strategies for sustainable local cinema development

At a cinema near you

Robin Baker, J. Ron Inglis, Julia Voss

Many people contributed in different ways to this guide and the authors are extremelygrateful to all of them. A special thanks goes to the managers and staff of the 8 case studyvenues who gave freely of their time andenergy and access to so much information and wisdom.

At a cinema near youstrategies for sustainable local cinema development

Acknowledgements:-Malcolm Allen (Arts Council of England) Jenny Allison(British Film Institute) Clare Binns (Zoo Cinemas), BenBlackman (Plaza Cinema, Crosby), Annette Bradford(Cinema Exhibitors’ Association), Richard Boyd (bfi),Paul Brett (bfi), Richard Brousson (bfi) Chris Chandler(Film Council), Sue Clark (British Board of FilmClassification), Mark Cosgrove (Watershed Media Centre)Helen de Witt (bfi), Catharine Des Forges (bfi), SimonDuffy (bfi) Janet Dunn (Plaza Cinema, Crosby), LouiseGardner (Watershed Media Centre), Jane Gerson(Southern Arts), Ann Griffiths (bfi), Chris Halliday (PlazaCinema, Crosby) Nigel Hawkins (South Holland ArtsCentre), John Herron (Canal + Images (UK) Ltd), John Hodgkinson (Cinema, Crosby Plaza), Bob Horsley(Plaza Cinema, Crosby), Ken Ingles (EdinburghFilmhouse), Tony Jones (City Screen), Amrik Kerketta(English Heritage), Alan Knowles (Scottish Screen),David Litchfield (Cinema City), James McKenzie(Edinburgh Filmhouse) Lynn Morrison (Zoo Cinemas),Carol Miller (Zoo Cinemas), Zoë Naylor (bfi), Amanda Nevill(National Museum of Film Photography and Television)Alastair Oatey (City Screen), Tom Olin, Lorna Partington(bfi), Bill Pearson, Dick Penny (Watershed Media Centre),Laura Phillips (Revolution Films), Belle Stennett (DomeCinema, Worthing), James Stennett (Dome Cinema,Worthing) Alex Stolz (City Screen), Brian Walters (bfi), JonWebber (Curzon Cinema), Keith Welch (bfi), John Wilkinson(CEA), Jo Wilson (South Holland Arts Centre)

The authors have made every endeavour to ensurethe information in this guide is correct at the time ofgoing to press. However, in a rapidly changingeconomic, political and technical environment weadvise readers to check with individual organisationsfor up to the minute information, particularly thatrelating to funding and e-business.

Please note that the information contained in thisbooklet is intended to provide a rough guide. Pleasedo not rely on any of the information provided andseek professional advice where necessary. The viewsexpressed are those of the authors and notnecessarily those of the organisations consulted.

Copies of this guide are available on the bfi’s websiteand from the bfi Exhibition Development Unit,Regional Arts Councils, Regional Screen Agencies andnational film bodies. This guide is also available inlarge print format on request.

Front Cover: Harbour Lights, Southampton, at Dusk. Joe LowBack Cover: Worthing Dome. Kit Bradshaw

ISBN 0 85170 959 1

© Copyright bfi 2002

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Foreword 3

Introduction 4

Chapter 1 – Strategic choices 5

On the back of an envelope 5Market positioning 6Full time versus part time cinema 7Pure cinema versus mixed activity venues 7Beyond film screenings 7

Chapter 2 – Planningprocesses 8

Timescale 8Options appraisal 8The business plan 8Sensitivity analysis 9Assessment of risk 9

Chapter 3 – Understandingaudiences 10

Different films, different people 10Segmentation analysis 10Establishing a catchment area 11Demographic and lifestyle data 11Field research 12Audience development 12

Chapter 4 – Organisation andconstitution 13

Do you need a formal structure? 13Setting up a limited company 13Forming a charity 14

Chapter 5 – Premises issues 15

Finding suitable premises 15The perils and pitfalls of leases 15Planning consents 16Listed Buildings 16Licences 17Building Regulations 18

Chapter 6 – Building Design 19

Briefing an architect 19State of the art design 20Number of auditoria 20Seating capacity and space requirements 21Sound issues 21Catering and bar facilities 21Access for people with disabilities 22An illustrative specification 23Other buildings issues 23Digital cinemas 24

Chapter 7 – Technical andequipment issues 25

Screens 25Projection facilities 25Aspect ratios 26Film formats 26Archive prints 26Video and digital 26Sound 27

Chapter 8 – Capitalisation 28

Capital costing 28Raising finance 29

Chapter 9 – Economics ofoperation 32

Income 32Demand forecasting 32Ticket pricing 33Direct costs 33Other costs (overheads) 33

Chapter 10 – Operationalmatters 35

Film Classification 35The Cinema Exhibitors’ Association 36Human resources issues 36Staffing structure 36Managing a campaign 36Film Distributors 37Programme booking 37Running bars and catering 37New methods of marketing 39

Part II – Case StudiesChapter 11 – The Curzon, Clevedon 41Chapter 12 – The Plaza, Crosby 45Chapter 13 – The Watershed Bristol 49Chapter 14 – Edinburgh Filmhouse 53Chapter 15 – The Dome, Worthing 57Chapter 16 – The South Holland Centre,

Spalding 61Chapter 17 – The Ritzy, Brixton 65Chapter 18 – Harbour Lights Southampton 69

Annexes1 Sample Options Appraisal 732 Sample Sensitivity Analysis 753 Sample Risk Assessment 764 Cinema Audience Research 775 Sample Capital Costing 78

Useful Contacts 79

Contents

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Why are there so few decentcinemas? If you walked down the street and everyrestaurant was a McDonald’s you’d be frustrated.When you go out you want to decide if you wantto eat Italian or Chinese or Indian. Sometimesyou want to grab a sandwich, or a burger,sometimes you want to spend the whole eveningover a meal. It would be bizarre if every eveningyou went out you had to go to the same identikitburger bar serving bland mass produced foodwhere you sit on bright coloured plastic chairsunder neon lights with muzak playing in thebackground. Yet nine times out of ten people goto the cinematic equivalent.

Why?If you listen to the pessimists in the industry it’sbecause that is what the public wants. Is that true?

Twenty years ago the choice for eating out waspretty similar to the current situation forcinema. If you’d predicted the revolution in thatindustry people would have thought you weremad. And in most areas of entertainment similarchanges have taken place, whether you thinkabout bars or clubs or holidays or sports.

But not in cinema.Everyone will tell you that people don’t want towatch European films, or independent films, orforeign films or serious films or unusual films.But imagine someone walking into Macdonaldsand seeing a curry on the menu (they dooccasionally try and promote ‘exotic’ specials).Would they want it ? No. That’s the equivalent ofsomeone having to drive to the edge of town,park in the lot, walk past the bowling alley andthe burger bar, buy the coke and the popcornand then sit down and watch a Lars Von Trierfilm or a Wong Kar Wai.

So how do you create demand ? Ten years agopeople weren’t all walking around complainingthat you couldn’t get a decent crayfish androquette with miracle mayo sandwich anywhere.But now Prêt á Manger sells thousands of themevery lunch time. People are more likely to ordera cappuccino in a coffee bar or an Italianrestaurant than they are in a pub – especially if

ForewordBy Michael Winterbottom

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the pub is owned by a chain that owns twothousand others.

As a cinema-goer I want to have the widestchoice of films to go and see: whether they’refrom America or Europe or Hong Kong or India orChina or even, God forbid, Britain. But I want togo and see them in a cinema which is designedfor them, a cinema which is sophisticated andfriendly, a cinema with good quality projectionand sound, which has enough screens to give mea choice of films and which is near the bars orrestaurants I might want to go to afterwards.

And as a filmmaker? Well, imagine thefilmmakers as the equivalents of the chefs.Imagine Marco Pierre White, or Alastair Little orPrue Leith or Gary Rhodes or Delia Smith allcooking away in a kitchen at the back of aburger bar where one till out of twenty five isdedicated to their cooking. I don’t think they’d bevery happy.

So where are cinema’s equivalents of Conran, orPizza Express, or Prêt á Manger or Starbucks?Your time has come.

Michael WinterbottomFilm Director

Every week, someone contacts the bfi'sExhibition Development Unit wanting to set up acinema. The reasons are many and varied; theirlocal town centre cinema is closing down andthey want to 'save' it; there simply isn't a cinemaanywhere within striking distance of where theylive; there is a cinema but it doesn't show thekinds of film they like or they need some kind ofamenity in their town to improve quality of lifeand a cinema seems to be top of everyone's list.

There was a time, in the immediate post warperiod when almost every town and village inthe UK had a local cinema. In 1900 there wasnot a single building specifically built for use asa cinema. Less than 40 years later there were5,500. The London Borough of Lambeth, nowproud home to the 5 screen Ritzy Cinema usedto have over 25 cinemas. The town ofStockport where I grew up had 14 and I knewevery one of them. Even places as small asTrowbridge in Wiltshire had a 1,200 seater. Inthose days, UK cinema going was at an all timehigh (1,600,000,000 in 1946). Economicrecession, the popularity of TV and then theintroduction of video all served to bring aboutthe closure of a great many of these venues .Attitudes to leisure and spending changed.There was more on offer; foreign travel,consumer goods etc. The growth of themultiplexes in the late 1980s has rekindledinterest in cinema as both entertainment andartform. However, even now the UK averageannual per capita visits are only 2.6 (circa156,000,000 admissions in 2001) and distributionof cinema venues is patchy. There are still vastswathes of the country where there isn't even amultiplex because population densities are toolow to sustain these types of operation. Thosewho don't have access to a cinema may feelunable to fully participate in the cultural life ofthe nation.

There are however, many examples of localcinema provision in places where the massmarketing/scale economy approach of theaverage multiplex operator is unsustainable.These are well-managed, sensitivelyprogrammed and locally cherished venueswhich, against all the odds, thrive (or at leastsurvive) at the heart of their communities.

A further opportunity now presents itself in theform of 'e-cinema' and the digital production,distribution and exhibition of moving images.

These new technologies will, in time, profoundlychange the structure and economics of thecinema, making a much wider range of productavailable to even the smallest and remotestvillage in the UK.

This book is aimed at anyone involved in thesetting up of a local cinema from localgovernment officers to individuals wanting torescue or reopen a cinema. It celebrates whathas already been achieved and providespractical tips to those wanting to know how itwas done. It is intended as a practical guidethrough the myriad issues requiring resolutionwhen embarking on a project of this kind. PartOne covers a range of technical aspects relatingto the planning and operation of small scalecinemas while the case studies in Part Twodescribe successful enterprises operating in anumber of different locations and circumstances.

All of us at the bfi very much hope you will findthis guide both interesting and useful and wishthe reader every success with any new cinemaventure he or she may decide to embark upon.

Joan BakewellChair, bfi

Health warning:Although there are many success stories likethe ones described here, the amount of time,energy, patience and enthusiasm required forthis endeavour should not be under-estimated.It may take several years to get off the groundand you may have to work harder than you’veever worked before for no pay. Once up andrunning, you may find yourself working evenharder and still without pay. Do not go downthis route unless you are prepared to give ityour all and to face disappointment and setback.This enterprise is not for the faint-hearted.

IntroductionBy Joan Bakewell

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On the back of an envelopeBefore investing too much time and energy inresearch and lobbying, it is important toidentify exactly what it is you are trying toachieve and to establish that setting up avenue-based business is the most sensiblesolution. You will also need to demonstrate thatthere is a real need for it.

If your objectives are to broaden the range offilm available to you and the 30 or so otherpeople in your village/town who share apassion for cinema then it may be worthwhilesetting up a film society in the first instance.This is a relatively straightforward process,requiring little capital and relatively little time(Contact the British Federation of Film Societiesfor guidance). If you are just fed up with thebland offering at your local multiplex why nothire a screen from a commercial cinema andshow something different? Another potentialmedium for showing more interesting film tolocal audiences is a film festival. This can be avery good way of testing the water and findingout exactly how much local interest there is infilm. It will also give you a taste of the kind ofenergy required and the challenges involvedespecially negotiation with distributors andmarketing your programme (see the bfi’s Howto set up a Film Festival for more details).

You may feel passionately that there is a needand a market for a local cinema. However, theeconomics of small-scale cinema operation arevery different to what they were in the 1940sand 50s when most smaller cinemas were built.In the current climate is very difficult to makeit work and even harder to make money from it.A great many independent operators in the UKare doing it for love of cinema rather than tomake their fortune.

You therefore need to be realistic and considerthree key things:-

1) How much money will be required to getthe project off the ground?

2) How many people can you realisticallyexpect to attract?

3) Once up and running, will the cinema besustainable?

You may be able to acquire or rent a siterelatively cheaply, but in the short term,anything which is not new-build will require on-

Chapter 1

Strategic choices

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going investment in the fabric of the buildingand facilities. It may not be possible to fundcapital works from trading revenues and so youwill need access to capital (see Chapter 8 onraising finance).

For a full time operation, you will need togenerate annual average admissions of at least20,000 to 30,000 per screen, more than this ina single screen venue and some would argue50,000 admissions per screen is the minimumviable level. This means you need access to asubstantial catchment population and asubstantial proportion of these must be peoplewho are regular or heavy cinema-goers such asstudents in higher education or people withrelatively high disposable income.

Even assuming you manage to open the doorsand lure in an audience on your opening night,will you be able to keep it up once initialenthusiasm and marketing has worn off?Leisure facilities in the 21st century have toattain very high standards of comfort andtechnical quality and have the organisationaland financial capacity to constantly reinventthemselves to sustain customer interest. Thisrequires money, stamina and flair.

Market positioning There are of course many types of publiccinema, from modern multiplexes through localindependent cinemas to part-time facilities inarts and community centres. Film societies andmobile touring cinemas are important forcertain communities. If digital video cinemas(see Chapter 6) become a reality they are likelyto broaden the range further to includecinemas at leisure facilities such as bars,restaurants, sports centres and libraries.

Commercial cinemaThe rapid growth in the number of multiplexcinemas is well documented. Currently onethird of cinemas in the UK are multiplexes butthey have two thirds of all screens and take twothirds of admissions. Multiplexes dominate thecommercial sector. Usually defined as a cinemawith five or more screens, a multiplex istypically built on the assumption that it willgenerate at least 50,000 admissions per screen.

Multinational cinema exhibitors may anticipatesubstantially higher figures: 70,000 to 80,000per screen depending on the location of themultiplex and the competition.

In addition to the multiplexes there are severalhundred independent commercial cinemasoperating throughout the UK. Theoverwhelming majority of these cinemas havejust one or two screens. They may operate withattendance levels as low as 20,000 to 30,000per screen, although at this level it is difficultto be profitable.

A diverse range of part-time cinemas operatesuccessfully within arts centres,libraries and other public facilities. An ArtsCouncil of England survey in 1996revealed that one-half of all arts centresshowed cinema films, although theirperformances generated just one-fifth of thetotal paid attendances.

Specialised cinemaApart from the latest Hollywood releases thereis an enormous range of films to choose from.A hundred years of film production and titlesfrom all continents are potentially available.Asian language films (Bollywood) andoccasional arthouse screenings (for example‘bfi @ Odeon’ or the ‘Director's Chair’screenings with bfi at UCI) are shown at somemultiplexes but such films are marginal to themain programme.

Broadening the range of the films available to aparticular community is often one of the basicobjectives of community cinemas, arthousecinemas, or any facility which receives publicfunding. These so called ‘specialised’ cinemasenhance the cinemagoing experience withguest speakers, exhibitions, education courses,in addition to the broader range of film titlesthey offer. These cinemas are expected to playan important role in bringing locally orregionally produced films on to public cinemascreens. Local film festivals have proved to bevery popular in smaller towns throughoutEurope and can attract considerable attentionfrom local residents and businesses.

In order to decide what kind of cinemaprovision might be appropriate for yourpotential audiences you need to establish what

kind of provision already exists (if any) andwhat you could offer that would be different. Itis pointless aiming to compete against amultiplex with blockbuster titles because thedistributors are very unlikely to give you thefilms until several weeks after release whenmost of your audience will have seen it.Differentiation is the key, and for theindependent cinema there are two parts of theoffer where this can be developed – theprogramme and the physical environment.

The quality of a particular cinema can make adramatic difference to the number of peoplewho attend. Old, uncomfortable andunsophisticated cinemas cannot compete withthe standards set by modern leisure facilities,and potential audiences respond accordingly.

Research, and the evidence of the cinemaindustry in general, has shown that cinemagoerswant new release films, value for money, andchoice. How these factors are viewed variesamong individual cinemagoers. A family goingto see Harry Potter at a multiplex will have avery different concept of ‘quality’ and ‘choice’compared to a cinemagoer wanting access to arange of films from around the world.

The standard of cinema buildings, the comfortlevels and the quality of technical presentationare all rising rapidly. Unobstructed viewing,large screens, multi-channel sound systems,and comfortable seats with generous legroomare considered to be basic requirements bymany modern cinemagoers.

As exhibitors face increasing competition and alack of high quality new locations they areseeking to differentiate themselves fromcompetitors by refurbishing their cinemas toever higher standards. Notions of ‘quality’extend to include facilities such as safe carparking and the availability of other leisurepursuits, such as fast food outlets, restaurants,or bars. A small number of cinemas, often runby independent companies, include crêches,youth areas and internet café areas.

Public authorities who are involved in planning,economic development, social and culturalpolicies, may have additional criteria for a newdevelopment, for example:

It is pointless aiming to compete against a multiplex withblockbuster titles....

Differentiation is the key

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• The cinema should be located so that itassists the development of the eveningeconomy and local regeneration

• The scale of the cinema should allow it to beintegrated into town centres in such a mannerthat it enhances pedestrian use of the town centre

• The programme should cater for the diversityof the local population.

It may be difficult or even impossible for onecinema to fulfil all the local requirements. Insuch circumstances a combination of full-timeand part-time provision, may result in aconsiderable improvement and an overall risein cinema admissions.

Full-time versus part-time cinemaThe major differences between full-time and part-time cinemas tend to concentrate around theability, or otherwise, of the cinema to book newrelease films close to their national (London)release date. Film distributors naturally want toearn the maximum return on their films as quicklyas possible and concentrate their efforts on thecinemas where they believe their films will performbest. If one cinema offers a full week booking (orlonger) and another offers two or three days,then the latter cinema will generally have towait longer for the film.

Full-time cinemas typically present moreperformances per week than part-time cinemas,so in addition to increased booking power theyare able to offer a wider range of programmesto their local community.

Pure cinema versus mixedactivity venuesTraditional cinemas are usually self-containedfacilities and most new full-time cinemas continueto be built specifically for cinema screenings. Incontrast most part-time cinemas are linked tosome other leisure or public facility such as asports centre, library, school or arts centre.

A recurring issue for mixed activity venuesconcerns the attention given to cinemascreenings compared to other activities. Therelative simplicity of booking and screeningfilms can, on occasion, lead staff to view cinema

as the poor relation within the organisation. Thisattitude may be evident in the programmechoices, the information available from boxoffice staff, the attitude of technical staff, andthe marketing effort. It may also be evident inthe lack of visibility for the cinema operation.None of these factors is especially difficult toovercome but if allowed to continue they canbe highly detrimental to the cinema.

A cinema operation can appear relativelyprofitable to arts centre, sport centre or librarymanagements. If it is treated as a cash generatorwhose primary aim is to subsidise the rest of theorganisation, public funding bodies may object tothe lack of cultural or social programming andan overemphasis on money making programmes.

Arts and sports centres are important social andcommunity centres where a range of activitiesmay take place at the same time. It is importantfor the cinema operation to be able to functionproperly in a wider sense than just presentingthe film.

Beyond film screeningsThe main use of a cinema building may be to showfilms to the public but there are additional useswhich may become important, particularly oncehigh definition video projection systemsbecome more widely used.

• Cultural and educational use – work with schools,colleges and lifelong learning schemes. Activitiesto enhance the cinemagoing experience

• Local media development – providing a focusfor creative and media technology startupbusinesses

• Business and community usage – typically formeetings and small conferences

• ‘Very local’ economic regeneration – oftenfocused on the town centre evening economybut also on general leisure, retail andenvironmental improvements within theimmediate vicinity of the cinema

• Retention of the local urban population,improving the attractiveness of the town anddistrict for new businesses. Multiplexdevelopments often ‘anchor’ new retail andleisure developments and local cinemas canhave similar effects for smaller towns andcommunities

It is important to realise that the impact of theseadditional uses on the revenues of one cinemamay be comparatively small. However if designed,packaged and marketed effectively, suchinitiatives may fit with the objectives of publicfunding bodies to assist local regeneration orrural development.

These ‘cinema enhancements’ may bring inadditional support in terms of small project aidor capital grants in addition to box officeincome. For this to happen there needs to be aclearly identified fit with local authority andregional plans in respect of community benefits(such as a reduction in street crime anddisorder during evenings), regeneration outputsand social inclusion effects.

Key points from chapter 1

• Before you start, do a realitycheck – how much money do youneed and can you raise it? Howmany people can you realisticallyexpect to attract to a cinema inyour area? Is it sustainable?

• Research the competition andthink about how you candifferentiate what you plan tooffer both in terms ofprogramme and facilities

• Consider whether there are othercomplementary uses for thebuilding

• In a mixed-use venue, you needto ensure that cinema is not justtreated as a ‘cash cow’

• Think about degree of fit withthe local authority plans for thearea. Find out about local andnational cultural strategies.Achieving complementarity isvital and may unlock resources

Traditional cinemas areusually self-containedfacilities and most new full-time cinemas continue to bebuilt specifically for cinemascreenings. Th

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TimescaleIt is important not to be over-optimistic abouthow quickly you can achieve your objectives.For a new build, although the actualconstruction may take only 12 to 18 months,there are a great many preparatory tasks whichhave to be completed before the builders cango on site. It is not unusual for thisdevelopment period to be in the order of 3-5years. Securing a site and getting planningpermission can be especially lengthy aspects.

Overleaf is a typical programme for a new builddevelopment. As you can see, the scheduleslipped against the original completion targetdate, and this is far from uncommon.

For refurbishments and conversions, clearly thetimescale should be much less. It may be possibleto gain access to the building relatively swiftly,but don’t forget that unless you are in the happyposition of owning the freehold, you will need tocover your rent somehow until such time as youget paying customers through the door.

Options appraisalAn options appraisal is a systematicexamination of the range of options availableto meet your objectives. This is pre-feasibilitywork and strictly speaking should be done rightat the beginning of the process. In practice ofcourse, most people will already have decidedthey want a cinema and much of what theypropose will have been dictated by the physicalconstraints of the building. However, it can be avery useful tool in making you think morecreatively about possible solutions. Havingidentified the range of options, each one isevaluated against criteria which are thenweighted according to their relativeimportance. A sample options appraisal iscontained in Annex 1.

The Business PlanThere are endless books and guidance on howto write a business plan, much of it free frombanks or on-line so we include here only a veryrough outline of what is required andrecommend that you find a more thorough texton this subject if you are unclear aboutanything. Depending on where you are going to

Chapter 2

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for financial support, you may need to includedifferent versions of the plan according to whois going to read it. In essence, a business planshould consist of at least the following elements;

• Executive Summary

• Objectives

• Market and Economic feasibility (includingmarket research)

• SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,Threats) analysis

• PEST (Political, Economic, Social,Technological) analysis

• Competitor Analysis

• Staffing and Management

• Marketing strategy

• Information on the premises (tenure, terms oflease etc)

• The people (Directors, Trustees, key executivepersonnel)

• Detail of start-up costs including workingcapital requirement

• Details of financing

• 2 – 5 year forecasts of cash flow, Profit andLoss and Balance sheets

Some current management thinkers nowsuggest the business environment is changingso rapidly that it is in fact not possible to planeven two years ahead, let alone 5. Instead, theypropose ‘scenario planning’ which looks aheadat possible changes to the operatingenvironment, its impact on the organisationand possible responses. However, this does not

obviate the need for a written document. Agood business plan is not just a tool for raisingfinance, it is a ‘live’ document which providesthe baseline against which you can measureyour performance and should be revisited andupdated on a regular basis. Planning is aniterative process and this should be reflected inthe way you use your plan.

Sensitivity AnalysisA sensitivity analysis is simply a way ofexploring what would happen if some of theassumptions you have made in the businessplan turn out to be wrong. For example, if youhave based your revenue forecasts on theassumption of 20% average occupancy, youmight want to explore what would happen ifyou only achieved 15% or conversely if you didbetter than expected and achieved 25%. Youcould also try out the effect of adjusting ticketprices, film rental percentages or any other‘unknown’ costs. This exercise is easy toaccomplish using a computerised spreadsheetwhich incorporates formulae and variableswhich you can adjust. You can also use thismethod to establish your break-even point i.e.the critical level of turnover at which you makeneither a profit or a loss. Some funders/financiers will want to see sensitivity analysesincorporated into the business plan and it isalso a useful tool when conducting a riskassessment (see below). A sample sensitivityanalysis is contained in Annex 2.

Assessment of riskBuildings-based projects can be time-consuming and expensive and many funders

and financiers require an assessment of risk tobe made before they will invest in the scheme.This can be a useful thing to do for any project.In essence, it involves identifying everythingthat might possibly go wrong (or not to plan),its impact on the project and actions that canbe taken to mitigate against them. A samplerisk assessment is shown in Annex 3.

Key points from Chapter 2.

• Don’t underestimate the timerequired to get this type ofproject off the ground. Beprepared for overruns, especiallyif builders and public fundingagencies are involved – yourproject isn’t the only one theywill be working with.

• Before you launch in, make anobjective assessment of all youroptions. Are there other(cheaper, easier) ways to achieveyour objectives?

• A business plan is an essentialtool, not only for raising financebut also for evaluating progressand performance. Revisit yourassumptions and figures on aregular basis.

• Sensitivity analysis asks thequestion ‘what if?’. Don’t beafraid to explore theunthinkable….better to do it nowin your imagination on your PCthan to unexpectedly face thereal life scenario.

• Look at the risks associated withyour plans. How likely are they tohappen? What would you do ifthey did?

Planning is an iterativeprocess and this should bereflected in the way youuse your plan

Proposed programme at brief stage ■■■ Construction ◆ CompletionActual:

Feasibility study/review sites ■■■■Brief written and budget set ■■■■■■Architects appointed ■Design Development ■■■Planning consent ◆Tenders received/contractors appointed ■Construction ■■■■■■Handover to client ■Open to public ◆

Reproduced by kind permission ACE

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Different films, different peopleEach year a small number of new release films,3-5 titles, become ‘events’. These films – StarWars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, are thebedrock of commercial cinema. Mass appealfilms created at huge cost and supported bymassive marketing effort. They provide adisproportionately large amount of a cinema’sannual income and they appeal strongly to theyouth audience (16-24 year olds). ‘Event’ filmsare shown widely at multiplex cinemas butoften perform poorly in local independentcinemas when shown a few weeks after theinitial high profile release although some peoplewill be prepared to wait if they have seen thefilm trailered at a favourite cinema.

In contrast a large number of high quality,independent and foreign language films arereleased annually but invariably they earnmuch less at the box office. These films appealmore to 30+ year olds and can prove to be verypopular with particular audiences in individualcinemas. Films based on literary works orspecific parts of the country are often wellreceived by local audiences who prefer cinemaswith comfort, character and the opportunity tohave a coffee or a bar drink.

Young children enjoy cinemagoing. Sometimesthey attend with a group of friends. Often theyare accompanied by parents or relatives. Filmsfor the younger age groups are important forlocal cinemas and may attract selloutaudiences for matinée performances, especiallyat weekends and during school holidays. Localcinemas have to be capable of adapting towhatever is currently in the news and availableto them. This requires skill and showmanshipon the part of the cinema manager and staff inaddition to a well designed building.

Segmentation analysisThe cinema industry categorises audiences inmany different ways but often relies on an age-related scheme which closely follows the filmcertification categories (U, PG,12, 15, 18):

• Children (5-12 years old)• Family groups• Teenagers / Young couples / students• Adults

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Recent research by the All Industry MarketingCommittee for the UK cinema industry proposestwo new audience segmentation schemes. The‘lifestage’ categorization draws attention to theelements of the cinemagoing experience thateach group seeks – popcorn, comedy and thrillsfor the teenage audience contrasting with a bardrink and a quality film for 40+ year old adults.The categorisation by ‘attitudes’ seeks toidentify the small but highly important group ofenthusiastic cinemagoers. Apart from beingregular attenders these individuals are oftenthe opinion leaders who influence other lesscommitted people to attend.

Lifestage categories

• Teens (<16 yrs)• Teens / Singles / Couples (<25 yrs) • Those with young families• Those with older families

Or attitude categories

• Cinema enthusiasts/regulars• “If nothing else to do...” (socialites)• Reluctant• Non-attenders

The motivation to attend a cinema, and theopportunities for doing so, varies considerablyfrom group to group. Teenagers living in a ruralcommunity may want to see a film each weekbut might have to travel 10 miles or more to getto the nearest multiplex cinema. Without a carthis may be impossible. Families may want toattend regularly but the total cost (travel,tickets, confectionery) is sometimes felt to betoo great. Older audiences may enjoycinemagoing but feel that the area around theirlocal cinema is unsafe during the evening.

Within the broad leisure sector, operators areincreasingly focusing on the social aspects ofleisure and on four influences affecting thechoice of activity:

• Group composition – who do we attendcinema with: family , friends, or alone?

• Mental and physical energy – a smallproportion of attenders are highly motivatedto attend cinema and encourage friends tojoin them. Others are tired after work.

• Location – will it be possible to have acomplete evening out in one location?

• Deals and events – Given the relatively highcost of regular cinema attendance deals suchas family tickets and subscription schemescan be attractive.

For local cinemas a ‘Friends’ scheme may offeruseful benefits for both the cinema (loyalty)and the customer (discounts and specialevents).

Establishing a catchment areaPlanning a cinema development, like any otherleisure or retail development, involvesestimation of the catchment area that the newcinema will serve and from which it can expectto draw audiences. The most common way ofdefining a cinema’s catchment is a drivetimeboundary (based on the fact that the majorityof people use cars to get to the cinema). Theboundary takes into account the type andquality of road links as well as distance. Ifpublic transport is particularly important then a‘travel time’ boundary is more appropriate.

The most appropriate catchment for anyindividual cinema will depend on:

• The scale of the cinema planned (10-screenmultiplex or 2-screen independent?)

• The scale and number of competitor cinemas(competitor catchments may impinge on theplanned cinema’s catchment – which cinemawill prove more attractive to residents in themiddle?)

• The quality and range of other leisurefacilities near the planned cinema (visits tocinemas are usually accompanied by otherleisure activities, such as shopping, eatingand drinking)

• The extent of car ownership within theproposed catchment and the attitude to travelfor leisure purposes (rural residents are oftenmore inclined to travel long distances fortheir leisure)

• The quality and frequency of public transport(late evening services being particularlyimportant)

• The age and lifestage profile of the targetaudience (children, youth audience or olderadults?)

• The surrounding geography (is the townremote from other significant populationcentres or are there lots of small communitieswithin the catchment boundary?)

Typically, several catchments are examined atthe planning stage for a new cinema – forexample a 10 or 15-minute inner catchmentwhere the majority of the regular cinemagoerslive, and a 20 or 30-minute outer catchmentwhere infrequent cinemagoers live. In order toobtain a good understanding of the potentialaudience for a new cinema it is usually worthlooking at these catchments independently.

Other relevant catchment boundaries can bederived from travel to work data and from retailcatchment information.

Demographic and lifestyle dataA wide range of population, economic andlifestyle data is available from local authorities,from National Statistics, and from commercialcompanies such as CACI Ltd and Experian. Muchof this data can be analysed at ward orpostcode sector level which allows a detailedpicture of the population’s characteristics to beestablished.

A popular scheme such as CACI’s ACORNgeodemographic system, classifiesneighbourhoods into 6 categories, subdividedinto 17 groups and 54 types. Each category hasestablished consumer, lifestyle and economicbehaviour patterns and these can be usedinvestigate the potential strength ofcinemagoing in any defined catchment.Cinemagoing is generally more popular withprosperous and educated audiences, ACORNcategories B and C being particularly important.However the audience characteristics forindividual films vary widely and demographicanalysis should be treated with caution.

The demographic characteristics for specialistcinema audiences differ in important respectsfrom commercial cinemas audiences. There is anoticeably higher proportion of people ineducation or with higher educationalqualifications. Older audiences tend topredominate but teenage audiences (14-20years) rarely attend.

The most common way of defining a cinema’scatchment is a drivetime boundary

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Field research can be a minefield in terms of establishingmeaningful data

You will have to work very hard at getting people tochange their viewing habits and overcome theirprejudices about certain kinds of film

Market research companies such as Mintel andthe British Market Research Bureau (working forthe cinema advertising industry) produceregular reports on audience characteristics andcinemagoing behaviour. (See Annex 4 for list ofmarket research resources)If public funding is sought for a new cinemaproject – refurbishment, conversion or newbuild – it is likely that a competent analysis ofthe relevant catchment population will berequired. The Arts Council of England makesdemographic and lifestyle information availableto Arts Lottery supported projects, usuallythrough the relevant Regional Arts Counciloffice or contact the Scottish Arts Council, theArts Council of Wales, and the Northern IrelandArts Council as appropriate.

