Trapped in the Theater

Trapped in the Theater
by
Shirley Hailstock

Remember when you used to go to the movies and the only commercial was a dancing hotdog, popcorn with legs and a bar of candy inviting you to go to the concession stand? Times have changed. At the movies now there are ten-second ads for local businesses, trivia questions and places to go after the theater, even those that take your torn theater ticket as admission.
Theater advertising is an opportunity for writers. Theater-goers are a captive audience. One of those local ads can be your book cover! And a maximum of twenty well chosen words of advertisement.
Here=s how it works.
You get three slides. They can be the same or different. The slides will be shown three times in random order on every screen in the theater complex for 10 seconds prior to every movie.

How much does it cost?

Production - $200.00 for creation and design of one slide. If you create your own slide there is a charge for outputting the file of $15.00 per master slide.

Duplication and Mounting - this is making the required number of slides for the number of screens it will be shown on. 50 of less screens = $6.00 per screen; 51 or more screens = $4.50 per screen. This is for a 3-slide slot. If you take multiples you need to increase the cost.

Placement Charges - There is a $10.00 fee per theater (complex) not to exceed $100.00. A 12-screen theater is considered one theater, not 12.

Theater Rates - These weekly rates vary widely based on the theater. Here are a few samples for the Denver area.

Theater                             Screens                 City             Theater Cost         Exposures

Arapahoe Crossing 1-8    8 screens             Aurora          $0.00 per wk         840
Arapahoe Crossing 9-16 8 screens             Aurora          $0.00 per wk         840
Arapahoe Village               4 screens             Boulder         $0.00 per wk         420
Aurora Cinema Grill         3 screens             Aurora           $0.00 per wk         315
Basemar Twin                   2 screens            Boulder          $0.00 per wk         210
Bittersweet 4                     4 screens            Greeley          $0.00 per wk         420
Bowles Crossing             12 screens            Littleton         $0.00 per wk         1,260
Buckingham                       4 screens            Aurora           $0.00 per wk         420
Camous West Twin           2 screens            Fort Collins     $0.00 per wk        210
Century 1-8                       8 screens            Aurora           $0.00 per wk         840
Century 9-16                     8 screens            Aurora            $0.00 per wk         840
Cherry Creek 8                  8 screens            Denver           $0.00 per wk         840
Cinema Saver Bergen Park 7 screens            Evergreen       $0.00 per wk        735
Cinemark Fort Collins 1-8 8 screens            Fort Collins     $0.00 per wk        840
Cinemark Fort Collins 9-16 8 screens           Fort Collins      $0.00 per wk        840
Colony Square                    12 screens         Louisville         $0.00 per wk         1,260
Colorado Center                 9 screens           Denver            $0.00 per wk         945
Continental                         6 screens            Denver            $0.00 per wk         630
Cooper Twin                     2 screens            Greeley            $0.00 per wk         210
Crossroad Commons        6 screens             Boulder            $0.00 per wk         630
Denver Pavillions            15 screens            Denver             $0.00 per wk         1,575
Denver West 12             12 screens            Golden             $0.00 per wk         1,260
Green Mountain                6 screens            Lakewood       $0.00 per wk        630
Greenwood Plaza           12 screens             Englewood      $0.00 per wk        1260
Highland Meadows 12    12 screens             Littleton           $0.00 per wk         1260
Olde Towne Arvada 1-7   7 screens             Arvada          $0.00 per wk         735
Olde Towne Arvada 8-14   7 screens           Arvada          $0.00 per wk         735
Southwest Plaza                  5 screens          Littleton          $0.00 per wk         525
Tamarac Square                 6 screens           Denver            $0.00 per wk         630
Thornton Town Ctr          10 screens           Thornton         $0.00 per wk         1,050
Twin Peaks 10                 10 screens          Longmont         $0.00 per wk         1,050
Union Square                    6 screens            Lakewood      $0.00 per wk        630
Village Cinemas 4            4 screens            Boulder           $0.00 per wk         420
Westminster 5                    5 screens           Westminster     $0.00 per wk        525
Westminster 6                     6 screens          Westminster     $0.00 per wk        630

Putting is all together:

Note: I could not get the cost per week for each theater. In the area where I live the cost averages between $300.00 and $400.00 per week. I have used this factor below.

If we take one 3-slide ad for a 4-week minimum at the Denver West 12-screen theater in Golden with a cost of $300.00 a week the total amount of the promotion would be $1,482.00. (Production $200.00, Duplication {$6.00 x 12 screens} $72.00, Placement $10.00, Theater {$300.00 x 4 wks} $1,200.00). Accordingly, this would amount to 1,260 exposures of the ad. The number of people this would reach is not available at this time, but the supplying agency will supply it.
Approximately $1,500.00 is less than a full-page color ad in Romantic Times Magazine, however, it is still a large number. Here's how to reduce it:

Suppose three authors get together and pool resources. They take two 3-slide slots or six slides (two each and the slides for each author are identical). The production cost would increase. Prices vary, but let=s assume it will be an additional $200.00 making the production cost for the six slides $400.00. The duplicating cost for six slides would be an additional $16.00 because of the additional 3-slide slot. All other costs remain unchanged. Each author pays $576.00. At this rate, it might fit into a small budget.

As part of the theater ad you want to provide a place where the books can be found. Check with the store most convenient to the theater and make sure it is all right to use their name in the ad. Some stores have paperwork that needs to be filled out, but they are willing to let you use their name and address. Unlike other methods of promotion and advertising, it is possible to keep track of the effect of advertising in theaters if the bookstore or stores will cooperate and let you know the increase in sales or if traffic has increased for your book.

Theater ads could also be done for a multiple-author booksigning or an upcoming conference. If you=re interested in this type of promotion and need more information, contact Barbara Miller of Silver Screen Media at 1-800-831-1990, or e-mail her at ssmgraphics@en.com.

Final note:

After talking to Silver Screen Media, I decided to try advertising in the theaters. An ad for my latest novel will be run from December 1 through December 28 in a local theater in my home state. The bookstore closest to the theater agreed to order additional copies of the book. My publisher called the store on my behalf and we=ll track the outcome.

Shirley Hailstock is the author of twelve novels and novellas. She is the recipient of many awards, including the HOLT Medallion, the Waldenbook Award, and the Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times. Her latest release, MORE THAN GOLD, is currently on the Best Romantic Suspense of 2000 list at Amazon.com.