Ideas on Running A Film Society

This originally began as few off-the-cuff suggestions for a friend on how to run a film series. As others have asked to read it, I have continued to add new suggestions and refine my original thoughts. If I wrote this all up in book form (which I'm not going to do), I would call it "Don't be afraid to put on the gorilla suit." I did - for a showing of "King Kong" years ago - walking around town with a sign saying, "Beware, my big brother's coming this Friday and he's out to get you" or some such nonsense. It was successful, fun (except for the heat - do NOT do this in the summer) and got a lot of press for the film society. Anyway, here goes.

There is very little written information on how to run a film society these days - though the organization AIVF (American Independent Video and Filmmakers) in New York might have some. Their phone number in New York is (212) 473-3400. There was also a small paperback published in 1956 that was edited by Cecille Starr, "Film Society Primer" (New York: Clarke and Way) which is useful and historical. You can try to find it on Bookfinders.Com. Otherwise, it is all learned from experience and talking to other programmers. Having run a film society in Ohio for a few years in the 1980s and having now worked on the other end in distribution (for almost 15 years), some of the things I have learned are:

1. Be nice to the distributors -be honest about your budget and work with them to negotiate better deals than the list price in their (our) catalogs. For new societies and struggling ones, Milestone and many of the other distributors try to help make sure they survive and thrive.
2. Make the series fun. Have speakers from the community/local newspaper/college/library/museum whenever possible that can introduce the film and answer questions later. This is for an adult crowd who likes to linger after the film and discuss what they've seen. One successful program in Laurel, Maryland serves coffee and cake or cookies (donated by a local eatery or bakery) along with the discussion. Always make sure your local funders get credit everywhere (calendars, press notes, signs at the theater, etc.).
3. For the fun of it, every now and then, screen unusual, entertaining or even frivolous programs, such as my favorites - "The Worst Films of All Time" or "The Worst of Last Year" festivals - where it's free to get in but increasingly more expensive to be allowed to leave. ($1.00 after the first film, $2.00 after two, et cetera). Another could be the "Wide-Screen Festival," "ThatÕs Technicolor" festival, "Best Comedies of All-Time," "Men (and Women) With Guns," and so on.
4. Make sure that you give the audiences a reason to come to a particular screening instead of waiting for the film on television or video. The reason can be a speaker, or the experience of seeing it on screen. You can publicize that the film is in the original aspect ratio and educate audiences that when they see a "panned and scanned" film on television, they are only seeing a small part of the original movie. Or you can sell them on the excitement of being the "first on their block," to see a film. Or it can be the anniversary of an historic event or the birthday of a filmmaker, or you can invite the filmmaker to the screening to make it a celebration, etc.
5. Have lunch with the local newspaper editor(s) at least once a month and get them on your side (never talk business unless asked, always ask about their work and lives Ñ and save your requests for more coverage by phone unless the subject comes up). Many need to hear reasons why people would be interested in your series and why important it is for the community. Your first goal is to get your films reviewed (some distributors can supply video screeners for the press before your showing) by a good writer. Second is to get more space or better placement. Last, if the papers have color, try to get a colored box around the review Ñ anything to attract the attention of the reader. I had lunch with the editor in Athens, Ohio every month, but I also made sure to play basketball with him almost every Sunday morning. You can have one of the newspaper people choose their favorite movies (the editor chooses his favorite film about newspapers, the sports editor about sports, fashion editor about fashions and so on).
6. Speaking of lunch, one of the more successful programs I know of is in a small town with great ethnic diversity. It has all-day celebrations of a culture with a film, a discussion with members from that community, and a potluck or catered (depending on that year's budget) meal featuring that culture's food. You could also have speakers from the country/culture, or musicians, artists, etc. ThereÕs also the idea used by the distributors of BabetteÕs Feast of a local restaurant sponsoring a film then serving a dinner based on the film.
7. Get to know your audience. Be there or have someone else there to welcome them to the program and talk with them. Listen to what they have to say! Not only do they give you valuable ideas on what they'd like to see but meeting your audience can also have many side benefits. One programmer of a series that needing money remembered that one of her regulars owned a successful car dealership. She approached him and he was glad to help out with a donation. You might find interesting people who have favorite films they might like to sponsor or introduce. One film society had an Antarctic explorer present our film on Captain ScottÕs tragic journey.
8. Film notes supplied to each customer are the hardest to do, but they are a pleasure for the audience and really convey your conviction that your series is an important, exciting and special event. You can often find motivated interns or students to help out with the research and writing. Some distributors can supply one or two pages (or more) of information that can be copied. Still others just photocopy a review from the New York Times or elsewhere.
9. A poster giveaway at each show (order an extra from the distributor or their poster service) attracts good will and adds to the general excitement. Balloons are always a fun and cheap gift. Free children shows and/or outreach programs to local schools - you can also add learning programs afterwards tied to the film - are always a wonderful gift to the community and create tremendous goodwill and good press. They're also a great way to get new people and families to your program or institution. One museum in Memphis showed our film Chang and then took the kids to the local zoo to see the same animals in the film.
10. See if the distributor or their service has publicity material for the film. You should ask for posters, still sets, electronic press kits, ad slicks, press kits, a video screener for the press, a trailer, and sometimes a video trailer that you can play in the store window during the week. Trailers and videos must be returned to the distributor. They're expensive to produce and this makes any distributor happy. We appreciate it when exhibitors send back the stills that aren't used, but it's not necessary.
