Box office is one way a film makes its cash: but what are the others?
I know youll have noticed this by now, but its definitely called show business for a reason.
Its not show show art, show entertainment or even show exhibitionist impulse.
Unless movies make money, the money to make movies would dry up pretty quickly.
But where does this money come from?
Actually, thats an easy one.
It comes, almost entirely, from you and me and people like us.
Some of the pathways are incredibly obvious, some perhaps a little less so.
Lets take a look at 16 of the ways that movies make money.
I had just started working in a cinema whenJurassic Parkwas released.
But our manager did, excitedly chirruping that he hadnt seen the crowds packed in like this sinceGrease.
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Grease.
Its certainly true that there were a lot of hot, sweaty bodies fighting for seats that night.
It almost makes me feel nostalgic to think of the fuss and fluster.
But theres a twist to this tale of blockbusting thunder lizards.
It was the story of Blue Mondays floppy disc sleeve all over again.
But this, thankfully, was an extreme example.
I spent some time booking films for rep, and got quite used to the system.
The cinema would then pay whichever was higher, the guarantee or the percentage.
Selling films just isnt enough to make big business out of selling films.
So the concession stand becomes incredibly important to the cinema.
There are two kinds of films that typically get four-walled.
But he also got to reap the rewards, and the very existence ofThe Devils Carnival 2speaks volumes.
The other is the loss-leader.
Arguably,Veronica Marswas one of those.
As noted, some films are being offered via VOD at the same time as their cinema releases.
17 weeks seems like no time at all, but I still elect to see films in the cinema.
Not because Im impatient, but because they deserve the respect, and because I want the best effect.
Id still go if the window vanished completely, but I understand that many wouldnt.
Ask yourself now what the reasonable price for a film on disc is.
Now think about what you get for that money.
Come day of release, the titles were there, but Amazon had shut down any pre-sales.
The various Sky Movies channels make for an interesting study here.
Then they fill up their schedule with… other films.
When licensing films to screen, theyll tend to buy them in packages.
I cooked those numbers and skewed the titles, but I think youll get the idea.
Even crummy old films are pushed on TV stations, and charged for.
A similar thing will happen with Netflix, wholl also license many films in blocks.
Another small screen outlet will be up in the air.
Movies are also licensed for those smudgy little panes on the back of airplane seats.
Its slightly less obvious than television, I guess, and the films tend to be rather newer.
Have you seen Mel BrooksThe Producers?
Uwe Boll certainly has.
Australia has recently agreed to welcome the nextPirates Of The Caribbeanmovie to its shores.
Its good for the country for the filmmakers to go there, and spend money there.
Things then stayed rather discreet until the 1970s.
T-shirts, lunchboxes, calendars and bedspreads are amongst the other, obvious mainstays of merchandising.
Novelisations and video games are a specific kind of merchandise that become new media works in their own right.
Talking ofBoxtrolls, its bound to have a lovelyArt Ofbook, likeParanormanandCoralinebefore it.
Thats probably my personal favourite kind of movie tie-in of all.
Marvel Comics are an interesting sidebar here, I think.
Which might, of course, make them more profitable.
Cast your mind back toJurassic Parkonce again.
I dont think well ever see aSquid And The Whaleroller coaster, by the way.
Money springs up around cinema because cineastes will indulge in their passion even when it costs them.
This would be particularly true on quiz night, Id suppose.
You cant have a Movie Quiz without movies.
Licensing films to play in the classroom isnt cheap and can cost well over 100 per title.
Talking of my students, heres an exercise Ive used to bore them all.
Id cover the whiteboard with a whole scatter of words, nodes of the film industrys cashflow.
Id write up Cinema and DVD shop, Film Studio and Actors and a whole bunch more besides.
Wed end up with a good dozen arrows, snaking around all over the board.
There were two nodes on that board of particular interest.
One would be customer, which had arrows coming out but none going in.
The opposite would be pirates with arrows going in, but none coming out.
And no, thats not career advice.
Now, Id have been happier with show art or show entertainment, though probably not show exhibitionist impulse.
Show business is what we have, though, and it can work.
Money might make the wheels turn round, but its not always in control of the handlebars.
Show business isnt so bad, I suppose.
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