Trade Screenings

Bonjour Blogarinos,

It feels great to be back in the blogosphere-o-diarama-rama! Thank you to all who welcomed me back with open arms and open links (thank you, GreenCine!). Coincidentally, or not, Roger Ebert had his first review since undergoing emergency surgery back in June published today. It is great to see Roger back at the helm. He has surely been missed!

But, today, I won't bore you with any reviews or predictable points of view. Perhaps, I can offer some insight into one area of the theatrical distribution process. How to secure a movie screens is perhaps the most intriguing part of the job I do. On paper, you would think it is as easy as saying "Hey! Do you guys want to show the new Jet Li movie?" But, it is not...

Due to legislation in more than 20 states, a studio is required to screen a movie before its release to exhibitors. The practice is known as "trade screening."

Before trade screenings were mandatory, many studios simply told exhibitors what they were releasing, and from there exhibitors would make an offer for the film. This is known as "blind bidding" for a film. In the 1970s, The National Association of Theatre Owners had gotten legislation passed that outlawed blind bidding in 23 states. Exhibitors in those states have the right to view a film before they see fit to show it in their theatre. Part of my job is to book these screenings, typically a few weeks prior to publicity and press screenings.

Contrary to what you might think, trade screenings offer little benefits to studios. It cannot track a film's "buzz" or playability. Recently, one film of ours played very well with exhibitors, but did not do great business at the box office. Trade screenings exist solely for the benefit of the exhibitor and, therefore, the filmgoing public.

If you would like to know more about this particular practice, please feel free to ask...