Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: College wants to start a non-profit

This is topic College wants to start a non-profit in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000428

Posted by Harry Robinson (Member # 265) on 01-25-2002, 10:59 AM:

Last week I was back visiting my small-town alma mater when one of the professors told me the college president was looking into starting a college-run theater for the community as a non-profit venture.

This town (pop. apporox. 7000) is isolated in a rural Tennessee valley with no theaters for 30 miles around. No for-profit outfit will come in because the demographics always show that the population isn't big enough to support a multiplex.

There is an old single screen down on the town square that was operated as a furniture store for years. Recently the store went out of business, and now it's in the hands of the county. My idea would have the county and the college work in partnership on the project. It would be operated by a combination of students, facilty and volunteers.

Some questions:
1. Both Regal and Carmike are closing down a lot of theaters in the Nashville are. One of the theaters still has all the gear in place. Would it be a better deal for the chains, tax-wise, to donate the equipment to the college rather than sell, store or trash it? I hear there's some good old Century stuff involved.

2. Is it better to run something like this in town at the single screen than to renovate the school auditorium (which has been considered)?

3. Could we run multiple features? It would be imperative that we get first run access. This theater would be competing with people who are in the habit of sitting at home watching videos.

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 01-25-2002, 12:00 PM:

Equipment: Regal and Carmike would need approval from the bankruptcy court if they wanted to donate equipment. Projectors, lamphouses and such are among the assets in a bankruptcy filing.

Bookings: AFAIK no studio will provide first-run product to a theater of the type you describe. In New Jersey there's a similar venue at Rutgers University which calls itself the "New Jersey Film Festival" but actually shows repertory and subrun.

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 01-25-2002, 12:27 PM:

>>Would it be a better deal for the chains, tax-wise, to donate the equipment to the college rather than sell, store or trash it?<<

While it seems like a great idea for all involved, I seriously doubt any theatre chain is going to donate any theatrical equipment to a source of potential losses for them (they figure if the people don't wish to wait for the DVD or cable release, they will drive 30+ miles for the new product. You may have to look elsewhere for equipment, maybe a nearby cinema dealer (CPI in Nashville perhaps).

>>Is it better to run something like this in town at the single screen than to renovate the school auditorium (which has been considered)?<<

This depends on how much the furniture store has 'un-theatred' the single. Retrofitting the school auditorium may be a less expensive (and more versatile) alternative, especially if the single requires major work to make it into a viable theatre again.

>> It would be imperative that we get first run access<<

You're joking right?

For the distributors to allow this for a non-profit organization (one-off special SINGLE SCREENINGS excepted) would be ludicrous. You might as well throw first-run and most subrum out the window now, as the distributors aren't gonna help you there.

Best of luck with this!

-Aaron

Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 01-25-2002, 01:15 PM:

Harry,

There were some posts awhile back about a small town that did something similar to what you are asking about.

Do a search for "Small town theatre reopened by high school kids ".

Good to see you around!

Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 01-25-2002, 01:30 PM:

Harry,

Something almost identical to what you describe was done in Tracy City, up on top of Monteagle Mountain back during the last part of 2001.

The local non-profit business group renovated the auditorim of the old Grundy County High School and opened a theatre. Regal sold them (at a very discounted price)used equipment and seats from the now closed "Nippers Corner" theatre located at the intersection of Edmondson Pike and Old Hickory Blvd.

I posted a thread in this forum called "Alma Mater Theatre, Grundy County, Tennessee" about a month or so ago (Nov. 27, 2001 - page 3 Ground Level Forum). There is a link on the thread to an article which ran in the Tennessean about the theatre.

The guy running the booth there (Eddie Campbell) is a land surveyor who does some work on occassion for the engineering firm I work for here in Nashville.

Hope this helps

------------------
Barry Floyd
Floyd Entertainment Group
Nashville, Tennessee
(Drive-In Theatre - Start-Up)

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 01-25-2002, 06:42 PM:

Barry Floyd:

I remember that story----Regal did SELL (not donate) the equipment at bargain basement prices (including seats).

Harry:

I would try to go for using the old theater rather than the high school auditorium (some school auds had FLAT floors). I doubt that Regal would give a rats ass about what the non profit would show, but it's always a good idea to sprinkle the conversations with "Non-Profit", "town's not big enough for a multiplex", and "only theater for miles" as much as you can to help your chances.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-25-2002, 07:00 PM:

I'm not sure why such a small town would need to have first-run titles if there really isn't any competition for miles. Sub-run (and maybe even repertory) stuff should work fine, as long as ticket prices are reasonable.

This sounds like fun. Let us know how it works out. (And send pics to Brad!)