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The leading magazine for cinema industry professionals > VOL.33
PVOD/Theatrical
Coming to an online platform near you‌ but are viewers buying it?
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N Confidence grows? Which sectors of the audience are keenest to head back to the cinema
E Classic re-runs
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Produced in partnership with:
How cinema's greatest hits have been propping up the CV19 box office
28/09/2020 18:20
mne Sign up for a cinema technology service contract with Omnex starting in April 2021 and… receive all the cover you need until then for free. Too good to be true? No. This is what we’re offering all UK cinemas: If you sign up for a three-year service plan starting April 2021, Omnex will support you for free until then. From April 2021, we are introducing our reduced rate “pay monthly” plans specifically to help cinemas with cashflow. The only time you’d have to pay for Omnex support before then is if you need a site visit or if you need parts. The cost of our site visits is reduced, too. This covers your VPF warranty immediately. This gives you access to our engineering support for free until April 2021, 7 days a week, 8am – 10pm. This gives you free connection to our NOC, for advanced remote monitoring of your equipment. The bottom line? We face uncertainty together. This is a proposal to support you when you need it most. Visit bit.ly/OmnexOffer
Cinema isn’t just about technology It’s about people, too.
info@omnex.co.uk www.omnex.co.uk
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C O N T E N T S C I N E M A T E C H N O L O G Y > VO L . 3 3 N O . 3 > 0 9 / 2 0
NEWS
08
the cinema during CV19?
Comscore examines the numbers,
Cinema first, urges UNIC in a clarion call to distributors
UKCA’s Phil Clapp explains why cinema’s resilience is in
its continued response to adversity.? No-one doubts Christopher Nolan’s commitment to the
big screen — but can “Tenet” be judged a success? Helen Budge investigates
20
Has the PVOD experiment failed? it’s hard to say for
sure when audience can’t enjoy the big screen as Alastair Balmain finds
MANAGING EDITOR: ALASTAIR BALMAIN Motion Picture Solutions Ltd, Mission Hall, 9-11 North End Road, London W14 8ST T: +44 (0)20 3026 1368 E: alastair.balmain@motionpicturesolutions.com ART DIRECTOR: DEAN CHILLMAID E: dean@spacehopperdesign.co.uk
www.cinematech.today
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30
39
Another of South Korea’s electronics
giants
sees
value in the exhibition market. Peter Knight reports on LG’s entry into the
16
LED cinema technology arena
FEATURES
16
the cinema back catalogue
is bolstering box office. Lucy Jones, at
over the theatrical window.
12
With slates wiped clean,
Scotland’s innovative use of
Hosting High Court jury trials
11
25
32
As CEO of Pearl & Dean, Kathryn Jacob heads one
of cinema’s most iconic names, the perfect
position
from
which
to
champion diversity in cinema
39
Movio’s
Ashleigh
Davis
examines demographics of
confident returnees as cinema reopen.
42 46
Mark Trompeteler on the democratisation of culture As cinemas restart, what role do integrators play?
COMMISSIONING EDITOR: PETER KNIGHT E: commissioning-editor@cinematech.today ADVERTISING: BOB CAVANAGH Caixa Postal 2011, Vale da Telha, 8670-156 Aljezur, Portugal T: +351 282 997 050
49
Rolv Gjestland’s new book on auditorium design is the
definiftive work on the subject.
OPINION
50
Throw open the doors: Graham Spurling on restart
M: +351 962 415 172 E: bobcavanagh@sapo.pt SUBSCRIPTIONS Cinema Technology is mailed to IMIS Members. For subscription details and to read the magazine online, visit www.cinematech.today or e-mail CT@motionpicturesolutions.com
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Looking for the wider view? Talk to the international experts. Whether it’s mastering, localisation, 24/7 global distribution, festivals, premieres or event cinema support, MPS delivers world-class content.
T: +44 (0)20 7751 7000
E: info@motionpicturesolutions.com
motionpicturesolutions.com
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V I E W
After “Tenet”, Studios must show their Dunkirk spirit Life goes on. It really does — and as CT’s managing editor Alastair Balmain argues, there’s plenty of people out there clamouring for the content that distributors are keeping off of our cinema screens.
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Th e l e a d i n g m a g a z i n e f o r c i n e m a i n d u s t r y p r o f e s s i o n a l s > VO L . 3 2
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T of he s cin av em iou a. r ..
PVOD/Theatrical
M
Coming to an online platform near you… but are viewers buying it?
N Confidence grows? Which sectors of the audience are keenest to head back to the cinema
09/20
T
Classic re-runs
Produced in partnership with:
How cinema's greatest hits have been propping up the CV19 box office
28/09/2020 18:20
big screen. There’s stacks of films we’d have turned out for,
other day — governed by the “rule of six”,
but most devastatingly we are all crying out for “Peter
we were naturally restricted in how and
Rabbit 2”. I get asked at least once a week by my younger
with whom we could actually celebrate
son: “When’s Peter Rabbit coming out…?” The first film was a
the occasion, but we were determined
total hit in our house (we watched it twice in the cinema,
to go out and enjoy ourselves as a family, plus a friend or
then paid to stream it at home). We’d have been there with
two (but no more). Six can be a bit limiting. I’ve always been
our popcorn for sure. But of course none of these films was
a very keen game shooter… so, thanks to the Government
available. We went bowling instead… and it was fine.
exemptions for a whole host of outdoor activities including ultimate frisbee, dragon boat racing and caving, I did think
Support your local leisure industry!
about organising a day’s partridge shooting for 30 people. I
Just like the cinema, bowling is straightforward to manage
didn’t think for long, mind you: a) it’s not cheap, and b) even
in Covid times. Simply shut every other lane and only use
I acknowledge that it’s not quite the answer for a 13-year-
the allocated, sanitised bowling balls. We couldn’t have felt
old’s birthday party. No, we’d have to stick to six, max.
safer. Sure, we had to wear masks. Big deal. The staff were
Well, what about a trip to the cinema...? Although we wanted to, sadly we couldn’t head to our local
1
2
professional, confident and welcomed us warmly — and in our own modest way, my wife and I felt genuinely pleased to be supporting our local leisure industry.
cinema. It wasn’t due to a lack of enthusiasm or confidence
We weren’t alone. There were plenty of families enjoying
or that we were self-isolating — no, it was purely down to a
themselves living within the constraints of the rules. In fact,
lack of content. “Tenet” isn’t the film for two youngsters and
the place was full (to capacity) with people who had booked
I didn’t much fancy taking them to watch “On the Basis of
in advance. So come on distributors. Demand is there. Take
Sex” either — but we’d have been there in a flash if “Minions:
a super-strength dose of Senokot, swallow your brave pills
The Rise of Gru” or “Wonder Woman 1984” had been on the
— and unblock the cinemas that you claim to support.
3
1 Helen Budge
2 Lucy Jones
3 Phil Clapp
A freelance writer focused on the cinema industry, on p.16 Helen examines the performance of “Tenet”.
Executive director at Comscore Movies on p.25, Lucy explores the box office success of classic title reruns
Chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, Phil reflects on cinemas’ lockdown experience, on p.12
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Y SON HAD HIS 13TH birthday the
Writing in this issue of CT
E
NO.3
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e ve n t s
CT NEWSREEL
n e w S ,
v i e w s
&
i n d u s t r y
r o u n d - u p
g l o b a l t h e o f
U p - to - d a te
Edinburgh
Scottish cinemas host juries IN A BID TO TACKLE a backlog of cases created by the CV19
the prosecutor/defence and evidence. Bright idea, M’Lud: transforming cinemas into jury centres is a clever Covid response
pandemic, the Scottish Government has found an innovative
Eric McQueen, the chief executive
solution — hosting jury trials in cinemas. The Scottish Courts
of SCTS, said: “We’re grateful to Odeon
and Tribunals Service (SCTS) confirmed in August that the
for working alongside us to make the
Odeon cinema at Fort Kinnaird in Edinburgh was to host the
concept of remote jury centres a reality.
first socially-distanced remote jury trial on 28 September.
We need to increase the number of High Court trials taking
Meanwhile, Odeon’s Glasgow branch will host trials from 12
place and we will do this incrementally as soon as we can.”
October, with remote jury centres scheduled to be in place for six months. The cinemas were chosen due to their pre-existing digital connectivity and their secure IT infrastructure, according to SCTS, as well as for the benefit of their sound-proofed
Omnex offers free servicing support to exhibitors
auditoria which is clearly significant for jury deliberations. At
IN RESPONSE TO CV19, the integrator Omnex has
the sites, jurors are socially distanced and have a four-way on-
announced it is offering its services as a free-to-
screen view of proceedings. At all times the screen shows the
use support partner to sites in the UK until 1 April
judge and the accused, with other screens showing witnesses,
next year. The proposal is designed, in part, to ensure equipment supplied under VPF contracts remains in warranty, but is open to all exhibitors
London
who sign up to a service contract starting in April 2021 whether their equipment was under VPF contract or not. Until 1 April, covered sites will receive free remote support, with reduced-rate “pay as you go” fees for site visits. “We genuinely want to help, so I hope this is welcome news about how we can assist materially,” explained Simon Tandy, MD at Omnex, “Exhibitors won’t need to pay for contracts up front and when they do have a site visit, it is at a reduced rate. We’re a close-knit industry and I hope our support will help us all to reach the other side.” Email simon@omnex.co.uk
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www.cinematech.today
29/09/2020 10:52
Cineworld announces $1.6bn loss AS CT WENT TO PRESS, the major international chain Cineworld warned financial markets that it may need to raise more money in the event of further CV19 restrictions or further distributor-imposed delays to forthcoming releases. The company announced a $1.6bn loss for the six months to June 2020 after its cinemas were forced to close under lockdown. “There can be no certainty as to the future impact of CV19 on the group,” the company said in a statement to markets. Though the company had been able to reopen 561 out of 778 sites worldwide after lockdown restrictions had eased, the lockdown closures meant group revenues dropped to $712.4m in the first six months of the year, compared with $2.15bn a year earlier. The group loss marks a massive fall from the pre-tax profits of $139.7m seen in
NEWS IN BRIEF
> CTC extends membership support Cinema Technology Community (CTC) has announced an extension to its free membership level to help support the global cinema technology community. In March 2020, CTC created its Community Membership scheme allowing cinema
the first six months of 2019.” Cineworld has said it’s in talks with lenders to negotiate
professionals to gain six
waivers on banking agreements, which fall due this December and in June 2021.
month’s free access to members-only content
California
including presentations, white papers, handbooks, test materials, podcasts, CT magazines and video content. The scheme was designed to provide the global cinema community with a platform to seek advice, share knowledge and expertise and remain connected by sharing words, pictures and videos during the spread of Covid-19. “We launched the
QSC announces new Q-SYS core processors QSC HAS ANNOUNCED the launch of
Community Membership scheme as our way of giving back to our industry and to support colleagues during the most difficult of times,”
food service areas, event rooms, and An expanded Q-Sys processor line-up from QSC
explained CTC president
two new audio, video, and control
much more. “They are our most cost-
processors native to its Q-SYS Ecosystem
effective cores yet,” says Barry Ferrell,
— the smaller Q-SYS Core 8 Flex and
senior director of cinema product
seeing the re-emergence of
Q-SYS Core Nano. Driven by proliferation
development at QSC, “Giving installers
cinema around the world, we
of networked endpoints and expanding
the ability to choose either a single Core
recognise that global recovery
processing needs of a wider variety of
8 Flex or Core Nano for each room in a
is likely to be longer than
spaces and topologies, the Core 8 Flex
multiplex, or choose to run several
expected. As such we have
includes onboard analogue audio I/O
5.1/7.1 rooms from one single core
extend the Community
and GPIO plus network I/O while the
without compromising on features or
Membership scheme until
Q-SYS Core Nano offers network-only
performance.”
March 2021 to allow our
audio I/O processing and control.
Both of these new Q-SYS core
Richard Mitchell, “Whilst we’re
industry to continue to share
Built on the same flexible software
processors occupy a smaller half-width,
knowledge together.” Cinema
foundation as other Q-SYS processors,
1RU footprint and include pre-installed
professionals can sign up at
these new cores expand design options
8 x 8 software-based Dante audio
www.cinema-technology.com
to meet a wide variety of applications
channels (license upgradeable up to 32
including 5.1/7.1 and immersive audio
x 32 channels), driverless USB audio,
rooms, arcade gaming areas, music for
and AV bridging capabilities.
www.cinematech.today
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C T
Fit for the future: HFR 4K at 120FPS is available with the CP4450-RGB
N E W S R E E L
>
Christie redefines PLF with the dual-laser CP4450-RGB A GLOBAL LEADER IN digital cinema
projection
technologies, redefining
and
audio
Christie the
is
movie-going
experience for Premium Large Format (PLF) theatres with its state-of-the-art RGB pure laser cinema projector, the CP4450RGB, equipped with dual-laser optical systems (LOS) and highspeed
CineLife+
electronics.
