PULSE magazine - Issue 8 - Summer 2012

PULSE THE MAGAZINE FOR THOSE WHO MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN - EDITION 08 - SUMMER 2012

NEWS THE RESULTS: ROUND THREE YOUR OPINION MATTERS

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FACES OF

LISA ROWLAND, CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE MANAGER

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BEHIND THE SCENES

WITH THE EMPIRE HEAD OFFICE FINANCE DEPARTMENT

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FILMS IN FOCUS

THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN/TED/ BRAVE & MANY MORE...

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HELPING YOU TO DELIVER

Enjoy your day with delicious milk chocolate

A let er from Roz

W

elcome to the Empire Cinema’s summer edition of PULSE. As your resident Big E expert I am pleased to inform you of a new element of our Customer Measurement Programme. It’s called Specially Selected and you can read all the details on page 11. It follows the Your Opinion Matters results so turn now to find out how your cinema has done this time around.

We continue to focus on making our cnemas the best they can be for our customers and, with the range of films due out over the coming months, I hope you will join in the excitement and anticipation our customers have whilst queuing for tickets and popcorn. It’s a great time to chat to customers about films and share all your knowledge of what’s coming next plus remember to offer them one of our fantastic products to eat and drink whilst watching the film!

Have a great British summer and see you all in the Autumn.

Roz

C F C F C F We need films for the whole family, we can’t wait to see Brave and Ice Age 4

I can’t wait to see Ted, Dark Knight Rises and Prometheus

THE PALMER FAMILY The typical family

BILLY

The care-free student

We are full of girl power so we can’t wait to see Snow White and the Huntsman and Rock of Ages

king I’m young at heart so i am loo i love d forward to seeing Brave, an pire Arts the Ballet and Opera at Em

BERYL The senior

JANE & FRIENDS Sociable best friends

my s, next on glm fi n o ti c in I love a e is, The Amaz s I list to se an and Jaws a o Spider m seen it on vide ly have on

JJ

The typical teen

DAN & SARAH

We love going to see films together, so its important we both enjoy them. We are looking forward to Snow white and the Huntsman, Bourne Legacy and Rock of Ages

The romantic couple

Produced by: BA (Hons) Magazine Journalism and Feature Writing Editor: Charlotte Webb Deputy Editor: Linzi Radwell Staff Writers: Alec Malloy, Gemma Clapp, Sarah Abrahams, Charley Ward, Sophie Westrope, Gary Peters, Catherine Earp Designers: Harry Smith, Chelsi Allen, Sam Ribbits Consultant: Helen Archard

SUMMER 2012 | PULSE MAGAZINE|03

PULSE PRODUCTS

Free Cone Day

D

espite showers falling throughout the day, customers couldn’t be kept away from Ben and Jerry’s free cone day which took place at Empire Cinemas across the country. Between the cinemas we filled up free cones with a whopping 9678 scoops.

Every year Empire Leicester Square chooses a local charity to support. This year it was the turn of the local animal charity. The cinema had a variety of collection buckets and charity volunteers to raise awareness and inform the customers. There were even two dogs from the charity joining in who were happy to receive plenty of fuss and attention from various customers and passers-by.

Magdalena, who began working at Empire Leicester Square in November, was looking forward to taking part in her first free cone day. “It shows just how important it is to support the charity,” she said. “Plus you can’t beat free ice cream!”

Sarah, one of the managers at Empire Leicester Square, told us how enthusiastic they

are about the event.

“We’re extremely passionate about raising money for charity and we choose a different one each year,” she said. “With the current recession, every penny that the customers can give is fantastic. Even the smallest amount can make a difference.”

General manager Stephen Bush told us his thoughts on the annual tradition.

“We’ve done the free cone day for as long as we’ve had a Ben and Jerry’s, he said. “It puts Empire Cinemas on people’s radar and it’s a perfectly good advertising opportunity.

Plus it’s always a fun, well-organised day and with our great staff team working together we manage to keep everything under control.

It has gone from strength to strength as each year’s passes.”

Friendly face at Empire Poole’s free cone day

Poole Cinema

04 | PULSE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2012

Contentssummer 6-7 8-11 12-13 14-15 16-17 18-19 20-21

NEW SILVER E ANDY SPOORS AND CRAIG COLVILLE YOUR OPINION MATTERS SPECIALLY SELECTED BRITVIC TRANSFORM YOUR PATCH CINEMA IN FOCUS SUNDERLAND JOB SWAP PROJECTIONIST CINEMA REPS WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH £500?

IN DEPTH RESEARCH NEW GENERATION OF OLDER VIEWERS

22

FACES OF EMPIRE LISA ROWLAND

23

CINEMA PROMOTIONS FILM EVERNTS EMPIRE FOOTBALL FIVE-A-SIDE CUP CUSTOMER FEEDBACK LETTERS BEHIND THE SCENES FINANCE TEAM GUEST BLOG LAURA MCLEOD FILMS IN FOCUS REVIEWS COMPETITION CORNER

24-25 26-27 28-29 30 31-37 38-39

‘12

22

25

32

36 SUMMER2012 2012||PULSE PULSEMAGAZINE MAGAZINE|05 SUMMER | 05

SILVERE THE

AWARDS

It is always important that Empire employees are rewarded for all of their hard work. The Silver E Awards are a way to make sure that this is recognised and shared throughout Empire.

Silver E Prize Draw Winner:

Craig Colville

T

he newest winner of our Silver E prize draw is 19-year-old Craig Colville of Empire Clydebank. The quarterly event takes place to allow all Silver E award winners to be entered in to a draw and receive the opportunity of winning a prize.

When Craig was given the news that he had won the prize money of £125 he was excited and surprised: “General Manager Andrew Rapson came and told me when I was preparing the retail stand at Empire for the next rush,” Craig explained. He has worked as a team member at Empire for four years and after all his effort and hard work the prize money was well deserved.

He has decided to spend the £125 on taking his family out for a special meal at his favourite restaurant, Sunset Boulevard Hotel, Clydebank. “I thought this would be a great way to spend the prize money as it has been a while since I did anything with my family.

They were all very happy to be invited along and were excited about the idea of a free meal.”

The Silver E draw is another example of how Empire recognises and rewards the hard work and determination of its staff members.

06 | PULSE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2012

Craig enjoying his celebratory meal

PULSE SILVER E AWARDS

Andy is congratulated on his award

New SIlver E:

Andy Spoors

A

ndy Spoors of Empire Newcastle was honoured to become our newest Silver E. He has worked for Empire Cinemas for over two years, which he admits has flown by, and it is his outstanding customer service which as landed him with a Silver E nomination.

“I was given the news when I was called in to work before going on a manager’s training course. I was then met by the sight of all the staff members and management who were on shift at the time, it was really quite bizarre. “Andy was presented the award itself at Empire’s annual football tournament in Birmingham.

As Key Holder Supervisor at the Branch, Andy has run a lot of the Big E training. He has also created a newsletter called the E Times, looks after the Newcastle facebook group and helps out with marketing and admissions. Andy said: “It was always really exciting when my parents said we were going to the cinema, so I am always looking to help anyone else capture that feeling.”

Andy goes out of his way every day to make customer experiences the best that they can be, which has made him stand out as an employee. ”It is always really touching to be handed emails saying: ‘Thanks to Andy for all the hard work he went through to make everything personal for my party.’

People also love to ask questions and I love to be prepared to answer them.” Although

Andy himself has become a Silver E he is adamant that he could not have received this nomination without the help of the team at Empire Newcastle, he said: “We have such a good team that works so hard that it is not surprising that we have so many Silver Es’ at our site. It is very nice to receive praise personally but I couldn’t have done it without the team. That’s everyone from team members to the managers.”

With a real passion for the industry Andy works hard to always know what he is talking about and to be able to help and guide customers in every way that we can.

“A good friend once told me, the best advice to use when helping a customer is to always think to yourself: ‘Let’s make this right.’ It works every time.”

SUMMER 2012 | PULSE MAGAZINE | 07

Your

Opinion Matters RESULTS R OUND 3

Empire Cinemas launched the Your Opinion Matters online customer survey. We’ve now completed the third round and we can see whether each cinema reached it’s action plan targets and improved its score since last time.

T

his was our third round of Your Opinion Matters feedback from customers and with a total 2052 customers taking part in the online survey, it was our biggest yet. A huge thank you to all the teams who took time to give out cards and wallets to our customers; this feedback tells us how well we are really doing.

The overall results show that the majority of our customers are getting a good experience which is fantastic. With all the effort the teams have been putting in over the past 6 months, we hoped to see a significant improvement. Overall company results show that the Customer Experience we give is much the same as we were giving 6 months ago.

