Preview screening

Inside Paramount Pictures' screening room, apart from Sherry, Lyman, and a group of executives from the distribution department, there were also around a dozen other people scattered around.

Among them were executives from the three major theater chains in North America: Regal Cinemas, AMC, Cinemark, and representatives from other theater chain groups.

The North American film market had long entered a period of market saturation.

What did that mean?

It meant that the market for film exhibition in the United States had become relatively stable. No one would easily establish new theaters anymore. Instead, they actively sought mergers and acquisitions to consolidate smaller theaters and expand the scale of their internal theater chains.

There were precedents for this.

Since 2001, when Regal Cinemas' excessive expansion led to a financial crisis and bankruptcy protection, the investor Philip Anschutz successfully rescued the situation. He gained controlling rights over Regal and then acquired two other theater chains, forming a parent company, Regal Cinemas.

After this event, many savvy individuals, through big data analysis, concluded that the number of theaters in the United States had reached saturation. It was no longer an era where simply opening a theater would guarantee profits.

By 2004, the total concentration of the three major theater chains had exceeded 50%, and it continued to rise. Their market shares were 18.32%, 17%, and 15.86%, respectively.

In addition to these executives, there were also managers from several major independent cinemas. For example, the manager of the private theater company under Paramount's former owner, Sumner Redstone, was present.

Initially, due to antitrust laws, Paramount had been forced to divest its theater chain.

However, Sumner still managed to gain control of some large theaters through the acquisition of CBS and Viacom. This private theater company not only screened movies but was also frequently used as a venue for film premieres, operas, and celebrity concerts, among other events.

They had a total of 29 theaters, located in relatively prosperous states.

The reason Alberman was present was because Paramount had invited him.

They believed that "Effervescent" was highly suitable for screening in these luxurious theaters.

On the screen in front of them, the main feature of the movie was playing. Apart from Lyman, everyone in the room was somewhat older, but when they saw certain scenes, they couldn't help but smile.

"Effervescent" was different from "Miscreant". The latter was rated R, which naturally excluded a portion of the audience. In contrast, "Effervescent" was rated PG-13, widening its target audience, allowing teenagers to attend without parental accompaniment.

When the film ended, Sherry led the applause and said with a smile, "Director Lyman's work is, as always, excellent. I'm sure this will be another critically acclaimed masterpiece."

"Where, where. I must thank Paramount for its help with the film," Lyman replied courteously.

Alberman then took the initiative to say, "Director Lyman's "Effervescent" is excellent. We'll allocate 20 theaters to screen it."

As soon as the screening ended, the executives from the other independent theaters also expressed their support. Paramount's distribution department executives had already begun discussions with theater chain companies about the scheduling and number of screens.

Lyman and Sherry returned to their office, patiently waiting for the results.

...

"How did it go? How many screens did your Regal Cinemas allocate?"

After the negotiations, many people left Paramount. Ralph, the deputy manager of the AMC branch in Los Angeles, met with Putnam, the head of Regal's film selection department, in the underground parking lot.

The two of them often attended screenings hosted by various major film companies and were quite familiar with each other.

Putnam shrugged at Ralph's question, not intending to hide anything. Such information was easily accessible to everyone on the first day of a film's release. "480 theaters and 820 screens," he replied.

"You're this confident?" Ralph inquired.

"Why not?" Putnam continued, "Director Lyman's work has been successful four times already, and Paramount has promised substantial promotion. I can't see who could stop it when the movie is still relatively good. Besides, there aren't many competitive films after March."

Ralph agreed with this assessment to some extent, but he still stated, "Our company is primarily promoting "The Passion of the Christ", so we won't allocate too many theaters for now."

"How many are you planning to allocate?" Putnam asked.

"220 theaters and 540 screens, and the locations aren't the best."

In terms of theater allocation, there wasn't much competition among theater chains. After all, everyone could screen the same movies, and there was no reason for one theater chain not to screen a movie just because another one was. So Putnam suggested, "I don't think "The Passion of the Christ" can maintain its momentum forever. If it declines, you..."

Ralph understood Putnam's implication. He sighed, "That's the decision from our corporate headquarters. I can only allocate this many theaters, and I've already given more than half to "Effervescent", with a small portion for "50 First Dates". I suppose our corporate headquarters also considered this. Even if a movie has good quality, there have been precedents of failure."

He spoke seriously, "Think about "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Batman & Robin". How much hype did they have before release? But what about their box office results?"

Putnam shook his head. "You're too conservative. If you always wait for market performance to adjust, you'll miss out on the initial profits."

"Still, it's better than risky gambling."

Their thoughts no longer aligned, and after a few more arguments, the conversation shifted to another film, "50 First Dates" by Columbia Pictures.

"Have you seen that movie?" Putnam asked.

"I haven't watched it personally, but some people from our company have. They said the story is cliché but mature, with all the elements of a romantic film. It's not bad but not exceptional either. If we analyze it solely based on market returns, it's likely to make a profit. However, the profit ceiling isn't high."

"You're right. Columbia didn't allocate a particularly high advertising budget for it, probably after considering the final product. In case the movie doesn't perform well, they can at least save on marketing costs, making it easier to break even."

"Haha, true."

They chatted a bit more and then each got into their cars and left Paramount.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Lyman also learned the number of theaters for the screening. When the Paramount executives reported to Sherry, they didn't shy away from sharing the information. "We've basically reached our target, including the three major theater chains. This time, we've secured 2,562 theaters with 3,220 screens, and the theater locations are generally good."

"Step up the promotion."

In the final week, they would certainly intensify their efforts.