starting a film club

very good idea....I've noticed an increasing number of film clubs start up in pubs and things like that, where they can make £ off things other than the film. Any pub that has a back room might be interested. Reckon you could break even fairly easily if you piggyback on someone else's venue in that way....

gumdrops - you probably know this already but dont you have to pay for public use? You cannae just get a dvd from play and pop it on a projector.

you said:

You cannae just get a dvd from play and pop it on a projector.

Click to expand...

... and that method is much more legal than what would be my first impulse... I've been wanting to start a filmclub in Copenhagen as well, but I don't really know how to do it either. Except just get some friends together in a basement and watch films, and that is a bit too lowkey.

gumdrops said:

it seems putting on screenings from dvds is okay now, the bigscreen is what truly seems to count (though i love prints, personally). went to a cig burns event at pcc the other week and both films were straight off dvd, to the point where - and youd think they would try and hide this at least) you actually say the dvd player commands (pause/stop etc) appear on the screen prior to it starting. did ruin it a bit for me but well its was cheaper than buying the dvds myself and one of the films was so good i didnt care. i think you would still have to pay for public exhibition etc though yeah, which might be a pain. though maybe theres a way of getting round it, not sure?

Click to expand...

I ran a film club for years and it's kinda a moot area - if you have it as a members only (you buy a membership on the door which is the ticket, that kinda thing) then you get round 'public' exhibition. If you're running it in a place which isn't a pub then chances are no-one cares anyway and you can show what you want. Pubs I think have stricter rules about what they can and can't show and what they have to pay for. Obviously dpends on the landlord as well.

Weird areas I always found were permission - if it's a low budget film then you're kinda morally duty bound to try and find the director, and ask permission, but then it's sometimes not up to the director. If you're hiring prints of 'real' films instead of showing DVDs I doubt if you're ever going to break even, hiring prints and getting 35mm projectors and a projectionist...let alone trying to move a 35mm projector anywhere...they are huge beasts...

I think the Expoloding Cinema used to have a 'how to set up a film club' thing on their website, might wanna ask them or ask the LUX or look on their websites.

It'll be a labour of love any way you do it unless you show fucking Pulp Fiction 'outdoor' and 'secret' on some cunts roof and like having to deal with Time Out readers.

mistersloane said:

It'll be a labour of love any way you do it unless you show fucking Pulp Fiction 'outdoor' and 'secret' on some cunts roof and like having to deal with Time Out readers.

Click to expand...

*shudder*

^^ lol innit

Actually thinking about it gumdrops I'd just get a space and show films with a DVD player and a projector and take it from there. It's great fun to do and at the least it's a nice way to spend time with your friends, and fuck all laws and just do it.

My friend and I were gonna start something like this at the Haggerston in Dalston but they were so flakey that we decided it wasn't worth the bother. We certainly weren't gonna get any permission from anyone but it was gonna be a fairly small affair, just projecting onto a little wall for about thirty people. Good luck anyway, I reckon a few people here will support it so you should be able to cover costs at least.

gumdrops said:

ok i am going to do this. i did think of hiring the roxy but i think their space is too big for me just now. might have to do it somewhere else. did think of a pub as this is what a lot of people seem to do but id rather do it somewhere thats a bit more focused, not so noisy. i know some venues like the amersham arms do screenings but i dunno what that will be like. anyone got any ideas? been checking out some of the screenings regulations and it seems to be about £75 to do a screening. if i dont pay will the distributors be on my arse instantly?! i dont mind not making money, but i dont want to lose it either. id love an arts venue but i imagine that would be pricey.

Click to expand...

I mean, we never got done by anyone and we were listed in Time Out, the cinema listings people used to contact us every week to see what we had on, so I doubt the distributors will be onto you as long as you're not showing

a) Disney - don't fuck with Disney

and

b) anything that's too recent, y'know, that will take away from their profits.

If you're worried just only advertise by word of mouth and email etc. Definitely call it a member's club. The Roxy is a hard space to fill, although it's nice you saw their programming going waaay mainstream waaay early cos they just weren't gettin in the people to do more abstract stuff.

the roxy was charging fifteen quid for the rugby last week Apparently it was sold out, though I was in the pub opposite (cos it was free) and it didn't seem to be heaving...

btw, the Finsbury on Green Lanes was up until recently showing arthouse films on a Monday night, but they don't seem to be advertising it any more, maybe cos whoever was promoting it didn't get enough people in? not sure, but they might be looking for someone else to take up the baton - could be worth a go.

I reckon the Salisbury would be worth a look - nice place, back room, have their own projection stuff already.

Tbh seventy five quid doesn't seem like that much to raise if you're getting the room and the equipment for free - if you've got 25 people at three quid a pop you've covered your costs.

gumdrops said:

sloane, did you charge people to get in? ive never actually been to the roxy til recently but apart from scala forever it seems all theyre showing is rugby and football lol.

Click to expand...

yeah we charged a fiver to get in for two films, but there were discounts and people got in free if they were regulars, and, and...don't ever have me on the door if you want to make a profit.

really about the roxy? they used to do films, and i believe the original intention was for it to be 'alternative'. that's a shame.

Slothrop said:

I reckon the Salisbury would be worth a look - nice place, back room, have their own projection stuff already.

Tbh seventy five quid doesn't seem like that much to raise if you're getting the room and the equipment for free - if you've got 25 people at three quid a pop you've covered your costs.

Click to expand...

i'm amazed The Salisbury hasn't got a film club already. the backroom there could not be more perfect.

The Finsbury in Manor House already has a film club.. allow that place tho.

Which venue did you decide upon?