TERMINATOR: FAR From TERMINAL

Terminator Franchise Is Alive and Well

Last month I posted on the comeback of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the return of the Terminator films.  Now it's official, Paramount Studios announced that not one but three new films based on the cyborg character will be produced.  The first, Terminator 5 is scheduled to be released in June of 2015.

The Terminator franchise started in 1984 with the release of The Terminator (which was created by James Cameron).  It was followed by three sequels: T2-Judgment Day, T3-Rise of the Machines, and T4-Salvation.  The franchise also includes a TV Series: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, video games, toys, and novels.

Schwarzenegger will return to the role that made him a star, and Paramount stated that Laeta Kalorgridis (Avatar) will work on the screenplay. Justin Lin, of  The Fast and Furious series, is being courted for the directorship.

The revival of the Terminator films is due to David and Megan Ellison, children of Oracle Corporation founder and billionaire Larry Ellison.  Both children manage separate movie production companies: David helms Skydance Productions (recent projects: World War Z, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Jack Reacher); while Megan Ellison runs Annapurna, which specializes in high-end independent films, such as: The Master, Zero Dark Thirty, Killing Them Softly, and Spring Breakers.

The Ellisons joined forces to produce the upcoming three Terminator films when Megan bought the rights to the franchise for $20 million two years ago.  The rights were originally owned by James Cameron which were sold for $25 million in 2007.

As fate and U.S. copyright laws would have it, the rights automatically revert to the original holder after 35 years, no matter who owns them, and thus the Ellisons have them until 2018, at which time, Cameron will regain ownership. 

Hollywood - Born Again !

Hollywood Gets Religion?

Former Pennsylvania Senator and conservative runner-up of the 2012 Republican nomination for the Presidential run, Rick Santorum has resurfaced as the Head of a movie studio - taking the helm of Christian faith-based Echolight Studios.

Echolight has release eight straight-to-video feature films since its inception in 2011 and currently has four movies in post-production. By Hollywood standards Echolight's productions, which cost $2-2.5 million, are small-fry, but Santorum believes Christian valued, family-friendly movies have a large audience to serve which has been  neglected by Hollywood (see insert of recent Echolight film "Redemption").  Santorum said he hopes to attract Hollywood film-makers to the cause, stating "We're looking for talented people who want to make quality films even though we won't be spending tens of millions of dollars on each film.  We want good writers, actors, and producers who want to make honest, uplifting content." Adding, "There's a lot of good family movies produced in Hollywood, but in almost every one of them there's a scene where, I say, Why did they put that gratuitous sex, language, or violence in there? To me, it diminishes the film, so we won't be doing that. Even in faith-based films, Hollywood tends to water down the truth."

Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Echolight is far removed from Hollywood but is on a mission. Santorum says, "I don't want to preach to anybody, I just want to portray faith as it really is, and we're going to be telling a lot of true-life stories, and we're going to make them comfortable even for people who are not of faith, because they are honest.  That's the challenge for us, and it's what Hollywood tends to shy away from."

Irregardless, my take is: any movie that gets people into cinemas is a good movie be it faith-based or not. There may be, as Santorum alludes to, a huge untapped audience which desires to be entertained by Christian faith-based films, if so - great, Echolight hopefully will tap into it.

Best and Happy Movie Going!
Jim Lavorato

CineBUZZ Weekly Report - 25 June 2013

Trailers, Teasers, Tweets, & Tweasers

On June 8, 2013, I published a post which spoke to the changes taking place regarding movie previews (see 'It's All In The Timing' - 'Movie Trailers - Time For A Change?').
This notion interested me so I did further research and found, to my surprise, that there is a world-wide fan base devoted exclusively to movie trailers - it is a genre unto itself.

This year, fans will watch over one billion trailers on YouTube alone!  As soon as a teaser (web speak for trailer) goes live, all hell breaks loose.  Web sites like IGN and Vulture post shot-by-shot deconstructions and Slate has dedicated trailer critics - movie trailers have become an industry.

Over the past decade, movie previews have evolved from one note ads to mini-movies.
Morphing from a single trailer and TV spot to the current situation where there are trailers, teasers, separate international vs. domestic trailers, and even made-up parodies of trailers.  For example,  a company called, Skip Film pioneered the "six-second" movie teaser video - termed a 'tweaser', it is a tweet plus a teaser merged.

