Since early August, the 65-year-old Bay Theatre in Seal Beach has stood mysteriously vacant. According to an article in the local paper, this is due to a sudden mass exodus of employees who were not pleased with the current management. There is no indication as to when the historic movie house will re-open. To lose a place like this would be a catastrophe. We at This Cinematic Life have decided to take this opportunity to ponder how we would run such an institution. Though some of the following suggestions might be a little pie in the sky, struggling theaters might be wise to take a few of these ideas to heart...
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Policy
First and foremost, simply walking into the theatre should instill a sense of awe and wonder. Patrons have made the decision to leave their house and plunk down hard earned money, so make it worth the effort. Comfortable seating and beautiful decor will go a long way towards making them feel as though they made a wise choice with how to spend their evening. Hopefully this will also help to remind audience members that they are not at home and to be respectful of everyone else's viewing experience. But if that is not the case...
First and foremost, simply walking into the theatre should instill a sense of awe and wonder. Patrons have made the decision to leave their house and plunk down hard earned money, so make it worth the effort. Comfortable seating and beautiful decor will go a long way towards making them feel as though they made a wise choice with how to spend their evening. Hopefully this will also help to remind audience members that they are not at home and to be respectful of everyone else's viewing experience. But if that is not the case...
A strict no talking or texting policy will be in place. There is nothing worse than having a great movie ruined by a loud talker or the bright light of someone's iPhone. Those fine folks at the Alamo Drafthouse have the right idea: Talk or text and you are OUT! Yes this policy might make a few enemies, but I assure you it will make more friends.
As for that other perennial distraction that is small children, once a week there can be a dedicated late afternoon/early evening screening that is specifically designated for parents and children. Be prepared for screaming, but you'll at least get to see the movie. Perhaps even a changing table and diaper genie could be present so that parents won't have to miss crucial plot-points when it's time to take care of business.
Can't make it to the parent & child screenings? Find a sitter! Children under the age of 13 will not be permitted to any screening from 7pm through closing.
Can't make it to the parent & child screenings? Find a sitter! Children under the age of 13 will not be permitted to any screening from 7pm through closing.
This is not to say that we are not family friendly! In addition to the parent and child screenings, weekend matinees of current and classic family films will be a regular experience. How better to breed future film lovers than to hook them while they're young?
Programming
Small single-screen theaters will never be able to really compete with the multiplexes. So don't try! Is anyone really going to choose your theater as the ideal place to see the newest Twilight or Transformers film? Nope! Stick to what small theaters are good at: indies, foreign films and the classics.
The old Bay had the right idea with showing classic films 3 days a week. This way you're not over-saturating the market. There's no way you're going to get good crowds for 7 days worth of Casablanca. 3 screenings a week still leaves plenty of time for whatever your new release is. And don't forget to include silent films with the classics! In case you're worried about poor turn-out, spice things up with live accompaniment. This could be as simple as a single piano or as awesome as commissioning a live score from a local band!
Another thing that small theaters do well is double-features. Look no further than the legendary New Beverly which does pretty much nothing but. So how about once-a-week double-bills? How about Wednesday? The perfect way to get over hump-day! Can't think of any quality pairings? Here's more than a year's worth of perfect cinematic duos. You don't even have to give us credit!
It might also be a good idea to ingratiate yourself with the local community by hosting charity screenings for important causes and to participate in community activities. You'll effortlessly win over hearts and minds. Plus it's good for the soul.
Lastly, gotta make sure you court the late night crowd with a couple midnight movies. If there isn't already a Rocky Horror troupe in your area, START ONE! Or better yet, find your own movie to turn into a weekly interactive classic. There are plenty out there just waiting to be discovered. Every Saturday night Beyond the Valley of the Dolls? Sold! Also if we ran things, we'd put Mondo Celluloid's Logan Crow in charge of a constantly rotating lineup for Friday midnights!
Programming
Small single-screen theaters will never be able to really compete with the multiplexes. So don't try! Is anyone really going to choose your theater as the ideal place to see the newest Twilight or Transformers film? Nope! Stick to what small theaters are good at: indies, foreign films and the classics.
The old Bay had the right idea with showing classic films 3 days a week. This way you're not over-saturating the market. There's no way you're going to get good crowds for 7 days worth of Casablanca. 3 screenings a week still leaves plenty of time for whatever your new release is. And don't forget to include silent films with the classics! In case you're worried about poor turn-out, spice things up with live accompaniment. This could be as simple as a single piano or as awesome as commissioning a live score from a local band!
Another thing that small theaters do well is double-features. Look no further than the legendary New Beverly which does pretty much nothing but. So how about once-a-week double-bills? How about Wednesday? The perfect way to get over hump-day! Can't think of any quality pairings? Here's more than a year's worth of perfect cinematic duos. You don't even have to give us credit!
It might also be a good idea to ingratiate yourself with the local community by hosting charity screenings for important causes and to participate in community activities. You'll effortlessly win over hearts and minds. Plus it's good for the soul.
Lastly, gotta make sure you court the late night crowd with a couple midnight movies. If there isn't already a Rocky Horror troupe in your area, START ONE! Or better yet, find your own movie to turn into a weekly interactive classic. There are plenty out there just waiting to be discovered. Every Saturday night Beyond the Valley of the Dolls? Sold! Also if we ran things, we'd put Mondo Celluloid's Logan Crow in charge of a constantly rotating lineup for Friday midnights!
Though we could easily go on at length about food, projection, sound, restroom location and temperature, we will stop here for now. I mean it's not like we actually run a movie theater...yet. Please feel free to contribute some features of your dream theater in the comments section!
I really like this, EXCEPT for the kid stuff (sorry, dad bias). I've been to the Alamo Drafthouse, and while they do have kid screenings like you're describing, they also just follow MPAA ratings. That, coupled with the strict no talking rule works wonders. I saw Captain America in a theater full of kids and not one peep was heard.
ReplyDeletei GUESS certain allowances might have to be made...As long as the talking and texting rule is firmly in place. The dream theater would be showing primarily indie and foreign films so not most of the films will be rated R which eliminates a fair number of unruly children. And I guess the same goes for the classic movie showings, if a kid is going to see Citizen Kane or something of that ilk, odds are they will be relatively well behaved. Babies is still tricky though...
ReplyDeleteI love all of this, but I would include a couple things, food and otherwise. Themed drinks and snacks with a movie showing is a fantastic way to engage even more people and get them talking about things they would like to see in the future. The Loft in Tucson also uses film trailers from the same period of the movie to play, instead of new releases - that was always a huge gold star in my book. And of course, poster artwork. Commissioning great artists or struggling ones to make lobby cards, postcards, posters or whatever would be another way to foster strong ties with the local arts community. Can you tell I've thought about this lots of times before?
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestions Jessica! We'll steal them!
ReplyDelete