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9 years agoon
Behind the screen with Lone Peak Cinema
By Sally Fisher Explore Big Sky Contributor
“The Hunger Games – Mockingjay Part 1,” showing now at Lone Peak Cinema, is the 189th major Hollywood film to premiere at the Big Sky movie theater I own with my husband, Scott.
What does it take to get new films to Big Sky?
It starts by keeping our ears to the ground and understanding the preferences of the community and its visitors. The team at Lone Peak Cinema listens to what people want to see, including requests on Facebook – today’s suggestion box – and talks to frequent patrons. We read film news and reviews on imdb.com and the industry site Rentrak, and watch hours of movie trailers.
We test tubs and tubs of popcorn each week, and even order popcorn at other theaters or bars just to compare it to ours. We do our best to offer local and independent films and make them fit with blockbuster movie titles, as well as host community events.
Movie theaters across the nation pay an average of 58 percent of ticket sales to the movie distribution companies for film rental. The actual percentage starts higher than that, and then decreases as the theater continues to show the film – an incentive for cinemas to keep movies playing in their theaters longer.
On average, Lone Peak Cinema keeps a movie for two weeks, though there are some movies that require a longer lease by the distribution companies. Typically, movies are released on Fridays or holidays, and it’s cheaper and easier to acquire a film two weeks after its opening date, when there’s less competition for the movie. This lease also determines if a movie can share the screen or be stacked with another film. Theaters must comply with these restrictive rates of return and attempt to recover their operating costs through the concessions sales.
As an independent theater, Lone Peak Cinema works with a booking agent to negotiate a film’s “engagement,” or the terms of a film’s lease with distribution companies such as Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount, and Disney, to name a few.
Larger theater chains have internal booking departments that work to secure the movies shown at all of their locations across the country. Particular venues can request films that would be successful in their communities, but most have little influence in deciding what plays on their screens.
Independent movie theaters like Lone Peak Cinema have more control over the films they request, but to secure a high-demand movie, theaters may be obligated to play another film from that distributor, or agree to other restrictive terms. However, where competition with larger chains exists, the larger chain usually wins the right to show the film.
After a movie is filmed, the studio creates the film’s licensing agreement with a distribution company and decides how many prints to make and distribute. Booking agents request films from the distribution companies for their theaters. All cinemas are ranked and compete based on a national priority list.
A theater’s priority depends on a number of things including number of screens, days of the week open, type of projection and sound equipment, and ticket prices. The most critical priority factor is predicted ticket sales, so even small, independent theaters with consistently sold-out attendance are able to compete with larger chains such as Regal Gallatin Valley Cinemas in Bozeman.
Community involvement, attendance, and support are the real driving factors bringing great films to Big Sky – the more tickets we sell, the greater priority. So catch a movie at your local cinema this winter, where the popcorn is always hot and the beer is always cold.
Sally Fisher is originally from Chattanooga, Tenn. and Scott is from Avon, Colo. They fell in love at the University of Colorado in Boulder, found Big Sky in 2007 and fell in love again. Lone Peak Cinema celebrated its three-year anniversary on Nov. 19.
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
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Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
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February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
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March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
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14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
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Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome
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Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome to come, if you don’t know who to bring come alone this is a great mixer event! This is an event hosted by Big Sky OUT as we work to provide queer safe spaces throughout the community.
Time
(Sunday) 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location
Cowboy Coffee
25 Town Center Ave. Big Sky, MT 59716