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Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins)

NAICS 512131 · Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries · SBA size standard: $47 million average annual receipts

Motion picture theaters (except drive-ins) receive film bookings from distributors, build daily and weekly showtime schedules across auditoriums, sell tickets online and at the box office, manage concession inventory and prep, handle daily box-office reporting and remittances, perform equipment checks and maintenance, schedule staff for peak attendance periods, and maintain safety and permit records. Specialists turn distributor offers into licensed schedules, ticket sales into real-time seating and concession forecasts, daily revenue into remittance reports, and checklists into maintenance and safety logs while the theater manager confirms bookings, signs agreements, approves spending, reviews reports and verifies safety requirements.

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What makes this business different

  • Film booking agreements with distributors that specify revenue splits, minimum runs, holdover terms, trailer and advertising requirements
  • Weekly schedule changes driven by new releases, holidays, school breaks and actual attendance
  • Real-time reserved seating inventory across multiple auditoriums with accessibility requirements
  • Concession inventory with rapid turnover for popcorn, candy, fountain drinks and prepared food plus strict hold times
  • Projection, sound, lighting and HVAC equipment requiring daily startup checks, lamp-hour tracking and preventive maintenance
  • Daily box-office statements, distributor remittances per contract, local entertainment permits, fire-safety logs and accessibility documentation
  • Staffing that scales for evening, weekend and matinee peaks with ushers required at every screening start
  • Pre-show trailers, lobby displays and digital signage that must match each film's studio instructions

Specialist bots

  • a worker at a desk reviewing printed booking sheets next to a wall calendar marked with film titles and run dates

    Film Booker

    Turn distributor booking offers into licensed weekly film schedules and track all contract terms.

    Works in: Contract Analyzer, Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Sheets · Workflows: Film booking and licensing

    Automates

    • Reads incoming booking offers and contract terms
    • Compares titles against theater calendar and auditorium capacities
    • Drafts proposed showtimes, run lengths and trailer blocks
    • Tracks advertising material and license deadlines
    • Creates booking task with all confirmed details

    Stops for a person

    • Theater manager approves all film selections and revenue splits
    • A person signs license agreements and confirms studio instructions
  • a worker adjusting letters on a theater marquee showing multiple movie titles at twilight

    Showtime Scheduler

    Assign films to auditoriums and build daily showtimes incorporating cleaning, format and accessibility constraints.

    Works in: Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Tasks · Workflows: Showtime and auditorium scheduling

    Automates

    • Assigns titles to auditoriums by expected attendance and projection format
    • Inserts required cleaning buffers and trailer blocks
    • Publishes schedule to ticketing system, website and signage
    • Flags closed-captioning, audio-description and special events

    Stops for a person

    • Theater manager reviews and approves the full weekly schedule
    • Any changes to running times or formats are confirmed by a person
  • a worker behind the box office counter handing printed tickets to a customer through the window

    Ticket and Seating Manager

    Process ticket purchases, reserve seats in real time and update attendance forecasts for operations.

    Works in: Ambitious Tasks, Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Sheets · Workflows: Ticket sales and seating management

    Automates

    • Processes online, kiosk and box-office orders
    • Holds seats across all auditoriums in real time
    • Applies current pricing rules and promotions
    • Generates tickets or mobile QR codes
    • Updates concession and staffing forecasts from sales

    Stops for a person

    • A person handles cash transactions and customer exceptions at the box office
    • Any release of held accessibility seats is approved by staff
  • a worker pouring kernels into a large commercial popcorn machine beside stacks of cups and candy in a concession stand

    Concession Inventory Planner

    Forecast concession needs from ticket sales, generate prep lists and track inventory, par levels and waste.

    Works in: Ambitious Sheets, Ambitious Tasks, Process Optimizer · Workflows: Concession inventory and prep

    Automates

    • Forecasts popcorn, candy, drink and prepared food volumes from attendance
    • Generates daily prep lists and supplier order drafts
    • Tracks par levels, waste and spoilage
    • Reconciles end-of-day sales to physical counts

    Stops for a person

    • The concession lead approves all orders and any substitutions
    • A person performs physical inventory counts and waste logs
  • a worker at a back office desk organizing printed sales reports and remittance forms

    Box Office and Remittance Clerk

    Compile daily revenue, calculate distributor shares per contract and prepare remittance reports.

    Works in: Ambitious Sheets, Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Tasks · Workflows: Box office reporting and remittances

    Automates

    • Pulls ticket and concession sales by film and showtime
    • Applies exact revenue splits from each booking agreement
    • Drafts daily box-office statements and remittance reports
    • Reconciles all payment types and prepares archive files

    Stops for a person

    • Theater manager reviews and approves every remittance before sending
    • A person signs and files the final reports
  • a worker on a ladder in the projection booth adjusting a digital projector aimed at the auditorium screen

    Projection and Maintenance Coordinator

    Run daily equipment checklists, track usage hours and schedule preventive maintenance and repairs.

    Works in: Ambitious Tasks, Ambitious Sheets, Ambitious Docs · Workflows: Projection and facility maintenance

    Automates

    • Generates auditorium opening checklists for each screening
    • Tracks projector lamp hours, filter status and error logs
    • Schedules bulb replacements and preventive service
    • Logs fire-safety and emergency equipment tests
    • Creates work orders for any needed repairs

    Stops for a person

    • Certified technicians perform all physical maintenance and bulb changes
    • Theater manager confirms all safety logs before opening each day
  • a worker standing in the theater lobby wearing a uniform vest and holding a flashlight while directing patrons

    Staff Scheduler and Dispatcher

    Forecast labor needs from showtimes and attendance, build weekly schedules and assign shifts.

