Thankfully, there is an easier and cheaper way for young people to see the latest cinema releases.
Holding a film night at a youth club not only saves money but can be a great way to attract new members as well as reward existing ones.
Simon Christie, project worker of mobile youth centre The Bus in Aberdeen, says: "We have a double decker that's been converted into a youth centre where we screen films. Most young people come to The Bus because of the big screen."
But clubs don't need to have the latest flat-screen technology to hold a film night - a regular TV and a couple of DVDs will suffice. There is one thing that youth groups must have, though, and that's a licence. The screening of films for entertainment purposes outside the cinema and home constitutes a public performance and that requires permission from the copyright holder - in this case the film studios. If a group doesn't have a licence, then it could potentially be threatened with legal action.
Acquiring a licence is a fairly simple process and reasonably cheap. Most of the major film studios use a company called Filmbank, which distributes more than 8,000 titles - some only 10 weeks after their cinematic release - to handle their licensing arrangements.
How much the licences cost depends on how frequently groups plan to show films, whether they'll be charging for admittance and the number of people who will attend screenings. Where the audience doesn't pay, the cost of a public-video screening licence is £75 plus VAT a year for groups of under 250 people. In cases where the audience will be charged, then prices start at £75 plus VAT for each screening.
Like many projects and groups around the country, Andrew Williams, community worker at Tatton Community Centre in Lancashire, wasn't aware that special permission was even needed. "We're all volunteers and thought you got the DVDs and that was it."
The Bus's Simon Christie adds: "The only reason we found out was because we had to get a licence for music and we were told we needed one for films as well. It was very easy to look up the web page and get it."
Rachelle Peterson, director of marketing at Filmbank, believes it is worth groups getting a licence just for peace of mind. She also encourages them to think creatively about how to get the best out of the nights. "Most youth clubs run dance, music or sports projects," she says. "So a screening night could be paired with something already available like dance classes. For instance, you could have a Happy Feet or Dirty Dancing evening or a Bend it like Beckham football night. Post-film discussions and themed parties can also be a lot of fun."
FIND OUT MORE
The following organisations offer advice about the non-cinema screening of films:
- Filmbank represents many of the major film studios for non-theatrical screenings. It also offers a commercial licence for non-cinema screening to a paying audience. www.filmbank.co.uk
- British Federation of Film Societies offers advice to groups planning regular screenings or considering setting up a film society. www.bffs.org.uk
- MPLC (Motion Picture Licensing Company) provides licences for organisations looking to screen home DVDs/videos to an audience. www.mplcuk.com.
