| FAQs for Exhibitors |
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What is the idea behind the Newtown Flicks “Collections”?
What is the idea behind the Newtown Flicks “Collections”? It’s an opportunity for community groups, particularly in rural areas, to see some of the best Australian Short films at prices they can afford. Small towns often miss out on not just mainstream movies but also the alternatives, like quality short films, because it is just not financially viable to compile and distribute the films for a commercial operator or exhibitor. In many cases film groups in micro communities can’t afford the prices mainstream distributors charge for film rentals, especially when they are charged the same flat rate regardless of whether the audience is 150 people or only 15 people, or if it’s a not-for-profit community event or a fully fledged commercial screening. We’re trying to redress that situation so even micro communities can enjoy these films at an affordable price, bringing people together to share the experience. This collection is not available for hire from video stores, nor will it screened on free to air, cable or satellite TV in the foreseeable future so it gives community groups a unique product to promote for local screenings.
Australian short films made within the last five years. They are diverse in the stories they tell and the way they tell those stories – comedies, dramas, animations, documentaries. The short films are grouped into what we call a “Collection” providing 100 – 130 minutes of viewing on two DVD discs with a logical intermission point built in between disc 1 and disc 2. The discs are created especially for community screenings with no chapters or menus so it’s very simple to just insert the disk into a DVD player and push play. For registered Exhibitors we also provide publicity materials you can adapt for local use – poster templates, flyer templates, program notes and synopsis of all the films.
How many short film collections do you have on offer? It’s a case of walk before we run. At present there is only one collection but there are others in the pipeline for 2010 and 2011. At present Newtown Flicks has a library of over 250 short films from which we can create diverse collections and each year the number is growing. In 2009 alone we added another 85 films to the library.
You must first register with Newtown Flicks as an “Exhibitor” and pay a $10 registration fee. We then provide you with an Exhibitor’s Code Number. When you want to run a collection, you just e-mail us stating your Exhibitor’s Code Number and screening date, ideally six weeks ahead. We post the discs to your nominated address (preferably a P.O. Box address). The more notice you give us, the more time you have to promote your screenings.
There is a once only registration fee of $10 to become an “Exhibitor”. After that you pay a “screening fee” each time you show a session of films. The “screening fee” depends on the type of audience and venue. We have three categories that range from $60 to $135. Also see Pricing details.
Do I have to pay for the films to be sent to me? The only postage you pay is to return any paper work to us or to return the films if you choose not to screen them.
What category would I / my group fit into? Community film group - Category ‘A’
Pubs and clubs - Category ‘B’
Commercial exhibition - Category ‘C’
Every time you show a collection of films we charge a “screening fee” which varies depending on your Exhibitor category (above).
Where does the $1 go in category ‘A’? It’s distributed directly back to the filmmakers who created the short films. Income from Categories ‘B’ and ‘C’ is split between Newtown Flicks and the filmmakers. The filmmakers create the product and we believe they are entitled to a healthy share of it.
I am not sure what category I fit into. What information do you need from me?
With answers to these questions we can define a category and cost structure for you that’s a ‘best fit’ to your circumstances. We’ll let you know by e-mail.
What if I’m registered under Exhibitor Category ‘A’ and I have more than 15 people attend a screening – won’t I owe you extra money? Yes you will. You just tally up the total number of people who attended a screening and put that on the Exhibitor’s Report. The extra payment would be at the rate of $1 per head MINUS the first fifteen people. If you have less then 16 people at a screening you only owe the screening fee. If you have 22 people you owe $7 on top of the screening fee. For 48 people it’s $33 on top of the screening fee. It’s just the total number of people minus the first 15. If you are registered under Exhibitor category ‘B’ or ‘C’, or have less than 16 people attending a screening there are no extra monies to be paid but we still need a completed copy of the Exhibitor’s Report for our records. If you regularly have audiences of more than 90, or are planning a bigger than usual special event that will likely have more than 90 people attending, you might prefer to pay the category ‘C’ flat fee.
Yes it is. Newtown Flicks work on a voluntary basis to make the films available at a very reasonable cost compared to commercial distributors. We also ensure that revenue gets back to the filmmakers themselves, not completely eaten up by administration overheads. In return we just ask the exhibitors to be transparent and honest about their operations, the size of their audiences and relevant payments.
Is there a minimum number of sessions I can run. Yes, one.
Is there a maximum number of sessions or collections I can run. No. You can run as often as you like.
Electronic funds transfer. Our banking details: account name: Newtown Flicks BSB: 802 841 account number: 00008828 We do insist that all funds are paid and all paper work is complete (little that there is) for a screening, or series of screenings of the same collection, before we send you another collection to show.
What if I change my screening venue, does that change my Exhibitor category? Yes it does. If your circumstances change you must notify us in advance and, if necessary, pay a revised screening fee. This works both ways. If you move to a large venue or a licensed club and charge commercial rates, we will up the fee. Alternatively if you downsize your situation, even for just a one-off screening, we can adjust the screening fee to suit.
Can I run a collection of films more than once? Absolutely. Some people might run the same collection two or three times for different audiences. That’s fine. We just ask you to provide a separate Exhibitor’s Report for each session you run.
Do I have to return the DVDs after I show them? For registered Exhibitors the DVDs are yours to keep but you must still pay the screening fee each time you show them. Some exhibitors screen in different community venues, months apart, so it’s handy for them to just hang on to the DVDs.
Do I get a discount if I return the DVDs? No. We generally find that checking the discs for damage after they are returned takes more time than it’s worth. We’re happy for you keep the discs for private use only or to run another screening session at a later date.
No.
We run some of our screenings off a computer hard drive, can I copy the discs to the drive just for the screening, then erase the files after we’re done? You cannot legally duplicate the content of the discs.
Without seeing your venue, existing equipment or knowing your budget it’s all double guessing. We would rather put you in contact with other groups who have attempted to do similar. Just provide us with an idea of the scale of your venue and likely audience and we’ll try to match you with a group who have “been there, done that” and succeeded.
Can I use the publicity materials for other purposes? No. The poster and flyer templates contain copyrighted images. They are provided free of charge and in good faith that they will be used only to promote the relevant film collection supplied by Newtown Flicks. Each collection will have a different poster design to help make it a unique event.
How do I adapt the poster and flyer templates for local use? There are instructions on the extra disc that accompanies the DVDs. If you can use Photoshop, even at a very basic level, you can adapt the templates by changing details on the text layer and then printing the result on a colour printer. If you don’t have access to Photoshop there are other options on the disc as well. We would recommend hooking up with someone in your community who has some skill with Photoshop.
Can I select a few films from one collection and few films from another collection? No. The legal requirements for classification by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (those coloured ‘G’, ‘PG’, ‘M’ labels on DVDs) means any variation on a collection has to be reclassified. This is an expensive process and just not viable for one or two variations. You can elect to screen just one of the discs from a collection for a shorter session.
If I screen just one disc out of a two disc collection do I pay half price? No. A session fee is a session fee regardless of the length of the session or whether you screen one disc or two.
Can I buy a copy of a collection outright? Yes. The cost is $25 including postage anywhere in Australia. This does not allow you to use the films in any way other than for personal, private home viewing. Just e-mail us an enquiry.
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