Sleeping on the couch, Kitchener, Ontario, thanks to Fox
Ms Nancy Utley, President of Marketing, Fox Searchlight Films
Hello, my name is Sean O’Neill. I am a 45 year old, senior consultant with the Loblaw Companies Limited, the largest grocery distributor and employer in Canada. At Loblaws, I play an integral part in formulating policy that governs and affects the lives of thousands of people throughout our organisation. I would be appalled if I were in any way responsible for inflicting the following circumstances upon anyone. What follows is my attempt to convey a terrible and surely unintended result of what I’ve been told is standard Fox Searchlight Picture policy.
Earlier in July, I was invited to enter a contest with the University of Toronto Astronomy and Space Exploration Society with whom I am a recent member. This contest was to win seats at a ‘Special Advanced Fox Screening’ to the movie Sunshine in Toronto on Tues. July 17. On Thurs. July 12, I received an email from the society president, Derek Lee, telling me that indeed I had won the tickets. I immediately sent my RSVP that my girlfriend and I would both attend. I asked how I might pick up the passes and whether it was at all possible to pick them up at the cinema, just prior to the show as we would be driving about 2 hrs to get there that night. Derek, the society’s representative, replied that we would meet up at 7pm as the film was starting at 7:30pm and he would have our passes in hand. I affirmed that this suited us just fine.
I was delighted. So too was my girlfriend. We spent the weekend looking forward to what, for us, was to be a new experience and we expected a fine night out. Neither of us had ever been to a special advanced screening. While we are ardent supporters of the local arts community, we have long looked forward to looking deeper into Toronto’s thriving film industry. This ‘Special Screening’ seemed to be a good primer for our first ever attendance of Toronto’s Festival later on in September.
Throughout the weekend, my girlfriend, Tricia and I perused the various web pages on the movie with growing anticipation and excitement. Tricia spent about two hours the night before getting herself ready for the big night out. During that day, she went out and purchased a new outfit and anguished about what to wear regardless. We were, after all going to a gala event and could be meeting the director of a great film. Finally, the day came. We left our home in Kitchener Ontario for what we both knew would be a long drive to Toronto in rush hour traffic. We got to the Scotia-bank Theatre at about 6:45, a full 15 minutes before we were supposed to get there. We then waited until about 7:26 when a tardy but very apologetic Derek made his appearance. None of us, however, thought that there would be a problem this was an invitation only event and Derek had special passes for us.
Excitedly, passes in hand, Tricia and I prepared for the movie. She got popcorn and drinks while I presented the pass to the ticket agent who informed me that the movie was sold out. I thought that there had to be mistake and repeated that I had a special pass. The agent then informed me that for the past hour, he’d turned away more than 200 others who also had the same pass because, by then, all seat tickets available had been distributed on a first come, first serve basis. Tricia was now returning to where I was, over to the ‘guest services’ desk. I was now talking with Fox representative Michael Schwartz who smugly repeated that the show was completely sold. He added that there was absolutely no way for the two of us to still get seats.
I must admit that I find this completely disconcerting. The pass (which had been in my hands for only 5 minutes) specifically requests participants to RSVP to confirm attendance. I spoke to Derek the representative from the University of Toronto Astronomy and Space Exploration Society and he confirmed that this was done. If this was done by each pass holder, as requested on your passes, then, an accounting of this should have been compiled. Respondents, having RSVP’d attendance should have been given priority. When the number of attendees surpassed the capacity of the theatre then other arrangements should have been made to accommodate everyone. At first, your people were actually gleeful about our plight. They couldn’t have cared less about the inconvenience and embarrassment suffered by my girlfriend and me. We were offered passes to see the movie at a later date as if this was going to smooth everything over. Surely, I thought, your representatives would do something when they knew our whole dilemma.
