Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Old Posters?

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Posted by Cameron Andrews (Member # 5246) on 04-05-2010, 10:28 PM:

What does everyone do with old posters? I've been told we are supposed to throw them away, but I don't know. Since taking over, I haven't had the heart to throw them away and I'm getting quite the stock pile. Any suggestions?

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 04-05-2010, 11:27 PM:

If you have any for Ponyo from last summer, you can send them towards me. Seriously. [Smile]

I've seen some places offer up unwanted extras to customers, or to staff members. Throwing them away does seem like such a waste.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 04-06-2010, 01:07 AM:

True, major "eBone" fodder!

And to echo what Paul above mentions: some theatre operators will put all the old posters in a large box, put a label on it with "FREE" and put it in the lobby for the patrons to have fun with it ... or even let staff have first dibs before putting them out.

-Monte

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 04-06-2010, 01:35 AM:

I have given them to non-profit organizations to sell or auction to raise funds. Technically the distributors still own them but I have never received any instructions regarding what to do with them.

Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 04-06-2010, 09:16 AM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer
some theatre operators will put all the old posters in a large box, put a label on it with "FREE" and put it in the lobby for the patrons to have fun with it ... or even let staff have first dibs before putting them out.

I do that about twice a year. The huge "BUS SHELTER" sized posters get offered to my kids first, the employees second. Regular sized "ONE SHEETS" get rummaged through by the employees first, then get rolled individually and placed vertically in a box in the corner of the lobby. What happens to them after that is not up to me. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-06-2010, 09:28 AM:

We constantly get asked for posters. I always tell people that they can come in on the last night the film runs and ask for them. Hardly anyone ever remembers to show up.

I save quite a few posters....why, I have no idea.

Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 04-06-2010, 09:37 AM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer was the last to post
old posters

Usually they die or get banned from Film-Tech:p

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 04-06-2010, 10:02 AM:

quote:
True, major "eBone" fodder!

Tried selling a few posters on eBay a few years ago to raise money for a slush fund (for employee parties etc) and several my auctions were promptly shut down by Sony, Disney, and WB.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 04-06-2010, 12:05 PM:

..and prob those studios do the same with the trailers we see that pops up on eBay as well ...

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 04-06-2010, 03:30 PM:

Is eBone easier to type than eBay? Or does it carry with it some element of humor that is escaping me?

Posted by Jack Theakston (Member # 4484) on 04-07-2010, 10:41 AM:

Depending on who you work for, you might consider working your left-over posters into a raffle contest and announce the winners on whatever one of your down times are. You'll be drawing people in and possibly get an extra ticket sale out of it.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 04-07-2010, 10:50 AM:

quote: Richard Hamilton
Usually they die or get banned from Film-Tech:p

HEY!

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 04-07-2010, 01:10 PM:

quote: Cameron Andrews
What does everyone do with old posters?

I don't know what everyone does, but the posters that haven't been snatched up by employees (or customers if you allow that) can serve as unique gift-wrapping paper.

Posted by Jarret Chessell (Member # 5077) on 04-07-2010, 11:04 PM:

They make good drop clothes for painting or taking apart oily messy stuff. I do like the wrapping paper idea. You could probably also use them as crazy carpets.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 04-08-2010, 07:11 AM:

I have some "Ghost Dad" posters if anyone wants them.

[uhoh]

Posted by Cameron Andrews (Member # 5246) on 04-09-2010, 07:56 AM:

This is starting to look like the "what can you do with film-guard" Thread.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 04-10-2010, 08:10 PM:

Of course we save all of our old one-sheets. Large flat map drawers. Because if we ever want to show the film again in the future...

--jhawk

Posted by Michael Riley (Member # 5693) on 04-10-2010, 11:41 PM:

Posters are funny in that sometimes the film companies are incredibly stingy and only give you one or two and refuse to provide you with any more (The Twilight films come to mind) while other times you will get sent more posters for a certain film than you would ever use in a million years, Clash of the Titans and The Wolfman are recent examples of this.

As far as I ever knew, it was in the contract with the film studios that one sheets, standees and other promo crap is technically still their property, and it's based on the honor system that you will destroy them after use. I was always told that if you were ever to be caught giving stuff to customers, or worse, trying to sell it, that the studios would raise hell and might start denying you film product. Not that I've ever actually heard of this happening, but still.

A quick search on eBay however shows that people are already selling the final one sheet for Iron Man 2 which was just sent out this week, so obviously someone somewhere is getting this stuff and selling it, but not for nearly enough to make it worth losing your job or your livelyhood over.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 04-10-2010, 11:49 PM:

If you can find contractual language mandating destruction of marketing materials, I would like to see it. I'm not aware of any.