Following are several definitions to help you navigate the 'new' world of movie previews:

- Trailers: A 2-3 minute 'view' of a movie, exhibited pre-feature at cinemas or on the internet.
- International Trailer: A similar trailer, but not identical to the U.S. version.  These trailers tend to focus more on character and emotion vs. events and action.
- Fan Trailer: A trailer 'made-up' by a movie fan.  There are literally millions on the 'net'.
- Teaser: About half the length of a trailer, a teaser is just what the name implies.
- Tweaser: Only 6-10 seconds, but still tells a story. A hybred of a tweet and a teaser, the tweaser gets just one idea across.

So, when you're at the movies or on-line give the trailer the appreciation it deserves. A lot of work goes into making a good trailer/teaser/tweaser.

ESPN Turns Off 3D

It's not only the silver screen where audiences are losing interest in the 3D format but the TV screen as well.  Last week, ESPN (the premier sports broadcaster) announced it was shuttering its ESPN3D network by year end.

Launched in 2010, with the coverage of the World Cup that year, ESPN cited a lack of consumer interest in the 3D format which prompted the decision.  Available to 75 million households, only a very small number subscribed to the enhanced 3D format.
High production costs, slow sales of 3D TVs, and the need to wear special glasses contributed to the consumer's 3D malaise.

With ESPN's exit, only the Discovery Channel, Sony, Imax 3D, and Comcast's Xfinity 3D are the only remaining 3D TV content providers.

Best & Happy Movie Going!
Jim Lavorato

UP TO NO GOOD !

Disney and Sony Test Distribution Limit

Disney Studios and Sony Pictures have quietly begun testing a new movie distribution model - allowing pay-per-view (VOD) of the movie while it is still showing in movie theatres.  This 'testing' is taking place in South Korea and is the first time the option to view a movie at a cinema or in your home via cable, internet, or satellite TV provider is being offered.

The other four major studios are closely watching; however, Disney and Sony have been tight-lipped about the results.  It is widely thought that revenue from these premium VOD films were 30% higher than regular VOD sales, and cost $9 per view. According to Kim Young-gi of the Korean Film Counsel, "Movie-going is a cultural experience, VOD is like watching TV, I expect these markets to remain separate". Well, that is one opinion.

I have stated in CMG many times that eventually movies will be distributed day-and-date across all distribution platforms - so it should come as no surprise that the studios would covertly test market this model. It is imperative that cinemas prepare for this inevitable event and endeavor to present movies in the best possible way and offer varied and valued concession. Exhibitors should view their theatres as destinations and not just a places to see a movie.

Best
Jim Lavorato

HOLLYWOOD'S BIGGEST CHEERLEADER

Longtime U.S. Senator Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut) took over the helm at the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) two years ago having left the Senate right after enactment of  landmark legislation that he co-authored - the Dodd/Frank Financial Reform Act.

Dodd: Sees role as industry advocate.

As Head of the MPAA, Dodd has taken on the role of cheerleader and outspoken advocate and discussed his views in a recent interview.

CMG: How is the MPAA and Hollywood dealing with on-line piracy?

CD: It is about the product. It is about our artists, our creators, and the 2.1 million people who work behind the camera in the film and television industries.  But it is also about you, the consumer. The consumer deserves a great product and they tell us this everyday by viewing our great products.

CMG: How is the MPAA getting that message across?

CD: We need to frame the debate more about the positive things we do and why piracy really hurts the consumer, in addition to whatever damage it does to our industry.  So, we need to engage in a positive message about why intellectual property, copyright, and piracy are matters that are not just the concern of the industry that produces them but the audience that depends on them.

CMG: So, what do you think is the best approach?

CD: It seems to me that what really needs to happen is what is happening.  I hope the MPAA is demonstrating a changed approach on this issue, and that is, let's ask our consumers to share with us their views and thoughts on how they view the piracy issue.  For example, Google is willing to change its algorithms so that when you search for movies, the page that pops up doesn't have five sites on it that are illegal. It would elevate and perhaps place an identifier on the legal sites for the consumer, because it is awfully hard to detect a legal from an illegal site.

CMG: Do you believe this will work?

CD: Our surveys and research are discovering that with the availability of legal sites at a price point that is affordable, an awful lot of people will go in that direction.

