Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Private Screenings

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

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Community » Film-Yak » Private Screenings

Author

Topic: Private Screenings

Peter Berrett
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 602
From: Victoria, Australia
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 06-23-2001 08:18 PM

Hi all

I have a few questions about private screenings of films in theatrettes.

1. Do your cinemas allow this?

2. Is it expensive? Is it popular?

3. Is this a growing area of your business?

Thanks Peter

| IP: Logged

Rachel Carter
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 248
From: Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 06-24-2001 12:33 AM

I'm assuming you mean theater rentals? Such as after hours (or before). We usually do a couple a month (birthdays parties, schools, etc.). In my opinion they are definatly worth doing, expecially if it is a group of kids who's parents give them money for snacks.

This can be a big money maker in the concession area for some theaters.

| IP: Logged

Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 06-24-2001 03:15 AM

Yeah and most theatre owners, like john and dave & dave dont report the box office grosses anyways fpr the rentals so ita all profit to them

| IP: Logged

Peter Berrett
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 602
From: Victoria, Australia
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 06-24-2001 03:55 AM

Sounds ok. Those big movie studios won't care much about the loss of a little revenue. They're generous to a tee.

But what if the film you are interested in is foreign and a few years old?

Is it easy (and cheap) for the theatre to get a hold of a 35mm print?

cheers Peter

| IP: Logged

John Scott
Master Film Handler

Posts: 252
From: Oakdale, MN, USA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 06-24-2001 11:23 AM

At my theatre, I do a monthly bank show for their senior citizen customers, and we get older, non-release films from the Classics division of the various studios. Costs on those print rentals can range from 100 bucks to 500 bucks. As a theatre manager, you pretty much have to at least double that cost (with no free vending, otherwise the cost again increases) to make a profit.

For example, we let them order movies in the 150 dollar range, provide donuts and coffee for the seniors, and make the tickets for the 2 showings before we open. We charge them around 600 for the show.

| IP: Logged

Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)

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

posted 06-26-2001 09:58 AM

Quote said: "Yeah and most theatre owners, like john and dave & dave dont report the box office grosses anyways for the rentals so its all profit to them"

If a theatre manager or owner rents his theatre out, to show a film that is exhibiting he has an obligation to inform the film distributor and to pay them for its showing. The film is only on loan to the theatre and most of the time, if there is a special occasion for a private showing, a deal can be struck with the film distributor.

Running private shows and not reporting the income is illegal.

| IP: Logged

Michael Gonzalez
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 790
From: Grand Island , NE USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 06-27-2001 08:33 PM

I had a church youth group rent four films such as Prince of Egypt and Apollo 13 for showing this past New Years. Becides the film rentals, we sold about 700 dollars worth of concession. So it worked out really well.

| IP: Logged

Demetris Thoupis
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1240
From: Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 06-28-2001 04:09 PM

Well,
It depends on your definition of a screening. At the cinema I am working, the exhibitor is also the distributor for most film companies in my country. A screening refers to a special preview of the film seen only by the distributors (the boses) and by the projectionists. No one else. YES they do allow them. We preview films that will be released after one or two months in the US although we release them long afterwards. I've seen Tomb Raider about 2 weeks before the official opening and I also have many other examples.
See Ya all
Demetris Thoupis

| IP: Logged

Tom Sauter
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 163
From: Buffalo, NY, USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 06-29-2001 11:59 AM

The majority of our business is in private screenings, so we charge a rental fee for the use of the theatre, the equipment, the projectionist and an usher. The film's origin is entirely up to the exhibitor unless they specifically request that we make the arrangements for the print. If tickets are sold they must use our box office and give us a cut.

As a rough estimate for what a whole private screening costs, I usually tell clients to be prepared to shell out $1000 for the day (our fees plus exhibition rights.)

This is a popular arrangement for directors who wish to screen dailies, gala openings, private parties, and film classes.

We assign all liability for revenue reporting to the person renting the theatre, and they must provide proof that they have rights before I'll screen the print.

| IP: Logged

Steve Scott
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1300
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 07-15-2001 11:58 PM

I generally show the new releases for my floor staff at midnight on the release date of the film (just in case the studios sent microscopic cameras in the can with the print

)
This keeps them happy, and we can have fun criticizing the movie out loud & laughing really hard cause there's no one else in the place (except for the cleaning service, but they're in the lobby cleaning up & they don't speak english anyway...)

Our corporate management doesn't mind this, but a week ago, one of my projectionists decided to show Legally Blonde without asking our General Manager first, and the GM banned our showings for a few days. That was until I talked to him one of his better days, and he reinstated the showings.

But I'll probably keep doing these until I find greener multiplexes of employment, cause (let's face it) sitting in a theater with 200 other people who are chomping popcorn, slurping on empty cokes, and talking on cell phones isn't what I call seeing a movie!

------------------
I hope that after I die, people will say of me: "That guy sure owed me a lot of money!"

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

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.