Programme booking

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The income earning potential of films usually declines sharply in the weeks following the initial release, so delays in getting films can badly affect individual cinemas. On the other hand, non-metropolitan audiences can take longer to find out about new films, and a delay of a few weeks can prove beneficial in allowing time for word-of-mouth and profile around a film to build outside London. The effect varies depending on the type of film and the local population.

Overall it is important that cinemas establish and maintain a good relationship with film distributors so that films can be secured for the cinema at the appropriate time. The bargaining power of a cinema is the key to obtaining a good supply of films.

Solo cinemas will invariably face greater difficulty booking new films than will a chain of cinemas. At least four options for booking films are available:

• The cinema books films directly with film distributors
• The cinema contracts a film booking agent who works for several cinemas (and therefore tends to have a better knowledge of films and their marketing campaigns, and be able to negotiate better film rental terms, although this is not guaranteed. The ICO offers specialist booking and programme advisory services at very reasonable rates and these are available to all UK cinemas.)
• The cinema joins a consortium with other independent cinemas in the region (in order to improve overall negotiating power)
• The cinema teams up with a ‘hub’ cinema which has greater booking power. The hub cinema would typically be a larger cinema offering a range of local and regional programme enhancements or alternatively a range of programme and management services.

Apart from increasing bargaining strength the latter three arrangements can improve the quality of information about upcoming films to the local cinema, allowing more control over scheduling and marketing arrangements. It is important to note that although four choices are listed above, individual circumstances will play an important part in determining which type of booking arrangement is most appropriate and, more importantly, available. It is not easy to find other cinemas who are willing or able to form a consortium or a ‘hub-and-spoke’ system.

There may be an active regional exhibition consortium in your region where you can benefit from group purchasing and networking with other similar venues. Contact Creative England for details.