Capable of playing High Frame Rate 4K at 120Hz playback, it is the world’s first advanced format cinema
projector
that
comes
equipped with the company’s RealLaser technology for screens up to 111 feet (33 meters) wide. With an output of up to
it the ideal projection system for PLF theatres,” says
55,000 DCI lumens, Christie claim the CP4450-RGB is
Brian Claypool, EVP of global cinema at Christie, “This
the brightest direct-coupled RGB pure laser cinema
direct-coupled RGB laser cinema projector enables
projector on the market.
exhibitors to impress audiences with stunning, true-
“The compact CP4450-RGB excels in image quality, operational lifetime and on-screen brightness, making
to-life 4K while benefiting from a platform designed to support the content and formats of the future.”
Sounds Associates purchases Future Projections AS CT WENT TO PRESS, the news was announced that the cinema integrator Sound Associates has bought the
over the reins — and it is a pleasure to hand over to them.” Graham Lodge, MD of Sound Associates said: “We are
London-based Projection, sound, design and installation
pleased to be working with Peter and Karen on this acquisition
services specialist Future Projections.
of the company assets and will be working hard to support
Karen Pitman, director at Future Projections explained the rationale behind the sale: “Peter and I decided in early
the existing Future Projections customer base in the same way they have been looked after over the past 23 years.”
2020 that the time was right to sell the business. After much
All existing Future Projections customers for cinema
consideration, we believe the fusion of FP and SA is really the
equipment sales and hire will continue to be supported
strongest way to look after all our amazing customers. We are
without interruption, now with the additional resources SA
delighted to be working with them, pulling all the strands of
can offer. As part of the transition, Future Projection contact
the business together and combining with the quality of the
details will be diverted to SA. Following the sale, SA now has a
SA company structure to make a solid transition.” Peter Hall,
full range of hire equipment for outdoor and indoor events,
MF at Future Projections and a long-term supporter of Cinema
large or small, from DCP to small kits.
Technology magazine, added “We are delighted SA is taking
Contact hire-enquiries@soundassociates.co.uk
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29/09/2020 10:53
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
MY
K
Untitled-2 1
29/09/2020 11:50
Change with the Changing Times
#UpgradeTo
info@galalitescreens.com | www.galalitescreens.com Follow us on:
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29/09/2020 11:51
C T
N E W S R E E L
Cinema first, urges UNIC
Galalite: people first, with Covid bonuses to all staff Setting a strong example of corporate integrity against the challenges of the market, the Indian screen manufacturer Galalite has demonstrated its commitment to its staff during the CV19 pandemic by announcing a “CV19 bonus” for all employees, bucking the trend for pay cuts and redundancies. In a statement, the company explained its rationale: “Galalite has always considered its employees as part of their extended family and always pledge to provide the employees with a safe and healthy working environment. Even in these difficult times, when the Coronavirus
Brussels
pandemic has severely affected most of the industries, and especially the cinema
THE INTERNATIONAL UNION of Cinemas (UNIC),
that audiences can enjoy a
the body representing cinema trade associations
range of films. This system
and operators across 38 European territories, has
was the foundation for a
issued a clarion call for the retention of theatrical
record-breaking 2019, with
cuts. The company has not
releases following distributors’ flight to streaming
1.34 billion admissions and €8.7 billion earned at
only retained their staff, but
platforms and delays of releases.
the box office in Europe alone.
has displayed true leadership
“The
sector
faces
industry, Galalite, unlike other companies, has not laid off any employee or implemented pay
unprecedented
and concern towards them by
ensuring that recovery can happen and that
challenges. More than ever, decisions across the
announcing a CV19 bonus for
audiences return to enjoy the unique experience of
industry need to be made with a long-term
all of their employees, to help
watching films on the big screen,” stated the
perspective. If our studio partners oblige cinemas
them to deal with the ordeals
Brussels-based association, adding that “While
to wait until the sector emerges from the crisis in
of their everyday lives and
many on the distribution side have indicated that
the US before supplying new content, it will prove
combat these unfortunate
‘we are all in this together’, recent events make it
too late for many European cinemas and their
circumstances. At the same
clearer than ever that this sentiment must be
dedicated workforce. All who depend on the
time, the company takes all
backed by actions as well as words. Specifically,
success of the film industry should commit to
the precautionary measures to
new content must be released in cinemas first and
ensuring the future health of the whole sector. By
alleviate the consequences of
observe a significant theatrical window, both
doing so, they will ensure that the wider film
the crisis and maintain its
elements being essential for the survival and
industry and European cinemas — from one-screen
strong financial position.”
health of every part of the European (and indeed
independents to art-houses and multiplexes — will
global) cinema industry.”
recover and can
a large portion of its funds
“The focus of the entire industry must be on
entire
UNIC’s call sends a strong message to film distributors
Annually Galalite invests
return from this
for the continuous growth
first’ strategy for film releases — accompanied by a
crisis
and development of its
significant period of theatrical exclusivity — is a
and
proven business model, and crucial for ensuring
resilient.”
The statement continued robustly: “A ‘cinema
www.cinematech.today
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stronger far
more
personnel,
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Weathering the storm... Lockdown has been a kick in the guts to all cinemas, but as Phil Clapp, chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, explains, the true mark of our sector’s resilience is in its continued response to such adversity.
W
E CAN ALL AGREE that it may be one of the great understatements to say that the past six months or so have been amongst the most difficult that anyone working in the UK (and indeed global) cinema sector is ever likely to
encounter and that we’re by no means out of the woods yet. Certainly, a time when the UK industry was enjoying a run of almost unprecedented success and the BAFTAwinning “1917” was pushing box office in Q1 of this year to even greater heights now seems an entirely different age. For many, a sign of the onslaught to come arrived with the announcement on 4 March that the upcoming James Bond movie “No Time to Die” would be re-dated. In hindsight it makes absolute sense, but it came at the time as an unexpected punch to the solar plexus of the industry.
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L O C K D O W N
...& coming out fighting
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The start of 2020 saw a real boom in UK Cinema. The industry was enjoying a run of almost unprecedented success and the BAFTA-winning “1917” was pushing box office in Q1 of this year to even greater heights. How quickly things took a turn for the worse…
Much of that early support in place, the association’s focus then swiftly shifted to taking the steps necessary to convince government to allow cinemas to re-open again. Central to this was the development of a set of guidelines setting out the key measures to be put in place to safeguard audiences and staff members. In drafting these, the UKCA relied heavily on the experience and expertise offered by a specially-convened working group of operations leads from more than a dozen of
95%
The UKCA estimates 95% of UK cinema staff were on furlough
its largest members. Given the developing nature of public health advice and the changing state of the pandemic, this remains a ‘living’ document, again tailored to the differing requirements across the four UK nations — the latest version can be found at www.cinemauk.org.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/ guidance-for-cinemas/
A lack of bandwidth After that, things seemed to move quickly, though the
Even with those strong foundations in place, there’s no
beginning of the lockdown when it came was undoubtedly a
denying that dialogue with government on this and other
messy affair with the public being told by government not to
matters was (and remains) at times a challenge. The need to
go to cinemas (amongst other venues), but with cinemas not
engage with so many demands at once has clearly caused a
being required to close by law. As a result, we witnessed a
range of ‘bandwidth’ issues at the centre, and communication
week of slow death for the admissions of those cinemas that
has not always been as timely or consistent as it might have
doggedly chose to remain open before the curtain finally
been. Announcements relevant to the sector have sometimes
came down.
been made without the knowledge of officials supposedly ‘in
A further period of uncertainty followed before the
charge’ of our interests, requiring them to play catch-up
announcement of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme,
before they can offer us detailed advice (the latest example
the point at which the word ‘furlough’ suddenly dropped into
being that around the need for face coverings).
our everyday lexicon. In truth, while just one of a number of
That said, it probably speaks well of the sector’s ability to
business support measures put in place for the sector —
organise itself that in each of the four UK nations, cinemas
including a business rates holidays, a VAT deferral and a
were among the first public venues allowed to open, and the
range of local authority-administered grants — it was this
UKCA worked hard to provide the necessary support for
scheme above all which provided a lifeline for UK cinemas. At
members, producing a series of assets to communicate the
one stage, we estimate that over 95 per cent of the sector’s
relevant measures to audiences — these can be found at:
workforce was on furlough, allowing those roles to be
www.cinemauk.org.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/guidance-for-
retained and ensuring that vast swathes of redundancies
audiences/ — and more recently worked closely with the
were avoided at the time.
sector skills agency ScreenSkills to develop an online
The need for dialogue
e-learning module and assessment test around CV19 for those working in exhibition, but which can be attempted by
The UKCA’s role in those early weeks was primarily one of
all. More here: www.cinemauk.org.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/
communication, ensuring that members were kept up to
training-for-cinemas/
date on the developing situation and aware of the different support schemes available to them. One feature of that time
There’s still a question mark…
— and something which became a constant theme — was the
While that sounds comparatively straightforward, at this
need for dialogue not just with the UK government in London,
moment the reality for many operators remains that when
but also the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and
and how they might re-open presents various challenges.
Northern Ireland, many of the key issues being dealt with differently in those nations.
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The cost of implementing necessary safeguards come at a time when revenue is squeezed beyond all recognition, not
www.cinematech.today
26/09/2020 21:07
L O C K D O W N
least when the demands of social distancing and the “rule of six” are such that available capacity is massively reduced — and much of the audience has not yet plucked up the courage to return. With cinemas doing all they can to get the sector back on its feet, the most obviously missing piece of the jigsaw remains new film content necessary to persuade
Audrey Tatou’s iconic movie moment in “Amelie”, part of the “LoveCinema” trailer campaign
There are though heroes (and heroines) to be found here — the likes of Altitude Films for example, which has released
people out of their homes. While the Film Distributors’ Association did a superb job
a number of significant titles into the maelstrom, and of
in marshalling its members to bring back-catalogue movies
course colleagues at Warner Bros, who — with sinews no
to the table, and some have drawn significant audiences (see
doubt strengthened by director Christopher Nolan — bucked the trend and released the espionage
“Classic titles back on the big screen”, page 24), it’s increasingly clear that without release of major new titles, the coming weeks and months will remain a hard slog for everyone. It’s possible that smaller operators in particular won’t make it to the other side.
“There are heroes like Altitude Films which has released several significant titles into the current maelstrom”
Content now. Please.
thriller Tenet globally in territories and regions where cinemas are open. In truth, we need more such displays of confidence in our business if we are to emerge from what will remain a deeply concerning time for the sector, with the weeks and months ahead perhaps being crucial in determining the survival of many.
There are positive signs — feedback from returning
It’s easy to jump on a high horse here, but while no one
audience members is overwhelmingly positive, with many
under-estimates the challenges being experienced by
going out of their way to say how safe and enjoyable the
colleagues in film distribution, the general unwillingness of
experience has been. And the launch of our ‘LoveCinema’
many of the US studios to make new content available to
campaign — www.lovecinema.com — led by an evocative
theatres in the UK — and indeed the increasing number of
trailer, has been hugely well-received, and clearly struck a
other film territories where cinemas have been able to re-
chord with many.
open — looks to many like hugely frustrating short-term
The challenge now is to maintain that momentum and
thinking and something which increasingly puts at risk the
bring our industry back to the heights it was enjoying before
future of our global industry.
lockdown.
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No-one can doubt Christopher Nolan’s commitment to the theatrical experience — but can the release of “Tenet” be judged a success? Helen Budge examines the facts.
I
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US, has Warner Bros.’ gamble paid off? And has the film that so much was pinned on done enough to convince Studios to remove the massive bung in Hollywood’s content pipeline?
