Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: No movie poster on opening?

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Posted by Kara Tillotson (Member # 3899) on 11-03-2006, 08:38 PM:

Is anyone having trouble getting posters to arrive? We got a whole ton of standees, including SC3 but no posters for that one or flushed away..so we just printd the movie title on a piece of paper and put it in the case. Any other ideas on what to do?

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-03-2006, 09:17 PM:

When we played "Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and LOVE the Bomb." we coulnd't get a poster, either.

So, like you, we took a sheet of white butcher paper and drew-up a poster.

Then, AFTER the movie had played, we finally got a poster. [Roll Eyes]

When I saw it, I had to laugh because it LOOKED like it was drawn up with magic markers!

So, if you're handy with the art supplies, depending on the style of the movie, you might be further ahead to just draw-up a poster. [Smile]

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 11-03-2006, 11:14 PM:

Yeah - order one.

Posted by Alex Grueneberg (Member # 2652) on 11-04-2006, 12:39 AM:

I as well had trouble getting posters for Flushed Away. I would aspect it had something to do with DreamWorks cutting their ties with Ardmann and not really giving a hoot about the movie.

Posted by Ron Curran (Member # 3631) on 11-04-2006, 12:52 AM:

We sometimes have trouble getting promotional material pre-screening. Our graphic designer is registered with image.net and she can download almost everything we need and print colour posters on her Xerox docucentre.

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 11-04-2006, 04:01 AM:

Try ordering in advance, maybe?
Unless it's limited they won't ask if you have a play-date.

Otherwise just call as soon as you hear about a movie. Make a list weekly and call.
Most materials are free anyway. The more word they get out the better a movie does.

Get in their grill and ye shall receive, I guess? We had more Flushed Away and SC3 posters than we needed, that's for sure...

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-04-2006, 08:10 AM:

The "just order one" suggestion doesn't work if you want materials for films released more than six months ago. For the most part, they're just not available through the normal channels. Pathetic, but true. This is a good example of what is wrong with this industry--first-run houses get more posters, trailers, and other material than they can possibly use and nothing is left for the independents who book the films after their initial release dates. [Mad]

My only suggestion would be to form a relationship with a nearby first-run theatre and try to get their old posters for any films that you might play. For older titles, you might need to settle for reproduction posters from a poster shop, unless you have the $$$ to get originals from collectors.

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 11-04-2006, 09:13 AM:

The only problem that I am seeing is the fact that the ONLY posters being released for some films are the teaser ones - especially for the animated films. Disney has been the number one culprit.

As far ordering posters - do you know how many times I called up the distributors and they were 'out' of the poster I was ordering? Too many.

It's Hollywood's way of cutting overhead. Get used to it.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-04-2006, 05:31 PM:

Even if you are an independent/subrun or whatever, it doesn't hurt to order posters as soon as you hear about the movie. I think a painful amount of this stuff winds up in the landfill, so get your request in early and you'll have a better chance.

Disney seems to send us 3 copies of all their posters. I don't know how this got started but I'm not complaining...since they charge for the ones we order through TES.

Posted by Kara Tillotson (Member # 3899) on 11-06-2006, 09:41 PM:

Ill see about signing up for imagenet. We DID get a nice santa clause 3 standee, but that onl is useful once your IN the theatre.

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 11-07-2006, 08:49 AM:

I have the opposite problem. I get posters and trailers from TES and ETS/DFS many times. And we don't use posters or trailers here. One time ETS sent me a feature film size box full of trailers, three different titles (Flat & Scope versions).

Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 11-07-2006, 10:06 AM:

Disney automatically send us 2 copies of everything. Don't know why...they just do.

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 11-07-2006, 01:00 PM:

We get advance copies from Buena Vista, & Lion's Gate months before the break for most titles. Sony will automatically send super glossy one sheets for any of their titles (even ones we're not playing). Paramount throws us plenty in advance, which goes along with the days I worked a megaplex & got at least 30 for each of their titles!

Seriously, call Technicolor's advertising materials department: 1-(909)-974-2290. Talk with your manager about this, he ought to have the account numbers for TES, Buena Vista, Deluxe (Sony, MGM), TES (New Line) & Paramount's new In-Theatre Marketing departments. I call on Tuesdays to fill in any new releases we don't already have one-sheets for, they send them via two-day UPS, DHL or FedEx.

The guys here always pat me on the back for getting the posters on time. And it helps patrons, a ton, obviously. [thumbsup]

Posted by Matt Whitney (Member # 2909) on 11-08-2006, 03:02 PM:

We're a second run theatre yet still get most of our one sheets before the films come out first run. Universal and Buena Vista are usually the best at getting us their stuff. I would recommend searching this forum for the post titled "Studio Exhibitor Websites" and signing up for all of those. It makes it pretty easy to get what you need plus getting stand ups, bus shelters, mini one sheets and other promo materials.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 11-08-2006, 11:08 PM:

I get posters every week on stuff I have no intention of running. Posters for "Flyboys" never arrived but I was able to get one from a theatre 30 miles away which was also running the film. In December I will be running the original "The Wizard Of Oz" and WB, who is distributing the film from their classics department, said they don't have any posters for the film. So I went on-line and bought a copy of the original on-sheet for $14.99.

Posted by Ky Boyd (Member # 23) on 11-09-2006, 12:31 AM:

With Dreamworks titles like Flushed Away, the movement of fulfillment from Technicolor to Deluxe also might be a contributing factor since Dreamworks used Technicolor and Paramount uses Deluxe/Premiere House.

It gets even more fun with titles from MGM that are associated with The Weinstein Company. Who has what on those titles seems to be either random or by lottery!

When in doubt call or e-mail the Exhibitor Services rep for your area. Most of them are conveniently listed in the Showtimes Exhibitor Phonebook published by IME.