One of the trends that I have discovered over the past several years, particuarly as a second run theatre, is the need for "counter-programming" with regard to major events.
For example my theatre is located near a large concert venue holding 30,000 people. Whenever there is a major concert, my business suffers. It doesn't matter that I am running the Muppets and the concert was Ozzy Osborne - if you take 30,000 people out of the mix in my area then my business suffers. And if the movie be one that the would attract the concert audience my business drops that night by 50%.
WHY IS THAT YOU ASK?
Well first of all I am in an area with lots of diverse entertainement choices. But for the most part it is the evolution of what I call the "default" factor.
As movie-going continues to slip from habit to an occassional thing , (I like to say that movie going, for most people other than the opening day got-to-see-it-now crowd, has become a "default" meaning this portion of the audience says to itself if I miss movie the video will be out soon so there is no rush) and therefore whateverelse is going on becomes the first entertainment choice and moviegoing has become the default only if there is nothing else.
For years the first runs have seemed immune from this counter-programming need, but now even the first runs must learn this art.
The current business deterioration is aptly demonstrating that people are no longer going to pay $8.00 a ticket for most of the tripe that Hollywood is putting out - especially knowing that it will be out in video in 90 days or less. I think the only people still calling this a "slump" (which by definition is something you can or will come out of) are the film distribution executives unwilling to admit their own video divisions are costing them their jobs.
(MGM is gone; Dreamworks soon will be part of Universal; Miramax is soon going; New Line too will probably be folded into Warners)
For my theatre I now spend most of my time now "booking around or counter booking" sad as it seems. Take this week for example. On Fri and Sat I had a street carnival in town and major concert events on Monday and Tuesday. Not wanting to waste a real good picture with this much competition I booked "Herbie Fully Loaded". Not surprisingly the only day I did any business was Sunday when there was no other competition.
If the first run independents on this board have any chance of survivial the way things are going, you all had better wake up and learn the art of counter-programming. You can't go with a picture (what I call "straight-up-the-middle") against an event that will take away a good part of your prime audience. Those days are gone!
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