Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Competitive Zones

This is topic Competitive Zones in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Josh Kirkhart (Member # 1046) on 06-11-2004, 02:25 PM:

OK, I will admit I know almost nothing about the rules of competitive zones. It is my understanding that if one theatre opens a movie the other does not play it. Obviously once a initial run has happened and the other theatre wants it the print would move over and such. thats the extent of my knowledge.

Dammit, I was given the wrong info and typed too fast for my own good disregard the Above Situation.
'Now edited to save me further embarassment'

Any rules on regulations and prctices in Competitive Zones are requested.

Posted by Sam Johnson II (Member # 2157) on 06-11-2004, 10:44 PM:

I too was wondering about this kinda stuff. I work for a theater that has just opened roughly two months ago. This is the second theater in the city, and up until this place opened, the other theater got most of the 1st-run movies (with some exceptions, mostly due to the theater being only a 4-plex). Since this new place opened (an 8-plex), they have gotten all the 1st-run movies, and some of their old movies have gone to the other place as 2nd-run movies.

What I was mostly curious about is the exception that occurred this week (and is likely to continue from time to time). We got Garfield and The Stepford Wives, but the other theater got Chronicles of Riddick, their first 1st-run movie since Man On Fire came out. We've been told we're not getting Dodgeball or Around the World in 80 Days, and I'm assuming there's a decent chance that the other theater will get those movies.

So I guess my main question is, who determines who gets what movies? Is it the movie companies themselves? And how do they determine who gets what movie? I should point out that this new theater has a much higher standard and better equipment and all that good stuff.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 06-12-2004, 03:18 PM:

About the only thing that is certain regarding the makeup of competitive "zones" is that, unless you own the theatre, you will have no say or input into the matter.

That being said, it's a murky witches brew of elements, including, but not in any order of priority...
Who you are,
Who you know,
"social" elements... [eyes]

How many screens you have,
How much you gross,
What's your credit relationship with the studio(s),
How good is your lawyer,
How persuasive you are,
What other theatres are in your area... and,
Who they are (and all the other factors above),
What's the population of your area,
How far away are you from competitive cinema "X",
... and probably others that don't come to mind right now.

One thing's for certain... changing booking practices in one's favor is a long, arduous process. The studios don't change status quo easily, but all tend to follow the money, once one studio does make a change.

In my area, there are two levels of theatre in two "zones"... "first-run", and "everyone else", a level that includes only two houses here. The "first-run" venues get anywhere from 1 to 3 prints off the break, regardless of what zone they're in. The "everyone else" theatres can't touch a title until all first-run performances in their zone are completed and the theatre sends the print out the door (circuits to the "everyone else" theatres are common.

...doesn't leave much for the bottom feeders.