Field researchApart from conducting desk research (i.e.gathering data from existing published sources)as outlined above you may be required toconduct research specific to your audience orpotential audience. For example, you might wishto test out your ideas by asking local residentswhat they think (consultation) or to test yourassumptions about cinema going habits of youractual audience. There are a number of ways ofdoing this – focus groups or questionnairesadministered by post, telephone or in person. Adetailed discussion of research methodologies,quantitative analysis and questionnaire designis beyond the scope of this book. For anythinglarge scale, it is probably best to appoint aprofessional market research company. Fieldresearch can be a minefield in terms ofestablishing meaningful data. However, forsmall scale projects (consultation, focus groupsetc) the ‘DIY’ approach may be adequate.

Audience developmentOf course, you may confound received wisdomand expectation by attracting pensioners toStar Wars and teenagers to an archivepresentation on land army girls. Indeed, fromtime to time films are released that buck thetrend and have genuinely wide appeal –Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon despite beingsubtitled did extremely well with youngeraudiences and Lord of the Rings was such a‘must see’ movie that few people missed it,regardless of their age.

There is absolutely no reason why any audiencesegment should not enjoy any film. The factthat they tend not to attend and conform totype could be seen as an immense marketingchallenge. However, you will have to work veryhard at getting people to change their viewinghabits and overcome their prejudices aboutcertain kinds of film. In order to broadenaudiences, you will need to invest in audiencedevelopment activity. There is a range of toolsand techniques but it can be costly and theeffect difficult to measure. For example, youngpeople notoriously avoid subtitled movies. Youcould lure them in to a Japanese film with afree bottle of Japanese beer. But will they comeback next time when there is no beer on offer?

Key points from chapter 3

• Different types of film appeal todifferent types of audience

• You need to identify anappropriate catchment area foryour cinema and then find outeverything you can about wholives there

• There are lots of published dataavailable about UK populations,their lifestyle and demographics

• Research suggests that lifestageand attitude may provide a moreuseful way of categorizingaudiences than simply using agebands

• If you need to conduct fieldresearch, employ a professionalor keep it very simple

• If you want to change anaudience’s viewing habits youwill need to employ audiencedevelopment strategies – thiscan be an expensive marketingtool and the results are oftenhard to quantify

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Do you need a formalstructure?Unless the cinema is going to become anintegral local authority facility you will need todecide how the cinema is going to be ownedand managed. Some local cinemas operate asunincorporated associations i.e. an informalgroup of people who come together to set upand run a cinema. They undertake all activitiesas private individuals, applying for grants andentering into contracts in their own names. Forsome purposes, particularly when starting outthis is probably a satisfactory solution and youmay not need to consider incorporation as acompany until such time as there is a very realprospect of the cinema becoming properlyestablished. Informal associations can stillbenefit from the drawing up of a constitutionthat outlines their main objectives and the wayin which business will be conducted. It may alsobe worth thinking about registering as a charityat some point. Charitable registration is open toboth constituted companies (limited by guarantee,see below) and unconstituted organisations.Both charity and company registration can beexpensive and time consuming and it can beproblematic if you wish to dissolve yourorganisation in the future, so careful considerationshould be given to the need to register.

Setting up a Limited CompanyRegistering as a company can offer advantagesalthough this has to be balanced against someof the costs. To do so creates a legalseparation between personal and businessfinances, limits liability in the case of financial(and other) disasters, can give credibility toone’s activities and can be used to regulaterelations within partnerships in a corporaterather than personal capacity. In general, thelarger the projects you intend to embark upon,the larger the amounts of money you will needto complete them, the more useful it becomesto operate as a limited company. If you areentering into contracts or agreements withorganisations such as public sector funders,suppliers, banks and so on, being a registeredcompany can give you not only credibility butalso some additional protection against erroror sharp practice. Most particularly, it is thecompany, not you personally, which must fulfilcontracts or meet liabilities: as long as

Chapter 4

Organisation andconstitution

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company directors have acted properly andresponsibly, your liability for financial and otherpenalties can be limited. It is also worth notingthat most National Lottery Distributors and someother funders do not make grants to individuals.

The Companies Act 1985 lays down strictregulations governing what companies may andmay not do. The Act is enforced and monitoredby Companies House. It imposes reporting andoperating restrictions which some individualsor groups may regard as onerous. Much of thisis to do with the frequency and administrationof company meetings, and the filing of annualresults and auditing of accounts. Failure to filethe appropriate returns and accounts on thedue dates can lead to quite substantial fines.

If you think a limited company structure might beof advantage, the first thing to do is to contactCompanies House for its guidance notes onincorporation and registration and read themthoroughly. These are invaluable: without themyou will invariably get something wrong. Onlyform a company if you are certain that it is thebest option for you and you are confident in thepeople you wish to work with. A company musthave at least two directors - you cannot form oneas an individual. If in doubt, seek advice from asolicitor, company formation agent or similarprofessional. Companies House has an excellentwebsite on www.companieshouse.gov.uk.

As to the actual process of creating a company,there is a standard registration fee of £20.However, you may also need professional helpto draw up your Memorandum and Articles ofAssociation which give details of the company,its activities and how it will operate as a legalentity. Alternatively, you can buy a standardmodel Memorandum and Articles of Associationfor around £20-£60 from a legal stationer orcompany formation agent. Companies House takesall of this very seriously, even to the extent ofrestricting the use of certain words in companynames. To all intents and purposes there aretwo options for the sort of company you mightform: limited by guarantee or limited by shares.To simplify greatly, a company limited by shareswould have the objective of trading in order tomake profits to distribute to its shareholders. Acompany limited by guarantee is the formatavailable to charities and other groups whichdo not seek to distribute any profits tocompany members.

Forming a CharityOperating as a charity can bring benefits to anorganisation and may assist with fundraising.Charities enjoy corporation tax and council taxbenefits and charitable status can bring credibilityin the eyes of funders, other organisations andthe general public. It can also be easier to raisefunds from certain sources including grant-making trusts and local government. While theCharities Act 1992 restricts the freedom whichcharities have to trade beyond the strict remitof their charitable objectives, lost flexibility canbe restored by the creation of a trading companyoperating outside the scope of charity law butcovenanting back profits. The legislationgoverning the establishment and activities ofcharities is, however, as stringent as that governinglimited companies. The Charity Commissionersmaintain a register, investigate misconduct andabuse, and otherwise administer the charitiessector in England and Wales. The law is differentin Scotland where, in order to obtain tax andfunding benefits your organisation should beregistered with the Inland Revenue as a ’ScottishCharity’. The Scottish Council for VoluntaryOrganisations (SCVO) can supply a Guide toConstitutions and Charitable Status that includesmodel documents that groups can adapt for theirown use (see Inland Revenue leaflet IR 2004)

There are separate rules governing the publishedannual accounts produced by charities knownas SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice)and it can be costly to employ a specialistaccountant to draw these up.

Under law, charities exist to fulfil a specifiedpurpose and are, by definition, voluntaryorganisations: that is, the board of managementmust not be remunerated (although staff canbe paid). The definition of charitable purposebreaks down into six ‘heads’ of charity: therelief of the elderly, vulnerable or hardship; theadvancement of education; the advancement ofreligion; the promotion of urban or ruralregeneration; the relief of unemployment; othercharitable purposes for the benefit of thecommunity. Most charities active in the arts ormedia operate under the educational ‘head’.

It is also illegal for the trustees of a charity tobenefit from it financially - for example, atrustee cannot also be an employee of thecharity. It is possible to be prosecuted forrunning a charity improperly.

The Charity Commissioners publish a free booklet(CC21), Registering as a Charity, which gives adviceand explains the law. There are more than150,000 registered charities already operatingand it may be possible - or even desirable - tojoin forces with an existing organisation. TheCentral Register of Charities (which can beconsulted at Charity Commission offices and on-line) or Charities Digest both give information onexisting charities. The Scottish Charities Office inEdinburgh provides a similar service for Scotland.

Key points from chapter 4

Registering as a company isrelatively straightforward and canbuy credibility with funders andsuppliers of services as well asgiving limited liability to its members

Before you register as a companyand/or charity, be sure you areabsolutely ready. If your projectdoes not proceed it can be tiresometo ‘undo’ registrations

The preparation of annual accountsis regulated for both companies andcharities and you will need to employa specialist accountant. Check you canafford the fees before you proceed

Read the guidance issued byCompanies House and the CharityCommission prior to registering acompany or charity

Getting your memorandum andarticles right is crucial – consult asolicitor if you have any doubts

Make sure you are fully aware of thelegal duties and responsibilities ofCompany Directors before becomingone and make sure others areproperly briefed

A company must have at least two directors - youcannot form one as an individual.

The law is different inScotland

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Finding suitable premisesThe key tasks here are firstly to locate potentialpremises, and then to assess their suitabilityfor your planned purposes. There are a numberof options for locating vacant premises:-

1) Local newspapers/Loot2) Local authorities – often keep a register of

vacant commercial premises3) Estate Agents – particularly those who

specialise in commercial property4) The internet

You may be looking for a leasehold, freehold ora vacant site for a new building. Before youstart looking at properties make a list of yourbasic minimum requirements as a checklist.

Tenure issues – the perils andpitfalls of leasesThe whole basis of ownership and occupation ofland and buildings is different under Scottishlaw. The following section relates mainly toEngland.

In the ideal world one would own the freeholdof the building which, by and large entitles youto peaceful occupation and, planningrestrictions aside, leaves you free to do whatyou want when you want. And of course you donot have to pay rent and so the on-goingrevenue costs (loans or equity finance) aremore controllable. If you are very lucky, theremay even be parts of the building you can rentout to other businesses so you could become alandlord yourself. However, the most commontype of ownership is a commercial lease.

Leasehold ‘ownership’ - a peculiarity of Englishlaw, dates back to feudal times and ensuresthat land and property ownership remains inthe same hands from generation to generation.As a leaseholder you do not own the propertyin perpetuity as you do with a freehold. You‘own’ it for a specified length of time (the‘term’) during which you have similar kinds ofrights of occupation and access as a freeholder.You pay once for the lease (the ‘premium’) andyou also pay rents to the freeholder who mayvary these on a regular basis with no ceiling onwhat may be charged. You are also usuallyliable to pay for all repairs to the building andthese must be carried out to a minimum

Chapter 5

Premises Issues

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standard by an approved contractor within agiven time frame. At the end of all this, oncethe term of the lease expires you own nothingand the landlord walks away with a beautifully-maintained property which he can ‘sell’ again!

While leasehold agreements these days arerarely constructed to deliberately mislead theunwary, you need to think very carefully beforeentering into such an agreement. The goldenrule is, have a solictor look at it for you anddon’t sign anything until you have your financelined up. While many clauses are standard, don’tthink of the lease as a boring bit of bureaucracy.Read it carefully and ask your solicitor toexplain anything which isn’t entirely clear.

PremiumThis is a one-off capital sum which some, highlysought after leases may attract. Generally, ahigh premium is often off-set by a low rent andvice versa. For difficult to sell leases, there isunlikely to be a premium and in the cinemabusiness, it is unusual to pay a premium.

TermIn theory, a long lease is better than a shortone as you have security of tenure and itbecomes more worth your while to invest in theproperty. However, on a long lease you aregenerally liable for the rent for the full termregardless of what happens. Even if the leaseallows you to transfer (assign) it to someoneelse during the term, you may still be requiredto underwrite the rent. In the case of a LimitedCompany, it is not uncommon for the landlord toask for personal guarantees from the Directorsor even another organisation (e.g. the localauthority) if he deems the company ‘risky’ i.e.especially one without a trading track record.

Assignment The lease usually either prevents you assigningit entirely or requires permission from thelandlord to do so. Even if you are able to findsomeone who wishes to acquire the lease fromyou, the landlord may not give permission ormay require you to underwrite the rent in casethe assignee defaults.

Repairs/InsuranceMost standard leases are what is known as ‘fullrepairing and insuring’ leases. This means thatthe lessee is responsible for buildingsinsurance and all repairs to the fabric of thebuilding during the term.

DilapidationsThere is also generally a standard clause whichrequires the lessee to hand the property backto the freeholder at the end of the term in thesame condition as when it was acquired. Thismeans not only making good the more obviousdamage through wear and tear, but may alsorequire the lessee to undo ‘improvements’ hemay have made to the property whileoccupying it. For example, the property whichwas once open plan offices which the lesseeconverted to individual offices, may be requiredto be turned back to an open plan arrangementbefore it is handed back.

Rent ReviewsAlmost all leases make provision for thelandlord to periodically raise the rent –generally every 5 years although sometimesshorter or longer periods are specified. It is notuncommon for rents to double, treble orquadruple at rent reviews and there is noceiling on what can be charged. The only rightof appeal is through an independent arbitrationprocess which generally attempts to establishwhat the going rate, or market rent is forpremises in that area. It will also need to takeaccount of the frequency of review and generaltrends in property prices. A market rent issimply a rent that someone is willing to payand so, while you may feel that the rise isextortionate, if the landlord can demonstratethat this level of rent is being paid elsewherenearby, arbitration is unlikely to find in yourfavour. In fact, it may even determine that thenew rent should be raised further and so thereis an element of risk in going to arbitration.

Restrictive CovenantsRestrictive covenants are additional clauses inleases which prevent the purchaser from doingcertain things. A problem in recent years for anumber of campaigns to save former cinemasafter they were acquired and closed down, hasbeen a restrictive covenant imposed on sale ofthe lease, preventing the building being used asa cinema again. It may be possible to negotiateremoval of such clauses (for example throughpayment of a fee) but if the vendor will notcompromise, there is very little you can do.

This issue in some more unusual cases, alsoapplies to freeholds (it is not uncommon forexample for certain religious organisations toprohibit the sale of alcohol in premises whichwere previously used as churches).

ChargesThis applies to both freeholds and leaseholds,you need to be very careful to ensure that youknow about any finance agreements with banksand other lenders which are secured on theasset. Your conveyancing solicitor will advisebut you may well need the asset to beunencumbered so that you can raise additionalfinance on it. It is always useful to have somecollateral up your sleeve for contingencies.

Planning consentsMost external alterations, extensions and changesof use require planning permission. Particularcare is required in conservation areas. You shouldensure that you have the necessary consentsbefore you start work, as planning enforcementaction can be taken, even if you have obtainedBuilding Regulation approval.

Where a building is ‘listed’ because of its particularhistorical or architectural characteristics, listedbuilding consent is required for all internal andexternal works, including those affecting non-original parts of the building. You should notethat unauthorised work to a listed building is acriminal offence. Building Control Surveyorsensure that buildings are constructed inaccordance with the conditions of the planningpermissions and listed building consent.

You should contact the planning department ofyour local authority to find out whether yourproposal needs consent. It can take several weeksor months to obtain planning consents dependingon the complexity or controversial nature of whatyou are proposing. Fees can be a significant cost(several hundred pounds) and you may also needto employ an architect to draw up plans. You willbe required to post statutory notices for a specifiedperiod describing the proposed change adjacentto the premises in order that objections can belodged with the local authority.

Listed BuildingsGetting a building listed can be a useful meansof preserving a site from demolition and/ordevelopment. A significant number of cinemabuildings, particularly those from the art decoera are listed buildings. The downside is thatonce a building has been listed it becomesmore difficult to make changes to both the

In the ideal world one would own thefreehold of the building...However, the most common type ofownership is a commercial lease.

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interior and exterior as permission has to begiven by the local authority.

English Heritage and Historic Scotland are themain national bodies with the task of identifyingand protecting the nation’s architecturalinheritance, which they do by recommending'listing' or earmarking the most important buildings.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport orthe Scottish Executive make the final decisions onlisting. The following sections details processesapplicable in England and broadly similarprocedures and regulations apply in Scotland.

What does listing mean?The word 'listing' is a short-hand term used todescribe one of a number of legal procedureswhich help English Heritage to protect the bestof our architectural heritage. When buildingsare listed they are placed on statutory lists ofbuildings of 'special architectural or historicinterest' compiled by the Secretary of State forCulture, Media and Sport under the Planning(Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act1990, on advice from English Heritage.

Listing ensures that the architectural and historicinterest of the building is carefully consideredbefore any alterations, either outside or insideare agreed

Why are buildings chosen? Listed buildings are selected with great care.The main criteria used are:

architectural interest: all buildings whichare nationally important for the interest oftheir architectural design, decoration orcraftsmanship; also important examples ofparticular building types and techniques,and significant plan forms

historic interest: this includes buildings whichillustrate important aspects of the nation'ssocial, economic, cultural or military history

close historical association with nationallyimportant buildings or events

group value, especially where buildingscomprise an important architectural or historicunity or are a fine example of planning (suchas squares, terraces and model villages)

The older and rarer a building is, the more likelyit is to be listed. Post-1945 buildings have to beexceptionally important to be listed. Buildingsless than 30 years old are only rarely listed, if

they are of outstanding quality and under threat.

Why are there three grades? Listed buildings are graded to show theirrelative importance:

Grade I buildings are those of exceptionalinterest

Grade II* are particularly importantbuildings of more than special interest

Grade II are of special interest, warrantingevery effort to preserve them

There are 37,000 or so list entries currentlyprotected by listing, and of those by far themajority - over 92% - are Grade II. Grade I and II*buildings may be eligible for English Heritagegrants for urgent major repairs. Currently thereare about 150 listed cinema buildings in Englandalthough a number do not operate as cinemasany longer.

How to get a building listedRequests for individual buildings to be spotlistedcan be made to The Secretary of State forCulture, Media and Sport at any time althoughpriority treatment will be given to those whichare under threat. It is important to drawattention to any new evidence which mayexplain why the building's special interest haspreviously been overlooked.

It is best for all involved if buildings are assessedfor possible listing before planning permissionhas been granted for redevelopment, since last-minute listing can cause difficulties and additionalexpense if it takes place without warning. Thethematic listing programme is designed to helpreduce this risk.

What is the procedure?Requests to list buildings should be sent to theListing Branch, Department of Culture, Mediaand Sport, 1a Cockspur Street, London SW1Y5DH. As well as your reasons for wanting thebuilding listed, you should include:

• a location plan showing, whereverpossible, the position of any other listedbuildings nearby

• clear, up-to-date photographs of the mainelevations of the building

• any information about the building, e.g. datebuilt

• details of specialised function (such as

industrial use)

• historical associations

• the name of the architect

• the building's group value in the street scene

• details of any interior features of interest

• the daytime telephone number of the owneror his or her agent who may be able to giveaccess to the building for an inspection

The Secretary of State consults EnglishHeritage on all applications for listing who aimto try to reach a decision within 3 months.

How to appeal against listingThere is no statutory right of appeal, but if youthink your property is not special enough to belisted, you can write to the Department of CultureMedia and Sport. If you are planning an appealthe Department can provide a guidance note onthe criteria used in considering listing appeals.

Because listing appeals are non-statutory,applications for de-listing are not normallyconsidered if a building is the subject of anapplication for listed building consent or an appealagainst refusal of consent, or where a localauthority is having to take action against theowner because of unauthorised work or neglect.

For further information www.english-heritage.org.uk and www.historic-scotland.gov.uk

Section entitled ‘Listed buildings’ copyrightEnglish HeritageReproduced by kind permission

LicencesCinema licenceYou may need to acquire a number of differentlicences, depending on what you propose to do.As rules vary from authority to authority it isvitally important you establish what the licensingrequirements are at the planning stage. TheCinemas Act 1985 imposes licensing requirementsin respect of film exhibition. As a bare minimumyou will require a Cinema Licence issued by yourlocal authority. You will be required to operateunder their rules of management which covervirtually every aspect of the day to day operationincluding for example, how many ushers arerequired on duty at any one time, fire regulations,storage, staff conditions and training, toilet

there are about 150 listedcinema buildings inEngland

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facilities and many matters relating to healthand safety for both staff and public withadditional rules for children. Again, dependingon your local authority you may require alicence for Sunday screenings or should youwish to use your venue for music, dance or thepublic performance of plays, a PublicEntertainment Licence. You may apply for anoccasional licence for one off events.

Licensing Inspections normally take place oncea year before renewal but officials are entitledto inspect the premises at any time. In mostcases you are advised of dates and times butinspectors will occasionally do spot visitsduring public opening times.

Fire PreventionBefore you can open your doors to the publicyou will need a fire certificate from your localauthority. You may find the Cinema ExhibitorsAssociation’s (CEA) Fire Risk Assessment Guidehelpful in determining risk factors. Fireregulations cover things like number of exitsrequired, signing, fire extinguishers, stafftraining, drills, fire prevention andrecommended class of inflammable materials.As with health and safety requirements, it ispreferable to invite an inspection of yourpremises and plans prior to contracting for anybuilding works. In theory your architect willknow what the rules are, but it may still beworth your while checking that a certificate willbe issued once the work is done. In the courseof such an inspection s/he may also pick up onother things which need attention. Once openand running, as with licensing, fire authoritieswill visit from time to time to inspect thepremises to ensure compliance with the law butalso to familiarise themselves with thepremises in the unlikely event of a majorincident.

Health and SafetyThe local authority’s rules relating to CinemaLicences and Public Entertainment Licences donot in any way replace or reduce the underlyingstatutory duty of employers to comply with therequirements of the Health and Safety at Worketc. Act 1974. This legislation requires, amongstother things, an assessment of the risks tostaff, patrons and others who may be affectedby their business and identification ofmeasures required to control or avoid the risks.Local authorities are responsible for monitoring

compliance with this legislation, usuallythrough their Environmental Health services. Itis advisable to involve the Health and SafetyInspectorate at the earliest opportunity,especially if you are undertaking buildingworks. Safety certificates you may requireinclude mechanical & electrical, ceiling, heatingand ventilation and various insurances whichmust be kept up to date as a condition of acinema licence and an operational building.

Performing Rights Society (PRS) andPhonographic Performance Ltd (PPL)You will need a licence from the PRS to coverthe playing of music on the films’ soundtrack.PRS is paid at 1% of net box office after VAT forthe use of the composers and publishers ofmusic. You are also likely to need a licence fromPPL for use of recordings and DVDs for ambientmusic played in the foyer and auditoria. TheCEA have negotiated a reduced rate (20%discount) PPL licence scheme for all UKcinemas which is based on the number ofcinema screens you will be operating. You willneed to negotiate directly with the PRS.

Restaurant and liquor licencesIf you are planning anything other than sweetsand crisps i.e. hot food, you will need planningpermission and a restaurant licence. Licensingfor alcohol sales is a separate matter and youwill have to put in a licence application with thelocal licensing justices. A liquor licence will onlylicence consumption of alcohol in the bar (andseated at tables in the restaurant if you haveone). If you want your customers to be able totake alcohol into the auditorium you have toget separate permission.

Building RegulationsThe purpose of the Building Regulations isthreefold:To ensure reasonable standards of:

• Health and Safety for persons in or aboutthe buildings

• Energy Conservation

• Access and facilities for people withdisabilities

The technical requirements of the Regulationsand guidance on how to meet them iscontained in Approved Documents, published byHMSO. These cover a number of areas including

structure, fire safety, resistance to the passageof sound, toxic substances and theconservation of fuel and power. It is importantto remember that the contents of the ApprovedDocuments are only guidelines i.e. they are notcast in stone and there may be some flexibilityin their interpretation. Your architect and/orbuilder should be fully up to speed on BuildingRegulations, so you should not have to dealdirectly with this aspect.

Key points from Chapter 5

• Before looking for premises drawup a list of your minimum basicrequirements

• Always employ a solicitor to helpyou navigate the perils andpitfalls of leasehold agreements

• While listing a building mayconfer some benefits in terms ofpreservation, it also means itmay be more difficult to getplanning consents

• Make contact with your localauthority’s Fire Officer as soonas you can. What he or sherequires may have significantimplications for your budget

• You are likely to require severaldifferent licences including acinema licence, a fire certificate,a restaurant licence, a liquorlicence, and licences for use ofcopyright protected music

• Get in touch with your LocalAuthority’s planning officers andenvironmental health departmentat an early stage, to sound themout on your proposals

Before you can open your doors to the public you willneed a fire certificate from your local authority

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Briefing an architectWhether you are aiming for a new-build, aconversion or a simple refurbishment, chancesare that you will require the services of anarchitect. Ideally, you will pick a firm with atrack record on cinemas. However, in the UKonly a handful of architects can claim to becinema specialists (see contacts) and, if youwant to employ a local person, you may findyourself employing a generalist. In this case, itis vital that you seek specialist technical advicein order to ensure that the space is fit forpurpose. Sightlines and soundlines are criticalhere, affecting the floor, seat layout, ceilingsand siting of the projection box among otherthings.

At the start you should be trying to build ateam and the quality of that team is vital.Apart from yourself and your architect you willalso need a Planning Supervisor to comply withthe Construction Design and ManagementRegulations. He or she is the one consultantyou are legally obliged to employ, not to do sois a criminal offence and punishable by a jailsentence. You will probably also need aStructural Engineer, a Services Engineer and aQuantity Surveyor, depending on the size andcomplexity of the development.

The Brief is the document whereby you instructyour architect as to what you want. Time spentat the start of the process will repay youtenfold at the end. You can get guidance onthis from the Arts Councils of England, Wales orNorthern Ireland or from the Royal Institute ofArchitects in Scotland (RIAS). Certain topics willhave to be covered:

• Details of your organisation and artisticpolicy. Who is going to act as client, fromwhom does the design team takeinstructions, ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ and policyissues etc

• Objectives of the scheme

• Description of the site or building andsurrounding area. This can be more thanjust a description in physical terms. Itmight include a socio-economicbreakdown of the neighbourhood andoutlying catchment area

• Key aspects of management

• A detailed description of the uses and

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activities to be housed in the building

• A specification of the space needed foreach of these activities and a descriptionof these spaces

• Definition of the relationships betweenthese spaces

• Technical performance required of thesespaces – sound proofing, lighting, heating,air handling

• Level and pattern of use. How manypeople, at what time of day or night, peaktimes, peak numbers?

• Expectations for disabled access. TheBuilding Regulations have something tosay on this as does the Lottery and theDisability Discrimination Act. Theseshould be regarded as minimumrequirements and a greater degree offacility allowed for

• Budget – phasing if necessary, sourcesmay be relevant. This item is crucial –remember that VAT is to be added tocertain figures quoted to you. Yourbudget must be realistic. While a lot ofcreative ideas can be brought to fruitioneconomically you still do not get a RollsRoyce for the same money as a Skoda

• Priorities – if costs exceed budget whatcan you sacrifice?

State of the art design“The calling card of the contemporary cinemais the physical image it presents. Going to themovies has become more than a 110-minute-long flood of images… Moviegoers want to beimmersed in a different world before and afterthe film as well. The public is satisfied onlywhen the total experience is unforgettable.”

Roderick Hönig in Frame, Jan/Feb 2000

The heyday of extravagant cinema building isgenerally considered to be the 1930s and 1940swhen spectacular, ornate and fantastic interiordesign created an environment far removedfrom domestic living rooms. Now, standards ofdomestic comfort and home entertainmentprovide tough challenges for cinema exhibitors.Cinema design itself is changing rapidly. Cinemasbuilt five or ten years ago are considered outdatedand are being scheduled for refurbishment to

bring them up to date. Contemporary audiencesthroughout the world are demanding very highstandards of comfort, of ancillary facilities, andof technical presentation. Local cinemas whichfail to upgrade are quickly considered inadequateby audiences. Surveys regularly cite commentscriticising old, poor quality cinemas (“pull itdown”,“we need a modern cinema”, “cold anduncomfortable” are typical comments).

The quality and appearance of the building playa substantial part in the marketing of a cinema.A number of notably well designed arts buildings,including cinemas, have become leisure destinationsand achieved higher than predicted attendances.For cinema, the features which are givenprominence in marketing plans include:

• Total view seating – an unobstructed viewis the ideal. A stepped (stadium) seatingarrangement is preferred to a sloping(raked) auditorium

• High quality seating – seat design hasundergone extensive changes in recentyears and may feature: high backs, non-tipping squabs, raisable armrests.generous leg room, and a side table orholder for drinks

• Access – a high standard of disabilityaccess is required

• Large screen – wall-to-wall screens areincreasingly common, this directly affectsthe position of front row seating andemergency exits

• Black box interiors – a controversialapproach to auditoria interiors but thegeneral concept of minimum distraction isgenerally accepted

• Air conditioning – or at least a goodquality heating and cooling system

• Projection – in-focus and flicker freeprojection complemented by multi-channelsound, usually based around a digitalprocess such as Dolby Digital or DTS

• Concession choice – more than justpopcorn, coke and hamburgers. A localquality supplier might be preferred to amultinational brand. Coffee or an alcoholicdrink is also welcomed by manycinemagoers

Number of auditoriaAlmost all new cinemas are multi-screendesigns. Even in smaller communities, newsingle screen cinemas are rare. The reasons arepartly economic and partly related toprogramming. The economic rationale is basedon the fact that there are several quitedifferent cinema audiences and few films crossseveral categories. Screening one particularfilm will appeal to some sections of thepotential audience but not others. Two or morescreens increases the number of differentaudiences that can be reached in any one week,effectively spreading the risk and helpingensure a particular level of income for the year.

The programming justification involvesmatching different types of film to appropriateauditorium size as well as being able to launcha film in a larger screen and then let it continueplaying for a second week, or more, in thesmaller auditoria while allowing a new releaseinto the larger screen. The cinema trade isincreasingly focusing on the opening weekendbox office for new releases and it is importantthat cinemas should be able to capitalise onthe initial surge of attendance thataccompanies popular new films.

Multi-screen cinemas provide additionalbenefits when a wide range of programming isbeing presented, such as during a film festivalor when a diverse range of community andeducation uses is involved.

In terms of operating costs, there is not a greatdifference between having a two or three-screen cinema compared to a single largercinema. The capital costs may not be greatlydifferent either, depending on the design.

The amount of space required for eachauditorium depends on a number of factors butthe table below provides an approximate guide.The calculations are based on a modern designusing 1.10–1.20 metres from seat back to seatback and 550 – 600mm seat widths.

Multi-screen cinemasprovide additional benefitswhen a wide range ofprogramming is beingpresented

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Seating capacity and spacerequirements

200 seats 270 m2 2 2,900 ft2

150 seats 190 m2 2 2,000 ft2

75 seats 125 m2 2 1350 ft2

The number of screens and the auditoriumcapacity depend on many factors ranging fromaudience potential estimates and theprogramming range that is planned to thefinance available and the characteristics andsize of the site or building. In general onemedium or large auditorium seating at least 150people is required. A more typical capacity isaround 200-230 seats. This auditorium shouldbe able to accommodate the peak audiences atweekends – people turned away from a full-house may not return.

Additional auditoria should be graduated in sizedown to 70-100 seats for thesmallest screen. The variation in capacityallows films to be placed in auditoria thatmatch their anticipated audience. Smallercapacity auditoria may prove to be viable asoutlined in the section about digital cinema.Throughout the UK there are over 30 cinemaswith auditoria seating 75 people or less, someas few as 40 people per screen. It is, however,advisable to carefully investigate theoperational economics of operating such smallauditoria before including them in a new designor a refurbishment project.

Sound issuesAlthough film is first and foremost a visualmedium, poor sound quality will ruin even thesharpest pictures. Sound is an area oftenoverlooked but, just as you need goodsightlines, you also need good soundlines.

Apart from the obvious comfort and sizeconsiderations it is imperative that the auditoriaare designed with the following in mind:-

• External sound insulation (how manytimes have you heard traffic noise, trainsor building works over the soundtrack ofthe film you are watching?)

• Internal sound insulation – this isparticularly important with multiple

screens where a loud soundtrack can leakinto the adjoining auditorium

• Services and equipment noise control –noises such as air conditioning, lifts,toilets and projection equipment need tobe controlled

• Acoustics – acoustic design in cinemasshould be considered from feasibilitystage – location, auditorium planning etc.through to final commissioning

Catering and bar facilitiesComparatively few cinemas focused on barsand cafés until recent years, however thesefacilities are now incorporated in to everythingfrom large multiplexes (which may have morethan one restaurant within the building) tosmall, part-time local cinemas.

What catering can do for yourvenueCatering in a cinema can mean anything fromrunning a kiosk to selling coffee and popcorn tooffering a full à la carte menu in luxurioussurroundings. Your choice of cateringoperation will depend largely on what you aretrying to achieve in terms of your audiences,the space you have available and yourorganisation’s finances. Bars and restaurantswithin arts venues are sometimes perceived bytheir management as an opportunity to make aquick financial return to subsidise core activityi.e. the arts. Others may take the view thatfinancial return is a secondary considerationand that the main purpose of the cateringfacilities is a service to customers which willenhance their overall experience of the venue.These objectives are not mutually exclusive andideally, you would aim to achieve both.However, in practice it can be very difficult toachieve either of these aims.

