New arthouse cinema (Pálás)

charlie_says

As long as it doesn't lose money going forward I would be in favour of it staying.

Who actually owns the site and building?

It's so close to completion though it'd be an entire waste of the money to see it sold to someone and knocked.

I suppose if it got anywhere near the amount it that has been pumped into it then that might be OK thing to do but I'd guess that it's not half that amount as it's purpose built. Only the site is of real value to anyone who would want to buy it.

It's an excellent location and a really fantastic building, a really nice art cinema. If only the fit out is to be completed then wouldn't it be a terrible waste of all the monies to see it go?

Element are getting a stonking deal on a nearly completed cinema and should be able to run it on a profit. I'd love to be handed a purpose built multi euro facility for minimal rent for my business!

Galway supposedly UNESCO film city is crying out for it and I want to use it and see some value for the public monies spent already.

pure.conya

charlie_says wrote: »

As long as it doesn't lose money going forward I would be in favour of it staying.

Who actually owns the site and building?

It's so close to completion though it'd be an entire waste of the money to see it sold to someone and knocked.

I suppose if it got anywhere near the amount it that has been pumped into it then that might be OK thing to do but I'd guess that it's not half that amount as it's purpose built. Only the site is of real value to anyone who would want to buy it.

It's an excellent location and a really fantastic building, a really nice art cinema. If only the fit out is to be completed then wouldn't it be a terrible waste of all the monies to see it go?

Element are getting a stonking deal on a nearly completed cinema and should be able to run it on a profit. I'd love to be handed a purpose built multi euro facility for minimal rent for my business!

Galway supposedly UNESCO film city is crying out for it and I want to use it and see some value for the public monies spent already.

Hello! Did you see their break even is 63 screenings a week with 50% occupancy the whole week, that's madness!

snubbleste

pure.conya wrote: »

Hello! Did you see their break even is 63 screenings a week with 50% occupancy the whole week, that's madness!

24h cinema!

ben.schlomo

pure.conya wrote: »

Hello! Did you see their break even is 63 screenings a week with 50% occupancy the whole week, that's madness!

Are they the projections of Element, who will be running it.

Raging_Ninja

Pumping more money in now because "it's so close to being finished" is the sunk cost fallacy. This doesn't seem like it will do much except cost us even more money even after it is opened to just keep it afloat.

charlie_says

pure.conya wrote: »

Hello! Did you see their break even is 63 screenings a week with 50% occupancy the whole week, that's madness!

Well who's break even? Elements would not accepted running it as a commercial decision if that was true. No one takes on a loss with nothing invested without some sort of gain in the future - ie like a sweet contract to run a purpose built facility and keep the profits.

pure.conya

charlie_says wrote: »

Well who's break even? Elements would not accepted running it as a commercial decision if that was true. No one takes on a loss with nothing invested without some sort of gain in the future - ie like a sweet contract to run a purpose built facility and keep the profits.

Anybody would be happily take it on if they thought (or were told with a nod and a wink) that the stupid public would pick up the tab subsidising the project well into the future. Seeing as Galway is a unesco city of film it's the least we can do

nuac

charlie_says wrote: »

As long as it doesn't lose money going forward I would be in favour of it staying.

Who actually owns the site and building?

It's so close to completion though it'd be an entire waste of the money to see it sold to someone and knocked.

I suppose if it got anywhere near the amount it that has been pumped into it then that might be OK thing to do but I'd guess that it's not half that amount as it's purpose built. Only the site is of real value to anyone who would want to buy it.

It's an excellent location and a really fantastic building, a really nice art cinema. If only the fit out is to be completed then wouldn't it be a terrible waste of all the monies to see it go?

Element are getting a stonking deal on a nearly completed cinema and should be able to run it on a profit. I'd love to be handed a purpose built multi euro facility for minimal rent for my business!

Galway supposedly UNESCO film city is crying out for it and I want to use it and see some value for the public monies spent already.

Who, in terms of actual paying customers, are crying out for this cinemaw?

ben.schlomo

nuac wrote: »

Who, in terms of actual paying customers, is crying out for this cinema?

FYP, you seem to have a real problem with that word.;)

nuac

ben.schlomo wrote: »

FYP, you seem to have a real problem with that word.;)

One picks up the accent from listening to those luvvies

Arghus

nuac wrote: »

Who, in terms of actual paying customers, is crying out for this cinemaw?

I can't speak for the rest of Galway but if it's built I certainly intend in ploughing plenty of my own money into it. I don't know if that makes me a "luvvie". I do like cinema but I do sometimes talk of watching a fil-um and going to the "pictures". And for years I thought a Canape was something to with outdoor camping.

Mrs OBumble

nuac wrote: »

Who, in terms of actual paying customers, are crying out for this cinemaw?

Me, anyways.

I've nothing to do with any of the film-making or showing societies based here.

