RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Just wondering…I read somewhere a while back that Columbus had a thriving movie scene with more screens per capita than most US cities (don’t quote me on that). But what happened? It seems like Columbus is on the bottom end of the release date cities for non-major studio releases. Why do we have to wait so long (months after most cities our size) to get releases of Independent films? I get that we won’t get them before LA, NYC, Chicago or other major markets, but not before Indianapolis, Austin or Tucson? A prefect example is the release of ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ and ‘Safety Not Guaranteed’ whose websites don’t even mention a Columbus release date. Does anyone have input?
Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion » Everyday Chit Chat
Does Columbus have ANY movie release date clout at all?
[24 posts] [10 contributors]
Topic Rating:
(Total Ratings: )
Rate this topic:
Rate this topic:
-
melikecheese
Merion Village
Login to Send PM
Seems about right to me, sometimes just because you have a lot of screens doesn't mean people want to give you early screenings. I suspect most select cities are selected more based on their culture perception of outsiders.
Someone may look at Austin and go, SXSW....lots of movie related events, a large movie scene.
I am not sure Columbus has the same affect on people....oh look a ton of AMC chains...
Do you think it has something to do with what movies actually do well here? Maybe they look at the breakdown of whats being seen in a city before wanting to go there.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown / Gay Street
Login to Send PM
It sounds like the issue with Columbus not being on the list for films with limited release dates? Instead, we get the films on the wide release date along with 95% of the rest of the country?
I don't really see what the problem is.
Posted 11 months ago # -
melikecheese
Merion Village
Login to Send PM
-
groundrules
Login to Send PM
we're only a test market for chow.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Graybeak
Hunky Town
Login to Send PM
Walker said:
It sounds like the issue with Columbus not being on the list for films with limited release dates? Instead, we get the films on the wide release date along with 95% of the rest of the country?I don't really see what the problem is.
Well, if the reason some markets get limited release dates is because they are hip and happening and important in the world of "art" or whatever the reason may be. It follows that we want Columbus to be a big, wonderful, important and influential city in the world.
We would want those films here.
So much is made of Columbus being a test market city and a scaled down version of society, it would make sense if we were also a test market for films.Especially since it seems most of the films that are released in that manner are not always the mass market blockbusters, but the important "art type" films. (Which sometimes never get a wide release anyway)
That may be long, drawn out and rambling, but I think I got the thoughts in there I wanted to express.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown / Gay Street
Login to Send PM
-
Graybeak
Hunky Town
Login to Send PM
Walker said:
Is that the reason for the selection of limited release cities?It is as logical a reason as any. It doesn't seem to be strictly by population of the city.
From the all knowing Wikipedia:
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country (typically in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco).
A limited release is often used to gauge the appeal of specialty films – especially of documentaries, independent films and art films.Posted 11 months ago # -
DTown
Discovery District South
Login to Send PM
Graybeak said:
It is as logical a reason as any. It doesn't seem to be strictly by population of the city.
From the all knowing Wikipedia:
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country (typically in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco).
A limited release is often used to gauge the appeal of specialty films – especially of documentaries, independent films and art films.I think that, in general, most independent, smaller market, (non mega blockbuster studio releases) want to generate as much word of mouth buzz about their films as quickly as possible. Without the budget for major advertising, and with new releases coming out every weekend, the window for these releases to establish themselves is limited.
It's not the hipness of the limited opening markets, it's the number of people who will pay attention to what they thought of it. People here would watch the films, but I don't think Columbus has the long reach or clout that media in New York, Los Angeles, or a San Francisco have.
I don't mind waiting a few weeks, at least they usually get here eventually.
Posted 11 months ago # -
rus
Login to Send PM
DTown said:
It's not the hipness of the limited opening markets, it's the number of people who will pay attention to what they thought of it. People here would watch the films, but I don't think Columbus has the long reach or clout that media in New York, Los Angeles, or a San Francisco have.
So, Columbus isn't hip, happening or important in the world of "art" enough for people to pay attention to what we think of it.
