Browsing Archive: October, 2009
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Wednesday, October 28, 2009,
Inside the business end of a projector
Monday night, I was brought back to the reason that the theater is a great family business.
The
event was simple enough, started with a phone call, and ended up with 4
Tiger Cub Scouts and their parents lined up in the lobby. Cub Scout
uniforms on and perfectly adjusted, slightly dirty faces, smiles across
their faces (the scouts were smiling, too).
We proceeded on a
tour of the theater for this group of first graders. Good for me, I
could relate with the a... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
A (our) small community is good.
Monday
morning just before it was time to awaken the kids for school, we (your
volunteer firefighters) were paged for a structure fire downtown.
Adrenaline rushed my system and the next 12 hours went by very quickly.
A combination of emotions take over on every call, but this one was
different. As I stood in the smoke and felt the heat as I was
engineering the water supply with one of the fire engines, my pocket
buzzed all morning. I was unable to even look at ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
The movie made me do it...
About 4 years ago, I watched the film Super Size Me.
The next day was the first day of not eating at a certain fast food
joint featured in that film, ever again. I'll give the film only
partial credit for making that change in my life but it definitely
tipped the scale.
Movies are like that. How many have you come
out of thinking you could slay the entire German Army if only you could
snap a bullwhip with precision? .. or swing a pickup truck around
backwards at 60 ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Come on in, the popcorn's fine...
Whew!
It's a nice rest from the craziness of summer... we know why so many
other businesses take that end of season break during the end of
September; it slows to a manageable pace, time to see the locals again.
We
chuckle to ourselves when we see you coming in as the projectors start
rolling, right at seven o'clock... car leaning over as you make the
turn left after entering the parking lot, lifting up onto two wheels
and then stopping abruptly in the closest ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Making a schedule and checking it twice...
Working
on the schedule this week, it went very quickly. Many weeks, it takes
hours to get it together, considering staffing, school activities, town
events....
Mondays, I chat with our film booker, and discuss
what the plan is for the upcoming week. Sometimes, we'll book films
further out- like Michael Jackson or Food Inc, but most weeks- it's
'Monday-for-Friday'. That allows us to consider ticket grosses for the
past weekend and try to forecast what ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
The projectionist is mentally preparing...
Doesn't
happen very often, that we let everything go and start all new films.
That prospect is a lot to handle - 3 films off, 3 films on. This week
it's even more exciting (read that: overwhelming) because we are- for
the first time in our theater's history- playing five films at once.
So, five films will have to come off Thursday night, and be out the
door Friday- as we build three new ones.
Those words don't do
the process justice. Lots of folks don... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
What do you think?
Two
days ago, 4 folks left the theater, where they had been watching
Inglourious Basterds. Three of them quickly exited the far doors, but
one lady approached the ticket counter and asked me if they could have
a refund, since "there was too much violence", and "they had been
mislead about this movie". On the spot, I checked my watch- they had
been in almost an hour. I offered them admission to Julie & Julia,
which had just started, or passes that would be good for a couple o... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Adult movies, now showing
It is that time of the year again.
I was talking with a man that is VP of operations for a 38 theater
chain, and he indicated that their worst month of the year is-
September. Seems that the film isn't coming out like it did during the
summer. People are getting back to school, and work, and fall
schedules... So the film makers are not motivated to produce (or
release) blockbusters when you all are pre-occupied. What's that mean
for Estes Park? Take a couple of hours ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Dear Mark,
Either funny or maddening:
It will depend on whether this is YOUR story or not!
We
have decided to take firm position on movies rated 'R'. The policy is
pretty clear, and is stated on our website, ticket counter and even
read on the phone recording: under 17, customers must have their parent
standing next to them when they arrive for the movie. Parents with kids
under 6 are not permitted to bring the kids in.
Lots
of possible discussion on this issue, so here are the high points. Yes,
... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
And your change is... $12,000.00!
Last
week I was visiting with Vic at our bank and the subject of
Presidential golden dollars came up. He had just ordered a new supply
of the 11th president, James K Polk. What caught me by surprise was the number of these coins we used last quarter- twelve thousand.