All the General Managers set the teams some tough objectives following the results of Round 2 and on the next few pages you will see how your cinema faired against these. No cinemas met more than one objective and sadly we had some cinemas that didn’t meet any of their objectives but many came SO close!

We are starting to build up a good picture of our customers views and seeing more and more trends appear. Some responses to questions like the auditorium experience and the friendliness and efficiency of our teams

appears to be similar across all cinemas whilst other responses vary greatly depending on the cinema in question. The cleanliness, toilet facilities, farewells, décor and maintenance for example get a range of opinions across our cinemas. We hope in the coming months we can all learn from each other and start to introduce the positive changes our cinemas are making to improve the customers perception and overall experience.

It’s worth mentioning that although Sutton have the lowest scores for 2 of the questions they have made the biggest improvement of all the cinema to their score having increased overall by 11%. Continue this trend and next time we could find this cinema in the “Good” league! Also moving in the right direction are Sutton Coldfield, Bromley, Bishops Stortford, Swindon, Newcastle and Great Park, Birmingham.

This summer we will be holding a number of workshops with management teams to help understand the results further, and work together to dig deeper into what our customers are telling us ensuring action plans are challenging but achievable. If you have any ideas that you think will help your cinema improve its customer experience talk to your managers and PULSE reps. We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

08 | PULSE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2012

BILLY’S FACES KEY

OMG Good Good Alright I Guess Poor Shockingly Bad

PULSE ONLINE SURVEY

THE EMPIRE

93.01

3.64%

←

89.63

POOLE

87.76

1.71%

←

86.26

SUTTON COLDFIELD

82.53

2.20%

←

84.34

SUNDERLAND

85.80

2.03%

←

84.06

NEWCASTLE

83.35

0.51%

←

83.78

BISHOPS STORTFORD

80.46

2.98%

←

82.86

CLYDEBANK

83.96

←

ROUND 3 (%)

82.45

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD

82.71

←

ROUND 2 (%)

82.40

BASILDON

81.26

←

CINEMA NAME

80.96

BIRMINGHAM

79.05

0.14%

←

79.11

SWINDON

76.46

2.9%

←

78.21

WIGAN

82.04

4.86%

BROMLEY

73.00

HIGH WYCOMBE

78.23

SUTTON

65.99

SLOUGH

74.19

1.80% 0.38%

←

78.05

←

77.84

1.33%

←

77.19

←

73.41

←

0.37

66.41

6.63%

11.52% 10.48%

BILLY’S FACE RATING

SUMMER WINTER 2011 2012||PULSE PULSEMAGAZINE MAGAZINE||13 09

Your

Opinion Matters

ACTION PL ANS

SUND ER 70% re LAND ceive a farewe 90% to ll b 95% fr e happy with iendlin the toil ess ets efficien cy of th and e team

☐ ☐

After third round of YOM surveys, here are the latest action plans for each cinema.

RD STORTFO re in BISHOPS um experience sco ri o it 90% aud round 3 ion of e ‘Impress 90% in th ed’ category nag being ma anliness le c 90% in

SLOUGH 85% happy w ith the welcom e 85% are happ y with the toile t facilities 90% of custom ers are happy with cinema manag ement

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BIRMINGHA M Improve the w elcome received to 90 % 48% to receiv e a fa Improve the au rewell ditorium expe rience by 5%

☐

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TER LEICES und E R ell on ro A w e r SQU fa a receive 90% to M 3 of YO

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NEWCASTLE: personal farewell 51% to receive a s happy with the 90% of customer toilets the welcome they 90% happy with receive

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POOLE 90% are happy with the toilets 70% or more receive a farewell 90% of customers are happy with the warm welcome

☑ ☐ ☐

BASILD ON CLYDEBANK SWINDON 8 0 farewell, % l el c w ustome fare 80% to receive a r s 50% receive t f t ile a o to ir with toilet receive well o y with the 85% to be happy a 80% are happ 85% cu n exit st facilities facilities toilets omers to find in welcome ith the w c t y le h pp a e 90% to be happy ha n e 90% ar 85% to en welcome auditor joy the ium ex perienc ts SUTTO e men N m Y o E c L Minimu ell M ed m of 60 BRO of farew d stock % 70% to n be happ receive a farew a % 75 clean es y with th e facillitie ens i e toilet ll s scre 78% facillit n i 85% cle t ss SUTT anliness ON CO toile eanline l LDFIE 85% o c fc LD 80% farewe ustomers ge ta ll, 60% to be HIGH WYCOMBE t oilet fa happy with th wi y pp ha are ers m c the sto cu of 80% 85% to ilities be hap toilet facilities p cleanli receiving a ness in y with the 60% of customers round 3 WIGAN farewell e efficiency of the th I th n wi y c pp r ha e % a 85 se o AD 55% rec verall YOM sc HEMEL HEMPSTE team ore by 1 eive a fa ell ew far a 7.5% rew Cleanlin 78% receive ess of cin ell th toilet facilities 90% ema to 85% to be happy wi increase th the cleanliness to 88% to be happy wi

☐

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Roz’s Top Tips: to make a difference · Don’t under estimate your personality. You were hired because of your friendliness so let it show! · Our aim is to be as hospitable to our customers on the way out as on the way in. Even if you are not serving a customer directly you can still show your friendliness by thanking the customer as they leave · Do your toilets let you down when you get busy? Talk to managers about how you can still keep toilets looking fab and fully stocked · If you are checking the toilets, take all the equipment you need with you. Also don’t forget to smile and chat to customers whilst you are in there if it feels appropriate

☐ ☐ ☐

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10 | PULSE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2012

☑

☐ ☐ ☐

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· Comment on every customers film choice, in a positive way of course. You have a love of films so let it show · Talk to every type of customer as though they are someone you know and love. Think about the way you talk to your little cousin or grandma, it’s a great way to make it personal and help you relate to the customer · Cleanliness will always be a challenge for us, particularly during busy times. Obviously being as prepared as possible before walk ins and working as a team during these busy times is crucial. Remember to have the right equipment with you, for example bin bags and pick ups when cleaning screens etc. You’d be amazed how many people turn up to clean a screen without these.

☐ ☑

PULSE ONLINE SURVEY

Your Opinion Matters – What’s next?

The Your Opinion Matters Online Survey has now reached its first birthday and with the 3rd Round of results out, it has really helped us all to understand what our customers think of the cinema experience they get when choosing Empire Cinemas; from the welcome they received through to the toilet facilities and temperature and cleanliness of the auditorium plus much more in between.

We have seen some improvements across all the cinemas which is fantastic and having obtained a large number of co-ordinated feedback, it definitely helps us all focus in on the areas we need to improve most.

In addition to the survey happening every six months, it is now time to provide cinemas with additional feedback which although will not take into the account the views of hundreds of customers, will give the views of selected customers in a more frequent and timely way.

We are calling this scheme Specially Selected and it will impact each of our cinemas by allocating a monthly “Billy Face” much like the online survey plus more in-depth comments on the experience the specially selected customers have had.

The Specially Selected customers have been chosen via a number of routes, but the bulk of the chosen ones have been sourced from past Your Opinion Matters survey answers and then assessed for their suitability to provide constructive timely feedback.

We have selected the people who gave detailed responses on both what they experienced and expected from their cinema visit with a range of “Great” to “Poor” experiences for each cinema. Also taken into consideration are the customer profiles with a selection of customer types where possible, so Billy’s to Beryl’s and JJ’s to Dan & Sarah’s.

This new programme will commence in May with the first round of results being published in June. We hope it will be another useful tool to help cinema teams focus their efforts accordingly and encourage and reward those individuals who consistently deliver outstanding customer experiences.

SUMMER 2012 | PULSE MAGAZINE | 11

TRANSFORM YOUR PATCH IS A NATIONWIDE MOVEMENT TO HELP TRANSFORM THE UK'S OUTDOOR SPACES With the support of Groundwork, the UK's leading environmental regeneration charity, and of course some of the nations' favourite soft drinks, outdoor spaces will be transformed across the country.

Whether it's the leading brands sold in local shops and supermarkets, mixers, juices, drinks you sell in the cinema, in a pub or even in a restaurant, they will all be supporting the campaign. Every drink represents a 1cm2 patch of real land that needs regenerating.

To help transform a patch all you need to do is sell soft drinks. No subscriptions, sign ups or tokens or scratch cards just selling the drink!

There will be projects all over the UK, from Portsmouth all the way up to Cardiff and Dundee. Every week until the 31st October 2012 you can vote for one project in your region (a skate park, 5-a-side football pitch, playground or park and picnic area) to receive extra funding. You get one vote a week so don't forget to come back each week and support your patch.

projects themselves as well as in the region to make sure communities get as much fun as they possibly can out of their transformed patch.

