more in the constant barrage of cheesy promotion filling up every iota of space & sound that's in the same family with Wal-Mart radio & the talking Kodak picture coffin.

Can't even take a break & go to the movies, sit down for a bit before the show & readjust to leisure mode without all that marketing crap.

It not only ruins the top of your show, but as was mentioned, it erases the line so that folks are conditioned to talk during slides (when something's on the screen worthy of being ignored), then keep talking when the movie starts rolling.

They don't show slides before the symphony, opera, or live theatre events. Not just because it lacks class, but because it wrecks the top of the show.

quote: Jason Black
How about the customers who come out and say the movie is out of focus WHEN THE SLIDES ARE SHOWING.....

Stoopid customers..

They're not techs, they don't have knowledge of that technical distinction of projection methodology, much less the terminology. They go to the theatre to see a movie. The movie is what's on the screen. It's out of focus. (And dim, & blurry, & low-res...)

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David Yauch
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 206
From: Mesa, AZ, USA
Registered: Oct 2004

posted 01-03-2005 04:05 AM

quote: William Hooper
It not only ruins the top of your show, but as was mentioned, it erases the line so that folks are conditioned to talk during slides (when something's on the screen worthy of being ignored), then keep talking when the movie starts rolling.

I haven't noticed that here. People usually get sick of trying to talk over the previews within about 30 seconds, so by the time the moviefone ad is about halfway through the audience has shut themselves up.

quote: William Hooper
They don't show slides before the symphony, opera, or live theatre events. Not just because it lacks class, but because it wrecks the top of the show.

How much do you pay for a symphony, opera, or live theatre ticket? And how much of that is actually being kept by the theatre putting on the performance? Now compare this to how much a movie ticket costs and how much the theatre is keeping. Now you might see why a theatre could probably use the extra profit. If a theatre didn't need the cash, then it might be reasonable to blame the theatre, but most customers would probably choose the ads over higher concession prices.

Also, I'm not sure what bad experiences you've had with slides in the past, but all of our slide projectors are focused so that you can clearly read even the smallest text on the slides. While it's not HDTV, the resolution isn't so bad either. I can agree that blurry ads would probably just piss me off to no end. If you are going to advertise at least do it in a way that isn't going to make my eyes water everytime I look up.

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Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99

posted 01-03-2005 04:19 AM

For us, the slide revenue pays about 50% of the projectionist salaries - without it, we become a management operated booth. Something I remind the projectionists of anytime we have a slide bulb out...

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Barry Martin
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 203
From: Newington, CT USA
Registered: Jul 2002

posted 01-03-2005 04:57 PM

quote: David Yauch
How much do you pay for a symphony, opera, or live theatre ticket? And how much of that is actually being kept by the theatre putting on the performance

I wouldn't be so sure of the profits in those instances. For theater and opera they are in the SAME situation as movies because they pay a licensing fee. It would also depend on whether the the actors/crew were employed by the theater or were traveling with the show and essentially leasing the venue giving them a percentage of the tickets. Granted the tickets are a lot more expensive for such performances, which is why I would imagine they can afford to pay everyone and the bills.

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Roger Manning Jr
Film Handler

Posts: 32
From: Encinitas, CA, USA
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 01-03-2005 06:01 PM

Thats why my wife & I don't go out to the movies any more.
All the [bs]

ads that you have to see before the trailers and movie.
If I want to see that [bs]

I'll stay home and watch [dlp]

is FREE not $10.00 each. Encinitas AMC you suck. La Costa Ultra Star You Suck.
Going out to see a movie is a RIP OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Barry Martin
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 203
From: Newington, CT USA
Registered: Jul 2002

posted 01-03-2005 09:32 PM

Roger, don't hold back, make sure they know how you REALLY feel. [Big Grin]

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 01-03-2005 09:43 PM

TV is not free. They cost, like, $450 for a decent one. You could buy 66 average priced movie tickets for that. You're also probably paying for cable or satellite. How much is that?

