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

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » Running a movie with no audience?! (Page 1)

This topic comprises 4 pages: 1  2  3  4

Author Topic: Running a movie with no audience?! Thomas Pitt Master Film Handler Posts: 266 From: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK Registered: May 2007 posted 08-20-2007 05:15 PM                     Today I saw Rush Hour 3, and to my great surprise I was the only person who had come along for the 9:50am showing! I've always wanted to see what a private 1-person screening would be like, but it seemed kinda lonely in there - no audience to enjoy the movie with. I asked one of the floor staff if they would bother running the film at all if no tickets had been sold for it. They said the film would run anyway, regardless of whether any tickets had been sold. To me, this seems a waste of projector wear and bulb life, playing to an empty auditorium! I suppose they would be hoping someone comes in late, during the ads and trailers (or beginning of the movie). What do you think? Incidentally, I asked this question at the Bradford IMAX a while ago - in this case, they would not run the show at all if nobody had got a ticket.  |  IP: Logged Wyatt Copeland Film Handler Posts: 74 From: Gettysburg, PA, USA Registered: Aug 2007 posted 08-20-2007 05:36 PM                     Heck no I wouldn't run it if no one came in. But before I started working here, they used too. I mentioned it a few times and no one took it seriously- all the box kids thought it would be an annoying neusance to have to call up movies. Buut the GM swung by, mentioned it, and after a lot of mess ups, they got it down at least somewhat. I think the reason some theatres don't mess with it is because in case there is miscommunication, or if someone shows up late, they don't want the movie to start late and then have showtimes overlap. Ohh well, I think its better than killing bulb hours.  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-20-2007 05:57 PM                    We usually run them all on the weekends because people usually show up. During the week, we give a 5 minute grace period for people to show up late. If they show up after 5 minutes, we don't show it. 9:50am movie? Who the hell goes to movies at 9:50am??  |  IP: Logged Josh Rosen Film Handler Posts: 49 From: Toronto, Ontario, Canda Registered: May 2007 posted 08-20-2007 06:05 PM                    we always have to run the show in case people show up late (often happens) so that we don't start late and cause the interval between show times to become to small. However, if a theater looks empty to me, I call the box office and ask for the sales number. If no one bought a ticket, I will switch the sound of and turn off the bulb so even though I have to run the film, I am at least not wasting bulb hours.  |  IP: Logged Jarryd Beard Expert Film Handler Posts: 229 From: Hellertown, PA Registered: Jul 2004 posted 08-20-2007 06:14 PM                     I always start movies on time, regardless of ticket sales. Sure you could wait five minutes and turn people away after that. I think that's a good way to loose customers. Kill the lamphouse power and let the film run through. It's not like a projector designed for years of service and thousands of shows will experience excessive wear. The fact that we have digital projectors on all screens with only one 35mm tandem house makes this even an easier situation to handle... a few simple key strokes will shutdown and reload for the next show. The only time I might reconsider is if the show was the last to end considerably later than the other movies. At 9:50am, that certainly isn't the case.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-20-2007 06:36 PM                        We'll usually start all shows on time, and if no one is in the theatre by the end of the trailers, we'll stop the film. That way it's easy to break the splice at the end of the trailers and drop the trailers back into the film for the next show. Even then, if somebody shows up late we'll still run the show for them. If they're somebody we know is from town, we'll ask if they mind coming back another time (and give them a pass); if they're from out of town, we just start the movie and run it for them without asking. Lots of people think it's really cool to get a private showing. One theatre near here requires 4 or more people in the building to run a show. I think that's crap...if people come out of their house to see a show, then by gum we're going to give them a show.  |  IP: Logged Sam Graham AKA: "The Evil Sam Graham". Wackiness ensues. Posts: 1431 From: Waukee, IA Registered: Dec 2004 posted 08-20-2007 06:45 PM                        It is common practice to run the film, sans bulb, to empty houses, in large multiplexes. I've been told two different things...One, they're "contractually obligated to run the show." So they do, but if nobody's there, they just leave the lamp off. Two...if somebody DOES show up a few minutes in, they can easily and fairly quickly accommodate them. I've been in a couple of situations where I bought a ticket at the last minute and entered an empty auditorium to full sound and no picture for whatever time it took for the projectionist to fire up the lamphouse.  