I looked at a new approach the other day, whereby if you or I went to an illegal site, a pop-up appears and says, "This site is illegal. If you'd like to see Lincoln, there are four different sites you can go to and watch the movie at this same price point."  The assumption is that when that pops up and you show an alternative where you can get the same movie, and a better copy of it, and a legal copy, at an affordable price you will take that simple step to do it.   Does this wipe piracy out? No, but it will certainly be a big move in the right direction.

CMG: You once stated that you didn't want to be a lobbyist. So, why did you take the MPAA position?

CD: I'm an advocate for this industry and becoming an evangelist.  The more I learn, the more I respect this industry.  For years there were only three networks and the only way to see a movie was to go to your local cinema.  There was no internet, no cable, none of the new technologies that have emerged.  All the news you read about Hollywood was the glamour side of it, the Oscar night, the movie magazines, etc. But the more I've learned about the number of jobs involved and the amount of revenues they generate, the branding of an industry from which we have benefited tremendously and the long list of movies that have done far more than entertain but have changed peoples attitudes in this country and elsewhere, I think the industry is under appreciated and I feel a passion about informing others that, with all its shortcomings and flaws, this is a very important American industry, and it deserves a better understanding of how much good it does on a variety of levels. And, to that extent, I have become an evangelist.

CMG: Many thanks, Senator.   

IT'S HARD BEING HILLARY

Up-front I have to admit that I'm really sick of the Clintons, Bushes, Gores, Romneys,
Kennedys and all husbands, wives, sons, daughters, and sundry relations that plague our political landscape.  Having said that, to my chagrin it appears that Hillary will be making a run for the Presidency.  So, to enhance her chances for success a bio-pic (entitled Rodham) is in the works, the release of which (coincidently) will coincide with the 2016 election.

Carey Mulligam

However, it appears that the project hit its first snag this week. Carey Mulligan, who was chosen to portray Hillary turned down the role - stating that "it conflicted with her schedule".  Mulligan recently starred in The Great Gatsby and will be seen next in the Coen Brothers' new film, Inside Llewyn Davis.

I think Mulligan made the right decision by refusing the Hillary role. It is no secret that the storyline is written to reflect Hillary in the very best light.  For example, the film's synopsis reads, "During the height of the Watergate scandal, rising star Hillary Rodham is the youngest lawyer chosen for the House Judiciary Committee to impeach Nixon, but she soon finds herself forced to choose between a destined path to the White House and her unresolved feelings for Bill Clinton, her former boyfriend who now teaches law in Arkansas."  Yes, high drama and internal conflict abound for Hillary.

Hillary has always looked frumpy and slightly bloated, not so the striking and slim Mulligan (Scarlett Johansson and Emma Stone are said to be Mulligan's alternates).
My suggestion would be Mellissa McCarthy for the role - perfect.  As far as a Hillary Presidency - it would be better termed a Billary Presidency. Nuff-said!

HOLLYWOOD GETS 'OLDER'

Tinseltown has always favored young women but this may be changing as a majority of moviegoers age.  The trend now seems to favor older, mature, and experienced female actors. In fact, the Hollywood Reporter says that nine out of the top 10 earning actresses are over age 37.  For females, 40 was usually the age for hitting the wall in Hollywood, it was all downhill from there.

Anti-aging techniques also contribute. An actresses 40 can now look the same as she was at 30 so it keeps the 'star' in the limelight.  For example, Gwyneth Paltrow, 41, plays Pepper Potts in the Ironman films - this casting wouldn't have happened 10 years ago.  Another trend is cross-casting, whereby women take on roles normally cast for men.  Be it as politicians, race-car drivers, front line soldiers, or superheros (think Milla Jovovich as Alice in the Resident Evil franchise, or Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft) women in films are getting older and better.

Best & Happy Movie Going!
Jim Lavorato

SLAMDANCE : On The 'BIG Screen'

Slamdance

Founded in 1995 as a counter-point to the Sundance Film Festival, Slamdance has built a reputation for jumpstarting the careers of many successful film makers. To further its cinema footprint and reputation, Slamdance has partnered with Cinedigm, a leader in digital independent content and distribution to cinemas.