Like any other business, catering operationsexperience product life cycles which meansthat while the potential for reasonable financialreturns exists, it can take time to establish anoperation which yields high return. Typically, itcan take 2-3 years for a new restaurant and/orbar to begin yielding any profit at all.Restaurants and bars are also subject to the

vagaries of fashion and fashion products sufferever shortening life cycles. What is ‘in’ todaycan be ‘out’ tomorrow. So, even onceestablished, catering operations requirefrequent renovation and reinvention. You willprobably get no more than five years for yourinvestment before you have to start thinkingagain about the original concept and spendingmoney on refreshing it.

Operationally, catering is one of the mostdifficult businesses to run. Both the rawmaterials and the end product are highlyperishable and can be subject to daily pricefluctuations; demand is subject to strongseasonality effects with the day, week, monthand year. Production techniques can be highlyskilled and good service requires articulate andtalented people yet catering is one of the worstpaid industries in the world and has a very highlevel of employment turnover. Above all, foodis one of the most intimate and emotivesubjects of conversation around. Everyone hasan opinion and will certainly feel entitled tovoice it if they are eating in your restaurant.

For these reasons and others, manyestablishments opt to subcontract a specialistto run their catering operations. Theadvantages and disadvantages of thesearrangements are discussed in Chapter 10 inthe section entitled ‘running bars and catering’.

Having said all this, catering and bar facilitiescan make a very significant contribution in anumber of ways to your venue:-

Differentiation from other venuesBars and restaurants are another opportunityto make your venue distinctive from yourcompetitors’. Many would argue that it isalmost a commercial imperative to offeraudiences some kind of refreshment before,during and after the ‘main event’. The style ofoperation, ambience, good food, a range ofinteresting refreshments can all make acontribution to the overall product offering toyour audiences. The food and drink availablecoupled with a pleasant ambience will often bethe reason why your audiences choose yourvenue over that of your competitors.

Enhancing customer experienceOffering restaurants and bar facilities has thepotential to enhance the overall experience of

food is one of the most intimate andemotive subjects of conversation around

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your audiences during the time they spend atyour venue. It will also prolong the experience.However, the converse is also true. A good artsvenue can be totally ruined by poor cateringservices. It is therefore essential to retaincontrol and flexibility over what is on offer.Even if you sub-contract your cateringoperation to an outside operator, it will still beperceived that the restaurant and bars on yourpremises are part of your organisation and anunsatisfactory experience for your patrons willreflect badly on you.

Financial contributionOver-optimism about the levels of financialreturn available from bars and restaurants iscommon. Revenue levels will depend onlocation, competition, space, pricing, levels ofactivity and marketing. It is notoriouslydifficult to forecast levels of demand for a newcatering operation and the maximisation ofrevenues will depend upon very carefulconsideration being given to each of the abovefactors. Levels of net return from cateringoperations are likely to be no more than 10-15%of turnover. Catering operations arecharacterised by high levels of fixed costs (inparticular labour) and lack of controllability onthe variable cost side. They are therefore highrisk and it is not difficult with a bit of bad luckand bad management to sustain large losses.

Access for people withdisabilitiesIncreasingly nowadays arts activity is beingopened up to disabled people. This sectioncovers a few basics but for a comprehensivebooklet on how to offer the best access todisabled people contact the Arts Council ofEngland for a copy of Guidelines for Marketing toDisabled Audiences, which contains some usefulchecklists. The CEA also publish a very useful setof guidelines specifically for cinema operators.

Why is full access necessary?U.N RulesThe United Nations Standard Rule 5 onaccessibility declares:

States should recognize the overall importanceof accessibility in the process of equalization of

opportunities in all spheres of society. Forpersons with disabilities of any kind, Statesshould (a) introduce programmes of action tomake the physical environment accessible; and(b) undertake measures to provide access toinformation and communication.

European CommissionThe EU endorses the UN standard rules andrequires that disabled people are included in allprogrammes and mechanisms of theCommission and are considered in all Directiveson standards set by the Union. All citizens ofthe EU are entitled to freedom of movementand employment across the European Statesand will expect equality of access to places ofentertainment – even if some of the venues arevery old. There are 60 million disabled peoplein Europe.

The Disability Discrimination Act.The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 makes itunlawful for service providers such as cinemasto discriminate against disabled people. From2004, the Act states that service providers willhave to make “reasonable adjustments” to thephysical features of their premises to overcomephysical barriers to access. In broad terms newor refurbished cinemas, including staff areas,box offices and projection rooms, should beconstructed so that people with a range ofdisabilities are not discriminated against andcan gain easy access to the cinema. Specialistadvice is available from the CEA, architects andfrom disability access groups.

Lottery FundingThe Arts Councils will only award Lotteryfunding for venues where access policies are inplace which treat disabled people no lessfavourably than non-disabled people.

Commercial considerationsDisabled people are a large market and with ahighly competitive environment and over-screening, cinema operators need every payingcustomer they can get.

Many venues are equipped with the barestminimum of facilities which include: disabledparking, an adapted toilet, a lift, a hearinginduction loop fitted in the auditorium and aminicom in the box office. You may have moredifficulty with older, converted buildings butthere are organisations where you can apply

for funding to provide better facilities (see thecontacts section for information).

Although much attention is paid to mobilitydisabled audiences, the needs of hearing andsight impaired audiences are often given lessattention. A considerable number of peoplewith hearing loss attend cinema and canbenefit greatly from a properly installedinduction loop system and/or an infrared-basedsystem. The infrared systems can also be usedfor audio described performances for peoplewith sight impairment/loss.

Sign Interpreted ScreeningsAlthough an induction loop or infrared systemswill offer hard of hearing audiences access to afilm, a sign interpreted screening will beavailable to deaf people. British Sign Languageis a language in its own right and many deafpeople use it as a first language and English asa second language. Deaf people are oftenwilling to travel further than most if this facilityis on offer although it is probably too costly tooffer on anything except an occasional basis.Try also to reserve the seats which have thebest view of the interpreter for your deafcustomers. Contact the RNID, British DeafAssociation and National Deaf Children’sSociety for further information.

SubtitlesA further solution (and perhaps the mostpractical) presents itself in the form ofsubtitled screenings (although as noted abovefor many deaf people, English is their secondlanguage). This is an area of shiftingtechnological change but some studios are nowproducing a few prints of major releases withsubtitles and new systems for ‘soft’ titling(which is projected onto the film rather thanbeing ‘burnt in’) are being developed.

Audio Described ScreeningsAudio description works by providing acommentary on the action in between thedialogue of a film. Blind and visually impairedpeople are given a headset at the start of thescreening and the information is relayed eitherlive by an audio describer or from a recordingwhich is synchronised with the film. Thedescription is impartial and highlights aspectssuch as the colour of people’s clothes as formany people with a visual impairment they canstill see colours and shapes and some people

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who are totally blind have visual memory.Contact the RNIB for further details.

If you wish to offer this kind of provision themost important thing at the outset isconsultation. Contact your local disability artsgroup and get information on their needs. Thiswill help prevent you from making assumptionsand embarrassing mistakes. Disability artsgroups can offer disability awareness trainingfor your staff. You may want to set up a disabilityadvisory group to help with access issues.

To market your venue to people with disabilitiesyou will need to find out which publications andother media they access, as there are manyspecialist ones available and the internet hasbecome an important communications tool.Your printed publicity should be available on awide range of formats such as Braille, audiotape and large print. Outreach work and directcontact are often the most powerful publicitytools. Print materials should also carry detailedinformation about access. A checklist for this iscontained in the Arts Council publicationmentioned above. Always make sure your staff,particularly your box office and bar staff areproperly briefed so they are confident inproviding assistance to disabled customers.

An illustrative specificationAn illustrative specification for a well-equipped3-screen cinema centre could be as follows(many of the facilities, shown with an asteriskbelow, could be shared if a combined cinemaand performing arts centre is developed):

Essential facilities• Cinema seating capacities: 180-250, 100-

140, 70-110 (aiming for a total ofapproximately 400-500 seats)

• All screens equipped with wall-to-wallscreens, 35mm projection, adjustablescreen masking, and multi-channel highquality sound

• Stadium seating (stepped rake) with highbacks and generous legroom (1.0 – 1.2metres back to back, 550 or 600mm seatwidth)

• Access, toilets and seating for wheelchairusers

• An inductive loop and an infrared system

to assist people with hearing difficulties

• The largest auditoria to have a smallraised stage area capable of lecture andbusiness presentation uses. Thisauditorium should have good quality videoprojection capable of cinema anddata/computer uses.

• Foyer with box office, information displays,sales kiosk and/or shop *

• Bar and/or cafe facilities *

• Staff offices *

• Energy efficient design for the wholebuilding *

• Illuminated external displays and posterareas *

Desirable facilities• High definition video projection.

• A range of film projection formats

• Internet / New media / Information centrewith public access *

• Youth area (e.g. juice bar, internetfacilities, games machines, music) *

• Flexible space for children’s parties orother leisure and business uses *

• Meeting/education room *

• Gallery capability within public spacessuch as bar/café or corridors *

• Media production and post-productionunits (some available to let) *

• Film dump/store for general use andespecially for festivals

• Commentary/sound control booth in atleast one cinema

Other buildings issuesPublic areas and sales pointsThe ancillary facilities – toilets, box office, saleskiosk, display areas and so on – are similar inboth single screen and multi screen designs.These areas set the atmosphere for the visit tothe cinema and can range from the funfairapproach of some multiplexes to a relaxed,almost hotel foyer approach with sofas andplants and a lack of strident marketing. If thecinema has to accommodate a range ofaudiences, especially young and old, then

distinct areas should be created where eachaudience can feel comfortable.

Concession sales of ice-cream, soft drinks andconfectionery are highly profitable (Popcornyields notional margins of 10,000%!) and it isessential that the cinema foyer includes a goodretail space providing a range of refreshmentsto accommodate the preferences of differingaudiences. It should be noted however thathigh concession prices have attracted criticismfrom cinemagoers and margins may decline inthe future. A number of independent localcinemas include product ranges from localsuppliers – apart from supporting localbusinesses, and providing the products are wellregarded, these products help distinguish thelocal cinema from the national multiplex chains.

Transport and parkingWith the exception of some city centre cinemas,the great majority of cinemagoers arrive at thecinema by car. The free and plentiful carparking at out-of-town multiplexes has provedpopular and, conversely, cinemas with poorparking are sometimes criticised. Adequate,safe and nearby car parking is a basicrequirement for most successful cinemas.

Government policies (e.g. Planning PolicyGuidance Notes 13 and Regional TransportStrategies for England) aim to reduce thenumber of leisure journeys made by car andinstead emphasise public transport. For mostcinemas this means local bus services but alltoo often these services fail to provide asuitable evening service. In rural areas the costof bus services may also create a barrier tocinema attendance. If a cinema is planned in anarea with low levels of car ownership then thequality of local bus services should beinvestigated.

Expansion potentialLeisure trends are changing rapidly and cinemadesign is in a particularly turbulent period.There are few certainties but one is that acinema built today will be due somerefurbishment and perhaps modification within5–10 years. It is important that sites for newcinemas make allowance for future changes.Many of the problems facing existing cinemasare due to a lack of expansion potential.

Adequate, safe and nearby car parking is a basicrequirement for most successful cinemas

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Digital cinemasDigital video technologies are transforming theway films are made, edited, distributed andprojected. There is a rapidly growing number offilmmakers who work with camera and computerequipment purchased from high street stores toproduce very low budget films – sometimes withprofessional actors – which can be projectedsuccessfully in properly equipped cinemas.

Since mid-1999 public screenings of digitallyprojected, mainstream feature films have beentaking place in selected cinemas worldwide.Over a million paying customers have attendeddigital cinema screenings and it is nowgenerally accepted that conventional 35mmfilm projection may one day be replaced withdigital video technologies. The equipment isevolving and can be expensive but the picturequality is astonishing and, some have claimedthat in several respects it surpassesconventional film. The number of digitalcinemas will undoubtedly grow quickly duringthe current decade.

The key advantages of digital cinema (‘d-cinema’ or ‘e-cinema’) for local cinemas are:

• The distribution of films to cinemas ispotentially much cheaper, quicker andeasier. Individual cinemas will potentiallybe able to get the latest, high earningfilms at the same time as West Endcinemas. It will be more economicallyviable to distribute minority interest filmsand to provide subtitled or dubbed versions

• The picture and sound quality will alwaysbe as good as it was at the première. Noscratches, jumps, dirt or flicker to disturbthe viewing experience

• Local filmmakers, students and schoolpupils will be able to project their films tolocal audiences, quickly and inexpensively.

• Localised advertising tailored to theparticular audience will be possible

• Additional smaller auditoria become viableand provide greater choice for localaudiences. A local digital cinema – a digitalminiplex – may have one or two largeauditoria (150 to 250 seats) and three orfour very small ones (30 to 50 seats).Examples of this type of cinema areappearing in Scandanavia, Spain and Italy

• Non-film uses, especially the screening oflive cultural events, may becomeimportant additional revenue streams. Insome locations local businesses andeducation organisations will use thefacilities. A number of cinemas in the UK,Europe and North America are alreadyoffering pay-per-view sporting events incinemas and reporting revenues 200% to400% over regular film screenings. InFrance 300 venues, often converted townhalls, offer sports and cultural eventsunder the banner ‘Vidéo TransmissionHaute Resolution’

Subtitled performances for deaf audiences areincreasingly popular but there can be problemsobtaining suitable film prints. New systemsusing video projectors to overcome many ofthese problems are in development. The newapproach involves projecting subtitles on to thefilm and does not require a special copy of thefilm. The flexibility of this approach opens upthe potential for multi language versions offilms to suit a variety of local audiences.

The technical aspects of digital cinemas areevolving but reasonably well understood. Incontrast the business models supporting e-cinema are unclear and do not provide a basisfor confident planning. This situation willchange and in the near future cinemas maytransform from traditional film-only venues intogeneral entertainment centres, with new non-film revenue streams.

Keypoints from chapter 6

• Cinema design is changing andgreater emphasis is being placedon providing a high quality viewingexperience along with bettersocial and catering facilities

• The quality of a building can makea considerable difference to thesuccessful marketing of a cinema

• Few new cinemas are built withjust a single screen. Even in

smaller communities there aregood commercial andprogramming reasons forproviding at least two screens

• New cinemas can be constructedto allow for a range of communityand educational uses

• Concession sales of confectionery,ice cream and soft drinks play animportant part in the economy ofcinemas. Sales areas (andassociated storage) should bedesigned to allow this incomesource to be realised

• Full disabled access is requiredunder current legislation. Provisionfor hearing and sight disabledcustomer should also beincorporated in the design of thecinema

• Safe and plentiful car parking isrequired for most cinemas. It isadvisable to ensure that publictransport is also available

• Cinema design and leisurerequirements are changingrapidly. A new cinemadevelopment should thereforehave some capacity to expand orchange in response to futuredemands.

The equipment is evolvingand can be expensive butthe picture quality isastonishing

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ScreensThere are a number of “trade offs” whenselecting the size of the screen for a venue. Itis usually considered desirable to have a largescreen compared to the size of the room.Attention must be paid however to theprinciples governing viewing angles. Usuallythis would mean that the larger the screen, thefurther away the front row of seats would haveto be from the screen. The ideal picture size isthat which subtends a horizontal angle of 45degrees at the prime seat. The prime seat istwo thirds of the way back on the center line ofthe theatre. Most cinemas make provision forshowing Cinemascope (1:2.35) and Widescreen(1:1:85) ratios. It is usual practice that themajority of cinemas will use fixed top andbottom, and variable side masking, to allow fora clean cut image. To ensure that true ratiosare achieved, especially when more than thetwo standard ratios are required, variable topand side masking should be used. Some venuesproject the image onto the screen withoutusing masking. On the one hand this will allowfor “true” ratios to be achieved, on the other,the projection backing plates would have to becut by someone with expert precision toachieve sharp edges to the picture.

There are a large number of types of screenmaterial available and the type used woulddepend on the venue. They range from highlyreflective, to matt white, to silver for 3Dprojection. Cinema loudspeakers are usuallyplaced behind the screen; therefore most screensare perforated to allow sound penetration. Forsmall venues with seats close to the screenmicro perforated material is available.

Projection FacilitiesIt is important that the architect designing thevenue pays attention to this area at an earlystage in the development, The projection box ispivotal to the functionality of the venue. If atwin or multi screen is planned it is desirablethat projection areas are within one area orlinked within the same floor. It is essential thatthe ceiling is high enough to accommodate filmtransport carriers and/or large spool boxes. It isalso important that the projection box is wideand deep enough to allow for all of the equipmentand film make up. There must also be room for

Chapter 7

Technical and equipment issues

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the operator to move freely around the equipment.Other considerations include floor rigidity andloading, cooling for the Xenon arc lamps whichare fitted to projectors, general air conditioning,storage, rewind and rest areas. Films should bestored vertically and you will need lots of room.The environment that film is stored and used inmust be clean and free from any dust particles.

It is essential that the light beam from theprojector will clear the audience heads evenwhen they are standing. At the same time itshould not be at too steep angle otherwisekeystone distortion (i.e. the picture assumes atrapezial shape) becomes a problem. If thelocation of your projection box is already fixed,you can alter the angle of projection bychanging the position of the screen either upand down or backwards and forwards.

It is also important to appreciate that film andmost video projectors should be projected fromthe center line of the screen. It is not usuallypossible for all of the equipment to achieve thiscentreline projection and there is a degree oftolerance with both film and most videoprojection. Within the projection room there arelegal requirements concerning the amount ofspace between projectors. These rules shouldbe made available to the architect. It isessential that a decision is made at a very earlystage as to how many projectors will beinstalled and the projection room designedaround this requirement. Arthouses sometimesshow 16mm, and may require two rather thanone 35mm projector for twin projection, so thebox needs to be much wider than that of acommercial cinema.

The ventilation should allow for the ambienttemperature of the room to be comfortable forthe operator when the equipment is in use.Extraction must also be provided for theprojectors. Manufacturers recommendations asto the cubic feet per minute (CFM) of airextraction should be made available to thearchitect and the heating and ventilationconsultant at an early stage. Thought should begiven to the amount of electrical powerrequired and if single or three phase suppliesare needed. Portholes need to be fitted so thatsound breakthrough from the projectionequipment is minimal or non-existent. This canbe crucial if the cinema seating is close to theprojection box equipment.

Aspect ratiosMost projectors used in commercial cinemasare only able to screen Widescreen andCinemascope. To screen other ratios you wouldneed new aperture plates and new lenseswhich would need to be tailored to theauditorium's specification (projection throw,screen size etc.).

Film ratios are a minefield because there aremany different rules. The following only skimsthe surface of this area but does highlightsome of the pitfalls and issues that need to beconsidered.

Prior to 1953, the most widely used ratio wasAcademy (1.33:1). The most common ratios in usetoday are Widescreen 1.85:1 and Cinemascope2.35:1. However, there are exceptions such asthe Dogme films and some independentAmerican films which will have been shot inAcademy and some European work which willhave been shot on 1.66:1. Many Europeansubtitled films will be 1.66:1 which may needdifferent lenses and new aperture plates cut.

Silent films will either be full frame (i.e. nosoundtrack on the print, only image) with aratio of 1.38:1 or Academy (where a soundtrackhas been added to the print) with a ratio of 1.33:1.

To achieve a full range of ‘true’ ratios the screenwill need variable side and top masking (see above).

Film formatsMoving images come on a variety of formatsincluding digital, video and film. The mostcommon film gauges are 8mm, 16mm, Super16mm and 35 mm. For most purposes, 35mmfilm projection facilities will suffice. However,you need to start asking about formats whenprogramming:

• archive prints

• short films

• low budget films

Archive printsYou should discuss with the supplying archivewhat their presentation requirements are, forexample do they allow the splicing of prints orthe creation of cue dots?

When screening archive prints exhibitors mustbe confident that the projectionists areexperienced and competent at handling theseprints. Replacing reels can cost £300 or moreand some prints are irreplaceable.

You will need to use single 2000ft spools forscreening archive prints as reels of film cannotbe joined together. This means you will needtwo projectors. Archive prints may be ongauges other than 35mm.

Procedures must be set up to ensure that allarchive prints are handled with the bestpossible care. The most important rules are:

• Print condition reports must be written onmake-up of the film and after the film isscreened

• Prints must not be put on the floor or anyother dusty/dirty areas - racks must beput up if they are not already ‘in situ’

• Prints must be marked up with chinagraphpencils - this must be rubbed off once thefilm has been shown

Silent filmsSilent films were originally made with nosoundtrack which means the entire frame wastaken up with the image. Some have hadsoundtracks added at a later stage but if thefilm has no soundtrack a musicalaccompaniment of some sort, usually a piano,will be needed.

To screen silent films you will need variablespeed control on your projectors and thecinema's installation engineer or projectionistshould be able to advise as to whether this canbe done.

Video and digitalIt is likely that at least some of your materialfor presentation will be on video tape. This isparticularly likely to be the case if you aredealing with local film makers or screeningobscure and archive material.

Video comes in a variety of formats the mostcommon of which in the UK is VHS for domesticuse. Other common contemporary formatsinclude SVHS and, for industrial/professional

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uses, Betacam, Digibeta and DVD (digital videodiscs). The quality of a video projection willdepend entirely on the quality of the productionformat and duplication. No matter how goodyour projection facilities are they cannot makepoor material look good. It is quite possible toget good results from a VHS tape if the materialwas originated on film, digital or Betacam SP.DVD produces very good quality results and theequipment is good value for money.

Video ProjectorsThere is a vast range in the quality of videoprojectors. The cost of a small good quality LCDprojector is currently around £5,000. A superiorDLP projector for venues of around 200 to 450seats would cost approximately £40,000. Thehire fees for projectors would vary frombetween £300 to £2,000 per day. It is importantto recognise that some of the more powerfulprojectors are noisy and that they should beisolated from the auditorium.

It is also important to be aware of the size ofthe lens required and this is ascertained bycalculating the distance from the projector tothe screen and the screen height. At presentthe range of lenses available for the LCDprojectors is more comprehensive than themore expensive DLP equipment.

The dark chip DLP projector used for releasessuch as Toy Story and Star Wars would costaround £150,000 and at present there are onlythree such projectors sited in the U.K.

Video playersYou will need to ensure that the video playersin the projection box can play the relevantformats or that films arrive in a format you canproject. If the venue is showing films fromaround the world it is especially important tocheck that films comply with local standards.This will avoid the need to hire/buy in severaldifferent machines or copying across fromNTSC (the American system) or SECAM (theFrench system) to PAL (the European system).

If you do need to copy onto VHS or some otherformat, reputable facilities houses forduplication can be found in the bfi Handbook.DVD players are also Region specific, thusplayers in the UK will only play region two. It is

possible to purchase “Chipped” DVD playersthat can access all regions (there are six intotal), and there are many Electrical stores thatwill do this. Apart from playing commerciallymade DVDs the player should also be able toplay DVD Rom and DVD R formats which havebeen authored on an individual basis.

SoundSound technology has advanced rapidly overthe last decade and the sound levels nowattainable are very high. Because of this,building-born sound needs to be taken intoaccount and auditoria need to be isolatedeffectively from the outside environment toprevent sound leakage.

Similarly, with the advent of digital soundformats in the early 1990s, the quality nowattainable is much higher than it was with theolder analogue formats developed in the 1970s.Almost all new releases have 6 channels ofdigital audio information squeezed onto theouter edge of the 35mm film and to attain thehighest sound quality a venue needs to have amultichannel system. The sound is fed intospeakers at the left, centre and right behindthe screen and to an array of speakers aroundthe auditorium to create ‘surround sound’.

Dolby Digital is the standard format nowalthough other suppliers (notably DTS) haveproduced systems with even more channels(producing an even cleaner sound) which aresupplied separately on digital disks and requireadditional playback equipment.

If using video you will need to ensure that thevenue’s sound processor is able toaccommodate it. Some video projectors areunable to keep in synchronization with thesound. If this is the case an interface has to behired or bought to achieve sync. For stereo, oneinterface unit is required, and for multi-channelsound three units are required. The projectionsupplier should be able to advise on this.

Key points from Chapter 7

• Seek professional advice from anindependent specialist adviser atthe earliest opportunity

• Think carefully about the sitingand design of projection boxes.You need to take into accountergonomics and legalrequirements

• When planning your equipmentpurchases, don’t forget that youmay want to use formats otherthan 35mm. Video projection is aparticularly useful facility

• Archives may have stringentpresentation requirements

• Sound quality is as critical toaudience enjoyment as picturequality but is often overlooked.Use an acoustic consultant if youare unsure

Sound technology has advanced rapidlyover the last decade

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Capital costingThe business of cinema, like hotels or theatresis high risk with high start-up costs, high fixedcosts (overheads) and tiny margins. A filmexhibitor’s success is dependent almost entirelyon the artistic flair and talent of film producers.If there are no good films around (as is often thecase in the Summer for example) people simplywon’t go to the cinema no matter how comfortablethe seating or brilliant the sound system.

The costs of building a cinema consist of fourmain elements:

• Site acquisition and preparation costs

• Construction costs

• Equipment and fit out costs

• Professional fees

The amount of initial investment capital requiredfor a cinema is hugely variable dependent onwhere it is located, whether it is a new build orrefurbishment, size, quality and nature of servicesto be provided as well as what is required in termsof compliance with local planning regulations.Conversion can often be more expensive thannew build, especially if it is the conversion ofan old cinema where the screens have to bereconfigured for modern audiences or its location,squashed between shops and offices in apedestrian precinct, requires special equipmentfor the builders to gain access. Trying to ‘rescue’and bring back into use an old cinema buildingmay be prohibitively expensive. Distributor releasepatterns and smaller audiences generally meanthat several smaller auditoria are requiredrather than one big one to make the thing work.

Multiplex operators in the UK reduced theircapital start-up costs in the 1980s and 1990s bybuilding multiple screens, out of town in a lowcost shell with a basic minimum standard of fitout and limited ancillary trading areas. Morerecently, in the face of tighter planning controlson green field sites, and pressures toregenerate urban areas they have moved backonto the high street. With more screens thanthey can fill, they are also differentiating theiroffer with upgraded facilities and more diverseprogramming. Multiplexes increasinglyrepresent direct competition to the smallerindependent cinema and, like the ‘corner shop’independents will have to work doubly hard tokeep their customers.

Chapter 8

Capitalisation

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Site acquisition and preparation costs vary widelyaccording to particular circumstances. Of theother costs, approximately 75% is accounted forby the construction of the building. The remaining25% is split into broadly equal amounts for fitout and for professional fees. The effect of VATshould of course be taken into considerationwhen project cash flows are being planned.

The actual cost of creating a new cinemadepends on the location and the configurationof the building. For example a four-screencinema on a town centre site will normally besubstantially more expensive to build than atwo-screen facility alongside a leisure centrebuilt on a greenfield or brownfield site. As abroad guide, it is possible to build a 2-screencinema, seating 400 people in total, for as littleas £750,000 but a more typical cost for a goodquality new build would be around twice thatamount. Digital cinemas will not necessarily beless expensive to build. See Annex 5 for asample capital costing.

Independents are likely to incur higher thanaverage fit out costs because they are oftenworking within the constraints of an existingbuilding, are aiming to provide a high qualityexperience by, for example, offering bars andrestaurants as well as having to buy moresophisticated projection equipment in order tooffer the full range of film product available. Atthe top of the range an independent specialistexhibitor would expect to pay around £1,800per square metre (ex. VAT). Fit out is thereforelikely to cost between £1 and £2 million for a2/3 screen depending on size of venue.

Raising FinanceDue to the high risk and low return on cinemabuilds, venture capitalists are unlikely tofinance cinemas. Most of the money is privatecapital with some public sector capital subsidy.City Screen for example were very successful inthe late 1990s in securing Arts Council ofEngland Lottery funds for investment in anumber of buildings in York, Cambridge, Exeterand Stratford (London). Bank loans and tax-efficient investments such as sale andleaseback are also typically used to financecommercial independent cinemas. It is usual tobuild a package of finance which includes anumber of different elements. It is also notunusual to take an incremental approach,

perhaps refurbishing or fitting out only 1 or 2 ofthe screens to begin with and raising furtherfinance at some later date.

As a general rule, you should avoid having toomuch loan capital in your finance package.Interest bearing borrowings are a fixed cost i.e.they need to be repaid regardless of how well(or badly) your cinema performs. This can be aterrible drain on working capital, particularlyduring the early months when you need toinvest in marketing in order to build thebusiness. It is far preferable to have venture (orrisk) capital which only expects a return (albeita higher one) when profits are being made. Youmay be able to locate a private investor(business angel) willing to back you or, if thecinema is well loved locally you could alsoconsider doing a share or debenture loan stockissue to bring in friendly capital from thecinema’s supporters. It is often possible tonegotiate a capital repayment holiday on bankloans which may help during the first criticalyear or two. It is crucial not to under-capitaliseyour project as this can lead to over-relianceon very expensive bank borrowing further downthe line to carry out essential work. Whateveryou do, do not rely on a hefty overdraft facility.

It is in fact extremely difficult to make theeconomics of operation stack up if you have torepay masses of capital. There is some ‘free’ or‘soft’ term capital available but it is notnecessarily easy to get hold of unless you arelucky enough to be in a building of significantarchitectural merit (see the Clevedon CommunityCinema case study) or in a location where thereare structural/regeneration funds available (seethe Ritzy, Brixton, London case study).

The sources of funding include the normalrange of commercial funds plus, whenappropriate, public funding from regionaldevelopment agencies, local authorities, furthereducation institutions, the Single RegenerationBudget, the Private Finance Initiative, and theArts and Heritage Lottery Funds. When you areapproaching any publicly funded body forsupport it is worth remembering that you willneed to prepare your case for funding in just asmuch detail as you would for a private sponsor.Sometimes there is an assumed leniency byorganisations that apply for public funding. Ifanything, these bodies are more stringent intheir monitoring as they have to be publiclyaccountable for any monies spent and often

have to produce performance analyses of theirfunded clients.

Arts Lottery awards, including RALP awards (seebelow) are not normally made to purelycommercial organisations. The fundamentalconcept behind Arts Lottery funding is ‘publicbenefit’ and this should always be clearlydetailed in applications.

Arts Lottery Capital ProgrammeThe Arts Council of England’s Lottery CapitalProgramme has been re-designed to answercriticisms levelled at the original Programme. Inparticular new awards will not include very largeprojects and more positively it will concentrateon sectors which were under-provided in thefirst round (Capital Programme 1).

Only a limited number of projects are likely toreceive funding under the new rules, perhapsas low as 40 major projects for all artformsacross the whole of England over the 5 years to2005/06. However a specific allocation of £15million has been made for cinema projects upuntil 2005/06. Any organisation planning toapply for Arts Lottery funding should initiallycontact their local Regional Arts Council(formerly Arts Board) for guidance. The FilmCouncil is expected to play a major role in theselection of cinema projects for ACE funds.

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland theArts Lottery Capital Programme is operatedunder different rules, although many of thepolicy objectives are similar. In each nation therelevant Arts Council should be contacted forguidance at an early stage in the planning process.

Regional Arts Lottery ProgrammeThe Regional Arts Lottery Programme (RALP) ismanaged by the nine English Regional ArtsCouncils and is used to support arts projects,small scale capital and organisational development.The key aims of the Programme are to deliver:

• Access to the arts

• Education through the arts

• Production and distribution of the arts

• Investment in artists

• Development and sustainability of artsorganisations.

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Capital grants are available to assist freeholdproperty purchases, leases in excess of 20 years,equipment and resources, access improvements,refurbishment of arts buildings, and public art.The amount of funding is limited and eachRegional Arts Council is likely to favour applicationswhich meet their own strategic objectives.

Grants can range from £2,000 to a maximum of£100,000 although most awards are expected tobe below £50,000. There are no applicationdeadlines and decisions are taken within a fewmonths of submission. Details of these schemesare available from the appropriate RegionalArts Councils.

Heritage Lottery FundThe Heritage Lottery fund operates in broadlysimilar ways to the Arts Lottery and the focus,as far as cinemas are concerned, is on buildingswith distinct architectural merit. In some instancesthe buildings will be subject to a Listing Order inwhich case the refurbishment and/or expansionplans will be subject to specific restrictions.Funding is available for projects throughout theUK and may include buildings in privateownership but such cases “must demonstratethat the level of public benefit provided clearlyoutweighs any incidental private gain”. Thethree main areas of public benefit are:

• Safeguarding and enhancing the heritageof buildings, objects and the environment,whether man-made or natural, which havebeen important in the formation of thecharacter and identity of the United Kingdom;

• Assisting people to appreciate and enjoytheir heritage;

• Allowing them to hand it on in good heartto future generations.

