Cinema Costs!! - 2nd mortgage anyone?

Ames

Go to the really late showings, at about midnight. It might not be any cleaner, but it's a lot quieter and the people there are there to see the film, they're not kids there because it's the only place they're old enough to go out to on a friday night. Our local vue used to do fairly small independent films then too, which was good.

gala_apples

Came to the website looking for something else, but happened across this thread and as a cinema employee I feel I should comment on some of the rants

The cinemas themselves don't make money out of the film admissions, depending on the site/chain I believe it's only a few percent of your ticket cost that stays in the company. Not exactly an excuse for high food prices, but there you go, we all have to make a living somehow The reason for different prices at different days/times of the day is, as someone pointed out, to get more people in during the quiet afternoons.

As for taking food inside the cinema; now, every site and chain obviously have their own policies, but the place I work in has no problem letting people in with their own (cold) food and drink. Thanks to a new Poundsavers recently opened nearby, we now get kids and teenagers coming in with their cheap energy drinks and sweets. It only gets annoying when they make a huge mess with the wrappings and spilling their drinks. I've stopped people walking into the screens with hot foods, the likes of pizza (yes, we do have a pizza place in the building) and chips, as these smell much more than the hot dogs you buy on site, and could be annoying to other customers there to enjoy their film.

Someone mentioned bag searches; these are done to check for any film recording equipment, as for example the new Bond film came out in the UK way before the US. I also check for any booze, as this is illegal to bring to the premises :rolleyes: But I'd never stop anyone bringing in their water bottle!

As for the ice... well, we're told that Coca-Cola recommends drinks to be served with that much ice as the dispensed drinks are different to the bottled ones..? Who knows.

I personally love films and I think there's nothing that beats a real big screen with good sound. (Provided of course that there're no annoying/loud customers behind you, or a snogging couple in front of you..) I can't imagine watching the new Bond, or the Dark Knight (which everyone seemed to love) for that matter, on a crappy little laptop screen with the sound coming two seconds behind the picture. Just doesn't do justice to the films.

Just to make it clear, I'm not saying that this is how every cinema should operate, or these are the reasons why they're doing what they're doing, it only applies to the place I work in. I'm also not trying to justify any decisions the big bosses do in their fancy head offices somewhere far away from the customers, but as the person who might serve you on your next visit to watch a film, I humbly ask you not to take it out on me. There is absolutely nothing I can do about the prices or company policies.

Idiophreak

gala_apples wrote: »

The cinemas themselves don't make money out of the film admissions, depending on the site/chain I believe it's only a few percent of your ticket cost that stays in the company. Not exactly an excuse for high food prices, but there you go, we all have to make a living somehow The reason for different prices at different days/times of the day is, as someone pointed out, to get more people in during the quiet afternoons.

Not having a go at you personally, obviously, but these arguments don't hold much weight for me tbh...I've written more or less the following to all of the major chains at some point and...oddly...have never got a reply from any of them...

If so much of the entry fee goes to the distributor of films, as claimed...every time they open their doors cheaper, they're actually just handing the consumer money. They're paying the distributor more than they're taking off you to show you the film. Doesn't make sense, unless, of course, they make it up in food and drink sales, which I can't see them doing. Very few people in my experience actually buy food at the cinema these days - for obvious reasons. (out of interest, as you work there, how do you see this? What % of people do you think actually buy food/drink there? what's their average spend on it?) Seems to make better business sense to just close the place at quiet times. If, however, they do make a profit in these "loss leading" showings, why do they flatly refuse to charge lower admissions for films in smaller screens or at the end of their run, blaming the high fee paid to distributors once again...

Secondly, if the film distributors really are to blame for the high cost of admission - why is it so localised to the UK? Here's a quick comparison of European capital city ticket prices, like for like:
(may be a year or so old by now, actually)

Berlin Cinemaxx 5.40
Madrid Imax 6.08
Paris Forum orient express 3.37
Lisbon Lusomundo Vasco de Gama 3.37
Brussels Vendome 5.00
London Odeon Leicester Sq (Sat night) 17.50
Odeon Marble Arch 11.00
Odeon West End (Leicest Sq) 15.00
Athens Trianon cinema 4.70
Stockholm Filmstaden Sergel 5.82
Amsterdam Pathe De Munt 6.06
Rome Warner Village cinemas, Parco di Medici 3.70
EUROPEAN AVERAGE 4.95

Doesn't take a genius to work out, if this is all down to "distributor" prices, the distributors are royally bending over the UK cinema industry. Or, maybe, it's the UK cinema industry bending over the UK consumer and just trying to cheaply pass the buck.