We've also got celebrity ambassadors representing each type of project, so every time you vote for your patch you're also voting for a celebrity and their project type.

We have Robbie Savage in support of 5-aside pitches, Emma Willis in support of parks and picnic areas, Denise van Outen in support of playgrounds and Fazer in support of skate parks. On the 14th September 2012 the celebrity with the most votes will win ÂŁ100,000 to spread across their project type. The money will be used on the

This is Britvic's largest ever campaign with online, radio and TV advertising reaching millions of people.

12| 14 |PULSE PULSEMAGAZINE MAGAZINE||SUMMER WINTER 2012 2011

You can play a real part in helping us spread the word on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Getting your friends and family to show their support will help the whole nation transform their patch.

We will be supporting this campaign in the coming weeks, keep an eye out for your local marketing material and help Empire to transform an outdoor space near you soon!

For more details visit www.transformyourpatch.com

PULSE PRODUCTS

SUMMER 2012| PULSE MAGAZINE | 13

Empire Sunderland

EMPIRE SUNDERLAND Empire Sunderland are embracing technology and drawing in more customers into the Empire experience. PULSE speaks to the team about their cinema and tactics for 2012.

B

efore Empire Sunderland opened in 2004, Sunderland was the biggest city in Europe without a cinema. Since then they’ve been attracting more and more film fans every year, culminating in their busiest day to date this Valentine’s Day. The day fell on Sav£rday Tuesday during a half term holiday, when they welcomed 6878 guests through their doors.

General Manager John Hodgson transferred to Empire Sunderland from Empire Sutton, in Surrey, in 2010, and has been leading the team from strength to strength ever since. “Growing up close to Middlesbrough, I’d heard nothing but bad things about Sunderland,” he said. “So it was lovely getting here and finding that, other than the language barrier, Sunderland’s a

great little city. The cinema itself and its team here are probably the best in the company and have made me feel really welcome.”

John’s first job in the cinema industry was in 1996 as a trainee manager at what was then UCI High Wycombe. Over the years he has worked in a number of glamorous locations, including Bracknell and Norwich.

John is really proud of how well the cinema has done in the previous ‘Your Opinion Matters’ polls. But he believes there is no secret to giving great customer service - it’s just down to having lovely genuine staff happy in their job role, who treat the customers how they wish to be treated themselves.

AGM Anish Patel spoke to us. “The way the staff have embraced the Big E is testament to the team’s enthusiasm and commitment to

1 24 10|2 PULSE REMMMAGAZINE US | ENIZAG |ASUMMER M ESLUP 2012 | 50

working for Empire Cinemas,” he said.

“We believe in the cinema experience we have built here and we take on board all feedback we receive, to ensure every customer will want to keep coming back to us.”

Sunderland’s Big E video was a great example of the team’s outlook towards customer service - staying upbeat, fun, proactive and, well, a bit camp.

Denise Allen, star of the video, told us her thoughts. “We always give 110 per cent. And the managers? Well they give around 100,” she joked.

This year Empire Sunderland is all about local marketing and getting out into the community. They have been forging relationships with local businesses such as Waterstones and the Sunderland Athletic

Q& A

PULSE TEAM IN FOCUS

Sunderland’s facebook campaign

Football Club Foundation, and have been trying their hardest to get involved with community groups to establish Empire Cinemas at the heart of the city.

Sunderland’s various events attract thousands of people to the area every summer and John, with the help of his team, is determined to get out and about to bring extra visitors to the cinema. Whether it is from the International Air Show or any of the sold out concerts at the Stadium of Light, they’re setting out to fill more seats than ever before.

Empire Sunderland is also working hard on building up its Facebook following, and now their page has over 4000 fans. This means contact with thousands of potential customers. John’s latest obsessions are the Facebook statistics and making things ‘go viral’.

A recent post about the new Sav£rday Tuesday price reached a massive 12742 unique users and with regard to their Facebook aims for 2012, the key words are

‘Virality, Virality, Virality!’ All of the team at Sunderland are keen on getting involved in marketing and are passionate about film – despite having varying tastes.

Operations Assistant Craig Wilkinson is looking forward to rocking out at the ‘Rock of Ages’ party he’s organised at a local nightclub, whereas Projectionist Graeme Beech is most looking forward to the next instalment of James Bond Skyfall. “It’s Roger Deacon’s cinematography that I’m most keen to see,” he said.

As for John, he can’t wait for the long overdue return of Dolly Parton to the big screen in this summer’s smash Joyful Noise.

With all of the events taking place in 2012, such as the Olympics and the football European Championships, it’s going to be a tough year. But despite all that, the team at Sunderland know the key to being successful is to continue delivering exceptional customer service and get out on the streets to share their passion for film.

Q: What are your total admissions to date since opening?

A: 3,597,017 Q: What is your strangest request?

A: A customer wanted to hire screen 8 to watch the film he watched on the first date with his girlfriend so he could then propose to her as it ended.

Q: Have there been any ghost sightings by customers?

A: Yes, two!

Sighting No. 1: In VIP box 2A - a man’s head was seen in the corner during a show.

Sighting No. 2: In the girls corridor toilets - a lady saw a small girl in Victorian clothing in one of the cubicles and when she looked again she was gone.

Q: How many of your cinema events involve Drag Acts?

A: Eight Q: What is the best moment in Empire Sunderland’s history?

A: Beating Newcastle 1-0 in the Empire Football Tournament 2012.

Staff at Empire Sunderland

SUMMER 2012| PULSE MAGAZINE | 15

Job swap It is very easy to get used to your own role at Empire Cinemas but have you ever wondered what it would be like to be doing something different at your cinema?

E

mpire Cinemas have started the Job Swap programme for members of staff to learn about other areas of the cinema. For one day a member of staff will spend a shift working alongside colleagues in another department. This has proved very popular and is helping to spread the knowledge across Empire’s team members and to bring those extra skills to their current positions.

The first Empire Job Swap to take place was for two employees of Empire Wigan. Supervisor, Gareth Barrow and Team Member, Martin Donelan tried their hands at being a Projectionist for a day.

Name: Gareth Barrow Current Position: Supervisor

What did you have to do?

The day began with the loading up of all the projectors in the building, each one was switched on and the correct films were put in place ready to be laced up for their showings. Once this was done I then carried out thorough checks to ensure that everything was in working order and there were no problems, these checks were then signed off to record that they had been carried out to the right standard.

r e p Su

r o vis

What did you enjoy?

The task I enjoyed the most was being shown the process of ‘breaking down’ because I was able to get heavily involved with this.

Is there anything you found challenging?

I was shown how to break down trailers which I found to be really challenging. The most complex job however was the lacing up of the films before the performance was due to start. It required a lot of patience to ensure that the job was done properly and was ready in time.

Was there anything that surprised you?

The biggest surprise from the day was the jump in technology from a normal projector to the digital one. Digital is a lot easier and works with a few simple clicks of a button to kick start the film but with the old style projector a lot more attention is required to ensure everything is done properly.

How will your day as a Projectionist help your own role?

After a full shift in the projection booth I feel like I can pass my new knowledge on to my colleagues and our customers. If problems were to arise due to technical difficulties I now have the understanding to easily explain to customers and the team what the problem is and how it can be resolved.

16| PULSE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2012

Gareth Barrow

Overall how did you find your day a projectionist?

I was very thankful to be given the opportunity. Having the support of the two projectionists on shift made the experience more enjoyable and I was really able to provide my input into the running of the shift.

If I had the opportunity again I would love to spend some more time working in projection to build my knowledge further.

PULSE REPRESENTATIVES Martin Donelan

Tea m

me mb er

Name: Martin Donelan Position: Team Member What did you have to do?

My shift began by being shown how to switch on the lights and projectors and where all of the relevant switches were located followed by an introduction to the projector control panels. I learned the differences between the types of projectors, 35mm, 2D and 3D. I observed the lacing up of a 35mm movie and began to gain an understanding of this process. I also observed a full 3D start up in screen 4.

During my shift there was a delivery of three major films and their relevant adverts so I had the chance to help complete this delivery.

This was followed by the films being merged together. I learned the differences between the head and foot of each film and how the six parts are then put together into one major piece to be laced into a projector.

On film reels there are ‘pulses’ which act as prompts on the computer, which allows the projectionist to know where the film has progressed to when they check the monitor. I was shown how to add these pulses to a film reel. After this I checked the correct adverts were added to the correct film, in terms of age rating and audience. The checking process is important to ensure that no mistakes are made with the film setup. I also learned about sound formats which are Dolby DTS and SDDS and each of these have different characteristics.

