my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » NEWBIE ALERT: I just bought a Theatre, advice needed... (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: NEWBIE ALERT: I just bought a Theatre, advice needed... Jonathan Peirce Film Handler Posts: 7 From: Newton, NJ USA Registered: Jul 2009 posted 03-12-2011 03:53 PM                        Hi All: I have just purchased an old twin theatre. We are in the process of converting it to a single. There are 2 extron lamphouses, but no lenses. There are 2 small screens, which we would like to replace with one large screen. I am looking for any advise, links, books, etc... Thanks in Advance for your help! JP  |  IP: Logged Jake Spell Master Film Handler Posts: 294 From: Johns Island SC Registered: May 2009 posted 03-12-2011 04:05 PM                     Be forewarned, running a profitable single screen is difficult. You MUST be unique or have the whole market covered. You also ca't afford to get bad movies. If the single screen I work at get a bad movie were screwed, no way to move it to the small house and get something else. The other recommendations are doing alternate content, theater rentals, parties, concerts,ect. They keep the money coming in the slow months.  |  IP: Logged Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 03-12-2011 04:16 PM                     I agree with Jake. A single screener can be profitable but you need to be different than the competition. Hire yourself a booker at least for the first year. Try foreign, classic, inspirational, independent and strong move-over films. A good booker can be very helpful here. Find a booth tech in the area and have him check out the equipment and tell you what you need. Good luck.  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Peirce Film Handler Posts: 7 From: Newton, NJ USA Registered: Jul 2009 posted 03-12-2011 05:32 PM                        Thanks for the replies... We are looking at doing concerts, rentals, etc., but I would like to utilize the projectors that are there.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-13-2011 05:35 AM                        Look to retrospective, foreign, independent titles -- those small gems that don't get play at the multiplex, festivals, packaged themed programs that you promote individually -- combine this type of specialized, carefully selected film content with other income like rentals -- parties, dance recitals if you have a stage area that can accomodate them, rehearsal and performance space for local theatre groups, music ensembles, dance troupes who need a home locally -- they will keep the place going between film events. Our theatre is big enough to accomodate large audiences so we rent to schools every June for wall-to-wall graduations. We've even rented the theatre for a weddings. Thing is, you cannot compete with the multiplex on their turf; as it has already been said, a single screen simply can't do what the multiplex does in terms of flexibility and playing first run on first run terms. If you can book the occassional blockbuster that has long legs and get a good deal on the break, you can do that occasionally, although always choose current tiltes that are in keeping with a distinctive character that you create for your theatre. For the most part, however, first run may just be impossible to be profitable since the terms will lock you into a run that you might not be able to sustain. Check what other non-muliplex operations are doing in other areas and see if you can struture your operation similarly. I think you will not find any that try to play first run only.  |  IP: Logged Bernie Anderson Jr Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: Woodbridge, New Jersey Registered: Apr 2000 posted 03-13-2011 08:04 AM                        Talk to Richard Wolf at The Rox Theatre in Northampton, PA. 40+ years in the same single screen theatre in PA. He can definitely give you pointers.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 03-13-2011 09:38 AM                        Robert is dead on here. Do not "take on" the big boys; you cannot win. What you can do is be an individual, develop a following, cater to several specialized markets. Best of all: do it well. Have the best picture, sound, hot dogs, hot cider, hot chocolate, etc. Most of all: the best of luck to you. Louis  |  IP: Logged Tom Petrov Five Guys Lover Posts: 1121 From: El Paso, TX Registered: Jan 2003 posted 03-13-2011 12:58 PM                    quote: Jonathan Peirce There are 2 small screens, which we would like to replace with one large screen. I am curious to know why you are doing this? What rationale or business plan is making you think one screen will do better than two? The theatre was a twin for a reason, (even worse: It was twinned from a single for a reason). Filling one screen and 500 seats of one movie is harder to do that filling two different movies on two different screens with half the seats in each. If worse comes to worse and it is really going to be busy, then you can book the same movie on both screens.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 03-13-2011 12:59 PM                     What theatre did you buy?  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 03-13-2011 02:00 PM                     You guys forgot to mention the most important part. Don't put much money into repairing your 35mm system. It will be obsolete in a couple of years.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 03-13-2011 02:38 PM                     I figured out the answer to my own question. The Newton Theatre in Newton NJ. I was very briefly an assistant manager & projectionist there around 10 years ago. I can understand why he wants to un-twin it. When it was twined back in the early 1980's, they made two very long "hallway" style auditoriums that are far to long for the size of the resulting screens. Not sure how it will do as a concert facility, but it has proven to be nonviable as a first run movie theatre in recent years. I would expect the projectors to be in good condition, as the last operator has a reputation for maintaining his theatres.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-13-2011 03:08 PM                        Tom, let me take a wild guess as to why he wants to un-twin it --because the twin job was abomination. As Mitchel said, long, narrow hallways with small screens at the end which acted as echo chambers with practically zero intelligibility. And I'll bet they didn't install new seats or even reposition the old ones so after the twin-ing, the seats were aimed at where the center of the old screen used to be which was the left and right hand corner respectively of the twined rooms. More than likely the booth ports were not recentered either so now the angle of the projectors to the right and the left gave rediculous keystoning on both screens. I've seem more that one of these nightmares during the 80s when owners realized they couldn't compete with their single screen with the growning new multiplexes. They ruined beautiful single screens only to fund out that even after twin-ing and in some cases quad-ing, they STILL couldn't compete with multiplexes, ESPECIALLY given the frankenstein horrors that they creaded with these conversions. Most of these failures closed. It's amazing that a few still stand and in the right hands can be restored and made workable again, but of course, not as a conventional first run commercial house.  |  IP: Logged Caleb Johnstone-Cowan Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 593 From: London, UK Registered: Mar 2006 posted 03-13-2011 03:08 PM                     This lot do very well, it's a model to follow for single-screeners in the right upmarket/suburban area: http://www.therexberkhamsted.com/ Probably helps having this in the old foyer and cafe (assuming they're the same owners): http://www.thegatsby.net  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Peirce Film Handler Posts: 7 From: Newton, NJ USA Registered: Jul 2009 posted 03-13-2011 08:39 PM                        Thanks again for all the advice. The main reason we are 'un-twinning' it is to be able to present concerts. That being said, there are 2 projectors there, and if I can figure out how to have a portable screen (removable for concerts) I would LOVE to show film there. Like a lot of us, I grew up going to the local single screen theatre The Uptown which converted to an art house in the 80's. At this point I am trying to figure out if the projectors work, what lenses to buy ( there are none) etc, etc. The photo of the theatre in 1947 is great, I would kill to find that old sign! JP  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-13-2011 08:51 PM                        Well as a one-screen owner I can tell you, we would kill to have two screens. If your main revenue stream is going to be from concerts, I can see your point but if you want to make money with movies, you really should try to figure out a way to keep it a two-screener. Maybe you could "re-twin" in such a way that you'll still have two auditoriums and could use one of them for concerts.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.