welcome to Laramie Film Society discussions
ro...@lariat.org
Welcome to the Laramie Film Society's discussion group. As you know,
the owners of the Wyo Theatre have discontinued the fall and spring
film series.
They will continue the series only if they get a sponsorship in the
amount of $2,100 for each film series. Several members have sent in
suggestions, such as setting up a paypal account and asking members to
donate money to bring back the film series. This email list was started
to facilitate a discussion about what to do about the film series.
Let me start out by saying what has been done so far, then I'll insert
the suggestions I've received from email group members so far to get
the discussion rolling.
First, I contacted Unique Screen Media, a company which puts on-screen
advertising in movie theaters before shows. The person I talked to
expressed some interest in working with the Owners of the Wyo Theatre.
It sounds like a no-brainer to me. The theater owners could make maybe
$1,000 per year (no guarantees on the amount, it depends on advertising
sales) and all they'd have to do is flip a switch each night before the
show to turn on the projector. No equipment to buy, no ads to sell. I
gave the contact information to Unique Screen Media, and to the Wyo
Theatre owners, so it is up to them to do a deal.
I have also heard from a person at a local business that this business
may be interested in sponsoring the fall film series. I was hoping to
get a decision on this last week, but it looks like it will be a few
more weeks yet before we get a decision on this possible sponsorship.
If the business does fund the series completely, that will take care of
the fall series, but not the spring series.
Here are some ideas about this situation that I've gotten from people
on the announcement email list:
1
"The film series is a perfect series for the Wyoming Council
for the Humanities to fund. Have you or anyone else in the group
considered applying for a grant?
I am going on sabbatical next year, so it's not a great time for me,
but I wondered if this had come up as an idea yet."
2
"I was going to offer to set up a PayPal donation site so people who'd
like to donate small amounts toward keeping the film series running
could do so easily. (I know I'm more willing to donate if I can do it
online, rather than writing out a check and finding an envelope and
buying a stamp - especially for small donations.) This would mean that
I'd collect the money, then forward it to the Smiths (or the Film
Society, whichever y'all would prefer). But since the Film Society
already has a website, it would seem to make more sense to set up a
PayPal Donate button on the existing site. Setting up a PayPal account
is very easy (www.paypal.com <http://www.paypal.com/> ), and if
necessary, I'd be happy to talk someone through setting up the donation
buttons. You do have to pay some fees (I think around 3%), but that's a
trade-off for the convenience."
3
"My partner and I are moving back to Laramie, and this is one of the
few cultural events we thought we could look forward to (after having
been spoiled by a year in the more urban Boulder area). I would be
willing to donate $100 as well as my seasonal membership and regular
attendance to the cause of keeping this going, and I'm sure many others
would do the same.
Do we have your permission to send the alarm out on the potluck group's
email list? And might the Boomerang be willing to run a story?"
4
"It would be a TERRIBLE shame to lose this series! It is one of few
community arts initiatives here in Laramie!!! Could we get a Community
Arts Grant to help with the sponsorship? I am working full time and
sinking under an incredible time deficit, but could someone who is not
working full time or is retired take this on as a pet project? (perhaps
someone like Lynn Simpson (editor's note: Lynn Simpson lives in Cody)
who's been so generous with her input in the past? or someone else?)
Our Film Society started years ago, and beyond hope, the Film Series
grew and flourished here for a while. I have loved the films and tried
to attend as often as possible. I think many of us are sympathetic but
too busy with killing jobs to follow up on this, but hopefully a
champion (or committee of champions?) could come forward to pursue
other avenues.
"I would hate to think that anything commercial like FOX could have
"gotten our goat" on this one!!!"
5
"As one alternative to raising the $2100, would it be possible to ask
attendees for the film series if they would wish to donate $70 (or what
they could afford) ahead of time to raise the $2100--and those that do,
can receive a special pass and view the film series for free, depending
on
how much was donated in advance? I would be interested in donating to
raise the money in this manner. By donating $70 ahead that would equal
out to the membership price of attending all 14 movies for the $5 film
society membership fee. If I don't get to all the movies I would have
donated to a good cause! It would be similar to enrolling and paying in
advance for a class for a fee."
6
Question: "I am puzzled. I attended the Wyo on a weeknight (not the
film series), and only 16 people were there. Clearly that didn't pay
for the film (though granted it ran for 5 days). Why isn't the Wyo
closing outright if they really need to have 200 people per night to
stay open? Thanks in advance for your clarifications."
"Answer: The Wyo Theatre owners pay the same rental and film shipping
fees regardless if the film plays one night (as in the film series), or
if it plays five, six, 10, 12 or more nights. The longer it plays, the
more time it has to attract 200 people (most of whom will show up on
Friday or Saturday night). Eventually, people stop coming and there is
a point of diminishing returns, and, of course, your other costs of
doing business continue as the crowds dwindle. If you are going to show
a film just one night, you need to pack them in on that night. There is
a lot more to this answer, such as a lack of national advertising
campaigns for most art films, and a lack of advertising for the film
series itself, but this is the simple version."
