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I was an owner/operator in the 90s. So forgive me for being out of touch. I am looking at getting back into the business by leasing a 6 plex with 35mm projectors for sub run play. I am in it for the right reasons-love! However, I see we are now looking at the start of the digital projection age within one year-ready or not!
I am curious if as a sub run theatre if I could receive a blu ray copy and license agreement for a few weeks earlier then bluray/dvd store release. When D day comes, I could put in high end projectors like what brytewerks is offering and play via blu ray.
Does this sound feasible? Is anyone in the sub run business looking at this option? Obviously, upgrading 6 booth set ups at 50-90k a piece for sub run theatre is not a strong option.

You will not be able to get a BR/DVD to play before it's national release from any of the big 6 studios and the next tier either.

That would be a great thing for the studios to do. Release on blu ray or DVD 2 to 4 weeks before the DVD release, but don't count on it.

As a sub run theatre owner and the booker for several other sub runs, I have heard nothing from the studios to suggest that they would be doing such. They always bring up pirating issues when you suggest something like that, but lets be real, the threat by that time is virtually gone, as well as the market for them.

Most here will tell you that by that time there is no business left in any given film, so it wouldn't benefit you to do it even if you could get them on blu ray or DVD at that point. If you're in a smaller market I would tend to agree with them, but if you have 100,000 people or more to draw from it could be do-able.

Due to the rather large supply of product that was released between last Nov. 1st and the 1st of this year, I with a single screen theatre was unable to play off many good films before they came out on DVD. I was therefore forced to play those films after the DVD release and to my surprise, did decent business with them, usually grossing between 3000 to 4000 per week (at a $3.00 ticket price), which is slightly below my average, but not by much. Only TIN TIN bombed, but it didn't do well in the first runs anyway.

So if you're in a market large enough where there is an adequate number of people willing to wait, it could work, but I wouldn't count on the studios allowing that to happen.

This of course would be a great issue for NATO to take up, since they haven't done anything thus far for the sub runs, but don't count on that either... they would rather have you "CONVERT OR DIE".

Thanks for the replies...very interesting...there must be a cheaper solutions/options for sub run.

Possibilities ??
1.) www.brtyewerks.com I received this from the owner at bytewerks…“As a second-run or off-the-break theater you are not required to have a DCI compliant system. Therefore, The Model One is an acceptable solution to studios. The good news for you is that yes, indeed your theater can upgrade to The Model One and still play titles from your suppliers.”
2.) Play from bluray with high def quality projector-swank and criterion appears to be able to offer bluray for public exhibition weeks before release in stores , so I am not convinced the distributors will not do the same for theatres…ex:
Title: Chronicle…theatrical release…3-Feb-1…non theatrical 1-Apr-1…home video 15-May-12

Questions of early availability are the most interesting part of your post, but another thing I wanted to point out is that Brytewerks says on their website that their projector has an upgrade to a 1200 watt lamp for commercial use. 1200 watts doesn't sound nearly bright enough for a theatrical presentation.

I did note it was listed as 1200 watts but 11,000 lumens... I am exploring the bluray options as well...if criterion can offer them weeks early then a theatre should as well..

JoeC wrote:
I have not seen this or have heard this coming from the top 6 studios which will be 95% of what you will play as a discount. Please share the link or info you are getting this from.

look through the criterion site. They handle non theatrical exhibition for many of the top 6 and have an earlier release date for the blurays for non theatrical...so I certainly cant see an issue with theatrical releases being matched or possibly even topped.

I have communicated with Swank. Movies before home video street date are for the college crowd ONLY and are on dvd, NOT blu-ray.

Buck up they money for DCI equipment my friends.

JoeC wrote:
You're overlooking the entire point. Theatrical / non-theatrical IS the issue. If you're planning to play with the big boys, first run or not, then you play by the same rules as the rest of us.

If this kind of thing was possible, you can bet the farm that someone here would have already figured it out.

No, I am not overlooking anything. I was looking for solutions. the booker I hired was able to arrange for four of the big dist to agree to sending dvd early. He did not have to go through swanl or criterion. I have digital on two screens and can rotate.

JoeC wrote:
this is very interesting. I do believe that with the advent of digital, better video projection, boutique theatres, smaller disrtibs that do not want to pay VPFs or shut out theatres that have not added full digital, closing windows, day and date releases, and on and on... I think we'll see more and more. I'd love to know where this is happening because why would many spend huge money on digital when they can buy a inexpensive DVD and vid projector and be up and running? Needs more info. The truth is out there.

Need more info, yep!

Your website Joe? Facebook page?