Finally, I learned how to set up a film without trailers by using a three-pulse leader, which speeds up the process and tells the computer to start the film.

What did you enjoy?

My shift ended with the chance to lace up my own movie, I applied what I had been observing all day and successfully laced up screen 5 which was really enjoyable.

Is there anything that surprised you?

I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable and interesting the job was. I was also surprised by how much information is stored on each piece of film such as the audio strip which is indicated on the right hand side.

Overall how did you find your day as a projectionist?

I really enjoyed my experience in projection and would love to get the chance to work there again. I would happily work a few unpaid shifts in the department to enhance what I have learned.

Projectionist

If you think you would like to get involved with the job swap programme and would like to try your hand at something new all you have to do is email us at: editorpulse@empirecinemas.co.uk

SUMMER 2012 | PULSE MAGAZINE | 17

Yasmin Crowther - Hemel I would improve our staff facilities, that in turn will make our team members happy, creating an all-round lovely atmosphere.

Amy Stonehouse - Sunderland I would love to try and improve our bar area, and make it a bit more cosy and inviting.

Maybe a change of lighting or some soft furnishings would soften the atmosphere

Rob Lucas - Basildon I would host a raffle for our seniors

PULSE REPS:

If you were given £500 to spend on your cinema, what would you do with it?

Andy Spoors - Newcastle Buy a robot to help the staff say farewell…I guess it wouldn’t be the world’s best robot but neither was the one in Real Steel and it still did the job!

We asked your PULSE Reps a series of questions including what they would do with £500 to improve your Cinema. Well without their knowledge our plan was to choose a winner and here are the results!

Dion Mulholland - Swindon I think it’s very important that the staff can relax on their breaks , so I would love to update and make the staff room more comfortable.

David Bol - Poole Commission a statue of Marg Baldock for the lobby

Emma Chawner - Sutton Coldfield I would like to have more poster frames leading to the screens, as it would give films more advertising and brighten up the corridors

18 | PULSE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2012

Jenny Maguire - Wigan I would purchase furniture to use in our newly decorated party room. This would allow us a room to hold meetings in, to a place we could use at weekends with children party games.

PULSE REPRESENTATIVES

Tara Delf - Leiscester Square Refurbish the staff room. Our staff deserve a bit more luxury during their breaks for the great customer service that they deliver day after day

and

Tish Clarke - Birmingham I would create customer service information area. I think this would add a new dynamic to the way customers communicate what they need, making their experience at the cinema the best possible.

. . . s i r e n n i w e th Razak Hussein - Slough I would buy more media products for our café bar, a flat screen TV or even a great surround sound system to welcome customers into the cinema.

Perry Bartlett - Bromley I would upgrade the stereo system/ tv for trailers to a new HD television with surround sound in the foyer.

Laura Mcleod - Clydebank I thought that putting the money towards a trip to somewhere like Alton Towers.

A change of scenery and some mindless adrenaline action, it would be an excellent reward.

We choose Perry from Bromley as the winner as we felt this could have the biggest difference to the customer’s experience and help the atmosphere and excitement of customers first entering the Cinema. Also his request was achievable for £500!

Katie Gaskin - Surrey I would focus the money on boosting staff morale by using it for staff incentives. This would get the team working hard (harder than they already do!) for some top prizes and boosting our sales

Kelvin Clarke - Bishops Stortford Better seating area for customers and new coffee machine

Kim Hallam - High Wycombe Expand/Improve foyer seating area

SUMMER 2012 | PULSE MAGAZINE | 19

Cinema’s New Gene Of older viewers As statistics show, the mature cinema-goer is reviving their love of the big screen once more and Hollywood is finally paying attention to the Beryl’s of the world. the youngsters that want to have a gossip with their friends about the latest Hollywood blockbuster.

Recent films such as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Artist and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel reflect what this audience wants in a film; a good storyline with wellrounded characters that they can relate to. It has been a quiet revolution on the part of the older cinemagoer, but the figures are clear; between 1995 and 2010, the number of over-50-year-old Americans that regularly visit cinemas increased by a staggering 68%. Here in Britain, the proportion of over-45s amongst regular filmgoers rose from 14% to 60% between 1997 and 2008.

20 | PULSE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2012

During an interview with Variety, Bill Mechanic, head of Hollywood’s Pandemonium Films, explained that “audiences have aged dramatically, and movies generally haven’t”. It highlights the increasing demand for filmmakers to produce new films for the older audience.

Our Operations Director, Paul Baxter,

‘‘ Their taste in film

may have changed, but their love for the big screen hasn’t

‘‘

Y

ou may have noticed the increasing number of grown-up dramas, documentary films and stories of late-blooming love showing on our screens over the past few years. Of course, the rom-coms, thrillers and worldwide franchises such as Harry Potter and The Twilight Saga are still shown in abundance, but these newly popular genres are bringing the slightly older customer back to our cinemas, and they are eager for more.

The likes of Beryl and her friends have been coming to Empire Cinemas for years, often to our special Senior Screenings that allowed them to kick back with a cup of tea and an old classic. However, having grown up watching the latest blockbusters on the big screen, most are keen to relive their childhood and attend the regular screenings to see the new releases. After all, it isn’t just

Dame Judy Dench in her recent blockbusterThe Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

PULSE RESEARCH FEATURE

‘‘We have to create the right

experience for all of our customers, whether they are six-years-old or 60

‘‘

Picture: www.thebestexoticmarigoldhotel.co.uk/20thcenturyfox

ration What our customers say!

With the success of Warhorse and The Artist earlier this year, we wanted to understand more about the type of customer that is attracted to this type of film. Everyone at Empire Cinemas is aware of Beryl, but these films are attracted a new customer that isn’t catered for in our Big E Family of Customers; let’s call them Beryl’s younger sibling.

Our Customer Experience Manager, Lisa Rowland, asked two focus groups of 4564 year-olds about themselves, and discovered their views on the Empire Cinema experience.

u They still work full- or part-time, so time is still a premium. u They don’t often attend our Senior events, instead opting to go to the cinema during normal viewing times. u They are content with the ATM’s in our cinemas, and also with Empire’s website. u Queues are an issue for them, with most keen to see the waiting time reduced. u They like a deal! Saver Tuesdays and Orange Wednesdays are popular, and they are keen to see smaller portions of food and

drink that would fit both their appetite and their wallets. u Friday and Saturday nights are often avoided by this type of customer. u The auditorium experience and overall cleanliness is important to them. They like the effort the team makes to ensure they enjoyed their experience. u They like to be told what seat number they were in when having their ticket checked.

Complicated tickets and deteriorating eyesight are just two of the reasons for this.

is keen to point out that this revolution is not the older generation discovering cinema for the first time.

“What we are seeing is the generation that grew up in the late sixties and seventies, who fell in love with the big blockbusters the first time around, continuing their love of film and cinema,” he explains. “Their taste in film may have changed, but their love of the big screen hasn’t.”

Hollywood has finally sat up and taken notice of this change in audience age and it is estimated that a third of forthcoming productions are being made with the over50s in mind. But these filmgoers are not insistent on age-focussed films with older characters; films such as The King’s Speech, which was 2011’s third biggest film, drew in the older generation without alienating the younger filmgoers – a feat also managed by the likes of Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman, and Up In The Air, starring George Clooney.

This ability to produce films that are suitable for all generations has been a long-lasting aim. Surprisingly, it is often children’s animated films such as Up that get the balance right – they are young and fun for the kids but also contain discreet jokes that will keep the adults awake and laughing.

Plus you can’t beat the cheerful nostalgic experience of watching children’s films.

This means that cinema is able to bring both the young and old generations together, bonding over a mutual interest. It’s a concept that has worked for years and Up took a huge £460m globally.

Hollywood is close to getting the perfect balance with other genres too, allowing us to focus on providing our excellent customer service to an even larger audience, something Paul is keen to stress.

“Whether they are six-years-old or 60, we have to provide the right experience.

If we do that we will continue to see our audience grow,” he said.

So next time you see Beryl in the queue, don’t assume she is there for today’s silver screening; she might want to see Hollywood’s latest blockbuster just as much as Billy.

SUMMER 2012 | PULSE MAGAZINE | 21

PULSE FACES OF EMPIRE

C

WITH

10

MINUTES LISA ROWLAND

ustomer Experience Manager, Lisa Rowland, helps us to provide customers with the ultimate cinema experience and ensures we have the competitive edge over other cinema chains.

When she’s not working hard ensuring Empire Cinemas are the best, she is busy looking after her three young children.

Lisa explains her background in the cinema industry, and reveals what it’s like working behind the scenes at Empire.

