FAQ and How-Tos
How do I create a private event that isn't open to the public?
- Publish the movie or special event with Public visibility and do not set a Start Date so it doesn't appear on the Coming Soon page
- Schedule the showtime and set the sale status to Open (Unlisted)
- If you're logged in as an admin, you should be able to see the showtime button(s) for the movie on the front-end pages of your site, which you can select to find the URL for the checkout, then copy that URL to share privately with any attendees (since that link is publicly accessible to anyone who has it)
Open (Unlisted) showtimes will appear as if they're open if you're viewing your site while logged in to the admin. If you need to ensure any Open (Unlisted) showtimes aren't visible to all site visitors, you can open your site in an incognito window or log out of the Filmbot admin to confirm.
How do I reschedule a show?
Check out this article: Reschedule a show
Can I swap movies and events between auditoriums?
Check out this article: Swap movies between auditoriums
What's the process for canceling and refunding tickets for a showtime?
Note: Do note delete the showtime from the Scheduler before following these steps.
Download the Showtime Attendees Report
In the event that you need to cancel a showtime, you should first download the Showtime Attendees report for the associated showtime. This is necessary because you'll need to reference the orders that need to be refunded, and the customer list to notify attendees of the canceled showtime. To download the Showtime Attendees report:
- Go to Sales > Sales Overview
- Locate the showtime, and click the arrow icon next to the showtime title to go to the orders list
- Click the downward-facing arrow icon next to the showtime title at the top of the orders list page to download the report
Disable Future Sales
After downloading the Showtime Attendees report for the showtime you need to cancel, you should then remove all ticket types from the associated showtime in the Scheduler. To do this:
- Go to Scheduler > Scheduler
- Select the showtime you need to cancel
- Remove all ticket types by clicking the X next to each listed ticket type in the Ticket Types field
- Save the showtime
Add a Label to the Canceled Showtime
Adding a "Canceled" label to the showtime button lets customers visiting your site know the screening is no longer happening, even before they attempt to purchase. To do this:
- Navigate to Movies > Showtimes
- Locate the showtime and select Edit below the showtime title
- In the showtime editor, write "Canceled" in the Extra, Shortened Extra and Abbreviated Extra fields
- Save your changes by selecting the "Save Showtime" button in the Update section of the sidebar
Add a Site Banner (Optional)
For additional visibility, you can add a temporary banner to your homepage or any other page using a Block Panel.
Block Panels allow you to display custom messages or content across your site. This is particularly useful for weather-related closures or other situations affecting multiple shows. You can find more information on Block Panels in this article.
Notify Customers
To notify affected customers, you should:
- Copy the customer email addresses from the previously generated Showtime Attendees report
- Send a bulk email to the customers through your preferred email client
- Customize your message to explain the cancellation and let them know a refund will be or has been processed
Refund Orders
To action refunds for the canceled showtime, please refer to this article. You can use the order IDs from the Showtime Attendees report to locate them in the admin or box office app. Refunds need to be actioned individually, and to action refunds for tickets purchased through Fandango, please refer to this article.
After completing these steps, you can delete or close the showtime if you don't want the the showtime visible on your site.