The long road to the big screen N THE PAST FEW MONTHS, there’s
CV19 made “Tenet”’s journey to its theatrical release a tortuous
been only one word on the lips of those
one. Originally scheduled for 17 July, it was rescheduled three
in cinema exhibition — even more than
times and was, at one point, taken off the release schedule
“closures” (and associated expletives).
entirely. But Warner Bros.’ (WB) determination to find the right
The word is “Tenet”, Christoper Nolan’s
time and strategy to release it prevailed. Ann Sarnoff, WB’s.
time-warping espionage blockbuster
CEO and chair (and recently appointed head of WarnerMedia’s
starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson. Shot
Studios and Networks Group), is clear in her view that the
predominantly on IMAX cameras, the sweeping cinematic
strategy wasn’t a “leave it to chance” approach. She
landscapes and plentiful action sequences show exactly why
commented to “Deadline”: “We’ve been analysing numbers
this film was always intended for the big screen. But after its
and consumer behaviour, so we’ve been studying this since
staggered release, initially internationally then followed by the
Covid began. We crunched the numbers and figured out a
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R E L E A S E
way to make it work. Don’t spend all your money up front! Pace yourself, it’s a marathon and not a sprint. Release it, don’t expect a huge opening weekend, but as you know, even though there’s reduced capacity, we’re getting more theaters
International first… the right move
per location.” As illustrated by Sarnoff’s comments, WB has repeated
Just how will did “Tenet” perform on its opening? From 26 August onwards, the
many times that with this film under these circumstances,
film opened throughout international territories before opening on US soil over
“Tenet” is in it for the long haul, rather than the usual front-
the Labor Day weekend, with the latter grossing $20.2 million over a Thursday-
loaded release model of pre-Covid. “Variety” chipped in that
Monday spread. As noted in Box Office Pro’s Global Report, it’s important to
“Sarnoff said she’s encouraged by the returns from the film’s
remember that the market turmoil of the past few months in the US means these
international debut last week. Moreover, Warner Bros. is
figures were achieved while only roughly 68% of the Domestic market was
committed to keeping “Tenet” in U.S. theaters for a good
actually open to screen the film. Most of California and New York were still
stretch in order to give prospective ticket buyers time to get
closed, with both considered to be key national exhibition markets. Baltimore,
comfortable with the idea of returning to multiplexes.”
Detroit, Miami, San Francisco and Washington D.C. also all remain closed with
The studio has also commented on the lack of a frame of
Maryland, New Jersey and San Diego reopening after the film’s opening
reference, stating “Domestically, while our results show positive
weekend. Despite doubts at releasing internationally first, territories outside
like-for-like theater indicators compared to previous films such
the US were the success story. With the global total nearing $150million by 6
as “Dunkirk,” there is literally no context in which to compare
September, the staggered approach to the release was clearly the correct one.
results of a film opening during a pandemic with any other
Sure, in pre-Covid times these figures would be pretty underwhelming, but in
circumstance. We are in unprecedented territory, so any
this climate only the hardest-hearted critic would say anything other than “it
comparisons to the pre-Covid world would be inequitable and
started out well”.
baseless.” To be fair, they have a point.
Jim Amos, former president of domestic distribution for Sony Pictures said
There was little upcoming competition for “Tenet” to fight
of the release strategy, “When the international market accounts for 65-75% of
off after its release, however sustained success over a longer-
global box office, then formulating a release plan around foreign markets makes
than-usual tail does place reliance on “Tenet” having legs and
perfect sense. I know that those who follow Domestic box office like to believe
filmgoers maintaining interest, post-debut, to keep numbers
that North America is the gold standard for a film’s success, however those days
going up. But being a Christopher Nolan film, famed for head-
have long since passed.”
scratching, mind-bending plotlines, repeat viewings may well be common, as well as first time attendees.
First out of the blocks
Quoted by Forbes, he went on to say that this probably won’t be the new normal, depending on the pandemic easing in the US, “Facing several distribution options, none of them ideal, Warner Bros. picked the “least worst” option of releasing “Tenet” internationally, then a week later to domestic. As we’ve seen
For industry outsiders looking in, the huge pressure placed on
over the past few months, the global landscape changes by the minute and it
“Tenet” — and, indeed, on WB — comes from it being the first
would be foolhardy to employ a one-size-fits-all plan or to proclaim, that a
tentpole put out by a major studio after cinemas closed across
cinema-first release is no longer a viable business approach.”
the world. A spate of new movies originally intended for a theatrical release instead went straight to online while “Tenet” stayed faithful — to the relief of the beleaguered international cinema exhibition community. Needless to say, Disney’s live-action remake of “Mulan” heading straight for Disney+ was not warmly greeted by exhibitors, many of whom had kitted out their theatres with merchandise ready for the release of the remake of the 1998 classic. Despite Disney CEO Bob Chapek saying this was a “one
Straight to VOD… the departure of “Mulan” to Disney+ was definitely “a step backwards” according to the UK Cinema Association.
off” move, many exhibitors held strong opinions on this with one theatre owner in France making it quite clear how he felt about the news, uploading a video to social media in which he destroyed a “Mulan” pop-up poster with a baseball bat. But for Nolan and WB straight-to-streaming was never an option, having always been particularly vocal about how essential
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the cinema experience is to the fabric of society, not least because it provides viewers with the most impressive version of his (and others’) movies. His advocacy — and “Tenet” — come at a much-needed time as cinema everywhere have been left in the middle of a content drought, with precious little to lure back apprehensive audience members. Robbie Collins, film critic at “The Telegraph” explained the situation most eloquently: “As a high-profile advocate for the theatrical experience over the years — and the primacy of projected film prints in particular — only Quentin Tarantino comes close. So it makes sense that in cinemas’ hour of direst need, and when the rest of the studios’ output is nowhere to be seen, it would be a Nolan film that comes to the rescue...”
What happens next? Realistically, a significant element of the pressure on “Tenet” is because the success of its theatrical release — both in the US and internationally — will determine what happens next for the wider industry. All of Hollywood has been nervously watching the box office figures — only if “Tenet” performed well enough would confidence return to Hollywood executives in levels high enough to stick to dates for releases intended for the rest of 2020 and early 2021. Tessa Street, general manager at the ODEON Leicester Square, reflected the exhibition view when she said, “It’s vitally important that “Tenet” is successful and that we deliver a great experience to our guests so they want to come back.” For exhibitors, the bottom line is that they need a — relatively — steady stream of new films that audiences are excited about seeing. And one film, however suited to the big screen it is and however famous its director and cast are, sadly won’t keep movie theatres afloat on its own.
Crunching the numbers To look at the flip side of the coin, while the film started well, “Tenet” still has a way to go to make up the necessary financial ground, as explained by Gene del Vecchio in “Forbes”. Possibly slightly harshly, he noted that “The positive
“No-one has experienced a release like this, there’s no playbook for what to do and how to judge it.”
expectations and exuberance that some theaters are actually open.” That’s not to say that believing harder will help change
massive success elsewhere. To refer back to WB’s own statement about the release, no-one has experienced a release like this, there is no playbook for what to do and how to do it. So surely only the benefit of hindsight will allow us to judge whether “Tenet” on its own was sufficient to convince viewers who may have been wavering about heading to the cinema as soon as it opened? After all, there’s no going back for WB now.
headlines [around “Tenet”’s performance] are less a reflection of financial viability and more a reflection of extremely low
above water.”? A forced streaming strategy hasn’t proved a
Eagerly anticipated and on the big screen: wouldn’t we all like to invert time a little right now?
While a positive mindset might not make a difference in hard revenue, there needs to be a supportive response, given the figures and how much worse it could have been, rather than simply putting WB out on a limb after they jumped in
the box office figures — ultimately the numbers are what
head-first with the first post-pandemic movie. Given the oft-
count — but is it short-sighted to look only at these opening
decried “death of cinema”, measuring whether a film
week/weekend figures and say, in del Vecchio’s words, that
performed well in post-Covid times demands more than just
“Only a fast pivot to streaming may keep [“Tenet”’s] head
an opening week/weekend’s figures. Doesn’t it?
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A View from the Director Christopher Nolan, on “Tenet” as the “saviour of cinema” “All I can really take responsibility for is making the best film that I can. I think cinema is bigger than any one film one way or another, and I think people tend to simplify things a bit, particularly in a time like this. I’m just very pleased that the studio feels they can let the film play in places where theaters have been able to open. Obviously, that’s not the release we imagined when we were making the film, but then, the world is not as we had imagined it would be when we made the film, and we had to adapt like everybody else. I’m just very, very pleased that audiences around the world are beginning to be able to respond to the film, because, for me as a filmmaker, the film is not finished until the audiences gets to see it and tell me what it is that I’ve done.” (Interview, CNA News, 25 August)
The definition of “success” So was the release of “Tenet” a success, or a flop? Plenty of
PREMIUM PROJECTION SCREENS
commentators have gleefully called the latter, but considering that movie industry analysts couldn’t agree on what the box office benchmark would be for a certified hit, it’s clear there’s no set formula this time around. As senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian said, “Just to have it open, that’s how I define success [...] To me, that’s the win.” What “Tenet”’s theatrical outing does firmly prove is that for the right film, audiences want to and will return to (sanitised) theatres to enjoy the full theatrical experience. And given the
FOR 2D & 3D APPLICATIONS Reflecting every detail with clarity and precision
terms WB wrangled with exhibitors — as much as 60% in some cases — this was a win-win situation for them too. The hope is that “Tenet” will start the movie ball rolling again. The film needs to be seen on a big screen with all the trappings — a small screen at home simply doesn’t do it justice. It is early days, considering Sarnoff’s comments about a significant long-tail post-debut interest, but if Disney, Universal et al are watching the figures unfold and garner a degree of confidence that a theatrical release is justified, it bodes well. We can hope… No matter what knockbacks we get in the next few weeks, “Tenet” should be cause for celebration and is the first step in getting the movie and cinema business back to where it should be. And let’s not forget that if “Tenet” were to be released theatrically in normal times it would undoubtedly
We thank our clients for their understanding as we took the necessary actions to navigate through the crisis. We are confident that the industry will emerge strong despite being one of the most affected by the pandemic, its resilience has stood the test of time. We look forward to meeting everyone soon. In the meantime, we hope you stay safe and healthy. – Ray F. Boegner, President
have been a smash hit, with “Mulan” following in its footsteps. Warner Bros and Christopher Nolan were there when they were needed And let’s celebrate what we can when we can in the “new normal”.
1 877 755-3795 | info@strongmdi.com www.strongmdi.com
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The “premium” of cinema versus Premium VOD:
Which tips the scale?
T
HERE ARE MANY IN the cinema world
reflecting the community’s needs, then viewers will flock to
who would like to suggest that sitting
it. Sadly it isn’t the case that all cinema sites are the compelling
in the dark with a bucket of popcorn
destinations they should be. In a world of digital streaming
and 100 other people is a sort of quasi-
immediacy, to many consumers, the continued existence of
religious experience. It isn’t. In fact, a lot
theatrical windows makes a poor out-of-home experience
of the time, a standard trip to the
less appealing than a moderate in-home one. Especially in a
cinema can be disappointing.” Before you start sharpening the pitchforks, those words
world impacted by the unwelcome presence of a pandemic.
belong to Tom Jarvis, founder of the Wilderness Agency, a
Stay at home? I’ve been there all year…
London-based social marketing agency with clients including
The argument that films should be released on all channels
HBO, Warner Bros. and the world-leading food company
at the same time has its advocates — “Give viewers the choice
Danone. As a committed cinephile, the central tenet of his
— and let cinema survive on its own merits,” say those waving
argument (published last month in the marketing industry
the flag for content democratisation. In truth, they may also
journal “The Drum”) was not “scrap cinema”, but rather “make
be harbouring a degree of resentment at popcorn prices. If
cinema as good as it can possibly be”. In short, if your venue is
the experience isn’t up to scratch, cinemagoers won’t rush to
really that great, and it genuinely is the hub of the community,
pay the out-of-home premium — they’ll watch the latest
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Has the PVOD experiment failed? Some think so, but as CT’s Alastair Balmain explains, it’s hard to say for certain when the audience can’t enjoy the big screen experience they yearn for
release from their sofa, bypass the big screen entirely and
markets, a healthy 21% of respondents said yes, if available,
eulogise about the savings. There is a “but…” here, of course.
they would be comfortable watching the film in the cinema
After six long months of economic lunacy, and combatting
in the first week of its release, with a further 25% saying they’d
Coronavirus with hazard tape and hand gel, could the
be happy to head to the cinema to watch it in the first month.
fundamental appeal of “Netflix and chill” or “Disney+… plus premium” be losing its shine for the stay-at-home majority? Human beings are, by their nature, sociable, a point borne
comfortable heading to the cinema to watch a new release.
out by polling carried out by Omdia, the global technology
Despite the masks and the social distancing. This compares
research specialist in advance of Disney’s release of “Mulan” in
with 17% across all markets that said they would be prepared
September. In the week running up to the film’s release, the
to pay a premium to watch it at home (PVOD) and 18% who
research powerhouse surveyed consumers in the US, the UK,
said that they were interested in watching “Mulan”, but
Australia, Mexico and China to gain a better understanding of
weren’t keen to go to the cinema or to pay a one-off fee to
audience attitudes into theatrical and PVOD releases. The
watch at home. While it’s tempting to blame CV19 for
critical question audiences were asked? “Would you be
everything, the indication in that final response is that one in
comfortable going to the cinema to watch “Mulan” if it were
five simply don’t recognise the value of a premium experience
released in your local cinema on 4 September?” Across all
whether it’s at home or in a lavishly appointed auditorium.