The Park City, Utah based Slamdance Film Festival and LA-based Cinedigm will bring a slate of independently produced films to cinemas and other digital platforms.
This month they are starting with three award winning films: Stranger Things, Hybred, and The First Season - all entrants and winners of Slamdance and other film awards.  The trio will debut, this month, at cinemas which have signed onto the Cinedigm program, with other films to follow in upcoming months.

"The partnership between Cinedigm and Slamdance is a natural," says Erick Opeka, Senior VP Digital, Cinedigm.  "Cinedigm is the world leader in digital independent content distribution and Slamdance has always been very innovative on the digital front."

This partnership represents but one option for cinemas to obtain and exhibit fresh and heretofore unavailable content to their audiences - made possible with the conversion to digital cinema operation.  This type of content may not 'play well'  at every cinema but for those with the proper demographic it is a money maker and should be considered.

Laser Projection For Cinemas - Moves Forward

Laser Light Engines, LLC, a leader in laser projection for digital cinema announced last week that it will be shipping projectors to equipment manufacturers  for applications outside of the cinema industry.  "Our technology is helping to revolutionize cinema with clearer, brighter images, and this shipment indicates that other industries are ready to take advantage of our production-ready technology, as well," stated Bill Beck, Founder and EVP at Laser Light Engines. "The LLE units will be incorporated into precision 3D metrology systems that will be sold to end-users such as automakers, jet engine manufacturers, mobile phone makers, and others that require extreme measurement  precision and high throughput".

LLE's  Despeckle Green color module technology, enables a new generation of illumination, especially in 2D and 3D digital cinema where the computer-controlled illumination system can retrofit to thousands of cinemas worldwide.  The LLE system delivers light via optical fiber cable, providing almost unlimited flexibility regarding illumination levels.

Whether the cinema industry is receptive to another round of innovation on the heels of the recent conversion to digital projection is doubtful.  There will be early adopters of LLE's technology but I believe the adoption of laser projection at cinemas will take some time.

Best & Happy Movie Going!
Jim Lavorato

IT'S ALL IN THE 'TIMING'

A CMG summer 'sleeper' pick, The Purge, will hit it big this weekend!  As tropical

storm Andrea beats up the East Coast from Florida to Maine people will flock to cinemas and the big beneficiary will be The Purge - a semi-horror thriller from Universal, and an unlikely blockbuster that will gross over $50 million this weekend (my prediction).  That is a huge number when you consider the movie only cost $3 million to produce and carries an 'R' rating.

The premise of the film is that once every year for 12 hours, anyone can commit any crime they wish. All social violence thus is compacted into a dawn-to-dusk time frame.  This 'purging' rids society of all undesirables, wackos, social misfits, and unfortunately , good folks as well.  Boiled down, The Purge, is another run-of-the-mill home invasion film be it a decently made one.

Who was it that said, "Timing is everything".  Well, in this case, The Purge's, couldn't have been better. Bad weather and no other weekend releases to complete with combine to make a so-so thriller best in show.  Yea, that's Hollywood.

Movie Trailers - Time For A Change?

Many moviegoers complain about coming attractions (termed trailers or previews). Too long, too many, give away too much story, they are all the same, etc.  But it's not just moviegoers but movie owners that are complaining.  In fact, the lobby group for theatre owners, the National Assoc. of Theatre Owners (NATO)  wants to establish a new rule that would limit the length of a trailer to two minutes.  This would be down from the current average of two and a-half minutes.

Today, unlike the past - where trailers could be viewed only at cinemas - they are now seen as 30 second spots on TV and full-length on-line (which is another controversy as some studios love it when the movie's website gets favorable hits and tweets but hate it when the tweets go negative).

The question is, would a mandated two minute length change the make-up of trailers? CMG asked Mark Woollen, President of Woollen & Associates, which produces trailer spots for the silver screen, as well as, 'small' screens, just that. "I'm definitely in the less-is-more camp. There are plenty of trailers that reveal too much. I would be interested to see if the two minute format would force us all to be more creative. On the other hand, many people want more information on films and want easy access to it."

Let's have your comments.

Best
Jim Lavorato

CinemaBUZZ - Week of 7 June 2013

Disney Goes It Alone



Disney Studios will open the Disney Digital Copy Plus (DDCP) website on June 11th, the DVD release date of Oz - The Great and Powerful.  Disney's goal is to have buyers of their DVD and BluRay discs access a digital copy of the film directly from the DDCP website instead of actually receiving a 'hard copy' disc of the movie.