That
little piece of info made me look very well informed the next day, when
I had a conversation with a customer as to WHY we give golden dollars
as change.... Well, let me tell you....
A few year... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Flashback!
Lady
comes in and while I'm helping her in the concession line she asks if
she'll need to wear her coat for the movie? Her face is serious,
looking right through me for the answer...
We field all kinds of
interesting questions, but I was stumped for a few seconds- that seemed
like minutes- as I tried to run through all the scenarios that her
question would make sense... Finally, she cracked a smile and said
'remember when we had to bring coats and blankets to the movies?'
--
The
week ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
The word is......?
If you've been in lately you may have been among the few observant regulars that said- what's that open space above the candy counter for? Great question. We know what it's for, but not what letters it will include exactly. It is an open space for a sign above the candy counter.
That
little piece is my responsibility and I'm having trouble finalizing it.
Like the cobblers kids having no shoes, or the housekeeper living in a
disheveled home, I (the signmaker of 15 years) have ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
What's with Harry Potter for a fourth week?!
When
we booked Ugly Truth and G-Force, they were 3 week deals. We knew that
and took them, to be able to deliver them on the release dates to you.
Same with Harry Potter, although we could drop it now, but it's still
drawing good crowds. Variety you say? Yes, I agree we need variety.
Problem is that when the crowd changes in town every week, and folks
keep filling the theaters, we have trouble telling the film companies
we could do more business if ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Nothing happened at the theater this week...
Or,
at least I didn't witness it. You see, for the last 2 weeks I've been
staying up until 130am, working feverishly to get everything to a point
of being able to leave for 9 days... Ads in place, films booked, bills
paid, work schedule posted, concession stocked up, etc etc. You know
the way it goes before you take a vacation and after you return? I
think we do about 6 weeks worth of work to leave for one!
Nonetheless,
we have been on the road in a ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
You have spoiled us.
Red alert!
Trevor was cleaning bathrooms this week and alerted me to the urgent
matter at hand: the faucet handle was missing from the mens room.. I
began reviewing purchase records and making phone calls about where the
sink faucets came from a couple of years ago, and could we get them
anymore? What would we do in the meantime? You know, no handle on the
mens room faucet is a big deal because every
man washes his hands after using the facilities. I checked the trash
cans... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Stop what you're doing!
Yesterday-
typical 18 hour day filled to the brim: build new film, finalize film
schedules, discuss with passion at length the film schedule with film
buyer, order concessions, layout and meet about ambulance lettering (my
other job is making signs), fabricate antique truck sign, prepare Reel
Fan newsletter, layout EP Newspaper ad, respond to 2 fire calls... add
in 7 kids and the dog and that it was just really hot yesterday and
there's a snapshot of a run of the mill b... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
You have spoiled us.
Red alert!
Trevor was cleaning bathrooms this week and alerted me to the urgent
matter at hand: the faucet handle was missing from the mens room.. I
began reviewing purchase records and making phone calls about where the
sink faucets came from a couple of years ago, and could we get them
anymore? What would we do in the meantime? You know, no handle on the
mens room faucet is a big deal because every
man washes his hands after using the facilities. I checked the trash
cans... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Thanks to our loyal customers
A
quick thanks to those of you that came in last Sunday the 5th. Without
exaggerating, over 75% of the customers that came in on Sunday were
familiar local faces. As the summer rolls along we get accustomed to
meeting new people and trying to move efficiently through large crowds
descending on us at once. It can run the risk of becoming impersonal,
although we try so hard to keep it friendly. Despite the life saving
income that the summer yields, a longing creeps ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
"Survey Says..."
Several
weeks ago we conducted a survey that has helped us undertake some new
projects and stay focused on what you find important. Here are some
highlights of that survey:
Saturday is your favorite day to see a movie in a theater (67%), Monday is the least favorite (27%).
In
order, the top 4 reasons you choose Reel Mountain over other theaters:
Location, ticket prices, movie choice, customer service.
Ironically, the #1 reason to see a movie at a theater other than ours, is: movi... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
'Can't you just rewind it a little bit?'