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Read that last sentence again. At the height of a global pandemic, nearly half of the respondents said they would be
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You can’t win them all over to the big screen, but in China
C O M F O R TA B L E GOING TO THE CINEMA RIGHT NOW?
and Mexico in particular, it seems you can win more of them. they would be comfortable seeing the title in a theatrical setting than elsewhere: 71.2% and 49.6% respectively said they’d be happy to head to the cinema in the first month to
% ACROSS SELECTED COUNTRIES
see Disney’s latest. Omdia’s research was specific to a title with a mixed release strategy — straight to PVOD in markets where the Disney+ platform exists, with a theatrical release in
USA
UK
Australia
other markets where cinemas are, thankfully, open. Were the “No Time to Die”, which (at the time of going to press) is
said that they would watch “Mulan” at the cinema in the first week of its release.
sticking determinedly to a theatrical release in November, the results would make for interesting reading. Arguably a
25%
tentpole Bond that has been heavily and slickly marketed for
said that they would watch “Mulan” at the cinema in the first month of its release.
months might skew the audience’s “risk vs reward” sentiment significantly in favour of the theatrical experience. “Mr Bond,
17%
we’ve been expecting you…” has never felt more apposite.
said they would pay a premium to watch “Mulan” at home (PVOD).
“Proof of life” in our cinemas Cinema owners don’t need any reminders that distributor
18%
confidence (or lack of it) in light of the release of “Tenet” has prompted a slew of big titles to be postponed. In the last
“Tenet” passed $250m global box office, including a notably strong opening performance in the Japanese market
including a strong opening performance in markets such as Japan where it exceeded totals for Nolan’s previous films “Interstellar” and “Dunkirk”. It’s performance in the Domestic
China
21%
research to be conducted on a title such as MGM/Universal’s
week of September, “Tenet” passed $250m global box office,
Mexico
71.2%
weren’t keen to go to the cinema or pay a fee to watch “Mulan” at home.
of those in Mexico said they’d be happy to head to the cinema in the first month to see Disney’s “Mulan”.
market, however, was lacklustre thanks to the closure of cinemas in the core California and East Coast states. So, a
exhibitors, the opportunity to clean the porthole glass, switch
respectable performance if not a mega-money-maker — but
on projectors and issue proof of life has been the biggest
with hand on heart, did the exhibition and distribution worlds
victory of this release. The real wish now is for follow-up
genuinely expect a super crash-hot performance? For many
movies and a return of distributor confidence — that, sadly,
Source: Omdia
$250m
In those markets, a larger proportion of the audience said
“The Candyman” coming to a cinema near you soon…? The delayed release of Universal’s “Candyman” is far from unique in
collective, a community, so we’re pushing “Candyman” to next year,
the times of CV19, with nearly every significant film release
to ensure that everyone can see the film, in theaters, and share in
originally scheduled past Q1 2020 having seen some form of date
that experience.” Big up for the big screen experience.
shift. Having originally been slated for an early
2 2
Should we read too much into the fact that the
summer opening, “Candyman” was subsequently
tweet — and indeed the director’s own Twitter
delayed to September, then to October — and finally,
account — were later deleted? Not really. The intent
in a clear admission that any attempt to set a firm
and desire for a widespread theatrical release are
date at the moment is a Sisyphean task, Universal
clear even if the final distribution strategy currently is
announced the film will release in 2021, final date
not. Whether the film receives a traditional exclusive
TBC. That’s a standard tale for current theatrical
window, shorter theatrical release, day-and-date
releases, however the film’s director, Nia DaCosta,
multi-platform release, or direct to a PVOD release,
headed to Twitter to explain the rationale for a
clearly the ambition was for a big screen scream-fest
prolonged delay — “We wanted the horror and
in the first instance, not simply to feed the streamers’
humanity of “Candyman” to be experienced in a
scrolling carousels.
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P L A T F O R M
appears to be sketchy at best. Titles such as “The King’s Man”,
WFH: unshackling the commuter
“Wonder Woman 1984”, “Candyman,” etc. have all pencilled in
In the battle of in-home leisure vs out-of-home leisure, let’s
new dates several months later in the exhibition calendar.
not forget the increasing prevalence of three little letters —
“Pope has balcony” shocker!
WFH. Cinema’s audiences aren’t going to be absent forever, but there is a good chance that their working practices may
So what of the opposition? Finding hard and fast data on the
have changed, at least in the short-term and potentially more
performance of subscription services is often a challenge, but
permanently. It’s by no means an option open to all, but for
in a “Pope has balcony” announcement, payments company
many the requirement to work from home brings significant
Revolut and Bank of Ireland last month released interesting
advantages, not the least of which is time. Though the kitchen
data about sign-ups for subscription services in lockdown.
table office environment may not be ideal, workers worldwide
Analysis of customer transactions illustrated an average 36%
have switched onto the fact that more time is now available.
increase in subscriptions to Netflix for each month between
With the shackles of the office undone for many, the result is
March and July. Not a huge a surprise for time-rich populations
a more flexible working day, shorter
with diminished leisure options — and further evidence that the streaming habit is an established entertainment format. Though we’re happy to slap down so much per month on the table for a raft of quality programming, are subscribers, really willing to stump up yet further for premium content on the same platform? Certainly for IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond, PVOD has been proven to be “a failed experiment”. Some might see vested interests behind his statement, but as he
“Where do you want to be after a busy day Zooming? Arguably not inside the exact same four walls watching TV.”
commuting hours and, consequently, increased leisure time. And where do you want to be at the end of a busy day Zooming in the sitting room? Arguably not within the exact same four walls watching television. As the pandemic wanes (which it surely will) the appeal of out of home
told delegates at a recent Goldman Sachs conference, “The
leisure will increase. Already the terms “revenge travel” and
numbers haven’t worked in a pandemic, so how would they
“revenge spending” have been coined for the anticipated
work in a non-pandemic?”. It’s a fair point.
post-pandemic booms in the holiday and luxury goods
Some have come to believe, erroneously, that the world of film entertainment is a binary choice — either stream at home or release to cinema with theatrical exclusivity. But
markets. Why shouldn’t our sector be encouraging viewers to watch “revenge movies” on the big screen?
that’s not the whole story. Universal and AMC’s deal to
Waiting for sunnier days… for how long?
accommodate 17-day windows for certain releases and the
Right now Studios are stuck between a rock and a hard place,
fact that Netflix itself discussed a possible theatrical release
with exhibitors enduring their share of the exact same pain.
of “The Irishman” with a shorter window demonstrate that a
For distributors, releasing expensive movies in cinemas now
cinema release in advance release on other platforms is the
risks insufficient returns. But why risk a further hit releasing
right option for the right content — assuming exhibitors will
A-grade content online-only, whether as part of the marketing
stomach it. Less a case of having your cake and eating it, more
drive to boost subscriptions to your new streaming service or
a case of using the right ingredients in the first instance.
to enjoy a diminished revenue with no box office returns?
Scorsese’s recent deal with Apple for “Killers of the Flower
When audiences can return in earnest, the premium that
Moon” starring DiCaprio and De Niro will see the film receive
cinemas should really concern themselves with is less the
a wide theatrical release with partners Paramount. Quality
competition from online offerings and more the delivery of
will out: truly worthwhile films won’t exist solely online if
the best experience possible. Post-Covid, there will still be a
there is value in a theatrical release. And the backlog of
place for theatrical exclusivity and the qualities the big screen
content in the 2021 slate suggests that quality and value
experience espouses. As one industry insider puts it: “We
definitely exists.
don’t want anyone to abandon the theaters, we just want
36%
Analysis of their customer transactions by Revolut and the Bank of Ireland illustrated an average 36% increase in subscriptions to Netflix for each month between March and July.
consumers to have choice. Think about cooking. You can cook a great chicken at home or you can go to a restaurant and have chicken. The restaurants don’t say, well, we need to have an exclusive on chicken. Instead, they just say, we do a better job. It is great to go to a restaurant, and it’s great to go to a movie theater.” And which movie insider said this? It was Netflix CEO Reed Hastings of course.
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29/09/2020 11:52
C L A S S I C S
CLASSIC
BIG SCREEN TITLES
BACK ON THE
At a time when slates are wiped clean, exhibitors in the UK and Ireland are relying on the back catalogue to bolster the big screen. Lucy Jones, executive director at Comscore Movies, examines the true impact of box office re-runs of some of our best-loved films. Or... how raiding our lost arts offers a new hope.
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26/09/2020 20:33
OW CAN WE characterise this “new
down 2020 have any lasting impact on programming
normal” for cinemas in 2020? For the
decisions and audience engagement, or is it inevitable that
doors to be closed and the pipeline of
we will lean harder on the small number of guaranteed
films to be cut off, not only in one
blockbusters to make up for our losses? Pre-lockdown
territory but simultaneously across the
initiatives brought renewed focus on diversity of voices and
world, is the very definition of the word
representation to ensure our industry is serving all potential
“unprecedented”. When we look back
audiences. Many consumers have emerged from lockdown
on this period from the comfort of future normality, what
realising that they don’t want to return to their old normal,
lessons will we learn?
instead wishing to engage more with their local community and seek out new experiences. There is an opportunity now
Back to the future, again
to capture new audiences while they are in this period of
Looking back to the objectives of the Digital Screen Network (DSN), the initiative to digitise cinemas across the UK was
reflection.
another time when the industry spoke of a “new normal” — in
Post-lockdown: no more hunger games?
this case, to bring a wider range of films to audiences across
The continued pandemic and the devolved nature of
the country,, initially funded by the virtual print fee. Interviewed
government across the different regions of the UK, alongside
recently to look back at UK Film Council achievements 10
the Republic of Ireland, meant that a co-ordinated reopening
years after its closure, Pete Buckingham (head of distribution
(as seen in France) would not be possible. Setting territory-
and exhibition, UK Film Council, 2002-2011) told Screendaily,
wide release dates was impossible, with further complications
“We thought it would be an amazing thing to have, let’s say,
of capacity limitations due to social distancing and, for big
200-odd cinemas across the UK of all types, which will now
Hollywood films, co-ordinating global release dates with
have a programming commitment to — for want of a better
other territories at various stages of lockdown. In response to
word — specialised films. That worked. If you look back at those
the shortage of new releases, the UK Film Distributors’
numbers, the numbers are very big.
Association (FDA) developed the “Relaunching Cinema:
“Subtitled films and difficult, specialised films got a wider
Content For Recovery” initiative. This lists 500 titles available
range and people went to them. All we were trying to do was
for cinemas to book, across recent and classic films. The
give confidence: that actually when the heroin is withdrawn,
available titles are grouped into programming strands by
you don’t revert back to [how it was before]. The new normal
genre, theme, flavour or audience demographic to aid
could appear and people would operate in that normal.”
exhibitors’ planning and decision-making. Crucially, it includes
However, Buckingham feels this shift wasn’t maintained
the contact details for the distributor of each title and ensures
after the DSN was completed. “I feel sad because for about
that all of the listed films are currently available, avoiding the
five or six years, we had all the chains really engaged in
need for exhibitors to spend time researching availability and
successfully building people to watch these films in places
rights holders.
they’d never really get a chance to see them. It just slipped
Andy Leyshon, chief executive of the FDA, explains how
back. There was a short period of time when things did look
the initiative came about. “Following discussions on the
like they might be changing. But then it just fell back to worse
Cinema First Board and anticipating a phased market
than it ever was.”
reopening, it was decided that we would reach out across the
When we look back, will the paradigm shift of locked-
distribution sector to amass a collection of films and event cinema readily accessible for cinemas to play. We wanted to
TIMELINE
create as varied an offer as possible, and one that would
29.5
29.6
4.7
22.9
What the rest of 2020 holds…
Post-lockdown, the UK governments announced cinemas could soon reopen.
Ireland allowed widespread reopening from 29 June — with Dublin being locked down again in late September.
England allowed cinemas to reopen from 4 July, with all regions unlocked by 27 July
At the time of writing, cinemas in the UK were exempted from a post-10pm curfew imposed in the UK.
At the end of February, we had over 60 “saturation” releases listed on the calendar for the period from April to August; by the end of March this had fallen below 40 and kept on dropping. The equivalent months in 2019 saw 86 saturation releases over the summer, achieving a cumulative box office total of £659m over their lifetimes. (A saturation release is expected to play in over 250 cinemas across UK and Ireland.)
