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PT Pumpkins 🎃
@ptklein.com

Every accusation is a confession. As a former theater operator, I can tell you from experience that the current right-wing conspiracy theory about The Odyssey’s ticket sales has currency because this is, in fact, how small ideologue studios juice their own numbers to make their sales seem strong.

the beggars out of here getter@milesklee.bsky.social

I love how insane everyone is becoming.

PT Pumpkins 🎃
@ptklein.com

Back in 2011 there was a small production of Atlas Shrugged. The studio bought out full auditoriums for weeks by buying blocks of tickets to give away to church and school groups. 10 am matinees on Wednesdays appeared sold out and not a single person would show up.

PT Pumpkins 🎃
@ptklein.com

More recently, the evangelical Angel Studios employed pay-it-forward and BOGO schemes to boost the box office take on films like The Sound of Freedom and Young Washington. With this kind of chicanery, box office transactions occur while tickets can go unused. The outward appearance is success.

PT Pumpkins 🎃
@ptklein.com

A small clarifying note: I say “the studio” buys tickets above because the studio and producers often coordinate these sort of bulk sales, but that doesn’t mean they alone do this. Often outside actors—deep pocketed individuals and institutions—step in and purchase ticket blocks as well.

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44 LIGHTS
@44lights.bsky.social

Didn’t Melania and Amazon just do this in the past 12 months? AMZ bought loads of tickets and gave them away to bump her numbers. When the documentary went onto to AMZ for public purchase on Prime it failed immediately. This happens in small life theatre daily…paper the audience. Fill the seats.