Film-Tech Cinema Systems
Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE


  
my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home
  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » Harry Potter turnout (Page 1)

 
This topic comprises 3 pages: 1  2  3 
 
Author Topic: Harry Potter turnout
Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001


 - posted 11-18-2001 01:19 PM      Profile for Charles Everett   Email Charles Everett   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks to all the BREATHLESS HYPE! and CORPORATE SYNERGY! from Big Media, Harry Potter breaks the all-time opening weekend: $93.5M estimated from Friday-Sunday.

The AMC Hamilton 24 in New Jersey has 5 prints (the 4 largest halls plus 1 medium-large hall). On my way in Harry Potter was 3PM sold out, 3:30 not sold out, 4PM sold out, 4:30 sold out. On my way out Harry Potter was 5PM not sold out, 6:30 sold out, 7PM not sold out.

Did any shows in your theater not sell out?

Ironically, on my way out I saw 2 shows of Monsters Inc. had sold out in the medium-large halls.


 |  IP: Logged

Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99


 - posted 11-18-2001 01:49 PM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
It's amazing what 8000 prints can do for numbers, isn't it?

I know of a LOT of theaters (nice ones too) that only sold out a few shows over the weekend. I think it would've been more profitable to run less prints over the long run. But of course then we wouldn't have this new "record", right?

Speaking of records, is anyone else here in agreement with me that records should be made on a "per screen" breakdown basis?

 |  IP: Logged

Andy Muirhead
Master Film Handler

Posts: 323
From: Galashiels, Scotland
Registered: Dec 2000


 - posted 11-18-2001 07:16 PM      Profile for Andy Muirhead   Email Andy Muirhead   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Yeah i think this kind of 'saturation' opening is going to get out of control. Studio's are eager to break opening weekend figures so they go wide on releases, it just means instead of spreading out the attendences, they are concentrating on as many screens on release as possible. In the UK a 'wide' release is about 350-400 prints. Harry Potter went out on over 1000. I've never been as busy before but i wonder how soon thats gonna tail off, pretty soon i guess. There's a price to pay for getting them all in quick, and that's big drops in next weeks figures. Remember that as the weeks go by, the studio/theatre split go's more in our favour, so it's not in our benefit to get them in so quickly! slowly, slowly, catch the monkey!

 |  IP: Logged

Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999


 - posted 11-18-2001 08:19 PM      Profile for Steve Guttag   Email Steve Guttag   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
As far as records go...it should be strictly ticket sales not $$$ amount. The big dollar amount is a factor of ticket prices in addition to sales. But with ticket inflation, current films always get an edge over older films.

Steve

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

 |  IP: Logged

Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000


 - posted 11-18-2001 08:34 PM      Profile for Dave Bird   Author's Homepage   Email Dave Bird   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I too hate the idea of records based on $$$. Should be attendance only, what's the point if you gross the new "record" $100mil in 2001 versus $20mil in 1950? (I also hate it when they say someone's just beaten Mickey Mantle's "post season" mark, when everyone knows the Mick could only play World Series games wheras now you have up to 19 games per year with all the playoffs.) Apples and Oranges.


 |  IP: Logged

Aaron Haney
Master Film Handler

Posts: 265
From: Cupertino, CA, USA
Registered: Jan 2001


 - posted 11-18-2001 09:25 PM      Profile for Aaron Haney   Email Aaron Haney   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Check out this inflation-adjusted list of box-office grosses:

http://www.the-movie-times.com/thrsdir/Top10everad.html

Notice the take for Gone with the Wind is still #1, coming in at over $1 billion in today's money. Beat that, Harry Potter!

 |  IP: Logged

Dwayne Caldwell
Master Film Handler

Posts: 323
From: Rockwall, TX, USA
Registered: Apr 2000


 - posted 11-19-2001 03:55 AM      Profile for Dwayne Caldwell   Email Dwayne Caldwell   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Yeah, well let's not forget that if you wanted to watch the classics like Gone With The Wind again and again, you couldn't pop the movie into a VCR or wait for it to come on T.V.

