Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Need ad ideas for theatre upgrade

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Posted by Ray Bernardi (Member # 1615) on 04-28-2003, 08:58 PM:

I've got a few other threads going about my theatre upgrade here in NH - it's all starting to happen. D-day is fast approaching. We close our doors on May 8th and reopen on May 15th with the Matrix reloaded.

I need ad copy in by Wednesday this week to announce the upgrade and premiere. I'm going to run half page ads in the local papers and I have two interviews set up with the papers as well. They are going to run feature stories on the upgrade and give me some free publicity.

For the half page ads I want tag line ideas - Here's a few I've come up with - They probably suck, but hey - I'm trying...

1) MATRIX RELOADED 05.15.03 THEATRE RELOADED

2) Remember that quiet little theatre in downtown Peterborough? It ain’t so quiet anymore!

3) Finally - More bass than Franklin pierce lake! (that's a local lake around here)

4) We've got the nicest rack in town! Sound rack that is. (my wife came up with that one believe it or not)

That's about all I got right now - I have plenty of other ad copy for the main ad, but I'm having a real biotch of a time with a tag line.

You guys seem pretty creative... any suggestions or ideas? One quick saying that gets the point across?

Remember, I'm going from a 20 watt mono PA system on radio shack speakers (that's no joke) to a new 5-channel Ultra-stereo surround sound system pushing 1.8 kilowatts of raw power to 8 cinematic pro JBL speakers topped off with 18-inch subwoofers cranking out thundering bass!

Put on your advertising executive hats and help me out here.....

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-28-2003, 09:09 PM:

I kind of like the MATRIX RELOADED <> THEATRE RELOADED idea.

I would go all-out to give specifics on the sound upgrades: Mention the format ("State-Of-The-Art 6-Channel Dolby Digital Surround Sound" or whatever it is), use the JBL brand name, brag about the wattage and the subwoofer.

Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 04-28-2003, 10:17 PM:

Do a few "late & loud" sessions.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-28-2003, 10:50 PM:

If you are going to brag about amplifier power and sound systems I have four things for you to consider:

#1 Please do not use the line "state-of-the-art". It is SOOOOOOOOOOOO overused and unbelieveably corny. If you are going to use that, you mine as well claim to have a "solid state" sound system, as that would be just as lame. [Wink]

#2 If you are going to brag about your sound system, it had better be pretty damn good. It would be embarassing if you advertised about your new "super duper mega phiggidy sound system" and then it didn't really sound all that great because your acoustics still need work or your installation tech isn't that good.

#3 Also remember, boasting a big sound system means it had better sound good loud and you had better play it loud.

#4 Don't forget the bumper stickers on your sound rack. A sound system cannot be super duper mega awesome without them!

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 04-28-2003, 11:01 PM:

I've always remembered the ads where someone sitting listening to their system is "blown away", as if by a strong wind. Maybe run an ad that includes a photo of some people sitting in your theatre with hair, glasses, and clothing askew from the impact of the sound.

Get someone to certify that your theatre sound system violates OSHA guidelines when the sound system is turned up all the way (and assure people you don't routinely do this).

Put your theatre's name on a list of "typical" sound levels in decibels:

http://www.ourhealdsburg.com/noise/sound_comparison_table.htm

http://members.aol.com/motionizer/page28.html

http://www.healthyconnections.com/library/noise.html

Run a contest with a sound level meter challenging anyone to shout at a higher volume than your sound system can produce.

Get a local newspaper to run a story and photos of your new sound system being installed.

Publicize a ceremony to destroy the amplifier and speakers from your old sound system with a sledge-hammer.

Leave the empty speaker shipping boxes stacked in front of your theatre.

Offer a big prize to anyone who can bring in and set up their home audio system and speakers in your theatre and beat the sound quality. You may need to set a price limit on how much they spent on it.

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 04-28-2003, 11:44 PM:

You could brag that your sound system has the ability to make small children cry and old people [bs]

themselves at the SAME TIME!! [Big Grin]

I like Theater Reloaded and The Nicest RACK In Town! Actually, you could probably use them both: Theater Reloaded as the heading and "We've got the nicest RACK in town...sound rack!" at the bottom, or next to a pic of your sound rack.

=TMP=

Posted by Jason Whyte (Member # 1433) on 04-29-2003, 02:42 AM:

Ray,

If you're featured in your local newspaper, have yourself photographed in the auditorium, you in the foreground with the screen in the background. That's worked wonders here for local theater owners.

I've looked around but not seen pics of your auditorium. I'm VERY curious if you have any.

Jason

Posted by Ray Bernardi (Member # 1615) on 04-29-2003, 05:58 AM:

quote:
I've looked around but not seen pics of your auditorium. I'm VERY curious if you have any.