European Structural FundsThe European Regional Development Fund(ERDF) and INTERREG are both structural fundswhich work towards the goal of achievingeconomic and social cohesion in the EuropeanUnion. ERDF money is allocated over Objective 1and 2 areas in the UK. INTERREG money is usedfor border areas. European funding is a verycomplex area and although there are precedentsfor funding cinema projects from this source(the Showroom in Sheffield for example), thesehave tended to be as part of regional consortiabids led by local authorities and other significantagencies. The prospects for direct applications

from small organisations are frankly, limited. Tofind out more about European funding contactyour local Government Office for the Regions. Itshould be noted that European Structural fundsare likely to become less widely available in theUK as membership of the EC is expanded toinclude the countries of Eastern Europe.

Local AuthoritiesLocal authorities in the UK contributesubstantially more funding for the arts thanany other agency. The funding sources andbudgets vary significantly from one council tothe next and in some authorities arts budgetshave been cut significantly over recent years.However, with cinema it is possible to make astrong case that a cinema is an important andwanted facility which makes a significanteconomic and social contribution to the life ofthe community. The names of departments youwill need to contact also vary but funding isoften accessed via Recreation and Arts, Tourismand Leisure or Economic Developmentdepartments. Support can either be available inthe form of grants, or in kind, such as access tofree training or use of council facilities. Somecentral Government funding for regeneration isalso routed through local authorities.

National Screen agenciesThe Film Council was set up in 2000 in order tobring together the several disparate governmentfunded agencies with development remits forfilm culture and industry. It is a relatively smallbody, with annual budgets in the region of £50m,the vast majority of which is committed toproduction funding. However, the Council isinfluential at strategic level for film exhibition anddistribution and there are some smaller fundingschemes it operates directly or through thirdparties which may be of relevance to filmexhibitors. It also plays a major role indetermining how Lottery Capital awards for filmexhibition in England are spent. The Film Council’sremit is UK-wide and it works closely with thethree other autonomous national screenagencies for Scotland, Wales and NorthernIreland, Scottish Screen, Sgrîn and NorthernIreland Film Commission. If your project islocated in one of these countries you shouldcontact the relevant agency in the firstinstance (see contacts).

Regional Screen agencies for EnglandFollowing the setting up of the Film Council,regional funding for film activity in England is now

administered through nine new regional screenagencies operating along the same boundariesas the Government Offices for the Regions. It isunlikely that large amounts of capital fundingwill be available directly from these agencies,but you should certainly contact your local officeto obtain advice and information on regionalstrategy. They may also have some projectfunding for which your project might be eligibleat some future date. The screen agencies will haveclose contact with the Government’s RegionalDevelopment Agencies (RDAs) which areresponsible for local economic development andregeneration. These agencies are relatively wellendowed and their main objectives are economicrather than cultural. Revitalising ailing localeconomies and the creation of cultural quartersfall within their purview, hence they may beinterested in a cinema project for a particular area.

Money from TrustsMoney from charitable trusts is often available,particularly for voluntary groups and organisationswishing to work on community projects. Manylarge companies create trusts which are oftenmost active in the region in which their headoffice or manufacturing base is located.

Different trusts have varying and often veryprecise rules of eligibility: many will not consideryour application unless you are a registeredcharity and an even greater number won’t makegrants to individuals. As with sponsorship youcannot necessarily expect a quick turnaroundon your application - some trusts may holdtheir meetings as little as once or twice a year.

If you wish to pursue this source of funding, anumber of useful publications exists, in particularthe Directory of Grant-Making Trusts andFunding Digest, a monthly publication aimedprimarily at voluntary organisations. Both areoften available in public libraries.

SponsorshipCommercial sponsorship offers the potential toattract some significant financial and ‘in kind’support but do not underestimate the amount oftime you will need to spend organising sponsorshipdeals. Sponsorship is normally part of the generalpromotional expenditure of a business andalthough that can encompass a sense of corporateor social responsibility, it is not philanthropy ora gift. Some companies do make philanthropicdonations but sums tend to be small and oftenaccess is restricted to community groups.

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Local authorities in the UK contribute substantially morefunding for the arts than any other agency

It is important to think carefully about what youmay have to offer each company you approach.Companies will be most interested in supportingprojects which are aimed at an audience sectionto which they are trying to market their products.Companies should usually be approached viapublic relations or marketing departments,although it is always worth playing on anydirect contact with the management you mightbe able to establish. Don’t expect to receive arapid response or necessarily any response atall. It is good practice to follow up an initialletter with a telephone call. Be aware thatsponsorship is a game of delicate negotiationand not something that will happen overnight.

As with any type of fund-raising it is vital to doyour research: nobody is going to take youseriously if you haven’t bothered to find out thename of the person you are writing to, or whichproducts the company sells. The more you knowabout an organisation, the better the position youwill be in to offer them an appealing package.Remember that company sponsorship is a paymentfor the promotion of goods and services. At allcosts avoid offering a sponsor something you areunable to deliver. Equally, don’t allow sponsors tofeel that they can influence the cultural integrityof your project; if you feel uncomfortable withthe extent of involvement sought by a sponsor,it might be better to look elsewhere for support.

It is also worth investigating Arts and Business(formerly ABSA). Although not a funder in thefirst instance, it does operate a pairing schemewhich acts as an incentive scheme for businesssponsors. The scheme helps both businesses andthe arts get the most from their partnership byproviding additional financial support in theform of awards. To qualify for an award you willneed to have your sponsor already in place andthe financial rewards are greater if this is acompany which is new to arts sponsorship. Thescheme will only match cash sponsorship.

Often companies may be more willing toprovide support in kind by providing goods andservices. For example, you may be able to find abrewer who will provide beer for your openingnight launch party or a printer who will printyour publicity at cost. Clearly, you cannot enterthe ‘in kind’ support into your accounts.However, it is worth totting up the value of inkind support as this can sometimes be used aspartnership funding and it is always useful toknow the real costs of doing something.

If you wish to pursue this source of funding, aparticularly useful publication is the Guide toCompany Giving published by the Directory ofSocial Change. This should be available in mostpublic libraries

Raising money from the publicAlready mentioned above, you could try raisingfunds through the public issue of share ordebenture loan stock. This is particularlyappropriate if you have an easily identifiablecommunity to sell your idea to (and it helps if itsmembers are rich of course!). Apart from this,the only limits on public subscription are yourimagination and time. There are endless examplesof public fundraising efforts including sponsoredactivities (sky-diving, swimming, walking,slimming, hair-cutting etc) sponsor a seat (or abrick, or a plank), lotteries, car boot sales,appeals, covenants, legacies, large donations,events, benefits…..the list is endless. All thesemethods have been used by many a successfulcinema campaign. While you should not expect toraise hundreds of thousands in this way, it is notunrealistic to aim for several tens of thousands.Incidental benefits of raising money in this wayare that (a) it creates profile locally amongaudiences for your venture and (b) itdemonstrates to other funders that your projectis genuinely wanted by the community it serves.

Private Public Partnerships (PPP)This will almost certainly be an area you needto explore as part of your fundraising strategy.Public Private Partnerships are a relatively newpolitical phenomenon and essentially look at waysof involving the private sector in public enterprises,in particular in financing arrangements but also inoperation. Many people will be familiar with thistype of scheme in relation to provision of health-care and public transport in the UK. In the caseof cinemas, there are a number of examples ofsuch partnerships including financing of the Luxin Hoxton, London (now, sadly defunct) and theFACT centre in Liverpool which incorporates acinema operation run by City Screen, who alsoput up some of the start-up capital. It may alsobe possible to secure capital investment in barsand restaurants if you opt for a franchise. Securingprivate finance in this way is often the onlyoption left but you should be particularly wary ofdeals with property developers. This will invariablyentail the developer investing in (say) the cost ofbuilding the shell in exchange for ownership ofthe freehold. If your organisation is the lessee,don’t forget that the developer will want to see a

substantial return on his investment in the formof rent (as well as property market inflation) andthat the average lease agreement gives noprotection against regular (usually 5 yearly)rent increases.

Key points from Chapter 8

• Cinema is a high risk businesswith high start-up costs andsmall margins

• An independent cinema is unlikelyto provide equity investors withan adequate return in the shortterm or to generate enoughrevenues to pay back substantialcommercial loans

• Building and site acquisition costsare enormously variable. Buildinga smaller town centre cinemamay be much more costly than amultiplex build due to locationand the standard of ancillarytrading facilities required

• Avoid having too much commercialloan capital in your financepackage – it will suck the lifebloodof your business in the crucialearly years when you need liquidity

• Opportunities for public sectorfunding of cinema venues arelimited. Local authorities are oftenbest placed to support adevelopment but you should alsoconsider national and regionalscreen agencies

• You may be able to secure somefunds from the public, trusts orsponsors through conventionaland unconventional fundraisinginitiatives

the only limits on publicsubscription are yourimagination and time

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IncomeCinemas derive their income from severalsources, the most important being:

• Ticket sales (and membership income ifapplicable)

• Food, drink and merchandising sales

• Advertising revenue (screen and brochure)

• Public or film industry funding

The majority of their income though, is fromscreening new release films and sellingconfectionery, fast food and ice-cream to theaudiences who attend. A hit film results in highticket income and high concession sales. And viceversa. There is comparatively little that a cinemacan do if there is a poor run of film releases, as thelarge cinema circuits in the USA and UK foundduring the disappointing Summer of the year 2000.

Income is calculated as total admissions xaverage ticket price, while concession revenuesare based on average spend per admission.

Illustrative Income Projection (all figuresexclude VAT):

Estimated annual admissions 80,000 for a 2screen cinemaAverage ticket revenue £3.45Annual ticket income £276,000Film rentals (@38%) (£104,880)Net ticket income £171,120Concession income (£0.75 x 80,000) £60,000Concession cost of sales (£25,000)Net concession income £35,000Screen advertising £15,000Brochure advertising £5,000Bar & Cafe net profit £25,000Total annual net income £251,120

Demand forecastingUnless you are taking over a going concern,trying to estimate how many people might visityour venue can be a bit of a shot in the dark.There are however, industry average occupancyratios to help and you will also need toundertake some careful market research toverify that there is in fact a sufficiently largenumber of cinema-goers living within areasonable catchment area. Average occupancyrates decline as screen numbers increase. A

Chapter 9

The economicsof operation

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single screen cinema of say, 250 seats whichwas exceptionally successful might achieve anoccupancy rate of 30-40%. However, averagerates for a 2, 3 or more screen venue are morelikely to be in the 15-20% range. Calculatingyour potential box office revenue is then arelatively simple matter once you have pinneddown an average ticket yield.

Example:A 3 screen cinema configured as 250:150:90seats, a 15% average occupancy rate andaverage ticket prices of £4 would take £273,312per annum in box office revenue based on atotal of 44 screenings per week (a seven dayoperation with two evening performances ineach screen and a Sunday matinee double bill).

44 weekly performances spread as follows:

Screen 1 – 16 x 250 = 4,000Screen 2 - 14 x 250 = 3,500Screen 3 - 14 x 90 = 1,260

Total capacity = 8,760 seats per week x 52weeks = 455,520 per annum

15% x 455,520 = 68,328 seats sold@ £4 each =£273,312

Another useful ‘rule of thumb’ is to look ataverage admissions per screen in the UK, at thetime of writing around 50,000. This figureincludes multiplexes as well as independentoperators, and as the multiplexes have manymore screens the figure is skewed downwards.Stand alone and independent cinemas oftenperform significantly better than this althoughit is unusual to average much more than 60,000per screen.

The figure you should not use is the averageper capita visits to cinema (currently 2.6) andmultiply this by your catchment population. Ahuge proportion of UK box office, circa 30%,comes from the capital’s West End and so thisaverage is heavily skewed away from the rest ofthe country.

Working out how many people might passthrough your doors using industry standardratios is only a rough guide. You need toprovide evidence that your assumptions arerealistic by conducting some kind of marketresearch. If you are taking on a ‘going concern’there will already be some indication about the

venue’s potential audience size. However, if thevenue is new or has been closed for some time,you need to find out if there are enough of theright kind of people (i.e. people who goregularly to the cinema) living within a realisticcatchment area. Your catchment area isprobably defined by drive-time but you alsoneed to take into account local competition(see Chapter 3 – establishing a catchment area).

Ticket PricingTicket pricing should take account of a numberof factors. First and foremost, local competitionis likely to dictate what people will be preparedto pay for a cinema ticket. If your nearestmultiplex charges £4.50, you are unlikely to beable to charge much more than this unless youare offering something very exceptional, and ifyour technical facilities are inferior to theirsyou should probably charge less.

That said, you can use pricing imaginatively asa marketing tool to try and iron out peaks andtroughs in demand or to reach particularaudiences. Invariably, Friday and Saturday nighttickets attract premium prices but you mightwant to make Monday or Tuesday evenings amore attractive proposition by discountingheavily. It is also common practice to havespecial prices for children’s matinéeperformances on Saturday (sometimes as littleas £1), or a pensioner special on Mondayafternoons. Special promotions (e.g. two for theprice of one) can also be used to raise profileand secure short term increases in admissions.However, when discounting you need to treadvery carefully with distributors and let themknow what you are proposing to do. Don’tforget, they are taking a cut of the box office!The same applies to free screenings orcomplimentary tickets.

Direct costsThe only direct costs for film exhibition are filmhire costs (including transport). These arehighly variable depending on a number offactors including the number of screens youhave, the length of run you can offer, yourbargaining power with distributors and theprojected popularity of the film. In general, ithas to be said that in the UK at the currenttime the distributors have most of the power in

the supply chain. With a limited number of filmprints available, they decide which cinemas getwhich films and when, their objective being tomaximise revenues. The percentage figure canbe anywhere between 22% and 60% of boxoffice. However, for the purposes of planning,an average anywhere between 35% and 45%can be used. If you plan to do your own filmbooking as a stand-alone operation you shouldbudget at the higher end of this scale. Ingeneral, small operators have to pay higherrates.

Other costs (overheads)Principal Areas of ExpenditureStaff costs: manager, deputy/relief manager,projection staff, box office and ushering staff,cleaners, etc.Marketing and publicityPremises costs: rates, insurance, maintenance,heat and light, cleaning, securityOffice costs and licences (Performing RightsSociety, etc.)Programme enhancement/education costs (maybe supported by public funding)Finance costs, interest, audit fees

It is less easy to describe the amounts to beallocated in the overhead expenditure sectionsince it is highly dependent on the way thecinema is organised and operated. For examplesome services may be provided under amanagement contract by third parties or someoverhead costs might be shared with a largerorganisation (if the cinema is part of an artscentre for example).

There are a number of independent specialisedcinemas (the National Film Theatre andRegional Film Theatres) in the UK which receiverevenue subsidy from national and local publicbodies to enable them to programme culturallysignificant films and carry out educationalwork. However, in real terms the value of thissubsidy has declined significantly since the1970s when many of these venues wereestablished and most now offer a mixedprogramme and are much more heavily relianton box office income than they used to be.

It is very unlikely in the current political andeconomic climate that a new cinema wouldattract public subsidy for operation exceptperhaps at local level with some investment

Trying to estimate howmany people might visityour venue can be a bit ofa shot in the dark

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(probably in kind – for example throughcharging nominal or no rent for a building)from a local authority. Project funding forspecial events, festivals and education workmay also be available from national andregional screen agencies, regional artsagencies and local authorities. However, ingeneral, budgets should be built on theassumption that box office and ancillarytrading income (bars, restaurants and screenadvertising) will be required to cover all costs.

Figure: Illustrative annual income andexpenditure account

Total annual net income £251,120 (i.e. net ofdirect costs: gross profit) based on 80,000admissions as in example above

£Wages 112,000(8 ft equivalents @ £14,000 pa average) National insurance @10.45% 12,000Rent 50,000Rates 7,000Heat and Light 8,000Insurance 8,000Repairs and renewals 12,000Audit/accountancy 4,000Telephone 4,000Printing and stationery 2,000Depreciation 6,000Advertising 5,000Bank interest 10,000

Total Overheads 240,000

Net Profit (before tax) 11,120

Key points from chapter 9

• Cinemas derive their incomeprimarily from ticket sales andfrom selling confectionery, fastfood and ice-cream to audiences

• Calculating projected box officerevenues can be tricky. You need toundertake careful market researchto back up your estimates

• As a rule of thumb, a small 2/3screen independent cinemaoperating without any subsidy ofany kind (including voluntarylabour, cheap rents and soft loans)will need to generate annualadmissions of at least 120,000

• Average per screen admissions inthe UK are around 50,000 peryear but this declines as venuescreen numbers increase

• Ticket prices will typically be basedon local competition. The marketis unlikely to bear much more thanyour local multiplex and you mayneed to charge less if your technicalfacilities are inferior. Don’t let thisstop you using pricing moreflexibly as a marketing tool

• The only direct costs for filmexhibition are film hire andtransport costs. These varyconsiderably according to whatyou can offer distributors. Forplanning purposes work on thebasis of 35-45% of box office

• The major fixed costs for a cinemaoperation apart from rent will bestaffing. Staffing levels will bedictated by legislation and thelayout of your building

In general, budgets should bebuilt on the assumption thatbox office and ancillarytrading income will berequired to cover all costs

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Film ClassificationThe British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) isan independent, non-governmental body fundedthrough the fees it charges to those whosubmit films, videos, DVDs and digital games forclassification.

The BBFC classifies films on behalf of the localauthorities who license cinemas under theCinemas Act 1985. It does not have any powersof enforcement.

There are five classification categories fortheatrically released films:

Advisory categories:-U- Universal - suitable for all agesPG –Parental Guidance - Generalviewing but some scenes may beunsuitable for some children.

Unaccompanied children of anyage may watch. A PG film shouldnot disturb a child around 8 orolder. However, parents areadvised to consider whether thecontent may upset younger ormore sensitive children.

Mandatory categories12, 15 and 18 which restrict viewing by age i.e. aperson has to be this age or older to view a film.

Essentially, the BBFC considers the content of afilm in relation to the following aspects - theme,language, nudity, sex, violence, imitabletechniques, horror and drugs. For more detailson how the guidelines are interpreted, contactthe BBFC and ask for a copy of the latest guidelines.

At the time of going to print the BBFC was about tochange the 12 Certificate into an advisory category.

It should be noted that the BBFC carries out itsfunctions on behalf of local authorities whomay, if they do not agree with the categoryassigned by the BBFC, at their discretion alterany category or indeed prohibit entirely theshowing of any film.

Chapter 10

Operationalmatters

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Unclassified materialPublic screening of material which has not beenpassed by the BBFC (for example films importedfrom overseas especially for a festival) issubject to local authority consent, usually withat least a month’s notice in writing.

The Cinema ExhibitorsAssociation (CEA)The CEA is the trade association for cinemas inthe UK, representing the interests ofapproximately 90% of cinemas here includingmulti-national companies, national PLCs,smaller circuits, independently owned cinemas,council cinemas and regional film theatres.

• It has an Executive Board which meets ona regular basis to direct the policies of theAssociation

• Its Regional Branches hold regularmeetings throughout the UK to feedopinions to the Executive Board

• It issues regular Newsletters, in additionto an Annual Report

• It handles national promotionsencouraging people to visit the cinema

• It is active in Europe, representing theposition of UK Exhibitors

• It carries out detailed consultative workon Governmental papers influencingexhibition – the ‘bottom line’. This includesHealth & Safety, Fire Regulations, DisabilityIssues and European Legislation.

• It has negotiated a 20% discount on the ratefor Phonographic Performance Licencesfrom PPL on behalf of CEA Members.

• It makes representation to Local Councilswhen requested.

• It has specialised retained consultants in theareas of Health & Safety, Fire Safety, Food,Disability and licensing who are availableto advise CEA members.

Contact the Association direct for informationon joining and membership fees.

Human resources issuesThe cost of staffing a local cinema is routinelyincluded in feasibility studies and businessplans. However the particular skills andknowledge required by successful, effectivecinema staff are usually given less attention.Fifty or more years ago the local cinemamanager was a high profile local entrepreneurwho was widely known in the community. Theywere showmen and women who understoodthat they provided local entertainment and,relatively speaking, a quality service with atouch of glamour. Modern cinema staff seldomapproach the job in this manner despitecustomer care training and incentiveprogrammes. The effect that staff have on thesuccess of a local cinema is difficult toquantify but numerous anecdotes point to thereal value of talented and trained staff. Inplanning terms it is therefore important torealise that the cinema manager and the staffare not simply functionaries but front-linemarketing staff who should be recruited,trained and rewarded accordingly.

Some cinema operators – large multiplexes andindependent cinemas – are bringingindividuality back to cinemagoing andreintroducing ideas of showmanship andcommunity responsibility. Cinemas operating insmaller population centres can develop a highlybeneficial and close relationship with theiraudience, and the audience with the cinema.

Staffing structureThe way in which a cinema is staffed variesenormously depending on how it is organised,whether services are supplied in-house orcontracted out, how much of the operation isvoluntary in nature and the extent to whichcertain functions can be centralised (in a chainfor example, marketing, programming andfinance functions are often undertakencentrally whereas a stand-alone cinema willhave to do all this at the venue). A local-authority run cinema may also make use ofother central council services (cleaning, payroll,IT etc.) and a charge is generally made forthese against the cinema’s operating revenues.It is not really possible therefore to present a‘typical’ staffing structure and its associatedcosts. However, what is presented below is thebare minimum full time equivalents for a full

time two screen stand-alone situation with anowner/manager who does all the day to daystaff and building management as well asmarketing the facility. While these are full timeequivalents, in practice with projection, boxoffice and ushering you are likely to employ anumber of part time staff on a shift rotation.The numbers below are based on theassumption that the cinema is open 7 days perweek for two evening performances plusweekend matinees and that the box officeopens an hour before the first performance.

Venue (cinema) manager 1Book-keeper/accountant/admin 1Projectionists 1.5Box office 2Ushers 2.5

In practice of course, you may also employpeople to take on specialist roles in the areasof education, marketing and, with a largernumber of screens you might need front ofhouse and box office managers to look after agreater number of floor staff.

Managing a campaign If you are an individual or group who are eithertrying to ‘rescue’ a cinema building underthreat of closure or demolition or get one upand running, you may need to galavanise publicsupport for your venture in order to make thecase that a cinema is a needed and wantedlocal facility. The Plaza Community Cinema (seeChapter 12) is just one example of a verysuccessful local campaign which was key tosecuring the support of the local authority,funders, residents, distributors, volunteers,local businesses and other supportorganisations.

The Plaza group were lucky enough to have thesupport of Sir Sydney Samuelson at the outset,who became the Patron of the organisation.They managed to drum up extensive interest inthe threatened closure of the cinema and gotmasses of local press coverage.

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functionaries but front-line marketing staff who shouldbe recruited, trained and rewarded accordingly

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Key points are:-• Do not organise a campaign just for the

sake of it – this may serve just todisenfranchise the very people you needon your side. You should have very clearcampaign objectives.

• Campaigns should have a short shelf life.Recognise when the job is done or thepoint at which you should give up.

• Try and get a film-connected ‘celebrity’ onboard.

• When writing press releases, make sureyou have a real story to tell. Even localpress people need a hook.

• Use the Internet. It costs little or nothingto create a website. This is also a goodway to get petition signatures.

Film DistributorsFor an excellent account of UK film distributionstructures read the Film Distributors’Association Guide to UK film distribution whichis downloadable from their websitewww.launchingfilms.com

Programme bookingThe income earning potential of films usuallydeclines sharply in the weeks following theinitial release, so delays in getting films canbadly affect individual cinemas. On the otherhand, non-metropolitan audiences can takelonger to find out about new films, and a delayof a few weeks can prove beneficial, The effectvaries depending on the type of film and thelocal population.

Overall it is important that cinemas establishand maintain a good relationship with filmdistributors. The bargaining power of a cinemais the key to obtaining a good supply of films.Solo cinemas will invariably face greaterdifficulty booking new films than will a chain ofcinemas. At least four options for booking filmsare available:

• The cinema books films directly with filmdistributors

• The cinema contracts a film booking agentwho works for several cinemas (andtherefore may have a better knowledge offilms and be able to negotiate better filmrental terms, although this is notguaranteed. The bfi offers specialistbooking and programme advisory servicesat very reasonable rates and these areavailable to all UK cinemas.)

• The cinema joins a consortium with otherindependent cinemas in the region (in orderto improve overall negotiating power)

• The cinema teams up with a ‘hub’ cinemawhich has greater booking power. The hubcinema would typically be a larger cinemaoffering a range of local and regionalprogramme enhancements or alternativelya range of programme and managementservices.

Apart from increasing bargaining strength thelatter three arrangements can improve thequality of information about upcoming films tothe local cinema, allowing more control overscheduling and marketing arrangements.

It is important to note that although fourchoices are listed above, individualcircumstances will play an important part indetermining which type of bookingarrangement is most appropriate and, moreimportantly, available. It is not easy to findother cinemas who are willing or able to form aconsortium or a ‘hub-and-spoke’ system.

There may be an active regional exhibitionconsortium in your region where you canbenefit from group purchasing and networkingwith other similar venues. Contact yourRegional Screen Agency for details.

Running bars and cateringSub-contracted operationsThe decision whether or not to sub-contract iscrucial and there are a number of differentoptions available under the ‘sub-contracting’umbrella. The UK market is dominated by a fewlarge companies including Gardner Merchant,Sutcliffe and Compass. Growth via acquisitionsand mergers mean these organisations areoften subsidiaries of much larger corporations.In terms of structure, many are divisionalisedor have specialist subsidiaries which cater toparticular niches. It is important to ensure thatyou talk to the right division of the companywhen negotiating any contract. All of thesecompanies specialise in industrial catering i.e.workplace canteens. However, the decline inthis segment of the market has meantexpansion into new areas and one which is ofparticular interest to them is the expandingleisure market.

Contractors make their money in three main ways:

• Management fees

• Profits on operations

• Supplier discounts

It is important to remember that contractorsare first and foremost businesspeople. Whilethey may have perfected the art of financialand operational control, it is a commoncomplaint among arts venue managers thatcontractors do not really understand theiraudiences and that the food product offered isnot appropriate. Much will depend here on thesuccessful design of a specification for thecontractor to adhere to. The appointment of thecatering manager is also critical. If you do notlike the way in which the manager is runningthe catering, insist on change. Contractors arevery amenable to the redeployment of theirpersonnel if they think they might lose thecontract. It is also worth considering brands.There are many brands on the market whichmay be appropriate for your venue, for examplePrêt à Manger, Café Rouge, Delice de France,Costa Coffee.

Individual circumstances will play animportant part in determining which type ofbooking arrangement is most appropriate

37

At the other end of the scale, it is sometimespossible to find a small local caterer who isable to offer an appropriate service. Sucharrangements can work very well but thesemuch smaller organisations will not benefitfrom the economies of scale of the big playersincluding the supplier discounts and head officeinfrastructure and so are often reluctant totake on a contract.

Advantages and disadvantages of sub-contracting

The advantages

• The arts venue manager can concentrateon their core business and leave cateringto a specialist

• With a fixed management fee arrangementbudgetary management is easier and riskfree

• Contractors (particularly the largecompanies) are able to secure largesupplier discounts which they can pass onto customers in the form of lower prices

• In-house environmental health officersand specialist trainers will ensure all legalrequirements are met

• Ideas and experiences from other locationscan be brought to your operation

• Contractors may take ‘risks’ e.g. todevelop banqueting or all day trading andcan introduce branded franchises at nocost to the client

• The catering operation is managed as adiscrete financial entity and provides atruer picture of catering financialperformance

• Your facility can be marketed as part of acorporate activity by a national cateringcontractor

The disadvantages

• The financial return may be lower,particularly in the fixed fee scenario wherethe venue will not derive the benefit of theirown success in attracting large audiences

• While you lose the responsibility formanaging staff, you also lose the ability tomotivate and reward staff whoseconditions of employment and pay may beinferior to those of your own staff,creating two standards in what should bea cohesive whole

• If you choose a franchise you are notpermitted to make even the slightestchange to the product or service thus youlose the flexibility to respond to themarket as you see fit

• You will be tied in to a contract for aperiod of several years, particularly if youwant the sub-contractor to invest in thefacilities, again restricting your ability tomake changes. To break the contract youwould have to prove a breach which mayincur legal costs. It is time consuming andtraumatic to change contractors anddifficult to manage a transition to an in-house operation

• If your contractor or franchise operatordevelops a bad reputation at anotherlocation, your operation will suffer the badpress, even if your bar or restaurant isrunning perfectly well

• Managing a contractor is never cost free.It will always be necessary to spend acertain amount of management timemonitoring the operation and negotiatingimprovements. If a contractor is under-performing badly, it can be more time-consuming than direct management

• Contractors tend to offer a standardisedproduct of a standard acceptable qualityat a standard cost. While productconsistency is desirable, the downside isthat there is little room for flair,imagination and creativity. A contractedoperation is unlikely ever to become ‘thetalk of the town’.

Types of sub-contracting

Management feeFor a fixed agreed rate, the contractor isresponsible for the total provision of service.The balance between the fee and costs is thecontractor’s profit. The advantages of thissystem are that you know your revenue inadvance and do not share any of the risks. Thedisadvantage is that you cannot benefit fromsupplier discounts or from additional revenueswhen profits are high. The management fee islikely to be in the region of 5% of turnover.

Concession feeA concession fee is based on turnover ofcatering sales. Where capital investment intothe catering facilities is required, thecontractor will make this investment and give asmaller concession fee so that the investmentis written off over the length of the contract.This has the advantage of improving your cashflow position. However, the contractor willexpect the length of the contract to reflect thelevel of investment. It may also be possible tonegotiate other terms such as a percentage ofsupplier discount and guaranteed minimumreturns. The concession fee can be anythingfrom around 15% to 22% of turnover.

FranchiseWith franchising, ‘brand identity’ is bought forthe operation in a specific location. The franchisorsupports the franchisee with training,merchandising, management etc. as part of apackage for which either fees or percentage ofprofit are paid. All costs (including investment)are met by the franchisee. The maindisadvantage of franchising is that you will notbe permitted to make any changes (no matterhow small) to the franchise formula so, forexample you cannot put chocolate sauce onyour vanilla ice-cream if on the franchise menuit is served with melba sauce.

However, the advantage is the considerablyreduced business risk due to a ‘known quantity’and national corporate promotion. Conversely,the failure of a brand in one location will affectthe reputation of all franchisees. The wellknown brands will only be interested in sitesthey know they can make work. MacDonalds willonly locate in city centre high street primesites with a large volume of foot traffic. You caneither run a franchise yourself (although the

Managing a contractor is never cost free. It will always benecessary to spend a certain amount of managementtime monitoring the operation

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franchisor will need to be assured that youhave the skills to run the business) or you canask a contractor to introduce one.

Sub-leases/licencesThese arrangements are fairly common buttend to be the least satisfactory type ofarrangement since the relationship is one oflandlord/tenant (and unless specificallyexcluded will fall prey to the provisions of theLandlord and Tenant Acts). It is difficult tocontrol the caterer and have them deliver theservice you want for your audiences and tointegrate the product offering into the venue. Itis also likely to yield the lowest levels offinancial return in the form of rent. The term ofthe lease is often long and without break clauses.

Managing the relationshipThe most important part of the process isagreeing the principles at the outset i.e. priorto signing the contract. It is worth spendingsome considerable time negotiating the terms.While most contracts are standard, the contractorwill be flexible while trying to secure yourbusiness. It may be worth employing a cateringconsultant to look over a contract for you toidentify areas of potential difficulty and conflict.

In general, if a contract is running well it shouldnot be necessary for the venue manager tospend more than an hour or so per weekmeeting with the catering manager to discusscurrent performance and on-going issues.In addition, there should be a monthly meetingwith the regional or divisional management ofthe contractor to discuss financial performanceand discuss projects.

One area of potential concern is the relationshipbetween the venue’s front of house staff andcontractor’s staff. It is important to developsystems for ensuring consistency of servicedelivery and this may entail joint traininginitiatives in customer care. For example, thecatering staff ought to be able to talk to customersabout the films or events you are offering inthe same way that your own staff will be ableto explain what is in the bars and restaurants.

New methods of marketingCinema marketing operated in a predictablemanner for most of the twentieth century,concentrating on star actors and directors,media reviews, poster campaigns, and trailersshown in cinemas. At the local level, newspaperscontinue to be important (although local radioappears to have a more variable influence) andword-of-mouth is often the best form of publicity.

Novel methods of targeting key opinion formers(for example students or energetic cinemagoers)are increasingly being tried but for localcinemas with modest budgets and limited stafftime these methods often appear daunting.However the arrival of internet technologieshas brought new marketing opportunities tolocal cinemas as well as to the multinationals.

Internet marketing

There are good opportunities to use this technologyat comparatively low cost to any cinema.

• Cinema websites – A number of cinemaoriented websites already provide regularprogramme and venue access information,for example Scoot, Film Unlimited (TheGuardian), Film Finder (Yellow Pages),BlackBox on-line video store and the BBC’sinformative website.