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www.cinematech.today
29/09/2020 20:27 14:48 26/09/2020
C L A S S I C S
T OP 10 CLASSIC FILMS POST-
enable reopening cinemas to get up to operational speed, while at the same
LOCKDOWN (29 MAY-9 AUGUST)
time enticing audiences to return to the big screen. We also sought to make
RANK
programming as straightforward as possible for exhibitors, so split titles into key groups. What we didn’t necessarily anticipate was that a whopping 500 titles would end up in the mix! The response from reopened cinemas has been
really
terrific
and
returning
audiences have likely had theatrical access to the most eclectic mix of films ever.” Cinemas have been able to use the list to programme easily via themes such as black lives matter or female voices, crowd-pleasing genres such as musicals and comedies, or to target specific demographic groups within their local audiences. The content list will remain a valuable resource for the remainder
of
the
year,
as
many
independent cinemas have scheduled their reopening activity for the autumn. In the early stages, cinemas may find it necessary to look beyond their usual audience as those in more vulnerable categories remain at home; much has been said about the importance of the grey pound to the cinema sector, but
TITLE
1
4
2
7
3
9
DATE GROSS
% BOX OFF
£275,350
4.54%
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN 2017
£132,128
2.18%
THE DARK KNIGHT 2008
£127,854
2.11%
STAR WARS: EPISODE V – THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK 1980
4
10
DIRTY DANCING 1987
£117,931
1.94%
5
11
JURASSIC PARK 1993
£117,484
1.94%
6
13
BACK TO THE FUTURE 1985
£105,569
1.74%
7
17
INTERSTELLAR 2014
£74,718
1.23%
8
18
HARRY POTTER & THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE 2001
£73,540
1.21%
9
19
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING 2001
£70,934
1.17%
10
23
HARRY POTTER & THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN 2004
£58,577
0.97%
Rank among Classics
Rank among all films
TOTAL BOX OFFICE CLASSIC FILMS (219 TITLES)
£2,876,222 43.79%
ALL FILMS (319 TITLES)
£6,069,106
this group may be slowest to return until a Covid vaccine is available.
Look, it is your destiny… As cinemas reopened following the easing of lockdown
releases (led by “Onward”, initially released in March) and brand-new titles (most significantly the Russell Crowe psychological thriller “Unhinged”, released on 31 July).
restrictions, over two-thirds of the titles played were originally
With the exception of Christopher Nolan retrospectives,
released over a year ago. The most popular films were
this strong performance by classic films is unique to the UK
significantly older, led by “The Empire Strikes Back”. This film
and Ireland. Looking across Europe, Middle East, Asia/Pacific
alone contributed over 4.5% of the overall post-lockdown box
and the Americas, other territories have seen most revenues
office, the type of market share we associate with a top-tier
driven by two recent categories of film: new local titles and
new blockbuster (for example, “Avengers: Endgame” topped
early-2020 Hollywood releases. The most successful local
the 2019 chart, contributing 6.6% of the total for that year). The
titles include “Peninsula: Train To Busan 2” (South Korea), “Tout
most recent entries in the Top 10 of classics were 2017’s “The
Simplement Noir” and “Divorce Club” (France), “Meine
Greatest Showman” and 2014’s “Interstellar”, which enjoyed
Freundin Conni — Geheimnis um Kater Mau and Takeover —
significant interest in the run-up to the release of “Tenet”.
Voll Vertauscht” (Germany), and most recently “Padre no hay
Astonishingly, almost half of box office revenues came
mas que uno 2: La llegada de la suegra” (Spain). All were
from classic films, exceeding £2.8m over the ten weeks since
released in July. Prior to the release of “Tenet”, the most
reopening. This is despite stiff competition from early-2020
successful local new release in UK and Ireland was
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“Summerland”, released 31 July. Worldwide, the Top 10 Hollywood titles after lockdown and before “Tenet” were “Dolittle”, “Interstellar”, “Onward”, “Scoob!”, “Bloodshot”, “Sonic The Hedgehog”, “1917”, “The Invisible Man”, “Little Women” and “Unhinged”.
Cinema love, actually As new releases started to make a tentative return, 20 August saw the launch of the #LoveCinema campaign, coordinated by the UK industry body, Cinema First. This promotional
6.6%
C L A S S I C S
Avengers: Endgame topped the 2019 chart, 6.6% of the annual total
campaign aims to remind audiences of the unique experience
Worldwide, the Top 10 titles immediately post-lockdown were Dolittle, Interstellar, Onward, Scoob!, Bloodshot, Sonic The Hedgehog, 1917, The Invisible Man, Little Women and Unhinged.
£1m
André Rieu’s Magical Maastricht concerts have previously made £1m+ in a day. This year…?
that only the big screen can offer, whilst reassuring them that all safety measures are in place to protect the health of
mid-September as CT went to press, when Andre Rieu’s
cinemagoers and staff. The main campaign trailer recalls the
“Magical Maastricht: Together In Music” offered an important
emotional experience of cinema, evoking the escapism of
litmus test of older audiences’ appetite for cinema visits.
watching a film in all its technical glory. Hopefully this will be
Previous Maastricht concerts have generated over £1m in a
pushing at an open door with people pining to get off the sofa
single day, a benchmark not achieved by the entire box office
after a long absence and more staycationing than any families
since mid-March. From October on, the release calendar
can handle. The dual aspects of reassurance and excitement
sticks resolutely to the “new normal”, with releases scheduled,
are both essential, as many people have concerns about the
but subject to confirmation and delay by distributors. The
behaviour of those outside their bubble and need a compelling
majority of the year’s Top 10 films are yet to come — and as
reason to re-enter public spaces. After so many disrupted
Wesley Snipes almost said, always bet on Bond.
months (with no immediate prospect of respite), there’s a psychological barrier to overcome which needs to be tackled via both logic and emotion. Classic films will likely remain a key part of our cinemas’ offering over the coming months, with some open weeks still to navigate following the release of “Tenet” (released 26 August) and “The New Mutants” (4 September). Andy Leyshon is clear that it’s a combination of new and old that will maximise the chances of a successful relaunch: “We do fully understand that a steady flow of new releases is what’s really needed now to progress the business on to the next stage and take it back to its bumper pre-Covid levels, but the wider selection of back catalogue films remains out there and can hopefully be utilised as strong complementary programming going forward. What better way to reaffirm how very special the cinema experience
is
than
by
offering
something to suit every taste in a big screen environment.” The next major release came in
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T OP FILMS POST-LOCKDOWN BOX OFFICE (29 MAY-9 AUGUST) RANK
1 2
TITLE ONWARD UNHINGED
RELEASE
RANGE GROSS
06.03.20
£52 8,732
31.07.20
£443,339
10.04.20
£2 90 ,92 5
11.04.97
£275,350
3
TROLLS WORLD TOUR
4
STAR WARS: EPISODE V – THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
5
DREAMBUILDERS
17.07.20
£ 144,2 2 6
6
1917
10.01.20
£136,237
7
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN
2 9 .1 2 .1 7
£132,12 8
8
100% WOLF
31.07.20
£ 128,571
9
THE DARK KNIGHT
25.07.08
£ 127,854
DIRTY DANCING
10.02.87
£ 117,931
10
www.cinematech.today
26/09/2020 20:27
Film services since 1938. This is how we connect.
Empowering exhibitors worldwide with proven, reliable IP delivery and live-streaming
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Gofilex is proud to support Paralympian Niels de Langen in his pursuit of gold at the Paralympic Games, Beijing 2022. 29/09/2020 19/02/2020 12:04 17:50
T E C H N O L O G Y
Key Features: PIXEL PITCH: 3.3 mm Screen Ratio: 4,096 x 2,160 (DCIcompliant) Brightness: 48 cd/m² (DCIcompliant / Minimum) Contrast Ratio: 4,000 : 1 (Minimum) Compatibility with Dolby Media Server (IMS3000) & Dolby Atmos
LG: a new entry in the Cinema LED market Another of South Korea’s electronics giants sees there’s value in the exhibition market. Peter Knight reports on the latest entrant.
W
provides the best theatre environment with vivid image quality and realistic stereo sound. The display itself is 14m wide and
About LG
7m tall and uses Dolby Atmos audio and a Dolby IMS3000
on
LG Corporation
to customers and is monitoring the market, with plans to
lockdown and the battle to beat the
was established
introduce additional screen sizes to suit specific requirements
Covid virus, those in exhibition may have
in 1947 as
of the cinema market in the future. At the time of the launch,
failed to notice the quiet arrival of a new
Lucky-Goldstar.
Paik Ki-mun, head of the Information Display business unit of
entrant in the cinema space. Not to
LG operates
LG Electronics Business Solutions, explained. “Our intent is to
be outdone by its rival manufacturer
subsidiaries such
elevate the movie-going experience beyond what consumers
Samsung, the South Korean electronics giant LG has launched
as LG Electronics,
are accustomed to. We’re confident the advanced technologies
its own foray into the LED cinema display market, announcing
Zenith, LG
behind LG LED Cinema Display and Dolby solutions will grow
the first commercial installation of its LG LED Cinema Display
Display, LG Uplus,
in a Showtime Cinema in Taiwan in June. The company’s LED
LG Innotek and
LG has entered the Cinema Exhibition market a few years
offering achieved DCI certification late last year and the first
LG Chem in over
after Samsung launched its own Onyx LED Technology, which
installation in Taichung City’s Wenxin branch of Showtime
80 countries
is already equipped in a number of premier sites in 17 countries.
Cinema operates within a 300-seat auditorium. LG says it
worldwide.
Meanwhile, in September last year, Barco announced its own
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030_SEP20_LG_LED.indd 30
ITH
THE
WORLD
FOCUSED
server to playback content. LG has said that it is listening closely
our share of the growing LED cinema market.”
www.cinematech.today
28/09/2020 18:36
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Screen points out that a projection room is no longer required for this technology, allowing a number of benefits to exhibitors, not least increased seating capacity in the auditorium, but as many in the industry appreciate, and as articles within “Cinema Technology” have illustrated, boothless cinema auditoriums are already very much in operation at a number of sites thanks to the use of projector platforms and lifts. LG also claims its LED
Be part of the leading publication for cinema industry professionals!
panels have a working lifetime of 100,000 hours, which it says compares favourably to a bulb-illuminated projector with a 30,000 hour working lifetime. According to the specifications, a 4K cabinet of panels weighs in at 2.6 tons and consumes 9kw of power producing a typical 73BTU sitting at a pixel density of 90,000 per sqm. The cost of the unit has not been disclosed. “Seeing is believing” and it is unfortunate that LG’s entry into the market has been temporarily thwarted by movement restrictions, meaning, of course, that specifiers and buyers of its new solution have had the opportunity to appreciate it. Our hope is that CT will soon also have the chance to appraise it — when we do, a full report will follow!
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030_SEP20_LG_LED.indd 31
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26/09/2020 20:50
I N T E R V I E W
An industry that’s accessible to all As CEO of Pearl & Dean, Kathryn Jacob heads one of cinema’s most iconic names, the perfect position from which to champion diversity in cinema. Words: Melissa Cogavin
K
ATHRYN JACOB’S accomplishments
“We have a company mantra which is “to harness our
are considerable and impressive; hugely
passion for film, to build great brands between films and
intelligent, modest with a wicked sense
audiences and the films they appear in.” It’s all about open
of humour, her insight, positive outlook
relationships with the people that we work with,” she told me.
and vision have seen her embrace her
“Mark Williams at WTW cinemas in Cornwall — we are both
Fact File Kathryn Jacob,
15-year tenure as CEO of the cinema
massive cricket fans. I’ll text him during a test match saying:
CEO, Pearl
advertising Pearl & Dean — only a fraction of the work she also
‘Are you watching this, I feel sick. OMG what’s happening now,
& Dean
handles outside office hours on subjects including the effects
every time I walk in the room we lose a wicket!’ You can only
of advertising on body image and mental health.
have that kind of culture in a sector where people welcome it.
Kathryn Jacob is
Kathryn’s energy and positivity are infectious, and she has
It might not thrive in a place as open and people oriented as
CEO of Pearl &
nothing but good things to say about Pearl & Dean, where she
cinema is. If we were a firm of actuaries, I don’t think the
Dean and sits on
has been CEO for 15 years. The company was founded in 1953
culture would be quite the same,” she added.
and is embedded in the UK’s collective cinema consciousness
the Advertising Association
for its iconic theme tune, “Asteroid”, (though perhaps better
The end of the world as we know it...?