    Works in: Ambitious Tasks, Ambitious Sheets · Workflows: Staff scheduling and dispatch

    Automates

    • Forecasts staffing requirements from ticket volume and schedule
    • Builds and publishes weekly schedules by role
    • Assigns staff to auditoriums, positions and break times
    • Sends shift reminders and availability requests
    • Tracks hours for payroll

    Stops for a person

    • Theater manager approves all schedules and any overtime
    • A person manages call-ins, no-shows and last-minute changes
  • a worker checking emergency exit lights and fire extinguishers along a dimly lit theater hallway

    Safety and Permit Clerk

    Maintain daily safety checklists, equipment logs, permit renewal dates and accessibility records.

    Works in: Ambitious Tasks, Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Sheets · Workflows: Safety, accessibility and permit paperwork

    Automates

    • Generates daily safety and opening checklists
    • Logs concession holding temperatures and safety equipment tests
    • Tracks permit, license and inspection due dates
    • Maintains accessibility and closed-captioning compliance logs
    • Prepares documentation packets for inspections

    Stops for a person

    • The theater manager confirms which local requirements apply and reviews all logs
    • People perform inspections, corrective actions and any filings

Workflows

Film booking and licensing

Starts when: Distributor offers or weekly release schedule

  1. Review incoming booking offers, revenue splits, minimum runs and advertising commitments
  2. Compare proposed titles against theater calendar, auditorium formats and competing releases
  3. Draft weekly showtimes, run lengths and trailer blocks
  4. Track license agreements, material arrival deadlines and holdover clauses
  5. Create a booking task with all confirmed details for the manager

Watch for: Revenue splits and holdover rules differ by studio and title; Trailers and advertising materials must arrive before the first screening

Showtime and auditorium scheduling

Starts when: After film booking confirmation and weekly

  1. Assign films to specific auditoriums based on expected attendance, format and capacity
  2. Build showtimes with cleaning buffers, trailer blocks and start intervals
  3. Publish schedule to ticketing system, website and digital signage
  4. Flag closed-captioning, audio-description, private rentals or special events
  5. Update lobby boards and pre-show advertising playlist

Watch for: Auditorium cleaning and reset time required between screenings; Projection formats (digital, 3D, premium large format) limit which auditoriums can be used

Ticket sales and seating management

Starts when: Customer purchase online, at box office or kiosk

  1. Capture selected film, showtime, ticket quantity and seating preferences
  2. Reserve seats in real time across all auditoriums
  3. Apply promotions, senior, child or military pricing rules
  4. Generate printed tickets or mobile QR codes
  5. Update attendance forecast for concessions and staffing

Watch for: Real-time synchronization between online, kiosk and box-office seat inventory; Accessibility seating held until showtime per requirements

Concession inventory and prep

Starts when: Daily before first show and on sales thresholds

  1. Forecast popcorn, drinks, candy and prepared food needs from ticket counts and historical ratios
  2. Build daily prep list and draft supplier orders
  3. Track par levels, waste, spoilage and hold times for ice, syrup and hot items
  4. Reconcile end-of-day sales against physical inventory
  5. Flag low-stock alerts for immediate reorder

Watch for: Popcorn and ice machines operate continuously during peak hours; Perishable prepared items have strict discard times

Box office reporting and remittances

Starts when: End of each day and weekly

  1. Compile ticket sales, attendance and concession revenue by film and showtime
  2. Calculate distributor shares using contract terms
  3. Draft daily box-office statement and remittance report
  4. Reconcile cash, credit, online payments and any refunds
  5. Archive reports for accounting and distributor audit

Watch for: Revenue splits must follow exact contract terms per title; Reports are sent to multiple distributors on different schedules

Projection and facility maintenance

Starts when: Daily before first screening and on scheduled dates

  1. Run projector, sound, lighting and HVAC checklist for each auditorium
  2. Track lamp hours, filter condition and any error codes
  3. Schedule preventive maintenance or bulb replacement
  4. Log fire-safety equipment, emergency lighting and egress tests
  5. Create work orders for any repairs or service calls

Watch for: Projector lamps are costly with limited rated life; Local fire marshal and accessibility inspections occur on fixed dates

Staff scheduling and dispatch

Starts when: Weekly and before each day

  1. Forecast staffing needs from showtimes and expected attendance
  2. Build weekly schedule for box office, concessions, ushers and cleaners
  3. Assign staff to specific auditoriums, positions and break times
  4. Send shift reminders and availability requests
  5. Track hours worked for payroll processing

Watch for: Staffing must scale for evening, weekend and holiday peaks; Ushers are required at every screening start and for crowd control

Safety, accessibility and permit paperwork

Starts when: Daily, weekly and on renewal or inspection dates

  1. Generate daily opening safety checklist including emergency lighting and exits
  2. Log temperatures for concession hot and cold holding
  3. Track permit, license, insurance and inspection renewal dates
  4. Maintain accessibility compliance records and closed-captioning logs
  5. Prepare documentation for upcoming fire marshal or health inspections

Watch for: Local rules for entertainment venues, occupancy and accessibility vary by jurisdiction; The theater manager confirms which permits and requirements apply

Bot templates for this industry

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Size Standards, Table of Small Business Size Standards Matched to North American Industry Classification System Codes, version March 2023 (effective 2023-03-17, NAICS 2022). Size standards are shown for reference only.