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Author
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Topic: Inventory
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Thomas Procyk
Phenomenal Film Handler
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Posts: 1842
From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 09-11-2002 11:48 AM
I used to also be in charge of promotional materials in addition to projection at a smaller theater. We tried a system of logging the items as they came in, classified as "Posters, Banners, Standees and Other" to keep track of exactly what we had. This lasted for about three weeks because it just didn't seem to work. Managers would regularly "dip" into the poster storage, or after being displayed, a poster or standee might get damaged or destroyed, so keeping an inventory of promotional items became quite a hassle.We just stuck to logging everything that came in so we can keep track of what we have "current." This way, if a poster for an upcoming movie came up missing that we were supposed to have, it would be noticed. Once the release date passed, we crossed the item off the list and it stayed in the storage room until someone wanted it or it was thrown out. That way, you can keep track of the materials that are still "active" and can be displayed while getting all the old "clutter" out of the way. We also kept a small log of everything we had on display. (i.e. Outside Poster Cases: "X-men, Austin Powers, Pokemon, etc." then Lobby: Banners: "Chicken Run, X-men" -- Posters: "etc. etc....") When the box of posters in the storage room started to get full, I would often make a call to the sub-run down the street and they were more than happy to take some of the stuff. =TMP=
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Barry Martin
Expert Film Handler
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Posts: 203
From: Newington, CT USA
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 09-11-2002 07:51 PM
At my theater, they have a "wish-list" which the staff can put their name in for the posters they want. After the poster's release date the manager takes it down and pulls any copies out of our storage room and hands them out to the staff on a first come-first serve basis. Of course, managers get first pick and take whatever they want (since they have the key to the "poster-room"). Banners and standees go in the room as well, but are less popular due to their size. If something is unwanted, it gets left in the room until a cleaning day comes along, and they throw everything old out.Trailers I always organized in the projection booth, we had two cabinets (flat and scope). We are a 20-plex though so we had a LOT of promotional materials all the time. We didn't keep track of what we had on hand, just ordered more trailers as needed (almost never necessary) and put used trailers/past due date trailers in those bins that Airborne Express always left us according to studio. When the bucket was full, shipped them back to the distributor with the prepaid labels they send. Now, a LOT of people do not send trailers back and consider it a waste of time, but I just figured it was better than throwing them away. Just my $0.02 ------------------ "The greatest thing you will ever learn, is just love and be loved in return." Barry C. Martin IATSE Local 182
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Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"
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Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 09-30-2002 09:50 AM
What abo ut that business of the posters being property of the studios? With the exception of Star Wars: Episode I there has never been a request to have promo material returned. However, to leave them out in the lobby for any-and-everybody to take seems an invitation for trouble. I bet your customers like that a lot, though. BUT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION: I used to have the job of organizing trailers, one sheets and standees at one point and I never kept a written log of what I had. Instead, I was always nursing a "wish list" and I'd cross off the items that I wanted as they arrived. Quite often, they'd go right into service so there really wasn't much point in keeping a log of what was sitting idle. I guess "we just knew" what was on-hand after a while. But, then, we were handling promo items for a mere six screens at the time. Even further back in time...When I was working at the AMC in Pasadena, we had bins (tall Rubbermaid trash bins) and we'd stand the posters up (rolled) in the appropriate bins which were marked CURRENT, SOON and DISTANT (or something like that). We would write the name of the movie, the studio and the release date on a "stickie" and tuck it under the rubber band on the "up" end for easy reference.
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Jason Black
Phenomenal Film Handler
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Posts: 1723
From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 09-30-2002 03:59 PM
Manny,20th Century Fox has added a 'for promotional use only.. blah blah blah property of Fox films....' on most of their materials. I've noticed it on a few items recently from Fox (namely banners). Yes, they are still in my 'poster room'. For the question originally posed, we write the film title on the tube and put it the "coming soon" cubby hole. When we are playing the films, it goes in a "now showing" cubby hole and when it's gone, I dole them out to employees (if they have requested specific items) or they simply go into the "GONE" cubby hole for disposal at a later date. I've had the urge to place them out for the public to pick up for a donation when we have our annual CMN drive, but that seems to be a murky area as far as legalities go, so I just dont' do it. Give them away grattis, yes... if anyone asks for anything inparticular.
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