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Author Topic: Rushed summer release schedule screws the single screen theater (RANT) Steven J Hart Master Film Handler Posts: 282 From: WALES, ND, USA Registered: Mar 2004 posted 06-06-2007 11:30 AM                        Hollywood's mad dash to get their product out early this year has really hurt my single screen theater's bottom line this year. First to release was Sony with Spider-Man 3. They only offered a three week deal which would make me miss Shrek the Third so I decided to pass on Spidey. Shrek did very well for us, but because I was Playing Shrek for two weeks, I missed the break on Pirates 3. Disney, in a display of their wisdom, decided that all unused prints of Pirates 3 will remain on the floor until the July 4 weekend! My booker tells me that by next week they will have over 1000 prints sitting idle! If they think I'm going to play Pirates when it Six weeks old:fu: they're crazy - I'll take Transformers instead. So here is the rundown. We missed the opening break on Spider-Man 3. I played it June 1st and had a lousy $900 weekend. When we played Spider-Man 2 on the break we grossed over $3000! Now we are going to miss out on Pirates as well. Why can't the major releases be spaced out a bit so the theaters aren't swamped for a couple weeks, then idle for a couple weeks. It drives me nuts!!!  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-06-2007 11:50 AM                        We were in the same spot. We decided to go with Spidey and Pirates, and hold off on Shrek. For us at least, PG-13 movies that are "ultra-hyped" tend to burn-out a lot faster than PG animated movies. So we're playing Shrek this coming weekend. Dreamworks had said that Shrek would be withheld until the July 4 weekend but changed their tune when the grosses started falling in week 2. I wouldn't be surprised if Disney does the same with Pirates in a week or two. We had the same problem with Star Wars III vs. Madagascar...we went with the PG-13 Star Wars and played Madagascar right after it, and kicked butt with both movies. I'm confident that if we'd done the reverse, we'd have still kicked butt with Madagascar but our gross on Star Wars would have been cut by at least 3/4 or more. You do have to remember that the studios are not exactly worried about the single-screeners when they make their programming decisions. Here's a semi-related tip that I've found helpful sometimes: When playing a movie for 2 or 3 weeks, put the play-dates on the marquee, such as "NIGHTLY MAY 4 - 23." This helps to spread the crowds out over the whole play time rather than cram everyone in on opening weekend, and you'll get a better crowd in the last week when the film rent might be cheaper. [ 06-06-2007, 02:30 PM: Message edited by: Mike Blakesley ]  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 06-06-2007 02:55 PM                     quote: Mike Blakesley We had the same problem with Star Wars III vs. Madagascar...we went with the PG-13 Star Wars and played Madagascar right after it, and kicked butt with both movies. I'm confident that if we'd done the reverse, we'd have still kicked butt with Madagascar but our gross on Star Wars would have been cut by at least 3/4 or more. Either way Mike, since one of them didn't open on the break, you definitely banked due to the lower aggregated or flat percentages you had to pay. Yes, I know quite a few "indies" with single screens that wished that their theatre had more screens to be able to open the majority of the movies on the break. Yet, it also looks like bypassing some of the openers and opening these later that to the proprietor is actually an advantage to them due to lower percentage rates. Crazy world out there in this industry at times...a dog-eat-dog situation,., -Monte  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-06-2007 04:33 PM                        Right, but our percentage of what Star Wars would have grossed a few weeks off the break would have been a lot less. That's one advantage of a single or twin screen, you don't have to play many real bombs.  |  IP: Logged Steven J Hart Master Film Handler Posts: 282 From: WALES, ND, USA Registered: Mar 2004 posted 06-06-2007 07:18 PM                        A twin would certainly help with the summer release schedule. My buddy 60 miles away has a twin in a slightly larger town and has done well with Shrek - Pirates - Spider-Man. I suppose I could convert the balcony into a second screen.......  |  IP: Logged Geoff Jones Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 579 From: Broomfield, CO, USA Registered: Feb 2006 posted 06-06-2007 07:25 PM                        Please don't.