But I like watching moves on a proper screen (ie not Netflix on a poxy laptop screen). And in a city this size, I think it's ridiculous that the options for seeing a film are trudging out to a to a complex that's sinking into the bog in a dodgy neighbourhood or hang around in a freezing bus-stop on the way home.

jh79

nuac wrote: »

Who, in terms of actual paying customers, are crying out for this cinemaw?

If it is anything like the IFI or The Lighthouse in Dublin then I would definitely be a paying customer.

I've seen films ranging from Cannibal Holocaust to Donnie Darko in the IFI so it's not just "luvvies" that would find something of interest.

inisboffin

And I know people may be joking, but some later screenings week round would be great. Non-drinkers (and drinkers!) have very little later entertainment other than a pub gig.

I wonder if the screen/stage could be used for a gig (like stand up or a solo performer) either? Anyone know?



And there's always the Rocky Horror!

john.han

jh79 wrote: »

If it is anything like the IFI or The Lighthouse in Dublin then I would definitely be a paying customer.

I've seen films ranging from Cannibal Holocaust to Donnie Darko in the IFI so it's not just "luvvies" that would find something of interest.

Both of those cinemas have struggled to break even in the past (lighthouse went out of business at one stage). It's hard to see a project like this being a commercial success in a city the size of Galway. The Eye cinema used to screen a lot of arthouse stuff and you'd be lucky to get a dozen people into the screenings.

jh79

john.han wrote: »

Both of those cinemas have struggled to break even in the past (lighthouse went out of business at one stage). It's hard to see a project like this being a commercial success in a city the size of Galway. The Eye cinema used to screen a lot of arthouse stuff and you'd be lucky to get a dozen people into the screenings.

I'm not saying it would be a success in Galway just that there is more to Arthouse cinemas than luvvie films.

Personally don't think it would do well in Galway. The city has always struck me as being a superficially "arty" place. How else can a city with a unversity struggle to fill an arthouse film screening in the Eye or get more than 20 at a Gruff Rhys gig in the town hall or a J Masics gig?

If slightly left of mainstream can't get a decent turnout in Galway what hope has the latest Gasper Noe film etc have?

loser2old4board

"Who, in terms of actual paying customers, are crying out for this cinema?"

Me, as well. And I'm not an 'artsy' type and I had to google 'luvvie'
to see what that was.

I have been hoping for a cinema like this for years. It would be great to see it up and running.
However I do accept that the project has been a fiasco from the start
and because of that we may never get to see inside of it.

Eeden

As far as I've heard, it can't be abandoned now because it was part of the 2020 bid, and anything included in that is non-negotiable now it's been awarded.

I look forward to it opening, even though I realise that lots of the good will that may ever have existed has been eroded by the way it's been dealt with. And BTW, you can't blame the city council for this one. The city council is probably more pissed off than any of you are about the whole thing.

Robbo

It's all well and good pointing out that the arthouse screen in the Eye doesn't exactly do great numbers but I think we're comparing apples to oranges here.

For a start one's a City Centre location versus big box retail park. Secondly, the arthouse screen in the eye is a way off to the side beside the "bar" which I don't think they even open any more and last time I was there didn't seem to keen on heating. Thirdly, the Eye don't exactly upsell the experience. Witness the IFI's hangover lounge and the targeting of the brunch crowd. If you think that brunch isn't "a thing" in that part of town, I suggest you look for a table in the Museum or Nimmos at 11 or noon on a weekend. The margins on brunch related items are tasty too.

I'd really be encouraging you to look towards what the IFI does rather than an afterthought in a NAMA-era development. I can't comment on the Lighthouse as I haven't been there since Element took over the day-to-day.

For the record, I'm still of the opinion that the project and management thereof has been a total shambles. Far too many politically palatable appointees making sure that they get indulged first (with both god and mammon) and the actual project some way down the order of priority.

Space Dog

I think there is demand for arthouse films in Galway, the screenings in the Town Hall Theatre have always been pretty busy whenever I attended one. Since I hate the seats in the Town Hall I avoid the screenings there although I would love to see the odd one they are showing. Lots of foreign films never make it to the Eye Cinema.
It would also be great to have themed screenings in Galway, like double-bills, older horror films in the run-up to Halloween or anniversary screenings of restored films.

pasta-solo

I would love to see this come to completion and be successful. I'd definitely be in regular attendance. However, it's hard not to be disappointed by the amount of money that has been spent on this. There are many hard working arts groups in Galway city that struggle to get funding year to year, so to see how much money has been invested in this with no return this far, is very frustrating.

39steps

There is definitely a need for an Arthouse Cinema in Galway. Every Sunday night from October to March, a film is shown in the Town Hall Theatre. They are regularly sold out and Town Hall seats 400 people.

The films are 90 - 140 mins in duration and are in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Iranian, Portugese, Japanese, Chinese, Turkish and occasionally in English! Subtitles provided.

