Cinemas face a reel-life battle

Like many other business sectors, cinemas have come to be dominated by big national and even international players. But, as GABRIELLE WHEATON reports, Brisbane is still home to some innovative independent operators.

While movies may be a popular form of entertainment, independent cinemas still fight an uphill battle against the major film retailers.
Lower admission prices and cheaper lolly bars are one way to attract patrons, but it also takes a lot of ingenuity and dedication to keep them coming back.
The mix of lower ticket prices, meal deals, quality service and innovative and artistic films may be just the ticket to ensure local independents stay afloat.
The Dendy Cinema's Maxine Williamson (pictured) said of the rivalry: "It's a fight, it's a struggle - that's why it's a vocation."
Ms Williamson also called the Dendy's success as an independent two-screen cinema "miraculous".
She said unlike other artistic institutions such as some of the major live theatre or arts groups, independent films and cinemas received no government funding.
She identified other obstacles to success were a lack of the "pre-packaged marketing" that was available to major chains, and massive overheads such as the expense of quality film projectors and abnormally long business hours.
Then there was the issue of competing not just with the major chains, but also with technological advances.
The latest threat to the cinema industry, especially the independents, is the double-whammy of the internet and the popularity of home entertainment systems.
Now you can watch the latest movies (some before they are released) on your very own plasma flat screen, complete with surround sound.
In order to compete, Brisbane's independent cinemas rely on a combination of public loyalty, dedicated staff, and, in some cases, catering to a niche market.
Look behind the scenes at most of the small cinemas and you will find the staff have a keen interest, if not passion, in what they do.
Many answer phones, take tickets, sell popcorn and inevitably clean up after patrons have all gone home.
Some are filmmakers in their own right, and more than a few have undertaken film studies.
Brisbane's latest independent cinema, the Blue Room Cinebar at Rosalie, has been open for only three months.
There you can watch a movie in one of their two licensed semi-private rooms (maximum seating 36 seats) while enjoying a meal from the neighbouring Thai or Indian restaurants.
It offers "gold class service but without the price tag", according to owner David Taylor.
He said patrons seemed to agree - the most common response being how "civilised" the cinema was.
Mr Taylor said he was optimistic about the future of the Blue Room.
"There's a market for us," he said.
"We differentiate ourselves by our quality."
A longtime player in the local cinema market, is Leo Catalano, owner of multi-screen movie houses at Bulimba, Hawthorne and South Bank.
Mr Catalano said he had been in the business for 50 years and in that time had come to "know the game inside and out".
He admitted that after taking ownership of South Bank Cinemas in 2003, he did not expect to make a profit for at least two years, but was happy to prove himself wrong.

FROM OUR 21 APRIl 2005 ISSUE

BizQuiz

Banking on a franchise

ROBERT van KAN says there is common ground between his former job as a stockbroker and his work as branch manager and franchisee of the Bank of Queensland in the McWhirters Centre in the heart of Fortitude Valley.

The Bank of Queensland is your first foray into the world of franchising after a varied professional career including a stint as a sharebroker. So why banking, and why Bank of Queensland?
Banking, like stockbroking, is primarily a service industry, so the two industries have a lot in common and at the time, Bank of Queensland was the only bank that offered a franchise system, so we didn't really have a lot of choice. But since making the decision, we haven't looked back.

Were there other Bank of Queensland franchises available when you took this step six years ago, and if so, what attracted you to the Valley franchise?
Yes, we looked at a number of them, but were ultimately attracted to the Valley because of its Asian flavour, having spent a lot of time in Asia myself.

Statistics show a big majority of businesses fail in the first two years. Does your longevity here suggest a franchise is a safer bet than someone who starts up on their own?
I think a franchise is probably safer because it's already been tested in the marketplace and you have the full support of the head organisation behind you.

A sharebroking background means you at least have a sound basis in the world of finance. What would you say to someone thinking of taking up a franchise that's not related to their work history or area of expertise?
Most management principles can be applied to any industry, so as long as you have experienced and loyal staff behind you, you can still make a go at it. I think the key is to be in an industry that has growth potential. You just
have to be willing to adapt.
Has this franchise thrown up problems or pitfalls you didn't foresee, and if so, how did you handle them?
We haven't had any major problems. The only adjustment we've had to make was a cultural one, having spent most of our lives in Asia.

