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This week Mark Welberry, Operations Director at the Savoy Cinema in Nottingham is in the spotlight. Mark explains how the Savoy caters for the cinema tastes of the local student population and shares his favourite movies. If you’d like to feature your cinema in a future issue of DCM Close Up, please email Rebecca.Rau@dcm.co.uk
How did you end up working in cinema and what do you love about it?
It wasn’t a career I’d thought of. In fact at the point it happened I still had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. It was a case of being in the right place at the right time. In 2001/02 I had been travelling after I finished University and when I returned I saw an ad in the local paper for a cinema manager at the new multiplex being built in the town centre. Unable to resist my charisma and good looks I was employed by James and Pat Collington and I haven’t looked back since. I love the buzz in the industry, there’s always something to look forward to and no two days ever seem to be the same. You also make some great friends that all share the same passion for films.
Mark Welberry, Operations Director at Nottingham's Savoy Cinema
What’s unique about your cinema?
That it’s still open! We must be one of the only independent cinemas that has a Cineworld a mile away on one side of us and a Showcase a mile away on the other. The Nottingham site is very different to our other two sites in that it’s a very old-school cinema. It opened in 1935 and still retains the original look both on the inside and outside of the building.
Please tell us about any special events or screenings you run at your cinema.
Our customer base comes from many demographics but we are right in the middle of studentland so we run a lot of films for student groups and show a lot of old classics. Our Top Gun special screenings always sell out! We’ve done a few live comedy shows as well, including Simon Bird hosting a sellout comedy quiz show.
What excites you most about the future of the cinema industry?
It’s exciting times and at the forefront of this excitement are DCM’s plans to maximise revenue on a digital platform.
What is your favourite movie and why?
I always find this a tough question as there are so many great films. The Matrix would be close but the one that has always stood out for me would be Gladiator. It was a couple of years before I entered the industry but it has always been the benchmark that I’ll compare films to in terms of quality.
What film role would you like to play why?
For a short while, probably the first 70% of the film, I wouldn’t mind playing the part of Juan Antonio….. But I’d love to be the ‘one’ so I’d go with Neo in The Matrix.
What do you think are the most iconic cinema ads and why?
The one that sticks with me from childhood and through the 90s is Pearl & Dean’s Asteroids opening.
The Savoy Cinema
Is there anything else that you would like to add about your cinema or yourself?
It’s a great honour to be working for the UK’s Premier Independent Cinema Operator!