Movie Night Licensing – What You Need To Know
Worcester, MA | May 2020
So, you want to host an outdoor movie night for your town, or business group? It sounds like an awesome idea to enjoy some warm weather and family-friendly entertainment under the stars! Movie nights bring the community together. But, what about the legalities? Copyrights and licensing sound like a daunting task to undertake. Here’s the breakdown…
1) The license must be in the host’s name.
Revelation is more than happy to make the arrangements for each client, but the legal license holder will be a contact of the hosting party.
2) Each film is licensed individually for the specific date you choose.
Some movie titles, especially Disney films, have limited showing availability.
3) Licensing fees will vary depending on your specific movie selection and crowd size.
As a general idea, for an outdoor showing with crowds under 200 people, the fees would range from $300-$450 depending on the title. If the crowd size falls between 200-500 people, the licensing fees increase to about $565-$685 depending on the title. This is assuming that the event is a public offering and there will be no admission charged. Should the hosting party want to charge admission, or move the showing indoors, the fees would be reassessed on a case by case basis. If admission were to be charged, for example, the licensing fees could be 50% of gross sales, if that number is higher than the base licensing fee, but not in addition to.
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4) There are two major companies that hold licensing rights: Swank and Criterion.
Each company works with different motion picture producers, so the licensor will depend on the movie title of interest.
5) The movies are usually supplied by the hosting party.
Both licensing companies are usually able to supply movies at an additional rental cost, or Revelation can also assist in locating the movie for you.
6) Promotional instructions may vary on the movie title.
Sometimes, you are provided with promotional materials, and other times, there are restrictions for how the event is marketed. Revelation will help you navigate that per event. Promotions cannot start until after the license is confirmed.
7) Lead times vary.
It could take as little as 48 hours or up to 10 days for license confirmation. The more time in advance, the better, to make sure everything is in place before the event.
8) Additional showings save on fees.
If the same party would like to show the same movie on multiple nights, the additional days would only be a fraction of the original license fee.
These notes provide a general understanding of movie licensing for your outdoor movie night on the big screen. As mentioned, each exact cost is on a per case basis, dependent upon which movie title is chosen, and the specifics, such as where and when the event will occur.
Revelation assures that your event will be remarkable, as well as worry-free! After all, people love a good movie night under the stars!