the spouse joked that i should start a movie rental store and folks

[hex@dads.cool]

so i’m trying to populate lists of films that i should have for the opening. i’ve decided to try to limit myself to 200 genre (horror/sci-fi/fantasy), 200 family friendly (kid/animation/comedy), 200 action/adventure (crime/comics/mystery) and 200 drama (romance/drama)

pulling these from “most popular” on letterboxd because that feels like an east way to gauge outside of my particular taste bias but to also ensure my favs are there (because personal taste *is* important too)

[hex@dads.cool]

all said and done that’ll land on around 800 - which is close to the laserdisc collection, which even with my “bias” i’ve found there’s something for everyone in that, despite having the “handicap” of no films from the 2000s, so it should be a good start

[ryan@social.miyaku.media]

@hex idly wondering how much of a restriction “nothing that's on netflix” would really be as they've tried to move their catalog over to originals and nothing older than the last 5 minutes

[hex@dads.cool]

@ryan that’d be an interesting restriction - but would mean having no Knives Out since i think they all moved there

[ryan@social.miyaku.media]

@hex prominent "knives out” section but it’s all the old Hercule Poirot films in a variety of formats (half-joking because i feel like i actually appreciate the Knives Out movies more after starting to work my way through those)

[k_purpose@post.lurk.org]

@hex
what an amazing idea

[hex@dads.cool]

@k_purpose i’m still vibrating over it!

[k_purpose@post.lurk.org]

@hex
no wonder! Go for it!

[hex@dads.cool]

welp i got a list of just over 800 films that feels representative - though only 2 documentaries are represented. i think im okay with lacking representation there for launch

i guess now i figure out a budget. there are plenty of store fronts that are for rent around here

this is certainly feeling more financially feasible than throwing a theater together from scratch

[courtney@dads.cool]

@hex yeah the Hollywood took over movie madness a while back and they do all kinds of events, screenings, etc - they put in a small screening room that you can rent out for private parties, they have Movie Madness University where people do talks (sometimes series!) about films and then screen stuff for like $30/person...it's great.

[hex@dads.cool]

@courtney yeah this is what i’d love to work up to. if i get a screening room together i could do a weekly free screening or something for kids while also showing films or making it rentable

[wheeljack@retro.pizza]

@hex Only cool customers are allowed through the beaded curtain to the back room where all the SMUT* films are.

* - Streaming Media Unavailable Type

(I know this this opposite of what you want, and I really wanted to make a joke about the back rooms of indie movie rental shops)

Though I s'pose the back room could be for Laserdiscs, assuming you were willing to expose them to the public.

[hex@dads.cool]

@wheeljack i mean im looking at this as a baby step to the laserdisc museum so you’re not wrong

[hex@dads.cool]

i’m simultaneously going “i don’t know if i should carry modern shows” and going “well Of Course we’d have all of Columbo”

also just made the unilateral decision that “no, we *don’t* need to carry the wizard movies”

[ajroach42@retro.social]

@hex

Okay, so I think this is cool and I've done it, and I would like to talk to you about some lessons learned if you're open to it?

[hex@dads.cool]

@ajroach42 very yes!! i’ve been scrambling through articles for suggestions on starting and they’re all super vague and obviously not coming from experience

[thatonepersonwithaface@todon.eu]

@hex wait, we talking "Wizard of Oz" or "Ralph Bakshi Wizards"?

[hex@dads.cool]

@Thatonepersonwithaface me angrily pointing at a sign that says “unless it’s Gandalf we do not respect any wizards in films”

[thatonepersonwithaface@todon.eu]

@hex Now I know why Jesus was flipping tables, if you can't recognize my gun wielding wizard buddy

[ajroach42@retro.social]

@hex

Alright, this is a very loose collection of thoughts of things that you'll need to think about if you're opening a retail business for the first time *and* a bit of information about doing a video business in particular.

We had to bail on doing video rental stuff because we were spread to thin. I still sell tapes and DVDs, but we don't do rentals anymore. I'm interested in picking it back up eventually but our town is not big enough to support it full time.

1) Don't rent your originals. Format shifting and backups are legal. Get yourself an ecotank style printer that has a disk printing tray and make backups of your originals, rent the backups.

It's unlikely that anyone is going to *tell you* that this is what every remaining video store in the country is doing, but I guarantee you that nearly every remaining video store in the country is doing this.

2) make sure you've got a ton of retail product to go with your rentals. Candy, snacks, branded t-shirts, tote bags, etc. Have a product that people who just stumble on can buy.

Keep at least a few used movies on hand that people can buy. Consider setting up with Alliance or AMS and carrying newly produced titles as well, but margins here aren't great and and you shouldn't feel bad if you skip it.

(1/? I'll just keep going till I run out of stuff to say.)