Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: EDI, meet Rentrak

This is topic EDI, meet Rentrak in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 01-07-2003, 04:44 PM:

Our US Film-Techers may have to start reporting box office to two companies instead of one.

Fox, Disney, Focus, Lions Gate and IDP are switching from EDI to Rentrak for their box office data. Rentrak provides a similar service for homevideo.

According to Variety, cost and ease of database use are among the reasons for the switch. Fox Searchlight titles will use Rentrak exclusively; Disney apparently will use EDI and Rentrak for the time being.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 01-07-2003, 04:52 PM:

Rentrack uses automated reporting for the video rental market. They are good for writing custom modules to interface with existing rental systems.

I'd imagine, for theatres, they are going to use the same automated method that they already use. Perhaps in the future YOU won't have to report to anyone. [Smile]

Posted by Greg Borr (Member # 386) on 01-08-2003, 08:24 AM:

We are currently developing an interface that will automatically send numbers to Rentrak upon close out, I would imagine other POS companies are doing the same, no more phone calls!

Posted by Mike Williams (Member # 1140) on 01-08-2003, 09:25 AM:

We already send grosses to Rentrek directly from corporate after each theater closes and we have their file.

Posted by David Goodman (Member # 1491) on 01-08-2003, 02:28 PM:

We already report nightly to Rentrak and EDI. I must admit its a bit annoying to have to have two companies call you nightly while you are closing out. They ALWAYS call at least once,before you have the #'s for the night. Telling them to call later is hopeless. Anyone else have to report to both.

Posted by Kara J. McVay (Member # 1285) on 01-08-2003, 04:21 PM:

When EDI started calling me at way too early, I simply stopped reporting to them. They would call around 7-9:00, and want numbers, I told them for 2 weeks that we always called them, had for years and not to call. They wouldn't so, I just call Rentrak. That is one nice thing about being independent. [Big Grin]

Posted by Bill Carter (Member # 156) on 01-09-2003, 01:31 AM:

I report to both each night. I have to FAX to Rentrack.

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 01-11-2003, 02:17 PM:

We report to both also, have been for about two months now.

The only real difference I notice is that Rentrack has the annoying habbit of calling after every show on Friday afternoon to get updated grosses on the new releases. Because of out computer system the only way to do it is to add up the number of tickets and multiply by the bargain price. Extremely annoying when you are trying to get weekly paperwork done.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 01-11-2003, 05:58 PM:

Who said you have to report to Rentrak? Is it in your rental agreement that you must report to whomever comes a callin'?

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 01-11-2003, 09:58 PM:

We were told by our home office to comply with EDI and Rentracks requests. I assume they have it all worked out. I never give out grosses to anyone else.

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 01-12-2003, 06:51 AM:

No Rentrak here ... just EDI. I assume Rentrak gets their numbers directly from the corporate computer system because they've NEVER called.

Posted by Paul Goulet (Member # 297) on 02-15-2003, 10:33 PM:

We just started last night faxing to rentrack and also calling the figures into EDI..

Posted by Steve Anderson (Member # 364) on 02-16-2003, 08:37 AM:

No info given out to either services. If they want the numbers contact our booker.

Posted by Blake Zaugg (Member # 1455) on 02-03-2004, 01:04 PM:

Is there a fee to use rentrak/EDI? We use RTS now, How can we switch from making the phone calls every night?

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-03-2004, 01:20 PM:

RTS will report your numbers to Rentrak automatically when you "close" your tickets. You just have to set it up to do so. I'm not at the theatre now so can't tell you how, but it's in there.

Posted by Brad Allen (Member # 470) on 02-03-2004, 01:22 PM:

I personally think its bull for us to have to call edi or rentrak. They are selling the information. In edi's case, they charge hefty per minute fee's to those getting the info.

In our case, we must report each night to our booker so as to keep the film co's off his back. If it's a Disney, then we have to make four calls/fax's. Booker, Disney (even thou they call the booker each morning as well, guess they don't believe us)EDI, and Rentrak. Besides, EDI has some of the rudest & dumbest people on the face of the planet handling the phones.

Posted by Jonathan M. Crist (Member # 413) on 02-03-2004, 02:03 PM:

Brad - Check your contracts. Unless it says that you have to give the info to EDI or Rentrak, then I don't believe you have any obligation to do so.

My attitude is why should I give EDI/Rentrak my info for free when they turn around and charge me for other info that I want.

Posted by Blake Zaugg (Member # 1455) on 02-03-2004, 03:52 PM:

But Jon, if I can make one call/fax/email to retrak/edi then it sure beats 5-10 calls to all the distribs and bouncing around their voicemails.

Posted by Brad Allen (Member # 470) on 02-03-2004, 04:18 PM:

Jon, I understand I "must" do it.
I just don't agree on having to pass it around so many times, when the film company is getting it anyway, in some case's from both me & my booker PLUS Edi/Ren.

Posted by Blake Zaugg (Member # 1455) on 02-03-2004, 07:19 PM:

Can an EDI subscriber look-up any theatres grosses, even theatres that don't report to them?

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 02-03-2004, 08:11 PM:

You guys actually have to call EDI yourself. That's insane. Here they call us, at which point I speak French. The odd time the EDI employee can speak French I claim to be the night cleaner and that everone else has gone home.

I've done this for more than a decade and haven't had a problem with my approach. [Smile]

Posted by R. Andrew Diercks (Member # 1725) on 02-03-2004, 08:22 PM:

We haven't reported to anyone for a few years now. The corp. office handles all requests for numbers.

Posted by Timothy Eiler (Member # 383) on 02-06-2004, 10:03 PM:

I use to called the film companies directly. But Since we went for 1 to 5 screens it just got to be easier to tell 2 companies the grosses for the 10-12 features we are playing instead of calling every studio. We also get the phone call at about 9:45-10:00 looking for our grosses for about the first couple weeks of the season Till they realize it's a drive-in and the box won't close until 11::00 PM.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-12-2004, 02:15 AM:

At our single screen, we only run one show on weeknights, but two on Fri and Sat. EDI apparently has no way to show this in their system, so they start calling us at 7:15 every night. On Fri and Sat, I tell them "call back in 2 hours" and they do. Then some EDI-ot decides to reprogram their system to call us at 9:15 every night. So they miss us when we only have one show. That leads to me having to give them a bunch of back numbers the next time they catch me. Then they reprogram themselves back to 7:15 and the whole freaking merry go round starts over again.

At least now, they show up on the Caller ID so I can ignore their too-early calls. Previously, here at least, they always came in "out of area."

Posted by Stephanie M. Brosche (Member # 1982) on 02-19-2004, 02:50 AM:

We used to fax nightly to Rentrak and get called by EDI. Finally, we just asked for the fax number and now we fax to both locations nightly when we are ready to do so. Since we also fax nightly grosses to our booker, we just do it all at once. It's easy to do and beats having to stop what you're doing and scramble to find grosses you put away already. For those of you that get called, maybe just ask for a fax number...seemed to work for us. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 02-20-2004, 01:07 PM:

quote:
No info given out to either services. If they want the numbers contact our booker.

Ditto here.

Well before Rentrak, I got fed up with the incessant calls from EDI, demanding my grosses before I'd even finished for the evening. Predictably, they'd call in the middle of my intermission, when I could be anywhere BUT looking at my grosses [Mad]

Brad: Your booker is your personal representative with the film companies. His call to the studios is as good as yours. Give him your grosses & tell him to do his job.