Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Trailer Programming

This is topic Trailer Programming in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Tom Ferreira (Member # 70) on 06-29-1999, 03:57 PM:

Is anyone actually programming all of the trailers that are coming with prints now? When I was trained to make up films fifteen years ago, I was told to program all the loose trailers in the can with the film, but it's gotten out of hand now. Some films are coming with up to six trailers loose in the can, not to mention what's attached to the print. Trailers for Universal and New Line films are coming with Warner Bros. prints, and vice versa, Dreamworks comes with almost everything. It seems the only studios that trailer only their own films are BV, Paramount, and Fox. So let me throw this out, since I have no knowledge of film contracts and such-are we obligated to play everything that comes with a print, or can I use my discretion? When making up South Park last night, I didn't feel that Runaway Bride really fit, so I left it off, and for Wild Wild West, I didn't think Eyes Wide Shut was appropriate. Should I get a closed check, would there be a problem?

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 06-29-1999, 04:40 PM:

When I used to work for United Artists I got to program the trailers myself. I would take great care to make sure that the trailers were appropriate to the film. I would try not to mix too many of the same type of trailers together. My theatre managers were happy and all was right with the world.

Then the studios started asking that certain trailers play with certain films. That was all right because they would include their trailers in the film cans or send you a specific trailer for a specific film.

Then the theatre chains started to pay attention. Now United Artists has a person whose main job is to program trailers to play with film. They send a sheet out each week to each theatre telling them exactly which trailers to play with which films in which order.

This led to Star Wars EP1 having (I swear) 8 trailers on the head of it. Most of them were inappropriate to the film. The new system leaves nothing for the theatre personnel to decide. In fact the memo about what trailers to program with Star Wars was quite emphatic about what would happen if they deviated from the program.

There is precious little creativity left in the exhibition industry. If a corporate type sees any creativity going on they will stop it or co-opt it for there own purposes. Once one good idea is force on all the other theatres it is no longer fresh and then we have the same problems again. I thought that when the corporate theatres cut their staffs to the bone that creativity would migrate back to the theatres. All the creative people have left the theatres and now it will be a while before they return.

Forgive me; again I rant.

Posted by Tom Ferreira (Member # 70) on 06-29-1999, 05:45 PM:

I was told that one of the stips in
the Star Wars contract was that there
was to be a maximun of eight minutes
of trailers, including the Fox Combo.

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 06-29-1999, 06:16 PM:

Lordy Tom!

Haven't you figured out by now that nobody has been paying George Lucas a bit of mind? Lucas said this, Lucas said that. He doesn't run the theatres. I've seen slides, ads, sound format trailers. They have moved prints. They have dropped prints. Theatres stopped listening to Lucas the moment another movie made more money than EP1. That dog won't hunt!

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-29-1999, 06:22 PM:

In my small theatre, I hardly ever get ANY of the "included in the can" trailers. Sometimes, maybe 25% of the time, the "attached" trailer is there, but usually it's cut off too.

So if any of you guys are keeping the trailers that came with the film, please put'em back in the can....somebody else needs them!

Now having ranted, I realize that all the people on this forum are genuine professional film handlers and that most of the film problems in this industry stem from the uncaring, un-knowing high school kids who staff the booths....and who don't even know this forum exists, much less read it. But if any of you kids are by chance reading this, please, when you ship out a film, please, remember that YOURS is not the only theatre to use a print, and TAPE DOWN THE END OF THE FILM WITH A NEW PIECE OF TAPE, DAMMIT! OLD TAPE DOESN'T STICK! And CLEAN YOUR PROJECTORS! There, I feel better.

------------------
Mike Blakesley
www.goforsyth.com/roxy

Posted by Tom Ferreira (Member # 70) on 06-29-1999, 06:43 PM:

Ian, apparently my booker is obeying
the commands of Lucas and Fox. Every
week I ask if Star Wars can come out
of DTS-every week the answer is 'no'.
I would much rather be opening WWW
in there than keeping the six week
old and stale Star Wars in my best
auditorium. I'll bet even South Park
deserves that slot more. Hey,
though-starting this weekend, I can
allow my employees to see Star Wars
for free, even though we haven't sold
out a show in four and a half weeks.
Don't get me started on Star Wars...

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 07-01-1999, 03:01 PM:

I actually LIKED the trailer programming for Star Wars:EP1.

When I srtarted working at TT-17, we just picked 3 trailers that came in the can. Shortly after that, they started sending us E-mail that told us what three trailers to play.....Then it went to 4, then 5, then 6 PLUS the theatre POLICY trailer, PLUS "Coca Cola" running stocks PLUS "Will Rogers" running stocks, PLUS the digital logos. Last year, 'Godzilla' had TWENTY SEVEN minutes of trailers!!! Now we have a contract with N.C.N. to play pre-show running stocks! (When will it end??? -- When the previews are longer than the MOVIE???)

