Lack of free previews...

[KM&M]

So what factors do decide where a screening is held? More Cineworld codes today yet again none at my local....

Thinking about reducing my target number in free films of 2014 club...

[caitlinmorton]

The Total Film codes tend to have the same locations every time. For example, London tends to be Shaftesbury Avenue, Wandsworth, and West India Quay. I think both codes posted just now are Total Film codes so that explains that. Virgin do the same thing. Times and Telegraph vary though and the Sun seems to as well, so fingers crossed if you're members of any of those. ShowFilmFirst, its really anyone's guess.

Its mainly a marketing thing. Where they want to target. This tends to be why London (and to some degree, Manchester) are preferred to other cities. Sometimes its obvious and sometimes not. The two Stone Roses films last year, for example, were both heavily targeted to Manchester. Then we get a million screenings everywhere of Saving Mr. Banks. You never know for sure.

[KM&M]

That's really interesting, thank you. It's funny you mentioned Saving Mr Banks because there wasn't a single screening of that at my local either... nope not one... and I looked for that via every code I found which was indeed quite a few lol...

I guess I figured since although there is only one cinema locally it's 10 screens I expect things to be shown there because of the size. The wrong end of the stick it seems! I never expect screenings as often as in bigger cities but there does seem to be disproportionally few at my local even taking that into account.

I'm not a member of Times etc to access any of the special screenings but Sky showed a fair amount at my local so *maybe* that capacity is free now *fingers crossed* There is also another 9 screen cinema (different chain) in the pipeline but the start of work keeps being delayed.

I started seeing free previews Autumn 2013 and it appears all 3 I saw last year were media offerings:

Philomena via Radio times (later extended to SFF subscribers)
Walter Mitty via Heat magazine
Mandela via Huffington Post (later extended to several sources).

The new Zac Efron film was just show there, source unknown, SFF issued the code via their FB page with 2 hours notice at a handful of venues.

[The Sparrow]

I can add some additional information regarding which cinemas previews show in.

Individual cinemas actually bid for them which is why the amount of screens isn't always a factor. Also when it comes to the Total Film previews, where they show is no indicator of where the film will actually show on release either.

Having said that, when other media partners show the previews at Cineworld, the list of cinemas often does indicate where it will show on release. The same applies to The Times, The Telegraph etc and Odeon too.

As for Saving Mr Banks, although there were a million and one codes, mostly the same cinemas were listed which is why I can understand why it must have been so frustrating for people who didn't get a sniff of it in their area.

SFF do address this question on their website btw.

[Beate]

It kind of makes sense that if you have the film already you can do another preview a week later and you can then show it on release as well.

[sandypiper]

You do have to put yourself out and go to other Towns to see a film, if you particularly want to.

[Ms Thrifty]

But unless you had a nearby alternative or free travel (e.g. with season ticket), surely it would not make economic sense to spend time and money travelling further for a free film? You might as well wait for the release, then p*y to see it locally.

[sandypiper]

If I wanted to see a particular film before release, and had read favourable reviews, and a ticket, I would travel to see it.

[BruceBruce]

I agree about the travel, I live in Bristol which is pretty good for previews, there have been some in Bath though which is nearby but even then a return on the train costs about as much as a cinema ticket so when you factor in the extra time also unless it's a film you are really desperate to see early it doesn't make sense going.

[sandypiper]

I think you have to be fairly flexible about the Previews...many are Monday and Tuesday. Not many later in the week. No point in moaning about lack of Previews if you cannot attend early in the week.