The Steep Hill That Movie Theater Complexes Face

Last week, we went to the movie theaters to see “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”. It was the first film since January that we had gone to see at the theatres. Between now and then, we were busy and simply did not have the chance to go see anything else and were simply viewing movies at home. Although we enjoyed the film, we left the theaters with a sense of blah and numbness. It was as if we felt a bit cheated. Not from the film itself but by the whole movie theater experience. I asked myself, “How can this happen?”, “I love films and had been involved in the business until only a few years ago”.

I kept thinking of this during the ride home and came to simple conclusion: Movie Theaters Complexes have to change their methods when it comes to presenting a film to the audience in every possible aspect.

You see, between January and now one major thing changed at home when it comes to home video. We went full blown High Definition. A big screen, hd channels and of course, a Blu-ray player. It was a major upgrade for us for a decent price. As mentioned, we were very busy so we simply either rented or bought DVDs and Blu-ray movies. Upconverted DVDs were usually ok but when we were watching a Blu-ray film, we were always stunned by the amazing image quality and sound. We just love the whole set-up at home. We actually feel like we are at the theaters.

With that in mind, I search several discussion forums online and saw that I certainly wasn’t alone feeling that way I was feeling. If fact, there are hundreds of posts with very long threads about how the whole movie theater experience isn’t what it used to be. Why is that? Well, lets go through the whole process of going to the theaters.

Step 1: Go to the complex itself – For some its a walking distance other they need to drive to get there. Since I’m writing this editorial I’m using my own movie theater realities in Canada, and my area, hence a total of 5$ of gas (to go and come back).

Step 2: Pay for your admission – We are 2 people at 10$ each on a Friday night hence 20$.

Step 3: Optional but usually taken – Have something to eat or drink – We shared a small Pepsi at 3.50$.

So with these steps were are past the whole money thing: We spent 28.50$ to see a movie. That’s the price of a Blu-ray disc! That is the first hurdle that needs to be corrected.

I know that there is revenue sharing between the studios and the theaters for each ticket sold. So in order to compensate the complex will charge premium price on food and beverages. However, it seems now that these prices have been exaggerated. Some will say it’s to compensate for loss revenue from the last few years that were the worst in box office history. It’s all relative as we all know you “reap what you sow” (more on that further). We are just two people, imagine the turn off for big families.

Next, you take your seat and you are ready for your film. As scheduled, the movie starts at 7pm sharp. Wait a minute…that’s not the movie, its commercials!

For the last few years we have been plagued with commercials before even viewing the previews. These commercials can go as long at 15 minutes depending on where you go and what you see. If they were entertaining at least (like when one watches the Superbowl) but no, they are generally depressing, making you feel guilty because you are healthy and somewhere, someone else isn’t.

Heads up: I don’t pay the movie theater complex to be depressed but to be entertained. We deal with enough depressing things in our everyday lives!

So after having to deal with that total waste of my time, the movie starts….no…previews time.

Although previews are always fun, I think 15 minutes is just too long. Show perhaps 3 or 4 previews and then get on with it. We are in the day and age of the Internet. 95% of the previews they show, you have already seen online. The time should be reduced by half.

So with all of this, we have waisted about 30 minutes and the movie has yet to start. Up until now, it’s all been about your local movie theater. All about how they try to maximize the amount of profit without seeing the long term impact on their own bread and butter.

Finally, the movie really starts…

About 20 minutes into the film, a group of five people come in to take their seats. These late arrivals obviously distract everyone that got there in time and perhaps may of missed an important early point in the plot of the film.

Do you remember the time when you could not get into the theater if the movie had started? Hey tough luck buddy, you snooze you lose. Do you imagine if they would allow this during a show on Broadway? Heck they don’t even allow this during a hockey game at the Bell Center. They let people in only when the game is stopped by the referee. When the game starts again, no one is allowed in until the game stops again. This is called respect for the people that are there on time. Poor management and greed to make another dollar is to blame here!

During the rest of the film, we have the obvious idiot with the cell phone and a few that start talking. If you are lucky, you will encounter the dumbest of all that brings a newborn to a late night show as well…brilliant!

Management does nothing in these situations anymore. It’s a free-for-all that has turned many people off from going to the theaters at all. Remember my words above? “You reap what you sow’. This is exactly why there is a loss of revenues for Movie Theaters. They have allowed chaos to be the norm. Granted, some are better than others, but the companies behind these theaters have done poor choices in their management for the overall good of the theater.

Time to update the technology:

The last few movies I had seen at the theaters made me question image quality for the paying customer. Although the latest film seen, was deliberately filmed on a  ”1980’s” image style, one can still detect the problems of presenting an anologue presentation versus a digital one (and an HD one at home). I bet you once the DVD and Blu-ray versions of this film comes out, they will look 100 times better than what we have seen at the theaters – even “Indiana Jones”.

