OWNERSHIP & CINEMA CITY
Cinema City – Some History • 1925 Suckling House given to the City of Norwich for “the advancement of education in its widest and most comprehensive sense” • April 1978 – – Cinema City opens – single screen cinema, showing arthouse, foreign language and indie films (specialist/ specialised content)
Cinema City in 2004 • Single screen • 230 seats • Independent (no parent company) • Not-for-profit • Industry increasingly dominated by multiplexes and conglomerates
UK: Number of cinema screens
Cinema City 2004 – decide to adapt by changing… AUDIENCE •Change content/ programming – Show blockbusters/ mainstream films ‘with a twist’ (e.g. SATC2 cocktail night) – Use revenue from blockbusters to support exhibition of niche films (e.g. East Anglian Film Archive)
•Widen audience – Cater for niche groups
•Retain: specialist films; education and niche groups; Premium ‘audience experience’
OWNERSHIP •Change focus (profit and sustainability) •Change ownership to support the work – Become part of PictureHouse
TECHNOLOGY •Refurbish and modernise – 3 screens – Digital – (Later) 3D
OWNERSHIP & CINEMA CITY
CityScreen
PictureHouse Cinemas
Services for other independent cinemas
Owns total of 20 cinemas
Cinema City, Norwich
Abbeygate Picturehouse, Bury St Edmunds Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge
City Screen Virtual (Provides films and programming to 37 other cinemas) Design and Consultancy ‘Back of house’ services Picturehouse bookings
Why did CinemaCity become part of PictureHouse? What might be the benefits for Cinema City?
Who are PictureHouse Cinemas? • •
Owned by CityScreen Leading independent cinema operator in UK
• •
18 cinemas in 2004 (20 in 2012) City centre locations; mainly university towns
• • • •
Diverse programming tailored to local audience Blend of arthouse and mainstream films Encourage kids clubs/ education/ seasons etc Provide independent cinemas with services such as: – Bookings/ ticketing – Design and Marketing – Purchasing films from distributors
CityScreen
PictureHouse Cinemas
Services for other independent cinemas
Owns total of 20 cinemas
Cinema City, Norwich
Abbeygate Picturehouse, Bury St Edmunds Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge
City Screen Virtual (Provides films and programming to 37 other cinemas) Design and Consultancy ‘Back of house’ services Picturehouse bookings
Our philosophy includes: • •
• •
•
Building architecturally interesting cinemas in city centre locations. Screening a wide range of features spanning art-house, independent, classic, documentary and world cinema films as well as Hollywood blockbusters. Programming is tailored to each cinema individually. Hosting filmmaker Q&As, film festivals, themed seasons and specialised strands. Embracing digital projection and satellite technology to pioneer alternative content programming, such as the live broadcast of productions from the New York Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne and the National Theatre, as well as the live transmission of film-related Q&As. Providing cafe-bars as an integral part of the cinema-going experience.
• •
•
•
•
Employing staff who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about film. Providing printed programmes and online communications which inform, educate and encourage planned entertainment. Running a cinema membership scheme and diverse clubs involving groups such as children, new parents and the elderly. Generating and partnering on educational work and courses which develop appreciation and understanding of film. Central to the Company philosophy is maintaining the individuality of each cinema.
