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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offices across
www.cinematech.today
28/09/2020 18:44