Seriously, these people who say they've stopped going to the movies because of the ads are just being dumb. Advertising is a necessary evil these days. You can't go anywhere else (including for a fee) without being advertised at, so why should theatres have to feel bad about selling ads?

Theatre ads don't interrupt the movie, after all. When they stop the film after the third reel to run ads, THAT'S the time to stop going to the theatre. (Although many people would welcome the bathroom break.)

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William Hooper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1879
From: Mobile, AL USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-04-2005 03:16 AM

Roger is telling you how he feels. It's the discrepancy between what is expected & desired in taking a break from any real world "neccessary evil" in escapist recreation & what the theatre is willing to offer. Put another way, if he's saying "That's what I want", he's getting "That's not what II'm offerng", & he replies Then I don' want it", it's not logical to berate him for not accepting something he doesn't want or like.

"All the shrimp alfredo comes with broccoli! You find it everywhere! You can't just say you'll stay home & cook something you like instead! EAT THE SHRIMP ALFREDO THAT'S PUT IN FRONT OF YOU!"

The man's grown. He knows he doesn't have to put up with that.

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Evans A Criswell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1579
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 01-06-2005 02:32 PM

About the advertising in theatres -- I think it's greatly decreased my desire to go to the movies. I've seen fewer movies this year than years before, and find myself waiting for them to come out on DVD rather than seeing them in the theatre. I've actually debated whether to discontinue the presentation quality reviews on my hsvmovies.com web site because if this trend continues, I won't be visiting the theatres enough to rate them reliably.

This started in October 2003 when instead of 0 to 4 commercials being shown before the previews, 9 or 10 or more began being shown. This seriously "cheapened" the theatre experience. In 2004, Regal started having the "Regal 20" at the Hollywood 18. No longer was it worthwhile to show up to the theatre early and sit and talk to your friends before the show. Now, that time is filled with loud, obnoxious material shown on what amounts to a big-screen TV. Try sitting less than one screen-height from the screen with this system in place. It's awful.

I've enjoyed watching movies in theatres for years, but now, if the theatre companies are trying to make the theatre more like TV, why not just use DVDs and use my own wide-screen TV?

I was a dedicated movie-goer, and if they make me not as eager to go, think of what it's doing to others? The teenagers probably won't mind, and in a few years, the teenagers who were raised seeing lots of commercials in theatres will be make up the largest part of the movie-going public. They're changing their target audience, just like the TV networks have done during the past few years (driving away all of the old, more intelligent, demanding viewers and aiming for the double-digit IQ ones).

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 01-06-2005 03:29 PM

Are you sure it's the ads, or is it the knowledge that the DVD will come out in 3 months or less? That's going to screw us more than ads will, in my opinion. Eventually they'll be using the same ad campaign for both: "IN THEATRES THIS CHRISTMAS, AND COMING TO DVD JANUARY 30!"

I'm not trying to defend ads here, because I don't like them either....but I understand their place in the economic picture for theatres. I agree that anything more than 3 or 4 ads would border on offensive however. Good grief, half an hour of ads shown 4 or 5 times in a day...you could fit another show into that amount of time in many cases!

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Kurt Zupin
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 989
From: Maricopa, Arizona
Registered: Oct 2004

posted 01-06-2005 04:52 PM

I'm sure most of us if not all are running Screen Vision ads before your feature. The last flight we had was a long one, PG-13 was I think 3 and half to 4 minutes long. Is that a little excessive yes...but I can deal with it for the peer enjoyment of seeing a movie when it first comes out on the biggest screen I can find. The new flight that starts tomorrow is .45 seconds for G and PG and a minute and 20 I think for PG-13 and R. If you truly enjoy movies on the big screen you are going to sit and watch the screen vision ads.

As far as Digital Slides in between shows is concerned. Goodrich Quality theaters has its own ad department and to be honest most of our ads are walkin's. They come in and ask how do I advertise on the big screen...we give them a packet and a card. Two-Three weeks later there's usually an ad on the screen. I personally don't care for Digital slides, but if you don't like them and you know there played before the film then show up only a few minutes before start time.

Kurt

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