I will be adding pics very soon.

quote:
#4 Don't forget the bumper stickers on your sound rack. A sound system cannot be super duper mega awesome without them

OF COURSE! Why didn't I think of that!!!!! [Big Grin]

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 04-29-2003, 07:31 AM:

I understand your emphasis on the volume of sound, but aren't
some people turned off by sheer loudness? City people are offended by jerks who park their sports cars with all doors and windows open, blasting neighborhoods with insane monotonous noise. (Maybe your small-town patrons have not experienced this.)

Sprint ads take another tack, at least on PBS. Their icon is a
pin dropping in slow notion, making a clear crystal sound. If the sound system is crafted so that "you could hear a pin drop,"
dialog and music will sound their best.

"Our theatre will destroy your hearing" appeals to masochists,
it seems to me.

Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 04-29-2003, 09:31 AM:

We've been running "teaser" advertisements in the local county and community newspapers for the last month or so, just to stir up interest in our new Drive-In Theatre. About once a week for the last 4 weeks.

Our screen contractor is coming next Monday to erect our 59.5 foot x 25 foot tower, (the bottom of the screen will be 16 feet above the ground). I had thought about running a little "bragging rights" type of advertisement as well.

I want to find a big screen TV, and place it under the screen tower. Take a photo of the two of them side by side, and the text below the photo would read...
Your big screen... our BIG screen...Any Questions?

I thought the comparison of the two would make a great visual impact.

You could do the same thing with your Theatre Reloaded campaign.

You could photograph a closeup of a friends typical home theatre sound system rack in their living room, then photograph your new "reloaded" soundrack in the projection booth of the theatre. The caption under the photograph could read....

Your home theatre sound system... our CINEMA THEATRE sound system...Any Questions?

Just an idea.

On another note. I have found recently that newspaper ad layout designers don't know their butt from a hole in the ground!! You tell them you want "X", they give you back "Y" for your approval and print run.
After spending $200.00 on a one-time ad that looked as if a 3rd grader did it, I gave up on the artistic abilities of the ad department. I now create all of my own advertisements using Microsoft Publisher, then export the publisher files to Adobe Acrobat. The newspapers can't do anything with a Publisher file, but the Acrobat *.pdf file inserts directly into their layout program.
Sure makes it easier for me, and saves some artwork cost in the process, and my ad always looks exactly like I want it to.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-29-2003, 10:28 AM:

Nobody likes a sound system that's bordering on causing pain. That isn't what you want to do to the audience at all. Hyperbole in the ad is fine, as long as you deliver a good "product" without causing anyone harm. [Wink]

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 04-29-2003, 10:29 AM:

Gerard Cohen wrote:

quote:
"Our theatre will destroy your hearing" appeals to masochists,
it seems to me.

I agree that "Silence is Golden" and clarity of reproduction is probably more important to me than ear-splitting volume. Unfortunately, when promoting a sound system, "feel-it-in-your-gut" sound is what sells, especially for the "action-adventure" crowd.
[Roll Eyes]

Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 04-29-2003, 10:33 AM:

quote:
If you are going to brag about amplifier power and sound systems I have four things for you to consider:

#1 Please do not use the line "state-of-the-art". It is SOOOOOOOOOOOO overused and unbelieveably corny. If you are going to use that, you mine as well claim to have a "solid state" sound system, as that would be just as lame.

Yeah, I think in the past we have advertised as having a State-of-the-art sound system. Dolby 'A' Stereo. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Randy Loy (Member # 112) on 04-29-2003, 10:43 AM:

Ray, how about this one...

"When we're done upgrading the sound system at our movie theatre the 'talkies' won't just talk, they'll speak with authority!"

Then follow it up with info about your new system, comparing it to the old system. To me, the suggested line doesn't necessarily indicate loud, but rather better and with more punch.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-29-2003, 01:46 PM:

Whenever I've written any advertising about sound, I've always mentioned the "quiet" along with the loud. Some people are genuinely turned-off by claims of loudness, but if you add other aspects of good sound, like "realism" and "orchestral music" they'll get the drift without being turned off.

I like your "Theatre reloaded" idea. That's very cool.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 04-29-2003, 02:35 PM:

Ray:

Along with high ticket and concession prices one of the most common complaints about today's theatres had been sound that is too loud. You may want to think twice about promoting loud sound unless you intend to alienate mature and hearing impared movie-goers. Believe it or not, those who have a partial hearing loss are bothered more by loud sound than those with normal hearing.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 04-29-2003, 02:37 PM:

I like the "reloaded" tag line best for the unveiling.

