PREFACE
Today Friday and tomorrow, Saturday, I have signed up to count all the patrons going to see the new Superman vs Batman movie at the Aventura Mall Cinema. Suffice to say I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I do patron counts (or Open Checking) at many theatres, at many openings. Never one this BIG! This is a new adventure in market research (aka mystery shopping).
STORY
I had checked the number of auditoriums playing the movie on Thursday night and they had 13 shows listed. That's a lot of shows normally and three to four auditoriums would be normally showing them. When I got up on Friday morning, they had 30 SHOWS!! listed, starting at 9:30 am and going to 12:30 am (Saturday morning). NINE auditoriums showing the movie 30 minutes apart! It was a hectic day to say the least. I barely had time to eat some chicken fingers and curly fries at 9 pm for dinner, which I was STARVING by that time. I always bring protein bars and bottled water with me but that doesn't sustain me through 15 hour days. I did get to watch the movie after my midnight count. It was very good but set too dark. You couldn't see what was going on on the screen at times.
I was glad they dropped one auditorium on Saturday, leaving me to check only 8 and having a few more minutes between shows. It wasn't so hard to get to the shows but they were at opposite ends of the theatre and at peak times it was very difficult to get through the crowds. I took to counting the line waiting to get in as they went in and then counting those who came in after. The hardest part of counting is the patrons that leave their seats and go to concession. Those going in and out can cause a huge difference in total numbers if you don't write down something about them you can remember when they come back in.
CONCLUSION
I am very grateful for my sister ordering me a counter machine and getting it delivered by Friday. Having this device made my counting go so much easier. The right tool for the right job! It was a very long two days but I earned over $180 per day, so it was worth it. I don't mind spending all day and night at a movie theatre. I feel very comfortable there after 15 years of my late husband managing and district managing them. I am a movie freak, plain and simple.
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Thursday, July 22, 2010
MOVIE MARATHON
PREFACE
Today I saw three movies in a row at the local theater. It's called "theater-hopping" when you pay for one ticket to see one movie but go into other movies without paying to see them. And while it may even be considered illegal, it's not enforced very often by the theater managers or staff. The reason is that theaters don't make very much money on ticket sales.
STORY
The first week or two the movie is shown, most or all of the money from ticket sales goes to the distributor of the film. One movie (with all its reels) can cost $10,000 for the theater to show and until that money is made, the theater doesn't make any profit. Think about the modern day multiplex theaters with 12-15-18-24 screens, showing multi-copies of several films and you can imagine the money invested. Some theaters are now showing older films at morning matinees for $1 admission...nostalgia movies at a nostalgia price. It still sells popcorn, candy, and soda!
Concession is where the money is made, (with a little $ from vending & game machines but not as much as in the past). I had a "combo special" between the first and second movies which consisted of two jumbo all-beef hotdogs and a VAT of ICEE (frozen slushy coke with free refills) and it cost me $14! I got in on a reduced weekday ticket rate of $4.75 and saw three movies. So I still saved about $8 on the deal.
Why do you think theater managers are so eager to give you passes when you don't like a movie? Unless you've never complained about a movie or wanted your money back for a disturbance in a movie...I guess you may not know that they want you to come back again and spend at the concession stand.
CONCLUSION
I saw Sorcerer's Apprentice, Despicable Me, and Inception...6 1/2 hours in a dark theater...thrills, humor, action, laughter, tears, confusion, intrigue, awesome effects. Well worth the investment of money and time. It gives me joy to watch movies. And I'm worth it!
Today I saw three movies in a row at the local theater. It's called "theater-hopping" when you pay for one ticket to see one movie but go into other movies without paying to see them. And while it may even be considered illegal, it's not enforced very often by the theater managers or staff. The reason is that theaters don't make very much money on ticket sales.
STORY
The first week or two the movie is shown, most or all of the money from ticket sales goes to the distributor of the film. One movie (with all its reels) can cost $10,000 for the theater to show and until that money is made, the theater doesn't make any profit. Think about the modern day multiplex theaters with 12-15-18-24 screens, showing multi-copies of several films and you can imagine the money invested. Some theaters are now showing older films at morning matinees for $1 admission...nostalgia movies at a nostalgia price. It still sells popcorn, candy, and soda!
Concession is where the money is made, (with a little $ from vending & game machines but not as much as in the past). I had a "combo special" between the first and second movies which consisted of two jumbo all-beef hotdogs and a VAT of ICEE (frozen slushy coke with free refills) and it cost me $14! I got in on a reduced weekday ticket rate of $4.75 and saw three movies. So I still saved about $8 on the deal.
Why do you think theater managers are so eager to give you passes when you don't like a movie? Unless you've never complained about a movie or wanted your money back for a disturbance in a movie...I guess you may not know that they want you to come back again and spend at the concession stand.
CONCLUSION
I saw Sorcerer's Apprentice, Despicable Me, and Inception...6 1/2 hours in a dark theater...thrills, humor, action, laughter, tears, confusion, intrigue, awesome effects. Well worth the investment of money and time. It gives me joy to watch movies. And I'm worth it!
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