Finally, I refuse to accept that the food pricing model of the cinemas is the best way of doing it...I just can't see it. Take a hotdog...Cost to the cinema? Around 20p (it's been under the lamp for a couple of days, that electricity adds up...) - now, they sell it for £3.60 - markup of £3.40 per unit. If, however, they were to price it at £1 - they're still making a profit of 400%, not too shabby. Now, I'd certainly buy at least one every time I went. As would my gf and most often any friends I go with - which, in the blink of an eye, if 4 of us - more than making up for the lower profit per item. And, what do you know, I've actually had a better "experience" at the cinema and would be more likely to go again and so on. Interestingly, if the cokes were £1 each, I'd probably have one of those, too...maybe some popcorn for £1 too...before you know it, the cinema's got £12 out of the four of us they weren't getting before...For a total cost of a couple of quid. Sounds like a licence to print money to me.

Now, the only reason I think my logic falls down is the response I always get "it must do"...I mean...if the cinemas could make more money doing it my way...and actually do something toward the whole "It's the experience that counts" thing...why wouldn't they be doing it? That's the bit I don't really understand tbh.

People say "they tried it, it didn't work"...but I can't remember them ever really trying it. I know Vue did an 8 for £8 or something a while ago - got 8 different snacks for £8 before (iirc) 6PM...I had a couple of lots when I went, several of my mates went and got it on my recommendation, so from my point of view it must've worked a little...while they were doing their best to hide the offer and people had to make the special effort to turn out early to get it.

Mainly just ranting, but if you can get any straight answers to any of these points, I'd love to hear them

becky_rtw

Hey Idio,

If you want cheap snacks try your local picturehouse - now the snacks are really cheap and you can buy drinks (of the alcoholic variety) to take into the screening - so much better than the usual cinemas - plus no noisy kids

Much better all round!

Idiophreak

becky_rtw wrote: »

Hey Idio,

If you want cheap snacks try your local picturehouse - now the snacks are really cheap and you can buy drinks (of the alcoholic variety) to take into the screening - so much better than the usual cinemas - plus no noisy kids

Much better all round!

Yeah, sadly the only place really like that locally is quite artshouse, so don't always have the bigger releases and, to be honest, don't have the money to kit it out to a decent level. Real shame.

becky_rtw

Ahh mine is quite good, but the tickets are the usual London rip off prices still *sigh* cant have everything I suppose...

Geenie

Bambywamby wrote: »

The price of cinema tickets are bad...but the cost of food at the cinema is DISGUSTING.

A bag of Walkers crisps (normal size 35gms) is £1.20 and a bottle of water 500mls costs £1.95 at my local flicks...and I refuse to pay it.

If we do go to the piccys we go on Wednesday with Orange (two tickets for the price of one) and take our own sweets & drinks.

My eldest works at a local cinema...big chain, when home from Uni......not for the wages she admits, but for all the free films she gets to see, so always skint!!

The food and drink is what they make money on, not the films. Imagine all the screens in a multiplex running empty during the day, but still having to show a film, even if only a couple of people in there! So they over charge on the refreshments area, and sweets.

They have to up sell at all times, saying that if you get the larger pop corn you are supposedly saving money!! :rolleyes: And things like the big paper cups of Coke have to be a good half full or more of ice before putting the drink in!! If they are caught not bulking out drinks with lots of ice, they are reprimanded or sacked!

Her advice is never buy any food or drink in a cinema but take your own.

Geenie

Idiophreak wrote: »

Not having a go at you personally, obviously, but these arguments don't hold much weight for me tbh...I've written more or less the following to all of the major chains at some point and...oddly...have never got a reply from any of them...

If so much of the entry fee goes to the distributor of films, as claimed...every time they open their doors cheaper, they're actually just handing the consumer money. They're paying the distributor more than they're taking off you to show you the film. Doesn't make sense, unless, of course, they make it up in food and drink sales, which I can't see them doing. Very few people in my experience actually buy food at the cinema these days - for obvious reasons. (out of interest, as you work there, how do you see this? What % of people do you think actually buy food/drink there? what's their average spend on it?) Seems to make better business sense to just close the place at quiet times. If, however, they do make a profit in these "loss leading" showings, why do they flatly refuse to charge lower admissions for films in smaller screens or at the end of their run, blaming the high fee paid to distributors once again...