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 08-20-2007 08:02 PM                    quote: Mike Blakesley it's easy to break the splice at the end of the trailers and drop the trailers back into the film for the next show. Assuming you're using a platter, I don't suggest that. Way too much of an opportunity to mess up the film by improper handling. Trying to stuff it all back in again and risk it not fitting properly, bubbling out, etc... it's just asking for trouble, especially with inexperienced film handlers, or finicky platters. To each his own, I guess, but like others here have already said, we just let the motor run the film through, turn off the bulb, switch the background music back on, bring the lights up, and open the doors back up to get the auditorium ready for the next show.  |  IP: Logged Wyatt Copeland Film Handler Posts: 74 From: Gettysburg, PA, USA Registered: Aug 2007 posted 08-20-2007 10:39 PM                     Well what usually happens here is if noone shows up within fifteen minutes we wont show it at all. But in this area..if no one shows up within fifteen minutes, no one is showing up! I suppose a lot depends on the area and market. During the week, even on a summer, attendance is very low and we can get away with not even having to turn some projectors on for a day. In the words of our Region M, "I aint afraid to cut costs!" (ghost busters theme music playing)  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 08-20-2007 11:13 PM                     We regularly get people showing up late, so we'll start them regardless. Exception being the final show of the night, esp one that's going away as a thursday break down. And even then my managers always tell us to wait 30 minutes at that point.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-20-2007 11:19 PM                        quote: Mark J. Marshall it's just asking for trouble, especially with inexperienced film handlers, or finicky platters. Well since my platter is not finicky and I've got plenty of experience, I'd much rather stop the movie afer the trailers, do five minutes of film-work and go home than have to sit there for an hour (assuming I take the film out of the projector head) waiting for it to wind onto the platter. There's no "bubbling" or trying to squeeze the trailers back in, because it's a simple matter to let the pack of trailers sit up on the feature film pack on one side. And since we use the Film Tech Platter Ring, there's no chance of a brain wrap or a thrown print when doing this. As with all "tips," your mileage may vary.  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 08-20-2007 11:31 PM                    I forgot you're a single screen, Mike. I understand why you would choose to use that method in your situation.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-21-2007 12:23 AM                     quote: Mike Blakesley That way it's easy to break the splice at the end of the trailers and drop the trailers back into the film for the next show. Not to throw this towards an off topic discussion here,but want to make a comment on this: I've done this procedure with 20min on a ring many-a-times and not breaking any splices. As I easily pull the film out the platter and projector and wind the film on the ring as I go along, with a paper clip holding the rest of the wind on the platter so it doesn't go unravelling everywhere, I, then just drop the partial wind on the ring back in the middle of the main wind - knowing that I can't completely put that partial wind back in the center, I just make sure that the partial wind has a good lean in the middle for the next payout. But, it's a trick to ensure that when I'm doing this, that I don't lose the ring out of that partial wind, for if I do, then I've got somewhat of a slight mess on my hands. But, I can still manage to recover this and still place this back in the main wind on the platter.. Christie rings are more tolerable for this procedure than the springy STRONG rings, but one can master the STRONG rings if they get some practice on this. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Ron Curran Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 504 From: Springwood NSW Australia Registered: Feb 2006 posted 08-21-2007 12:33 AM                        Mike is right (it's becoming a habit). Otherwise you'd never change trailers before a feature on a platter. It's a pain but necessary. We are fortunate that we rarely have no-shows. Multiplex-trained customers arrive 20 minutes into a session to avoid the ads we don't show. I used to be concerned that many people miss the first 15 minutes of a feature; now I just smile and say "You'll know next time."  |  IP: Logged Wyatt Copeland Film Handler Posts: 74 From: Gettysburg, PA, USA Registered: Aug 2007 posted 08-21-2007 12:57 AM                     Hmm I can recall a very few times where a customer has come late to a movie (usually only like 10 minutes though), gone in, saw that the actual movie was playing, and then come out to coplain that our trailers weren't long enough. I have a short temper..not with talking to customers, but inside it makes me wish I had started the movie ten minutes earlier. Some people just think they know everything that goes on up there. Because we all know how easy it is to push the rewind button to start the movie over for the one customer who came in late  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 4 pages: 1  2  3  4

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.