Leisure Media Issue 3 2009 - Leisure Opportunities

Theatre broadcasts for City ScreenUK CINEMA NEWSI think one of the key trends for thefuture will be that exhibitors increasinglyconcentrate on areas that differentiatethem from their competitorsIndependent film exhibitor CityScreen, which has 46 screens across18 sites in the UK, has become thefirst cinema operator to broadcastlive theatre on the big screen.In an exclusive tie-up with theNational Theatre on 25 June, thecompany beamed a production ofRacine’s Phèdre, starring HelenMirren, from the theatre on London’sSouth Bank, via satellite transmission,to all 18 of its sites, as well as toother cinemas it’s working in partnershipwith. The event is the first in aplanned series of four, with a secondplay broadcast set for later this yearand two more scheduled for 2010.“I hope this will be the start of along-term partnership that will maketheatre more accessible to those whocan’t or don’t have the inclination tocome to London,” says managingdirector Lyn Goleby.The National Theatre tie-up buildson City Screen’s existing partnershipswith the Metropolitan Opera inNew York, which sees up to 10 performancesa year transmitted liveto cinemas in the UK, as well as theRoyal Opera House in London.“I think one of the key trends forthe future will be that exhibitorsincreasingly concentrate areas thatdifferentiate them from their competitors,”says Goleby, adding thatCity Screen’s daytime programmingis another of its key differentiators.“We offer autism-friendly screenings,and have education officers in severalcinemas who work with schoolsCity Screen managingdirector Lyn Golebyand young people locally.”With admissions “hugely up”across the group, Goleby confirmsexpansion is on the cards, with fiveprojects at various planning stages.The group has also invested justunder £500,000 in refurbishing itsRitzy Picturehouse in Brixton, with aluxury screen, an area for live comedyand music and a new bar/restaurant.proper management, for the two to feed off each other.“We’re trying to pioneer the idea of home cinema and publiccinema as being complementary,” he says. “I passionatelybelieve that people will always want to leave their home togo to the cinema, and the evidence so far suggests that [theBSkyB partnership] is increasing cinema admissions, becauseof the awareness of the films created by Sky’s huge marketingplatform. We as a small distributor cannot compete with theHollywood studios for marketing, and Sky has 1.5 million customers,so that’s a fantastic opportunity for independent cinema.“Then again, the reason we’re able to do this is that we’re asmall, fully integrated cinema owner and distributor, so we cantake these risks whereas some people really can’t.”In general, Knatchbull believes trying to fight increasing consumerdemand for controlling how and when they view filmsis like swimming against the tide – but he doesn’t necessarilysee this as a bad thing. “At the moment, there are four monthsbetween a film being released in a cinema and it being availableon DVD, and there’s huge pressure from customers to reducethat window – and, with piracy on our backs, I think we’ll reacha point in the future when most new films will be simultaneouslyavailable across all platforms, from cinemas to DVDs to downloads.But I don’t see that as the death of cinema at all.“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with watching a filmon my mobile phone on the train for one price, and then in theevening paying another price to go out with my girlfriend tosee a film on a huge screen with a great sound system for thatshared emotional experience. I don’t think the two are mutuallyexclusive and I think it’s perfectly believable that people willwant both experiences at different times.”Knatchbull does not expect the recession to negativelyaffect business at all. “The film business generally and cinemasspecifically are very recession-resistant, and in fact cinemaadmissions have gone up in previous recessions. So for us it’sactually an opportunity, because on one hand we have a strongbusiness, and on the other hand, commercial property pricesare under enormous pressure, which makes our current growthstrategy even more likely to be worthwhile.”The only possible impact, he says, may result from the factthat funding to make films has temporarily dried up, which couldhave a knock-on effect on admissions further down the line ifthe quality of the products deteriorate as a result.COMING SOONIf the Wimbledon site is meeting targets after three months,the plan is to open another pilot outside London, possiblyManchester or Glasgow, as a prelude to a national rollout. Inaddition, Curzon AE has identified a number of sites outsideLondon for standalone Curzon Cinemas that will be entirely digitaland with 3D capability, and is also looking to purchase anadditional film catalogue and further build its online presence– but for now Knatchbull is focused on making HMV Curzon asuccess. If the strategy pays off, a new-style cinema could becoming soon to a high street near you. ●ISSUE 3 2009 © cybertrek 2009Read Leisure Management online leisuremanagement.co.uk/digital 33