No kidding, that's what they asked after arriving 15 minutes late...
I
had to say no, since once we start a film, it must run until the end. A
normal 2 hour movie consists of about 10,000 feet of film, running
though the projector at 24 frames every second. The film may be
stopped, but between the with the motor winding down and starting back
up, the viewer will miss about a minute of the story. It is not
possible to rewind the film or fast forward it- t... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Change is at hand in our lobby.
For
several months, if not more than a year, I have been talking about what
we could do with the theater lobby to freshen it up. On the heels of
our Reel Fan survey a couple of months ago we have replaced some seats
and finalized the plans for the lobby facelift. In conjunction with the
talented lady that coordinated our spiffy bathrooms, we're bringing it
together over the next 10 days.
Here's a quick rundown, but if
you want to see the sketch, you'll have to st... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Estes Park Smiles
Our
family is hosting friends from Ohio for the week... Two parents and
their two daughters joining our family of nine for five days is an
event in itself- they will probably feel more rested when they arrive
home after this trip !
This week we have taken the opportunity
to integrate ourselves into the tourist base and see Estes Park 'from
the other side'. I am quite happy to report that the father told me on
their second day in Estes that they could 'go home now and have had ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Summer movie tips
Here's a couple of inside tips for those of you coming in to catch a blockbuster, when a lot of others are, too.
If the lot is full,
park West of the Bank of Colorado in the upper lot, which will put you
at the top of an easy stairway coming in- and leaving. Lets you get
away quick when the theater lot is gridlocked.
If there's a show you know you want to come to, buy your tickets
ahead of time in person at the theater (up to a week ahead of time).
Then, arrive 30 minutes befor... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Why are those show times different every day?
Another good question sent in from a trusty reader.
After
the frantic Monday morning film booking calls, considering weekend
grosses, predictions for what a film will do over time, what's opening
the next weekend and 10 other factors- we assemble the film schedule
for Reel Mountain. I say assemble, because it is a collection of
factors that include how big the film will be, what community events
are already planned, what our staffing looks like, wha... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
What's the fuss about buying tickets early?
Good question.
As the summer blockbusters bear down on us, here's the inside track on ticketing at Reel Mountain:
A
ticket in your hand gets you a seat in the auditorium for the show time
you want. Having that ticket guarantees you a seat- but WHERE you sit
will depend on when you arrive to select it.
Generally, when a
show sells out, the last ticket is sold 30-60 minutes before the show
time. So it's not necessary to buy tickets a week ahead of time,... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
What's in the bag, Dad?
A
long long time ago, when I worked in a movie theater for Stan Pratt in
Conifer, Colorado- in high school- that's the line we used sometimes to
make it sound a little less threatening to customers when we wanted to
look inside bags they were carrying into the theater. The objective was
to prevent things that were not welcome in the auditoriums, past the
ticket counter. Then, I was just following directions and trying not to
get yelled at by irritated customers.
Today, I... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Most people will agree that I am not cheap, but thrifty.
That
applies to our Constant Contact relationship. It costs a few dollars
each month to keep track of members and send email newsletters with
this service. To add on the survey function, it doubles the price. I
have held off until this week, when I sent out a 'free trial survey',
and within 16 hours exceeded the 100 responses that we were allowed for
the trial period.
I have been wanting to get some hard data on
what show times & days of ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Summer blockbusters are knocking on the door!
It's
always fun to watch the big summer movies, but even more fun to take
responsibility for their excellent presentation to our audiences... and
we'll get another movie season underway in just a few days (X-Men
Wolverine May 1st, Star Trek May 8th, etc).
Anytime we have a
discussion about summer movies, it includes at least a mention of why
we don't show every blockbuster of the summer season? There's a lot of
movies we'd like to play, but just can... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
This
is as current as it gets on the newsletter. Some of our staff don't
even know what happened in the projection room of Reel Mountain at
about 1pm on Tuesday afternoon.......