What is your job role?

For the past two years, my aim has been to help the Operations team become more customer focused. Generally the films are the same, but if we can ensure that all of our customers find the whole experience as easy and enjoyable as possible, we will become the customer’s cinema of choice. As Customer Experience Manager, I am involved with a number of projects, all designed to help us achieve that goal.

What is a typical work day for you as the Customer Experience Manager?

I would say that two thirds of my time at the moment is office-based. I might be pulling together a staff training sessions, collating data for PULSE magazine or designing the next part of the Lighting Up Performance Programme. I am also currently talking to suppliers about the new uniform project and preparing for the next round of YOM including a new scheme called Specially Selected. Recently I have taken over the responsibility of training and development so I am currently spending time on planning the Team Member Training project too.

When I do get out of the office and into the cinemas, I might be running a ‘Big E’ training session, or talking to our General Managers about Spotlight Checks and how they are working with their teams to instil a customer service culture and improving their YOM results.

What is the best thing about working for Empire Cinemas?

I love that I get to work with different people on a variety of different projects. I also love

Lisa Rowland, Customer Experience Manager

the size of the company. The actions you make really can make a difference.

What has been your biggest achievement at Empire Cinemas?

I would say introducing the Big E as a concept is definitely one, as is hearing people talk about Beryl’s and JJ’s. Seeing scores improve in the YOM survey too is fantastic too.

How long have you been working in the industry?

Prior to working for Empire, I worked for UGC Cinemas for five years as their Training and Development Manager. I have also worked for a number of retail companies and restaurants in a similar role. TGI Fridays is where I started my career which gave me a great grounding in customer service and helps me in my current role here at Empire.

Have you seen many changes in the industry since you started?

Generally speaking, I think customers these

days expect more for their leisure pound and Cinema is no exception. So many businesses are offering deals and customer service is becoming more than just a smile and ‘hello’.

Customers expect us to go “the extra mile” and if we don’t others will.

INTERESTING FACTS Upcoming film you are looking forward to watching: Bourne Legacy Ice Age 4 Favourite film of all-time: Back to the Future Favourite actors: Minnie Driver and Ewan McGregor Favourite cinema snack: Pepsi Max and Nachos with two pots of cheese

A special thank you to Lisa Rowland for sparing the time to talk to PULSE Magazine.

22 | PULSE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2012

PULSE PROMOTIONS

Cinem-arr Promotions

T

A look at what some of our cinemas have been doing to promote upcoming films

o celebrate the release of “Pirates!

In an adventure with Scientists,� employees of Empire Bromley took to the streets dressed as Buccaneers.

Euan James-Richards and Kristian Tomkins handed out treasure, in the form of chocolate coins, to the children turning up to watch the film. After this they hit the High Street in perfect character and high spirits, chatting and taking pictures with the locals.

The pirates try to recru

it some ship mates

It was not all fun and

le marauder a bit too

This lady liked the ma

games for the pair

much

Proud Pirates stand ou

tside Empire Bromley

Euan and Kristian pose

with a fellow Pirate

SUMMER 2012 | PULSE MAGAZINE | 23

Empire Cinema’s

five -aside

TOURNAMENT

Empire Cinemas held its fifth annual football tournament at Sedgemere Sports and Social Club, Birmingham. Despite the occasional downpour all teams competed valiantly. Pulse went along for the day.

The Teams

The A Team (Empire Basildon) Bishops Stortford (Empire Bishops Storford)

The Damms United (Empire High Wycombe)

Slough United (Empire Slough) Real Wigan (Empire Wigan) The B Team (Empire Basildon) Toni’s Titans (Empire Bromley) Newcastle (Empire Newcastle) John’s Fairies (Empire Sunderland) Britvic (Britvic) Battle Royale With Cheese (Empire Birmingham Great Park)

Clydebank Blitz (Empire Clydebank) Head Office (Empire Head Office) The Suttons (Empire Sutton) The Avengers (Empire Birmingham Great Park)

Hemel Hellraisers (Empire Hemel Hempstead)

Republic (Empire Poole) Swindon FC (Empire Swindon)

W

hile the sun was still shining the tournament kicked off. Crowds gathered around the four pitches, giving their teams’ vocal backing. The group stages witnessed some high scoring encounters, including a 16-2 score line that will live long in the memory.

Group A

Britvic Toni’s Titans John’s Fairies The B Team Britvic John’s Fairies Newcastle Toni’s Titans

0-9 2-2 7-3 6-1 3-3 2-6 0-2 1-3

The B Team Newcastle Britvic Newcastle Toni’s Titans The B Team Britvic John’s Fairies

Group C

Battle Royale With Cheese 8-2 Clydebank Blitz Bishops Stortford Head Office 3-4 Battle Royale With Cheese Slough United The Suttons 1-9 Head Office The A Team Head Office 3-8 Clydebank Blitz The Damms United The Suttons 0-7 Battle Royale With Cheese Real Wigan Clydebank Blitz 12-0 The Suttons The Damms United Bihsops Stortford Group D The A Team The Avengers 7-5 Hemel Hellraisers Real Wigan Republic 2-8 Swindon FC Slougb United Hemel Hellraisers 9-2 Republic Group B Swindon FC 7-1 The Avengers The Avengers 9-1 Republic The B Team 4-1 Toni’s Titans Hemel Hellraisers 3-11 Swindon FC Newcastle 0-1 John’s Fairies

The A Team 3-4 The Damms United 0-4 Real Wiagn 2-4 Bishops Stortford 4-3 Slough United 7-3 The A Team 4-1 Real Wigan 3-4 Slough United 3-1 The Damms United 16-2 Bishops Stortford 0-5

24 | PULSE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2012

PULSE EMPIRE FOOTBALL

Slough United crowned champions

Quarter-Finals

With the group stages providing great entertainment, the knockout part of the cup was every bit as thrilling. Thankfully, the umbrellas were away after a welcome spell of sunshine shone broke through the clouds.

Slough United 4-1 The Avengers Slough and The Avengers showcased great attacking talent, although The Avengers failed to show quite the same level in defence.

The B Team 6-0 Clydebank Blitz The B Team had little trouble seeing off Clydebank Blitz in a one-sided affair. The men from Clydebank struggled to contain The B Team’s attacking prowess and exited at the quarter-final stage.

Douglas Kant of Clydebank celebrated a fun day of football, and despite the quarter-final score, a good showing from his team. He said: “I think the team has played well. We’ve had a few high scores and good passes, which we needed. The best part of the day has been the winning, it’s been a good laugh.”

Battle Royal With Cheese 2-2 John’s Fairies (John’s Fairies win 3-2 on penalties) This match proved to be a dramatic affair with neither side unable to shake their

opponents off. John’s Fairies held their nerve and secured a semi-final place.

Swindon FC 6-1 Bishops Stortford Swindon continued their brilliant form with a thumping victory over Bishops Stortford who fought valiantly against a lethal Swindon attack.

Semi-Finals

Slough United 4-2 The B Team – Slough put in another strong performance and again scored the goals to power them to the final.

John’s Fairies 3-4 Swindon FC – In a difficult match to call Swindon edged out their opponents to reach the final.

Final

Slough United 9-4 Swindon FC – Slough United were crowned 2012 Empire cinema’s Cup champions after a brilliant final which had drama, goals and a vocal crowd. Swindon struck early on but Slough soon began to dominate and despite a brief comeback from Swindon FC, some late goals added flourish to the final score.

Medal winner Denis Bulman of Slough

United said: “We clicked when we got here but we’ve had no training. Only two of us play football regularly so I think we’ve done really well. Swindon came back at us so fair play to them and we were a bit worried but we just stuck together and played football. The main reason we won was team effort.”

As players and spectators alike crammed into the bar for the trophy presentation and food, Olly Pullein, General Manager of Sedgemere Sports centre spoke to Pulse .“ A lot of the planning thankfully was done by Britvic, who organised the event. They sorted all of the teams, gave them all the confirmation and times they were meant to turn up. Then it was onto us to organise the fixtures, referees and pitch space to make sure the tournament ran smoothly.

“It went well; everyone turned up on time and seemed to have a good time. The weather didn’t dampen people’s spirits too much and I think the amount of teams was just about right.”

With plenty of food consumed and the rain passing, people began to filter home.

Congratulations to Slough United who can bask in their glory until we do it all again next year.

SUMMER 2012 | PULSE MAGAZINE | 25

K C A B D E E F R E M O CUST D R A O B E C NOTI Newcastle Hi there, I visited the cinema to see, We Bought A Zoo, and found the wrong tickets had been sold to us. You dealt with the problem in an extremely efficient and professional manner so I have left positive feedback on the survey. Thank you once again and also thank all your colleagues for great customer service. I feel when it comes to pleasing customers and making them return that Empire Newcastle is far superior to Odeon. Although I have a loyalty card for the other cinema I use Empire every week and will continue to do so.