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-06-2007 08:16 PM                        No, please don't, unless you absolutely have to to survive. We have a balcony here too, and not only would it ruin the "look and feel" of the place to twin it, but people would probably massacre me because they love it. Also the sound would undoubtedly leak into and out of the balcony house, resulting in TWO unacceptable houses instead of one nice one. No deal.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 06-07-2007 04:33 AM                     plus, if you think on doing that cinema to a 'piggyback' twin, you'd be finding ways to do mandantory construction overhauls for that cinema to meet occupancy code .. big one is for hdcp usage for starters.. Yea, give it up right there and do your best as a single screen til the fundage comes around to build new..  |  IP: Logged Caleb Johnstone-Cowan Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 593 From: London, UK Registered: Mar 2006 posted 06-07-2007 07:35 AM                     If your local market doesn't have a drive-in you could invest in outdoor equipment and run shows in the nearest park or field. There's a cinema in the (English) Lake District that does this.  |  IP: Logged Steven J Hart Master Film Handler Posts: 282 From: WALES, ND, USA Registered: Mar 2004 posted 06-07-2007 09:39 PM                        Hey guys! my tongue was stuck firmly in my cheek when I made the crack about twinning. It would absolutely destroy a pretty nice old theater! I did consider buying the building next door at one time, but it turned out to be architecturally difficult to turn it into a second screen. Steve  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 06-07-2007 09:44 PM                        The balcony split idea can be a good option IF you are sensitive not to hurt the look/feel of the existing theatre. Have done 8 or 9 over the years. Downstairs, there is essentially no change; upstairs the normal comment is "Why did you keep this cute cinema closed all these years?" Sound wise, care must be taken but it is not impossible. I think you guys have just seen too much sloppy work from the '70s. Louis  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 06-07-2007 09:54 PM                    Why couldn't you book a Spiderman 3 and Shrek and play one in the afternoon and one in the evening? or alternate them? Then possibly drop Spiderman when it dies in week 2. I don't book movies, so I don't know if that is feesable or not, but looking at the way all of the movies have gone from sell outs to nothing in 1 week, it would have been a nice set up. We had 3 prints of spiderman 3, didn't need them, and after the first weekend, we didn't even need 2 prints.Pirates does pretty well, but definately not worth keeping 3 prints. I know multiple prints are kept basically for customer convienience rather than sell out potential, but it seems kind of silly to need to be able to start the same movie every 30 minute. If someone REALLY wanted to goto it, a 30 minute wait wouldn't change their mind.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-07-2007 10:44 PM                        quote: Frank Dubrois Why couldn't you book a Spiderman 3 and Shrek and play one in the afternoon and one in the evening? or alternate them? Then possibly drop Spiderman when it dies in week 2. Frank: That wouldn't work because of the studios' rules regarding bookings. 1. You have to play almost any new release for at least two weeks. (in the case of Spidey 3, three weeks.) They'll make exceptions for weekends-only operations but you still have to keep the same title for the required number of weeks. (If the movie is a guaranteed flop, they might take one-week bookings, but that's rare.) 2. You can't share a screen between two movies. You can sometimes do a G-rated show in the afternoon and an adult movie in the evening, but only if the matinee is a flop and the evening show has no kid appeal. With a blockbuster like Shrek, forget it...they want all the shows of each day. Rule 2 doesn't seem to apply to drive-ins.  |  IP: Logged Marc Hansen Film Handler Posts: 93 From: Seattle, WA, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 06-08-2007 12:41 PM                     Louis- If you do the balcony over to a second screen, where do you reposition the booth for the original screen?  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-08-2007 01:23 PM                        I saw a balcony conversion in California (Susanville) where the new booth for the original screen went right behind the concession stand,therefore it was under the balcony. Luckily their balcony floor is high enough that it was possible to get the projector beam high enough over the audience.  |  IP: Logged

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