Posted 11 months ago # -
DTown
Discovery District South
Login to Send PM
rus said:
So, Columbus isn't hip, happening or important in the world of "art" enough for people to pay attention to what we think of it.I don't think that's what I wrote. I said that hipness isn't the criteria. It's a matter of how many people can be reached and convinced that your movie is worth seeing in the shortest amount of time.
Our opinion is as valuable as anyone else's, but it's a numbers game. If you open an indie film in Columbus, the question is going to be how many people in the rest of the country will manage to find out what we thought of it? And will those that do be able to convince the people in their market that the movie is worth seeing when it opens?
Posted 11 months ago # -
rus
Login to Send PM
DTown said:
Our opinion is as valuable as anyone else's, but it's a numbers game. If you open an indie film in Columbus, the question is going to be how many people in the rest of the country will manage to find out what we thought of it? And will those that do be able to convince the people in their market that the movie is worth seeing when it opens?given this:
Neil Jaye said:
I get that we won’t get them before LA, NYC, Chicago or other major markets, but not before Indianapolis, Austin or Tucson? A prefect example is the release of ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ and ‘Safety Not Guaranteed’ whose websites don’t even mention a Columbus release date. Does anyone have input?is it really a matter of population?
Yeah, I know that's not what you wrote, but it dovetailed neatly with what graybeak wrote.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Graybeak
Hunky Town
Login to Send PM
rus said:
So, Columbus isn't hip, happening or important in the world of "art" enough for people to pay attention to what we think of it.Unfortunately, that is kind of the case. Until we can present a more united front on the art page.
For instance, the short lived Columbus Fringe Festival. Yes, it was copied from other fringe festivals the world over, but with no buy in from the community as a whole, it folded after a year.I realize movies and Fringe Festival are two different things.
I mean, there is some buzz about the Columbus music scene. And everyone loves the short north for art. Now Franklinton is on the rise. But for the city of Columbus as a whole, it doesn't scream "ART!" at the top of the lungs. (Other than the CCAD statue). Even the Columbus Arts Festival, I don't remember exactly the percentage of artists involved that were actually from Columbus, but I seem to recall it was small. So that some folks had to put up their own tent apart from the festival proper.
Yes, I am rambling. It's the creative juices boiling over, or something.
Posted 11 months ago # -
DTown
Discovery District South
Login to Send PM
Walker said:
So then if that's the case I imagine there's also a weighted focus on getting the films in front of the press, media, critics and reviewers of wide-read national publications, right?Not being a filmmaker (or distributor) myself, I'd guess that's true. I've always supposed that one of the primary reason people make (and certainly distribute) films is because they want as many people to watch it as possible. Like many artistic endeavors, the smaller the budget you have, the more difficult it would seem to be.
Posted 11 months ago # -
DTown
Discovery District South
Login to Send PM
rus said:
given this:is it really a matter of population?
No, I don't think it's strictly a matter of population. Although, often times, there is a correlation to an area's population and the reach of it's influence. Moonrise Kingdom premiered at Cannes, not because of the number of people who saw it, but because of the press and buzz that it would generate. Seems to have worked, too. I'm looking forward to seeing it, whenever it gets here.
Posted 11 months ago # -
rus
Login to Send PM
DTown said:
No, I don't think it's strictly a matter of population. Although, often times, there is a correlation to an area's population and the reach of it's influence. Moonrise Kingdom premiered at Cannes, not because of the number of people who saw it, but because of the press and buzz that it would generate. Seems to have worked, too. I'm looking forward to seeing it, whenever it gets here.Cannes has a reputation in the movie world... can't really say the same thing about Columbus, perhaps?
Posted 11 months ago #
You must log in to post.
Launched in August 2010, TheMetropreneur.com is a local online resource devoted to small business development and entrepreneurship. Its aim is to tell the stories of Central Ohio's business community, foster regional economic development and assist entrepreneurs with its resource-heavy focus.