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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: Rules are meant to be broken?
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Ron Funderburg
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 814
From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA
Registered: Nov 2007
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posted 12-28-2008 08:02 AM
Rules are meant to be broken?
I have heard this statement all my life and do understand that it seems to be a real thrill to some people to break rules. I was raised to believe that rules were not meant to be broken, that laws were laws and that rules were rules and that doing right was something you just do. You do the right thing not out fear of being caught or because you don't want to be punished but because doing the right thing is how you are suppose to live your life.
In the theater business there are reasons that film companies have become so hard to work with. Their reasons that film companies charge such high percentages for film we as operators like to say it is because the film companies are greedy or are out to break the theater. Those reasons may or may not be accurate but there are other reasons as well.
A certain Drive-in is currently operating only on weekends they openly report their grosses to Rentrak and EDI for the world to see; however, at Thanksgiving and again at Christmas they have been open during the week but not reported those grosses to Rentrak or EDI. They have also opened films those weeks ahead of the national opening day. These special open days were only for their “special” customers who subscribe to their newsletter. Actually it is just that the newsletter was the only means of advertising used for these films.
The other theater in town, an multi screen indoor, is aware of what the drive in is doing. They have not informed the film companies feeling it isn't their business to dobb them in. Film companies are aware of this type of actions and when one group does it they come down hard, pulling films or refusing to play films with operators for specific periods of times. They have been known to take the offending owners to court to try to recover unreported incomes.
Viewing this as a third party, not activity involved with either operator, I am slightly appalled by the drive in operator. What he is doing is clearly a violation of the rules and clearly not the right thing. It puts the other operator at a disadvantage if he turns them in he runs the risk as looking to both the film company and the other operator as suffering from sour grapes. If he doesn't and the other operator continues the practice the drive in gets the first customers and doesn't have to pay the percentages to the film company.
Of course, the drive in operator runs a risk of seriously jeopardizing his relationship with the film companies, could lose first run status or even the ability to book film. He would have to be caught for any of that to take effect. Working to his favor this drive in is a Podunk little drive in a tucked away part of the country so not really on the radar for the film companies.
Now I realize that a lot of operators under report the grosses and I know that being honest is matter of personal morals; however, it is so blatant that it is almost begging to be caught. Would the film companies even care about this? I am guessing it depends on how the booker feels about the operator.
See this little drama transpire I can see the reasoning behind a film companies attitudes sometimes.
What do you guys think no big deal or is it a big deal?
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Mike Blakesley
Film God
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Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 12-28-2008 02:30 PM
Under-reporting grosses is bad, but opening a movie early for "special" customers (and then probably not reporting those grosses, either) is really outrageous.
Ron, if you know of an operator doing this you should definitely turn him in. Sign up for their "newsletter" and the next time it happens, instead of just posting here, actually do something about it. Make a copy of their "ad" and send it to the film company involved.
quote: Ron Funderburg Working to his favor this drive in is a Podunk little drive in a tucked away part of the country so not really on the radar for the film companies.
The film company would still like to know. Even a little money, they care about. There was a theatre near here (now closed) who "stacked" another movie on top of one of the late '90s Star Wars reissue films, got caught, and was taken off service by Fox for one year. This in a town of under 3000 people.
I think of the saying "rules are meant to be broken" as more of a joke, or when something unusual happens that 'just shouldn't happen,' than a real life fact. [ 12-28-2008, 08:02 PM: Message edited by: Mike Blakesley ]
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