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Author Topic: VUe cinemas - like the name? Dave Hall Film Handler Posts: 16 From: Watford, UK Registered: Jan 2003 posted 05-12-2003 06:45 PM                     For those of you who don't know, SBC have purchased Warner Village's UK cinema circuit. The sale closed tonight. SBC are re-branding all sites and re-naming themselves "VUe cinemas" Now that the sale is finally completed and we can talk about such things in public, what do you guys think of the name VUe for a multiplex chain? Apparently it doesn't stand for or mean anything, it is just a concept some marketing agency came up with. The corporate logo is black/flame coloured and the lowercase "e" in the name is the same size as the VU, so on the side of a multiplex it will look more like VUE.  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 05-12-2003 10:40 PM                     SBC as in the phone company people? *shudder*  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-13-2003 01:25 AM                        Sort of a strange name but it sure beats the hell out of "Carmike." (or for that matter, "Wynnsong.")  |  IP: Logged Dave Hall Film Handler Posts: 16 From: Watford, UK Registered: Jan 2003 posted 05-13-2003 02:10 AM                     SBC as in speanbridge cinemas. www.sbccinemas.co.uk A [formerly] small company set up by 6 people who were previously employed in various UK chains. They had 4 sites in the UK, one in portugal and one in Taiwan I believe. They now have 46 UK sites (42 WVC + 4 they opened themselves)  |  IP: Logged Daniel Fuentz Expert Film Handler Posts: 230 From: Fresno, CA, USA Registered: Apr 2003 posted 05-13-2003 03:01 AM                     I think that name sounds sort of "trendy", like they are wanting to create an upmarket image for their cinema chain. If that name will still seem upmarket in 20 years time, who knows?  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-13-2003 10:29 AM                     Not much, but read all about it here I installed half of SBC's UK sites, and wish them good luck with this venture, especially at this somewhat slow time in the industry.  |  IP: Logged Bernard Tonks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 619 From: Cranleigh, Surrey, England Registered: Apr 2001 posted 05-15-2003 09:40 AM                     Hope VUE cinemas will add to your fortunes Pete, although I suspect that you're more than busy enough anyway. More info: http://www.screendaily.com/story.asp?storyid=12294 www.vuecinemas.co.uk  |  IP: Logged Michael Brown Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1522 From: Bradford, England Registered: May 2001 posted 05-15-2003 11:01 AM                     I'll have to get on the phone. I sent a job application to Warner Bros last week, so I'll have to find out if I need to re-apply or anything.  |  IP: Logged Dave Hall Film Handler Posts: 16 From: Watford, UK Registered: Jan 2003 posted 05-15-2003 07:12 PM                     you won't need to - Recruitment is business as usual. The only on-site changes are minor right now (the WVC management structure is 99% still in place)- rebranding is due to happen over the next six months. Head Office will be re-located first. Where did you apply to out of interest? presumably you were chasing a booth position? ALSO - guys pls have a look at the VUe website (www.vuecinemas.co.uk) and post your comments about it here. I gotta say i'm none too impressed with it myself...  |  IP: Logged Michael Brown Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1522 From: Bradford, England Registered: May 2001 posted 05-16-2003 05:17 PM                     I applied for Leeds. (but with the intention of seeing if there were projection jobs at other locations as well).  |  IP: Logged Charles Everett Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: New Jersey Registered: May 2001 posted 05-16-2003 06:56 PM                     When Dave spoke of "Warner Village" he refers to Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow, producers of The Matrix Reloaded. From what I've read WB provides start-up money for a circuit, runs it a few years, then cashes out. The proceeds are used to start a circuit in another country. WB also ran a cinema management school in England along the lines of Hamburger U (McDonald's). As for the new name?  |  IP: Logged Dave Hall Film Handler Posts: 16 From: Watford, UK Registered: Jan 2003 posted 05-16-2003 07:42 PM                     quote: ...WB provides start-up money for a circuit, runs it a few years, then cashes out. The proceeds are used to start a circuit in another country. This is true - They entered the UK in 1989 because they felt there were relatively few multiplexes, and those that did exist were dire. In order to get as many screens as possible to show their films in a territory they go in, saturate the market and raise the bar, then sell up. They're off to Russia and China with the £1.4Bil they earned from this sale.  |  IP: Logged Lee Davies Film Handler Posts: 28 From: Bolton, England Registered: Jul 2000 posted 05-19-2003 12:53 PM                     Dave, As a fellow VUe employee, do you think the sale by WVC was a good thing for us? If they make some changes I hope they re for the better. Getting a full-time maintenance person back would be a great start for me, as our team is extremely stretched at the minute. Any thoughts?  |  IP: Logged Michael Harlow Expert Film Handler Posts: 170 From: Faversham, Kent, UK Registered: Jul 2002 posted 05-19-2003 03:00 PM                     Had a look at their webshite, it looks about as useful as www.easycinema.com. nevermind, goodluck to them especially as you've pointed out the industry is going through a quiet time. It's not too bad for us a we are mainly art house and we own a few nightclubs which never seem to go quiet !  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 05-19-2003 05:09 PM                     Yeah, the website needs work but it looks like it's just a temporary, "Hello! Here we are!" kind of site for the time being. I'll give it a few weeks. Going from 4 to 46 locations in an area is a huge jump. Hopefully they won't get too many of those, "I don't care what it's like, I'm not working for ANY other company!" people who up and walk out before any real changes start. I'm confused about how WB operates these Warner Village theater(re)s. So they go in, build them up, run them for a few years then sell them?? Strange... It's like having a bunch of McDonalds sold to various independent burger restaurant owners, all operating the McDonlands buildings differently. OR, do they up and sell the whole chain to one company usually?? As for the answer to this topic's subject: "No" -- VUe is just as bad as those "Val-U" and "Sav-a-Lot" and "X-treme" and "Drive Thru" places. Misspelling things to sound cool isn't cool and never was. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged

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