Thank you N. Garrity

Newcastle Clydebank I would just like to say how much I enjoy coming to Clydebank Empire Cinema . The staff are so friend ly and always help with any ticket problems. The cin ema prices are so cheap in compar ison to other cinemas in the area - My husband and I ref use to go to any other cinema as a result!

Thank you for a good cinema experience!

Rebecca Little

nema I was at your ci on Up e tl as wc Ne in with Tyne yesterday ing ew vi er ht my daug booked we , or rr Mi or Mirr e th d on line and ha uld wo I g. in at premier se u yo k just like to than we ce en for the experi sant and had, it was plea were clean, the staff ful and lp he d an ly ve lo price was great. work Keep up the good Rachael Smith

26 2012 26||PULSE PULSEMAGAZINE MAGAZINE||SUMMER WINTER 2011

PULSE REPRESENTATIVES PULSE FEEDBACK Clydebank I visited your cinema today to watch The Bes t Exotic Marigold Hot say thank you for an el and I just wanted to excellent trip to the write to cinema.

When I arrived there was very little people and I was served almost but two of your deligh instantly by not just tful staff! Kirsty and one, Craig (I think), both of and enjoying what the whom were extremely ha y were doing. ppy I am an avid cinema goe r and although my loc al cinema is the Braehe others in the area now ad Odeon, I do like to and again. visit Based on my previous visit I will be trying to visit your cinema mu ch more often in the fut ure.

Thank you for a great day, Evelynn Dickson

Sutton

Bromley

at a Just wanted to say wh My is. ton great cinema Sut d car CEA a s daughter ha other and whenever we go to a ays cinemas there is alw The . ton Sut at delay, but not and ent ici eff y ver staff are d goo a is pleasant and there You . ema cin the atmosphere at thank also do great deals so red fer pre our are You ! you the choice and I’m spreading word!

We admire the way you have managed all the extra work you’ve had during the schools half term, how you’ve coped we don’t know. You have truly been professionals at your work and always had smiles on your faces, with a calm, warm welcome for your customers.

Well done.

Violet and David Towner

Carole Sadler

Basildon impressed A quick note to say how the by s (and surprised!) I wa e I vic ser er fantastic custom branch on ild Bas r you in received at l gir a yesterday. I spoke to sed cha pur d ha I er around 11am aft cinema ng wro the for ine tickets onl s entirely - even though this wa she sorted it ity down to my stupid d what time cke che sh, quick as a fla sorted new the movie was on and tickets.

Newcast

le

Hi, I vis ited you r cinem 2nd Apr a to see il 2012.

Streetda The sta would l ff were nce 3D o ike to t very po n the M hank th to carry lite an onday e guy w the food d helpf ho help I was ru I ul and h e a d d purch m e nning l I a s I was st ased. I ate and screen don’t kn rugglin he was ten. He o g w hi doing a was ver experie y helpf stock ta s name, but nce and u l k e and pol will rec outside it ommend to frien e thanks had Natalie a lovel d s and f Thompso y amily n

raise!

Brilliant! Give her a Tim Ryan

SUMMER 2012||PULSE PULSEMAGAZINE MAGAZINE||27 27 WINTER 2011

D N I H BE

E H TCENES S

ce fi f O d a e s H ’ a m e n i C Empire am e t T .

I d n Finance a

I

A focus on finance in the current economic climate, the Empire Leicester Square Finance Team are more important than ever. The small but strong team works hard to ensure that the cinemas are kept ticking over. PULSE talks to a selection of our finance experts about what they do inside and out of work.

nside, the office is full of different personalities. The one who knows the ins and outs of all of them is Jan Dwyer. She’s been working for the cinemas for five years and enjoys all aspects of her job including “the communication, meeting people and achieving results.” Her role of field support means that she works between finance and retail; supporting the cinemas to make sure they follow all the right procedures. The head office has a lot of in-house systems that need looking after.

They include film hire, George PUMA, and FMA. It’s not all work for Jan, who enjoys a good social life and has managed to fit in The London Marathon last year, was involved with the Empire London to Paris bike ride and has even managed to pick up a Silver E on the way!

As well as needing support, all of the cinema’s finances have to be accounted for.

The woman who accounts for literally every penny and keeps the banking in balance is Loraine McVittie. Any cash that goes into the accounts is dealt with by Loraine. On

top of this she also processes the refunds and invoices for everything from school bookings to premieres. Loraine came from our Leicester Square Cinema having worked there for 16 years in total. Loraine has recently celebrated her 50th birthday, passed her driving test and has even experimented with a bit of scuba diving…. proof that life really does begin at 50!

The office entertainer comes in the form of Alex Hempel, the general ledger administrator. Although he keeps the team entertained with his impressions of various staff, he also works very hard assisting Mike with the management accounts and deals with the cash forecast and property issues while hogging the journal log! Alex is studying for his final CIMA exams before going on a belated honeymoon to Malaysia.

Mike McGreal was one of the original members of the team and, having worked in Odeon previously, Mike brings a wealth of experience in the Management Accounts area. Day to day Mike checks the financial information received from cinemas to

16| PULSE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2012 28|

ensure it is complete and reliable before taking this daily data to compile the monthly management accounts. Mike also puts together the cinema budgets and forecasts.

He is also a keen supporter of the current European Champions.

Julia Daniel has been a member of the team since 2006. After six months of travelling, she has now resumed her seat as financial accountant. She handles the statutory accounts, the fixed assets and VAT returns and oversees the cash and bank, accounts payable and accounts receivable functions Still an avid traveller, Julia is holidaying in Zimbabwe at the end of the month and Julia also took part in the Empire London to Paris bike ride.

Also part of the team is the accounts payable administrator, Anthony Killington.

Anthony has worked at Empire cinemas for three years and his roles include sorting the accounts payable invoicing, reconciling accounts and processing expenses. Anthony ran the Brighton Marathon this year, but it came at a high price as he decided to give up

PULSE BEHIND THE SCENES

Julia Daniel

Jan Dwyer

Feyza Yurtcanli

alcohol from 1st Jan until he completed the marathon on 15th April (His local pub went bust!), he also took part in the London to Brighton Bike Ride last year.

Lydia Mitchell, currently on maternity leave after giving birth to baby Kaiden, has been an accounts payable administrator for the last three and a half years. Her job role means that she often has to liaise with sites and suppliers to resolve any queries that they may have as well as processing invoices and running reports. She will be missed around the office while she is away, and there will be no smell of toast in the morning or McDonalds at lunch.

Taking her place while Lydia is on maternity leave is Feyza Yurtcanli. She

Loraine McVittie

Lydia Mitchell

Anthony Killington

Alex Hempel

Reena Dattani

Manjeet Sehmi

started at Basildon 6 years ago as a team member and has worked her way up to Supervisor/Key holder. Feyza was often the duty Manager when on site. She has already gained plenty of knowledge of the cinema business looking after health and safety, working on the shop floor and looking after HR.Feyza has made the move into finance to help broaden her experience in the cinema business.

Reena Dattani has worked in various roles within Finance, having recently been promoted to the role of Assistant Financial Accountant. Reena works closely with Julia and manages the day to day running of the cash and bank department and accounts payable team. She also has the responsibility

to complete over 20 VAT returns, National Statistics forms and managing all the fixed assets such as seats, projectors and carpets.

She also has the important job of checking the payroll.

Manjeet Sehmi joined the team back in December 2006, having previously worked for PacerCats for 16 years. He manages all IT related services for the business, that’s from looking after the till equipment at the Cinemas to mobile phones.

A massive thank you to the finance team for taking the time to talk to PULSE!

SUMMER 2012 | PULSE MAGAZINE | 29

PULSE TEAM BLOG

g o l B Guest Laura Mcleod’s Dream Team

R k n a b e d ly C , E EMPIR

elating football to film and Empire is difficult when you’re not the biggest fan of the sport. However, as I write this the Empire league is fast approaching, and it’s the main topic of conversation at Empire Clydebank, so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon too.

Team sports like football are not really something I am good at, but watching Team Clydebank think about strategies and tactics has got me thinking about my own dream team.

My first pick would be my Grandpa. I would find a spot on my team for him for any game. Next I would pick the team Captain. As this is a very important role, I have chosen Captain Jack Sparrow. He would use his wit and charm to confuse the opposing team, intimidating the other team captains before the matches by reminding them that he is in fact the real Captain. ‘Savvy?’