------------------
The man with the magic hands.

 |  IP: Logged

Pete Naples
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1565
From: Dunfermline, Scotland
Registered: Feb 2001


 - posted 11-19-2001 09:33 AM      Profile for Pete Naples   Email Pete Naples   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I think the 'special previews' that we've had to endure here for the last week have actually done the figures some damage. A theatre I was servicing on Friday morning has been running these special previews the previous weekend. They open for a 1pm performance on Friday with a total audience of about 12 people, in two screens!! Why?? Because everbody locally has already seen it the previous weekend, which was sold out each and every show.

 |  IP: Logged

Bill Enos
Film God

Posts: 2081
From: Richmond, Virginia, USA
Registered: Apr 2000


 - posted 11-20-2001 08:12 AM      Profile for Bill Enos   Email Bill Enos   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The market for this film is pretty limited---when the kids have seen it, it's finished. Friends who have taken their kids to see it have said for adults its a snoozer. The distributors know that and have tried to maximize the take.

 |  IP: Logged

Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)


Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001


 - posted 11-20-2001 09:32 AM      Profile for Bob Maar   Author's Homepage   Email Bob Maar   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
My vote will be cast as Steve's. Only the tickets sold. Money although it makes the gross impressive, it's the rear ends in the seats that count. Then the next criteria should be staying power (legs). How many people will see this movie twice. People I have talked to tell me they will go and see it again...this is a good sign.

 |  IP: Logged

Greg Pauley
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 173
From: Huntington, WV, USA
Registered: Jun 2000


 - posted 11-20-2001 11:35 AM      Profile for Greg Pauley   Author's Homepage   Email Greg Pauley   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
A large number of moviegoers stayed away this weekend either because of the crowds predicted by the media or because they thought every show was sold out. Seems like everytime you start selling advance tickets on a big picture the public thinks that all shows must be sold out. Sometimes I think we over hype some movies to the point were we scare people away opening weekend. I would have to disagree with the notion that the picture is going to drop, by the comments of the public leaving the theatre, I think the picture will have good legs. I look for this weekend to be big!


 |  IP: Logged

Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001


 - posted 11-20-2001 12:19 PM      Profile for Charles Everett   Email Charles Everett   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Forbes magazine hints that AOL Time Warner is swinging a corked bat and is waiting to get caught so the umpire can yell "yerrrrrr OUT!"


 |  IP: Logged

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 11-20-2001 02:04 PM      Profile for Mike Blakesley   Author's Homepage   Email Mike Blakesley   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
We were sold out Friday, but not Saturday or Sunday. Expect to do well this weekend too, but last night was no great shakes.

I think that the "records" should be based on attendance overall, not just the opening weekend. When you're just talking about one weekend, it's too easy to tweak the numbers by putting out thousands of extra prints.

Word of mouth on the film has been good here. I had a guy on the phone telling me he heard that we were sold out, before we had even actually sold a single ticket! We've also had a lot of repeaters already.

 |  IP: Logged

John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000


 - posted 11-20-2001 02:20 PM      Profile for John Pytlak   Author's Homepage   Email John Pytlak   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
For a popular picture, I'd much rather see multiple prints per site, rather than risk print damage by interlocking. Theatres also have the advantage of staggered starting times.

I sense the repeat business will be pretty good. Good pictures will have "legs".

Is this a feature that is attracting people who don't go to the movies very often, like "Titanic" did? Are more families attending, rather than just having the parents drop off the kids?

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

 |  IP: Logged

Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99


 - posted 11-20-2001 02:38 PM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
No, no John. We want one print per complex! That way the theaters with poor film handlers will REALLY shine and perhaps the customers will notice this and stop patronizing those places in favor of good theaters.


 |  IP: Logged



All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
This topic comprises 3 pages: 1  2  3 
 
   Close Topic    Move Topic    Delete Topic    next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:



Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM 6.3.1.2

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.

© 1999-2020 Film-Tech Cinema Systems, LLC. All rights reserved.