Cinema Costs!! - 2nd mortgage anyone?

gala_apples

Idio,
as to your question about how many people actually buy food, where I work it's about 35-45% of all the customers, depending on the day. This includes everyone who buys even a bottle of water, and you have to take into account that say a couple visits the cinema, but they pay for their food in one transaction, so even if they both "buy" the food, it's only counted as 50% of the customers. So not everyone buys food, but like I said, I don't mind people bringing in their own.

I don't know much about film politics, other than that there seems to be a lot going on behind the scenes with film buyers and distributors; for example the distributors will tell you how many screenings they want per day and if they want the film in the biggest or the second biggest screen. If you don't agree, you can kiss the film goodbye. The big cinema complexes wouldn't survive if they decided to shut their doors during the day. Although I don't have any idea how the cinemas on Leicester Square in London can charge £20 and over for big new films. Maybe they pay higher rent than elsewhere in the country and have to cover the costs that way?

Geenie's eldest seems to work in a similar place to mine; up-selling is very important to the company but most of the drink and popcorn is always left behind in the cinema, most of the time on the floor no less. Quite disheartening.

jackieb

gala_apples wrote: »

but most of the drink and popcorn is always left behind in the cinema, most of the time on the floor no less. Quite disheartening.

I can't understand why people just don't take their rubbish to the bin outside. It's not difficult. I wonder if some people make as much mess outside as they do in their own houses. It's really selfish.

Sharon87

The reason Leicester Square is so expensive is partly down to its rent, but people are prepared to pay for the 'bragging' factor. "I've been to Leicester Square to watch that new film".

As for prices of other cinemas, Idio, you didn't take into account people's wages. It costs more than 20p to make a hotdog because of the people who make it and serve it (ok, so not the same person). Wages are probably the 2nd biggest cost in cinemas, the 1st is probably the films themselves.

I sometimes buy popcorn from the cinema. I did last time, as I didn't pay for the ticket (used Nectar points ). I hardly ever buy drinks there are they are really expensive for less quality than proper Diet Coke! I've always been tempted to buy Ben and Jerrys at the cinema, but never have yet lol.

I love going to the cinema, the popcorn is great too

Idiophreak

Sharon87 wrote: »

As for prices of other cinemas, Idio, you didn't take into account people's wages. It costs more than 20p to make a hotdog because of the people who make it and serve it (ok, so not the same person). Wages are probably the 2nd biggest cost in cinemas, the 1st is probably the films themselves.

Was kinda factoring it in, tbh...how long's it gonna take? the time it takes to stick a weener on the spinny thing - 15 seconds? (If you put, say, 10 on at once, that gives you a couple of minutes, so you can get them from storage etc) The time it takes to pick the thing up off the spinny thing and stick it in a roll - seems about another 15 seconds work to me, although I have to say it's normally around 3 minutes in my experience, by the time they've faffed about working out where the rolls are, where the tongs are etc etc - with increased throughput you'd like to think they'd get more organised. £6/hour makes 5p the cost of the staff's contribution...

I do see that wages are a big outgoing...and if the cinema ever said "we charge more than europe because we have higher wage bills and higher rent costs", I wouldn't mind as much - but they never do, they just say "we get hardly any of the ticket price because the distributor takes it all". I just can't see the two things can both be true...

Also, I'm aware the number of staff in cinemas has plummeted of late - there always used to be projectionists, there aren't a lot of the time now, there used to be ushers - hardly ever seen these days. Someone used to stand by the exit with a bin bag to encourage people to clean up after themselves - not anymore. Most of the time these days you only see the bank of staff behind the main tills/food counter and the bloke collecting the tickets. Yet I don't recall ticket prices falling (or even rising less sharply) as a result of this reduced service...

robpw2

heres my tip eat as many mcdonalds as you can for the next 15 days and then use the codes to print off vouchers then you have 6 months to use the vouchers so 2 for 1 for 6 months practically

jackieb

robpw2 wrote: »

heres my tip eat as many mcdonalds as you can for the next 15 days and then use the codes to print off vouchers then you have 6 months to use the vouchers so 2 for 1 for 6 months practically

We'd all be like Morgan Spurlock.

Idiophreak

robpw2 wrote: »

heres my tip eat as many mcdonalds as you can for the next 15 days and then use the codes to print off vouchers then you have 6 months to use the vouchers so 2 for 1 for 6 months practically

...if you live that long...

shopaholictiedtheknot

mymatebob wrote: »

Sadly my local picturehouse is now a pub/restaurant.

Judging by how many pubs are closing down you might find they change it back again!!

GoToGal

Ames wrote: »

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.

The midnight showing is the most expensive at Vue :mad: Frankly, I've given up, we're not going to the flicks now unless we're both off on a Wed. It's simply not worth the cost.

shopaholictiedtheknot

I would never stay awake long enough!!