Next, the star player. For this I need someone who knows about football and will draw in the crowds, so the obvious choice is David Beckham. After all, apparently no one can ‘bend it like Beckham’, although I have no idea what that means.

No team is complete without a legend; someone whose name and reputation surpasses everyone who tries to steal their crown. Someone for who people would travel far and wide. My team legend would be Scottish AC/DC guitarist, Angus Young; a man who leaps around the stage kicking the air. I could just give him a ball and let him loose.

My team obviously needs a coach. No, not the bus driver kind, but the kind that can whip these guys into shape. Time waits for no man as the saying goes, so I don’t want to spend days on end training when Rocky can do it in a montage, and to a really catchy and annoying song. I bet that song’s stuck in your head now, sorry.

So that’s my dream team. I wonder if they would fare any better than our real team. By the time you read this the league has been won and who knows, 2012 could be the year that it’s Clydebank.

Words of Wisdom “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the team won’t be worth a dime” – Babe Ruth.

30 | PULSE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2012

REVIEWS

PULSE REVIEWS

THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN

T

he world of comic book movies is full of rewrites, recasting and reboots and Columbia Pictures are no strangers to this trend by rebooting the Spider-Man franchise with a new director and new cast.

After three commercially successful features, grossing a total of almost $2.5 billion dollars worldwide, Columbia bids farewell to director Sam Raimi and star Toby Maguire, ushering in a tone more in line with the wisecracking web slinger from the comics.

Retelling the fantastic story of his origin, the remake focuses on the struggles of high school student Peter Parker as he juggles his schoolwork, first crush and newfound incredible super powers.

Upon the disappearance of his parents, Peter finds a mysterious briefcase belonging to his father and begins a quest to uncover the truth. This leads him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr Curt Connors, his father’s former partner.

Slipping into Spider-Man’s iconic red and blue costume, redesigned for the reboot, is Andrew Garfield of The Social Network

FANTASTIC FACTS Michael Fassbender was originally considered for the role of Dr Curt Connors; he eventually went on to play Magneto in X-Men: First Class.

This film marks the first time Dr. Curt Connors becomes The Lizard on film. Although Curt Connors appeared in the original Sam Raimi films, played by Dylan Baker, the character never became the Lizard despite some strong hints.

Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy) and Sally Field (Aunt May) share the same birthday.

July 2012 fame. Garfield has thrown himself into the role by performing most of his own stunts, which he describes as terribly challenging and exhausting. To capture the role’s spiderlike movements Garfield had to study Yoga and Pilates in order to prepare for such a physically demanding role.

Instead of Peter’s long time lover MaryJane Watson, the film instead uses another of the comic’s love interests, Gwen Stacy, portrayed by rising star Emma Stone. Stone ditched her trademark red locks and reverted to her blonde roots to play Gwen, whom she describes as a ‘responsible daddy’s girl’.

Gwen supplies some stability in Peter’s life after his parents’ absence.

Rhys Ifans tackles the role of Curt Connors, a man whose experiments in regeneration after the loss of a limb go terribly wrong as he transforms into the Lizard, a nine-foot tall, half-man, halfreptile creature. Very much a Dr. Jekyll/ Mr. Hyde character, he is a man with good intentions cut short by tragedy. Ifans donned a 3D motion capture suit to channel every nuance of his character into the Lizard’s CGI incarnation.

Marc Webb is a surprising choice to replace Sam Raimi behind the camera. His previous feature, the quirky rom-com (500) Days of Summer, was his debut. Webb intends to share Peter’s awe of his newfound powers with the audience.

Already spoilt for choice with several superhero movies out this summer, JJ and the Palmer family will enjoy the quick-witted lighter tone of The Amazing Spider-Man. And Billy will no doubt be impressed too by the vivid camera work and special effects that bring this film to life and Dan and Sarah might very well find inspiration in Peter and Gwen’s comic book romance.

KNOW YOUR STUFF Genre: Action/Adventure Director: Marc Webb Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans Movie Recommendations: Thor The Incredible Hulk The Dark Knight

SUMMER 2012 | PULSE MAGAZINE | 31 04 | PULSE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2012

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PULSE REVIEWS

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THE

I

n keeping with previous fairytale revamps, this year offers another fresh take on a classic story with epic action-adventure tale, Snow White and the Huntsmen, hitting UK cinema screens in June.

Snow White is the directorial film debut of upcoming, talented director Rupert Sanders. Whilst Sanders might not have much experience creating full-length fantasy blockbusters, he was nominated for an award for the advert he directed featuring a huge legged man for Monster.com. This experience no doubt came in handy when tackling battle scenes where the leading lady, played

by Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame, pitches herself against mythical beasts in a pure adrenaline filled showdown.

The innovative visions of a fresh-faced director are complimented by Joe Roth, producer of Tim Burton’s charmingly eccentric rework of Alice in Wonderland. This plus the highly credible cast means that Snow White and The Huntsmen is set to be one of the biggest hits of the year. The film

May 2012 stays true to its fairytale roots when the evil Queen Ravenna, played by Charlize Theron, becomes enraged upon learning she is soon to be surpassed as ‘the fairest of them all’ by the raven-haired, porcelain-skinned Snow White. She vows to remove this threat but, in a newer and much more brutal turn of events, the Queen holds back with the poisoned apple and instead tries new tactics.

The casting is solid with Oscar nominee Theron channelling the evil nature of the Queen exceptionally well. It is up to Stewart to reinvent herself as a heroine strong enough to challenge Theron’s steely rule.

Multi-award winning band Florence & The Machine are tipped to be part of the soundtrack with a new song written especially for the film entitled ‘Breath of Life’. Her trademark ethereal wails and full orchestra backing help give the film the eerie and dark atmosphere it needs to match the fast paced action shots, wild beasts and ominous forested setting.

All of the action and set pieces, combined with the gritty, realistic tone of the film, is guaranteed to leave JJ and Billy queuing around the block. The all-star cast, particularly Thor’s little brother Chris Hemsworth, means Jane and her friends will surely join them. As love always prevails in fairy tales, Sarah might very well pick Snow White for a date with Dan who will appreciate the more realistic, grown up approach to this classic story.

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FANTASTIC FACTS During filming Kristen Stewart accidently punched co-star Chris Hemsworth in the face giving him a black eye Charlize Theron dropped out of J.Edgar to do this movie Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder were considered for the role of Ravenna Kristen Stewart admitted whilst filming that she had to overcome a fear of horses dating back to a mishap at nine-years-old in which she sustained a factured elbow

KNOW YOUR STUFF Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/ Action Director: Rupert Sanders Starring: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron Movie Recommendations: Twilight Alice in Wonderland Pan’s Labyrinth

PULSE REVIEWS

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The Expendables

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August 2012

KNOW YOUR STUFF Genre: Action Director: Simon West Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Jean-Claude Van Damme Recommendations: Die Hard Commando Rambo

FANTASTIC FACTS

he summer just got a whole lot manlier with the return of eighties action throwback, and all-round testosterone fest, The Expendables 2. Fit to burst with iconic movie stars and set pieces, this sequel promises to cement the franchise’s badass status.

Although he still wrote the film’s script, Sylvester Stallone has stepped out of the director’s chair for this instalment. Instead returning as the grizzled Barney Ross, leader of mercenary team The Expendables, he and the team find themselves on the warpath after one of their men is murdered on the job. Their quest for vengeance takes the team deep into enemy territory and sees them attempt to stop a deadly weapon and face-off against an unexpected enemy.

Having had their cameos from the first film expanded, action royalty Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger feature in some beefed up roles. Willis plays Mr Church, mastermind behind the Expendable’s job and The Governator returns to the silver screen as mercenary Trench. Action fans will be salivating at the prospect of Rambo, John McClane and The Terminator all appearing together for the first time in cinematic history.

Much of the original cast has returned too, including Jason Statham as knife expert Lee Christmas, Jet Li as martial arts specialist Yin Yang and Dolph Lundgren as the scene stealing sniper Gunnar Lundgren. Terry Crewes returns as weapons specialist Hale Caesar and Randy Couture joins him once again as demolitions expert, Toll Road. With Mickey Rourke’s departure from the film, the team has been rounded out with the addition

Arnold Schwarzenegger filmed his scenes in just four days Nicolas Cage and John Travolta were set to join the cast but scheduling conflicts meant they had to drop out A real railway bridge over the river Osam in Bulgaria was built for the film and remains as part of the country’s railway network.

of Liam Hemsworth as new sniper Billy the Kid as well as internet sensation and former Texas ranger, Chuck Norris as Booker.

If the already muscle filled cast wasn’t enough, eighties action legend Jean-Claude Van Damme has been cast as brutal rival mercenary and target of the Expendables wrath, Jean Vilain.

