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Author Topic: Boxoffice Magazine rant Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-25-2008 06:12 AM                        Is anyone else annoyed by what Boxoffice magazine seems to be becoming? Especially since they started adding the NATO content, it seems as if every issue now contains some combination of the following: - "piracy is bad and must be stopped" article - "digital cinema is good" article, usually written by someone with a financial interest in promoting the technology - "screen advertising is good" article - "alternative content and/or 3D are the wave of the future and all cinemas must install the needed equipment now" article (despite the fact that the alternative content business model has yet to be proven) - "congratulations to some random person" article - "the MPAA ratings system is good" article - some token piece about a current film, illustrated with photos from the press kit - some tiny reviews with tentative release dates - a bunch of "congratulations to some random person" full-page ads Meanwhile, even compared with five years ago, the release schedule has become less complete, the reviews have gotten shorter, the "independent exhibitor" section is gone, and there is little to nothing about film promotions. The tech articles are all about and not about anything that would actually help the average exhibitor today. I don't think that I've seen one article critical of recently, nor have there been any opposing viewpoints printed about the MPAA ratings system. When was the last time that they even had an article about sound? Am I the only one who is tired of reading all this self-congratulatory crap, especially when it is printed to the exclusion of actual interesting material? edit: Before anyone makes the "if you don't like it, don't subscribe" point, I should add that my subscription expires in December and I don't plan to renew. My issue is more that I don't feel that I am getting what I expected when I last renewed.  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 03-25-2008 06:37 AM                        Thats too bad. The first theatre I ever worked for back when I was a teenager used to get "Box Office" magazine delivered to the theatre. I always enjoyed it at the time as I was hungry for ANYTHING to do with theatres as I was desperate to learn anything I could. I always enjoyed reading "Box Office" and it gave me something to do when I had to use the little ushers room at the theatre  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 03-25-2008 09:05 AM                        I do not subscribe to the magazine. However, I do want to mention their website. If the magazine has become anything like the website, I see where your coming from. I do not like their new website. It is uninformative and full of a bunch stuff I am not interested in. And just why can I not access their classified ads online anymore? I still visit the website to see if they've changed it yet. But it hasn't.  |  IP: Logged Adam Fraser Master Film Handler Posts: 499 From: Houghton Lake, MI, USA Registered: Dec 2001 posted 03-25-2008 10:15 AM                        I agree. I used to like the no nonsense format of the old Box Office. It also had unbiased articles. I wonder if they realize that their main subscriber base is likely 1-5 screen independent theatres, as a corporation is not likely sending out subscriptions to each of their locations. The magazine is almost completely irrelevant with the exception of the release chart.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-25-2008 10:19 AM                        I agree with most of the sentiments here. When I first got into the biz, Boxoffice was a page turning must-read. Now it's a flip-through like Entertainment Weekly. The reviews are the worst change...they used to actually analyze the films, now they read more like studio blurbs. However, I think this is mostly because they want (need?) to get the reviews out before the movies have descended to video la-la land. In the old Boxoffice days, a movie would be 6 or 8 weeks old when their review came out. These days that's too late. There is one very interesting article in the latest issue though...we've all heard about how DVD sales dwarf the theatrical business. But, the DVD figures include TV shows, exercise videos, reissues of old movies, adult films, straight-to-video movies and (according to the article) even blank DVDs. Research indicates that recent theatrical films only account for about one third of DVD sales and rentals. So doing the math, that means DVDs actually do a little less $$$ than theatrical on new release movies. I was hoping that this article would be available on the website, but...not happening.  |  IP: Logged Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 03-25-2008 10:22 AM                        I agree with Scott on the issue of Boxoffice magazine. We don't subscribe to it, but because we are members of N.A.T.O., we now get 3 copies a month. When N.A.T.O. did away with their own "In Focus" magazine, and rolled "Boxoffice" magazine into their own publication, alot of the format changed, and not particularly for the good. The new format of the release chart is almost completely useless. The old style chart was so much easier to follow, easier to read, and you could at a quick glance tell what was coming out when, by which studio, and what other studios had something else opening the same weekend. I now get my general release chart info elsewhere. I kind of lost my respect for Boxoffice when they did away with the annual August drive-in issue. Every year (in the past), the August issue was dedicated to Drive-In Theatres, and now they don't mention a word about us. I could care less about "Cineasia" or what's happening in the world of exhibition in Europe. That's just me though. It's about time for an "Independent Exhibitors" magazine.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 03-25-2008 10:31 AM                     Is the Independent Film Journal still published?  