• Email news – An increasingly attractive,low cost method of advertising a cinema’sweekly programme involves sending anemail message to a home computer ordigital television. A number of cinemasoffer a free email service where details ofthe films and the performance times aresent to thousands of subscribers

• Web pages – Film producers and distributorsare making extensive use of the internetto market films, especially to the younger,multiplex-oriented audience. Websites can beglamorous, expensive and time consuming tooperate. In contrast a simple web page whichprovides contact details and informationabout the cinema can be easy and inexpensiveto establish. If a more sophisticated websiteis considered necessary, the costs can bereduced by, for example, a number of localcinemas operating as a regional group andsharing the financial and operational burden

• Advance ticket purchases can be made byvisiting the appropriate websites. Foraudiences who have to travel significantdistances the certainty of a ticket is highlydesirable. Although telephone bookingsystems work well, internet bookings areexpected to grow rapidly in importance

• Publicity materials – cinema promotionalmaterial, especially film reviews and stillphotographs, are now distributed over theinternet from specialist websites.Image.net and Picselect are the commercialwebsites used by most film and videodistributors and other cultural organisations.An annual subscription is payable for someof these services

The arrival of internettechnologies has brought newmarketing opportunities tolocal cinemas as well as to the multinationals

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Key points from Chapter 10

• Film classification in the UK ishandled by the British Board ofFilm Classification (BBFC) onbehalf of local authorities. Filmswithout a BBFC certificate haveto be separately licensed by thelocal authority

• Front of house and box officestaff are not simply functionariesbut are front-line marketing staffwho should be recruited, trainedand rewarded accordingly

• If you are organising a localcampaign to keep a cinema open,developing good local presscontacts is key

• Booking films as a stand aloneoperation may prove problematicdue to lack of bargaining powerwith distributors. You might wantto consider using the services ofa professional film booker orjoining a local consortium

• Bar and catering operations canmake a valuable contribution tooverall trading revenues but donot be over-optimistic abouttheir potential and on no accountunderestimate how difficult itmay be to manage effectively

• Sub-contracting catering and baroperations may be a sensibleoption as it reduces your riskalthough in the long term this islikely to yield less return than adirectly managed operation

• With high levels of PC ownershipand ISP subscription by individualconsumers, now is the time toinvest in electronic marketing viathe internet. E:mail news is anincreasingly attractive, low costmethod of advertising a cinema’sweekly programme

40

Fact File Number of screens: 1

Size of auditorium: 390

Date first operated as a cinema: 1912

Operating company: The Curzon Community Cinema Ltd

Style of programming: commercial, arthouse

Redevelopment costs: c£4.6m

Potential sources of funding for redevelopment:Heritage Lottery Fund

2001 (Jan-Dec) admissions: 53,578

2001 (Jan-Dec) box office turnover: £150,697

Chapter 11

The Curzon, Clevedonwww.curzon.org.uk

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When Clevedon's Picture House cinema openedon 20 April 1912 Britain was still reeling fromthe sinking of the Titanic only 5 dayspreviously. As such it seemed appropriate thatthe very first screening should be a charityevent of newsreels to raise money for survivorsand bereaved relatives. The residents ofClevedon turned out in force for the event anda grand total of £2 2s was donated to the LordMayor of London’s Fund.

Ninety years later the cinema has sustainednumerous re-designs, shrapnel damage duringWorld War Two (the art deco ‘sunrise’ above theentrance still flaunts its war wounds), and achange of name from the Picture House via theMaxime to its current incarnation – the Curzon.This wonderful historical cinema boasts being‘the oldest, purpose-built, continuouslyoperated cinema in the world’, and so far noone has been able to refute its claim.

The cinema is located in the heart of Clevedon,a charming, quiet seaside town, popular withthe kind of residents and holidaymakers whowould run a mile at the sight of a kiss-me-quickhat. The fact that the town has changedcomparatively little since the early twentiethcentury has not gone unnoticed by filmmakerswith Merchant/Ivory Productions using it as alocation for their Oscar-winning hit, HowardsEnd. Along with the elegant pier, the Curzon is -or rather could be - one of the major jewels inClevedon's crown.

Significantly it is the only cinema betweenWeston-Super-Mare and Bristol, serving apopulation of around 75,000 people in theNorth Somerset area. When, in 1995, thecompany that owned the Curzon went intoreceivership, it looked as if local people wouldhave to make a 24 mile round trip if they weregoing to enjoy a night out at the pictures.Fortunately local resident Jon Webber decidedto take on the responsibility of co-ordinatingnot only the 'save our cinema' campaign, but toput into action a set of highly ambitious plansto develop and restore the building.

It is not immediately apparent that you areapproaching a cinema when you arrive at theCurzon, least of all one that is botharchitecturally important and, if you happen tobe a lover of old cinemas, ravishingly beautiful.Its slightly down-at-heel deco façade vies forattention with a number of ground level shopfronts and the east wall, along which most

traffic entering Clevedon passes, looks notunlike any anonymous warehouse in any Britishtown or city.

But as soon as you enter the building you enteranother age. Currently the cinema's entirehistory sits cheek by jowl - faded Jazz Agesplendour sharing space with a now-tatty 1950srefurbishment and cheap but no longer cheery1970s fixtures and fittings. And even theoriginal 1912 front doors are hidden away instorage. The auditorium is lined with unique,ornamental pressed ‘tin’ panels. Although theyare currently painted a rather unfortunateshade of crimson, the 1920s panels give thecinema a real sense of period opulence and itdoesn’t take a large stretch of the imaginationto envisage the venue in its heyday. The circlewas partitioned off in 1972 with the aid of afalse ceiling depriving audiences of the bestseats in the house and one of the cinema'sgreatest treasures - its tin panel-clad, barrelvaulted ceiling. An extensive virtual tour of thecinema (including sections of the building notcurrently accessible to the public) is availableat the Curzon’s excellent website.

The restoration of the building and itsdevelopment to meet the expectations ofcontemporary cinema audiences is key to thelong-term success and viability of the cinema.Although numerous changes to the building’sfabric have taken place over the last 90 years,many ‘original’ features remain. The cinema,however, had to make a decision about how theword ‘original’ was interpreted as any attemptto capture the cinema at a specific moment intime will necessarily need to incorporate itslonger past and lose many of its later additions.Given the prominent art deco frontage to thebuilding and the unique interior it is back to the1920s that the restoration of the Curzon will go.However, Webber realises that it is one thing tohave a beautiful, fully restored 1920s cinema,but unless the sound system, seats andfacilities are the equal in terms of quality to thecommercial competition, then audiences willquickly defect once the novelty has worn off.

Overseeing the development of plans for thiscomplex fusion of the ancient and the über-modern are architects Burrell Foley Fischer, apractice well known for its cinemadevelopments including Harbour Lights inSouthampton (see p69), the Exeter PictureHouse and the Rio in Dalston, North London.

The Curzon's auditorium is lined with unique, pressed'tin' panels from the 1920s. This rose forms part of thebarrel vaulted ceiling that will be revealed once again aspart of the cinema's ambitious restoration plans.

The Titanic sets off on its fated maiden voyage. TheCurzon opened just 5 days after the liner sank in April1912 and the first screening was a charity event toraise money for survivors and bereaved relatives.

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The key restoration plans include:• The removal of the false ceiling, revealing

the circle.• The restoration of the whole auditorium to

original 1920s plans including thereplacement of the boxes that wereremoved in the 1950s.

• The restoration of the Oak Room Café.

New developments will include:• The building of a new 80-seat screen at

the back of the cinema.• A large new foyer/box office at the east

side of the building.• A new café/bar.

During this interim period the programmingpolicy of the cinema is dictated by the need forachieving financial independence, though it stillmanages to include children’s matinees and amonthly arthouse screening in addition to themain evening film. The new screen will vastlyimprove the flexibility of the programming,enabling a wider range of films to be shown,and for the cinema to maximise its income.

The new foyer/box office will not only enhancethe audience experience at the cinema (thecurrent foyer is of the shoebox variety), but willalso massively increase the cinema's visibilitywhen repositioned on the otherwise blankexterior east wall of the building.

Lovers of wining, dining and even tea-drinkingare currently not exactly over-taxed with choicein Clevedon. The restoration of the Oak RoomCafé and the building of a new café/bar aim torectify this situation, intelligently tapping intoan under-provided market. The original art decoshell of the Oak Room Café will be restored andreopened as a 'heritage' eating and drinkingexperience - along similar lines to the PumpRooms in Bath - thereby catering for an olderclientele and, especially, attracting summervisitors. The new café/bar will be focussed at theyounger end of the market, a group whose currentsocial outlets in town are extremely limited.

The Curzon could and should be at the heart ofany regeneration schemes in Clevedon. Thescope of Webber’s ambitions should transformthe cinema into a national attraction, bringingnew visitors to Clevedon, new money into thetown and providing the local community with avital and vibrant local resource. It would havebeen too easy to turn the Curzon in to an oldeworlde heritage experience for the over-60s,

but Webber’s scheme is wholly in keeping withthe nature of the town. It is sympathetic to thequiet, Middle England atmosphere of Clevedon,but at the same time offers a resource that willbe used and enjoyed by residents, whatevertheir age or background.

Like South Sefton’s Community Cinema, thePlaza (see p45), the Curzon has mounted animpressive and on-going campaign to save,restore and develop the cinema. Immediatelyafter the cinema went into receivership in July1995 Webber took up the challenge to save theCurzon. Realising that one of the mostimportant things for the cinema’s futuresuccess was to maintain its existing audience,Webber’s first step was to ensure that theCurzon kept showing films. The true campaignto save the cinema began with public meetingsheld in August and November 1995. The Curzon:Clevedon Community Centre for the Arts wasset up at this time as a registered charity withthe intention of purchasing the freehold of thecinema and thereby securing the future of thebuilding. The charity’s trading arm – The CurzonCommunity Cinema Ltd – was set up as a non-profit community business to run the cinemawith the intention of transferring all profitsgenerated by the cinema to the charity.

Fundraising through public donation proved tobe a very significant part of the campaign. 900people were persuaded to sign up as membersof the company, each coughing up a smalldonation of £5 upwards. Not only did thiscontribute £30k towards the Curzon's coffers,but the membership scheme acted to galvaniselocal support for the cinema in anextraordinary way. A diversity of Clevedonresidents, the majority of whom would neverhave normally entertained the notion ofbecoming company members, suddenly foundthemselves playing a small, but notinsignificant role in determining the future oftheir local cinema.

With the freehold up for sale at £125k theCurzon was still a long way short of its financialtargets. However, with a soft loan of £50k fromClevedon Town Council, matching funding fromNorth Somerset District Council and a mortgageof £55k from Lloyds Bank, the Curzon charitywas ready to go ahead with the purchase inNovember 1996. The freehold of the cinema wasacquired by The Curzon: Clevedon CommunityCentre for the Arts on 26 November 1996 andthe newly owned cinema ‘opened’ for business

The 1920s interior sits in uncomfortable juxtapositionwith the 1970s false ceiling.

Vanessa Redgrave serves tea in Howards End (dir JamesIvory/1992/dist: Mayfair Entertainment UK). Clevedon provided one of the locations forMerchant/Ivory's hit film.

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only 3 days later with a gala screening ofBrassed Off and a performance from theClevedon Town Brass Band.

Throughout this period Webber had beencampaigning for the cinema to receive Grade IIlisting. This was finally granted just days beforethe purchase and was a major landmark in thecinema's history, ensuring not only that thebuilding couldn't be knocked down or radicallyaltered, but preserving the Curzon's integrity asa cinema.

Given the cinema's unique architectural status,Webber has applied to the Heritage LotteryFund for substantial funding towards arestoration project that will cost c£4.6m. Inorder to secure this essential Lottery funding,the cinema needs to raise £1.2m under its ownsteam by 2003/04.

Much of Webber’s success in working towardsthis target has been down to both his ingenuityand persistence. It is not uncommon forfundraisers to believe that substantial grantsand generous donations from the great and thegood are the be-all and end-all of any campaign.Webber, however, has maintained the fundraisingimpetus over the last 6 years through a range ofinspired and sometimes unorthodox activitiesthat both keep the campaign in the public eyeand act to bring together the local community.The fundraising schemes, many of which are on-going, have included:

• Collections. Large and very visible collectionpoints are located in all public areas of thecinema for donations of any size. £30kwas raised between 1999 and 2001.

• Donations. A gift-aid scheme was set up toencourage one-off donations or, particularly,donations paid via a monthly standingorder. There are now over twenty monthlydonors giving £100+ per month.

• Sponsor a seat. Individuals and businessesare invited to sponsor a seat in the newlyrefurbished auditorium for the not tooprincely sum of £110. In the past twelvemonths over twenty people have signed-up.

• Sponsor a skydiver. For this rather lessconventional and on-going fundraisingscheme, local residents – including a pairof plucky pensioners - volunteer toparticipate in a sponsored parachute jump.

• The Curzon Lottery. Part of the WeatherLottery scheme(www.theweatherlottery.com) which helpscharities to raise funds for specialprojects and general development. The Curzon benefits from individualssubscribing by bankers standing order tothe weekly lottery. £1.5k was raised withinan 8-month period.

• Leave a legacy. Obviously a rather long-term fundraising strategy, local residentsare encouraged to include a provision forthe Curzon in their wills. Local solicitorshave volunteered their services for thosewishing to contribute in this way and apromotional leaflet even includessuggested wording and a guide toupdating an existing will.

It is easy to overlook the importance of thesupport of local press when mounting afundraising campaign. Webber sensibly soughtout the help of the local newspaper, theClevedon Mercury, right from the outset, andthe paper's continued enthusiasm has ensuredthat the Curzon's campaigns, ambitions andfilm programmes have never slipped from localconsciousness over the last 6 years.

As the Curzon moves into a vital new stage inits development it can hopefully look to thefuture with optimism in the knowledge that thefoundations laid down by Webber and his teamcould not be stronger.

Pete Postelthwaite takes a break from playing his cornetin Brassed Off (dir Mark Harman/1996/dist: Film Four). The re-launched Curzon 'opened' for business with a gala screening of the brass band epic in November 1996.

Much of the beauty of the Curzon's spectacular 1920sinterior is currently hidden behind some ratheroppressive paint work.

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Fact File Number of screens: 3

Size of auditoria: 576, 92, 92

Date first operated as a cinema: 1939

Operating company: Plaza Community Cinema Ltd

Style of programming: commercial, arthouse

Redevelopment costs: c£2.8m

Potential sources of funding for redevelopment:Arts Lottery, National Lottery Community Fund, SRB (Single Regeneration Budget), ERDF, SeftonCouncil, trusts and sponsorship.

2000/2001 admissions: 65,000

2000/2001 box office turnover: £318,550

Chapter 12

The Plaza, Crosbywww.plazacinema.org.uk

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The word 'community' is often imprecisely usedin the world of local arts provision.Organisations seem to believe that if localresidents simply turn up to sample their waresthen they can define themselves as acommunity venue. But the Plaza - CrosbyCommunity Cinema, based in Waterloo, SouthSefton, takes the ethos of 'community'extremely seriously, involving a large numberof local people and businesses in all aspects ofthe organisation: running the cinema,organising and participating in fundraisingevents and attending cinema screenings.

Located six miles outside the centre of Liverpool,South Sefton has a predominantly white, workingclass population. Considered to be one of themost economically deprived areas of Britain, it isat the heart of an SRB (Single RegenerationBudget) area, the government fundedmechanism aimed at stimulating economic andenvironmental regeneration. And at the centreof this process must surely be the Plaza.

Despite an inauspicious opening the day beforewar broke out in 1939, the large, 1460 seatvenue spent many years leading a successfuldouble life as both a cinema and varietytheatre, mixing the latest films with star turnsfrom the likes of Arthur Askey, Hylda Baker,Charlie Chester, Tommy Handley and Ted Ray.The post-War decline of variety coincided withthe decline of the cinema, subsequent ownersneglecting to invest in the infrastructure andfittings of the building. The cinema waschopped up in 1976 to form three screens (thetwo small screens looking like small aircrafthangers stuck inside the main auditorium), butthere were few other 'improvements'. Despitethe on-going regeneration that had been takingplace in Liverpool throughout the 80s and 90s,the cinema - then called the Apollo - finallyclosed in 1996 and all the fittings andequipment were removed. The building by thistime was a shabby mess and worthy of theepithet 'flea-pit'.

South Sefton’s large population of 120k was leftwith no cinema, and it required a journey toeither Liverpool or Southport to get to thenearest screen. In an area where car ownershipis below the national average, the closuremeant that many people - especially the young,senior citizens and other people on lowincomes - would find it difficult to make thisjourney and therefore be deprived of thepleasures of cinema-going. And in an area with

few recreational amenities South Sefton lost avery vital community resource.

The campaign to save the cinema was startedin 1995 by a 12-year-old schoolboy, PaulCulshaw, after hearing that the cinema'sowners, Apollo Leisure, planned to sell theproperty to a developer who would to demolishit and replace it with a government benefitoffice. Local residents Janet Dunn and JeanPlant very quickly adopted leadership of thecampaign by forming an action group. Plant hasretired from her voluntary duties, but Dunn isnow Chair of the Plaza's Board of Trustees.Despite no previous experience of leading acampaign, fundraising, or running a cinema,Dunn's enthusiasm, vision and sense of purposeover the last eight years are remarkable.

The first part of Plant and Dunn's campaignfocussed on an attempt to find anotheroperator to take over the cinema. Every cinemachain in Britain was approached, but all said'no'. Nobody wished to take on the risk of adecrepit building in an economically deprivedarea at a time when purpose-built multiplexesserving more affluent areas seemed to be theway ahead. It became obvious that the actiongroup would need to transform itself into anorganisation that would not only save, but alsorun the Plaza, so the Crosby Community CinemaCommittee (CCCC) was formed.

The CCCC started a petition to raise localawareness of the campaign and to provideSefton Metropolitan Borough Council with proofof community support. The local media gotbehind the campaign, keeping it in the publicconsciousness and encouraging a letter-writingcampaign. The Council and the Crosby Heraldwere besieged with letters demanding thepreservation of the cinema; in fact it was themost reported story in the paper’s history. Thelocal outcry combined with a 10,000-signaturepetition compelled the Council to refuse theproposed planning permission for another use.The CCCC's double-pronged attack also includeda letter-writing campaign to the Department ofthe Environment, forcing the DoE to reply toeach one individually, and resulted in a datebeing set for a public enquiry.

With the imminent closure of the cinema andthe prospect of running it themselves, the CCCCneeded to focus their energies on fundraisingand awareness raising. One of the mostsuccessful campaigns was the organisation of

The slightly shabby interior of one of the Plaza's miniscreens. The whole interior is badly in need ofinvestment to bring it up to the standard expected bycontemporary audiences.

The Plaza's foyer.

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‘Moustache Day’ in June 1996. Taking theirinspiration from Red Nose Day and CharlieChaplin, little black plastic moustaches weresold for £1 and were available at over 30 localshops, pubs and businesses including the localbranch of Sainsburys. The moustaches were, ofcourse, a gift for local press coverage witheveryone from Dunn and Plant to localcelebrities such as composer/conductor CarlDavies caught on camera sporting interestingadditions to their upper lips. Dunn and herdaughter even designed a large black bowlerhat to sit on top of the family's VolkswagenBeetle! The event culminated with an afternoonfun day event for children and a gala dress-as-a-movie-star night for the grown-ups. £3.5k wasraised in just three weeks, but more importantly,no local resident or Council Member couldremain unaware of the CCCC's campaign.

Following the advice of a consultant, theprimary short-term objective for the CCCC wasthe re-opening of the cinema. This wasessential for income generation as well asmaking a strong statement to the communityand to potential funders.

The CCCC formed the Plaza Community Cinema- a registered charity operating through acompany limited by guarantee - and initiallyleased the building. It was not until January2000 that they were able to purchase thefreehold for £325k, with grants from SeftonCouncil (£140k) and the Esmée Fairburn Trust(£66.5k), a low-interest loan from the CharitiesAid Foundation (£60k) and a mortgage fromLloyds TSB (£60k).

With only £11k working capital to coverrefurbishment, equipment, rent, cleaning, filmhire… and no business plan to help focus themon their way, the re-opening date for thecinema was set for 18 July 1997, to enable thecinema to capitalise on blockbusters releasedduring the school holidays. It was consideredimportant that the Plaza should re-open with abig movie and The Lost World: Jurassic Park 2was secured with some help from cinemamogul Sir Sidney Samuelson. The refurbishmentdidn't begin until the last week of May leavingonly 7 weeks to equip the building and return itto a state suitable for a high profile publicevent. With the aid of extensive coverage by thelocal media, a campaign was mounted to findvolunteers. A massive team of 60 was recruitednot only for cleaning and painting duties, butalso skilled joiners, plasterers, plumbers and

electricians gave their time for free. Localbusinesses donated a range of otherwiseexpensive materials, from timber to carpets.With only ten days until the cinema was due toopen there were still no seats in theauditorium, and those that they had stillneeded to be upholstered. The scene was notunlike an Ealing comedy. Volunteers honed theirupholstery skills throughout the night and thefirst seat was fixed in the cinema at 4am on 18July, 13 1/2 hours before the doors were due toopen. To avert the impending crisis, a joinerand his mates were recruited from the localpub and they helped to ensure that the finalseat went in with just 15 minutes to spare. Aqueue of hundreds had formed outside thecinema and the Plaza reopened on a beautifullywarm and sultry evening to a sell-out success.And everyone had a seat, even if the gluewasn't quite dry.

Gaining an audience for a gala event is onething, but Dunn and her team knew thatmaintaining them would be more problematic.One of the strategies in doing this has beenthrough programming. The mainstay of theprogramme has been commercial cinemaappealing to the broadest audience andessential for the financial stability of theorganisation. However, when the two smaller100-seat screens re-opened in September 1997and February 1998 they provided the option offar greater programming flexibility that wouldappeal to a wider range of local people and alsoattract audiences from outside the area. Priorto the re-opening of the Plaza, and pending theopening of the City Screen-run FACT Centre in2003, Merseyside and most of Cheshire hadvirtually no alternative to mainstream cinema,the nearest arthouse screens being located inManchester. The provision of a dedicatedarthouse screen is central to the Plaza'scurrent programming policy and its successrefutes the patronising assumptions thatfrequently insist that such an enterprise is onlysustainable in a middle class area with a highdensity of students. Some audiences come fromas far away as North Wales and Chester, thoughthe screen survives predominantly through theattendance of local residents and audiencesfrom across the Liverpool area.

Conscious of the needs of parents with youngchildren the cinema hosts a successful Kids'Club every Saturday morning with around 400members, 200 of whom attend each week, inaddition to theatrical runs of films targeted at

Crowds outside the Plaza eagerly await the gala screeningof The Lost World. They have little idea however of thelast minute refurbishment that is taking place inside.

One of the Plaza's many ingenious fundraising schemesincluded 'Moustache Day' in June 1996. Here Janet Dunnand Jean Plant indulge in a very convincing spot ofcelebrity cross-dressing.

47

children or families. Similarly a weekly socialclub is organised for unemployed people, seniorcitizens and people with special needs onThursday afternoons.

Education is at the forefront of the cinema'swork. Organised by John Hodgkinson, theprogrammer/booker of the arthouse screen,education events range from post-screeningdiscussions with filmmakers to more formalevents for schools and colleges. Hodgkinsonhas built relationships with charities includingOxfam, Scope and Refuge and developed arange of issue-based educational work withthem. One major event for schools and youthgroups exploring the Holocaust MemorialProject included a fact-finding mission toAuschwitz and was followed up with screeningsand a discussion led by a Holocaust survivor.Such an event is on an epic scale for a venue inreceipt of a revenue grant. For the unfundedPlaza it is both remarkable and inspirational.

Maintaining self-generated additional fundinghas been of paramount importance to the on-going viability of the cinema. Both unique andvery profitable was the Plaza's decision to opentwo charity shops based just around the cornerfrom the cinema on St John's Road. The firstshop was opened in 1996 and stocks the usualcharity shop staples of clothes, bric-a-brac andbooks, whilst the other sells second handfurniture. With low rent and rates offered by theCouncil, the Plaza is able to plough much of theincome generated through the shops back intothe development of the cinema. In 2000/01 thisresulted in a very significant £33.5k. Located inthe heart of the area's main shopping street,the shops also play a major role in raisingawareness and maintaining the momentum ofthe campaign. They also enable a large crosssection of the community to participate in thefundraising activities whether they arevolunteering at the shops, donating goods orpurchasing them.

One of the greatest successes of the Plaza -and one of its biggest challenges - is themaintenance of the 40-50 strong volunteerbase required to ensure that the cinema canfunction. Indeed, the only paid members ofstaff are the Cinema Manager, projectionistsand the Development Officer, a post funded byLloyds TSB. The volunteers create a genuinesense of community within the organisation,involving a wide cross-section of people ofdifferent ages, backgrounds and experience.

But five years on from the gala re-opening it'smuch harder to maintain the same impetus forvolunteer recruitment and the turnover isalways high requiring a large investment intraining.

Dunn realises that the cinema cannot keepgoing forever on the energies of a volunteerworkforce, and neither can the building survivein its current condition. Her plans for the Plazaare ambitious, but exactly what the cinemarequires if it is to maintain and developaudiences. She hopes to convert the existingspace into 4 screens served by a singleprojection box, improving programming flexibilityand providing more realistically sized screens.Plans also include a flexible screen/educationspace to be built on the current car park;conference facilities for local community groups;a café and a space for internet access. The costof the proposed redevelopment andrefurbishment is £2.8m and the Plaza is in theprocess of applying for funding from the ArtsCouncil, National Lottery Charities Board, SingleRegeneration Budget and European RegionalDevelopment Fund. This funding is essential tothe continued success of the Plaza. With almost70,000 admissions in 2001 the venue has gonefrom strength to strength, but such a majorresource cannot be allowed to survive on littlemore than the goodwill and enthusiasm ofvolunteers.

A typical audience for the Saturday morning Kids’ Club.

The campaign vehicle for ‘moustache’ day.

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Fact File Number of screens: 2 + Digital Café/video suite

Size of auditoria: 200, 55 (+ up to 60 in Digital Café)

Date first opened: 1982

Operating company: Watershed Arts Trust Ltd

Style of programming: arthouse, repertory, festivals, artists' film andvideo, new digital forms

Sources of revenue funding: South West Screen, South West Arts, Bristol City Council

2001/2002 admissions: 88,943

2001/2002 box office turnover: £326,319

Chapter 13

The Watershed, Bristolwww.watershed.co.uk

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Watershed is without doubt one of the verybest cinemas in Britain. Whereas Watershed'smanagement team might be happy with thecompliment, they may also take exception tothe word 'cinema' as the venue has longdescribed itself as a 'media centre', dedicatedto exploring and exploiting all aspects of mediaand the moving image. Granted, that's a bit ofan esoteric phrase, but the word 'cinema'doesn't begin to embrace the range ofactivities, screenings and agenda-setting workthat takes place at Watershed.

Leading Watershed's creative team areManaging Director, Dick Penny and Head ofExhibition, Mark Cosgrove. Penny has been withWatershed for six years, including a stinthelming the venue in the early 90s, whilst inthe mid 90s he co-ordinated the nationalCinema 100 events. Cosgrove was previouslyprogrammer of Plymouth Arts Centre andeducation officer at Manchester's Cornerhouse.He comes from a line of strong appointments:previous Watershed cinema programmers havegone on to lead the ICA's cinema and AardmanAnimation's production wing. The team’sexperience, enthusiasm and desire forinnovation is unusual within a sector that isboth under-trained and not always known for itsprogressive stance. They work as a great team,and their tenure at the venue has been markedby extraordinary developments and intelligentresponses to changes within the industry.

Many arthouse cinemas feel under threat bythe rapidly evolving commercial exhibitionsector as independent films that werepreviously their bread-and-butter are nowregularly appearing on a multiplex screen nearyou. In the late 90s it was highly unusual to seea foreign language film in a multiplex, but2001/2002 has seen a revolution take place. Someindependent venues have taken the ostrichapproach by burying their heads in the sand andpretending that nothing different is happeningwhilst others have decided to go head-to-headwith the competition. The effect has been thatsome of these cinemas have weakened theirposition by losing the very qualities that madethem stand out from the crowd. However,Watershed and a number of other cinemas such asGlasgow Film Theatre and Edinburgh's Filmhouse(see p53) have used this encroachment upontheir territory to strengthen their position.According to Cosgrove:

'It is more important than ever that Watershedasserts its difference. Of course we need to playthe titles that audiences expect to see atWatershed (e.g. Amélie, Gosford Park, 24 HourParty People) even if they are concurrent withother cinemas, but it is also our responsibilityto ensure that audiences in Bristol get to seethe widest range of films possible. But our long-term strategy must be about building audiencesfor the future. There may well come a day whencertain films are no longer available to us, sofocussing now on the work that both makesWatershed different and looks to the futuremust be our priority.'

One of Watershed's greatest assets is itslocation. Situated on the waterfront alongside acouple of bars and shops and opposite therenowned Arnolfini gallery the immediatesurrounding area isn't exactly humming withlife. But Watershed is at the intersection of thebusy city centre with its business communityand high street shops to one side, and ParkStreet and Clifton with their mix of the chic andthe Bohemian (to say nothing of a very largestudent population) to the other. Watershed istherefore perfectly located not only foraudiences who might be tempted into thebuilding to see a film or attend an event, butalso for shoppers and business people lookingfor an alternative to Starbucks, Weatherspoonsor Prêt à Manger for a coffee, a beer or a meal.

Situated on the first floor of the building,Watershed's spacious and bright Café/Baroverlooks the waterfront. It is not slavishlyfashionable, nor does it indulge in big-time filmbranding, ramming its cineaste credentialsdown your throat. Where Watershed succeeds isin providing an informal space that isidiosyncratic but doesn't threaten with theambience of a private members' club. The foodis good (no pre-packed sandwiches with sell-bydates) and reasonably priced, the servicepleasantly low-key and the views are the best intown. At lunchtime the café will be full with aneclectic mix of the young and trendy, seniorcitizens and business people; in the evening thebar is buzzing and feels like a major focal pointin the city’s cultural and social life. TheCafé/Bar is also in the heart of the building andensures that the venue feels alive throughoutthe day. Together with income from conferencefacilities and a small retail outlet on the groundfloor, the Café/Bar turned over £1.26M in2001/2002 which resulted in a net contributionof £281k profit to the venue.

Watershed's thriving Café/Bar attracts a wide crosssection of local people in search of an alternative toBristol's more predictable watering holes.

An interactive computer game availble at the Digital Café.

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In addition to significant revenue fundingreceived from South West Screen, South WestArts and Bristol City Council, Penny has raisedannual funds of c£200k from sources that gobeyond these traditional funding routesincluding the Learning and Skills Council, theNew Opportunities Fund, Adapt, trust funds andprivate sponsorship. Watershed has also recentlyparticipated in ACE’s Stabilisation scheme –designed to enable organisations to makefundamental change to develop their business –and submitted an application for funding fortheir 3-year plan in Spring 2002. Watershed’sincreasingly strong financial position is also due,in part, to the fact that the ideas andmotivations for its genesis in 1988 are only nowcoming of age, with the venue becoming busierand more successful each year.

Despite the fact that Watershed was purposebuilt, the venue is currently stymied by spacelimitations, in particular by the tiny, 55-seatScreen 2. With 'sold out' signs making frequentappearances at the box office often days beforethe end of a run the cinema is currently unableto maximise its revenue potential. Although arange of independent films and artists' film andvideo appear locally at the Arnolfini and Cube,there are still many quality films that fail toscreen in Bristol. One of Penny's priorities forthe venue therefore includes a third screenwith 130-seat capacity. His plans also include acentral projection box serving all three screensand thereby reducing staff overheads.

Watershed is currently one of the few cinemasin Britain paving the way, and developingaudiences, for the hoped-for digital revolution.A new Digital Café opened in 2000 and islocated just off the main Café/Bar. Penny wasanxious that such a new and unknown spacewould need to be demystified to ensure itsaccessibility to the widest audience. Withwindows from the Café/Bar leading into theDigital Café even the most Luddite cappuccinodrinker could not be unaware that somethingrather exciting is happening next door.

So, what exactly is a Digital Café? Penny and histeam have created their own blueprint, devisinga flexible space that combines areconfiguration of e-cinema with a digital videosuite. The internet has helped to revolutionisethe popularity of short films, massivelystimulating production and consumption,though as yet the technology for viewing thiswork feels distinctly remedial. With lengthy

download times and a picture size that is oftenthe wrong side of microscopic, domestic e-cinema would test the patience of your averagesaint. Visitors to Watershed can now use theDigital Café to surf the internet via an ultra-fastfibre optic connection, with pin-sharp imagesprojected onto a large cinema screen. Althoughit is possible to project the contents of yourHotmail account to an unsuspecting audience,the facility is primarily used to enable individualsand small groups to scour the world wide webfor short films and interactive digital art.