Secondly, if the film distributors really are to blame for the high cost of admission - why is it so localised to the UK? Here's a quick comparison of European capital city ticket prices, like for like:
(may be a year or so old by now, actually)

Berlin Cinemaxx 5.40
Madrid Imax 6.08
Paris Forum orient express 3.37
Lisbon Lusomundo Vasco de Gama 3.37
Brussels Vendome 5.00
London Odeon Leicester Sq (Sat night) 17.50
Odeon Marble Arch 11.00
Odeon West End (Leicest Sq) 15.00
Athens Trianon cinema 4.70
Stockholm Filmstaden Sergel 5.82
Amsterdam Pathe De Munt 6.06
Rome Warner Village cinemas, Parco di Medici 3.70
EUROPEAN AVERAGE 4.95

Doesn't take a genius to work out, if this is all down to "distributor" prices, the distributors are royally bending over the UK cinema industry. Or, maybe, it's the UK cinema industry bending over the UK consumer and just trying to cheaply pass the buck.

Finally, I refuse to accept that the food pricing model of the cinemas is the best way of doing it...I just can't see it. Take a hotdog...Cost to the cinema? Around 20p (it's been under the lamp for a couple of days, that electricity adds up...) - now, they sell it for £3.60 - markup of £3.40 per unit. If, however, they were to price it at £1 - they're still making a profit of 400%, not too shabby. Now, I'd certainly buy at least one every time I went. As would my gf and most often any friends I go with - which, in the blink of an eye, if 4 of us - more than making up for the lower profit per item. And, what do you know, I've actually had a better "experience" at the cinema and would be more likely to go again and so on. Interestingly, if the cokes were £1 each, I'd probably have one of those, too...maybe some popcorn for £1 too...before you know it, the cinema's got £12 out of the four of us they weren't getting before...For a total cost of a couple of quid. Sounds like a licence to print money to me.

Now, the only reason I think my logic falls down is the response I always get "it must do"...I mean...if the cinemas could make more money doing it my way...and actually do something toward the whole "It's the experience that counts" thing...why wouldn't they be doing it? That's the bit I don't really understand tbh.

People say "they tried it, it didn't work"...but I can't remember them ever really trying it. I know Vue did an 8 for £8 or something a while ago - got 8 different snacks for £8 before (iirc) 6PM...I had a couple of lots when I went, several of my mates went and got it on my recommendation, so from my point of view it must've worked a little...while they were doing their best to hide the offer and people had to make the special effort to turn out early to get it.

Mainly just ranting, but if you can get any straight answers to any of these points, I'd love to hear them

There is a lot of piracy with films and lost revenue. So I would imagine the distributors are factoring this into what they charge the cinemas. Go to somewhere like Thailand, and you can pick up films not released for ages cheaply on DVD!

It is surprising how much food and drink is sold at cinemas....especially when kids are around the pick and mix! Though it may all change now with people tightening their belts.



Films are so valuable now, that when the reels are delivered to the cinema, say for Quantam of Solace coming out the following week, they are brought in by Security Vans, complete with men in helmets etc!!!

mymatebob

becky_rtw wrote: »

Hey Idio,

If you want cheap snacks try your local picturehouse - now the snacks are really cheap and you can buy drinks (of the alcoholic variety) to take into the screening - so much better than the usual cinemas - plus no noisy kids

Much better all round!

Sadly my local picturehouse is now a pub/restaurant.
Despite a petition and protests this beautiful listed building was vandalised by one of Glasgows developers and turned into another of his !!!! establishments

Neobright

shopaholictiedtheknot wrote: »

Well, I am here for another rant:mad:

Just been looking online to book to go and see Quantum of Solace and cannot believe the prices!

To book 2 tickets online for 6.30 this evening
Total cost £15

But...

To buy tickets at the cinema for 11.45 on Saturday

Total cost £9.50

So a difference of £5.50 to see the exact same film in the exact same place - am I missing something?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1:mad:

An economist would call this a 'kinked demand curve'. If you are looking at going in the evening, not only is it busier, but the chances are that you are pressed for time. You don't want to shop around for a deal but you want to go at a specific time or day the you are free. You are price inelastic and therefore a flat demand curve in relation to quantity and price.

If you are looking at going on the weekend then the probability is you can be more selective and will 'shop around' for the best deal. You'll go for the cheaper ticket. You are more responsive to price changes so you have a steeper demand curve in relation to quantity and price.

This is the same logic but train tickets. Buy a ticket on the day and the chances are that you don't have an option NOT to travel. It could be work or an emergency. You also certainly cannot shop around for the best deal.

Have a look at this:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5BQPx8SL9F4