Upon accessing DDCP the movie is delivered to the purchaser's media provider of choice: iTunes, Amazon, or Vudu - thus eliminating the need for a digital copy (disc).
According to Disney, DDCP was designed to make it easier for the consumer as it works across all browsers and allows for the capability to redeem the digital version of the purchased movie on any connected device - home-based or mobile.

Bucking the trend, Disney is going it alone with DDCP and is not joining all of the other major studios in the use of  UltraViolet, a digital rights management system that lets consumers buy a movie and access the content through the cloud at any time, on any device.  Warners and Sony offer only UltraViolet access with their discs, while Fox, Universal, Paramount, and Lionsgate offer both UltraViolet access and a traditionally downloaded digital copy of their movies.  Fox is the only studio that still includes a hard-copy disc, embedding access to UltraViolet on the disc.


The Hollywood/Moscow/Washington Connection

I have always liked Steven Seagal's films (what you see is what you get). He has starred in over 45 features that span a 25 year Hollywood career and he seemed to have a knack for picking great co-stars - from Sharon Stone to Michael Caine, Tommy Lee Jones to Katherine Heigl.  He is now taken on the role as spokesman for a Russian arms manufacturer. On Tuesday, during a tour of a Russian weapons factory in Kovrov, a city approx. 160 miles from Moscow, Seagal had this to say, "My friend, Igor Kesayev invited me here. On his request I have agreed to be featured in advertisements for Kovrov weapons for the US".  Igor Kesayev, is the owner of the weapons factory, and is reported by Forbes Magazine to be worth over $2 billion.

For some time, Seagal has been chumming around with Russian President Vad Putin (see photo insert) and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.  Putin is a judo expert, holding a black belt in that art. Seagal is also a big fan of the martial arts, holding a 7th degree black belt in Aikido.  Putin recently made public that he and Seagal were long time friends that share an interest is supporting and promoting martial arts in school athletic programs.

The oddest thing is that Seagal is becoming a defacto go-between for Russian and US officials.  In March, the Russian government asked Seagal to lobby US legislators to abolish restrictions on the sale of  Russian weapons in the US. And recently Seagal helped arrange a meeting with senior Russian officials for a group of US Congressmen visiting Russia in the hopes of boosting counter-terrorism ties between the two countries given the Chechen tie-in with the terrorists responsible for the recent Boston bombings.

Hollywood ceases to amaze. As quasi ambassador to Russia Seagal is starring in his biggest role ever. Best of luck Steven!

Who Would Have Thunk It 


If you thought the Seagal story was odd than Michael Douglas' revelation that oral sex caused his throat cancer is even weirder, but probably true. Last week, during an interview to promote his new movie, Behind The Candelabra (a biopic about Liberace) Douglas revealed that his near fatal bout with cancer was due to having oral sex and not caused by years of smoking and boozing. "No, because without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV (human papillomavirus) which actually comes about from oral sex"  stated the 68 year old who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2010 and underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatment - he is now free of cancer.

HPV is a sexually transmitted virus which is thought to be responsible for the relatively recent  increase in detected oral cancers.  There are more than 100 variants of HPV, and while some are spread by skin-to-skin contact most are typically spread during oral sex. HPV is common, by the age of 25, 90% of sexually active people will have been exposed to some form of HPV. It is responsible for 30% of all oral cancers, and is most common in heterosexual men in their 40s and 50s.  Teenage girls, in most developed countries, are vaccinated against HPV which protects them from cervical cancer - and now, it appears, also protects their future partners from HPV related oral cancers.

As for Douglas, his interview went weird when he stated that " Yeah, it's a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer. And if you have it, oral sex is also the best cure for it".  Wow, or just keep things out of your mouth, Mike.

Best and Happy Movie Going!
Jim Lavorato

The Smiths - Reality Hollywood Style

The Smiths

Living life at the outer limits, Will Smith and son, Jaden, gave a 'twilight zone'  interview to New York Magazine last week that went weird. A promo interview for the movie After Earth, which stars both father and son, the Smiths responded to questions in other-worldly fashion. They spoke of mathematical theories previously published only on the wrinkled inside of fast food takeout bags. Will, "I'm a student of patterns. At heart, I'm a physicist. I look at everything in my life as trying to find the single equation, the heart of everything."