The Digital Café has also greatly increased theflexibility of Watershed's screening spaces,becoming the venue's temporary third screenin all but name. With informal seating the spacecan be adapted for a range of events - fromseminars, to events to screenings. The digitalvideo suite has enabled work shot on video tobe screened in the Digital Café freeing up theover-subscribed Screens 1 and 2 for workgenerated on film. Recently this enabled thecinema to increase a booking of the Inuit filmAtanarjuat: The Fast Runner. With only a limitednumber of 35mm prints in the UK, Watershedwas only able to screen the film for a weekbefore the print moved on to the next venue.However, given Atanarjuat's digital origins,Cosgrove decided to expand the booking by anextra week, screening a beta copy in the DigitalCafé. This additional flexibility is of vitalimportance to Watershed's long-term success.As Cosgrove points out:

‘Our plans are to ensure that we have digitalcapability in all screens. The short, fixed-lengthbooking structure that we currently havedoesn't allow us to take advantage of word-of-mouth. By the time that people have gone outand told their friends about a great film thatthey've just seen at Watershed, the chances arethat the run will be over and the print hasmoved on. Given the low cost of digitalprojection formats, in the future there willhopefully be far more copies of films available.We will then be able to hold onto titles forlonger, exploiting word-of-mouth, developingaudiences and maximising income.’

Penny and his team are not only inventing thefuture in programming and exhibition terms,but they are pushing the boundaries of therange of digital work that is accessible throughthe internet, setting and determining newdirections for venue websites. The majority ofindependent venues now have their own

Scene from Rabbits by Joe Magee – created for screeningat Watershed

Scene from Holding Tank by Philip Walker – created forscreening at Watershed and tour.

51

website, but in most cases these offer littlemore than an electronic version of the printedcinema brochure. Watershed's goes beyondsimply informing audiences what might happento be showing in Screen 2 at 6.10, utilisingcyberspace for a range of additional resources -from teaching packs created by the cinema (e.g.www.watershed.co.uk/east) to reports frominternational film festivals. Best of all, the sitehosts a range of innovative digital workproduced locally and commissioned byWatershed. In one project, taking the TwelveDays of Christmas song as their inspiration,pupils from local schools created twelve days ofweb art that combine digital artworks,paintings, illustrations, sculpture andanimations. And the highly successful ElectricDecember project - a playful and provocativemix of games, animation, video, short films,poetry, prose and visual art - is producedannually by a wide range local organisations. Itis an inspirational project with the work ofcommunity groups sitting alongside work byAardman Animation. A range of Watershed'sdigital projects can be seen atwww.watershed.co.uk/dshed

Watershed's commitment to digital work hasbeen enhanced by on-going training and debateabout new technologies and has includedresidencies by digital artists such as AnaBilankov and Duncan Speakman(www.watershed.co.uk/residencies). This work,of course, comes at a price and the venuecurrently has four people working full-time tosupport IT. However, Watershed has alreadyseen a return on their investment. Inextricablylinked to the venue’s long-standing andacclaimed educational work, the various digitalprojects have massively increased the numberof people able to participate on some level withWatershed's activities, helping to break downbarriers, educate and attract new youngaudiences into the building.

This dynamism exists throughout Watershed'sprogramme which has recently includedseasons that range from a historicalretrospective of South African cinema to asuccessful series of silent cinema screenings.Critical to this success is a range ofpartnerships with other cultural agencies thatenhance the programme breadth. For example,the silent cinema strand was a collaborationwith Bristol Silents, an organisation dedicatedto promoting the art of silent film.

That Watershed can find audiences for workthat otherwise might be perceived as marginalis a strong indicator of not only of the successof the on-going audience development work,but that audiences trust the venue'sprogramming choices. Among Watershed's fully-fledged festivals are the annual Black PyramidFilm Festival (www.watershed.co.uk/blackpyramid),featuring new work from black filmmakers, and therenowned Brief Encounters (www.brief-encounters.org.uk) and Animated Encounters(www.animated-encounters.org.uk) festivals,providing a major forum for short and animatedfilmmaking respectively. These festivals are gearedtowards local audiences, but their scope andexcellence are of national and internationalimportance, attracting industry delegates and - inthe case of the Encounters festivals - leading thefield in the UK.

Watershed is one of 17 venues that currentlywork with the bfi's Programme Unit. Thesevenues range from full-time, multi-screenarthouse cinemas to part time arts centreswhere films might be screened for just a coupleof days a week. What they all share is a desire tobring to their areas films that offer a perspectivethat goes beyond that of Hollywood mainstream.The Programme Unit offers programming adviceand a film booking service, developingprogramming strategies with local personnel.Cosgrove has worked with the ProgrammeUnit's Catharine Des Forges for 8 years:

'I speak with Catharine about programming issuesalmost every working day. This relationship withthe Programme Unit enables an essential dialoguenot only about the commercial potential of a film,but importantly about its cultural worth andsignificance. Without this additional perspective itwould feel as if I was working in isolation. Similarly,the Programme Unit's negotiating powers withdistributors puts us in a stronger position than ifwe were booking films directly ourselves.'

Des Forges is equally enthusiastic about thissymbiotic relationship:

'The dynamic of working with a venue thatconstantly seeks to challenge and stimulate anaudience ensures that our working relationshipis immensely creative and always fulfilling.Watershed is not only a regional model ofexcellence, but a venue of national importanceto which cinema programmers and venuedirectors across Britain can look for inspiration.'

Scene from 24 by Burrell Durrant Hifle - interactive shortfilm created for Electric December 2001 online.

Scene from Working Patterns by Paul Matson for DecodePublishing - short film created for Electric December2001 online.

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Fact File Number of screens: 3

Size of auditoria: 280, 97, 72

Date first opened: 1979

Operating company: Filmhouse Ltd

Style of programming: arthouse, repertory, festivals

Sources of revenue funding: Scottish Screen, Edinburgh City Council, Europa Cinemas Media 2

2001/2002 admissions: 160,000

2001/2002 box office turnover: £490,000

Chapter 14

Filmhouse, Edinburghwww.filmhousecinema.com

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Edinburgh is a cultural oasis. With itsinternationally renowned arts festival, fringefestival and film festival, there's nowhere inBritain outside London where it should be easierto run a full time arthouse cinema. Even oncethe mime artists, hair-braiders and bagpipeplayers have packed their bags at the end of theSummer season and departed with the hoardsof international culture vultures, artistes, anddrama students, Edinburgh remains a city full ofcultural energy and options.

It's impossible to bundle the entire populationof a city into a single socio-economic group,but Edinburgh is one of the most middle classcities in Britain, with a large affluent and well-educated population. This is boosted by asubstantial student population (and by theacademics that teach them) at four universities- Edinburgh, Heriot Watt, Napier and QueenMargaret - as well as numerous colleges.

Cinema-going is booming in Edinburgh. Thecommercial options seem to be increasing bythe day, with new Warner and Odeonmultiplexes due to open by the end of 2003 inaddition to the existing UGC and UCI plexes. Andarthouse audiences certainly couldn't ask forany more choice with the independentFilmhouse and Zoo-owned Cameo showingvirtually every independent film on releaseworthy of a screening, in addition to a healthyrepertory programme.

The highly successful 3-screen Cameo, locatedjust a few minutes walk away from Filmhouse,offers tough competition with the two cinemasfrequently negotiating for the same titles. TheCameo’s programme includes strong arthousetitles such as Y Tú Mama También, Italian ForBeginners and Sex And Lucia – exactly the kindof films that Filmhouse would hope to screenfirst-run. This competitive situation has beencompounded by UGC's recent policy ofscreening arthouse titles - especially keyforeign language films - in its screens. BothFilmhouse and the Cameo therefore need toplay titles on concurrencies more frequentlythan they used to. But despite these constraintsFilmhouse has developed a dynamic programmethat provides the perfect complement toEdinburgh’s burgeoning film scene.

At the end of 2001 Filmhouse's programmeincluded first runs of The Piano Teacher,Kandahar, George Washington and Annie Hall,

seasons of Tibetan and Palestinian films, thebfi's touring Werner Herzog retrospective andthe homegrown annual French Film Festival.Not, perhaps, a recipe for obvious box officesuccess, and certainly very few British cinemaswould dare to mount such an esotericprogramme without the obvious bolster of asubstantial handful of Amélies, Ghost Worlds orthe odd Harry Potter. It is telling that in 2001Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) - Scotland's otherleading independent cinema - raised around50% of its total box office revenue from titlesthat were not available to Filmhouse.

Leading Filmhouse's adventurous programmeis the cinema's director, Ken Ingles. Formerlydirector of GFT, Ingles arrived at Filmhouse in1999 with 14 years of programming experiencebehind him, the ideal CV for a cinemaoperation predicated on a complex culturalprogramme and bold and informedprogramming decision-making.

Developing his programming strategies at GFT,and consolidating the work of the EdinburghInternational Film Festival (EIFF), Ingles hascontinued to champion the work of Scottishfilmmakers at Filmhouse. The reality of theBritish film industry is that many features failto get distribution and, despite the excellentwork of the short film agency Short Circuit,very few short films ever enjoy a theatrical life.Given the amount of high quality work that isproduced or supported by Scottish Screen,Ingles tries to ensure that as much as possibleis screened at Filmhouse, highlightingespecially the work of young Scottishfilmmakers. Recently this has ranged from thetheatrical run of the FilmFour-released LateNight Shopping (which was filmed in Glasgow),to screenings of the otherwise undistributedFerry Up the Amazon to the Scottish Screenshort Cry For Bobo, which accompanied the re-release of Meet Me in St Louis. Filmhouse alsoorganises regular archival screenings inassociation with the Scottish Film Archive,collaborates with the local video access centreand enables local colleges to showcase studentwork. This advocacy of local filmmaking is alsosupported by Filmhouse’s impressive educationprogramme, which is at the heart of all thecinema’s work.

One of the problems with this kind ofprogramming strategy is that it is very labour-intensive, requiring far more time for

Filmhouse has made a major commitment to screeningwork by Scottish filmmakers. The Scottish Screen supportedshort Cry For Bobo accompanied the re-release of Meet Mein St Louis.

Cry

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Filmhouse's welcoming and spacious foyer is a model ofhow to get it right. The foyer provides plenty of easilyvisible space for posters and press cuttings to promoteupcoming screenings.

researching, booking and marketing the films,and therefore more expensive to mount. Forexample, Filmhouse's Marketing and EducationAssistant devotes much time to targetingspecific films and seasons to particular localgroups and communities. Occasionally projectfunding is available for one-off projects(Filmhouse recently received £2k from the CityCouncil for a festival of Arab films), but in thecurrent funding climate where less moneyappears to be available for exhibitiondevelopment it is becoming increasinglydifficult for Filmhouse to maintain the diversityof work with the support that it requires. Giventhe nature of the Filmhouse programme, thecinema's annual revenue funding of £30k fromEdinburgh City Council and £92k from ScottishScreen is far from luxurious.

Filmhouse's monthly promotional brochure iscurrently one of the best in the independentsector, although it needs to be, given that fewof the films that the cinema shows will havereceived high profile press and marketingcampaigns. Ingles understands that hisaudience is both film-literate and anxious toread about a film before choosing to pay to seeit. Unlike many cinemas that attempt to sellunder-marketed, esoteric titles to unsuspectingaudiences in a matter of 2 or 3 lines of copy,Filmhouse regularly supplies around 200 wordsof intelligently written review for each title. Ifyou're showing Amélie, then the TV campaignprobably does the job for you, but when you'rescreening a season of Palestinian cinema it'srather more difficult to raise awareness. And, inany case, Palestinian cinema is unlikely to beperceived as a hip and fashionable ‘must-see’.Ingles' policy pays dividends and is a significantcontributing factor to why he can programme aPalestinian film season and sell-out thescreenings. Filmhouse is not simply interestedin preaching to the converted, but in gettingevangelical. The production of such apublication doesn’t come cheap, butFilmhouse’s brochure covers 25% of itsproduction costs through selling advertisingspace. Paid for by predominantly regularadvertisers, this generates c£16k pa.

Ingles is one of the organisers of the 10-year-old French Film Festival. This event has grownin scope and substance over the years and isthe UK's largest festival platform forcontemporary French cinema. The Festival runsconcurrently at Filmhouse, GFT, Dundee

Contemporary Arts and the Belmont inAberdeen followed by selected screenings inLondon. As such, it operates as a low-level formof distribution for films that would otherwisefail to see the light of day in Britain and as anawareness-raiser for those awaiting a UKrelease. By taking place at cinemas across alarge area of Scotland, the Festival is able togain a much higher level of press coveragethan would be possible for a single-cinemaevent.

The high profile presence of French cinema atFilmhouse has done much to boost audiencesfor French films throughout the year at thecinema. Building on this initiative, in 2001 Inglesbecame one of the funders who set upCinéFrance, a small, independent distributioncompany specialising in French cinema andworking out of Filmhouse. The aim of theproject was to provide distribution for qualityFrench films that had otherwise slipped throughthe distribution net, the most successful ofwhich has been the release of Claude Chabrol'sThe Colour of Lies. Although these films haveplayed across Scotland and the rest of Britain,one of Ingles' primary objectives was to provideadditional strong titles for Filmhouse'sprogramme. Indeed, when The Colour of Liesopened in July 2001, it proved to be the mostcommercially successful film screening atFilmhouse that month. With its exorbitantadvertising costs Britain is famously one of themost expensive places in the world to distributefilms, with the risks of failure terrifyingly high.However, although no longer directly involvedwith CinéFrance, Ingles hopes to build on thispilot scheme by setting up a new distributionarm as part of Filmhouse, thereby increasingthe number of films available to the cinema.

Filmhouse and the Edinburgh International FilmFestival (EIFF) exist not unlike conjoined twins,sharing accommodation, certain staff membersand feeding off the resulting synergies. Andtheir shared history goes back over 70 years.The Edinburgh Film Guild was formed in 1930"for the study and advancement of film art",and brought to Edinburgh an array of Europeancinema that otherwise would not have been seenin Scotland. In association with other Scottishfilm societies, the Guild helped to found theScottish Film Council, and in 1947 it launchedthe EIFF, the world's oldest, continuouslyrunning film festival. The Guild's 100-seatcinema in Randolph Crescent provided

Filmhouse's recently refurbished bar and café plays animportant role in attracting potential new audiences tothe venue. They also contribute a significant annualprofit of c£120k to the organisation.

The Colour of Lies (dir Claude Chabrol/1999/dist:CinéFrance) was a major success at Filmhouse. The film was one of the titles released by the thenFilmhouse-based CinéFrance.

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Edinburgh with the first Regional Film Theatrebased on the model of the National FilmTheatre, and provided a home for the EIFF. In1978 the building in Randolph Crescent was soldproviding funds towards the purchase ofLothian Road Church - the ideal home for bothFilmhouse and the EIFF, located oppositeanother of Edinburgh's cultural landmarks, theUsher Hall, itself a major focus for high profilemusic events at the Edinburgh Festival.Filmhouse opened in 1979 as a single 97-seatscreen, with the main 285-seat auditoriumopening in 1983 followed by the bar andrestaurant in 1985. The most recent phase ofdevelopment saw the addition of the 72-seatScreen 3 in 1999. Needless to say, such anextensive range of developments over such along period involved investment from a largenumber of partners including The Scottish FilmCouncil (later Scottish Screen), EdinburghDistrict Council, Lothian Regional Council, theScottish Tourist Board, and the Edinburgh FilmGuild. Additionally, the Filmhouse Appealcontributed a considerable amount whilstdemonstrating local support and raising localawareness. The development of the bar andrestaurant was funded by the distillers ArthurBell and Sons to the tune of £250k.

EIFF and Filmhouse were run as a singleorganisation for many years, sharing a director,budgets, office space and staff. Now the Festivalrents offices from Filmhouse and shares severalstaff. But the collaborative ways in which thetwo work ensures that both organisationsbenefit from this relationship. Recently led byartistic directors Mark Cousins, Lizzie Frankeand Shane Danielsen (whose first EIFF takesplace in August 2002) the EIFF is considered bymany in the industry to be one of the bestprogrammed film festivals in the world.Filmhouse has certainly gained from the EIFF'sspirit of risk-taking and intelligent programming,and by maintaining much of the Festival'smomentum throughout the year, delivers backthis key audience to the Festival each August.Partial separation has had its benefits too,enabling the Festival to gain more grants andsponsorship, whilst any short term tradingproblems incurred by the festival can no longerbe a drain on Filmhouse's tight budgets.

Screen sizes are a major bone of contention forvirtually all cinemas. Many cinemas havesecond or third screens that are simply not

financially viable (see Watershed, p49), andFilmhouse is no exception, though the full timecinema and the EIFF probably take ratherdifferent perspectives. For Ingles, Screen 1's285-seat capacity is larger than required formany of his releases, though if the Cameodidn’t exist this would be a very different stateof affairs. And with the EIFF working at capacityhouses for many of its screenings, the 285-seatauditorium invariably doesn't allow them toaccommodate everyone who wants to see aparticular film and thereby maximise income.Conversely, Ingles considers Screen 2 to be toosmall for many releases, with screeningsregularly selling out, citing an optimum size of140 seats, though any desire to expand wouldbe difficult at the current location.

The layout of Filmhouse is not ideal - theentrances to Screens 2 and 3 are hidden at theback of the building - but the building boastsan extremely spacious and welcoming foyerfrom which the newly refurbished bar and caféare unmissable. The foyer providesconsiderable space for posters and presscuttings enabling the cinema to promoteupcoming titles, and allows for a largeticket/reception desk and a small retail spacefor selling videos and DVDs. The bar and cafémake a very significant contribution to theoverall running of the cinema. The addition ofplasma and video screens in the bar and foyerin 2002 will provide the venue with additionalprogramming options as well as heighteningawareness of the venue's programme. The barand café not only attract new people into thebuilding, but with a turnover of c£750k pa(turnover for the cinema is £600k pa),contribute an annual profit of c£120k.

Over the last 15 years audience figures atFilmhouse have fluctuated between 145k and165k pa, achieving their highest point when theCameo closed for refurbishment. Attendanceshave now stabilised at c156k pa, a remarkablefigure for a cinema operating in such difficultcircumstances and delivering such a vital andinvigorating programme.

Despite being housed in a building that was not originallydesigned as a cinema, Filmhouse clearly signposts thenature of the beast to passers-by without compromisingthe integrity of the architecture.

Filmhouse also caters for conferences and events, animportant source of revenue.

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Fact File Number of screens: 1

Size of auditorium: 600

Date first operated as a cinema: 1911

Operating company: Worthing Dome Ltd

Style of programming: commercial, children's cinema, occasional arthouse

Redevelopment costs: c£2m

Potential sources of funding for redevelopment:Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage

2001/2002 admissions: c75,000

2001/2002 box office turnover c£300,000

Chapter 15

The Dome, Worthingwww.worthingdome.com

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Before you visit Worthing for the first time youare likely to conjure up an image of a genteelsouthern seaside town basking in very slightlyfaded Georgian splendour: tea rooms, teadances, string quartets and the sleepy air ofyesteryear. That is part of the make up of thetown, but so is the very large population ofunder-21s searching for something to do, as arethe not insignificant number of unemployedpeople and the burgeoning crime rate. And thefeeling of decay that includes a tragic andalmost wholly boarded up shopping centreapparently known locally as 'Beirut'.

One of the most visible landmarks of old,'genteel' Worthing is the Dome. The cinema isalmost perfectly located on Marine Parade, onlya couple of minutes from the heart of town andoverlooking the sea, and as such is necessarilyseen by thousands of visitors each summer. TheDome is also one of Worthing's best-lovedbuildings, its distinctive roof forming anessential part of the town's skyline. It's notsurprising therefore that various localbusinesses have chosen to use images of thebuilding as their logo.

The Dome was built in 1911 as an Edwardianleisure centre, or kursaal, and was namedrather unimaginatively… the Kursaal.Downstairs, locals enjoyed the facilities of thearea's leading roller-skating rink, whilstupstairs the more sedentary could spent anevening at the movies in the opulent setting ofthe Electric Cinema for the princely sum of 3d.The whole development came in at only £4000.In 1921, after £8000 of remodelling, the cinemawas converted into a ballroom whilst the rinkwas transformed into a 'luxurious picturehouse'. At the reopening, fans of Mary Pickfordgot to see their idol in Pollyanna, accompaniedby a 6-piece orchestra. Post-War sentimentsrequired a name change, so the Germanic-sounding Kursaal became the Dome.

The interior has survived remarkably welloffering a near-perfect glimpse into theglamorous world of an early 1920s picturepalace. In the words of the Department ofNational Heritage:

"The Dome is of dual interest as a raresurviving kursaal or multi-purpose hall… Savefor the balcony front, the decoration all datesfrom the conversion of this hall to a cinema in1921, and this is both remarkably elaborate andexceptionally complete. The complex as a whole

is a remarkable survival of an early kursaal; theelaborate and well-preserved foyer andprincipal auditorium justify the Grade II* status.The Dome is one of the best five early cinemasto survive in England and the grading reflectsboth its architectural and historical interest."

DNH, January 1997

Chairing the trust that runs the building is BelleStennett. She is a little blunter in herassessment of the cinema foyer in particular,describing it as "a crisis of taste". The realitylies somewhere between the styles of Rococo,Tiffany and the classical world - in other words,pure cinema. Armed with an astute grasp of thebusiness and financial imperatives of thebuilding as well as a real desire to preserve andpromote the Dome as a major heritageattraction, Stennett has been leading theproject since 1998.

After the successes of the 1920s-40s, theDome's more recent history was decidedlychequered. Following years of neglect anddwindling audiences, Worthing Borough Councilpurchased the freehold of the Dome in 1969specifically to redevelop the area, but theirplans lay in limbo for decades. As such, theCouncil was loath to grant long leases, therebydiscouraging tenants from spending large sumsof money on maintenance and modernisation.Although this resulted in the accumulatedproblems of continued neglect, it did ensurethat most of the original features remainedintact. Despite the fact that the beleagueredbuilding was first listed in 1988, it almost founditself converted into both a shopping centreand a nightclub, but the subsequent Grade II*listing fortuitously prevented any significantalterations to the interior. The Dome remainedin the hands of Worthing Borough Council untilNovember 1998. Over the years various trustshad been set up to save the building, but hadcollapsed due to a lack of sufficient skills.Stennett realised the importance of bringingtogether a committee that comprised real,practical skills as well as the energy of cinemaenthusiasts. The new trust was set up in August1998 and included an architect who had workedin conservation architecture, a structuralengineer, a quantity surveyor, a solicitor and anaccountant, each supplying very specialist andotherwise extremely expensive expertise.

One of the Trust's earliest and key objectiveswas writing and compiling a business plan thatwas sent to the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of

Audiences arriving at the Dome discover a venue thathas changed very little since the 1920s.

The Dome's extensive foyer.

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an application for a grant of £2.5m towardsrefurbishment. This Lottery bid was submittedin February 1999 and was awarded a Stage 1Pass in October 1999, allocating 75% of theproject costs (£1.75m). English Heritage alsooffered a further £200k that would beaccessible once the project started.

Given that Worthing Borough Council was notinterested in finding funding for the projectthemselves they agreed to sell the freehold ofthe building to the trust at the knockdown priceof £10. With a little legal help from a Trustmember who happened to be a solicitor thefreehold was transferred in November 1999 onthe condition that the town’s Tourist InformationCentre could be located in office space at thefront of the Dome.

The cinema had ceased to show films in Apriland Stennett was determined to ensure that afull programme was up and running as soon aspossible. In less than six weeks from thetransfer of the lease the cinema was showingfilms again. In that short period, and with theaid of a £20k grant from Worthing BoroughCouncil, Stennett and her large team ofvolunteers knocked the building back into anoperable condition as well as obtaining thenecessary fire and electrical certificates and anew ceiling licence. The Dome reopened on 17December 1999 with the ironic choice of theminor British classic about a charming, butcrumbling cinema, The Smallest Show on Earth.And it's certainly not hard to imagine MargaretRutherford selling tickets from the Dome'soriginal pay box in the cinema foyer or PeterSellers up in a projection box that has hardlychanged in 70 years.

Worthing Dome Ltd was set up in November1999 to run the cinema operation with a boardof directors who are also trustees. The boardemployed a management agent - PDJ Leisure -to manage the cinema operation including theappointment of initial staff, paying staff, payingcreditors, presenting monthly accounts andbooking the films. The paid cinema staffcurrently comprises a full-time manager, a part-time deputy manager, eight part-time ushers, acleaner and two full-time projectionists.

One of Stennett's major collaborators on thedevelopment project has been her son, James.His skills as a designer and carpenter haveproved invaluable to the restoration andemergency repairs that have taken place to

date. The wonderfully idiosyncraticProjectionists' Bar located off the foyer wasdesigned by the mother and son team andopened in June 2000. Neither had experience ofrunning a bar, but together with the kiosk, itnow provides an important strand of incomegeneration. The bar was created for therelatively small amount of £20k and was paidfor through a bank loan to prevent anydisruption to the organisation's cash flow.

The Trust's primary objective is now to repairand restore the Dome and to guarantee itsfuture as a commercially viable heritage venue,providing sufficient profit to maintain thebuilding and ensure future growth. And in orderto meet the conditions of the HLF funding theDome needs to raise £500k by 2004. Unlikeother cinemas that have emphasisedfundraising through community-basedinitiatives the Dome's main strategy is togenerate as much income as possible throughits cinema programme, relying predominantlyon first run, and occasionally second runcommercial titles. The Dome is one of only twocinemas in town, the other being the 2-screen,Council-run Connaught Theatre and Ritz in thecentre of Worthing. There is strong competitionbetween the two cinemas - indeed, they havebeen rivals since the 1920s - but the Domemanages to get many of its first choice titlesgiven the lack of multiplex competition.

The Dome currently struggles to maintain itsprofile with a small marketing budget and alocal press that offers limited support. Stennettacknowledges the need to maintain themomentum of awareness-raising, citing the factthat even after the brouhaha of the HLF fundingand the gala re-opening in December 1999, therewere still many local people who failed torealise that the cinema was back in business.

The Dome's awareness-raising initiatives havebeen many and various. Shortly after thecinema's reopening Stennett managed topersuade local radio station Southern FM tobroadcast their Breakfast Show live from theDome. With a regular listenership of 250k -many of whom are the key teenage targetaudience who would need coaxing to enter avenue that might be perceived as fuddy-duddy -the programme resulted in full houses for thecinema's run of Toy Story 2.

Although community fundraising has not beena priority, working with the local community

This staircase is one of the many original features thatmakes the Dome's interior so exceptional.

The Dome's magnificent 1921 auditorium.

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has been. To make sure that even the youngestaudiences have their say in the direction thatthe cinema takes, the Dome has instigated achildren’s committee, and the main committeealso includes an 11-year-old member. Provingthat the cinema pays more than lip service toits youngest members, when Harry Pottermania hit Britain at the end of 2001 the Dome’scinema foyer was dominated by a large displaycreated by local children. Most visibly, the coverof the Dome's monthly film brochure wasdesigned by one of the Kids' Club members,sending out a strong message of the venue'sindividuality to local residents.

From the outset the cinema has organisedregular tours of the Dome complex, enablingpeople to see areas of the building (manycontaining remarkable original features) thatotherwise would not be accessible to thegeneral public. The tours have not only beenpopular with local people, schools and tourists,but have acted as an important way ofrecruiting volunteers and stimulating localenthusiasm and support.

Given the limited selection of films currentlyavailable in Worthing (the nearest arthouseprovision is 12 miles away in Brighton), one ofStennett's priorities is the building of a smallersecond screen. This will be located on the firstfloor in the space previously occupied by abingo hall and originally by the Electric Cinema.Stennett hopes that the new screen will notonly widen the range of films available at thecinema, but also broaden the range ofaudiences attending the venue. She plans toapply to the Film Council and South East Arts tofund the capital project. Another plan forincreasing the diversity of people attending thevenue - especially those with cash in theirpockets - is the development of a prestigiousnew restaurant also on the first floor. Withuninterrupted views across the seafront, therestaurant could not be more ideally located.And at the top of the building - in the oldbilliard room and just under the dome itself -will be a café/bar, again offering some of thebest views in town. Stennett is also keen toimprove facilities for both weddings andconferences, aiming to accommodate up to 100people. Among the other long-term plans is theappointment of an education officer toimplement an on-going outreach programmefor schools, colleges and local groups. Thepossibility of setting up a small cinema historymuseum to complement this work is also being

considered. It is hoped that this mixed economywill keep the building alive throughout the dayand ensure the viability of the Dome as abusiness.

This viability is essential if the Dome is toreceive the requested £2.5m from the HLF. Atthe time of publication the trust has received£42k from the HLF towards development costsand an additional £20k from the ArchitecturalHeritage Fund for a project organiser to progressthe development for the HLF. The AHF has alsoprovided a £4k administration grant. In preparationfor the arrival of the HLF grant, the Trust andtrading Company have become VAT registered toensure that they don't lose a significant proportionof their grant in taxes. But the HLF grant will onlyprovide 75% of the building costs, leaving theDome with high financial targets that must bereached over eight years.

The restoration and redevelopment of the Dome ispotentially one of the most exciting heritage andfilm exhibition projects of the last decade. A projecton this scale has the potential of stimulating localinterest in cinema and cinema history, providingthe town with a major tourist attraction and actingas a catalyst for local regeneration.

The original pay box in the cinema foyer.

From the programme - drawn by Kit Bradshaw, aged 10 -the Youngest Committee Member.

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Fact File Number of screens: 1

Size of auditorium: 330

Date first operated as a cinema: 1988

Operating company: South Holland District Council

Style of programming: commercial, occasional arthouse

Redevelopment costs: £3.3m (total cost for redevelopment of multi-use arts centre)

Sources of funding for redevelopment: South Holland District Council, ACE NationalLottery, Foundation for Sport and the Arts, local sponsorship

2001/2002 admissions: 26,000

2001/2002 box office turnover: £72,855

Chapter 16

The South Holland Centre, Spaldingwww.sholland.gov.uk

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The historic town of Spalding with its mix of18th century and medieval buildings is famousfor its flowers and flower festival. The town issurrounded by fields of blooms that in theSpring turn this spot of the Fens into an imagenot unlike something from a Dutch Old Master.Indeed, the local authority covering the area isthe appropriately named South Holland DistrictCouncil (SHDC). Cultural provision in smallmarket towns is invariably limited and cinemaprovision is rapidly becoming a thing of thepast. However, the SHDC has done remarkablework to ensure that Spalding's population of25k (and the largely rural population of c75kwho live within a 15 mile radius of the town)have considerably more than daffodils andtulips to enrich their lives.

The SHDC-owned South Holland Centre is themajor cultural resource for a significant area ofLincolnshire with a range of activities that runsfrom theatre to cinema to jazz to tea dances.The Centre appeared in its first incarnation in1974, created out of the old Corn Exchange,though the venue didn’t start screening filmsuntil 1988. By the early 90s the Centre wasbeginning to show its age and its facilities wereincreasingly incapable of accommodating theflexibility that the venue demanded.

With the support of the Eastern Arts BoardSHDC commissioned architects Sansome Hall toundertake a structural feasibility study to lookat development potential for the building, andwith their team, which included a company ofcinema and theatre consultants, theycompleted the re-development work on theCentre. A SHDC briefing team including NigelHawkins, Arts Manager for the Council, oversawthis work. Hawkins recalls one of the teethingproblems that the venue faced:

‘A real problem was the placing of delicate andsensitive cinema equipment on sites where workwas still in progress. The rush to complete thebuild and place equipment in areas which are notcompletely dust free, must be resisted and inour case caused enormous operating problems.’

Hawkins also points to the need for stafftraining when faced with a new building:

‘Our staff were trained in running a live artsvenue, not a cinema. Although we brought intrainers to ensure that they learned new skills,it’s important not to underestimate the amountof time required for the training process.’

Despite these problems the building, which re-opened in April 1998, is a great success and isnotable for its bold and eye-catchingarchitecture. It is a brave architect that plans torip down the front of an old building thatnestles between Georgian neighbours andreplace it with a modern façade, but that'sexactly what Sansome Hall did. The Centre isnow faced with a mix of stone and brick thatsympathetically relate to its surroundings in agreat juxtaposition of architectural styles, andthe focus is a large and very modern windowlooking out across the square. The window notonly offers a strong architectural statement,but reveals people enjoying the café/bar andpublic spaces on the first and second floorsensuring that the building always seems alive,especially at night. And to the right of thedoorway is a glass-fronted clock tower andstaircase exposing the bells that have pealed inSpalding for the last century. Only the mostvirulent critic of contemporary architecture couldhave objected to the designs. Indeed, one of themore bizarre complaints that SHDC receivedwhen the plans were published for publicconsultation was from someone who worriedthat men might look up women's skirts whenthey walked up the glass-fronted staircase!

The Centre benefited from the Arts Lottery'sPercentage for Art Scheme as 2% of the totalcapital costs were allocated to several artprojects. This use of public art has addedgreatly to the venue, emphasising itsuniqueness, its relationship to the localcommunity and Spalding's history, and byreinforcing a real sense of identity. Theattractive new clock face and housing for thebells provide an aural as well as visiblelandmark for the town. The oriel window at thefront of the building not only makes passers-bywant to stop and look but provides a focus fordrinkers and diners in the café/bar. It wasetched by a glass artist and is decorated withsnippets of local history and verse. And thespecially commissioned trailer that shows infront of all films playing in the venue makesscreenings feel more special, far removed fromthe ‘could-be-anywhere-on-the-planet’experience of most multiplexes.