After that, you could use the one that we use down here:

"Loud & Clear"

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 04-29-2003, 02:44 PM:

Ray:

P.S. I have chosen a tag line for my project that will run in every ad: "If it's playing everywhere it's not playing here". (I forget where I stole it from) The thought behind it is I will be doing some creative booking and my own promotion rather than allowing the distributors to dictate to me what will be shown and when. Of course I can get away with that in a rural town.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-29-2003, 03:27 PM:

Robert, that's a great tagline for a rural theater. [thumbsup]

Ray, what is the age of your audience? Obviously a movie like the Matrix the older crowd won't give a flip about seeing and your younger audience will expect it to be turned up. This doesn't discount Robert and Gerard's warnings though. Assuming your system is set up and calibrated properly, you should be able to run 85db / fader 7 and even the senior citizens won't feel pain in their ears. It has more to do with the quality of the sound than actual volume when pain and discomfort comes into play.

Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 04-29-2003, 06:46 PM:

All in all a 2 pronged attack is needed. For the matrix, sound is all important so play it loud. The typical Matrix customers will appreciate it.
Then when Matrix is finished target the older section who don't like super duper phiggidy loud sessions.
Perhaps a restored print in the restored cinema?
Did I once hear that the loudest mixed movie ever was the sound of music?

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-29-2003, 07:54 PM:

Ray, it seems like you are installing a decent speaker upgrade. But are you installing a digital sound format to go with it? Five channels of cinema processor amplification is not going go as far if you are feeding it a Dolby A or SR optical track. The system upgrade will be harder to promote, especially in this day where DVD and 5.1 home theater are very commonplace things.

People will be more a little more apt to recognize a new sound format if you put some brand name recognition to it. Aside from the big sound quality improvement of digital, you get more credible brand names to promote.

Dolby, DTS and Sony all have one-sheet posters to promote their digital surround formats. You can get sound format symbols for changeable copy marquees from Wagner Zip Change and Gemini. Sign guys like myself can make larger customized word panels with bigger logos than what Wagner can provide. The surround sound format trailers are probably the best item to promote your sound system as being "state-of-the-art" --or to put it more accurately in this age of DVD: "up to snuff." At any rate, your advertising in-theater is probably the most important point.

For newspaper advertising, again, the best thing to get across the advanced nature of your sound system is to be able to attach some kind of brand name to it. If it is equipped with DTS or DD or certified THX, you'll go farther with it than using a generic "stereo surround" tag. And even there, if you use the "stereo surround" tag, many customers will expect digital surround sound when seeing the term in ads.

I don't know if Brad still has a copy of a big newspaper ad I put together a couple years ago for the Carmike in my town. The theater ran a big ad when it installed its 8th DTS system to become an all-DTS site. I made the DTS, Digital Experience and THX brand names all very important parts of the design. Maybe he could post it in here or something (I don't want to load it up on this server twice).

On the subject of loudness, I like movies loud but loud in a good way. Crystal clear digital surround with deep lows is great. Things like explosions with low frequency sound being loud is really cool. It doesn't hurt your ears. If a sound designer mixes in a gunshot with high frequency audio ringing over 108db, then that's painful and bullshit to pull on an audience.

Most film soundtracks can be played at reference levels without any threat to an audience's hearing. Some movies are mixed louder than others, which makes it important to screen movies in advance so you'll know if it really is too damned loud. "Goldeneye" is one film I judged to be louder than normal.

I think some of the loudness complaints are coming from folks who just don't like wide dynamic range in an audio track. Their hearing is not hurt, but they get startled by some scenes and it pisses them off. So they complain about loudness and threats to health and stuff. Sorry, but an explosion must be more dynamic than a person's speaking voice. And Brad is right, most people who dislike loud movies usually dislike big action / sci-fi movies anyway. So play "The Matrix" loud.

Just be careful about playing the analog trailers on the front of the movie loud. That's the loudness I really hate. That's crap loud.

Posted by Ray Bernardi (Member # 1615) on 04-30-2003, 05:30 PM:

Thanks everybody for all the great input and ideas. This forum has been such a valuable resource for me, I just can't even begin to tell you how much I've learned here. I also can't begin to tell you all how much I appreciate your taking the time to respond and offer such great advice.

I am taking pictures of the theatre tomorrow and will post them asap.

I am taking the advice on being careful about billing it as loud. The idea of the "talkies speaking with authority" is great. I'm going to use that if you don't mind Randy.

I am being interviewed by the three local papers this week. I'm taking the advice given and i will be very careful about the "loud" aspect. I plan to say we are not going for volume, that we are going for quality. Deep, rich crystal clear sound is what we are shooting for, or as close to it as we can get on our limited budget.

I'm also going to mention that we will let the sound system "out to play" during our "late and loud" shows when the movie we have seems fitting. We are going to do shows like Rocky Horror, Pink Floyd The Wall etc. as midnight runs on Fridays and Saturdays and see if we can't generate a following of late nighters. I also plan to bring Chicago back for a weeks return run on the new system. We sold that out three weeks in a row, I bet we could do it again for a week.