I liked Lucas' limitation of 8 minutes. I've always said that I'd play 20 trailers if they were all 1/2 minute long!!! I say that there should be a time limit. We'll play as many trailers as will fit in that limit. That would get the studios to quit making those 6 minute long 'Titanic' trailers!!! When Lucas put that limitation on, the studios were QUICK to put out 1 minute versions! I wish more people would do that!

------------------
K.Y.S.O.T.I.
Randy

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 07-01-1999, 03:33 PM:

When I went to London in 1987 I found some interesting variations of film presentation. After I purchased my ticket I got a beer at the concession stand and made my way to the theatre. The Usherette (actually a little old lady) just inside the door of the auditorium took my ticket. No theatre jumping there.

There are two show times posted for every showing in the newspaper. One show time would be for 1:40pm and the other time would be 2:00pm. In England they have no ads on the telly. You have to purchase a license to watch television in your own home. England actually has Television License Police who drive around and see if you are watching a television without a license. The license costs $800 per year. They do have many ads in the movie theatres. At that earlier show time they would start the pre-show. There would be a PSA followed by a nice car ad and then a trailer. Then there would be a condom ad and another trailer. The ads are very well produced and are made for the cinema.

During the ads, the usherette would come in the auditorium and try to sell us some more concession items. She would have a tray of candy and chips. For drinks you had to go back to the stand.

Those people, who liked the pre-show, knew to arrive at the earlier show time. Those who didn’t care for the pre-show would arrive closer to the later show time.

At a few minutes before 2:00pm the lights came up, the curtain closed and there was a moment of perfect peace. Then the curtain opened right at 2:00 on the nose and the feature started.

Let’s get a string going about foreign cinema experiences.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 07-03-1999, 12:09 PM:

In Canada Cineplex Theatres started running comercials (corporate trailors) back in the 70's for many companies before the regular trailors. Typically Cineplex Odeon has about 20min of film before the feature
gordon mcleod

Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 07-10-1999, 05:53 AM:

We get a list from corporate each week of what they want us to play. Usually we end up with 5 trailers, sometimes 6, plus 2 minutes of NCN ads, our company logo trailer, and a sound format trailer.

Posted by Brian Paymer (Member # 57) on 07-18-1999, 04:05 PM:

We get our trailer instructions and order what we need to fulfill those requests. Then we pick what we want to put on the prints because the trailers never show up.

Posted by George Roher (Member # 91) on 07-18-1999, 11:35 PM:

At every theatre I have worked in, the trailer placement was dictated by the owners or home office. And they have made some poor programming choices that led to customers screaming about what their kids were being exposed to.

When I worked for the lovely General Cinema Corporation, the trailer show would fill an entire 2000 ft reel. I'd spend more time building the trailers than the feature. There would be music videos, commercials, PSA's, and more house trailers than anyone else. And when we ran the Jimmy Fund PSA's, I'd sometimes have to insert a 200 ft leader after the PSA so we could interlock and still have a few moments for the ushers to run in and collect money. That required some gymnastics in the booth. But, I'm afraid I've gone off topic.

Posted by Keith Richardson (Member # 97) on 07-27-1999, 09:37 AM:

i was just wondering what company that you work for... All the companies that I have ever worked for make you put the trailers on that come with the film, and then whatever I wish with discretion to the movie that I'm making up. On terms of putting some trailers on movies that came with it (Runaway bride on South Park, for instance) I took that off, to hell with the boss. I don't think that teens (the basic S.P. audience) want to see another "Pretty Woman" rip -off preview on South Park. So, I diodn't put that on there.

Posted by Keith Richardson (Member # 97) on 07-27-1999, 09:37 AM:

message edited by Keith Richardson

[This message has been edited by Keith Richardson (edited 07-27-99).]

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 11-28-2001, 02:52 PM:

Found this on a casual surf of the Forums and am bringing it back up.

Tom F: The Last Castle (DreamWorks) had an attached trailer for A Beautiful Mind (Universal). I didn't know why until I saw the credits on the trailer. Turns out DreamWorks co-financed A Beautiful Mind and will release it overseas.

Randy S: What trailers are 30 seconds long? TV commercials. Another reason I am glad I got rid of my TV almost 3 1/2 years ago. Also, the trailer programming on Star Wars Episode 1 made every trailer a TV commercial.

Ian: BBC doesn't run adverts. ITV, Channel 4, and most of the satellite channels do. Same with radio. The license fee covers part of the BBC's overall budget.

Gordon: Loews started using rolling stock ads in its US theaters after Loews bought Cineplex Odeon.

George R (if he still posts): Do you work for Regal? It's the worst at trailer programming by far.

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 11-28-2001, 03:29 PM:

I work for Regal. There is a guy who sends out an email to all the theatres once a week with the trailer programming. Ususally it is appropriate. On the occasion when a trailer is not approriate, we have not programmed it, brought it to his attention, and he gladly appologized and suggested a replacement. We never have to program all trailers that are included. The email specifies whether the trailer is attatched, included, or neither. 95 percent of the time if the trailer is not attached or included it will follow the print in a separate package. If not, we order them.

Are we supposed to send back enclosed trailers when we ship out the prints? I honestly did not know this. If this is common industry practice I will start doing it.