Given that the Centre is a multipurpose artsvenue each activity has to be accommodatedwithin the same, adaptable space, a recipe thatin many similar venues has resulted incompromise. For example, the recently closed

Catering is sub-contracted to a local independentcompany, adding to the venue’s feeling of uniqueness.

The Centre's auditorium was designed to accommodate arange of artforms.

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Lux in east London never offered a fullysatisfactory 'cinema' experience despite theexcellence of its programming and strikingdesign. Even though the building was purpose-built, its multifunctional cinema/performance/events space was far from ideal for filmscreenings. The requirements of other activities- as well as aesthetic preferences - had beenprioritised over the demands of a cinema.

Fortunately the experience of watching a film atthe Centre is as comfortable and successful asthat of going to the theatre. The plush, rakedauditorium has retained the old stalls and circleconfiguration, and even the 'slip' seats alongthe side walls at circle level prove popular withpunters who are prepared to enjoy theirexclusivity at the price of getting a crick intheir neck. Most importantly, the screen is agood size and the image is masked. This levelof quality ensures that audiences feel that theyare attending a real cinema, not one thatsimply rolls down a village hall-style batteredscreen whenever they fancy showing a film.

The Centre is the only cinema in the area and itrequires a 32-mile round trip to Peterboroughuntil you reach the nearest competition. Thiskind of journey is simply not feasible for themajority of cinemagoers so the Centre's filmprogramme is vital to the local community,especially those people who don’t own a car.

The Centre's programme comprises a mix ofmainstream, independent, and a few foreignlanguage titles attempting to bring the widestand most accessible range of films to Spalding.Given the limited size of the immediatecatchment area it isn't feasible for the venue toscreen new titles on long, open-ended runs, alesson the Centre learned through experience.On average the cinema screens films forbetween 2-4 days, though these screeningshave to be programmed around live eventstaking place in the auditorium. The venuetargets different audiences by trying to buildup an expectation that certain types of filmswill be screened on particular days of the weekwith one show taking place per night. In generalthe programming structure aims to includefilms for audiences aged 30+ from Monday toWednesday, whilst targeting young people andchildren from Thursday to Saturday. Children'sfilms play a very important role at the venuewith matinées throughout the school holidaysas well as the weekly Saturday morning kids'slot. Programmes also include occasional

weekday matinees helping to make the venueaccessible to older people who would rathernot venture out at night.

The Centre is the antithesis of the anonymousatmosphere of many local authority amenitiesthroughout Britain and prides itself on the veryfriendly and accommodating environment thatit has created. This mix of personalised serviceand facilities that feel special rather than off-the-peg plays an important role in attractingand maintaining audiences. The café/bartypifies this experience and it is perhapssignificant that the catering has beensubcontracted to a local independent company.

The cinema is largely promoted via the bi-monthly cinema leaflet, providing reviews of alltitles, dates, times etc. The fact that thisinformation is not just included in the Centre'smain publicity brochure helps to reinforce thecinema's identity as well as ensuring that thefilm programme doesn't suffer at the expenseof the long lead times that are often requiredwhen promoting live arts. The leaflet receivesextensive distribution and is mailed to selectedpostcodes throughout the area. Unlike muchlocal authority-produced literature the Centre'scinema leaflet displays its SHDC credentialsquietly. The effect is in tune with the buildingitself: it has the appeal and idiosyncrasy of anindependent cinema.

The SHDC has a very healthy attitude towardsthe cinema, choosing not to see the filmprogramme as a cash cow that will subsidiseother activities at the venue, but as animportant cultural resource in its own right. Thecinema programme pays its way, but venueoverheads are subsidised by the authority.

When plans for the redevelopment were firstmooted, the Centre faced the daunting task ofmounting a film programme even though noone in the building was a film exhibitionspecialist. But as a venue based in Lincolnshirethey had the enormous advantage of theservices offered by Cinelincs.

Cinelincs, or the Lincolnshire Cinema ExhibitorsConsortium, is a project that grew out of apartnership between four district councils andarts centres in Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire CountyCouncil, Eastern Arts Board and the British FilmInstitute. It has been instrumental in developingfilm exhibition in the county, providing itsmembers with a specialised film programmer,

The multi-purpose auditorium prepares for a film screening.

The Centre's striking architectural design fitssympathetically within Spalding's Georgian town square.

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booking service, marketing advice, andeducation programmer and project budget aswell as networking opportunities. Although themodel has not yet been copied elsewhere inBritain, the Consortium provides an excellentexample of what can be achieved in rural areaswhen a group of exhibitors work together.

Cinelincs comprises five venues - both artscentre and full-time cinemas - across thecounty who are committed to screening a broadrange of films. In addition to the Centre theyinclude Blackfriars Arts Centre (Boston), TrinityArts Centre (Gainsborough), Grimsby Screenand Stamford Arts Centre. Each venue devisesits own film programme in consultation withCinelinks' co-ordinator, as such programmes aredeveloped to reflect the venue's culturalpriorities and the specific needs of eachaudience. Inevitably there are similaritiesbetween the programmes of each venue, butthe Consortium does not act as a circuit,responding to different needs, marketingdeadlines and screening slots. Cinelincs acts asa central booking service for the venues withthe co-ordinator negotiating directly withdistributors, though contracts and invoices areadministered by the venues. Education iscentral to the work of the Consortium and asuccessful bid to the Lottery's Arts ForEveryone scheme secured c£100k funding for athree-year education project.

The Consortium is funded from fees paid byeach of the participating venues. This is basedon a £500 annual membership fee; a charge of£3 per title booked and an additional 5% of thenet box office up to £30k, and 2.5% over £30k.Cinelincs also receives funding from EastMidlands Arts and Lincolnshire County Council.

Importantly, Cinelincs provides a forum for itsmembers to meet and exchange ideas andinformation, helping to remove the sense ofisolation frequently experience by artsprofessionals working in rural areas. This isparticularly true of film where the industry islargely based in London.

The Centre's relationship with Cinelincs hasproved vital to the development of Spalding'sonly cinema. According to Hawkins:

‘Cinelincs has proved essential to ourdevelopment as a cinema. Not only have wesaved the costs of employing a cinemaspecialist – or braving it on our own – the

Centre feels part of a much wider network ofshared ideas. It would be impossible for each ofthe participating venues to attend festivals andscreenings in London, but Cinelincs’ co-ordinatoris able to share their experience with us.’

Cinelincs has made an enormous contributionto the development of cinema culture andaudiences in Lincolnshire. Dealing with a verylow population density the Centre’s impressiveaudience of c26k in 2001/2002 may not havebeen achieved without such expertise on hand.

The café/bar provides an attractive meeting place inthe heart of the town centre and provides views acrossthe square.

The cinema screen conceals the paraphernalia requiredfor theatre production.

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Fact File Number of screens: 5

Size of auditoria: 354, 179, 125, 108, 84

Date first opened as a cinema: 1911

Operating company: Zoo Cinemas

Style of programming: commercial, arthouse, festivals

Redevelopment costs: £4.2m

Redevelopment funding sources: Private, City Challenge

2001/2002 admissions (1/5/01 - 30/4/02): 377,664

2001/2002 box office turnover (1/5/01 - 30/4/02):£1,856,457

Chapter 17

The Ritzy, Brixtonwww.ritzycinema.co.uk

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‘The Ritzy is my local cinema and, as a citizen ofthe global village, it provides me simultaneouslywith the cosmopolitan and the cosy.’

Will Self, author

'Vibrant' and 'colourful' are two of theeuphemisms most frequently thrown inBrixton's direction, but the cultural, racial andsocial mix that co-inhabits this corner ofSouthwest London ensures that it is one of themost diverse areas of Britain. Brixton still livesin the shadow of the infamous 1981 and 1996riots, but anyone who has not visited in the lastdecade is probably unaware of the changes anddevelopments that have taken place. Somepeople bemoan these changes - particularly theloss of the radical political edge that oncepreserved Brixton as the squatters' capital ofWestern Europe - citing the gentrification thathas encroached in certain areas as the thin endof the wedge. Brixton still has adisproportionately high number of people livingin poverty, but it now has a truly 'vibrant'cultural infrastructure. This embraces theBrixton Academy (South London's biggest musicvenue); a range of clubs, including the Fridge, towhich the young, fashionable and cutting-edgemake their pilgrimages from across the capital;it provides a home to two of Britain's key blackcultural resources - The Voice and the BlackCultural Archive; and at the centre ofeverything is the Ritzy Cinema.

Under the guise of the Electric Pavilion, thedoors of the Ritzy first opened on 11 March 1911. Itwas one of Britain's earliest purpose-builtcinemas, seating over 750 people in the singleauditorium. After an assortment of alterationsand a series of name changes over the years thecinema closed in 1976, demolition was threatened,and it appeared that Brixton would lose thisimportant cultural and community resource.

In 1978 local cinema enthusiast and film editorPat Foster came to the rescue. He placed anadvert in London listings magazine Time Outrequesting four people to join him in hismission to save the cinema by investing £1k.Out of this entrepreneurial zeal the Ritzy (or'Little Bit Ritzy' as it was then called) re-openedlater in the year. Foster (whose film editingcredits include the sex-spoof Eskimo Nell) andhis co-workers shared the roles ofprogrammers, projectionists, managers andushers, finding themselves sticking bits ofcelluloid together one night and selling ice

creams the next. The repertory programme atthis time offered one of the most diverseranges of films available in London; it waspolitical, it was radical, and was one of the veryfew venues in Britain to make a regularcommitment to screening lesbian and gaycinema. The cinema was so politically awarethat it was not unknown for an over-zealousprojectionist to turn censor and snip out a sexscene that was felt not to meet the currentapproved sexual orthodoxy.

The 1981 Brixton riots had a profound effect uponthe box office of the cinema with audiences whocame from outside the immediate area feelingtoo nervous to enter what they presumed to be awar zone. As the decade progressed it becameincreasingly clear that the cinema was unlikelyto survive in the prevailing economic andcultural climate unless it developed. Additionally,the fabric of the 80-year-old building wasbeginning to show its age and audiences nowhad the added entertainment of water drippingfrom the ceiling whenever it rained.

After discussions with several cinema operators,the Ritzy was finally sold to Oasis in 1994. Oasisappeared to have exactly the right credentialsfor a cinema renowned for its cultural andpolitical nous. Already owning the Gate inNotting Hill and the Cameo in Edinburgh, PeteBuckingham of Oasis and Island Records’ ChrisBlackwell (who owned Oasis with producerJeremy Thomas) were staunch advocates ofindependent cinema. Not only did the purchaseprovide the cinema with far greater financialstability, but also with much increasedbargaining power. As a single screen venue thecinema had had little clout with the distributorsof key first-run features. As part of a small butinfluential chain, there was always going to bea far greater chance that the Ritzy would getthe films that it wanted.

Given the diversity of local audiences a single-screen cinema was never likely to fulfil the needsof the whole community or, indeed, the financialambitions of its owners, so Oasis embarked on amajor redevelopment project to transform andredevelop the building. The cinema closed in 1994to reopen a year later as the largest independentspecialist cinema in the country, complete withfive screens, a bar and café.

Although the cinema was designed to be part ofthe new Brixton, at the heart of the plans wasthe renovation and preservation of the Grade II

The Ritzy's original 1911 auditorium remains one of themost attractive cinemas in London.

The Ritzy is located at the heart of the community inBrixton town centre

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listed 1911 auditorium. With its wonderfulasymmetrical proscenium arch the auditoriumremains remarkably unchanged, unlike othercinemas that were ripped apart for the additionof subsidiary screens or innovations such asCinemascope.

The majority of the funding for the developmentcame from Blackwell with a small amount ofpublic money from the City Challenge schemethat had been set up to stimulate urbanregeneration. There were problems at virtuallyall stages of the redevelopment and the projectfinally came in at £4.2m - £1m over-budget. Thisover-spend, combined with problematic advicegiven at various stages of the redevelopment,has had long-reaching effects on the cinema.Not only did the cinema re-open for businesswith a big hole in its owner's bank account, butsome of the decisions made about theinfrastructure and layout of the building wereforced by financial compromise. For example,each of the five auditoria has its own projectionbox with each requiring its own projectionist.This is an extremely expensive luxury in dayswhen many multiplexes survive on a skeletalteam of projectionists working from a singleprojection box. And with digital projection nolonger the stuff of a faraway, brave newcinematic world, the Ritzy faces the prospect oflugging expensive, fragile equipment fromprojection box to projection box in the not toodistant future.

Oasis is now managed by Zoo and its ManagingDirector - and programmer of the Ritzy - is ClareBinns. She first joined the cinema in 1980 as anusher, later becoming a shareholder, then joinedthe new team when Oasis took over the cinema.With over 20 years working in independent filmexhibition Binns' film knowledge and acuity isamong the best in the business. She'sopinionated and an opinion-former, the kind ofperson who would never book a film withoutseeing it first. Importantly, her continuedenthusiasm for cinema is palpable and,apparently, inextinguishable. When dealing withthe imprecise science of film programming,Binns' experience of monitoring the successesand failures of thousands of films and buildingrelationships with film distributors has provedinvaluable for the Ritzy's on-going success.

Unlike central London-based screens, theRitzy's audience is predominantly local. As suchBinns and her estimable co-programmer CarolMiller provide their audiences with one of the

most wide-ranging selections of films availableat a single cinema anywhere in Britain. At theend of 2001 the Ritzy's programme includedtheatrical runs of Harry Potter and LegallyBlonde at one end of the spectrum via The ManWho Wasn't There and Apocalypse Now Reduxto The Piano Teacher and Ken Loach's TheNavigators at the other. These full-scaletheatrical runs are backed up by week longruns of small arthouse releases playingmatinées only including such titles as Gohatto,La Ciénaga, At the Height of Summer and TheIron Ladies. In addition, the programmeincludes regular Sunday matinées, a choice oftwo different films for kids each Saturdaymorning, as well as a host of one-off events,special screenings and festivals, including TheHuman Rights Watch International Film Festival(www.hrw.org/iff), Cinemagic Children's FilmFestival (www.cinemagic.co.uk), and certainscreenings for the London Film Festival(www.rlff.org.uk).

The Ritzy is first and foremost a commercialcinema, but Binns cites that:

‘Although we must be seen to be deliveringlarge amounts of cash to distributors, the Ritzyneeds to do this within a cultural context. If wewere to take the perceived 'easy route' ofsimply screening blockbusters, we might benefitin the short term, but this policy would damageour long-term audience development aims.’

Binns has remained true to the cinema's spiritof radicalism by maintaining a political edge toher programming as well as catering for thevery specific needs of local audiences. GivenBrixton's significant Afro-Caribbean population,the Ritzy has made an on-going commitment toscreening films by black filmmakers or for blackaudiences. In addition to screening first-runfeatures, the Ritzy regularly hosts events andscreenings promoted by Nubian Tales(www.nubiantales.net) including the Bites, Beatsand the Big Screen festival. Binns stresses howimportant it is for an independent cinema toensure that an audience trusts the venue'sprogramming choices. As such she doesn't justscreen every culturally diverse film that isoffered to the Ritzy, rejecting Scary Movie 2, forexample, because it failed to make the qualitygrade. The Ritzy also offers a platform for localfilmmakers and artists - screening their workand hosting exhibitions - with regular eventstaking place in the Ritzy Café.

A reminder of the past, this projector is now housed in themain bar.

The Ritzy's foyer seems extensive, but is often hard pressedto accommodate rush-hour audiences for all 5 screens.

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The cinema runs both the café and bar.Although they are not major incomegenerators, they ensure that the venue is keptalive and buzzing and offer greater flexibilityfor accommodating events. Indeed, one of theplanned developments for 2003 is a new crushbar with video facilities, further widening theprogramming options.

Education plays a major role in the Ritzy'sprogramme and the cinema employs a fulltimeeducation officer to mount a range ofscreenings and events for both schools and thegeneral public.

The Ritzy's only real local rival is the ClaphamPicture House, located a couple of miles awayin the leafier and rather more bourgeois heartof Clapham. Run by City Screen (see p72),Britain's leading operator of independentarthouse cinemas, Clapham audiences similarlybenefit from a programming policy that ispredicated on quality. Although on occasion thetwo cinemas do show the same titles, as ageneral rule the Ritzy and Clapham PictureHouse attempt to show different films. This notonly ensures that audiences aren't split in two,but with so many screens showing a widerchoice of films across Southwest London localcinema-going is encouraged.

Like City Screen, Zoo operates and/orprogrammes and books films for a range ofcinemas across Britain. The Zoo empire stillincludes the Cameo in Edinburgh and the Gatein Notting Hill, but their sphere of influencenow includes eight cinemas in London as wellas cinemas in Croydon, Letchworth and Henley-upon-Thames - a total of 30 screens. Each ofthese cinemas has a very differentprogramming policy, with those based in lesscosmopolitan areas generally screening a moremiddle-of-the-road range of films. As the chaingrows, so does Zoo's negotiating power withdistributors, helping to ensure that each of thecinemas gets more of the films that they wantwhen they want them.

Zoo's experience in film exhibition has helpedto put some of these cinemas on a more securefinancial footing without compromising theircultural integrity. As Binns points out:

‘Everyone thinks that they're a filmprogrammer just because they watch and likefilms. Many cinema owners believe that thebest way to make money is to show the biggest

blockbusters. But this isn't always the case. Iworked with one cinema that always wanted tobe screening the top three blockbusters,happily paying distributors the 50-60% of thebox office that they demanded. Not only werethey paying these high percentages, but thefilms were invariably playing at other localcinemas. It made more economic sense forthem to screen smaller films that wouldn'tnecessarily be screening nearby and for whichthe distributors' take could be as low as 25%.Once the cinema adopted this newprogramming policy they saw their profitsnoticeably rise.’

The Ritzy's own programming policy ensuresthat it caters for a real diversity of localaudiences - it's a mix of multiplex, commercialarthouse and Regional Film Theatre rolled intoone. The cinema understands that its audiencesare film literate and politically aware, that manyhave young families, and that a lot of peoplesimply want to see the best blockbustersaround. By catering for these specific localneeds, and not pandering to pap, it stopspeople from jumping on the first tube to watchfilms in the West End and has resulted in anoutstanding 385k admissions a year.

Upstairs at the Ritzy, which overlooks Brixton town centre.

The Ritzy’s digital projector. The Ritzy was the first UKcinema to screen Star Wars digitally.

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Fact File Number of screens: 2

Size of auditoria: 325, 144

Date first operated as a cinema: 1995

Operating company: City Screen

Style of programming: commercial, arthouse, repertory

Development costs: £1.5m

Sources of development funding:Southampton City Council, Hampshire County Council, British Film Institute

2001 admissions: 87,000

2001/2002 box office turnover: Not available

Chapter 18

Harbour Lights, Southamptonwww.picturehouse-cinemas.co.uk

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Phot

o: J

oe L

ow

During the early 1980s cinema provision inSouthampton was miserably inadequate. With ahandful of commercial city centre screensprovided by Odeon and Cannon (later ABC), acollege-based independent (the Mountbatten)and the university-based film society, there waslittle real choice for the city's 250k population.In 1986 the city saw the arrival of two crucialdevelopments for film exhibition. The Gantry,Southampton's community arts centre, openedand committed itself to screening a range offilms that otherwise would not have seen thelight of day in the city. And the City Councilfunded and ran the city's first film festival. Likecertain other council-run film festivals theSouthampton Film Festival was partly an exercisein civic PR, an attempt to ensure column inchesin the national press. But the wide-ranging andoften innovative programme and the strongeducational work formed the foundations uponwhich Harbour Lights would be built. The festivalattracted very large audiences and the sell-outsuccesses of more 'difficult' work together withthe findings of audience surveys helped to makethe case for year-round, full-time arthouseprovision in the city.

The impetus for a Regional Film Theatre (a bfi-supported independent cinema specialising incultural, arthouse cinema) came largely fromthe Film Festival Committee (comprising arange of local film programmers, teachers, filmenthusiasts and cinema managers) andparticularly from the Chair of the Committee,Councillor Wyn Jeffery, rather than fromCouncil officers. In 1989 Jeffery, then Vice Chairof the Leisure Committee, proposed that theCouncil commission a feasibility study onestablishing an RFT in the city. The bfi had longbeen interested in seeing the development ofanother RFT in the under-provided South andoffered to co-fund the study. Later in the yearthe Council appointed an officer to programmeand manage the film festival and alsoestablished the Film Development Group,chaired by Jeffery, to steer the project ahead.The Group comprised members of the FilmFestival Committee with officers from acrossthe Council, representatives of other city artsorganisations, the bfi, Southern Arts andHampshire County Council. The study, publishedin 1990, announced that:

'A modern RFT, well resourced, programmed andorganised, will be a major asset to the entireregion, providing culture, education and, aboveall, entertainment to the people of

Southampton and beyond… It should presentthe best of world cinema and a mixture ofEnglish and foreign language releases. The filmprogramme should be augmented with a rangeof events, talks and an education programme.'

A design brief for the proposed cinema wasdrawn up as part of the feasibility study basedon a number of existing RFTs includingBroadway in Nottingham and Cornerhouse inManchester, and proposed a range of facilities,screen capacities and full access for peoplewith disabilities. The study provided outlinecapital and revenue projections for running thecinema and capital costs based on fitting out ashell structure as well as audience projections.The bfi had stressed the importance of apurpose-built, stand-alone venue, therebyavoiding the compromises inherent in aconversion, and so the feasibility studyidentified a range of sites across the city, butpredominantly on the waterfront, then a majorregeneration area in Southampton. The studyalso emphasised that good public transport andparking would be key to the venue's success.

But there was another key factor in choosingthe waterfront and the Ocean Village location inparticular. In an agreement with AssociatedBritish Ports (ABP) the Council had committedto providing a commercial heritage attractionon the site with £1.2m capital allocated to theproject. When it became clear that it wasimpossible to build the proposed MaritimeHeritage Centre within that budget, the Councilfound themselves potentially in breach ofcontract. Only one 'heritage' project wassufficiently advanced to meet ABP's deadline,so Ocean Village quickly became the Council'sfavoured location for the RFT. The cinemawould be located a stone's throw away from theMGM (now UGC) multiplex, creating a minicultural quarter on the waterfront.

A second brief was drawn up and based on abusiness plan prepared by the Council's ArtsManager and Film Festival Officer. It offeredmore precise costings and provided a range ofpotential options. The first option was based onthe full recommendation of the feasibility study.Options 2 and 3 were necessarily geared to thelimited resources available from the Council.

Harbour Lights' dramatic new building offers animportant landmark on Southampton's otherwiseunattractive Ocean Village development. The light, brightinterior offers great views across the waterfront.

All public spaces were designed to feel as light and openas possible.

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Joe

Low

Joe

Low

Option 1 Screen 1 = 350 seatsScreen 2 = 150 seatsBarCaféGalleryCost = £2.196m

Option 2Screen 1 = 350 seats Screen 2 = 150 seatsBarCost (excluding fitting out of Screen 1) =£1.407m

Option 3Screen 1 = 350 seatsScreen 2 = 120 seatsBarCost (excluding fitting out of Screen 1) =£1.347m

In March 1993 the Council decided to go with areduced specification - cutting back orexcluding elements such as the café/bar, foyerspace and exterior landscaping - to meet theiravailable budget of £1.3m. The project receivedan additional £100k from the bfi and £50k fromHampshire County Council, but SouthamptonCity decided not to investigate otherfundraising options given ABP's impendingdeadline of October 1994.

Original budget Final costsConstruction £1,062,800 £1,151,700Fees £138,200 £170,000Equipment £128,000 £153,600Other £21,000 £21,700Contingency £100,000 n/a

£1,450,000 £1,497,000

All of the partners believed that the cinemashould be a landmark building of high qualityand design. Three architectural practices wereshortlisted and Burrell Foley Fischer wasappointed, impressing the funders with their trackrecord of cinema design and their ability to findimaginative, low cost solutions where required.

Building began in summer 1993 and HarbourLights finally opened in February 1995, 4months late. Southampton had one of the mostbeautiful contemporary cinemas in the country,and a landmark building for the city. But by the

end of the year it became clear that theambitious audience targets (40% for Screen 1;30% for Screen 2) were not going to be met.Year on year the cinema failed to meet itsfinancial targets and the doors were closed inJanuary 1999.

What went so badly wrong?The Council saw Southampton's waterfrontdevelopments of the 1980s and 90s as vital tothe economic growth of the city, but the realitydid not match the expectations. Despitecreating a marina full of expensive, shiny boatsand hosting the starting point of the WhitbreadRound the World Yacht Race, the waterfrontfailed to become a year-round mecca forwealthy yachting enthusiasts. Hopes of abuzzing development of quality restaurants,chic bars and exclusive shops were neverrealised. Instead, the focus of Southampton'swaterfront developments is Ocean Village, andat the centre of this is Canute's Pavilion, anenormous shed packed with trinket shops, fastfood outlets, theme bars and assorted life-sizedfibreglass sea creatures suspended from theceiling. The world and ambience of Canute'sPavilion is a million miles away from that ofHarbour Lights, yet they exist in close andslightly uncomfortable proximity.

Ocean Village is located about a mile away fromthe town centre and is poorly served by publictransport. Even for the more athleticallyinclined, it is not an especially pleasant walk toget there. At one time the Council hadambitious plans for a Rapid Transport Systemthat would revolutionise public transport in thecity, making the waterfront easily accessibleand more attractive. It never materialised, butneither did any significant improvement in thebus services.

Given its out-of-town location Harbour Lightslacks the visibility that is essential to thesuccess of so many cinemas. Whereas thenationally and internationally known chainssuch as Odeon and UGC can succeed on themight of their brand and the saturationmarketing that their product receives, anindependent arthouse has a much tougher jobto make its presence felt. Virtually no one inSouthampton has to walk past the front door ofHarbour Lights to get to work or home, indeedthe number of people working and living in theOcean Village area is limited. As such the vastmajority of potential audiences have to make adecision to get in their cars and drive to the

At night Harbour Lights' glass frontage ensures that thebuilding feels alive and buzzing.

Harbour Lights' exhibition space helps to attractdifferent audiences to the venue.

Joe

Low

Joe

Low

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cinema to watch a film or to have a drink. Whilst the cinema struggled to achieve boxoffice targets it was also hampered by theinitial lack of investment in start-up costs andby the costs of running the building itself. Theprice of having a glimmering building clad inglass resulted in high utilities with prohibitivelyexpensive heating and window cleaning.

The more patronising of the cinema's criticsclaimed that Southampton simply didn't havethe kind of population who would be interestedin arthouse cinema.

Moving from a position of throwing money atthe flailing cinema the Council adopted a 'not apenny more' stance and by early 1999 it lookedas if Harbour Lights would at best be convertedinto a bingo hall, and at worst, demolished.Leading the local campaign to save the cinemawas Southern Arts' Film Officer Jane Gersonand Roger Brown, Principal of SouthamptonInstitute and former Harbour Lights BoardMember. Gerson joined the Arts Board in 1993,the week in fact that the foundation stone ofHarbour Lights was laid. Previously she hadworked as a Film Exhibition Officer at the bfi for12 years and her experience of cinemadevelopment, film programming and marketingproved invaluable when disaster hit the cinema.For several months Gerson found herselfworking up to 14 hours a day in her bid to savethe cinema and quickly commissioned anemergency consultancy followed up by afeasibility study to investigate realistic andpractical options.

Gerson cites a lack of marketing andprogramming skills as being fundamental toHarbour Lights' problems:

‘One of the biggest mistakes was that thecinema’s approach to marketing neither clearlydefined nor adequately targeted its keyaudiences. To many people Harbour Lightsappeared to be like an exclusive club.’

This image of the cinema as a venue for asnobbish élite was reinforced by the cinema-baiting policy of the Echo, Southampton's dailynewspaper, and in four years the HarbourLights team were unable to woo or tame theblood-thirsty tabloid.

Audiences were also confused by the nature ofthe beast. The mix of slightly oddly chosencommercial and arthouse films often satuncomfortably together, and the programmelacked the ambition and diversity of other keyRFTs. According to Gerson:

'Harbour Lights had a wonderful building, butthe programming didn’t really demonstrate anunderstanding of who the potential audiencewas. Programming should be key to audiencedevelopment, but the essential mix of diverse,quality work was often missing.’

Working closely with the bfi and City CouncilGerson approached the respected independentarthouse cinema circuit City Screen to considertaking over the cinema. With the chain of highlysuccessful Picture House cinemas includingvenues in other university towns such as Oxford,Cambridge, York, and Brighton, City Screen wasthe ideal organisation to resurrect HarbourLights without compromising its cultural idealsand ambitions. The cinema reopened inSeptember 1999 after 8 months of darkness asthe re-branded Harbour Lights Picture House.City Screen had to make a major investment inthe cinema but has been financially supportedby the City Council, Southern Arts and the bfi(later by the Film Council).

Although the cinema may no longer look quiteas smart and immaculate as when it firstopened, City Screen has turned around theoperation in just two years. In 2001 HarbourLights began to start recouping City Screen’sinvestment as well as being voted ‘Best LovedIndependent Cinema’ by readers of Empiremagazine. Managed by City Screen the cinemahas massively reduced the administrative costs(especially staff) incurred by an independentlyoperated cinema.

City Screen's programmer Alex Stolz has founda programming mix that is diverse but createsa very strong and clear identity for the cinema.At the end of 2001/early 2002 the cinema'sprogramme ran from the acclaimed blockbusterThe Lord of the Rings (a commercial choice, butfitting in with the programming integrity of thecinema) to arthouse titles such as Kandahar,The Circle, The Piano Teacher, Little Otik andThe Devil's Backbone.

And the programme is backed up by the chain'susual marketing expertise. Realising thatHarbour Lights had failed to attract the bulk ofSouthampton's massive student population,many of whom live and study right at the otherend of town, City Screen has focused much ofits energies on luring this essential group. Theyhave developed special student screenings andevents, provide extremely attractive ticketoffers (some introduced screenings are free tostudents) and are very proactive in promotingthe cinema on campus. Crucially, City Screenhas gone out of its way to build relationshipswith the local media, especially the Echo, andthe cinema is now perceived as a fashionabledestination rather than an élitist white elephant.

Harbour Lights is now buzzing with its regularquiz nights, kids' matinees, late nightscreenings, film studies courses, Bollywoodscreenings, parties and schools events. AsGerson points out:

'Harbour Lights now feels like a place wherefilm is celebrated. City Screen's policy hasdemonstrated that despite the perceivedproblems of location, if you create the rightprogramme, the right ambience and understandyour market it is possible to make such anenterprise work.’

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The following is reproduced by kind permissionof the National Museum of Photography, Filmand Television from a successful Lotteryapplication made in 1997.

IntroductionNMPFT was, until very recently, the only site inthe world where it was possible to view thecomplete spectrum of all the major andculturally significant film formats.Recent developments have led to 3D IMAXprojections systems.

Having been the only IMAX theatre in Britain for14 years, five new theatres will open by 2000 in thesouth of England, and all will have 3D technology.

This options appraisal examines theimplications of these developments on theMuseum's 2D IMAX.

OPTIONS BEING EXAMINED

Four options were identified:

• Option 1 - Do nothing• Option 2 - Upgrade to 3D IMAX• Option 3 - Consider other 3D technology• Option 4 - Consider minimal action

OPTION 1 - DO NOTHINGIn recent years, the growth in number of IMAXtheatres around the world has increasedsteadily and is now extremely buoyant. IMAX,once a fledgling format, has demonstrablypassed its trial period. Although in comparisonto 35mm theatres, the number of theatres isrelatively small, the increase in IMAX theatreshas created the necessary critical mass toincrease awareness, and stimulate filmproduction and build audiences. The widerprofile has increased their worth in terms ofthe size and impact they contribute to socialand economic regeneration, tourism and inwardinvestment plans.

The small number of theatres, coupled with theirwider spectacular appeal to visitors ensures thatwherever they are, they provide a honey-potattraction - a 'must-do' filmic experience.

Although the IMAX at NMPFT remains unique inBritain, a further five are being opened by theyear 2000 - three in London, one in Bristol andone in Bournemouth. This is a positive step forthe development of IMAX in Britain. A greaternumber of IMAX theatres will increase

awareness of the IMAX medium and help buildaudiences and encourage further filmproduction. In the short term this could have apositive effect on the Museum's performance.

However, the new theatres will all have 3Dtechnology, an advance which will impact uponthe Museum's 2D theatre.

