Greetings,

I completed my first feature two months ago and I've been screening it in theaters that have digital projection systems. I usually have it promoted as a "Two Nights Only" type of deal and it has worked very well.

I shot on 35mm and mastered to HDSR in 4:4:4. So it's been screening off of the HDSR in 4:4:4 or from HDCAM.

I could make a 35mm print from my HDSR but I'm trying to put off that cost for a while. I've run out of theaters around here that can screen digitally.

My question is, do you know of a theater close by where you live that screens indie movies digitally? Does any one have a list of "indie friendly" theaters across the USA that screen in HD?

I have a producers rep for the movie and they sold it into six territories at AFM in Nov. More to come I assume.

Thanks in advance for any help offered.

Loop_Guide.

Did you screen at the Bloor Cinema in Toronto??

This might help (see right side of screen where you can find all digital theaters in whatever country or state, etc--looks useful)
http://www.dlp.com/cinema/default.aspx

On a related note-- you have achieved my goal of making a feature indie, and as seen on a recent post of mine today, I am concerned that I could even make any money doing so, after exhibitors and distributors take from theatre gross receipts. You have inspired me to consider alternative routes for distribution. If theaters can switch to digital, perhaps 3 years from now when I might be ready to distribute then the traditional expense of film prints might be eliminated.

Did you screen at the Bloor Cinema in Toronto??

No I didn't. Do you know the exact address? I assume they just call it "The Bloor Cinema."

"On a related note-- you have achieved my goal of making a feature indie, and as seen on a recent post of mine today, I am concerned that I could even make any money doing so, after exhibitors and distributors take from theatre gross receipts. You have inspired me to consider alternative routes for distribution. If theaters can switch to digital, perhaps 3 years from now when I might be ready to distribute then the traditional expense of film prints might be eliminated."

Making money is tough, especially when P&A costs are involved. You can save some cash by using HDSR and making distribution prints from that vs doing a neg cut. It looks passable from HDSR. I hear of lots of people screening from DV, so it's a big step up from that.

I'm doing the theaters on my own just for my own satisfaction and additional promotion. The sales company is selling off the territories, DVD and PPV, etc etc. That's where most of the money will be made. When I can book it into a theatre I get 50% of the gate usually, and since I'm the distributor in this case, it all goes to me. But I can only do a piecemeal approach, I'm sure a proper theatrical distributor could book a lot more theaters all at once.

In any event you will not escape marketing costs. Either you'll pay them your self, or the distributor will take their cut of your sales. One way or another it costs money to get films out there.

Even with my low budget I expect it will be at least a year before I break even. I knew that going in, so it doesn't concern me.

Because as we all know....there's no business, like show business, like no business I know....Every thing about it is appealing........

LG.

No I didn't. Do you know the exact address? I assume they just call it "The Bloor Cinema."


Not the exact, but google: Bloor Cinema Toronto, and their website will come up. They're located at Bloor & Bathurst... indie/repetoire cinema. By booking a date, you get published in their newsletter (we got pic + synopsis) and it's picked up in all the local free papers- NOW, Eye, etc...
We paid something under $1k and took all of the box office profits for our premiere, but I know some of the film festivals who use the venue just take a cut of the ticket sales, so I know they're negotiable.

I know all the theaters in my area have dvd projection capabilities if not high quality digital projection. They all will rent their space out to whomever for events during off peak hours. Doing this, you get the entirety of the box for your showing, if you publicize in the local papers before going to a city, you can tour a movie like a band (this has been discussed here extensively in the past as well).

Contact the local paper a month before you hit their city, talk to the entertainment editor and let them know what you're doing, mail them a timecoded and/or waterstamped screener to preview so they can write you up as a rebel against the establishment...play the part a bit too, not so much that you turn off the paper, but enough to make for good drama. When you show up a couple of days earlier, plaster the city (appropriate places please) with posters and fliers, hand out handbills outside the theater (with their permission of course) the couple of days before and build an audience.

Smile throughout to sell yourself as a positive person. Create buzz...reference other articles that have been done on you as you progress and tell places you're coming that you've been publicized, the more press you get the bigger your impact. Make the news...not just make it in the news, be an active participant in creating the buzz, but let the newspapers pay for your advertising in their entertainment sections.

"We paid something under $1k and took all of the box office profits for our premiere, but I know some of the film festivals who use the venue just take a cut of the ticket sales, so I know they're negotiable."

Under 1K? Wow that's cheap. Yes I found them on the web, thanks. I'll call their number and see what I can work out.

Thanks knightly for the other advice.

I'm debating now if I should wait and hear back from all of the US festivals I entered that run mostly in April and May, 9 total. If I start going around to US theaters I will most likely disqualify myself from any of these festivals since most want US premieres. Plus if I got into one I could use that in my marketing.

Then again it seems that getting into even one major film festival in a big US city is a very long shot at best. So I may just be wasting my time sitting around and waiting when I could be out making money.

LG,