Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
is always funnier with shared laughter,<br />
sadder with shared tears, and scarier with<br />
shared gasps.<br />
Cinema and exhibition have rightfully<br />
been focused on providing presentation<br />
and technology that is not available in the<br />
home for the vast majority of people. This<br />
has created a Hollywood model matching<br />
tentpole movies with the big screen. This<br />
portion of the business works, but only if<br />
filmmakers are providing good movies and<br />
compelling stories.<br />
Cinema exhibition is one of several<br />
industries impacted by online business<br />
disruption. The most prominent is retail.<br />
Some brick-and-mortar retail stores are<br />
failing, a lot more are struggling, while<br />
some are still thriving. The International<br />
Council of Shopping Centers published<br />
their “Envision 2020” report on the future<br />
of the shopping center industry. Among<br />
the findings are that a “hybrid form of<br />
commerce is emerging, where shoppers<br />
move seamlessly between physical<br />
and digital worlds of retailing as they<br />
research products and make purchases.”<br />
Shopping centers are evolving from<br />
simple retail properties into shopping,<br />
dining and entertainment centers that are<br />
central to, and fully integrated with, the<br />
communities that surround them. The<br />
role of cinema in creating a shopping,<br />
dining and entertainment center serving<br />
as a community center and cultural hub is<br />
absolutely critical.<br />
Theatre Architects & Engineers<br />
Above: With Virtual reality (VR),<br />
each participant has an individual<br />
experience. The social part happens<br />
when people watch the participants.<br />
To return to the main question: How<br />
can cinemas survive in a streaming world?<br />
I propose the answer is a straightforward<br />
two-prong strategy:<br />
▶ Presentation quality<br />
▶ Social experience<br />
Let me provide some statistical basis<br />
for my optimism.<br />
Verizon prepared a report on Millennials<br />
and entertainment in 2014 that<br />
provides a broad perspective on preferences<br />
and some good news for cinema.<br />
616.785.5656<br />
www.paradigmae.com<br />
Millennials’ top three preferences for<br />
entertainment are to watch a TV program<br />
they like, listen to music and watch<br />
a movie they’re interested in. Most have<br />
a subscription service like Netflix, but<br />
the report also clearly shows very low<br />
tolerance for any audiovisual problems<br />
along with a strong preference for higher<br />
quality. Other high-ranking entertainment<br />
preferences include interacting on social<br />
media, gaming on a gaming console and a<br />
wide variety of fantasy sports. I think all<br />
of these are considerations for turning the<br />
cinema into an entertainment destination.<br />
The MPAA 2017 Theatrical and Home<br />
Entertainment Market Environment<br />
(THEME) report also includes encouraging<br />
statistics. Theatrical still accounts for<br />
46% of combined theatrical and home<br />
entertainment spending globally. Digital<br />
home entertainment is growing significantly,<br />
theatrical modestly, and physical<br />
home entertainment spending is falling.<br />
Frequent moviegoers continue to drive<br />
theatrical business, accounting for 49%<br />
of ticket sales while representing 12% of<br />
the population. Diverse age and ethnic<br />
groups are rapidly becoming frequent<br />
moviegoers.<br />
All of this data supports optimism<br />
about the future of moviegoing. But there<br />
are challenges and threats that should<br />
prompt exhibitors to consider evolving<br />
their facilities beyond just cinema into<br />
entertainment destinations. Some of the<br />
trending enhancements:<br />
52 FILMJOURNAL.COM / OCTOBER <strong>2018</strong><br />
050-062.indd 52<br />
9/5/18 3:35 PM
Change language