Commentary

Coming Attraction: Can Cinema Keep Its?

  • by November 30, 2005
The flowers on the grave of the 30-second commercial have barely wilted, and already we're preparing to kill off another media staple. But is it really time to sound the death knell for the movie industry?

Granted, it's wheezing when it tries to run at the moment. Box-office receipts have been falling consistently for the past couple of years and attendance dropped dramatically this year over last. But rather than lying down to await its predicted demise, it may be more sensible for the movie industry to head to the gym and try to shape up a little.

Not everyone thinks that will be possible, mind you. There's even been discussion about a cultural shift that's turning people away from the cinema. We can be confident, however, that a cultural shift is a flawed explanation for what's going on at the cinema. Culture doesn't shift all that fast. Anthropologists would tell you that it takes at least a couple of generations for a cultural shift to take place. While there has been some increase in nesting over the last few years, which has fueled the sales of home-theater systems and DVD players, that's cyclical -- it's been driven more by recession and worries about the state of the world than anything else.

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It's not a cultural shift that's keeping people away from theaters. It's a technological and economic shift. With the abundance of cable movie channels, VOD, Bitstreaming, and DVD clubs, it's little wonder that people are more reluctant than they used to be to spend $10 to see a new movie at the cinema (and another $4 on popcorn and $3 on soda). That's a lot of money, especially when you consider that you can see the same movie a few months later for just $4.

Unless, of course, people are paying for more than just a first-look opportunity when they go to the movies. They certainly used to. The cinema experience has always been undeniably different from the experience of watching a movie at home, and that still holds true, even though home theater systems are getting better and more accessible. Watching a movie on the big screen creates awe in a way that a TV screen can never do, no matter how big it is. In the same manner, the sound of a theater can't be replicated at home, no matter how good the system is.

But more importantly, the cinema visit has traditionally been something that creates anticipation and excitement. It has been the focal point for a night out that usually also includes dinner and drinks and discussion about the movie.

Ironically, though, as the home theater experience has been getting better, the cinema experience has been getting worse.

The multiplex has turned moviegoing into a functional, conveyor-belt procession. Most theaters are in out-of-the-way locations, the buildings are sterile, the screens are smaller, and the showings are so regular that you rarely experience the movie as part of a large audience. In turn, that leaves the "first look" as the only real consumer benefit left in moviegoing.

And that becomes a problem when the inventory of new movies doesn't demand immediate attention. The cinema experience these days just doesn't support wait-and-see movies. And there are a lot of wait-and-see movies around.

Which leaves a couple of options for the industry:

The first is to make better movies. Or, in the absence of cinematic genius, experiment with improving the moviegoing experience. How about a chain of movie bars, for example? Once again, a movie could become the focal point for a night on the town, and theater owners could make money on $25 steaks rather than $4 popcorn.

Another idea that's gaining steam is a variation on the drive-in, where kids watch movies on huge portable screens in parks during the summer. For a new twist, exhibitors could take the creation of awe into a new arena by projecting movies onto the sides of skyscrapers and having people pay to listen to a podcast of the soundtrack.

In short, the movie industry has all sorts of options. The one that's not open is to do nothing and hope the situation will resolve itself. Culture might not change quickly, but patience with a bad product can run out real fast

Paul Parton, the brand-planning partner at The Brooklyn Brothers, a creative collective, is a regular contributor to MEDIA magazine. This column is reprinted from the November issue. (paul@thebrooklynbrothers.com)

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