Welcome to BigScreenBiz.com

Dear all, first of all I'd like to thank you all for the brilliant information I've found so far on this site by looking through the forums. However, there is one major problem. I'm completely inexperienced in cinema management and film exhibition, and what I really need is a book (or other major source) that can tell me all the basics. Unfortunately, I live and intend to work in the UK, which means a lot of things from US sources won't apply. I can't seem to find anything of this sort relating to film exhibition in the UK. Can anybody help?

Here, try this link from a previous post
http://www.bigscreenbiz.com/ubb/Forum39/HTML/001360.html

In addition to the site mentioned in previous post, you might also contact this, the UK group that is the oldest society of theatres buffs in the world: http://www.cinema-theatre.org.uk

They will likely be able to direct you to many means of help on the British scene.

Additionally, there is this other UK site that offers Training Programs: http://www.abtt.org.uk/intro.html

Jim, member www.HistoricTheatres.org

[This message has been edited by jimor (edited March 19, 2004).]

Get a job in a movie theatre, even if you do it gratis. Work there at least a year for the experience.

This is probably the best book there is!

Also: buy a year of back issues of Film Journal and Box Office mags. Is there a Brit version?

And: we sell the B (British) KST projection manual for 65.00 (shipping not included) and there is a lot about presentation inthat.

There is no one source: it's all about absorbtion.

Find an independent at least 75 Km away from where you want to build your theatre and make friends. Do what a fellow I know did: made appointments to shadow different theatre employees for a few days and that did him very well.

Good luck! Whre in Isle de Britville are you?

---

Michael Hurley
Impresario

I'm in sunny Wales, doing my English degree (very useful to my plan to own an indie cinema, but there you go). I like the idea of going to work in a cinema for experience, but I get the feeling that even if I martyr myself to being an all-round dogsbody for free, I'll probably end up highly adept in serving popcorn and nothing else Still, definitely worth a shot! I'm learning so quickly from this site and it's brilliant, but it's all bits and pieces and I'm anxious to have a good, solid grounding in the business I want to pursue. Does anybody here (and be brutal) think I'm crazy, starting up in the exhibition business when I know about movies but not cinemas?

I don't think you're crazy at all. I did the exact same thing last November and it has been wonderful. Sure, it's lots of hard work but it is sure worth it when you hear the positive comments and praise from your patrons. I had no experience when I came here and have been just doing the best I could and things have been going great. That being said, however, some experience would certainly have been helpful along the way and I'm sure I'll change the way I do things as I gather more experience. So, read the literature that's out there (especially the archives of this website) and learn all that you can. Good luck!



[This message has been edited by leeler (edited March 25, 2004).]

Thank you so much! You can't imagine (or, considering you were once in my situation, maybe you can) how much it means to hear positives from someone who really knows what they're talking about! Glad to hear all is going well for you, and I hope it continues to do so.