EARTH will play at our
theater on May 8th, and during the following week, we'll host several
hundred students that will come by bus and watch the movie, then be
involved in earth day activities at the school. Our largest auditorium
is 192 seats, so we have been planning on splitting the students into
groups of 192 or l... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
I
tell you, you customers are good for letter topics! Two weekends ago,
we were in the midst of a birthday party for a young boy. His friends
were surrounding him, heading for the auditorium, laden with drinks and
popcorn and a man came in the front door- obviously not attached to the
party. He asked standard questions about movies- what they were about,
times etc. He asked what the commotion was if there wasn't a movie for
several hours yet? I replied that it was a private birthday party. He... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
f you were thinking of coming to the Wayne Dyer film AMBITION to REASON: Finding your Life's Purpose, here's an insider tip:
Buy your ticket now!
The
price of tickets at the door is $15, so you won't want to dilly
dally... To purchase 'advance tickets' you'll have to buy your ticket online,
or at the box office before 5pm (box office opens today at 4:15). After
5pm, box office sales will go to $15, and online sales will end at 5:30.
Whew, all that to save five bucks? That's why you get the Reel ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
"Can you turn down the volume just a little bit!?"
"Honey, would you mind turning the sound up just a smidge?"
In the last 2 weeks, I've heard both of those requests; my answer is usually the same... and here's why.
At
Reel Mountain, we're pleased to present films using Dolby sound
processors, which include a standardized volume control and scale. That
scale starts at zero and ends at 10. As a rule, films are engineered to
be exhibited at 7 (on the scale of 0-10). Every Friday, when the film
sho... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Kids
are ready to go, lunches packed, seriously 2 minutes from walking out
the door and one of the kids decides to call the weather line.
No
School. After the cheering subsides, someone says- what are we going to
do today? Well, Dad knows what he's going to do... and my lucky
children will be helping.
We've added early matinees today,
along with the arcade games, the movie theater may be a good choice for
your kids today, too. See you there! Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
I know you're wondering- how many subjects can this movie theater guy write about?
I
wonder the same thing every time I finish putting the newsletter
together- and then a week goes by and there's another question or
subject that comes up in the lobby. Some of you will recognize your
questions or topics of conversation here... Remember that 'anything you
say (in the lobby) can and will be used...' in our newsletter. That's
what happened this week.
One of our regular customers got to the
front of... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
"What's with all those games?!"
That's
how the conversation started with a customer that hasn't been in for a
while. I chuckled and answered the question that comes up every now and
then. I am a real sucker for about anything 80's. You know the era that
was comfortable for you? well, 80's music, 80's redemption games- make
me comfortable. So we don't assault you with the 80's musical
sensations on our XM radio (unless you arrive early), but I have
introduced a few fun relics from the old days,... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
"WOW, you guys must love the increase of business this year, huh?"
I've
heard that comment now, no less than a dozen times over the last week.
Seems these folks read the same Denver paper I do on Sundays. Last week
the Sunday Denver Post reported that movie theaters were up nationally
17.5% for the same period last year. With interest I read this because
it is always funny to hear what people say about you or your business,
when you're really the only one that knows... Movies provide a
relativ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
I
always get chuckle from the reviews that we hear standing at the door
when you leave a movie. I'm not laughing at your opinion- I'm reacting
to how much variety there is after a set group of people watches
exactly the same movie, and it affects them so differently. From a
little old lady calling an actor's performance 'embarrassing', and her
friend will rate it Oscar-worthy, and the next guy that comes out says
that it was the funniest movie he ever watched. Standing at that door
is like ta... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Over
the last 2 weeks, I have tried to answer the general question- of how
'it all works?' So far we've covered selecting films & the
logistics of exhibition.
This week: The Bottom Line
We
rely on Hollywood to provide a product that people will buy, and we're
just the messengers. That can be an unwelcome burden some weeks, and a
great problem to have other weeks...
Friday, Saturday and
Sunday we collect most of the income to pay the bills come Monday. It
could be alleged that the film companies... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Last week I related the inside story on how we select films, and continue to answer the question: "How does it all work?"