It's fantastic to see films from other cultures and genres that simply would not gain a mainstream cinema release here.

Last night Paddy Breathnach's new film, "Viva", was shown and I recommend it very highly.

pure.conya

39steps wrote: »

There is definitely a need for an Arthouse Cinema in Galway. Every Sunday night from October to March, a film is shown in the Town Hall Theatre. They are regularly sold out and Town Hall seats 400 people.

The films are 90 - 140 mins in duration and are in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Iranian, Portugese, Japanese, Chinese, Turkish and occasionally in English! Subtitles provided.

Great but the proposal for the picture palace is to have up to 63 screenings a week and need 50% occupancy for them all.

At the end of the day the project will most likely be completed despite the millions wasted but what I'm worried about is the very real possibility that the publics money will need to be pumped into the project going forward just to keep the lights on.

I hope I'm wrong but everything is pointing towards this continuing to be a costly pet project for the city until someday in 2021 when the place will shut due to a complete lack of interest

joeKel73

pure.conya wrote: »

Great but the proposal for the picture palace is to have up to 63 screenings a week and need 50% occupancy for them all.

You've quoted this a couple of times - where you getting the 50%? I've only seen 25% in the local press reports.

bodhrandude

So what's it like, have there been any good films on it yet.

TerrorFirmer

39steps wrote: »

There is definitely a need for an Arthouse Cinema in Galway. Every Sunday night from October to March, a film is shown in the Town Hall Theatre. They are regularly sold out and Town Hall seats 400 people.

The films are 90 - 140 mins in duration and are in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Iranian, Portugese, Japanese, Chinese, Turkish and occasionally in English! Subtitles provided.

It's fantastic to see films from other cultures and genres that simply would not gain a mainstream cinema release here.

Last night Paddy Breathnach's new film, "Viva", was shown and I recommend it very highly.

In fairness one night a week in the Town Hall is very different from a purpose built, multi-million euro and multi-screen arthouse cinema open 7 days a week.

The Eye Cinema had an Arthouse screen but the vast majority of movies I went to see there were with a handful of others at best about 90% of the time. That was literally just one screen and it failed.

Obviously I'd love it to do well and I will be supporting it, but I would have to say I'd be thinking along the same lines as pure.conya above.

charlie_says

They can do director series, show cinema classics, kids films, animated cinema series.

People will pay to see movies if they are shown in a cinema especially with a like-minded crowd. So that opens the door to loads of popular titles from the past.

It doesn't (and probably can't) rely just on be art releases.

I think they need some kind of tiered memberships scheme.

serfboard

charlie_says wrote: »

They can do director series, show cinema classics, kids films, animated cinema series.

Absolutely. There are how many pensioners in this city? Screenings of Casblanca, Double Indemnity etc. during the day followed by a nice cup of tea and a chat, where they can (rightfully) say, "they don't make them like that anymore".

Bladeserver

So there is 3 screens with 330 seats between them. The cinema will most likely screen 3 films per day across the 3 screens which means there is a potential 990 seats available (this doesn't include Saturday/Sunday which you might have an additional 2 screenings per day). The ticket price will probably be an average of 5 euro (take into account early birds, students, oap's, sn&a). The film distributors take anywhere from 40-65% of the 5 euro depending on the film. So for arguments sake the cinema gets to keep 60% of the ticket so 3.50. The figures are being thrown around that the cinema will need 25% occupancy to survive which mean's the cinema would make 866 euro a day which if you turn into weekly revenue isn't much when running an exceptionally expensive business as a cinema.

I worked in the eye and they tried loads of different ideas for the arthouse. Japanese film festivals, Italian, Bollywood, foreign films by the dozen for the first few years. They took a lot of the films which were shown in the IFI (limited prints made it difficult to get them the same time, obviously things have changed with digital). I genuinely believe that this Cinema will not do well. there simply isn't the customer base in Galway city to occupy the screens. I have seen big Hollywood movies struggle to do 50-60 admits a day and I saw a whole lot of foreign language movies do 10-15 a day or even less. Believe it or not some screenings during the winter don't even go ahead due to 0 occupancy. Pensioner mornings etc they also did (I don't know if they still do) and these mornings are done as a service than as a money maker...

With the costing's above the cinema would struggle to keep the doors open. Electricity, staffing, management, rates etc would mean along with concessions the cinema would really struggle. Someone mentioned earlier about the lighthouse and IFI, the lighthouse in particular has struggled over the years in a city with a population 1+ mill, Galway has a fraction of the target audience.

I hope it goes well tbh but they need good management running it. They won't just show foreign movies and indie arthouse fare. They will most likely show big releases in order to generate revenue.

nuac

Referred to in this week's Phoenix

The company's auditor has resigned - never a good sign.

No professional project management - may be reason for cost over-runs

Proper procedures not followed in appointment of present contractors

Is there no limit to what the taxpayer is made pay for "culture and cinemaw."?