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Author Topic: Harry Potter print releases John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 10-30-2002 08:39 PM                     Does anyone have information as to when Warners will authorize the release of the Potter prints from the ETS depots? I'm going to be building four prints, along with possibly two other bookings. Wouldn't it be great if we got them on Wednesday instead of Thursday? I realize there are many of us in the same situation. Just wondered if I'm going to have to pull the equivalent of the old college "all-nighter"?  |  IP: Logged Alex Grasic Film Handler Posts: 90 From: Toronto, ON, Canada Registered: Jul 2002 posted 10-30-2002 10:49 PM                     I'm guessing that I'll be getting 7 or 8. Don't feel too bad, the all-nighter is inevitable in my case!  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 10-30-2002 11:49 PM                    7 or 8 prints? The way pictures are marketed these days is just nuts. Would it be so awful if everyone didn't get to see it the first weekend and the picture stayed in first run longer?  |  IP: Logged Steve Scott Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1300 From: Minneapolis, MN Registered: Sep 2000 posted 10-31-2002 01:09 AM                     Our ETS prints come on Wednesday anyways. We'll probably get 4, and we'll be forced to cut the trailer pack down to accomodate both nine reels and the attention spans of young audiences... Although you could argue that the Harry Potter books are improving that.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 10-31-2002 03:38 AM                     EIGHT??? I'm with Kraus on this one. This is just getting stupid. After 3 days everyone on the planet will have seen it. No wonder DLP is becoming such a "cost effective solution". It's this kind of assinine bookings in the first place!  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 10-31-2002 08:38 AM                     Maybe with the huge holiday glut they want to get this run over with. It will certainly help WB make the bulk of the money from the box office before the rental terms dip. Don't theatres realize this when they book so many prints of a single film? Yeah, in the short term they clean up on concessions, but in the long term they are forcing the exhibition business to never escape from the terms from distributors.  |  IP: Logged Jacob Huber Expert Film Handler Posts: 172 From: Evansville, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 10-31-2002 02:24 PM                     We are getting 5 (in and 18) and I think that's pushing it. We got 5 with the first one too, and I don't think we had too many sellouts after the first weekend, and that's with essentially zero competition (the only other chain in a town of 150K people is on the literal other side of town).  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-31-2002 02:51 PM                        I hear they are holding the 2nd week terms through the Thanksgiving week (which is the 3rd week).  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-31-2002 03:04 PM                        Hasn't anyone ever heard of interlocking? Four prints should be enough for even the gigaplexes, assuming that they want shows to start every 30 minutes. One would think that Warners would prefer to give more generous terms in return for not having to strike so many prints. Really, though, this obsession with opening-weekend grosses is just silly, and there is no reason to have more than one print of _anything_ (except maybe Star Wars or some other once-a-year film) at a single theatre. Better yet, let's have more single-screen theatres and smaller (6 or fewer screens) multiplexes.  |  IP: Logged John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 10-31-2002 08:39 PM                     Of course big releases are front-loaded when it comes down to terms. Would we like to get only one print and interlock it? Sure, and we would lose our shirt, too! We are in a highly competitive area. If we did that, we would be offering a show once every three hours and fifteen minutes, and make sardines out of our patrons. Meanwhile, our competitors in the next town over would be offering a show every half hour or so. Shorter waits between shows, easier crowd control because attendance is spaced out. As long as the studios offer multiples of prints in large markets, this situation will occur over and over. We are forced to take multiple prints. There's an old addage: "You don't fight the market." Sometimes it's tough being an independent when you have to run with the big dogs. Unfortunately, we don't have the luxury of being the only game in town.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 11-01-2002 12:52 AM                     What's interlocking?  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 11-01-2002 01:18 AM                        Some chains have a "policy" that they do not "interlock" (whatever that is it is not a standard industry practice or anything) because it angers the film studios whos films get the boot for the lock. However just because people say they dont do this "Interlock" thing doesnt mean that they dont do it all the time.  |  IP: Logged Steve Scott Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1300 From: Minneapolis, MN Registered: Sep 2000 posted 11-01-2002 02:33 AM                     Update: I was just told that we're getting 4 prints, but for some time constraints, we'll be interlocking between 2 houses.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-01-2002 06:09 AM                        Brad--it's really complicated. You wouldn't understand.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 11-01-2002 06:59 AM                     Well poo! That intralock sounded interesting.  |  IP: Logged

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