This week: Exhibition logistics
Once
the booking is finalized, the week is very structured and moves
quickly. Every item must be handled as early as possible to ensure
timely delivery of advertising and the actual films before they start
on Friday. Mon/Tues: Within
minutes of confirming our booking, we'll update the website- it's
always the earliest place to get info. Then w... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Last
week we hosted the Rotary Club for an evening event, and one of the
things we did was to tour the projection room. Seemed like a standard
tour- showing people generally how things work- but I was approached in
the days following by folks that had been on or heard about the tour,
about some very specific questions regarding the movie process.... Not
just projectors and popcorn, but how it ALL comes together. In the next
few issues of our newsletter, I'll share the inside details about how... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Three
weeks ago we tried an experiment on a Friday. It went kind of rough,
but it wasn't very busy that night and we made it through. The next
Friday, we stayed the course and things went a little smoother. The
following Friday, even better, starting to find our places and make
things work. This week, things should improve even more. If you've come
in on the last few Fridays, you probably know what I'm talking about-
kids under the legal age to work serving your drinks, a boy one third
my age... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Out
of the blue last week, I was humbled by a note from a customer sent via
email. I was surprised to hear what she thought about Reel Mountain.
Here's her note:
"There's no place like home" .. That's the thought I had a month or so
ago when I found myself 'down the hill' ... and we ventured to the movies 'down there'. I was flabbergasted first at the prices to even get in the door. Then I was doubly flabbergasted when I got to the concession stand. "Who do these people think they are, chargin... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
We don't issue special notices very often, but a couple of things are at hand for your consideration.
Just
today, we secured a collection of memorabilia from WWII era Germany
that ties in remarkably with the currently running film: VALKYRIE.. The
film turns real life facts into a dramatic story about an uprising
against Adolph Hitler in the early 1940's, starring Tom Cruise; it is
thrilling even though history gives away the ending of the film... The
collection includes an original document th... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
This
weekend, our family left town for a couple of days. As you know,
leaving real life for a couple of days can bring into focus your
perspective on your own life- and this weekend did that for me (again).
One of the experiences came from watching Jim Carrey in the 2001 film,
The Majestic. It's hard to succinctly describe what happens in this
movie, but it's worth watching. One of the story lines is the
restoration of a dilapidated movie theater, which sparkled and beckoned
to people at the ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Many,
many new folks on the newsletter circuit this week, with the
introduction of our new rewards card... Welcome! Each week, you'll find
a run down of what's coming, going, happening right now and what's
free. Not every week, but there will be plenty of valuable reasons to
read the whole newsletter. This is a work in progress- if you see
something that we could change to make the newsletter more palatable or
valuable please let us know.
We'll break the news up into different articles, so you... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Exciting weekend ahead! we have been able to book Angelina Jolie's film THE CHANGELING (R).
Directed
by Clint Eastwood, the story focuses on the true life plight of a woman
who's son was kidnapped in the 40's. The LAPD handled the case and
returned a boy- not hers- to 'solve' the case. She fought the police
department- and- you'll have to see it to believe it. Superior film
making, sad tale, don't miss it. Here for just one week.
Next,
Clint Eastwood directs and stars in- GRAN TORINO (R). He pl... Continue reading ...
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
Exciting weekend ahead! we have been able to book Angelina Jolie's film THE CHANGELING
(R). Directed by Clint Eastwood, the story focuses on the true life
plight of a woman who's son was kidnapped in the 40's. The LAPD handled
the case and returned a boy- not hers- to 'solve' the case. She fought
the police department- and- you'll have to see it to believe it.
Superior film making, sad tale, don't miss it. Here for just one week.
Next, Clint Eastwood directs and stars in- GRAN TORINO
(R). He p... Continue reading ...
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This collection of letters
is taken from the weekly email that our Reel Fans receive every Wednesday morning. The letter offers a glimpse from the owner about what's happening when you're away... Now, you aren't getting the whole newsletter here. Subscribe to the newsletter to hear about what's coming and going, special events, plus get regular coupons and special offers that are not found anywhere BUT the Reel Fan newsletter. The letters from Jan 2009 - Oct 2009 are all listed in October, but are under the correct date after October.
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