This is topic Ticket price "toppers" in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-24-2009, 11:04 PM:
 
We get the occasional comment from tourists about how low our ticket prices are compared to "home." But then whenever somebody makes that comment, it seems like there is always somebody else in the same party who will say, "That's nothing....when I was in (fill in big city name) it was (fill in higher price)!"

It happened tonight. A guy said that where he is from, it costs $9 to go to a movie (compared to our $7.25). His friend said, "Well, when I was in Vegas last month it was $12.50 there!"

Is it really $12.50 in Vegas? I have a hard time believing that one.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-24-2009, 11:37 PM:
 
A quick search via Fandango says the usual evening ticket price in Las Vegas, NV area theaters runs $10.25 to $10.50. That doesn't count surcharges for digital 3D, real IMAX or the dreaded fake IMAX.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-25-2009, 12:02 AM:
 
Also from Fandango, the AMC-Loews theaters in Manhattan (NY) charge $12 regular adult evening price. An adult ticket on Friday evening May 29th for Up in 3D is $16.

And the AMC-Loews in Long Island NY charges $12.50 regular adult evening price.
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-25-2009, 12:38 AM:
 
Like SLC's prices at $8 bucks evenings where around here,we're sitting at $9.50... and they only do a two buck upcharge on 3D..around here $3.50 upcharge.

..course, their gas is cheaper also.
 

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Posted by Ramin Hashemi (Member # 2694) on 05-29-2009, 05:20 AM:
 
We get the same comments from out of towners. Local people complain that it is too expensive. One comment I hear is that they paid $0.50 for a double hitter back in the days. I laugh at those. In general, small towns do charge less than the big 30 plexers, but frankly I think it is like comparing oranges and tangerines(not quite apples). We are a small town, and charge $8 for evening.
 

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Posted by Robert John Jeromson (Member # 2559) on 05-29-2009, 05:41 AM:
 
$15.50 in NZ and counting...
 

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Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 05-29-2009, 06:52 AM:
 
Mike, I bet your concession prices are lower too.

Always keep the ticket prices for NY, LA and Vegas on a little card; when a local comes up whining that your prices are too high, just hand them the handy little price card showing what they would have to pay elsewhere, then ask them, "So....do you feel stupid now?"
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-29-2009, 08:50 PM:
 
Actually the locals never really complain about our prices, except occasionally teenagers, but you know how they are!
 

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Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 05-29-2009, 10:29 PM:
 
$16 per adult is pretty standard around Western Australia now...
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-30-2009, 12:03 AM:
 
I think it's only a matter of time before $20 becomes the norm for ticket prices in the biggest city markets like NYC and LA. $20 is a nice, round number. Real easy to build to that from levels like $12, $14, etc.
 

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Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 05-30-2009, 08:06 AM:
 
I paid $10 for a matinee at the SoHo Landmark when I was in New York five years ago. $12.50 in Vegas doesn't surprise me.
 

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Posted by Greg Anderson (Member # 235) on 05-30-2009, 02:36 PM:
 
And, yet, the price of a Hollywood-produced DVD continues to hover at the same levels after several years. Why does one form of exhibition have to rise at such a different rate? (...especially when the quality of exhibition hasn't significantly changed from the audience's perspective... or maybe it's even gotten worse. )
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-30-2009, 05:14 PM:
 

quote: Greg Anderson

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the price of a Hollywood-produced DVD continues to hover at the same levels after several years. Why does one form of exhibition have to rise at such a different rate?

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quote: Mike Blakesley

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That's because once the theatrical release has raked in dough to pay for the movie's production, the cost of producing DVDs is cheap compared to the cost of operating a huge building and all its related expenses.

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The highest minimum wage in the country is here, in Washington State. After taxes, you're looking at a minimum cost to the employer of around $10/hr for each staff member you've got running around your building. That means for each employee/hour, those first-run houses need to get roughly $20 in the door, in admissions or concessions.

After you add in all the other costs of the location, then the corporate overhead, $10-$15 tickets don't surprise me much.
 

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Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 05-30-2009, 08:54 PM:
 
The most expensive ticket in London is $30, tell that to anyone who complains! We charge about $13.50 and we are literally on the edge of Central London. People complain about our prices every now and again but we offer very good value for money, everywhere else locally is either over £10 and/or has smaller screens.
 

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Posted by Tom Inglis (Member # 5181) on 05-31-2009, 07:45 PM:
 
Hey Caleb, which cinema are you working at?

Our adult tickets are around £8... I honestly don't pay that much attention to tickets since i moved upstairs...

but yeah, as Caleb says, in the major central London cinemas, £15 isn't an unrealistic thing to be asked...
 

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Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 05-31-2009, 09:05 PM:
 
I think we work for the same company, do any of the other chains have a cinema in Croydon?
 

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Posted by John Joseph Fink (Member # 3619) on 06-10-2009, 04:10 PM:
 
The most expensive regular (ie: not 3D, IMAX, no reserved seating or in audimrium food service) in the US I think may be LA's The Bridge, which at $12.75 beats out NYC's prices at Clearview Cinema, Regal and many of the AMC sites, which are at $12.50 as a base price. Any theaters cross $13 yet as a base price that offer more than just a seat?

On a side note - its cheaper than some major film festivals - Tribeca two years ago was up to $18 a ticket, which thankfully was lowered to $15 - where as Toronto last year was charging $21 a ticket.
 

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Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 06-10-2009, 04:58 PM:
 
The Arclight Cinerama Dome complex in Hollywood has regular ticket pricing starting at $12.00 except for Friday and Saturday nights after 6pm and Sundays and Holiday periods when tickets are $14.50.
The Arclight Sherman Oaks complex regular tickets are $11.50 and at prime times tickets are $13.50.
 

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Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 06-11-2009, 01:47 PM:
 
Arclight in Hwd -- and if you buy the tix online you have to add another dollar, and they charge about $2 for parking -- so it's about $16 to go there on a weekend night.
 

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Posted by John Joseph Fink (Member # 3619) on 06-14-2009, 05:10 PM:
 
Isn't Archlight all reserved seating? I think the highest price for a non-reserved seating theater is The Bridge, whereas the highest ticket price in the country I'm aware of is Gold Class Cinemas ($32.00 + a $3 booking fee for online tickets).

Other chains have started offering a high end movie going experience from National Amusement's Lux Level to AMC's Cinema Suites.

Bonus Points: The cheapest are some Cinemark dollar houses that on a given "discount day" will charge 50 cents a ticket. Can anybody beat that?
 

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Posted by Ramin Hashemi (Member # 2694) on 07-08-2009, 04:21 PM:
 
Dido on the small town pricing. We charge $8 for evening, and out of towners comment on how low it is, and locals (especially seniors) complain on how high it is. Same with concessions.
 

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Posted by Damien Taylor (Member # 4255) on 07-08-2009, 08:19 PM:
 
We are about the cheapest cinema in the state at the moment at $14 a standard ticket. Being the last cinema in the downtown area we used to be a $4 second run venue but it just was not profitable. When the U.S.S George Washington was in town last week, many of the guys complained about the prices
 

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Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 07-09-2009, 02:59 AM:
 

quote:

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When the U.S.S George Washington was in town last week, many of the guys complained about the prices [Confused]

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quote: Damien Taylor

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$14 a standard ticket. Being the last cinema in the downtown area we used to be a $4 second run venue but it just was not profitable. When the U.S.S George Washington was in town last week, many of the guys complained about the prices

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