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Thinking about booking our own movies after being in business for one year. We have two screens and currently run 1st run during the two big seasons and moveover the rest of the time.

The reasons we would like to do so are:

1) Have a better idea of what we may get. It seems like right now we find out on MOnday for Friday too often and that just makes it too hard to advertise.

2) Save some money. It seems we have plenty of time to make phone calls and such during the day time.

A couple of questions:

1) How far out do you ask for a print of a film?

2) Are some studios distributers still asking for 3-4 weeks on the huge stuff even now with the huge drops we see after 1 week? How many of you had to keep Harry Potter 5 more than 3 weeks?

3) It seems that we may be only 100-200 locations shy from being first run most of the in the shoulder seasons. Can a theatre owner be a bit more persuasive in this case than a booker?

Thanks

1.-If you book you will still have the mon to fri problem more often than you think..
2.Save some money is good i have thought about it (i pay $800 for 3 screens a month)But i always get the best pictures even against Carmike ,regal..I dont think i could do as well..
1a--You can start asking for a print 2 months in advance..
2a-often they will still assk for 3 -4 weeks but if the pic bombs a good booker can get you out...

3a--This is were i think you can do better than a booker- if your numbers a good i would go 1 st run ALL the time....

I have been booking my own films for the past 18 months and feel this was one of the best moves I have ever made in 20 years of business. Of all the different discussions and debates self booking is the one area Mike and I completely agree.
Not only do you save money but you also have control of what you show and what you don't. Most of the time I spend less than 4 hours a week booking for 3 theaters. For Monday I am already booked coming in with Heartbreak, Seeker and a move over of Yuma. The only film I need now is a print of Brave One for the Strand. Other than that I am all set for next week. I also have 2 films confirmed for October 12. Knowing what films are coming is very important so you can pre advertise-web site, answering machine,previews etc. While some times you won't know way ahead what you are playing often times you will.
Take the plunge you won't regret your decision.

If you are in a clear zone i would book my own if i was in a haevy competion zone use a GOOD booker..
Cheap booker does not alwats mean a good booker...THe key to picking a booker is not price but who else does he book and how strong are those theaters....

A key thing here is that it is your business to know what you want and need so you need to know this in any event either way. If you have a booker then you can't just depend on him or her to know all: you need to know what's coming and what you want and how it fits.

If you work with a booker you are his/her partner as they often do not know your clietle/ demographic.

Studios know what you can do. Some pics they tell you: I need 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks. if you were bigger/ or in a bigger market: they say 6 weeks, 8 weeks, etc.

The worst and biggest problem is when you are doing business and you want to come out to bring in a new big pic. That's when you earn your booking bucks.


You can always beg and plead and make your case but the ultimate reason you make it in the print count is $. They have a cut off and if you are in/out because of your booking history you will not get a print. Conversely: if you are a strong grossing house they will be after you to play their pictures and I do mean after you. They don't call them sales people for nothing.

I do not disrespect bookers at all. They do a hard job and are caught between two parties that have different needs. They earn their money. In my case we are a small town 3 screen and a 2 screen and doing our own booking put 375.00 per week on the table. That's a gross of 19,500.00 less phone calls and time. If you have the time because you are not spending Monday morning trying to figure out how to spend all your money it can be a positive experience.

Lastly: the most important thing a booker does is make sure you do not get in trouble with the distribs. There are only about 10 you'll do regular biz with. Screw that up and you are out of biz. Pay your bills on time asap and prontono.

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Michael Hurley
Impresario

Let me give you folks two examples:

The Good: I was able to get a print of 3:10 to Yuma after 2 weeks. Some of you have mentioned that you are waiting for prints to become available. The print that I got came from a theatre an hour away. So did I get that print because I was close? Or by having a good booker? Good I have accomplished the same thing as long I let the Lionsgate Sales Rep. know that I wanted it ahead of time? Seems like many theatres in rural Missouri got the film at the same time as I did. I was told that Lionsgate (for on the break) was only giving prints to theaters that did at least $2500 in gross on Walk The Line and Open Range. I have only been opened for 10 mos and have never played an "R" rated film till the last 30 days. So I was not too disappointed in not getting it on the break.

The Bad: I did not get a print of The Gameplan. Three theaters within a couple of hours from me got a print even though I had outgrossed them all summer on the family type films. Especially on Disney films this summer. I was told by the disney rep, that those theaters were in a different branch and he had no more prints in his district. He also said that booking is somewhat simple as Disney ranks the theaters and there is not much he can do. So my booker was not able to get me Gameplan so I was stuck with Superbad for the third week after getting it move-over after 4 weeks. Obvious a booker did not help out here and it would be easy to get a print of a 6-7 week old movie, right?

Mike and others: How many films this summer did you have to hold for more than 2 weeks? Any more than 3 weeks?

Thanks

[This message has been edited by rufusjack (edited September 30, 2007).]

sounds like you need a new booker....it sound to me you have allready made your mind up to book yourself...


THe question i have what other theaters does your booker book for of importance...

rufus jack , how much do you pay your booker?

Booker gets paid by the number of screens. $30 per screen per week. I believe my booker has about 100 screens that he books for.

I have not made my mind up yet. I am leaning to do it myself thinking that I can not do much worse. As of right now I am getting the ultra-wide stuff (summer and winter) or move-over. Maybe I can do better.

...maybe giving another booker a look at your past history before you go on your own might be a good idea. Bookers and owners tend to form a team that works... or doesn't, and personalities seem to matter more than you'd think they should.

I pay $68.00per screen per week high but i think its worth it....
TRy the guy This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it out of PA he is very good also...

His name is Howard.......

We book for 2 weeks minim and it depends on if it is doing business or if there's something else coming in that we want. Big pics: Potter boy, Shrek, etc. they will just not give you these films in general for 2 weeks. We often choose to take it and go 3 weeks. Rarely dow e go 4. But we also have another theatre which we can do 2 weeks and a moveover oursleves. Booking is a relationship business and we work to make it a good relationship.

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Michael Hurley
Impresario

We also handle booking for other independents.

Rarely do we play a movie for only 2 weeks most runs are in the 4 to 6 week range with a few over and a few under.

IE --DEATH AT A FUNERAL 7 WEEKS
EASTERN PROMISES -2 WEEKS AND A SPLIT THEN DONE...