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This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
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Author
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Topic: Can A 13 Year Old Own A Theatre?
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Andrew McCrea
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 645
From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 01-21-2001 05:55 PM
Hey!
I'm working on the business plan right now and so far have not had any help. I probably won't need help, even thoguh I've done one for my dad before! I'M REAL SERIOUS ABOUT DOING THIS, and I've gotten some strange remarks, some confused remarks, some alright remarks and pretty much, no supporting remarks.
I don't know about Canada's laws either, but i'm really hoping that I can pull through with this. A lot of you are probably laughing, but I'm not.
"I know I can, I know I can!" Is what I'm going to keep saying. And.... I'll do it!Andrew McCrea P.S. I did a test show schedule for Swingfire Central, so you can see it here at this link! http://atrons.virtualave.net/SHOW%20SCHEDULE%20VALID%20FEBRUARY%209.doc It looks like Famous Players and Cineplex Odeon's ads.
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Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 01-21-2001 06:37 PM
Not to be discouraging (and I sent you some more info via private email on this), but in case you care, I looked at some numbers a couple of years ago for possibly assuming the lease of an already-existing single-screen theatre. I figured that it would require about $100,000 in cash to take over the existing (underperforming) theatre, make some minor physical upgrades, and then pay film guarantees for the first six months or so in order to cover expected losses until the business was able to re-gain enough of its former customers in order to break even and, eventually, become profitable. This may have been a bit over-cautious with the funding and over-generous with the upgrades, but it should give you some idea of what you might be jumping into.
Good luck with your efforts...your age could almost be an advantage in this case, and you could likely get a lot of free publicity if you tried to make a big deal of it.
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Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 01-22-2001 06:39 AM
Brad's right (as usual). The last thing you want to do is get stuck with a lease on a theatre that is in poor physical condition. If the building has been closed for ten years (as you state), then it has probably been neglected during that time and likely has structural issues as well as expensive-to-fix annoyances (leaky roof, HVAC system in need of repair for having not been run for a decade, rodent infestation, etc.). If there are _any_ issues like these, make _sure_ that the landlord agrees to fix them as part of the lease deal, so that you don't get stuck paying for improvements to someone else's property.
Also realize that you'll be paying a lot in film guarantees for a multi-screen theatre. You can't just call up a distributor and say "I want movie X." You'll have to convince them that you will make it worth their while to send a print to you rather than to any of the other theatres that want it. If you want to play first-run titles, you'll be competing with other theatres in the same market for those films. Second-run or art is easier to get product for, but it may not be appropriate for your market. If you're going to do first-run or anything else where there is a lot of competition for prints, you will definitely need a booker. If you're doing second-run or art, you can probably get by without one, but that requires a lot of knowledge about your market and a good booker should be able to get better deals (or, at least, lower guarantees) on films than you could probably do on your own.
Not knowing anything about the theatres you describe or the market in which they exist, I'd guess that the drive-in is probably the best bet if the screen and concession area are in good shape. There are fewer structural issues with a DI and you can probably do most of the repairs yourself. The insurance cost might be higher, though...I don't know. It's also easier to deal with a large single-screen establishment than a multiplex, and booking is easier, since you only need one double-feature per week. If you can put the land to use for other functions (flea markets, etc.), then you might well be able to start generating cash right away.
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