I then told Michael of the distance that my girlfriend and I had travelled that evening and the time, trouble and expense we’d incurred. Smiling now, obviously not believing what I told him, Michael announced that there was nothing he could do and ran off to attend the opening remarks from the director within the cinema itself. He left a rather powerless and feeble assistant named Jamie Alter to try to pacify our serious discontent. Pointing to the fine print of the passes we were just given, Jamie, as with Michael, smiling all the while, saucily told us that the pass did not guarantee seating. She went on to add that it was Fox policy to ‘over-book’ the theatre for such screenings so as to ensure a successful night for the director and for Fox. I can assure you, that an unsuccessful night for Fox’s patrons and clients translates ultimately into a failure for Fox. I slept alone that night on the couch. Does that sound like I had a successful evening to you?
-2-
As you can imagine, what was supposed to be a special gala event and night out for Tricia and I turned out to be a disaster. We didn’t talk to each other all night, we were so upset. At this point, we both associate Fox Searchlight Pictures with the antithesis of a good night’s entertainment. We were so pumped up and then so affronted by the events that I am taking the initiative of writing you this letter. I’m sure that this is not the sort of thing you want happening to people who are invited to attend your advance screenings.
Looking back now on our evening and what I’ve written above, I can honestly say that words do not express the outrage we both feel at how things turned out. Let me know your thoughts about this incident. I and about 200 others were turned away from last night’s screening pathetically clutching our guest passes that meant nothing. None of the other ‘over-booked-patrons’ who I asked, thought that the apologies of your staff counted for anything. They had absolutely no power, diplomatic skill or empathy. Moreover, they were caught defending the indefensible and they should have and I suspect now know it.
It is one thing to make an honest mistake and then rectify the problem. It is another to intentionally and publicly embarrass one’s customers and clients in such as way as to make them lose face in front of their loved ones. Is this the intended outcome of your policy on over-booking such advanced screenings? I should think not.
Yes, a full theatre is better, but not at the price I and my girlfriend just had to pay.
I have some creative suggestions as to how to achieve full screenings for good movies such as Sunshine without seriously disgruntling people.
Sleeping on the couch, Kitchener, Ontario, thanks to Fox
Ms Nancy Utley, President of Marketing, Fox Searchlight Films
Hello, my name is Sean O’Neill. I am a 45 year old, senior consultant with the Loblaw Companies Limited, the largest grocery distributor and employer in Canada. At Loblaws, I play an integral part in formulating policy that governs and affects the lives of thousands of people throughout our organisation. I would be appalled if I were in any way responsible for inflicting the following circumstances upon anyone. What follows is my attempt to convey a terrible and surely unintended result of what I’ve been told is standard Fox Searchlight Picture policy.
Earlier in July, I was invited to enter a contest with the University of Toronto Astronomy and Space Exploration Society with whom I am a recent member. This contest was to win seats at a ‘Special Advanced Fox Screening’ to the movie Sunshine in Toronto on Tues. July 17. On Thurs. July 12, I received an email from the society president, Derek Lee, telling me that indeed I had won the tickets. I immediately sent my RSVP that my girlfriend and I would both attend. I asked how I might pick up the passes and whether it was at all possible to pick them up at the cinema, just prior to the show as we would be driving about 2 hrs to get there that night. Derek, the society’s representative, replied that we would meet up at 7pm as the film was starting at 7:30pm and he would have our passes in hand. I affirmed that this suited us just fine.
I was delighted. So too was my girlfriend. We spent the weekend looking forward to what, for us, was to be a new experience and we expected a fine night out. Neither of us had ever been to a special advanced screening. While we are ardent supporters of the local arts community, we have long looked forward to looking deeper into Toronto’s thriving film industry. This ‘Special Screening’ seemed to be a good primer for our first ever attendance of Toronto’s Festival later on in September.
