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Author Topic: Bookings Question - "Doubled Up Films" John Carpenter Film Handler Posts: 96 From: Fort Walton Beach, FL, USA Registered: Nov 2002 posted 06-27-2003 07:02 PM                     In a zone where you split the films between 2 theatres... what would the rule be for this: If Theatre A was running a film "doubled up" with another film in that auditorium only 2 shows a day, could Theatre B then open up the film outright at that point? Thanks for any advice!  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 06-27-2003 07:47 PM                        John: No ... you may not open the film until the original theater is FINAL. Even if they had only one show per night ... you could not open it.  |  IP: Logged Tom Petrov Five Guys Lover Posts: 1121 From: El Paso, TX Registered: Jan 2003 posted 07-01-2003 12:10 PM                    We used to have a system here in Ontario that really worked. We had two companies, the first was Cineplex Odeon and the second was Famous Players. Cineplex Odeon would get product from Colombia, 20 the Century, Tri Star, Universal and Alliance. With Famous Players, they would get Paramount, Warner, Touchstone, Disney, Hollywood pictures. I think I am forgetting a couple disrtibutors but the point is that it worked prety well in that you knew what you were going to get and you would always do steady with buisness. Now it is all different.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-01-2003 02:47 PM                        When I first started working at my theatre (mid 70s), we had a similar arrangement with the drive-in here in town. I remember they would get first refusal on Disney, Warner Bros and Universal product, and we would get the rest. I think it was more of a gentleman's agreement between our two bookers than anything, because about a year after I got into the business, the drive-in changed hands and the new owner said all previous agreements were off, it was everyone for himself with bookings. But a year later, a windstorm wrecked their tower so they built a restaurant there...problem solved. What happens these days when there are two owners in a smaller town, anyway? Do the studios allocate product alternately? What about blockbusters?  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 07-01-2003 08:00 PM                        I dealt with this in Mankato, MN. The town is one zone ... 16 screens. an 8-screen Cinemark and 2 4-screen Carmikes. It was basically a 50-50 allocation deal ... not alternating ... but the distributors would divide their film into two "equal" tracks of product based on what they felt would be strong. Paramount and Warner Bros did this especially. Universal and Sony (and Dreamworks) tended to allocate their better "A" pictures to the theater with the highest gross potential (Cinemark) ... but that was mostly thanks to the booker ... who kept showing them that they were losing money by playing the Carmike houses ... based on similar grossing films (ex. Wedding Planner at Cinemark grossed similar to Charlie's Angels at Carmike) ... so it's a lot of wheeling and dealing on the part of the distributors.  |  IP: Logged Dino Panagiotopoulos Expert Film Handler Posts: 139 From: Windor, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jan 2003 posted 07-13-2003 04:25 AM                     Tom, That method actually still worked up until a year ago and then "Famous" distributors started realising that our Odeon was pulling in bigger numbers than the Silvercity here. That was happening all through the country as well. We never used to get a Paramount (seeing as Viacom owns Famous), WB, or a Disney first run print. This past year we have opened probably 85% of all big films that have come out from all companies. We also get Disney films (with a few of their rules) but we havent opened any Dreamworks films. Hopefully that changes with Shrek 2 next year. Alot of BS was going on here in Ontario with bookings between Odeon and Famous Players which Im sure you are aware of. I think in the long run Odeon won the battle here. I have been hearing lately that they have been trying to negotiate a deal which would make our competitive zone Non-competitive. If that happened then you would really start to see some battles here.  |  IP: Logged Tom Petrov Five Guys Lover Posts: 1121 From: El Paso, TX Registered: Jan 2003 posted 07-13-2003 12:18 PM                    I disagree that Odeon won the battle in my area. We used to be a theater that played all film regardless of distributor, however as of 2000 we started to chared $6.99 Canadian for any movie that we are playing because the Silver City opened of few blocks down the road, since they opened our attendance has dropped as well as our prices. The first theater I ever worked at was the Sherway Cinemas in Etobicoke. It was a 9 plex that would sell out at least 7 of the theaters on Tues, Fri and Saturday and it was competitive. We never got disney, Dreamworks, Warner and Paramount.... In 1997 we began a free zone that could play anything and all of a sudden the attendance dropped and the theater is now closed. I guess that in some situation "Famous" benifits as in other "Odeon" gets the upper hand. IMO  |  IP: Logged Charles Everett Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: New Jersey Registered: May 2001 posted 08-04-2003 07:36 PM                     Getting this back on topic: There was a situation similar to this last summer. A 2-screen arthouse in Doylestown PA kept saying on its website that Tadpole was "Coming Soon". A Regal multiplex in the same town picked up Tadpole in mid-August when Full Frontal tanked. Tadpole played 3 weeks at the Regal and later played only 1 week at the arthouse.  