my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » Movie Information for the Customers (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: Movie Information for the Customers Jarred Olsen Film Handler Posts: 19 From: Hanford, CA, USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 09-29-2003 08:21 PM                     Whenever I'm in the box office I get around 15 people asking the same question: "Do you have a movie summary?" "Who's in _______?" "What is _______ about?" Seriously, I get annoyed when people ask me that. It just takes too long recalling who's in what film, not to mention what its about. Call me a fan of Clerks (I am indeed). I've been tempted to print out some summaries from IMDb, but I'm pretty damn sure my boss would get on my case for posting copyrighted material without written permission of the author. Does anyone know of a website that releases movie information (actors, plot summary) without that copyright mumbo jumbo?  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-29-2003 09:18 PM                        Try to get a copy of the press kit for the film. These usually include a complete (or nearly so) credit listing, plot summary, some 8x10 production stills (or 35mm slides), and usually some editorial material like an interview with the director. These can usually be obtained from the film distributor. This sort of thing is considered to be publicity material for the film (like posters, trailers, standees, etc.), so there's no copyright issue if it's used to promote the product.  |  IP: Logged Michael Gonzalez Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 790 From: Grand Island , NE USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 09-29-2003 10:09 PM                     We use the Theater Service Network's Movie Buddie Cards. There about 3" X 3" square and pretty much give all the pertinent information about the film (actors, synopsis, ratings, runtime, etc). You can keep them at the boxoffice for the employees to use as a reference. I say employee reference because it is much more customer friendly for the boxoffice person to describe a movie to a customer than for them to shove a card or a piece of paper in the customers face.  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 09-29-2003 10:16 PM                     We just hop on Fandango and copy the movie summaries, then print them into a little packet. However, If a customer asks me about a film i've seen, I always try to do my best to answer the customer in a more personal manor.  |  IP: Logged Evans A Criswell Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1579 From: Huntsville, AL, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 09-29-2003 10:25 PM                        What about collecting reviews from rec.arts.movies.reviews (from USENET)? Just form a Google query like this (this example is for the movie "Lost in Translation"). I put spaces in between letters at the beginning so it wouldn't trick the "auto URLer", since it's an example of how to form a URL rather than a link: h t t p : / /groups.google.com/groups?as_epq=Lost%20in%20Translation%20&as_ugroup=rec.arts.movies.reviews&hl=en The first thing in the resulting list will be a thread containing reviews (in this case, 14 of them!). It's pretty easy to set up an automated system to issue queries for movies you are interested in and it should be pretty easy to automate the collection of the reviews using a Perl script for the whole thing.  |  IP: Logged Ian Price Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1714 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-29-2003 10:27 PM                     We print up flyers for each film comming soon to our theatre. Every week we make a blurb sheet for all the films we are playing. We hand these out at the box office.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-29-2003 10:49 PM                        Go to imeonline.com Click on "Newsletter," then fill in your name and email address and "Sign in." You will see a list of movies dating back over a year. Click on the intended movie. These links used to lead to just a pdf of ad slicks, but for a while now it's been a fullsized sheet with synopsis, running time, marketing tips, rating, etc. along with the ads. Just print'em out and hang'em (we put them in a plastic holder in the front window.) This is part of the IME newsletter but is free to all.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 09-29-2003 10:56 PM                        I don't know where they get them, but Cinemark here always has a neatly-printed up sheet in each box office window with a synopsis of every movie they're showing.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 09-30-2003 12:33 AM                        http://www.movieweb.com http://www.imdb.com http://www.nowshowing.com http://www.apple.com/trailers http://movies.yahoo.com http://www.movies.com Many boxoffice systems, including RTS and Sensible Cinema allow you to include film synopsis' in the picture setup. This lets you hit a button and bring up answers to a lot of those questions. If nothing else, print up a synopsis from one of the above sites & post it around the ticket counter somewhere. We include stuff like this, as well as links to online trailers on both of our web sites.  |  IP: Logged Zach Zagar Film Handler Posts: 45 From: Jefferson City, MO Registered: Mar 2000 posted 09-30-2003 12:59 AM                        Box Office Buddy system: Susan Panel:(815) 786-6577 They can set you up with the displays, the plastic sheets and then they send out the cards each week. If your company doesn't want to pay for that (I'm not sure on the cost), hollywood.com and a binder are a very viable alternative.  |  IP: Logged Scott Jentsch Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1061 From: New Berlin, WI, USA Registered: Apr 2003 posted 10-01-2003 11:04 AM                        Hmmm, I could do something like what you're looking for. What information would you like to see? Here's my initial idea of what to include: Movie Name Poster Art (when available) MPAA Rating and Reason Cast List Running Time Plot Summary Genre Release Date Basically, everything at the top of our movie pages: http://www.bigscreen.com/NowShowing.php?movie=41482 Is that too much information, or am I missing anything? I could create a report that would have these items listed one after the other for easy printing. Would that be useful?  |  IP: Logged Rachel Craven Madam Moderator Posts: 2190 From: Pensacola, FL Registered: Dec 2000 posted 10-01-2003 12:08 PM                     http://www.movies.go.com This is a very usefull link. At the theater I last worked at every week I would make up a flyer with each movies running times, ratings, showtimes, a synopsis, a picture from the movie, and reviews. Most of the information I got was from this link.  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 10-01-2003 10:29 PM                        Movie Facts brochures work well.  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 10-02-2003 09:22 AM                    quote: I don't know where they get them, but Cinemark here always has a neatly-printed up sheet in each box office window with a synopsis of every movie they're showing. We get those from our intranet site. They are provided by independent marketing edge a very good tool. THe publications do come at a price for a smaller independent. Last I read it was something like $250 a year but you got bi-weekly updated movie release schedules, a monthly newsletter, the film framse that you mentioned being posted in the box office and a fall/winter and spring/summer movie information book.  |  IP: Logged Charles Everett Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: New Jersey Registered: May 2001 posted 10-02-2003 11:25 AM                     The Loews New Brunswick does this at two lecterns inside the main entrance (facing Route 1). One lectern has the show schedule, listing which picture plays in each auditorium. The other lectern lists plot summaries for each picture. The poster frames inside are used to promote upcoming releases. That setup was one thing I liked about the Loews New Brunswick. If you go there on a regular basis (as I used to) you'll know whether you'll see your movie in a small, medium, large, or supersize hall. At the UA Union Square in Manhattan, plot summaries and stills for each picture are in the poster frames in the ground-floor lobby. You'll find them as you enter the theater from Broadway.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

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.