How does the Picturehouse arrangement benefit Cinema City? • PictureHouse work with distributors to: – Negotiate terms/ get a better deal – Negotiate runs/ schedules – Co-operative buying = stronger bargaining
• Offer support and consultancy with promotions/ programming/ funding/ legal • Special events across the network (e.g. Q&A with directors) • Cinema City remains independent (makes its own decisions)
How have CityScreen developed and adapted? CityScreen
PictureHouse Cinemas
PictureHouse Entertainment
Services for other independent cinemas
Owns total of 20 cinemas
Cinema City, Norwich
Abbeygate Picturehouse, Bury St Edmunds Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge
City Screen Virtual (Provides films and programming to 37 other cinemas) Design and Consultancy ‘Back of house’ services Picturehouse bookings
Why did CityScreen set up Picturehouse Entertainment? Picturehouse Entertainment • Distribution arm of CityScreen • Specialise in ‘Alternative Content’ and specialist films • Buy films from Sundance film festival (US indie film festival) for UK distribution
Launched in 2010, Picturehouse Entertainment is the distribution arm of City Screen, the owner and operator of 20 Picturehouse Cinemas. Its theatrical releases to date include: My Afternoons with Margueritte; Cave of Forgotten Dreams; The Future; Romantics Anonymous; The Source; Electrick Children; The Bird; The Imposter and Liberal Arts. Picturehouse Entertainment also distributes a wide variety of non-film content to cinemas around the UK. This includes live satellite transmissions of seasons from world-class arts organisations, such as the Bolshoi Ballet, Glyndebourne and the National Theatre. It has also distributed special one-off events, such as Stephen Fry’s talk, The Fry Chronicles, Jamie Cullum live at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and Leonardo Live, which brought a preview of the National Gallery's blockbuster exhibition to the big screen. Following its first live transmission to cinema screens, Amnesty International's Secret Policeman's Ball in 2006, City Screen harnessed developments in digital projection and satellite technology to pioneer the broadcast of alternative content in cinemas. It was the first to screen New York Metropolitan Opera productions in the UK, a programming strand that has proved extremely popular with audiences and is continuing to go strong in its sixth year.
In December 2012 CineWorld bought PictureHouse/ CityScreen, and all subsidiary companies
Cineworld
CityScreen
PictureHouse Cinemas
Services for other independent cinemas
Owns total of 20 cinemas
Cinema City, Norwich
Own 80 cinemas (mainstream)
PictureHouse Entertainment
Abbeygate Picturehouse, Bury St Edmunds Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge
City Screen Virtual (Provides films and programming to 37 other cinemas) Design and Consultancy ‘Back of house’ services Picturehouse bookings
• http://cnsmediag322.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/c • Listen to interview with Clare Binns from Picturehouse • Find 6 reasons why CityScreen joined Cineworld • 3 reasons for each side
Why would Cineworld want Picturehouse?
About Cineworld • • • •
Multiplex cinemas Mainstream films (not specialist films) UK-owned (not part of Big 6) Second biggest cinema chain in UK – 80 cinemas – Competition: • Vue 69 cinemas. UK-owned • Odeon 111 cinemas. Part of Odeon-UCI – biggest European cinema chain; biggest outside of America
• Actively buying up competition: In 2004 bought a smaller cinema company (UGC)
Why would Picturehouse want to be part of Cineworld? • Financial security • Investment (10 new cinemas planned) • Guaranteed autonomy – no changes to how Picturehouse operate
Cineworld
CityScreen
PictureHouse Cinemas
Services for other independent cinemas
Owns total of 20 cinemas
Cinema City, Norwich
Own 80 cinemas (mainstream)
PictureHouse Entertainment
Abbeygate Picturehouse, Bury St Edmunds Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge
City Screen Virtual (Provides films and programming to 37 other cinemas) Design and Consultancy ‘Back of house’ services Picturehouse bookings
What does this tell us about ownership and the film industry? • Trend towards consolidation – Indies get bought up by majors
• Survival through joining together • Diversification – Cineworld now own two very different types of cinema chains – Picturehouse/ Cinema City are diversifying their content to show more alternative content – CityScreen are exploring alternative content as a vital revenue stream, signing distribution deals through Picturehouse Entertainment
• Horizontal integration (Cineworld own different types of cinemas) • Vertical integration (CityScreen own exhibition and distribution)
Are Cinema City an independent cinema? How has their ‘independence’ changed over time?
How does Cinema City adapt to compete and also to cater for specific audiences? •Institutional structure and ownership (Picturehouse> CityScreen> Cineworld) •Alternative Content •Programming/ Films shown •Cinema “Experience” •Niche groups •Outreach/ beyond film •Investment in technology (digital; 3D; Marketing Technology)