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 03-25-2008 11:24 AM                        New owners for Boxoffice; new visions. I pulled my ad because they are no longer relevant to my customers. Oh, yes, follow the money! The ads are about so the articles and editorial viewpoint will follow. Louis  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 03-25-2008 11:56 AM                     The problems described about Box Office magazine are common with many industry-specific trade publications. It all boils down to this: these kinds of publications do more to pander to their advertisers than inform their readership. This problem often results in some pretty destructive bias -especially if the publication is blatantly pushing a terrible product to its readers at the behest of an advertiser. I get several different trade publications relating to the sign and outdoor advertising (billboard) industries. Bias pops up on occasion in any of these publications and has become worse over the years due to all of them being sent to companies like mine for free. Advertisers want those magazines sent out for free so their ads get seen by more industry people. When the paid subscription model goes out the window, so does a lot of editorial responsibility. What's even more funny is just how out in the open this bias is revealed in various editorials or even in seminars and other meetings where editors of these magazines speak in public. A decade ago I wound up getting into a short argument with Darek Johnson, Editor and Chief of Sign of the Times during a seminar about large format digital graphics at an International Sign Association world convention in Las Vegas. Various people in attendance were asking questions about what to use on the "front end" for designing the ads. I brought up Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Darek Johnson didn't like that. He was pushing the notion of buying overpriced sign industry-specific software that didn't do remotely as good as job as Photoshop. He tersely asked me, "how long has Adobe been making sign industry software?" I laughed and said his question was completely irrelevant. Photoshop applies to many different graphics oriented industries. But here's the thing: to the best of my knowledge, Adobe has never bought any advertising at all in Signs of the Times while others selling much more expensive yet far less useful software have. To this day Johnson has a bias against Adobe and even claims lesser products like Corel Photo Paint are better in his "Technology Update" articles. I understand why he has to spout out spin and bias. Readers just have to filter what they read in publications of all types and do so at an ever increasing level.  |  IP: Logged James Westbrook Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1133 From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa Registered: Mar 2006 posted 03-25-2008 12:05 PM                     Bobby, I agree with you on Adobe Photoshop. I use Elements 4. I use it primarily to color my comics as it's more versatile than other art programs and definitely works best with my Bamboo drawing pad. Corel is the lesser of the 2, in my opinion. I can see the advantage in using Photoshop in sign design. On this topic, since I chimed in... I found whatever data I was getting from Boxoffice I was able to find for free on the web, especially here on this site. My subscription lapsed 3 years ago.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-25-2008 12:27 PM                        Thanks for the comments. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks that Boxoffice is becoming useless, if it hasn't already done so. I think that my dissatisfaction started around the time when the NATO material started to appear. I'm not a theatre owner and don't really care about what NATO has to say about anything. I would be much more interested in reading quality film reviews and articles, independent exhibitor success (and failure) stories, promotional ideas, and useful tech articles written by people who do not have have financial incentives to promote their own stuff. I'm also pretty tired of the "congratulations to" articles. Some of these people actually have made valuable contributions to the industry and to society in general, but I'd rather read about those contributions in a more meaningful context. Agreed with Barry that I miss the drive-in issue, which always had pictures and articles about various drive-ins. Even the yearly "buyer's guide" list of suppliers is smaller than it has been in the past. I have no problem with advocacy, but there needs to be more balance. I see lots of DLP articles, but nothing about 70mm and very little about Imax. I see lots of pro-MPAA-ratings-system articles, but nothing that opposes it. Same for screen advertising--I don't think that there has been one negative article about it in the last couple of years. I see lots of puff pieces about how "the future of the industry looks bright," but nothing about the reality that cinema needs to be a better competitor in an environment where other entertainment options continue to expand.  |  IP: Logged Don Furr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 509 From: Sun City, Ca USA Registered: Nov 2002 posted 03-25-2008 01:03 PM                     Scott it sounds like Box Office is going the same direction as "The Big Reel"!!.....down the tubes.  |  IP: Logged Jerry D. Cox Film Handler Posts: 35 From: Nashville, TN, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 03-25-2008 03:03 PM                     When I started working at my home town theatre down in Alabama back in 1952 there was 4 Differn boxoffice Mag. One for each part of the U.S. PLUS one National one,Back then you could see what was happen in your part of the country,And it was more personal as for now it is not worth looking at.  |  IP: Logged Scott Jentsch Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1061 From: New Berlin, WI, USA Registered: Apr 2003 posted 03-25-2008 03:21 PM                        quote: Barry Floyd The old style chart was so much easier to follow, easier to read, and you could at a quick glance tell what was coming out when, by which studio, and what other studios had something else opening the same weekend. I now get my general release chart info elsewhere. Do you happen to have an old issue that shows the "old" release schedule? I might be able to create something similar and make it available if anyone is interested.  |  IP: Logged Edwin Graf Diemer Film Handler Posts: 47 From: Red Bank, NJ, USA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-25-2008 07:49 PM                     Thank you-I thought I was the only one who thought the magazine was now useless! I won't be renewing either. I've subscribed for years, and all you have to do is look at back issues of "Boxoffice", "Motion Picture Herald", etc. to see how great it used to be...  |  IP: Logged

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