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 11-01-2004 12:26 PM                 It has been 454 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged Barry Martin Expert Film Handler Posts: 203 From: Newington, CT USA Registered: Jul 2002 posted 11-01-2004 12:26 PM                        It amazes me how the distributors would rather shoot themselves in the foot than make an intelligent decision. I have a twin, we try and get mainly first-run, sometimes running a sub-run with an "independent" film instead. I get a call from Warner Brothers last month asking if I want to run Polar Express. I say sure, why not. They indicate it would require a 3-week run to include Thanksgiving. Owners don't like this idea, even though it's a kids film our 2nd weeks do about 40-30% of our 1st week numbers so a 3rd week seems suicide. Get a call back from Warner Brothers suggesting if Polar Express is dying down on the 22nd, we could replace with Alexander (rated R, not great for us but a good compromise). Well, the owners and I came up with a better idea. We usually only run one night show and one weekend matinee. If we could keep Polar Express AND run Alexander, adding a matinee show before the regular start time of Alexander then everyone would seem to benefit. The two films aren't competition as they are from the same studio and one is G one is R. But no, that won't do. Cannot "share" a screen with 2 films on it's opening. Honestly, even if one is competition with the other, the money is going to the SAME place.  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 11-01-2004 02:45 PM                        Barry, The same logic applies when a studio rep in Dallas tells his supervisor in Timbuctoo that they still have 'xx' amount of prints of 'xx title' on screen when in reality, they re-release a print I've already circuited for ONE MATINEE daily. WTF? Where is the logic in this? Generally a kids show, running ONE matinee a day? Another question I have.. why in the world did Universal only release Ray in the limited numbers it did? Makes no sense... Ray opened on three screens in a 20 mile radius, while 'The Incredibles' will open on AT LEAST 10 screens in the same radius... I give up.. maybe there IS something to having your head in the sand... ???  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-01-2004 09:07 PM                        The other dumb requirement is minimum runs for smaller towns. If they would get off the "two week" high horse, we would play A LOT more movies on the break and we would send them down the road 45 miles to the next small theatre for the 2nd week. The screen count would stay the same, both theatres would probably (at least) double the grosses compared to what we would do 4 weeks later, and both of us would probably be willing to pay 60 or 70%. I would rather pay 70% of a big number than 35% of a much smaller number. We more than make it up in concessions. But no, two weeks minimum every time. So we play 6 or 7 movies a year on the break, and the rest 3 to 5 weeks later. I guess we're making progress though...until about 4 years ago, we NEVER IN 72 YEARS had played a movie on the break at this theatre.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 11-01-2004 09:20 PM                        quote: Mike Blakesley If they would get off the "two week" high horse, we would play A LOT more movies on the break and we would send them down the road 45 miles to the next small theatre for the 2nd week. The problem is that unless there is a theatre just down the road that you can circuit the print to, that print is usually going to sit in a depot for (up to) a week between runs. You can often do this, though, if you also own a theatre in a neighboring town and the movie isn't tracking too well. If you tell them you'll run one week in each of your locations or won't run it at all, you'll either get a deal right then or they'll call you back by 5pm.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-01-2004 10:30 PM                        Daryl - that IS the situation. We actually have two "neighbors," one 45 miles away and one 80 miles away. All of the owners are more than willing to circuit prints and we have done it in the past. Never a problem doing an overnight circuit. The filmco's simply won't book something for one week. The problem is three different owners, I guess. But we all have the same booker which would make it even easier. Hey, maybe it's HIS fault. Hmmmmmmm.  |  IP: Logged John Hegel Expert Film Handler Posts: 166 From: Lake Mills, Iowa Registered: Sep 2000 posted 11-02-2004 12:29 AM                        So if I understand this right... I am looking at opening a single screen in a pop. of 18,000. Will I ever be able to run the same thing at the same time as the 7 screen across town? In my past theater I was the only show in town, so I’m confused how booking in a competitive town works.  |  IP: Logged

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