South West Life

There are great ways to spend your evening and I’d found one of them. Sitting with my parents who I don’t see as often as I’d like, I was drinking in the ambience of a Cafe’ and talking about nothing in particular.

The owner came to check we were enjoying the fare, and we got talking about business. Turns out that as well as a cafe, Chris owns and runs “Rural Cinema”.

Rural Cinema is completely self contained, and turns up at the venue you choose and runs a movie for you, big screen, great sound, late release.... the whole box and dice. I didn’t know it at the time but I’d been to a rural cinema show put on by the Bunbury Chamber of Commerce. There we were sitting on the lawn, quaffing our own refreshments and laughing along to a very silly movie. Looking back I think comedy was right for the outdoor movie experience, and sharing the lawn is a great way of extending the network.

So how does a cafe’ owner start a sideline in outdoor movies? First thing to clarify is that he wasn’t a cafe owner at the time.... this is something that started when Chris was working away on shifts. The money is fine but everyone who lives the fly in fly out life seems to reach a moment where it doesn’t suit any more. In 1996/97 when things were a bit misty and dates weren’t kept as clearly as they are when you’re serious, Chris started a hobby and showed the odd movie on 16mm film.

Having started the hobby, Chris was getting known about the place, he was the guy who you hear about that “can show a movie. How often have we heard of a hobby getting away from the person who is supposed to own it? Well it’s happened again. In 1999 some people who’d heard of him approached him to show movies that they had received a grant to put on as a regional development thing. Especially when it’s supposed to be a bit of fun, the option to do the bits of the work you like and have someone else do the admin is really attractive, but wouldn’t you know it, three shows into the grant the people who had approached him decided they couldn’t continue and Chris had to make the decision to manage the whole grant out, or let it fall in a heap. This unplanned opportunity had done what is often feared and turned a pleasant pastime into a business.

Enough work had come his way that Chris both needed and could afford a screen, and from there it’s kind of a business isn’t it? The first real year, they were able to show 20 movies, and that’s not enough to call it a living, but plenty to call it a help with the family finances.

Rural cinemas now shows a lot of it’s movies on 35mm film, but there are electronic media as well and exactly what you’ll see depends on what the film is released on.

Chris now shows about 70 movies a year, and that’s almost all in the warm weather. He really doesn’t get many Saturday nights off in the summertime. There are the big shows where there are good dollars to be made but if you want steady work the community group/ school end of the market is important as well.

Even with 70 showings a year, the cinema is probably always going to be a sideline, but he’s feeling that he has virtually got the market covered, competition has come and gone and he keeps getting enough work. With the help of Raymond, a high school helper who’s nearly finished his degree now, things are ticking along nicely.

If you've got a plan to run an event for your group, you could call Chris on 0429 116 343 or visit www.ruralcinema.com.au , he goes all over the place!