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Author Topic: Article about why theatre attendance is down:
Evans A Criswell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1579
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Mar 2000


 - posted 04-17-2003 01:39 PM      Profile for Evans A Criswell   Author's Homepage   Email Evans A Criswell   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Today's Huntsville Times had an article about why movie theatre attendance is down. I'm sure many other newspapers carried it, since it was written by Barry Koltnow of the Orange COunty Register.

He traces the problem to three factors:

1. The movies stink. All of the better movies tend to be released during two different "hot" time periods during the year, so the rest of the year, movies aren't that great. I admit that I haven't seen as many movies this year as I normally have.

2. The prices stink. The author mentions the ArcLight theatre complex in Hollywood that charges $14 at night and $11 at matinees. I often feel that the $7 to $7.50 range is a little high. Fortunately, I can get student discounts at the Huntsville theatres, but not the Decatur ones. As we've discussed before, this is studios' fault for demanding too high a percentage of the ticket sales.

3. The commercials stink. The author mentions 15 minutes of pre-movie material. I've seen 20 minutes worth before! I don't mind previews of coming movies (since that's hwo I typically choose what I'm going to see in the future), but commercials should not be played in theatres. Every trailer that doesn't run due to the time being needed for a commercial is one less opportunity to persuade me to return in the future to see a later release!

I'm surprised that the author did not mention the improvements and increased affordability of home theatre equipment (DVD and large 16:9 TVs with good line doublers and/or upscalers).

Personally, I enjoy going to theatres, and will always do so unless the quality of projection degrades to the point of being ridiculous. There is only one theatre that consistently does a poor job in my area. The other four do an acceptable job. If I didn't see movies in the theatre, I probably would buy almost any DVDs, since I tend to buy what I liked in the theatre. I see the biggest problem with theatres being the quality of the movies, rather than the price or the showing of commercials. If the prices went up and more commercials were shown before the movies, I'd probably still go, provided there were movies I wanted to see during their theatrical run.

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Dennis Benjamin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1445
From: Denton, MD
Registered: Feb 2002


 - posted 04-17-2003 02:01 PM      Profile for Dennis Benjamin   Author's Homepage   Email Dennis Benjamin   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I agree with this article.........

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Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 04-17-2003 02:10 PM      Profile for Ian Price   Email Ian Price   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
1. I run an art cinema and the movies are at a consistently higher quality than the commercial movie houses.

2. The Arclight is just one theatre that charges $14 & $11. You can attend the same movies in the same chain, in the same city for less money. Most theatres in NYC charge $10 & $6.50. We charge $8.50 & $5.50. The average movie ticket in the United States runs $6.00. Movies are still an incredible value.

3. We don't run commercials. We usually run 3 to 4 trailers for 6 to 8 minutes total.

And our business isn't down this year. February was a new record and April is looking to be a record breaker as well. [Smile]

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000


 - posted 04-17-2003 02:24 PM      Profile for Paul G. Thompson   Email Paul G. Thompson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Evans said:
quote:
Personally, I enjoy going to theatres, and will always do so unless the quality of projection degrades to the point of being ridiculous.
I think this should be considered equally or more important than the other three points. If you look close enough, you will see people walk out of the theatre if the equipment constantly malfunctions or the operator is doing a lousey job in the booth. I am addressing out-of-frame splices that run unattended for several minutes, upside down reels, out-of-place reels, out-of-focus problems, etc.

I walked out of 2001 - A Space Oddesy because the shutter was out of time and the travel ghost was obnoxious.

The crappy presentation problems are what drives repeat customers away, and they may not come back to your movie house.

Excessive screen ads suck. Very true. But the customer knows they are there, and just arrive late so they don't have to watch them. But they will come back.

Movies that suck - they will not come to watch that movie. If your movie house has a good track record on presentation quality, the customers will come back and watch a movie that does not suck.

Let's not forget to put emphasis on good presentations.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

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


 - posted 04-17-2003 04:17 PM      Profile for Mike Blakesley   Author's Homepage   Email Mike Blakesley   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
This is just a writer with space to fill, and tired of writing about the war or whatever.

The same thing happens every spring. EVERY YEAR there is a downturn at this time, at least it's happened every year since 1976, when I first started working at my theatre.

Also, it mystifies me why people continue to bitch about the prices. My wife and I have gone to 3 concerts in the past 6 months...the tickets have ranged from $59.50 to $79.50, and that's to sit in cramped, crappy seats with (on one occasion) ridiculously bad sound.

Movies are the lowest priced form of out-of-home entertainment, but they are presented in the BEST out-of-home environment. (In most cases, anyway.)

People should quit harping about the commercials, too. Hell, commercials are absolutely EVERYWHERE else, so why should the movies be the exception? That would be nice, but I can see why it isn't that way in these economic times.

As for the movies stinking, well, OK, he has a point there. [Wink]

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Robert E. Allen
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1078
From: Checotah, Oklahoma
Registered: Jul 2002


 - posted 04-17-2003 04:47 PM      Profile for Robert E. Allen   Email Robert E. Allen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
So why is it the corporate big boys don't pay attention to these all too common complaints?