Being here so long suggests you're happy with the bank's central management and its current marketing philosophy and direction. But is there anything you'd like to see them do differently to improve the banking experience both for you as a franchisee and for your customers?
Not really. They have been very responsive to our customers' needs and they also listen to us when it comes to launching new products, so there's a good two-way relationship.

On a personal note, you turned 50 earlier this month. Do other business ventures await or is this franchise your last major venture to see you into retirement?
What is retirement? To me it means being able to do what you want, when you want. I pretty much am doing that now, so maybe I'm already retired.

BRIEFS

Food for thought
Well known Brisbane restaurateur Murray Williams has just opened his latest venture, Madame Fu's, in Merthyr Road, New Farm. The modern Asian-themed restaurant joins his other outlets - the award-winning Dining Room in Hendra and stylish trattoria Ciao Baby in Albion.
Williams's The Mark, a wine bar-cum-restaurant in the Toombul shopping centre was a runaway success before a dispute with centre management led to Williams upping stumps earlier this year

Alfred Street dwellings ... removal

Affordable housing
An application to construct a multi-storey building in Fortitude Valley providing 122 units of affordable housing has been lodged with the Brisbane City Council.
The application by Cunningham Designs provides for the removal of two pre-war dwellings on the corner of Alfred and Constance streets and construction of a seven-storey building.
The existing local area plan provides for a height limit of four storeys but the application claims the extra floors are needed to make the project commercially viable.

FROM OUR 7 APRIl 2005 ISSUE

Making a splash at Spring Hill

The Splash Leisure company will take over the recently vacated gym at Spring Hill's Centenary Pool complex next week.
From April 18 the complex will be known as the Centenary Fitness Centre.
Splash Leisure already has a 45-year lease on the Centenary Pool from 1996.
Centre manager Jenny Green said the Centenary Fitness Centre would tap into the need for a fitness facility which was accessible to the wider community.
"You're never too old to exercise and the Centenary Fitness Centre will cater to all fitness levels," she said.
When the Centenary Pool complex first opened in 1959, the building overlooking the pool housed a restaurant that also catered for weddings and other functions.
More recently it had been an Indian restaurant and then home to the Zest Health Club. Zest ceased operating from the premises on March 14.
The heritage-listed Centenary Pool - built as part of Queensland's centenary celebrations in 1959 - was Brisbane's first Olympic-standard swimming and diving complex.
It was designed by James Birrell, also responsible for city landmarks such as the Brisbane City Council's Wickham Terrace car park, Toowong Library and the now-demolished Toowong Pool.
The Centenary complex was designed to fit the slope of the site overlooking Victoria Park and featured the inventive use of structural steel in the restaurant building and diving tower.
Mr Birrell recently won the 2005 Royal Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architecture for his distinguished service to the profession.
Megan Yarrow

I do's and don'ts

With just days to the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker-Bowles DENIZ TURAK explains some of the secrets behind successful and memorable weddings - something she strives to achieve every day through Gorgeous Events, the wedding organising business she started in July last year.

If you were organising the wedding of Charles and Camilla, where would you start?
I'd start by learning about their personalities and their ideal wedding.

The royal couple's wedding plans seem to have been derailed a bit by some organisational problems. How do you avoid them?
Every wedding has hiccups and being in the spotlight is obviously an issue for Charles and Camilla - highlighting the reason for their wedding and being aware of the marriage itself. But a wedding is only one day of their lives.

Whether it's a royal wedding or a far more modest event, are there some principles they all have in common? If so, what are they?
Stick to a budget. Research and investigate your options. Make decisions as a couple - and have fun!

How did you get started in the business?
I started as an event manager, I directed the last two West End Festivals plus I assisted a wedding photographer over a year and learnt about the wedding industry in Brisbane. Wedding planning is quite a new concept in Brisbane so I still manage other events as well.

Do you have clients from hell who demand what cannot be delivered?
I have clients who request events which are twice the budget that they have. But the lovely clients always make up for it.

In your business what is the worst thing that can go wrong?
Indecision is hard to deal with, as ultimately all decisions must be made by the client.

And what's the best part of your job?
Creating an experience that people enjoy.