The responses, I believe, capture the essence of the 'bubble' lives of the Hollywood elite.  It's not good, bad, or crazy - it just is.  Will Smith is an 'A' lister and like many in the Hollywood family practices nepotism - which has been a mainstay vice in Tinseltown of decades. This often spawns contrived actors who are spoon-fed 10 word at a time scripts and use every known cinema enhancement gimmick from voice-overs to body doubles.  But it all part of the trade.

For the Hollywood elite, reality and fantasy blur.  For example, Jaden Smith, who is 15, has stated that he will file for legal emancipation from his parents control next year.  Emancipation from what is unclear - a dream life perhaps.  The Smiths are a metaphore for Hollywood - self-engrossed, dollar driven, egotistical, nepotistic, all injected with heavy doses of megalomania.  Hmmm, but isn't this what Hollywood is all about and what makes it tick.  For without these traits Hollywood would not exist. For in what other industry do you see hundreds of millions of dollars being invested on a daily basis in projects where success is determined by moviegoer preference.

So, let's cut the Smiths a little slack. Sure they have hundreds of millions, sure they live in a bubble, sure they have weird life-styles and viewpoints, but from where they stand this is normal and evident behavior.

Best and Happy Movie Going!
Jim Lavorato

Cinema BUZZ - Weekly Report/31 May 2013

It's 'Back to the Future' for Schwarzeneggar

I'll Be Back !

Arnie S. will star in three upcoming sequels in which he previously starred - Terminator, Conan, and Twins.  The ex-California governor will star in a new Terminator 5 which is currently being scripted.  James Cameron is advising on the T-5 project.

Additionally, a new Conan, produced by Universal, will star Arnie and pick up where the third Conan left off.  And finally, Triplets, the sequel to the popular Twins movie, will star Arnie, as well as, original co-star Danny DeVito and add Eddie Murphy to the mix.

All and all, not too shabby for Schwarzy as he 'will be back'.

We Three Kings

A "tell it all" biopic on the last days of Martin Luther King's life will soon be in production, with British director Paul Greengrass heading the project.  To be shot like a docu-drama, 'Memphis' (the film's title) has slated Forest Whitaker to portray King.

King was shot dead on April 4, 1968 and James Earl Ray was convicted and sentenced to life for the murder.  Ray, who later recanted his confession to the shooting, died in prison in 1998.  His claim of innocence was affirmed by the King family who have said they do not believe Ray was responsible for the murder.

The King family is not involved with the 'Memphis' project but are working on their own biopic which will also depict King as a troubled figure - good and bad.  And, if that was not enough, a third movie about King's death - entitled 'Orders To Kill' - is in the works.  Described as a conspiracy theory drama it is to star Hugh Jackman as Barry Pepper, an attorney who has argued for decades that King was assassinated by unknown powers, which included forces within the U.S. government.

All three pics will hopefully provide some tidbits of reality regarding King's motives, personal turmoils, and his demise.

Cinema Advertising 'Finally' Goes Mainstream

Up to now, advertising in cinemas was an after-thought (at best) for major manufacturers and retailers, not so anymore. As the cinema has become the 'fourth screen' for ads after TVs, PCs, and mobile.  With 1.4 billion U.S. admissions this year, many see the cinema as a good way to reach an audience that is not only attentive but has no control over viewing the ad or not.  A perfect example is Taco Bell, a division of the Yum Brands Company. Only last year did Taco Bell execs see the benefit of cinema advertising.  Juliet Corsinita, Senior Director for Media at Taco Bell states, "We began to realize the value of the big screen and leverage that. Our cinema spots complement our TV ads, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays when people are not watching a lot of TV these days".  The cinema spots also help Taco Bell reach younger, multicultural consumers, who also tend to be movergoers.

Screenvision and National CineMedia, the two top sellers of commercials in cinemas have recently taken a page out of the TV ad playbook and have began to hold upfront presentations and get paid in advance for ads.  For example, Screenvision will assure advertisers that they will be able to reach certain numbers of consumers in specific demographic groups if they buy commercial time from Screenvision before hand.

Used is a season pricing model. Dividing months into four periods. The highest ad rates will be charged during June, July, November and December - big months for moviegoing.  The lowest rates will be for January, February, April and October.


Best
Jim Lavorato