Question:
"Why doesn't the Wyo run matinees for the film series and other shows?"
Answer:
Matinees are poorly attended and it isn't cost-effective to run them in
a single-screen theater. It makes more sense in a multiplex where labor
costs are more flexible.
Here is an example of what I'm talking about. Recently, I went to see
the film "Sir! No Sir!" at the Starz Film Center (run by the Denver
Film Society) in Denver. I went to a Saturday matinee. It is a good
film, a documentary about the Vietnam war. There was only one other
person in the audience! Two people is all that came to see this matinee
in a city with millions of people, and this was the only theater
showing this film! I've seen the same kind of poor matinee attendance
many times in many theaters. If matinees were popular, theaters would
run them all the time, but most theaters that do run matinees run them
only on weekends. Matinees are not big money-makers and the Wyo is
barely scraping by as it is.
Ali Grossman
Nice discussion. I really like idea #5.
"As one alternative to raising the $2100, would it be possible to ask attendees for the film series if they would wish to donate $70 (or what they could afford) ahead of time to raise the $2100--and those that do, can receive a special pass and view the film series for free, depending on how much was donated in advance? I would be interested in donating to raise the money in this manner. By donating $70 ahead that would equal out to the membership price of attending all 14 movies for the $5 film society membership fee. If I don't get to all the movies I would have donated to a good cause! It would be similar to enrolling and paying in advance for a class for a fee."
If we sell 30 “premium memberships” at $70 a piece, our fall series is secure. Perhaps we can get the Boomerang could run an article about our attempts to keep the series going and that we must sell at least 30 premium memberships. If we get 60 memberships up front, 30 of those can go to the spring series. I feel like people might be more willing to “pay up front” then donate.
Let’s mobilize!
Ali
Robert Roten
get support for it I'll run it by the owners of the theater and see if they'll
go for it.
I'm thinking if we have the money in hand, not just pledges, it would
be more likely to persuade them to run the series. Maybe we could
collect the money by Paypal, as suggested elsewhere in this forum.
It would also help to get some names of movies for the series to boost
sales of season passes, like "United 93," "A Prairie Home Companion,"
and "An Inconvenient Truth," for instance.
Ali wrote:
> Nice discussion. I really like idea #5.
>
>
>
> "As one alternative to raising the $2100, would it be possible to ask
> attendees for the film series if they would wish to donate $70 (or what
> they could afford) ahead of time to raise the $2100--and those that do,
> can receive a special pass and view the film series for free, depending
> on how much was donated in advance? I would be interested in donating to
> raise the money in this manner. By donating $70 ahead that would equal
> out to the membership price of attending all 14 movies for the $5 film
> society membership fee. If I don't get to all the movies I would have
> donated to a good cause! It would be similar to enrolling and paying in
> advance for a class for a fee."
>
>
>
> If we sell 30 "premium memberships" at $70 a piece, our fall series is
> secure. Perhaps we can get the Boomerang could run an article about our
> attempts to keep the series going and that we must sell at least 30
> premium memberships. If we get 60 memberships up front, 30 of those can
> go to the spring series. I feel like people might be more willing to
> "pay up front" then donate.
>
>
>
> Let's mobilize!
>
> Ali
>
There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the
intellect.
-- G.K. Chesterton, essayist and novelist (1874-1936)
Robert Roten, President
Laramie Film Society
film.laramie.wy.us
ro...@lariat.org
Jeanette Marie Reisenburg
Can you take me off this list? I won't be accessing email all summer so
I don't want them to build up.
Good luck with your efforts.
Jeanette
Robert Roten
address at which you receive the emails from this discussion group,
use the link at the bottom of this email to unsubscribe, and then re-
subscribe, using your alternate email address.
If you want to unsubscribe, there is a link at the bottom of this email
for that very purpose. You can also follow this discussion at this web
page:
http://groups.google.com/group/laramie-film-society-discussions
I'm going to be very busy for the next month and a half, and will be out
of town for the next two to three weeks, so I may not be able to handle
requests for such things as unsubscribing people and changing email
addresses, but the emails and website have all the tools necessary for
people to easily accomplish these simple tasks themselves.
Lydia Dambekalns
I've been out of town for about 3 weeks, so am just now coming in on
the discussion. Chia Evers was the one who mentioned collecting money
by PayPal, and she said she'd be willing to help set up the account
(she lives in CA but is an avid film person and a former long time
resident of Laramie.. so her heart is still with us. Her partner
works in the LA film industry).
Personally, I'd be willing to go for the premium membership sum
needed. I like that idea of thinking of it as "a class"... or even
something like the Parks/Recreation that charges for its classes.
Lydia Dambekalns
lynne ipina
I too think that the "premium" membership of something like $70 is a
good idea and
would be willing to sign up now & pay for that.
Lynne Ipina