BIZ BRIEFS.....BIZ BRIEFS

Charity looks for business support
The major charity supporting people affected by the death of a child, SIDS And Kids, is hoping its gala ball in May will help redress a shortfall in donations caused by the corporate sector's recent focus on tsunami appeals.
The group's state manager Peter Conlon said the majority of local business owners who normally supported SIDS And Kids events had already used allocated funds to assist tsunami appeals.
"With our annual charity gala ball Glitz in the City fast approaching we have certainly noticed a substantial drop in support that we usually achieve from this high-quality event," Mr Conlon said.
He said the target for the ball was $30,000.
"Without the suppport from the community that just won't happen," Mr Conlon said.
The Glitz in the City ball will be held on Friday, May 6 at the Royal on the Park Hotel in the CBD. Tickets cost $100 a head or $900 for a table of 10.
To book ring SIDS And Kids on 3849 7122.

Deadline looms for award nominations
Nominations close tomorrow, Friday April 8, for the Queensland Training Awards.
Employment, Training and Industrial Relations Minister Tom Barton said the awards recognised individuals and organisations committed to improving skill levels throughout the state.
Now in their 44th year, the awards are presented by the Department of Employment and Training.
For more information phone toll-free 1800 660 207 or visit www.qta.qld.gov.au.

FROM OUR MARCH 24 2005 ISSUE

Valley venue sale

By Sally Scott

What does the future hold for The Tivoli - one of Brisbane's favourite live entertainment venues that is now up for sale? With its plush refurbished art deco interior, the Tivoli in Fortitude Valley's Costin Street, has hosted numerous big-name acts since its transformation in 1989 to an elegant entertainment venue from a dusty old 1917 building believed to have once housed a bakery.
The intimate 700-seat theatre is a perfect setting to take in the talents of international musicians such as Bob Geldof, Billy Bragg, Bonnie Riatt and the Go Betweens, and national stars like the Waifs, Missy Higgins, George and Powderfinger - all of whom, over the years, have chosen the Tivoli over larger, more impersonal venues for their Brisbane appearances.
Tonight noted Irish singer/songwriter Luka Bloom plays the Tivoli - his only Queensland gig - before heading south to Byron Bay's Blues & Roots Festival for Easter.
But despite the Tivoli's success as an entertainment venue and, more recently, as a setting for corporate functions and private celebrations such as weddings and dinner dances, the location of its 2160sqm MP2 site could see its demise.
Costin Street, once a light-industrial area like much of the Valley, has had a rebirth as a residential precinct. The site's proximity to the city and the Valley entertainment hub, as well as popular transport routes and parklands, has seen land values soar in recent years and several large residential developments now neighbour the theatre. And although the building's interior might look as if it belongs to a time long gone by, the decor is a result of a designer's creative talent 16 years ago, and the actual building is little more than a plain building with a brick facade with reportedly no heritage value to speak of.
Marketing agent Bill Fea, of Metro First National, who is handling inquiries, said he had had plenty of interest shown in the property since offers to purchase a "development site with holding income" were called for.
"There's been inquiries from all sectors - developers, cinema operators and three or four calls from nightclub owners," he said.
"Don't necessarily assume (the Tivoli) is going to be bulldozed. The owner has taken over the running of the business recently and says that it is increasing."
"And there is keen interest from one particular (entertainment) company with a close affiliation with overseas shows."
So all may not be lost. A sale might mean it is business as usual for a few years to come, which will please many music lovers. Brisbane has too few live music venues, and one with such a unique and charming decor, along with its state-of-the-art sound system and lighting equipment, merits its growing reputation - with both musicians and fans - as one of the city's favourite entertainment haunts.

The Tivoli ... all is not lost

Parking plan helps traders

The popularity of the Emporium residential, retail and restaurant complex in Fortitude Valley has prompted a review of car parking in the area.
Local councillor and Deputy Mayor David Hinchliffe said the complex had been such a "tearaway success" that the availability of parking had become an issue for traders.
While Emporium provides on-site car parks, Cr Hinchliffe said there was a need for more nearby on-street car spaces.
"I am floating the idea of having on-street parking on the Emporium sides of both Ann and Wickham streets," he said.
"It would be available all day on weekends and after 7pm on weekdays.
"That could make available scores of extra car parks."
Cr Hinchliffe said he had submitted the idea to the Brisbane City Council's traffic section, but was keen to receive feedback on the proposal and any comments should be directed to his ward office on 3403 0254.
Emporium ... popular