As I write this, my garage is filled to the gills with sound gear. The speakers arrived yesterday and I must say I'm impressed. I can't imagine what the big brothers to these things must be like! Remember, I'm a little theatre so I scaled this upgrade for the room. These are actually low end JBLs, (3622s, 3310s and 3635s) not the big monsters, but I don't need the big monsters in my hall either. This is going to be a drastic improvement. There will be no doubt that an upgrade has been done.

I'll keep you posted as to how it goes. It's getting close and I'm getting nervous.

HEY! Airborne just showed up - the new screen is here!!!! Just waiting on the frame now.

I'm like a kid in a candy shop....

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 05-01-2003, 05:58 PM:

quote:
I'm like a kid in a candy shop....

Me too, Ray! I enjoy the vicarious excitement of each new detail you offer, as who has not fantasized setting up his own theatre? Especially after seeing the photos of renovations, installations and Brad's Screening Room?

Rather than add to the booth and auditorium suggestions made,
I'd like to refer to another location particularly noticed by the ladies. The cleanliness and facilities of the ladies room can have a significant effect on the willingness of your female patrons to return to your theatre.
"Potty parity" is often overlooked, causing males to wait
impatiently for their spouses, daughters or ladyfriends who are forced to line up in the lobby to enter the women's restroom because some cheap theatre builder and his architect skimped on providing adequate facilities for females. At my last theatre the women would commandeer the mens' room on occassion rather than suffer the indignity of waiting in the lobby. [This is most egregious in some of the old 19th C. Broadway stage theaters,built in the Victorian era when women were not expected to demand parity in public facilities.]

In NYC, new places of public accommodation have solved the problem, and even added fold-down diaper-changing tables to both Men's and Ladies' restrooms.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 05-03-2003, 02:23 AM:

Awwww nutbunnies! I wish I had seen this post sooner. I love doing this sort of thing.

Anyway, here's what I would have writen:

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-03-2003, 03:12 AM:

To add to Gerard's point above, in addition to making sure you have an appropriate quantity of women's facilities, make sure to put "privacy walls" between the men's urinals. Too many guys can't do their business without a certain degree of privacy and they will seek the stalls instead to obtain that privacy. This ties up the stalls for those who have "serious business" to attend to and most men are too lazy to lift the seat. (And you know how accurate the typical guy's aim really is.) It will make your restrooms more efficient and cleaner as a whole. [thumbsup]

Getting more back to the subject, Bobby is right, if you want to impress your audience, you NEED to have some flavor of digital. Personally I prefer Dolby Digital because there are no discs to come in broken, scratched or damaged in some other way and it is on EVERY print. Plus their logo trailers are great! (Dts doesn't really have a good logo.) If you are a second run house, you may prefer to go with dts and take your chances on disc availability as dts can track through print defects better.

Did you at least get SR cards for your Ultra stereo processor? If you didn't, you have no idea what you are missing even in the analog track. Playing back SR tracks in "stereo" or "Dolby A" noise reduction is just bad sound no matter how great the rest of your system is.

Bobby, your ad is archived somewhere on a thread here.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-03-2003, 02:50 PM:

I couldn't find the original ad after a bunch of seaches, but I made a reduced size version to post here. A bunch of the lettering is too small to read here since the ad was designed for a large newspaper ad.

Anyway, the point of showing it is the example of what brand name advertising will do in promoting a theater's sound systems.

Ray, since you run an independent theater, I agree with Brad's recommendation of installing a Dolby Digital processor. I'm a big DTS fan, but have to acknowledge the difficulties independent theaters have in getting DTS discs. The DD track is right there on the print and since you are showing first run prints the track should perform well. DD reliability is quite a bit better than SDDS. Lately SDDS has been getting dropped from various releases.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 05-04-2003, 10:09 AM:

I like Theater Reloaded and I like Late & Loud.

If you have a special show that's MEANT to be loud and you advertise/sign it as such people shouldn't complain because they ASKED for it! [Smile]

DO have all your ushers dressed up like "Agents" in dark suits and glasses!

Oh, and if you can find one of those funky audio test tracks that has lots of panning in it you could have a "last man standing contest"! Back in the 80's when CDs were first becomming popular, I remember they used to put out CDs with lots of effects and left/right panning. When you listened to them at high volume, or through headphones, you would get dizzy. Us teenagers all thought it was cool!

You could find a film with lots of effects like that. (Something like a roller coaster ride) Turn it up and have the contestants stand in the front row of seats. Turn the lights down. Turn the sound UP and let her rip... Last one still standing gets the prize!