With HD available at home, and the price of Blu-ray’s vs the price of the theaters, one gets heck of a lot more his money’s worth by buying the film and staying at home. Movie Theater companies need to do the switch from analogue to digital fast. Apparently, a couple theaters have done the switch here in Quebec, but I have yet to see one close to my area. Granted it is expensive to do such a switch as even in the U.S there aren’t that many Digital Theater Rooms compared to analogue ones. It is, however a necessary step to make in order to move correctly in the next decade approaching us so fast and a method to survive. Even with going digital, theaters would still be, technically, outdated because of the HD era we have just entered. However, going digital will give them this extra boost that they need.

Competing with the home video market:

It’s no secret that the home video market has been killing movie theaters for years (pretty much since the inception of DVDs on the market). Studios are partly to blame here as smaller “release to home video” windows are imposed. It is a market truth that the sell-through market is better than the movie theater box-office market. At this point though, this is where we start going full circle..

Because of the lack of management in Movie Theaters, the high price, the economic situation, rudeness of people during the film, poor image quality, lack of time and sometimes, simply too many bad films, people have turned their own homes into home theaters and locked the door. The cocooning effect for this industry is complete. I rather wait a few months for say, “The Dark Knight” to come on Blu-ray and watch it in HD in my own home theater; away from idiots that don’t know how to live and without a sense of being cheated. This, my friends, is the hard truth and the reality of how it is, now, in the film industry.

So what now?

Can Movie Theaters Complexes rebound and be as successful as they used to be? No, they cannot! However, there are things that can be done in order for them to be back on the right track and do heck of a lot better than they do now.

1. Coming back to the basics
Deliver a quality experience for the hard earned cash that your customer paid for. Bring him/her “by the arm” and say that you are there to help them during those two hours of entertainment. Explain the rules either verbally or by writing and enforce them.

2. We have no issues of you making money but don’t push it either!
You want to charge a premium on food and beverage? Fine! However, the price you have now is simply ridiculous. I think that charging for butter on the popcorn is just wrong, selfish and greedy.

Limit publicity to only 1 commercial and charge the company wanting to do this a premium to compensate…they will pay don’t worry!

Stop pissing people off by refusing pass’ they won or earned because it’s opening night. Your Movie Theater brand name is on it and the movie name is on it. It goes into your marketing budget and is fully reimbursed by the studio anyways.

3.Innovate
Bring something new to the table. The same arcades that costs 1$ a game and that have been there for 10 years will do little to the experience…by the way…vibrating chairs neither. The problem is that you cannot think out of the box. You pay people good amounts of money in the marketing department, make them earn it.

4.Manage your theaters better
This is a major point that has to be dealt with. Your staff represents the company, and seeing them just slump on a chair not doing anything does not serve your image nor your finances well. Assign them tasks while the movie plays like actually going into the rooms to make sure the screen and the crowd is alright. (remember point #1). Jobs in this industry are the coolest ones and for teens, working in a movie theater complex is simply cool. If it comes to being boring and having no motivation to do anything, then there is a major problem in your theater.

5.Update your technology
Digital, digital, digital: This, you simply have no choice anymore. It’s expensive yes, but it’s an investment that will pay off in the long run. This is one of your major hurdles to fix when competing against the home video market.

6.Stop blaming everyone else for your problems.

You have probably noticed that I mentioned nothing about piracy in this editorial. That’s because piracy is often a result of all the other points above. It’s a problem yes, but not to the point that it is publicized. This is a strategy that the music industry took years ago, yet, since prices came down, CDs are still here and sell decently.

You have to stop looking at everyone and start looking at yourself. Crying on your case will not help you. You created these issues yourself, you can fix it with a bit of self-determination. Show that your are doing something for your customers and they will always come back.

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If all these points can be covered positively by Movie Theaters, then the future is bright. We all love film and we love going to the theaters, but the game plays both ways. People go there to get entertained. Not stressed out by rude people nor feel cheated because of either a series of bad films and poor image quality compared to what one has at home.

As far as film quality is concerned, perhaps the future is sooner that we think. Buena Vista (Disney) and Warner Bros. have announced that they would make less movies each year but add quality to them. This trend is likely going to spread across other studios because of the rising costs of making a film and the suprise success of making cheaper ones (ie: Borat and Juno) which could certainly resolve one of the issues Movie Theaters face.

For right now, however, things being what they are, less and less people will head to the theaters. I have to say it saddens me as I love theaters, but the good experiences in the last few years are simply lacking compared to what I can have at home. Our return on investment as to the amount of films we used to go each month will have paid the HD home theater by the end of next year. Myself and many others will enjoy much better quality films and a sense of not being cheated.

Will we stop going to the home theaters? Unless its with a crowd of friends…pretty much. There will always be the exception but until a massive revamp (at least in my area) is done, I’m simply done with Movie Theater Complexes. If people like me, who′s hobby are movies, no longer go to the theaters, then Movie Theaters Complexes, indeed, have a steep hill to climb.