Council. She is
known to all as the ‘pa-pa, pa-pa, pa-pa, pa-pa, pa-pa-pa’
While 2020 will linger in all our memories for not very good
ex-President of
theme). The company has endured substantial market
reasons, Kathryn is undaunted by gloomy predictions. “We are
Women in
changes and recently added Everyman to its impressive client
at a funny point now. Recent events have thrown into contrast
list. Despite stiff competition and ups and downs, 67 years on and it occupies 20% of the UK market screen advertising business and is in good shape. What is her fondest memory of her time at Pearl & Dean, I wondered? “My fondest time – oh God, all the time. It’s been the best job I’ve ever had. I work with the best people, talented,
the difficulties that some people face. I
“Pearl & Dean is a supportive, creative business with great people… I was only meant to be there for six months!”
super hard working, I laugh every time
think we have an awareness as a society that we have got to change things and if we are going to be in a global fight for talent and to maximise our success as businesses, we have to not treat our staff as commodities. The majority of people really want to do well in their jobs and have fulfilling careers. It’s interesting now — a few years back nobody would
at least five times a day. It’s a supportive, creative, ambitious
have let people work flexibly — Covid has taught us we can.
business with really nice people. I was only meant to be there
People are in fact more productive. You don’t need to work in
for six months. Lovely Mike Hope-Milne — he said he was only
office hours necessarily. Actually, there are fewer distractions
going to stay 18 months and he’s still there. It’s the best place
and output is probably higher; it’s a rigorous and more focused
to work. There is a relentless amount of affectionate mickey-
way of working. It’s about having faith in your staff,” she
taking, so much mutual respect and support.” I suggested that
explained.
this sort of culture only happens if the executive team creates
competition, increasing unemployment and the gig economy
it in the first place, then it trickles down, but Kathryn batted
have probably also focused people’s minds on earning money
that idea away with typical modesty.
while they have the opportunity.
www.cinematech.today
032_SEP20_INTERVIEW.indd 33
Advertising and Communications .
The
zero-hours
contract,
supremely
stiff
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‘Death of cinema’ (again)
Cinema’s future is safe,” Kathryn assured me, “There is nothing
True to Kathryn’s character is the fact
to worry about. It’s all about investing in the content, not the
that she sees the future of our sector in
platform.” She’s right of course. The consumer is interested in
terms of focus on people rather than on
seeing “Mulan” — they have no particular loyalty to the studio
commercial imperatives. What about the calamitous cinema
that made it; there is no special thrill to be gained in choosing
landscape? Again, Kathryn is unfazed. “We’ve been hearing
the bespoke platform offering it at $29.99 + subscription fee.
about the demise of cinema since radio was invented,” she
While some take to social media to bemoan the changing
sighed. “We’ve seen off threats from TV, VHS, DVD, piracy,
landscape, Pearl & Dean has spent the summer successfully
streaming and now we have Covid. Everyone is talking about
working on pop-up cinemas and drive-ins with its partners
the release of “Tenet” — sure it means changing release
Luna Cinema and Rooftop Cinema. Kathryn accepts the
patterns. Maybe it will be a huge success, maybe it will mean
current landscape is challenging but is relentlessly upbeat
business as usual. It’s certainly business for now.” Maybe it will
about the opportunities for people out there and feels certain
change things for the better, she added.
the UK cinema industry will weather this storm.
Pa-pa pa-pa… generations of cinemagoers know Pearl & Dean
Given the plethora of SVOD platforms, she argues, why do people still go to the cinema? For the same reason it is
A champion for equality
impossible to get tickets to Glastonbury — for the experience.
Kathryn is the co-author of two books now, the second of
“There is nothing better than sitting in a cinema, viewing a film
these, “Belonging: The Key to Transforming and Maintaining
as a crowd,” she says, “We are pack animals; we want an
Diversity, Inclusion and Equality at Work” (Bloomsbury
emotional experience. I went back to the cinema for the first
Publishing) is due for publication at the end of October. It
time last week and there was a genuine sense of ‘everyone else
addresses diversity in the workplace, how to make it happen
in the room’ — ooh, here we are, aren’t we great!”
and how we all stand to benefit. Critically and commercially
“We love finding points of contact with other people.
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Kathryn Jacob’s two books focus on diversity and equality, subjects that have defined her career
well received, her first book “The Glass Wall” offers ‘a strategy
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I N T E R V I E W
“Cinema’s future is safe. There is nothing to worry about — it’s about investing in content, not the platform”
as CEO. In addition to her day job she sits on the Development
for success to help women capitalise on opportunities at work, or overcome the inevitable complications that will arise over the course of a career’. Kathryn’s positive tone is all over her first book, a marked difference from some of the strident, aggressively feminist writing elsewhere characterised by an unfortunate tendency
Cinema has the ability to change and challenge attitudes in a way that television cannot, says Kathryn Jacob
Board of Women’s Aid, the Advertising Association Council and the Government’s Expert Group on Body Confidence, for which she was awarded an OBE in 2010. How did that come about? Kathryn gives a hoot of laughter. “The OBE was the result of another string! In 2010 I joined a Government Expert
to alienate. The designer Diane von Furstenberg (among other
Group led by [former Liberal Democrat leader] Jo Swinson.”
luminaries) agrees: “It is so important to empower other
She expanded on this, explaining the damaging effect that
women and that is exactly what this book does. It gives women
airbrushed images in advertising have on young people and
practical advice to help them navigate careers and, ultimately,
their mental health.
design their own life.”
An award-winning contributor
“There was talk of kitemarks on advertisements at the time to say they haven’t been touched up. Editorial is always touched up though; look at old Hollywood photos, everything
Like a lot of us, Kathryn left university without much idea about
is retouched — everyone knows it. The idea that the public is so
what might come next. “Oh no I didn’t have any idea. University,
stupid that they think if they use this face powder that they will
then let’s see. No regrets! God no. I’ve had an absolutely brilliant
look like the models in the ads is just mental.
career, I love my job and I love the people I work with.” Kathryn
“I did some work on the views of girls and mothers on the
was the first girl in her family to go to university and afterwards
advertising in a report called ‘Pretty as a Picture’ representation
took a role at a regional newspaper as a graduate trainee. This
of women in advertising.” In 2011, 84% of girls polled were well
led to positions at “The Daily Telegraph”, IPC Magazines and
aware that airbrushing is a part of advertising, that they were
Virgin Radio, which evolved into Ginger Media Group, where
less trusting of brands using airbrushing and opinions skewed
she became commercial director, before joining Pearl & Dean
toward more natural-looking images shown to them over
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I N T E R V I E W
airbrushed, perfect models. In 2020, it is likely young people are now even more savvy, which is comforting.
The golden rule? Do unto others...
Kathryn warmed to this theme. Representation of women in the media is high on her agenda, and there is work to be
I had a good idea what advice Kathryn would offer to those looking to get into
done. “One Indian woman I talked to told me the only
the film business — and it brings us back to her core philosophy. “Work hard. Be
representations of Indian women in the media are variously as
fair to people. Treat people the way you want to be treated and learn from them.
a doctor, a pharmacist, or standing next to an elephant. We
Nepotism and who you know in this industry is still rife. I’ve done ‘Speakers for
have so much work to do on this.” Though Kathryn has done
Schools’ sessions at all-girls schools and I had one smart Indian girl who wanted
some with the Home Office and Equalities Office, the same
to work in film, but her parents were adamant it wasn’t a real career. “Be a
applies across all groups. “It’s the same with body dysmorphia
production accountant instead,” I told her. No one realises there are loads of
in boys,” she went on, agreeing that the impact of social media
other really amazing skilled jobs out there — there is an education gap there. We
and the value placed on rippling muscles and buff midriffs is
need to make it more accessible for new talent; we all stand to benefit. Diversity
damaging and unrealistic for all but a few in the real world.
is important and our own industry certainly promotes it enough on the screen.
Breaking down barriers
Look at the way in which film can treat subjects. Cinema gives you permission in a way that TV can’t because it’s going direct into people’s homes. Cinema has
Her book “The Glass Wall” was published in 2016, the
changed attitudes, it’s dealing with big, difficult subjects. Look at the taboos
culmination of her research and co-written with her good
broken by films such as “The Crying Game” in the 90s, by “Brokeback Mountain”
friend Sue Unerman. “I have known Sue for so long I can’t
in the 00s.”
remember meeting her. She came to see me and said ‘I want to write a book about women in careers but I won’t do it unless you write it with me. It was a brave decision on her part, as prior to that we had only exchanged texts and emails really. I am an
first one. We did about 200 talks to blue-chip banks, women’s
extrovert, she is an introvert; we are very different and have
groups, places like the London School of Economics — and
very different backgrounds.” She went on to add this duality of
what we realised was that people that aren’t in an identified
perspectives was a strength and added weight to the
group (such as BAME, LGBTQ etc); most of them want to create
arguments presented in the book.
dynamic and diverse organisations. And I’m not talking about
“The aim of the book wasn’t to say ‘men are all bad, step
tokenism; that doesn’t last. The blurb is inspiring. “Belonging is
aside’, Kathryn was keen to stress. Indeed, “The Glass Wall” is
the call to action we need today — the tool to turn the men in
dedicated to “all the strong women in our lives, especially our
power into allies as we battle discrimination, harassment, pay
daughters, and the lovely men that support them and us.” She
gaps, and structural racism and patriarchy at every level of the
explains: “It was about a system and a culture that exists — a
workplace. The lessons in this book will help us work together
toxic, alpha male atmosphere, which doesn’t work for all sorts
to build a better workplace where everyone feels they belong.”
of men and women. A lot of men don’t want to play that game and they find it really hard to negotiate.”
The talent that should be ours
I pressed Kathryn on this. “There are unspoken rules in the
Few have the breadth of understanding that Kathryn has, and
workplace. It’s like trying to explain the offside rule; if you don’t
the million-dollar question was on my mind. “What does the
understand it it’s impossible to play football. That’s hard if
future hold?” She felt it was all tied to valuing each other and
you’re a man and if you’re a woman it’s harder still.
understanding that value. All across the supply chain?
Understanding the rules of the game — arming yourself — was
“Absolutely. Client supplier, exhibitor, distributor. Understanding
one of the reasons why we wrote the book. We heard women
the dynamics of the business.”
and men saying ‘It’s me, it’s my fault for not understanding the
These are sentiments which are echoed in her books;
game. When we did talks afterwards, the number of men that
clearly Kathryn sees value in the talent this industry attracts,
told us how much that resonated with them was amazing.”
and is passionate about developing, nurturing and sustaining
She added, “People told me ‘This book has changed my
that talent so we all succeed. Wordcount stops me, but Kathryn
career; it’s made me realise I can get the career that I want.’ It
is a force of nature and I could have talked to her all day. With
was the most gratifying bit about it.” What is the next book
her vision, hopefully we will one day make our industry as
about? “That really came out of all the talks we did with the
accessible as it deserves to be for all.
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F I L M
D A T A
WHICH MOVIE VIEWERS HAVE BOUNCED BACK POSTLOCKDOWN? The past few months have been marked by speculation and hypothesis about cinemagoing, but with many sites reopening, firm data on returning visitors is at last available. Movio’s Ashleigh Davis scrutinises the demographics of confident returnees.
A
s cinemas across the world reopen their doors, it seems the question of how lockdown has impacted the film industry and moviegoer behaviour can finally start to be answered. As many countries started to ease their
social-distancing rules and commence some degree of normalcy, it presented the opportunity to discover which film lovers were the first to return to their favourite havens.
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AGE GROUP TRENDS DURING LOCKDOWN
With sufficient data now available in a range of territories, Movio’s moviegoer analysis and comparison of behaviour from January to June and July means we can see which
MOVIEGOER SEGMENTS FROM JAN TO JUL 2020 (UK & IRELAND) Jan
audiences responded to the first of theatre reopenings in key markets (UK, US, Western Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Australasia).
Jul
50%
Vital analysis for future marketing
40%
Movio’s Data Science team focused their analysis specifically
30%
on the age and gender demographic profiles, frequency of
20%
attendance, and visits per member, comparing these data
10%
points from pre-shutdown to the June and July reopening
0%
period. Note that this analysis excludes several variables such as content on-screen as well as pricing and offers to members. The industry assumption was
12-34 yrs
35-54 yrs
that the younger
55-80 yrs
moviegoers may ultimately return
The industry assumption in lockdown had been that younger moviegoers would return to cinemas sooner than those in older age brackets. In the UK & Ireland, this was the case, with the 12-34 year old
moviegoer segment rising from 35% of the total audience in January 2020 to 46% in July, while the 55-80 age group dropped from 22% of the total cinema audience pre-shutdown to 9% upon reopening.
sooner than older age brackets. In the
UK
and
Ireland, this was
certainly the case. The 12-34 year old moviegoer segment
FREQUENCY OF CINEMA VISITS DURING LOCKDOWN
here rose from 35% of the total cinema audience in January 2020 to 46% in July, while the 55-80 age group dropped from 22% of the audience pre-shutdown to 9% upon reopening.
