Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Screens: Ideal Number

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Posted by Ron Curran (Member # 3631) on 08-01-2006, 03:53 AM:

One of the reasons we are spending billions of dollars changing film to DC is because it costs a fortune to supply multiple prints to too many screens.

It appears that those screens can’t properly be maintained or manned with skilled operators. Many locations have proved to be uneconomical. More importantly, a large chunk of the market is intimidated by the supermarket size and style of massive multiplexes.

IMHO I believe that a rational screen number in a major city development should be 12; for major regional centres 8 and for any other town 5.

If you have 30 screens you have to fill them with any rubbish the studios want to push on you.

It is too late to reverse the madness but what do you think?

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 08-01-2006, 05:27 AM:

I would love to see a megaplex with 57 screens and owned by the Heinz family.

Or perhaps Joe Friday could open a 13 screener.

I got nothin' else.

You really have to take into account current and future screen development for the area in question and then depending on the area you may want more or less screens.

A small town with 2000 people could get away with a twin real easy. That's what I want to do, but I can't stand small towns.

Ciao

Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 08-01-2006, 07:20 AM:

I tend to think 4-6 screen complexs as ideal, both to work in, and to watch a movie in.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 08-01-2006, 12:24 PM:

quote: Dave Williams
A small town with 2000 people could get away with a twin real easy.

We have one screen and there are some times of the year when I wish we had two or three. There are other times when we'd be better off being closed because there's not even ONE decent-grossing movie to play.

Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 08-01-2006, 12:51 PM:

I think 8-10 is ideal. You start getting into the 12-15 and up to 20 plexes, all your doing is opening houses for multiple prints of the same movie. I've noticed that we usually have 8-10 different movies playing at any time. I know its a matter of conveinience for customers when you have 3 prints of a movie and start it ever 20 mins or so, but come on, how busy are peoples lives??? If its a good movie, they will make time to see it. Daytime, night time, weekend...whenever they can. Very few movies ever sell out every show all day. If I built a new plex, I would make it 10.

Posted by Charles Greenlee (Member # 3856) on 08-01-2006, 07:06 PM:

I'm loving working at a 6-plex, I just wish I could dedicate my time to booth, rather than haveing to do this managment buisness. Musch more interested in working to improve our equiment than counting registers.

Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 08-01-2006, 09:42 PM:

More prints showing of a film means less likelihood of selling out and no need for staff on every screen to seat people. Also means you have no 'dead time' where your staff are doing nothing as shows are starting every 30mins or so. That's the cynical view anyway.

I would say 7-14 depending on the market is the ideal size. Any smaller you can't show enough and any bigger you're showing six or seven prints of the latest release and also it's difficult to control staff. Screen capacity also is as important as the number or screens.