Have you always wondered why we do things the way we do? The following are
examples of some of the many questions we are asked.
|
Why don't you
play more than
one movie at a time? |
The
film distributors (Disney, Fox, Warners) have a great deal of control over
what we can or cannot do. Almost all new release films can not share the
screen with any other film. In some instances, we are not even allowed to
have a live matinee production during that same week. |
Why do you
play a movie for
two or three weeks? |
It's
the strict rules of the distributors, once again. If we played a film "on
release" (opening it the same time as all the major markets), it must be
played a minimum of two weeks. In the case of blockbuster films such as Lord
of the Rings and Avatar, the requirement has been three weeks. While we try
not to run films for this long, there is the occasional one that justifies
the longer commitment. |
| Why don't you
sell tickets in advance? |
We do
not have a computerized system and would not feel comfortable handing out
tickets that could be easily copied.
However, when we expect a sell out crowd, we hand out chits in the line-up
which guarantee the person the opportunity to buy a designated number of
seats in the theatre. This advance system allows people to get their chit
and then leave, if they wish. It also lets us know when we'll be sold out so
that people will not have to wait in the lineup just to find out that they
can't get in. It also stops gatecrashers as they won't have a chit and will
not be able to buy a ticket. Usually, we start handing out chits about two
to three hours prior to a potential sellout. This system seems to work quite
well. |
Why can't we
bring in our
own food or drinks? |
With
the costs of film exhibition being so high, it is the profits from
concession that keep the theatre operating. For example, for most films
played on release, we get to keep about 15% of the box office money, after
direct film costs. That's about $1.35 for each General Admission ticket.
With that gross profit, we still have to pay for all the other expenses such as
rent, heat, light, staffing, insurance, etc. We need concession sales to
help us stay open.
To help discourage food smuggling, we keep our concession prices reasonable
and the product sizing appropriate. |
When there's
a problem
with the film, why can't you
just rewind? |
It's
35mm film and not a DVD type format. An entire film is kept on a movie reel
that is about 4 feet wide. It is laced through the projector, much like
you'd thread a sewing machine, and is taken up by an equally large reel at
the bottom. In order to replay one part of the movie, the film would have to
be taken out of the projector, rewound up to the first huge reel then
re-laced through the projector again. This process could take up to five
minutes and is not just a press of a button. |
Why don't you
play more
slasher movies? |
Because we don't like them (and they don't do much business other than
Friday nights) |
Why does it
sometimes take
so long to get a movie? |
If we
don't play a movie "on release" (open the same time as the major markets)
then we have to wait in line for a print to become available, much like a
library system. Due to the high costs of making a print, usually about $3000
each, there may be a shortage of circulating prints. If a movie is popular,
and there is nothing else more exciting being released, then the original
theatre may hang on to the print for quite a while. |
Why do you
and Gibsons
Cinema play the same movies
at the same time? |
We are
separate businesses and are trying to run what we think will be of the most
interest to our individual communities. In many instances, this means we are
trying for, and may often get, the same "hot" film. Given a reasonable
alternative, we'd run different films but that is rarely the case except at
Christmas and in the summer when there are a greater number of films to
select from. |
Why don't you
take Visa or
Debit? |
With
one ticket booth and sometimes 250 people to process in 30 minutes, it would
not be feasible to use any payment system other than cash. Also, without the
additional transaction fees, we are able to keep our ticket prices lower. |
Why don't you
play 3D movies
in 3D? |
It's
not like the old 3D system where all you had to do was to wear some ugly
cardboard glasses. Today's 3D is digital and would cost more than $200,000
for us to install. In light of the high cost for such a risky investment
(the technology is still evolving and there is no clear winner in 3D
delivery systems as yet) less than 1/3 of the screens in North America are
Digital, let alone 3D Digital. On the Sunshine Coast, we just don't have the
population to justify such an expense, especially when the films are almost
as good in the original 2D format (like Avatar). But we'll keep our
eyes on both the technology and the price and may yet upgrade. |
|
|
|
Got a question that's not answered here?
Email it to
ravenscrytheatre@eastlink.ca |
Raven's Cry Theatre