FROM JAN TO JUL 2020 (WESTERN EUROPE) Jan
Jun
“The impact of fewer regional CV19 cases on attendance among older audiences is a factor to consider”
When examining the audience behaviour in Scandinavia and Australasia, however, different patterns emerged. Younger audiences in Scandinavia (those aged 12-34 years)
Jul
actually made up a considerably smaller proportion of the 60%
moviegoers upon cinemas reopening, versus the period prior to lockdown. More specifically, this age segment shrank from 41% of total attendance in January to 30% of the audience in
40%
July. Older moviegoers in New Zealand also represented a larger share of the total audience following lockdown, where 55-80 year olds previously made up 21% of the total audience
20%
in this region in January, yet in June they made up 31%. Could this illustrate a correlation between the countries hardest hit by CV19 and audiences most confident to return
0%
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Frequent
V.Frequent
the fastest? The impact of fewer regional Covid cases on
The suggestion that those who visited cinemas most prior would be the ones to head straight back when they could largely proved to be the case. The data gathered by Movio saw “frequent” (those making 6-25 visits in six months) and “very frequent” (those making 26+ visits in six months) moviegoers dominate the audience profiles for those returning to
cinemas in June and July. Attendance per loyalty programme member in Western Europe was up from 1.45 average visits pre-lockdown, to 1.67 average visits in June, and a further increased to 2.04 average visits in July. This consistent rise in returning frequent moviegoers made up a whopping 40% of audiences in July, compared to just 12% in January.
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F I L M
attendance
amongst
older
markets reopen in months ahead.
Gender: a female skew The Movio Data Science team
“frequent” (those making 6-25 visits in six months) and “very
31%
audiences is a factor to consider as
D A T A
frequent” (those making 26+ visits in six months) moviegoers
55-80 year olds in New Zealand previously made up 21% of the total audience in this region in January, yet in June made up 31%.
dominating the profiles for those returning in June and July. Attendance per loyalty programme member in Western Europe was up from 1.45 average visits pre-lockdown, to 1.67 average visits in June, and a further increased 2.04 average
found that female audiences in
visits in July. This consistent rise in returning frequent visitors
June made a higher share of the total returning audience
made up a whopping 40% of audiences in July, compared to
than in January across the majority of territories examined.
just 12% in January. The proportion of frequent and very
The UK and Ireland saw younger female segments dominate
frequent moviegoers in the UK and Ireland followed a similar
on reopening, with 12-34 year old and 35-54 year old women
dominancy trend, rising from 9% in January to 17% in July.
making up 26% and 25% of audiences respectively in July.
The average visits per loyalty programme member in this
Female moviegoers in nearby territories also made up
territory rose from 1.30 in January to 1.43 in July. Unlike those
audience majorities, but with a higher age on average. In
territories in the Northern Hemisphere, the Asia Pacific region
Western Europe, 55-80 year old females accounted for 11% of
saw only a small
26%
the returning audience in July, up from 4% in January, while in Scandinavia, 35-54 females accounted for 38% of the
The UK and Ireland saw younger female segments dominate upon reopening, with 12-34 year old and 35-54 year old women making up 26% and 25% of audiences respectively in July.
returning audience in July, up from 25% in January. This trend continued in the Middle East, with female audiences sitting at 28% of total audiences post-shutdown — up 4% since January — which is particularly interesting considering the
increase of 1.41 to 1.42 in average visits
from
January to June. Larger
change
was seen in the proportion
region’s audience being traditionally male-skewed.
of
Further afield, Australia saw the largest change among
frequent moviegoers which rose from 21% to 26%, and very
the countries examined, with the 12-34 year old female
frequent moviegoers accounted for 2.7% of the audience
cohort making up 40% of the post-shutdown June audience,
post-shutdown, compared to 0.9% pre-shutdown.
up dramatically from 19% in January. The only territory
The US was the only region to show a drop in the average
analysed that showed an increase in its male audience was
visits per loyalty programme member, decreasing from 1.75
Western Europe, where 12-34 year old males accounted for
in January to 1.49 in June and 1.56 in July. Unlike most other
28% of audiences in June, up from 22% pre-shutdown.
regions was the fact that the returning audience was mostly
Frequency: keen on kino One hypothesis the team at Movio had regarding frequency was that those who visited cinemas most frequently prior to shutdown would be the ones to return first in the early
made up of infrequent moviegoers. It is worth noting that
46%
infrequent moviegoer visits does bring down the average visits per member, as they obviously tend not to go as often.
The 12-34 year old moviegoer segment in the UK and Ireland rose from 35% of the total cinema audience in January 2020 to 46% in July,
In summary It is clear that some speculation proved to be true regarding who would be first through cinema doors. In June, we saw
days of reopening. We thought this
younger, female-skewed, and “more frequent” moviegoers
would be particularly likely at cinemas offering subscription-
embracing the return more than any other group, but it’s
based loyalty programmes, where multiple visits per month
clear this attendance is diversifying as weeks pass. This
were considered the norm. Data gathered across these
audience composition could continue to fluctuate as new
territories proved our hypothesis to largely be the case, with
openings and new screenings occur and when, hopefully, conditions improve. One thing is certain: it is an invigoratingly
The 12-34 age segment in Scandinavia shrank from 41% of total attendance in January to 30% of the audience in July.
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17%
30%
fresh chapter for the world of cinema, and one that can
The proportion of frequent and very frequent moviegoers in the UK & Ireland rose from 9% in January to 17% in July.
undoubtedly be steered to success by data-led marketing.
Note: The analysis referenced in this report was conducted on moviegoers who are members of selected cinema loyalty programmes, Due to cinema shutdown, Movio looked at moviegoer frequency over a period of six months.
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Cinema: the infinite live event venue A cyber success story, as well as a box office success
A recent experience of attending a live presentation of “Tosca” at an independent cinema, gave Mark Tompeteler cause to reflect on the success of Event Cinema — and not just in commercial terms.
W
OULD ANYONE IN their right mind
of just six performances at the opera house. To my mind, this
pay £3,000 for a seat for a single film
democratisation of the arts is just one example of the way in
screening? I think not. But that is what
which Event Cinema has changed the cultural landscape. It
was being asked on the black market
now regularly provides access to cultural, musical and other
in London for a single seat at the
events to rural, town and city populations across the world.
Royal Opera House to see the March
David Pope, CEO of MusicScreen Ltd., recently invited
2020 production of Beethoven’s only opera “Fidelio”,
my wife and I to join him for a live transmission of the equally
according to Antonio Pappano, the music director at the
anticipated opera “Tosca” from the famed La Scala, Milan.
UK’s blue riband opera venue, when he was interviewed by
David had secured the distribution rights for the broadcast
the BBC after the event. This recent, new, and eagerly
of this production to UK cinemas from the Italian state
anticipated production of the opera was only performed six
broadcaster RAI. Even with my limited knowledge and
times in the first half of March and tickets at the opera
experience of opera, in my mind La Scala and its productions
house had been sold out for months in advance. As many of
represent a level of excellence that guaranteed this would
us have now come to expect of our leading cultural events,
herald a very special event. Apart from featuring one the
the last performance on 17th March was broadcast to over
world’s great sopranos, Anna Netrebko, this was also the
400 cinemas worldwide. I was able to see the production at
first night, the premiere of this new production.
my local cinema for a ticket price of just under £20.
Event expectations
Networking auditoria and audiences Just like so many of the other event cinema transmissions
More people saw that production of “Fidelio”, in that one
that I have attended, the moment we sat down in the
cinema broadcast than would have seen it in its limited run
82-seat Screen 2 auditorium, of the independent
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E V E N T
C I N E M A
“Democratisation of the arts is one example of the way Event Cinema is changing cultural landscapes” www.cinematech.today
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NT Live’s theatrical productions - now an established part of the programme
£10 to patrons: event cinema is an affordable proposition
Serving its community, the Art House in Crouch End
“Can you turn it down a bit…?” In musical events, sound is clearly one of the most important factors. In our auditorium during Act 1 of “Tosca” sound was superb. With opera, the singing and music
Find us here
affect the emotions of audience members profoundly. Set
Art House,
Arthouse Cinema in London’s Crouch End, I immediately
in our auditorium at Dolby level 6.5, the sound was rich,
Crouch End,
felt I was going to be a part of a far bigger worldwide
deep and without distortion. It was definitely hitting that
London
cultural event. The surround sound of the audience at the
operatic psyche, stirring the emotions and immersing the
venue from which the event is being broadcast, together
audience. However, during the first interval one audience
with
glimpses
of
the
networked
audience in other locations, makes you appreciate that you are part of a combined single audience. Being able to experience the amazing auditorium of La Scala live, further reinforces the feeling of being a definite part of a networked cultural experience. With the greatest of respect to the
“During the first interval, one audience member complained to staff that the sound was to loud…”
Mixing film, fine
member complained to the cinema
art, live music,
staff that the sound was too loud
discussion, dance,
so we subsequently heard Act 2
theatre, and
at level 5. Whilst the beauty of
workshops, the
Puccini’s music still shone through
Art House is a
and the singing moved the emotions,
unique hub in
the effect was noticeably diminished
North London for
and
significantly
less
immersive.
During Act 3 the sound was turned
artists to feel at home in and
exhibition community, when you consider the contrast
back up to level 6, after further representations were
lovers of art to be
between the cinema auditorium and the actual event
made, and the full audio glory of a live musical event was
entertained in.
venue, you realise that one of the most notable successes of
rescued. This experience demonstrates just how critical
Event Cinema is to give audiences in remote auditoria a true
sound is to any cinema experience — and live events offer
sense of inclusion. The production was impressive, at times
considerably fewer opportunities to remedy problems on
lavish, and it certainly lived up to expectations.
the night.
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E V E N T
C I N E M A
Power to the people! The social relevance of event cinema I’m certain that if anyone did purchase a black market ticket for around £3,000 for the Royal Opera House’s 17th March performance of “Fidelio” at Covent Garden, then they would have had a wonderful experience that was well worth the outlay. For those in cinemas around the world paying a little under £20 to participate in the cinematic experience of the exact same event, they were not only taking part in a recent box office trend or phenomenon, but they were also participating in something much wider. The widening of access to culture and community and social perspectives event cinema enables is something of which contemporary cinema has every good reason to be proud. Event Cinema has also genuinely helped to underpin the egalitarian, social and cultural relevance of cinemas in today’s ever-changing cultural and media landscape.
Changing Cultural & Cinema Landscapes The business model of Event Cinema has established itself and has been remarkably successful. The percentage splits of the box office receipts serve the exhibitor, distributor and content providers and creators well. Event cinema has been
One of the world’s greatest operatic sopranos, Anna Netrebko, now performing in your local cinema.
cinema operates as a going concern even though there is a small Picturehouse multiplex only one hundred yards away. Co-owners Jenny Hansford and Sam Neophytou talk fondly of their site — a former Salvation Army Citadel and snooker club conversion which is very much supported by the local
so successful that it has become an integral part of the
community. Sam particularly spoke of his roots in the area
cinematic programme now offered to the public. When I
and how he felt Event Cinema had contributed to the
visited the independently owned Picture House in Uckfield
enrichment of the cultural landscape of communities world
last year, I was struck by the fact that approximately 25% of the programming now consists of Event Cinema broadcasts. The small independently owned Crouch End cinema is a classic example of a boutique cinema serving its local audience. With a second auditorium of just 82 seats, the
World-class performances, such as ROH’s “Tosca”, now reach screens globally as a matter of course.
wide. Access to opera is a good case in point: as an art form it is incredibly expensive to stage and often commands very expensive ticket prices at the opera house. Cinema and online streaming have made it available at more affordable prices. In conversation with me Sam praised this egalitarian and enriching aspect of Event Cinema. It was interesting to note that their February Event Cinema blackboard offered their patrons tickets at £10 for the screenings. David Pope, who won an international Event Cinema award for MusicScreen following the transmission of The Rolling Stones’ “Havana Moon” concert across Europe, chatted to me about how he feels the music industry is being affected by Event Cinema. An increasing number of performers are re-aligning live concert tours and musical events to take in Event Cinema and streaming on other media. Both the overheads of staging a stadium concert, and the potential economic, logistical and physical impact on performers of extended tours across multiple continents must all be high. No wonder the logistic and economic advantages, as well as the extended audience reach, make Event Cinema increasingly appealing to performers.