Incidently, Mike Blakesly, reviewing MLAs, I see this text: "Exhibitor shall not alter of modify Distributor's advertising materials for any Title unless authorized by Distributor or its authorized advertising agency in writing, and shall use advertising as authorized during Exhibitor's approved advertising window only."
I guess this might have implications for the whole 3D thing... [I know, a different thread].

--jhawk

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 04-11-2010, 06:14 AM:

Do studios really care about that (trading and selling posters)? I mean come on, it's still working to advertise and generate buzz about their movie - and they don't really have to do a thing except print the posters and let it happen.

So I have an Iron Man 2 poster hanging in my house or my office or whatever... so what? I end up feeling cool for having it and it makes people in my office or my house start talking about the movie.

Unless the studios are actively LOSING a crap ton of money by printing the posters I just don't see why they would have a problem with it.

Posted by Alan Plester (Member # 852) on 04-11-2010, 07:57 AM:

I did a whole double bedroom with them,trouble was, I couldn`t bear
to throw them out, even when they began to fade with time, fabulous talking point tho, when entertaining, if you know what I mean..

Posted by Manny Montes (Member # 5639) on 04-11-2010, 10:12 AM:

I've got a lot in my bedroom, makes it look interesting, plus free decoration that disguises the crappy wall that needs to be painted [Smile]

Posted by Richard C. Wolfe (Member # 431) on 04-11-2010, 03:09 PM:

quote:
John Hawkinson
If you can find contractual language mandating destruction of marketing materials, I would like to see it. I'm not aware of any.

As I look at my master contract from Sony I see the following:
"Exhibitor is not authorized to sell, offer for sale, or give away any advertising material, including, but not limited to, standees, posters and trailers.

Exhibitor shall not sell or permit any sale or distribution of materials or merchandise pertaining to or in connection with the Film, or the Actors, companies or products associated with the Film, unless approved in writing by SPR. Exhibitor shall indemnify and hold SPR harmless from any claim against SPR that results from Exhibitors breach of this provision".

While this doesn't say anything about having to destroy the material, it doesn't say what we are supposed to do with it as well. Since we can't sell it or give it away, I assume we must throw it away (destroy), or keep it forever, which is what I do.

I have about 5,000 posters, going back to 1970, in tubes and boxes in the basement of the theatre.

Posted by James. R. Deeter (Member # 837) on 04-12-2010, 03:00 PM:

....and the exact address of your theatre is ???

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 04-12-2010, 05:01 PM:

Richard: The distributors are just to busy to (or just don't give a damn about) enforce that paragraph. In all my years in the business (starting back in the carbon arc days) I've never heard from any distributor as to what to do with old surplus advertising material.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 04-12-2010, 05:22 PM:

quote: James. R. Deeter
....and the exact address of your theatre is ???

Lol!

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 04-12-2010, 05:44 PM:

quote: Robert E. Allen
In all my years in the business (starting back in the carbon arc days) I've never heard from any distributor as to what to do with old surplus advertising material.

Robert you must of forgot about NSS (National Screen Service) there where contracted by the studios to handle advertising materials. They handled the enforcement, not the studios during that time. The theatres licensed the material by paying a fee. They started handling poster from about 1940. NSS was formed in 1920 and handled trailers. They ran till sometime in the late 1980's..

At the bottom of their materials.
Property of National Screen Service Corporation. Licensed for use only in connection with the exhibition of this picture at the theatre licensing this material. Licensee agrees not to trade, sell or give it away, or permit others to use it nor shall licensee be entitled to any credit upon return of this material. This material either must be returned or destroyed immediately after use.

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 04-14-2010, 03:21 PM:

quote: Robert E. Allen
I've never heard from any distributor as to what to do with old surplus advertising material.

I remember being required to send back Episode I materials back in 1999. I don't know how strictly that was enforced by Fox, but I believe it was the only time we had to do it for that company/location that I was working at at the time.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-14-2010, 04:11 PM:

In the NSS days we had to send back trailers or get billed for them. The bands were individually numbered and they would charge you if you sent back the trailer without the band.

These days, as pointed out above, nobody cares enough to enforce the no-sale/no giveaway rule -- they just do that language to protect themselves from lawsuits by the poster-selling shop owners, who get mad when their customers say "I got one free from the ????? Theatre."

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 04-14-2010, 09:12 PM:

NSS was still in business well in to the 1990s. The first time I was at the Beverly Center, as an assistant manager (1991-1993), I would often drive down to NSS (turn right on La Cienega and drive two and a half miles, to their offices just before the 10 freeway) to pick up trailers and posters. Last time I was there was to pick up 70mm trailers for one of our very few 70mm presentations.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 04-15-2010, 03:23 AM:

By George, you're right Bill, I had forgotten. They supplied the stuff for the theatres I owned in the 60s. When I was managing in this decade I got stuff from outfits I never heard of and was never told what to do with the dead stuff.