Welcome to BigScreenBiz.com

We are a triplex in a small town of just around 11,000 people. Currently we have our showtimes scheduled for around 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00, with each theater starting within a 5 minute interval. This has worked well for us as far as getting the most amount of people into the theater throughout the day while keeping payroll and operating costs low. We are considering going to a different schedule, something like 1,4,7 & 9:30 or 2,5,8. We hope this could increase traffic for those trying to plan movie-going around dinner time.

During the spring and fall we only have one showtime on weekdays which we usually schedule for 7pm.

If you manage a similar sized theater, what have you found works best for you?

2:30-5-7:15

Peak Seasons with 1:45 runtine: 12:00, 2:15, 4:30, 6:45, 9, we have 3 screens so we will have approx. 15-30 mins time span for when movies start, so for exp. 12:00, 12:15, 12:30

Non-Peak Season (kids in school) only run the 6:45 & 9

Longer movies like Transformers/Harry Potter: 12, 3, 6, & 9

Shorter like Ice Age 3: 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 6:30 & 8:30

Same size theatre but larger town.

In the summer. We start first show at 1 1:10 and 1:15. Second shows vary on length of movie but most start again by 3:30 leaving about 20 or 30 minutes for bigger movies between shows. Repeat the same thing again starting at 7. We have always found the 5pm time frame to be dead for us. The matinees everyday was added in the last 5 years. We started by adding them on Friday's and then with a big early summer release we went to everyday after two years of Fri - Sun matinees.

Winter hours are same for Sat & Sun but only run one eve show Sun - Thurs around 7. We run 7 & 9 shows on Fridays in winter.