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Ron Lacheur
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 650
From: British Columbia, Canada
Registered: Feb 2002


 - posted 04-17-2003 05:41 PM      Profile for Ron Lacheur   Email Ron Lacheur   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Because they are too busy counting their money to give a crap.

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John T. Hendrickson, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 889
From: Freehold, NJ, USA
Registered: Apr 2001


 - posted 04-17-2003 08:05 PM      Profile for John T. Hendrickson, Jr   Email John T. Hendrickson, Jr   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Bob- Good Question. I think it's all about the numbers. Distribs are interested in the number of screens showing their product, not necessarily that their product isn't any good. How many times do you hear them beg to hold their picture just one more week so they can report to the higher ups that their picture is still on x number of screens?

And how many times do you see pictures brought back for a second time, weeks later, only to crash and burn?

And speaking of numbers, remember the old saying: "Figures don't lie, liars fugure." [Wink]

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Paul Linfesty
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1383
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 1999


 - posted 04-17-2003 08:48 PM      Profile for Paul Linfesty   Email Paul Linfesty   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Recently in a Patrick Goldstein "The Big Picture" column (every Tuesday) he reported on the onrush of these new movies, and reported that several top exectutives have said thay dont make movie aimed at adults anymore because they would have to be GOOD to be successful.

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Daniel Fuentz
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 230
From: Fresno, CA, USA
Registered: Apr 2003


 - posted 04-18-2003 03:16 AM      Profile for Daniel Fuentz   Email Daniel Fuentz   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
In addition to projection quality, don't forget about the friendliness of your staff. I frequently go to the UA 8-screen near my house, which is just "OK" as far as projection and sound, simply becuase the staff there is a lot friendlier than at other theaters. At another theater near my house, the staff is rather indifferent. While they're not exactly rude, you get the feeling that they don't really give a toss if you ever come back to their their theater.

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001


 - posted 04-18-2003 07:51 AM      Profile for Charles Everett   Email Charles Everett   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Since this writer is so close to L.A. he doesn't realize there are some real problems affecting turnout:
  • The economy. There hasn't been a week this year without news of massive layoffs and/or a company going bankrupt.
  • Blizzards. Colorado got 5 feet of snow last month. The East Coast got at least 2 feet in mid-February (on the weekend Daredevil opened).
  • The SARS epidemic. Variety said the SARS epidemic has hurt attendance in the Toronto area -- and Toronto is the biggest moviegoing town in Canada.
  • Studios mishandling product. The Guru was great but Universal mishandled it so badly in the US, that picture will be lucky to break $5 million. The Quiet American was good but that film was sabotaged for political reasons.
  • US militarism. Why pay to see murder and mayhem in a theater when you can see the same thing on every TV channel at home?


[ 04-20-2003, 12:52 PM: Message edited by: Charles Everett ]

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 04-18-2003 08:35 AM      Profile for Scott Norwood   Author's Homepage   Email Scott Norwood   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Cinema attendance is down? Since when?

Last I heard, Jack Valenti was crowing about how theatre attendance is the highest in 45 years:

http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/030304/leisure_movies_2.html doesn't seem to be available, but it's in Google's cache



(meanwhile, Uncle Jack has been complaining about how movie piracy is "killling the industry" just like the VCR was supposed to have done in the '80s)

I do agree with the comments about in-theatre advertising (slides, film ads, etc.)...unless it has something to do with movies (e.g. popcorn, candy, Coke/Pepsi, etc.), then it doesn't belong in the theatre. Actually, I can tolerate slides, but film ads are completely unacceptable.

Movies aren't cheap, but, as others have noted, neither are other forms of out-of-home entertainment. I think that $8 or so is entirely reasonable for a quality film that is presented properly. It is way too much to pay if either is substandard.

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Ray Brown
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 111
From: Dayton, WA, USA
Registered: Sep 2002


 - posted 04-18-2003 10:12 AM      Profile for Ray Brown   Author's Homepage   Email Ray Brown   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
If you look close enough, you will see people walk out of the theatre if the equipment constantly malfunctions or the operator is doing a lousey job in the booth. I am addressing out-of-frame splices that run unattended for several minutes, upside down reels, out-of-place reels, out-of-focus problems, etc.

That's why previewing should be mandatory not optional before the doors are opened to the paying public, especially in sub-run land. Pissed off customers equal less repeat business.

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000


 - posted 04-18-2003 10:23 AM      Profile for Darryl Spicer     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Theater attendance is down in the first run markets but it is up in the second run markets. This is an example of people looking for a little cheaper entertainment in an unstable ecconomy.

You also have the war that has essentially peaked out and is now in a down phasing. You have a lot of young people in the most popular age group that go to the movies that are either on call or overseas in active duty.

you have crappy first run movies in theaters right now. Anger management broke april records but on a massive amount of screens. Look for it to drop possably mor than 50% this week.

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Jesse Skeen
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1517
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Aug 2000


 - posted 04-18-2003 12:33 PM      Profile for Jesse Skeen   Email Jesse Skeen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
DVD sales are also going up- you can buy a lot of titles for LESS than the price of a movie ticket, and video done right still beats film done wrong!

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