11. Always send schedules and any press you receive to the distributor. It shows them what you're doing and allows them to see how hard you're working for the film. It will help the next time you rent a film. Thank you notes for films you and/or your audience really enjoy or acknowledgement a nice print really impresses us. Conversely, if anything happens to the print while you're playing it or if there are problems with it that were already there should be mentioned as well. This will help the next customer.
12. Make sure you have excellent film and sound equipment. The Elmo is my favorite projector but the various lenses are expensive. Always clean the film path of the projector before you run a film. Dust and grime not only accumulate to distort the image, but they can scratch the print as well.
13. Test run everything before you start and ensure that everything is right. Bad sound, a small image, or out-of-focus prints (or worse, Cinemascope prints with a flat lens) will turn off everybody. Try to get your print in a week early to give it a check (maybe choose the middle reel or last reel) just in case it's in bad shape. Many times distributors will have another print to replace it.
14. Make sure you invite or send information on your series to political leaders (mayor, state senators, etc.), major social figures and business leaders around your area. It's good publicity and paves a way in case you may need them in the future. Your theater/film series should be considered a major cultural AND commercial asset to the community - and they should be reminded of this every few months to a year. One theater, on it's 70th anniversary, showed a silent film (My Best Girl, since Pickford was at the original premiere), rented searchlights, borrowed vintage cars, had the mayor there for a ribbon-cutting - and had over 1000 people show up for the festivities. Which leads to...
15. Show a free film every now and then if you can afford it - there are many ways to get a film free if you look hard enough. There are several firms that deal with placing new Hollywood sneak premieres at colleges as well as foreign embassies such as the German Goethe House collection at West Glen Communications in NYC. A Saturday free showing for families (Disney or otherwise) can really get the community behind you and get people to your theater who have never been there before. They did this in Athens, Ohio and actually made more money on the concessions then they would have with the twenty or thirty people who normally showed up for the matinee feature.
16. See if you can get the local college or high school class or group to reserve one night for screenings. Either it can be cheap tickets for your regular feature or you can rent a feature specifically for them. One theater in Maine screens a foreign film once a semester to present to the local college. Again, it's good publicity, creates excellent relations with the community, and he makes sure that the theater at least breaks even on the tickets - and he does very well with the concessions.
17. Kodak offers a free subscription to their quarterly "Filmnotes for Reel People," an incredibly informative brochure on film exhibition. The 1998 issues cover such information as film handling, cleaning screens, screen brightness (how to measure it and correct it to ensure a good image), how to contact SMPTE (914-761-1100 or www.smpte.org.) and a page entitled "Projection Troubleshooting Guide." To get Filmnotes for Reel People, write to the Eastman Kodak Company, 6700 Santa Monica Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90038 or find them at www.kodak.com/go/motion. They also offer a one-day seminar entitled "Film Projection for Reel People" that emphasizes film care, projection system cleaning and maintenance, and all you need to know on good exhibition techniques. To schedule a seminar near you, they ask you to call Jeff Johnson at 303-751-2649. Kodak also offers many pamphlets and brochures cheaply on many issues of film and video projection and exhibition.
18. BAFTA (in Great Britain) published some of my favorite small movie posters - they deal with all the film formats, color formats and sound formats through history. Colorful and informative, they're just beautiful to look at and helpful for the projectionists. You can purchase them by writing to them at 195 Piccadilly, London W1V OLN
19. On the last day of your screenings, have a give-away with the poster(s) you have bought to promote the film OR save them for a once-a-year auction to benefit the film society or a local charity.
20. Read any and all film publicity books, especially older books of publicists recollecting their life promoting films and people. Phantom Fame by Reichenbach & Freedman, Fanfare: Confessions of a Press Agent by Richard Maney, and Beyond Ballyhoo by Mark Thomas McGee are some examples. Corny or not, many of their ideas work. Again, try Bookfinders.com.
21. Involve your audience. Question and answers afterwards are a good start. Film Forum, with the help of their pianist, had a sing-along after their showing of Harold Lloyd's "Speedy" with the theme song from the film. It was a one of the great experiences I've had. MoMA showed one of the sing-along films from the thirties and the audience joined in. Scott MacQueen does it with his Disney archival show and it's terrific. If there is a power outage or the print breaks, be prepared. Always have someone inform the audience about the problem (don't leave them in the dark, literally sometimes) or have small diversions (like balloons) to help them pass the time.
22. Get help from the community. There are lawyers interested in the arts who will help set you up as a non-profit entity and continue to advise on legal matters. There are business and volunteer consultants who can help set up the organization as a proper business and make it successful. The September 1998 issue of Box Office Magazine had a wonderful article on a historic theater in Allentown, PA who has shown foreign films for the past twenty years using volunteer help only. My sister-in-law is a consultant for business and one of the most important things she does is create a structure for volunteer organizations. You can call the local Red Cross or United Way or similar organizations to see if such people are around.
23. Join local business groups. Members might help with good advice and/or free promotions. They're usually your audience as well.
24. Meet with the local politicians. Get their support and help. Maybe have them set up free parking or relax local parking rules during your screenings.
25. Get young interns from the local college or high school. If you look hard enough (and talk to a few trusted professors or teachers), you can get extremely talented, hard-working, enthusiastic help who will energize your department and get their friends interested as well. It's worked for us!

There are many people I can put you in touch with who have run successful series at libraries, community centers, universities and museums in small towns and big cities around the country. These people have done so for many years in the face of public indifference (at times) and shrinking budgets. They're very nice people who love what they do and would be more than willing to talk.

Lastly, of course, you can always call us to talk about setting up a film society, the list of distributors you'd need to talk to, and to help find films that you're looking for.