ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXSave an Art Deco Cinema !
11 years, 10 months ago - bruce webb
Hi Shooters. The Rivoli Cinema in Sandown Isle of Wight is earmarked for demolition next year unless I buy it. Ive made an offer which has been accepted and I'm selling everything I have but I need help - and if you can't spare a small amount of cash just spread the word via social media would be enough. The details can be found here: http://igg.me/at/rivolisandown/x/4926808
I'm a producer and director and director myself, and know that we need more of these small cinemas in the middle of towns so if you want to help yourself, please help this campaign.
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11 years, 10 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
Hi Bruce, this sounds like an interesting attempt to save an old cinema, but it's going to need more than crowd sourced finance, I'd suggest you need a commercial operations backer. Running cinemas isn't a particularly lucrative job, especially if it's a single screen. Even with the building rescued your battle would just be starting. Before anything else you have to get the electrics checked and likely rewired to come to regs, get a decent digital projector, start sorting out your distributor deals, etc.
How about appealing to one of the chains like City Screen (recently bought by Cineworld) who operate art house venues under the picturehouses brand? It needs to be a commercial proposition you make of course. Then local conservation groups, BFI, etc. A business backer from the local community would also be enormously helpful. Maybe talk to the developer companies and come to a deal where you will lease the fabric of the building for a 5 year pilot, if you can't make it viable and haven't fundraised by then, they can turn it into flats.
Or have a chat with the guy who bought the UPP in Oxford -http://www.uppcinema.com. I'm sure he can tell you a lot about running a truly independent cinema, including how many local student volunteers he needs and what the returns are like.
Do you think the local community is interested enough and wealthy enough to support a cinema? Oxford is chock full of students who enjoy foreign and intelligent film. Other areas less so. Can you fill 300 seats a night? How far will people come to see a film? Can they park?
What's plan B? If it's going to get demolished, what can you salvage that's important to history? 35mm projectors are now worth their weight in scrap, in the past 5 years they have gone from the main format to only being used for odd festival stuff. Seats will make a few quid, but really less than you think. Screen, speakers etc again nothing special if from the 60's. Are any of the architectural elements/proscenium etc removable? Can you rummage for old quads? Any cans of film left under desks and counters that the BFI can restore? Old promotional tat for great 80's films?
Good luck with getting the place together, it sounds like a really interesting place and there's no atmosphere like a dark cinema screen. Take potential investors in there and let them feel the ghosts and the glamour. And hopefully you'll find a backer to champion the reopening who will go with his heart, not head!