Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Why do a Sneak Peak?

This is topic Why do a Sneak Peak? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=001786

Posted by Nate Lehrke (Member # 1460) on 02-18-2003, 10:28 PM:

We had a sneak peak of God's & General's tonight.
I want to know why the Film Company spends all the money to rent the theatres & let people watch the film for free? What's in it for the Film Company? Do they do this for word of mouth only? I just don't see the point I guess; all the people that saw the Sneak would have paid to see it when it came out, why loose the revenue?

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 02-19-2003, 12:25 AM:

If you had the opportunity to see
the movie, how was it Nate?

-Claude

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 02-19-2003, 12:58 AM:

Funny. I have never heard of a sneek peek where the public was let in for free (not counting a radio station sneek where they pay). I have heard of a 2 for 1 but usually you pay for the new movie and see the old one for free.

Posted by Nate Lehrke (Member # 1460) on 02-19-2003, 01:25 AM:

Claude -
I was only able to check out about 20 minutes of the film; but what I did observe, it looked pretty amazing.

So generally, a company sponsors 'sneak peaks'? There was a Warner Brothers public relations director present & no advertisements were acknowledged buy the theatre that I know off. I will definitely have to make inquiries with management for the specific details.

Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 02-19-2003, 10:02 AM:

Sneak peeks here are charged the full evening rate.

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 02-19-2003, 11:31 AM:

Film companies will often user "sneak peeks" and screenings to build word of mouth about their picture.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 02-19-2003, 01:31 PM:

One theatre where I sometimes work does these screenings pretty regularly, usually on Wednesday evenings. The film distributor rents out the theatre and they usually bring in 100-200 people (through radio contests, I think) for the show. We usually run the films with only the attached trailer (if any)--no company policy, etc. Since these are rentals, I turn off the advertising slides. Film shipping is handled normally (usually through Technicolor or ETS), though we usually keep the prints if we know that the film will be opening on the following Friday.

Presumably this is done to generate word-of-mouth publicity for the films, and it is almost never done for truly "bad" titles.