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D I S C U S S I O N
Restart: The integrators’ view With audience confidence slowly recovering, what can the engineering teams that manage sound and projection do to support restarting cinemas? CT asks two of the UK’s leading integrators for their views. André Mort Technical Director, Cinema Next
A
FTER MONTHS OF UNCERTAINTY
and we will all expect those old invoices to be paid. It has to be
across all business sectors (exhibition,
said: exhibitors do recognise the importance of their support
distribution and production), cinemas
network and have made efforts to bring accounts up to date.
have demonstrated now that they can
It is likely that investment programmes will be reviewed
successfully open with a range of safety
and there will be cutbacks. Finance will be more difficult to
measures in place. Social distancing,
obtain, in the short term, as banks watch to see balance sheets
seat allocation, removal of “pick & mix”, pre-booked paperless
return to normal. Integrators can help. There’s financial support
ticketing, face masks, hand sanitisers and rigid cleaning
available from manufacturers (they want to keep selling new
regimes allow exhibitors to fulfil their role — to ensure that
kit!), payments can be spread out, rental models are being
customers feel safe and offer the best possible out of home
designed and there have been discussions regarding shared
experience. Our role, as integrators, is to make sure cinemas
ownership. The VPF model or anything similar will not return,
CinemaNext has
can concentrate on front of house activities. Anything we can
but there will be various financial models available.
its main office in
do to see that staff are not having to worry about sound and projection will ensure the focus is on the customer experience.
Fact File CinemaNext
Liège-Blegny,
Sweat the assets
Belgium, with .
Manufacturers have been hugely supportive and have
The UK market, in particular, has an aging estate of projectors.
published guidelines to safeguard equipment when it is
Many exhibitors were looking to replace these in a managed
Europe. The
powered up/down on a regular basis, and content has been
fashion, and this is likely to be delayed for some. Our role, as
company focuses
run to check servers are operating correctly. This information is
integrators, is to help exhibitors “sweat the assets” but also to
on four core areas:
widely available, and every integrator has supported their
show savings achievable with the new equipment available,
sales and field
installed base. With cinemas opening again, integrators have
and also to highlight where presentation is not as good as it
services, software
been visiting each site, testing the TMS and the audio, running
could be and to recommend upgrades, repurposing of existing
solutions, NOC,
content, cleaning lenses (if needed), installing any required
equipment, power management savings, greater automation,
and consulting.
software updates and making sure that the presentation is a)
and more hardware/software integration. Greater flexibility for
reliable and b) of excellent quality.
content gives more control to cinema owners, allowing them
We need people back in cinemas — let us make sure they enjoy it enough to come again — and again and again.
A financial crisis
to maximise revenue opportunities. Live events, private hire and film festivals are eased when integrators design flexibility into the system, which should be as “hands-free” as possible. Manufacturers have extended warranties to cover the “closed”
During these months, integrators have taken a generous view
period and we need to make sure our records are up to date
of outstanding monies — with cinemas shut and earning little,
and reflect the change in warranty end date.
if any, revenue, this hasn’t been the time to add to their worries
In summary — our role as integrators is easy. All we need to
by chasing invoices. As they reopen, cinemas will need our
do is ensure that S&P is the best it can be, that it is automatic
support, and often parts, lamps, engineer visits and training —
and “hands free” and that the cinema knows that “it just works”.
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046_SEP20_RESTART.indd 46
offices across
www.cinematech.today
28/09/2020 18:44
Simon Tandy Managing Director, Omnex
W
HILE
YOU
PROBABLY
WOULDN’T
consider “CT” to be the Fox News of the cinema business, I do wonder when will
mne
upgraded surround speakers, and fully refurbished sound and projection rooms. This consideration for superior technology reflects how cinemas take the customer experience seriously.
the madness stop? We’ve seen our
Despite my eternal optimism, though, it is important to
industry adopt some of the best socially-
consider the impact of Covid and more importantly the effects
distanced, ‘Covid-safe’ environments,
yet our friends in Dublin have just been slapped with a second-
Fact File
wave lockdown. In much of the UK, we’re seeing localised lockdowns, and now we’re being told we can socialise — but
Omnex
only until 10pm! Has the cinema sector, or indeed any of the
of continued or further localised restrictions.
Free servicing: help where it counts most For those in a position to upgrade technology… great! But most will need to make the best they can from existing equipment.
hospitality and leisure sectors, been considered at all?! I’m not
Founded in 1987,
It is in place and already on par with the experience. Right now,
one for public ranting — perhaps I should be — so with that
Omnex supplies,
technology represents a cost that can be overridden by other
aside, we at Omnex have had to think hard about how we can
installs, services
priorities. As such, Omnex pleased to announce this month a
support the sector. This is a relationships business, after all. We
and maintains
new ‘free-service’ model to support cinemas and aid cashflow
were here long before the pandemic and it is relationships
technologies to
to help ensure they can keep the best picture on screen.
that will keep us all here long after.
independent
As the pandemic continues, restarting cinemas is less
cinemas and
about the technical approach, switching on equipment after a
Easing out of lockdown…
cinema chains
prolonged absence, and more about a fundamental existential
As we eased out of lockdown, the Omnex team continued to
throughout the
approach. Service providers like Omnex and our colleagues
install and maintain sound and projection equipment. Clearly,
UK and Ireland.
across the industry can handle the technical side for exhibitors.
for some, the appetite to move forward is high. Since July, we
It’s what we do best. But perhaps the right thing to do for
have opened brand-new cinemas; from boutique two-screens
cinemas restarting is to give them material support — tangible
to all-laser with Atmos six-plex sites. We’ve seen some great
financial benefits such as a free service model — that genuinely
value projects complete and have installed nearly 2,000 seats,
helps them where they’ve been hit the hardest.
www.cinematech.today
046_SEP20_RESTART.indd 47
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28/09/2020 18:43
THE ULTIMATE INFLATABLE MOVIE SCREEN
info@airscreen.com · www.airscreen.com · +49 251 60 90 250
ON AVERAGE A CINEMA POS IS INSTALLED FOR OVER 15 YEARS
“WE TRUST THEM BRENDAN LEADEN, MOVIE HOUSE CINEMAS
“THOROUGHLY RECOMMENDED” ROBERT HENDERSON,
Produced by JACRO
90
Years in Cinema
4 8
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www.jacro.com sales@jacro.com
To all those who have, or had, some interest in projected moving images, past and present. Perhaps you’re already connected with today’s cinema, technical or otherwise, but have an interest in vintage equipment, or you have been retired from the business so long, you would wish to revisit “the good old days”. Take heart and consider joining The Projected Picture Trust and help preserve the magic of cinema. Apart from equipment restoration, the Trust provides help and assistance to non-commercial community cinemas and museums exhibiting film related artefacts. The National Museum of Cinema Technology has perhaps, the largest collection of all types of film equipment in the U.K. The Data Archive within the museum holds over 3,000 items including technical manuals, film related documents, press cuttings etc. Membership of the P.P.T. will give you access to these amenities as well as the collections within the Trust’s regions. JOIN US TODAY by contacting either of the following addresses. e-mail: contact@ppttrust.org www.ppttrust.org The Projected Picture Trust, Dean Clough Mills, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX3 5AX
www.cinematech.today
29/09/2020 11:58
V I E W
How to design a cinema auditorium: expert advice Rolv Gjestland has a wealth of experience on the subject of cinema design — with UNIC he has published a revised edition of his definitive work on the subject.
Screen seen from last row on a 2.39 : 1 screen 40
Distance screen to last row (m)
U N I C
2.4
4.8
7.2
9.6
Picture width (m)
12.0
14.3
16.7
19.1
21.5
5
6
7
8
9
23.9
26.3
28.7
10
11
12
Very small screen
35
Small screen Medium screen
30
Large screen 25
Very large screen Extremely large screen
20 15 10 5
1
2
3
4
Picture height (m)
Seating area in front of the projector may be limited if the light output is very high. Individually calculated for each auditorium
ACCEPTABLE SEATING AREA
his home country and has
opening, UNIC has been pleased to
written professional manuals
announce the release of a second
and
edition of Rolv Gjestland’s handbook on
design. He is a member of the
“How to design a cinema auditorium”,
UNIC Technology Group, where
giving practical guidelines for architects, cinema owners and
he has played a central role
others involved in planning and building cinemas.
since its inception in 2013.
cinema
45° 35°
First published in October last year, the previous edition
His eye for detail can be
was well received with many praising its objectivity and
seen throughout the book, as
practical value as an accompanying tool in the complex
he distils precise information on
process of planning and designing cinemas today. This latest
every aspect of the design process of screening rooms,
edition — in an upgraded digital format — takes into account
structured around key areas of work such as screens, seating,
helpful comments received from friends and colleagues in
acoustics and accessibility. Each topic is explored carefully,
the weeks following its original publication.
ensuring nothing is omitted from the design process.
5°
Screen width
Whatever level your expertise on cinema design, we
Rolv loves — and encourages people to continue —
guarantee you will enjoy every word in 150 pages of expert
developing exciting cinema auditoriums that enhance the
knowledge offer insights into endless considerations and
experience, and he urges people not to forget that the main
compromises necessary to deliver the best cinematic
reason most go to the cinema is to have a great experience
experience. With detailed graphs and illustrations, Rolv’s
and see/hear the film truly as intended by the filmmakers.
book encourages the urge to experiment with possible
If you have any feedback about the book, from missing
designs for your dream auditorium. Above all, the passion
topics to potential improvements, please do not hesitate to
and love for the Big Screen shines through on every line of
contact the author or UNIC. We would be delighted to take
this monumental work from a true cinema veteran, once an
these into account in the future, as we update this book to
aspiring projectionist, now an authority on all things that
ensure it serves its initial purpose: to contribute to the design
make cinema-going special.
of great cinema auditoriums, where audiences will be able to
Rolv Gjestland is currently advisor in cinema concepts,
D1>0.6 x W
10° D1>0.5 x W
about
DN<1.7 x W
articles
GOOD SEATING AREA
DN<1.5 x W
W
ITH MOST CINEMAS gradually re-
Rolv’s evaluation of screen sizes, shown for a 2.39:1 screen seen from the last row. He is keen on feedback on his views.
Installing seats in areas with unacceptable viewing risks harming the cinema-going experience. Choice of screen may place further limitations on the acceptable seating area.
enjoy unforgettable experiences, now and in years to come.
design, logistics and technology for Film&Kino, the Norwegian association of cinemas operators. Since 1984, he has been
The upgraded, digital edition of Rolv Gjestland’s book is
involved in almost every new-build or upgrade of cinemas in
available for free on the UNIC website unic-cinemas.org.
www.cinematech.today
049_SEP20_UNIC.indd 49
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O P I N I O N Throw the doors wide open… we’re back! In Ireland, cinemas opened from 29 June. Graham Spurling describes how the Movies@ team were determined to welcome the audience.
S
O, THERE WE WERE on Friday 19 June
conversations on film rental secured some very favourable
with Movies@Cinemas having been
terms which would help to make the low attendances viable.
Covid closed since 17 March and with
We had been active on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin
33 days to our Phase 4 reopening date,
counting down the days to reopening. We were the first
when out of the blue, our Government
cinema to announce we would open on 29 June and rather
announced that our new reopening date was 29 June — only
fortunately cornered the press and radio attention for the 10-
nine days away. Could we shrink out our 33-day reopening
day lead-in, keeping Movies@ to the fore.
schedule into just nine days? In short the Movies@ staff said yes we could! That decision, in many ways, was the easy part, a way
Taking the number one spot
now had to be found to try to make it work. Our managers
Monday 29 June dawned and all four cinemas in our group
took over all the Covid preparations and paperwork, which was
stared into the abyss with plenty of fingers crossed.
a mammoth task. My joint-MD sister Katinka and our financial
The first eleven days passed swiftly and when we totted up
controller set about clearing our debts so as to restart as debt-
the numbers, we had seen 12,000 customers through our
free to our suppliers as possible. This allowed us to restart
doors — which we saw as a huge success. What I only discovered
almost as a new business. Their diligence freed me up to try to
later, when some anonymised data was passed, on to me was
work my scheduling magic as never before.
that, seemingly, of all the cinemas that were open, Movies@ Cinemas had the highest attendance, the highest grosses, the
A whole new world
highest % attendance vs the previous year than any other
What would our new cinema world look like and what would
exhibitor and the lowest average film rental rates. In short, it
be important? Assuming low attendance numbers, it would
appears that for those 11 days, Movies@Cinemas were the
be imperative to come to the table with new ideas. With no
Number 1 exhibitor in the world. I have always had a liking for
new titles to open with, and with restricted admissions (just 50
the movie “The Mouse That Roared”.
per show), knowledge of my customer demographic, a very
Well, for those supposed few fleeting days at #1, Movies@
wide movie choice and film cost were the three stand-out
was that little mouse and it made all the hard work and
hurdles that had to be crossed.
courage so worthwhile.
Looking closely at the three hurdles, I targeted 35-45
There are tough times ahead, films are disappearing into
multi-genre titles every week in my 12-screen Movies@
2021 at an alarming rate and we have been pinning a lot of
Dundrum site with some smaller offerings for the other three
hopes on the performance of “Tenet”. But we are a strong and
sites
and
resilient business — and we will survive.
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SEP20_OPINION.indd 50
Some
smile-filled
www.cinematech.today
27/09/2020 10:01
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