If the NMPFT remains with 2D technology theimplications are:

• 2D is effectively 'old' technology whichsits uncomfortably with the Museum'snew development, where new technologyand its artistic possibilities are at the topof its agenda. In the longer termremaining 2D could effectively tarnish thefull potential success of the newlylaunched Museum;

• the Museum will no longer be the placewhere all film formats can be viewed;

• the Museum's remit for educational filmexhibition, festivals and conferences willbe constricted thus its Nationalauthoritative voice will suffer;

• the institution's 'national' status - TheNational Museum of Photography, Filmand Television - will be undermined, bothin Britain and in a world context;

• the percentage of 3D films beingproduced is rising in even greaterproportion than the rise in 3D theatresand thus the Museum's film mission willbe seriously compromised as it will notbe able to offer the full spectrum ofavailable programme;

• the Museum's active Bradford Film Festivalprogramme with its particular and uniqueemphasis on widescreen will not be ableto include all new IMAX releases, with lossof profile and artistic relevance;

• the points made above will have theeffect of depressing audiences. A dropin audiences will impact on theMuseum's longer term business plan,both in terms of visitors, but also inretail and corporate hire. The dropwould gather momentum as the fiveother IMAX theatre's profiles grow, andthe number of new 2D films decreases;

• the fact that at present the Museum'sIMAX will remain the only such facilitynorth of London presents a dichotomy.The impact of 3D technology will notimmediately be keenly felt as the new 3D

IMAX theatres are geographically distant.However this does demonstrate a veryuneven balance of artistic andeducational provision. Those visiting inthe South of England will have a choiceof five 3D IMAX theatres. Those visitingthe North will only have comfortableaccess to what is effectively outdatedfacilities offering an increasinglyrestricted artistic programme. Visitorsable to make a choice will select a visitout of this region;

• it would be significantly more expensive,both in terms of structural works anddisruption to the business plan to haveto embark on an upgrade once the 'new'Museum is launched and wouldundoubtedly attract much criticism. Itwould be cost effective to tie-in theupgrade with existing building works;

• to remain 2D would effectively create agap in the market, allowing thepossibility for a competitive 3D IMAX tobe opened outside this recognizedregion. This would damage, forever, theMuseum's reputation, its artistic mission,and the Museum's commercial viabilitywhich would be put under serious threat;

• corporate hire would be negativelyaffected - our current 'unique' status willbe overshadowed by a better, moreexciting, up-to-date provision in theSouth of England.

OPTION 2 - UPGRADE TO 3D IMAX

• without compromising existing 2D IMAXpossibilities, to upgrade would ensure theMuseum retained its prime position, beingable to offer its audiences access to thevery latest IMAX films and the full rangeof their artistic and educational potential;

• the Museum's mission to be a major, up-to-date cultural and art focus would becommensurate with a 3D IMAX upgrade,which will allow access for everyone tothe latest and most up-to-datetechnology and film product;

• it would provide a 3D IMAX facility in theNorth of England, thus redressing thegeographical imbalance;

• the Museum would continue to enhancethe region's national and internationalartistic profile;

Annex 1

Sample Options Appraisal

73

• it would halt any decline in IMAXaudiences due to competition from theother 3D theatres;

• it would allow the Museum to capitaliseon the full potential of any jointmarketing/educational andinterpretational projects with other, UKnew 3D IMAX theatres;

• it would ensure that the Museum's vitaleconomic role in the region as anauthoritative and proven tourist facilityis not compromised;

• upgrading would allow the establishedfilm festivals and their unique wide-screen input to flourish;

• the viability of a major culturalattraction would be assured andcompetition ruled out;

• Britain's first, and only IMAX for 14 yearswould be seen to have been worthy ofinvestment - a vote of confidence inIMAX, film and nation;

• to upgrade at this point during theMuseum's refurbishment would be costeffective in terms of structure, businessand operational impact;

• the Museum would be able to build onover 14 years of proven success inbuilding audiences for IMAX;

• although the upgrade would be a costeffective option in a proven venue, withexperienced staff and an establishedaudience, the upgrade would neverthelessrequire an estimated £2 million capitalinjection. The business plans show thescheme could not be achieved on astraight capital depreciation plan. Thescheme should fulfil other funding criteria,but even so, 25% of the estimated £2million would have to be found;

• care would be needed to ensureprocurement and build did not disrupt ordamage the 'Imaging Frontiers' processalready underway in the Museum;

• the Museum would be able to offer anenhanced corporate hire facility with aninternational reputation, which wouldcontribute to growth in attractingbusiness tourists to the region.

OPTION 3 - CONSIDER OTHER 3DTECHNOLOGY

L&R Consultancy were commissioned toexamine and review the various large screenformats. They considered:

• track records for companies; • reliability of technology and service

supplier; • current film availability and future

film development; • capital and operational costs; • future development, research and

development spend.

On the basis of this research the reportconvincingly recommended IMAX 3D withproven reliability, quality, support infrastructureand demonstrable growth both in theatres andfilm development.

OPTION 4 - CONSIDER MINIMAL ACTION

There are no available minimal actions whichcould be taken. The 3D IMAX projector system isoff-the-shelf technology with bespoke featuresto meet the requirements and physical needs ofeach individual theatre.

3D IMAX viewing is only available with thespecific technology. The minimal action toretain the full performance of the Museum'sIMAX programme is to upgrade. Thus theproposal contained herein must be seen as theminimal action.

SUMMARYThe conclusion to be drawn from the aboveargument is that to not upgrade wouldeffectively condemn the existing IMAX theatre toa steady decline, leaving a National Museum nottruly representative of the media it representson behalf of the nation. This would damage theattraction's international reputation, depressbusiness and visitor numbers, with the obviousramifications for this region's economic,educational, social and artistic health.

The appraisals highlight the wisdom of choosingto upgrade during existing building works, so asto take full advantage of the efficiency savingsin structural build. To upgrade at a later stagewould be possible but the costs would beincreased by a very substantial amount. Actionto upgrade should therefore be taken urgently.

The research by L&R confirms that 3D IMAX is thebest system in which to invest. Since this reportthe development of five 3D wide-screen theatresin England has been announced. All are 3D IMAXtheatres, which reaffirms this report.

To invest at this stage would be a cost-effectivestrategy - the sums involved being less than10% of building an equivalent facility fromscratch. There is also the additional benefit ofan established high international profile, theresult of 14 years successful trading andmarketing strategy and recognized profile inthe artistic sector for its contribution.

74

Annex 2

Sample Sensitivity Analysis for one screen

In the following example the sensitivities are: Occupany rate, Film Hire Costs, Ticket Price

Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3

Bases for projections Occupancy Rate Film Hire Costs Net ticket price- baseline figures falls to 15% increase to 40% drops to £4.20

Occupancy rate 20% 15% 20% 20%

Film Hire cost 35% 35% 40% 35%

Net Ticket Yield £4.50 £4.50 £4.50 £4.20

Total Annual Performances 800 800 800 800

No. Seats 300 300 300 300

Annual admissions 48,000 36,000 48,000 48,000

Profit and Loss Account £ £ £ £

Box Office Sales (net of VAT) 216,000 162,000 216,000 201,600

Less Film Hire 75,600 56,700 86,400 70,560

Gross Profit 140,400 105,300 129,600 131,040

Fixed Costs 125,000 125,000 125,000 125,000

Net Profit/Loss 15,400 -19,700 4,600 6,040

75

Annex 3

Sample Risk Assessment

Categories are as follows:-

Reproduced by Kind permission of Norwich Cinema City

Probability:1. Very low2. Low3. Medium4. High5. Certain

Risk Rating:By multiplying the probability (between 1 - 5)with the worst impact (between 1 - 5) we arriveat a risk rating of between 1 - 25. This willhighlight to the team those risks with thehighest rating.

Impact:Time Cost

1. Negligible 0 - 2 weeks £0 - £10k2. Quite Serious 2 - 4 weeks £10k - £25k3. Serious 4 - 8 weeks £25k - £100k4. Major 8 - 16 weeks £100k - £250k5. Show Stopper 16 weeks+ £250k+

Norwich Cinema City Risk analysis for option 4, Bennetts

Risk Probability Time Impact Cost Impact Risk Rating Time or Cost Contingency (1 - 5) (1 - 5) (1 - 5) (1 - 25) Sensitive Action

Funding Items:Delay on behalf of ACE providing funding 3 5 4 15 Time Liaise with ACE and other key fundersInability of Cinema City to obtain Partnership funding 3 5 4 15 Time Prepare contingency fundraising strategy

Third Parties:Inability to agree site purchase terms 2 1 4 8 Cost Liaise with developer and City Planner.

Maintain back-up option 3BLack of regeneration of surrounding area 3 1 4 12 Cost Produce audience development

contingency strategy

Statutory Requirements:Inability to obtain Listed Building Consent 3 5 3 15 Time Consultation with appropiate authoritiesInability to obtain other Planning Consents 3 5 2 15 Time Consultation with appropiate authoritiesDelays with any potential Section 106 Agreements 2 4 4 8 Both Liaise with developer and City PlanningChanges in legislation 2 4 4 8 Both Maintain contingency fund

Site Issues:Unforeseen ground conditions 3 2 3 9 Cost Maintain contingency fundArchaeological investigations more extensive 2 4 3 8 Time Maintain contingency fundthan anticipated

Budgets:Budget estimate for building works incorrect 3 1 4 12 Cost Market test estimatesBudget estimate for equipment incorrect 2 1 4 8 Cost Market test estimatesAssessment of inflation incorrect 3 1 5 15 Cost Maintain contingency fundInability to recover the majority of VAT 2 1 5 10 Cost Maintain contingency fund

Project Organisation:Changes to brief 4 4 4 16 Both Consult with key stakeholdersPoor communication between team members 2 3 3 6 Both Produce communication strategySupply problems 2 4 3 8 Time Maintain back-up suppliers

Demand Issues:Reluctance from distributors to offer “First Runs” 3 2 3 9 Cost Liaise with distributorsFall off in cinema demand from public 2 1 3 6 Cost Monitor local and national trends

Other Issues:Ability to achieve stabilised state 3 1 3 9 Cost Liaise with key funders

Total 212

76

Annex 4

Cinema Audience Research

Audience/market data main sources:

CAVIARCinema and Video Industry Audience ResearchPublished annually [March]. Initiated by theCinema Advertising Association in 1997,produced by CAVIAR since 1983. Based onresearch carried out by the British MarketResearch Bureau [BMRB]. Objectives: "Toprovide a unified body of data about the wholecinema and video film audience." Task toassess attendance at cinemas and measure theaudience for specific films. Since 1983 alsoassess impact of video market. Reports arevery expensive [£8,000] and aimed atcommercial sector. CAVIAR includes a shortsection on 'art house film'.

Mintel/Leisure IntelligenceMintel International Group Ltd, marketingintelligence company. Produce annual reporton UK cinema market. Aimed at commercialsector. Cover: market factors, market size andtrends, market segmentation, the supplystructure, advertising and promotion and theconsumer.

Office for National StatisticsProduce quarterly figures on GB cinemaadmissions based on estimates for the filmexhibition activity for all legal units whose mainactivity is film exhibition. Not all sites wherefilm exhibition takes place, therefore [by theirown admission] estimates not completelycomprehensive.

Dodona/Cinemagoing UKProduce annual Cinema Going reports coveringUK, European and wider markets. Provideinformation on films released, distribution,cinemas, key cities, admissions and revenues,companies and forecasts.

Screen Finance Published fortnightly by the Financial Times.Covers UK and European production, exhibitionand distribution as well as film finance.Provides regular statistics on attendance andin-depth analysis of market and policy issues.

Arts Council/TGIArts Council of England has TGI, demographicsand statistics for each region of the UK basedon a 1996 survey undertaken with TGI, BMRB,CACI, OPCS. This provides regionaldemographic information and figures forpotential arts attenders including cinema,theatre, ballet, opera, contemporary dance etc.

BFI Year BookSummary information on admissions, sites andscreens, cinema-going, breakdown of box office byfilms including foreign language and informationon circuits. [Based on Screen Finance, CAA, EDI/bfiScreen International and CAVIAR]

77

Building Cost Summary (2 screen cinema completed 1995)

Element £/M2 % of total Equipment spend includesSUBSTRUCTURE 59.81 5.72 SeatsGroup Element Total 59.81 5.72 59,150 Sound Equipment

Projection Equipment (35mm)SUPERSTRUCTURE ScreensFrame 77.43 7.40 Projection Equipment (16mm)Upper Floors 22.84 2.18 Projection Equipment (Video)Roof 52.32 5.00 Cleaning equipmentStairs 64.5 6.17 Fire Extinguishers/SignageExternal Walls 113.98 10.90 Storage/sundriesWindows and External doors 16.24 1.55 SignageInternal walls 33.78 3.23 Clocks/TimersInternal doors 10.05 0.96 Office ITGroup Element Total 397.08 37.97 392,708 Box office

Sundry CarpentryINTERNAL FINISHES Sundry ElectricalWall finishes 14.64 1.40 Sundry PlumbingFloor finishes 20.9 2.00 Office equipment (inc Phones)Ceiling Finishes 31.65 3.03 Poster framesGroup Element Total 67.2 6.43 66,459 Security (inc CCTV)

Bar fitting and equipmentFITTINGS AND FURNITURE 59.9 5.73Group Element Total 59.9 5.73 59,244

SERVICES Professionals spend includesSanitary appliances 10.71 1.02 M&E ConsultancyDisposal installations 4.1 0.39 ArchitectWater installations 3.74 0.36 Quantity SurveyorHeat Source 1.42 0.14 EngineerMechanical installations 118.47 11.33 Hydrological consultantElectrical installations 118.13 11.29 Environmental ConsultantLift 19.85 1.90 Acoustic ConsultantBuilders work in connection 17.13 1.64 Solicitor and LicensingGroup Element total 293.55 28.07 290,320 Furniture/Fit out DesignerBuilding sub-total 877.53 83.90 86,7881 Financing

Misc ProfessionalsEXTERNAL WORKS Building Project ManagerSite works inc.drainage 69.87 6.68 Fit out Project ManagerExternal services 4.08 0.39 CDM SupervisorGroup Element Total 73.95 7.07 73,138

Preliminaries 97.49 9.32 96,413Contingencies 47.48 4.54 46,960

TOTAL (excluding fees) 1045.91 100 1,034,403

Gross internal floor area = 989m2

This building cost summary refers to tender costs - actual costs were closer to £1.06m

Equipment costs* 153,600Professional fees** 170,000Publicity and launch 8,000Inflation to 1995 34,914Contingency 15,946

Total capital cost 1,416,863

Annex 5

Sample Capital Costing

78

National Bodies

Arts & BusinessNutmeg House60 Gainsford StreetButlers WharfLondon SE1 2NYTel: 020 7378 8143Fax: 020 7407 7527Website: www.artsandbusiness.org.uk

Arts Council of England14 Great Peter StreetLondon SW1P 3NQTel: 020 7333 0100Website: www.artscouncil.org.uk

Arts Council of Northern IrelandMacNeice House77 Malone RoadBelfast BT9 6AQTel: 02890 385 200Website: www. artscouncil-ni.org

Arts Council of Scotland12 Manor PlaceEdinburgh EH3 7DDTel: 0131 226 6051Website: www.sac.org.uk

Arts Council of WalesHolst House9 Museum PlaceCardiff CF10 3NXTel: 02920 376 500Website: www.ccc-acw.org.uk

Artsline8 St Clements StreetWinchester SO23 9DRTel: 01962 864 411Website: www.artsline.co.uk

British Board of Film Classication3 Soho SquareLondon W1D 3HDTel: 020 7440 1570Website: www.bbfc.co.uk

British CouncilFilms & Television Department11 Portland PlaceLondon W1B IEJTel: 020 7389 3065Website: www.britfilms.com

British Federation of Film Societies (BFFS)The Ritz BuildingMount Pleasant CampusSwansea SA1 6EDTel: 01792 481170Fax: 01792 462219

BFFS Eastern GroupKennel CottageBurtonNr Lincoln LN1 2RD

BFFS Midland GroupThe Villas86 School LaneCookshillCaverswall ST11 9EN

BFFS North West Group14 Croft GatePreston PR2 806

BFFS Scottish GroupTweedle Court14 High StreetEdinburgh EH1 1TE

BFFS South West Group6 Devonshire RoadWestbury ParkBristol B56 7NJ

BFFS Student Group133/6 Dalkeith RoadEdinburgh EH16 5AHTel:0131 667 4181Website: www.bffs.org/uk/student/

British Film Commission10, Little Portland StreetLondon W1N 7JGTel: 020 7224 5000Website: www.filmcouncil.org.uk

British Film Institute21 Stephen StreetLondon W1T 1LNTel: 020 7255 1444Website: www.bfi.org.uk

Cataloguing (NFTVA)Tel: 020 7957 8971Email:olwen.terris@bfi.org.uk

Archive bookings (NFTVA)Tel: 020 7255 1444Email:bookings@bfi.org.uk

bfi Education DepartmentAlpa Patel/Kate FielderTel: 020 7957 4787

bfi Exhibition DepartmentLorna PartingtonTel: 020 7815 1419

bfi Exhibition Press & Marketing DepartmentCharlotte AlliboneTel: 020 7815 1306

Charities Commission(England & Wales)Harmsworth House13-15 Bouverie StreetLondon EC4Y 8DPTel: 08703330123Website: www.charity-commission.gov.uk

Cinema Exhibitors Association22 Golden SquareLondon W1R 3PATel: 020 7734 9551

Companies HouseCrown WayCardiff CF14 3UZTel: 02920 380 801Website: companieshouse.gov.uk

Directory of Social Change24 Stephenson WayLondon NW1 2PDTel: 020 7209 4949Website: www.dsc.org

Film Council10 Little Portland StreetLondon W1W 7JGTel: 020 7861 7861Website: www.filmcouncil.org.uk

Useful contacts

79

Film EducationAlhambra House27-31 Charing Cross RoadLondon WC2H 0AHTel: 020 7976 2291Website: www.filmeducation.org.uk

Film Distributors Association 22 Golden SquareLondon W1R 3PATel: 020 7437 4384Website: www.launchingfilms.com

UK MEDIA DeskFourth Floor, 66-68 Margaret StreetLondon W1W 8SRtel: 020 7323 9733fax 020 7323 9747e:mail: england@mediadesk.co.ukWebsite: www.mediadesk.co.uk

Media Antenna Scotland249 West George StreetGlasgow G2 4QETel: 0870 0100 791Website: www.mediadesk.co.uk

Media Antenna Walesc/o SgrînThe Bank10 Mount Stuart SquareCardiff BayCardiffWales CF10 5EETel: 029 2033 3304Website: www.sgrin.co.uk

New Opportunites FundDacre House19 Dacre StreetLondon SW1H 0DHTel: 0845 000 0121

REGIONAL ARTS COUNCILS,REGIONAL SCREEN AGENCIES, &NATIONAL SCREEN AGENCIES

East England ArtsEden House48-49 Bateman StreetCambridge CB2 1LRTel: 01223 454 400Website: www.eastenglandarts.co.uk

Screen Eastc/o Anglia Television HouseAnglia HouseNorwich NR1 3JGTel: 01603 767077

East Midlands ArtsMountfields HouseEpinal WayLoughboroughLeicestershire E11 0QETel: 01509 218 292Website: www.arts.org.uk

East Midlands Media35-37 St Mary's GateNottinghamNG1 1PUTel: 0115 934 9090Website: www.em-media.org.uk

London ArtsElme House133 Long AcreLondon WC2E 9AFTel: 020 7240 1313Website: www.arts.org.uk/lab

London Film & Video Development Agency114 Whitfield StreetLondon W1T 5EFTel: 020 7383 7755Website: www.lfvda.demon.co.uk

Northern ArtsCentral SquareForth StreetNewcastle Upon TyneNE2 1NZTel: 0191 255 8500Website: www.arts.org.uk/nab

Northern Film & Media OfficeCentral SquareForth StreetNewcastle-Upon-TyneNE1 3PJTel: 0191 2558500

Northern Ireland Film Commission21 Ormeau AvenueBelfast BT2 8HDTel: 02890 232 444Website: www.nifc.co.uk

North West ArtsManchester House22 Bridge StreetManchester M3 3ABTel: 0161 834 6644Website: www.arts.org.uk/nwab

North West Visionc/o FTC Northwest109 Mount PleasantLiverpoolL3 5TFTel: 0151 708 8099

Scottish Screen249 West George StreetGlasgow G2 4QETel: 0141 302 1700Website: www.scottishscreen.com

Screen SouthFolkestone EnterpriseShearway RoadFolkestoneKent CT19 4RHTel: 01303 298222Fax: 01303 298227Website: www.screensouth.co.uk

SgrînThe Bank10 Mount Stuart SquareCardiff CF10 5EETel: 02920 333 300Website: www.sgrin.co.uk

South East Arts3rd FloorUnion HouseTunbridge WellsKent TN4 8HFTel: 01892 507 200Website: www.arts.org.uk/seab

80

Southern Arts13 St Clement StreetWinchesterHants SO23 9DQTel: 01962 855 099Website: www.arts.org.uk/sab

South West ArtsBradninch PlaceGandy StreetExeter EX4 3LSTel: 01392 218 188Website: www.swa.co.uk

Screen South West59 Prince StreetBristolBS1 4QHTel: 0117 927 3226Website: www.swscreen.co.uk

West Midlands Arts82 Granville StreetBirmingham B1 2LHTel: 0121 631 3121Website: www.arts.org.uk/wmab

Screen West Midlands3rd Floor Broad Street House212 Broad StreetBirmingham B15 1AYTel: 0121 643 9309Website: www.screenwm.co.uk

Yorkshire Arts21 Bond StreetDewsbury WF13 1AXTel: 01924 455 555Website: www.arts.org.uk

Yorkshire Media Industries Partnershipc/o Yorkshire Screen CommissionThe Workstation15 Paternoster RowSheffield S1 2BXTel: 01142 799 115

DISTRIBUTORSArtificial Eye14 King StreetLondon WC2E 8HNTel: 020 7240 5353Website: www.artificial-eye.com

Blue Dolphin40 Langham StreetLondon W1N 5RGTel: 020 7255 2494Fax: 020 7580 7670

British Film Institute21 Stephen StreetLondon W1T 1LNTel: 020 7255 1444Website: www.bfi.org.uk

Buena Vista International (UK)3 Queen Caroline StreetHammersmithLondon W6 9PETel: 020 8222 1000Fax: 020 8222 2827

CinéFrancec/o Glasgow Film Theatre12 Rose StreetGlasgow G3 6RBTel: 0141 332 6535

Contemporary Films24 Southwood Lawn RoadHighgateLondon N6 5SFTel; 020 8340 5715Fax: 020 8348 1238

Columbia Tristar Films (UK)Europe House25 Golden SquareLondon W1R 6LUTel: 020 7533 1111Fax: 020 7533 1105

EntertainmentEagle House109-110 Jermyn StreetLondon SW1Y 6HBTel: 020 7930 7744Fax: 020 7930 9399

Film & Video Umbrella2 Rugby StreetLondon WC1N 3QZTel: 020 7831 7753Website: www.fvumbrella.com

Film Four76-78 Charlotte StreetLondon W1P 1LXTel: 020 7868 7700Website: www.filmfour.com

Gala/Supreme Film Distributors & Millennium10 Wiltshire GardensTwickenhamLondon TW2 6NDTel: 020 8296 0555

Helkon SK Film DistributorsAriel House74a Charlotte StreetLondon W1P 4QJTel: 020 7257 2000Fax: 020 7257 2300

Hollywood Classics8 Cleveland GardensLondon W2 6HATel: 020 762 4646

ICA Projects12 Carlton House TerraceLondon SW1Y 5AHTel: 020 7930 7766Website: www.ica.org.uk

Icon Film DistributionThe Quadrangle4th Floor180 Wardour StreetLondon W1V 3AATel: 020 7494 8170Website: www.icon-online.com

Lux Holding Company3rd Floor(Lloyd Menswear Building)18 Shacklewell LaneLondon E8 2EZ

Metro TartanAtlantic House5 Wardour StreetLondon W1V 3HETel: 020 7494 1400

81

Metrodome110 Park StreetLondon W1K 6NXTel: 020 7408 2121Website: www.metrodomegroup.com

Miracle Communications38 Broadhurst AvenueLondon HA8 8TSTel: 020 8958 8512Fax: 020 8958 5112

Momentum Pictures2nd Floor, 184-192 Drummond StreetLondon NW1 3HPTel: 020 7391 6900

Optimum Releasing9 Rathbone PlaceLondon W1T 1HWTel: 020 7637 5403Website: www.optimum.com

PathéKent House14-17 Market PlaceLondon W1N 8ARTel: 020 7323 5151Website: www.pathe.co.uk

Peccadillo Pictures16 The CollinadeSylvester RoadLondon E8 1EATel: 020 8533 7308Fax: 020 8533 9643

Twentieth Century Fox Film Co20th Century House31-32 Soho SquareLondon W1V 6APTel: 020 7437 7766Fax: 020 7734 3187

UGC FilmsPower Road StudiosPower RoadChiswickLondon W4 5PYTel: 020 8987 5000Fax: 020 8987 1591

UIP (United International Pictures(UK))12, Golden SquareLondon W1A 2JLTel: 020 7534 5200Fax: 020 7636 4118

Warner Bros Distributors98 Theobalds RoadLondon WC1X 8WBTel: 020 7984 5200Fax: 020 7984 5201

Winchester19 Heddon StreetLondon W1R 7LPTel: 020 7851 6500Fax: 020 7852 6505

Winstone Films18 Craignish AvenueNorburyLondon SW16 4RWTel: 020 8765 0240Website: www.winstoneFilmDist@aol.com

INDEPENDENT CINEMAOPERATORS, PROGRAMMERSAND BOOKERSbfi Programme UnitNational Film TheatreSouth BankLondon SE1 8XTTel: 020 7815 1442Fax: 020 7825 1418

City Screen86 Dean StreetLondon W1D 3SRTel: 020 7734 4342Fax: 020 7734 4027Website: www.picturehouse-cinemas.co.uk

Zoo Cinemas Exhibition Ltd20 Rushcorft RoadLondon SW2 1LATel: 020 7733 8989Fax: 020 7733 8790

ACCESSAdapt FundCameron HouseAbbey Park PlaceDunfermlineFife KY12 7PZTel: 01383 623 166

National Disability Arts ForumAll Saints ChurchAkenside HillNewcastle NE1 2EWTel/minicom: 0191 261 1628

RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind)105 Judd StreetLondon WC1H 9NETel: 020 7388 1266

RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People)19-23 Featherstone StreetLondon EC1Y 8SLTel: 020 8808 0123minicom: 080 8808 9000

British Deaf Association1-3 Worship StreetLondon EC2A 2ABTel: 020 7588 3520Website: www.bda.org.uk

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COMMUNITY CINEMA:Phill WalkleyTel: 01202 399857Email: phill.walkley@ntlworld.comRuns the Moviola village halls scheme and isalso involved in the development of aCinemobile mobile cinema for Dorset.

Ian KerryEmail: ian@artsalive.co.ukWebsite: www.artsalive.co.ukArts Alive run the Flicks in the Sticks villagehall project

National Rural Touring ForumDavid PorterTel: 01759 303454www.nrtf.org.uk

HI ArtsRobert LivingstonTel: 01473 720884www.hi-arts.co.uk

HI Arts run the Screen Machine mobile cinemaoperating in the Highlands & Islands ofScotland.

FILM ARCHIVESNATIONAL FILM ARCHIVES:National Film & Television Archive21 Stephen StreetLondon W1T 1LNTel: 020 7255 1444Website: www.bfi.org.uk

Scottish Film & Television Archive1 Bowmont GardensGlasgow G2 9LRTel: 0141 337 7400Website: www.scottishscreen.com

Wales Film & Television ArchiveUnit 1, Aberystwyth Science ParkCefn LlanAberystwythDyfed SY23 3AHTel: 01970 626007

Imperial War Museum Film and Video ArchiveLambeth RoadLondon SE1 6HZTel: 020 7416 5000Website: www.iwm.org.uk

ENGLISH REGIONAL FILM ARCHIVESEast Anglian Film ArchiveUniversity of East AngliaNorwich NR4 7TJTel: 01603 592 664Website: www.uea.ac.uk/eafa/

Media Archive of Central EnglandThe Institute of Film StudiesSchool of American and Canadian StudiesUniversity of NottinghamUniversity ParkNottingham NG7 2RDTel: 0115 846 6448Fax 0115 951 4270email: james.patterson@nottingham.ac.uk

North West Film ArchiveManchester Metropolitan UniversityMinshull House47-49 Chorlton StreetManchester M1 3EUTel: 0161 247 3097Website: www.nwfa.mmu.ac.uk

Northern Region Film & Television ArchiveBlanford HouseBlanford SquareNewcastle upon Tyne NE1 4JATel: 0191 232 6789

South East Film & Video ArchiveUniversity of BrightonGrand ParadeBrighton BN2 2JYTel: 01273 643 213

The South West England Film & Television ArchiveNew Cooperage Royal William YardStonehousePlymouthDevon PL1 3RPTel: 01752 202 650Website: www.geocites.com/athens/atlantis/1802/fta.htm

Wessex Film & Sound ArchiveHampshire Record OfficeSussex StreetWinchester S023 8THTel: 01962 847 742

Yorkshire Film ArchiveCollege of Ripon & YorkSt. John College RoadRipon HG4 2QXTel: 01765 602 691

REGIONAL GOVERNMENTOFFICESGovernment Office for the East of EnglandBuilding A, West Brook CentreMilton RoadCambridge CB4 1YGTel: 01223 346 748

Government Office for the East MidlandsBelgrave CentreStanley PlaceTalbot StreetNottingham NG1 5GGTel: 0115 971 2766

Government Office for LondonRiverwalk House157-166 MillbankLondon SW1P 4RRTel: 020 7217 3514

Government Office for the North EastWellbar HouseGallowgateNewcastle Upon Tyne NE1 4TDTel: 0191 202 3878

Government Office for the North WestSunley TowerPiccadilly PlazaManchester M1 4BETel: 0161 952 4341

Government Office for the South EastBridge House1 Walnut Tree CloseGuilford GU1 4GATel: 01483 882 281

Government Office for the South West4th floorThe PithayBristol BS1 2PBTel: 0117 900 1839

83

Government Office for the West Midlands77 Paradise CircusQueenswayBirmingham B1 2DTTel: 0121 212 5343

Government Office for Yorkshire andHumbersideCity HousePO Box 213New Station StreetLeeds LS1 4USTel: 0113 283 5452

TECHNICALCinema Services Ltd(Specialists in screens, curtains and wall drapes)Unit 32College StreetKempstonBedford MK42 8ULTel: 01234 326 574

Frank Powell & Co(screens and masking)9 Heather CloseSt LeonardsRingwoodHampshire BH24 2QJTel: 01202 872 543

Projection Display Services (outdoor projection)Stanlake MewsShepherds Bush W12 7HSTel: 020 8749 2201Website: www.projectdisplay.demon.co.uk

ARCHITECTSBurrell Foley FischerYork Central70- 78 York WayLondon N1 9AG0207 713 5333

Avery Associates Architects270 Vauxhall Bridge RoadLondon SW1V 1BBwww.avery-architects.co.uk020 72336262

Dignan Read Dewar3 Tollbooth WyndEdinburgh E86 6DNTel: 0131 554 4434Fax: 0131 553 4608

Panter Hudspith Architects235 Southwark Bridge RoadLondon SE1 6NP020 74072786

David Chipperfield Architects1a Cobham MewsAgar GroveLondon NW1 6NP020 72679422

USEFUL PUBLICATIONSArts ProfessionalPO BOX 957, CottenhamCambridge CB4 8ABTel: 01954 250 600

Arts Research52 Norland SquareLondon W11 4PZTel: 020 7229 2710

bfi Film and Television HandbookPrice: £20.00(please contact bfi Publishing for further details)

Directory of Grant Making Trusts 2001/2002Price: £75.00(Contact the Directory of Social Change forfurther info: www.dsc.org.uk)

The Guide to UK Company GivingPrice: c£25.00(Contact the Directory of Social Change forfurther info: www.dsc.org.uk)

Guide to Evaluationby Pete Mosley(Please contact Arts Council of England forfurther details:www.artscouncil.org.uk)

Guidelines for Marketing to Disabled Audiences(Please contact Arts Council of England forFurther Details)

Funding DigestRTI PublicationsSuite 1.02 St Marys CentreOystershell LaneNewcastle NE4 5QSTel: 0191 232 6942

Partnerships for Learningby Felicity Woolf(Please contact Arts Council of England forFurther Details)

Screen FinanceCustomer ServicesInforma Media Group20 Berners StreetLondon W1T 3NATel: 020 7453 2331

Screen InternationalEMAPAudit House260 Field End RoadRusilipMiddlesex HA4 9LTTel: 020 8956 3015

Variety 6 Bell YardLondon WC2A 2JRTel: 020 7520 5222Website: www.variety.com

USEFUL WEBSITEShttp://www.artsline.co.ukhttp://www.bfi.org.ukhttp://www.filmcouncil.org.ukhttp://www.filmfestivals.comhttp://www.filmfestivalspro.comhttp://www.reelscreen.comhttp://www.variety.comhttp://www.netribution.co.uk

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British Film Institute21 Stephen Street, London W1T 1LN

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