How cinemas can accommodate the modern consumer
You would have thought that the greatest threat to the allure of the cinema screen would be something bigger, grander and more spectacular, a little bit like how DVD was dethroned by its better-looking older brother, Blu-Ray. Instead, the physical space of the cinema is being intimidated by the small screens of personal televisions and cheap streaming services, which is making the allure of the cinema not quite as glamorous.
Whilst such has been the truth for many years, with Netflix kicking off their online streaming service in 2007, the reality of how modern audiences consume content has been exacerbated by the arrival of countless other competitors, each looking to seize the attention of viewers. After Netflix came Amazon Prime, then NOW TV, then Disney+ which kicked off a domino urgency for other companies to do the same, with Apple, Paramount and many more following suit.
Having a significant impact on how modern audiences watch movies and TV shows, just last week, the iconic cinema chain Cineworld reported that it was considering filing for bankruptcy in the US as it lugged around $5bn worth of debt. Hit considerably by the lack of profits during the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020-2021, the chain, and many others like it, were forced to reconsider their sales model in order to accommodate the contemporary viewer.
Releasing a statement at the time, the company said, “Cineworld would expect to maintain its operations in the ordinary course until and following any filing and ultimately to continue its business over the longer term with no significant impact upon its employees”. Indeed, this scare was more the problem of the business itself, which inappropriately used their funds, rather than the choice of the moviegoing consumer. Nevertheless, the threat to Cineworld’s existence has exposed the thin ice that modern movie theatres find themselves built on.
Embracing the ‘experience’ of cinema
In the age of advanced consumer technology, many movie lovers will already have a pretty decent set-up at home. Sure, whilst it can’t compete with the 65-feet-wide projection of a local multiplex, the stereo system and flat-screen television do a good job, especially with the tube of Pringles, 2L bottle of Coca-Cola and bag of dry-roasted nuts that were bought for a total of £6.70, a far cry from the daylight robbery of deceptive pick ‘n’ mix.
Going to the cinema should differ greatly from the experience that consumers can already get at home, with the allure of the multiplex slowly fading once one realises the price of travel + seats + snacks. It usually equals a trip that will set you back £15 at the very least, with an IMAX ticket doubling your ticket price and the gimmick of 4DX, Superscreen and ScreenX almost tripling your total (and making you very wet and windswept in the process).
Several cinema chains have attempted to combat this by drastically reducing the cost of admission, with this certainly proving successful among many cinemagoers, but conversely, by reducing the price of a ticket you strangely also diminish the perceived quality of the experience. It’s certainly not a simple issue to fix.
The success of independent cinema chains
The aforementioned likes of Cineworld’s gimmicks, 4DX, Superscreen and ScreenX, offer something new for the normal cinemagoer, but does anyone really want water sprayed in their face, chairs jaggedly rocking and wind-blown in their general direction whilst watching a movie? Yes, the idea is indeed novel, bringing a considerable amount of people through the door looking for a new experience, but they’re not exactly sustainable, with audience members unlikely to come back after they’ve gone through the torment of 4DX.
It is a unique one-time experience, much like the screen itself that is only really able to host big blockbuster films, with rom-coms lacking the explosive drama to make use of 4DX’s capabilities.
Instead, cast your eyes on the world of independent cinema, and you’ll see an entirely different kind of experience being crafted as the event of going to see a film is rolled into an entire ‘night out’. Pioneered partly by the emergence of Everyman cinemas across the UK, which are built on a ‘luxurious’ business model that includes leather reclining sofas, ‘table’ service at your seat and a classy bar to enjoy drinks before and after the movie.
Their model is not unique, with countless independent cinemas across the country offering a similar level of service that wraps the experience of watching a movie in with pre and post-screening drinks and a night that seems far more tailored to the individual. The vast empty caverns of an Odeon multiplex seem far more uninviting and discriminating than the personal idiosyncracies of a local cinema.
For modern multiplexes, perhaps it is the foreign idea of scaling down that will help them to succeed in the contemporary industry. Providing a personal experience by which the customer feels like they have a close relationship with the establishment has been a proven formula for success throughout independent cinemas across the country. Despite their premium prices, they offer a cinema-watching experience that simply cannot be matched anywhere else.