Throughout the weekend, my girlfriend, Tricia and I perused the various web pages on the movie with growing anticipation and excitement. Tricia spent about two hours the night before getting herself ready for the big night out. During that day, she went out and purchased a new outfit and anguished about what to wear regardless. We were, after all going to a gala event and could be meeting the director of a great film. Finally, the day came. We left our home in Kitchener Ontario for what we both knew would be a long drive to Toronto in rush hour traffic. We got to the Scotia-bank Theatre at about 6:45, a full 15 minutes before we were supposed to get there. We then waited until about 7:26 when a tardy but very apologetic Derek made his appearance. None of us, however, thought that there would be a problem this was an invitation only event and Derek had special passes for us.
Excitedly, passes in hand, Tricia and I prepared for the movie. She got popcorn and drinks while I presented the pass to the ticket agent who informed me that the movie was sold out. I thought that there had to be mistake and repeated that I had a special pass. The agent then informed me that for the past hour, he’d turned away more than 200 others who also had the same pass because, by then, all seat tickets available had been distributed on a first come, first serve basis. Tricia was now returning to where I was, over to the ‘guest services’ desk. I was now talking with Fox representative Michael Schwartz who smugly repeated that the show was completely sold. He added that there was absolutely no way for the two of us to still get seats.
I must admit that I find this completely disconcerting. The pass (which had been in my hands for only 5 minutes) specifically requests participants to RSVP to confirm attendance. I spoke to Derek the representative from the University of Toronto Astronomy and Space Exploration Society and he confirmed that this was done. If this was done by each pass holder, as requested on your passes, then, an accounting of this should have been compiled. Respondents, having RSVP’d attendance should have been given priority. When the number of attendees surpassed the capacity of the theatre then other arrangements should have been made to accommodate everyone. At first, your people were actually gleeful about our plight. They couldn’t have cared less about the inconvenience and embarrassment suffered by my girlfriend and me. We were offered passes to see the movie at a later date as if this was going to smooth everything over. Surely, I thought, your representatives would do something when they knew our whole dilemma.
I then told Michael of the distance that my girlfriend and I had travelled that evening and the time, trouble and expense we’d incurred. Smiling now, obviously not believing what I told him, Michael announced that there was nothing he could do and ran off to attend the opening remarks from the director within the cinema itself. He left a rather powerless and feeble assistant named Jamie Alter to try to pacify our serious discontent. Pointing to the fine print of the passes we were just given, Jamie, as with Michael, smiling all the while, saucily told us that the pass did not guarantee seating. She went on to add that it was Fox policy to ‘over-book’ the theatre for such screenings so as to ensure a successful night for the director and for Fox. I can assure you, that an unsuccessful night for Fox’s patrons and clients translates ultimately into a failure for Fox. I slept alone that night on the couch. Does that sound like I had a successful evening to you?
-2-
As you can imagine, what was supposed to be a special gala event and night out for Tricia and I turned out to be a disaster. We didn’t talk to each other all night, we were so upset. At this point, we both associate Fox Searchlight Pictures with the antithesis of a good night’s entertainment. We were so pumped up and then so affronted by the events that I am taking the initiative of writing you this letter. I’m sure that this is not the sort of thing you want happening to people who are invited to attend your advance screenings.
Looking back now on our evening and what I’ve written above, I can honestly say that words do not express the outrage we both feel at how things turned out. Let me know your thoughts about this incident. I and about 200 others were turned away from last night’s screening pathetically clutching our guest passes that meant nothing. None of the other ‘over-booked-patrons’ who I asked, thought that the apologies of your staff counted for anything. They had absolutely no power, diplomatic skill or empathy. Moreover, they were caught defending the indefensible and they should have and I suspect now know it.
It is one thing to make an honest mistake and then rectify the problem. It is another to intentionally and publicly embarrass one’s customers and clients in such as way as to make them lose face in front of their loved ones. Is this the intended outcome of your policy on over-booking such advanced screenings? I should think not.
Yes, a full theatre is better, but not at the price I and my girlfriend just had to pay.
I have some creative suggestions as to how to achieve full screenings for good movies such as Sunshine without seriously disgruntling people.
Regards,
Sean O’Neill