It isn’t all about the men though.

Charisma Carpenter returns as Jason Statham’s love interest Lacy and the team gains a new ally in Chinese actress Yu Nan who plays Maggie.

Replacing Stallone for directorial duties is Simon West, whose repertoire includes another blockbusting action ensemble piece Con Air. He seems like the natural choice to direct a cast packed full of iconic talent.

With relentless action and violence throughout, this film isn’t for the Palmer family. Billy will surely enjoy its explosive scenes and star-studded cast. With the amount of male flesh onscreen, Dan might be able to tempt Sarah to enjoy carnage. This is certainly one to put hairs on your chest.

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PULSE REVIEWS

KNOW YOUR STUFF Genre: Comedy Director: Seth MacFarlane Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Mark Whalberg, Mila Kunis Movie Recommendations: 21 Jump Street Superbad South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut

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ted

eth MacFarlane, creator of smash hit TV show Family Guy, has made it to the big screen and brings his risqué brand of humour along with him. His repertoire, extending beyond creator of the dysfunctional yet lovable Griffin family, also boasts the writing of highly successful adult-orientated cartoon series American Dad, currently in its seventh season. He’s also responsible for Family Guy spin off The Cleveland Show which, despite receiving some negative reviews, has still been picked up by Fox for another two seasons.

This is all very impressive so expectations are high for MacFarlane’s first feature length film. Ted tells the story of John Bennett who, despite being a bona fide grown-up, has unfortunately had to learn the hard way to be careful what you wish for when his childhood teddy bear is brought to life.

MacFarlane voices the eponymous teddy bear whilst other Family Guy favourites have also been brought along for the ride. Mila Kunis, the voice of Meg and best known for her recent supporting role in Academy Award winning dark drama thriller Black Swan, plays Lori. Family Guy guest star Laura Vandervoort also stars. Heading up the cast as John is lead Mark Wahlberg, best known for his appearances in blockbusters such as Planet of the Apes and his Oscar nominated roles in The Departed and The Fighter.

A solid cast and an interesting premise indeed, but what did you expect from a man

August 2012

who created over 130 episodes of family drama involving an anthropomorphised goldfish and a friendly, house-trained alien?

As with any works using MacFarlane’s trademark humour, the film is not without warnings of crudity, sexual content and drug usage, so this is definitely not one for JJ or the Palmer Family. However, for Family Guy fans such as Billy, this new venture is a must-see and the slightly-off gags are nine-tenths of the reason why. Jane and her friends might also enjoy going along for a giggle.

Ted is surely going to be a hit at the box office but time will tell whether MacFarlane has the skills to translate his comedy from the small screen to the silver screen, or if like The Cleveland Show, Ted is to be a valiant, yet ultimately dissatisfying endeavour.

FANTASTIC FACTS Various teddy bears were used for postproduction editing The “white trash girls names” scene was done in a few takes without having any cue cards for Mark Wahlberg, who wrote down a wide number of female names that sound “white trash” It was the rirst live-action project, directed

by Seth MacFarlane

PULSE REVIEWS

BRAVE FANTASTIC FACTS Merida is Pixar’s first female lead character and Pixar’s first character to join Disney’s princess line.

Before original director Brenda Chapman left the project, 80% of the film took place in snow.

A video game of the movie is planned to be released at the same time, allowing players to explore mystic Scotland for themselves.

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June 2012 irl power is back with bang in Hollywood and Disney/Pixar are getting in on the act with their own defiant heroine, Princess Merida star of their new movie Brave.

Brave tells the tale of Princess Merida, voiced by Kelly Macdonald, and her confrontations with ancient traditions, fearsome beasts and her own destiny.

Determined to carve out her own path in life, the feisty Princess’ actions accidentally end up in chaos throughout the land. When Merida turns to an eccentric wise woman for help, voiced by Julie Walters, she is granted a wish that has unforeseen consequences.

Merida is forced to look inside herself to find true bravery to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late. If there’s one thing that sets Pixar apart from rival animation studios it is the quality of their voice casts, and Brave is no exception.

Joining Kelly Macdonald’s Merida

will be her royal parents, King Fergus and Queen Elinor, voiced by the boisterous Billy Connolly and the stately Emma Thompson.

Keeping the Highlands in check are Lords Macintosh, MacGuffin and Dingwall who are performed by Craig Ferguson, Kevin McKidd and Robbie Coltrane, ensuring the cast’s Scottish accents will be as authentic as possible.

When Pixar first began animating they followed two simple rules to set them apart from their parent company, Disney, and other animated feature films: no songs and no fairy tales. Give or take the odd Randy Newman number, they’ve stuck true to the first rule but seem to be flouting the second with Brave. However, Pixar being Pixar, they have promised that Brave has more in common with Brothers Grimm fairy stories than Disney’s day-glo adaptations.

The animation style is more subdued than other Pixar productions with tones and colours to suit the landscape, with the exception of

Merida’s blazing red head of hair of course!

From snow-capped peaks to mist swept moors, Pixar’s expert team of animators has rendered the Highlands to stunning effect, creating a mystic timelessness that perfectly captures Scotland’s breathtaking natural beauty.

The film has undergone several changes since production began. Originally titled The Bear and the Bow with Reese Witherspoon set to play Merida, Pixar’s Brain Trust has tweaked the original story that suits the studio’s vision. Original director Brenda Chapman left the production and Mark Andrews has replaced her.

As Pixar films are always fantastic family affairs that appeal to children and parents alike, The Palmers will surely be entertained thoroughly by this latest animated treat. JJ too will enjoy the bright animation while Dan and Sarah can embrace their inner children and get lost in the romance of Scotland’s rugged beauty. Jane and friends will enjoy the films girl power message as well.

KNOW YOUR STUFF Genre: Family Animation Director: Brenda Chapman, Mark Andrews Starring: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson Movie Recommendations: Shrek How To Train Your Dragon Tangled SUMMER 2012 | PULSE MAGAZINE | 35 04 | PULSE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2012

PULSE REVIEWS

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KNOW YOUR STUFF Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/Horror Director: Ridley Scott Starring: Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender Movie Recommendations: Alien District 9 Pandorum

hen Ridley Scott released the seminal Alien in 1979, the world of science fiction and horror was turned on its head. Now Scott returns to his own dark and wickedly universe and the genre he helped redefine with upcoming epic Prometheus.

Shrouded in secrecy for most of its production, Prometheus was originally slated to be ‘just a prequel’ to the original movies.

Facing severe fan backlash at the proposed idea, Scott has created an entirely new standalone feature. Whilst still intertwined with Alien DNA, it creates its own mythology whilst hinting at events which occur in the rest of the series.

The Alien franchise follows Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver, and her companion’s efforts to survive Xenomorph attacks. Prometheus takes a more philosophical route pondering some of the big questions such as ‘who are we?’ and ‘where do we come from?’ which is a smart alternative to the massive explosions of other upcoming summer blockbusters.

Set in the relatively near future, the film opens with the discovery of a star map hidden within imagery from some of Earth’s ancient cultures. The crew of spaceship Prometheus’ are sent on a scientific expedition to retrieve what information they can about the creation of humanity. But while exploring the remains of a long dead alien civilisation the crew uncover something that could threaten humanity’s very existence.

Things take a disastrous turn for the worse with acid disfigurations, crashing spacecraft and the crew

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June 2012 being stalked by an unknown assailant - a new twist on familiar territory of the film series.

Strong female characters have always been a key component of the Alien franchise and Prometheus is no exception. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’s Noomi Rapace stars in her first English-speaking lead role as Elizabeth Shaw, an archaeologist and scientist who transforms from a bookish character into a strong soldier type. Support comes from Charlize Theron’s Meredith Vickers, a smart, sexy woman with her own agenda.

Rounding out the cast are Michael Fassbender as android David, who offers the audience a non-human perspective on the big philosophical questions. The Wire’s Idris Elba plays Prometheus’ pilot, Janek.

Shot in IMAX and regular 3D, the film’s violent set pieces, intelligent themes and dark setting won’t appeal to everyone, especially not Beryl and the Palmer Family but Billy will surely enjoy the combination of action, horror and philosophy the film promises

FANTASTIC FACTS The beginning-of-time sequence opening was shot in Iceland.

The whole shoot took two weeks to complete.

Instead of basing his character on the androids in previous Alien films, Michael Fassbender instead studied the androids from another Ridley Scott classic Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford.

PULSE REVIEWS

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lready redefining what a super hero movie can be with The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan returns to Gotham City once again in blockbusting trilogy closer The Dark Knight Rises.

Donning the Batsuit for the final time is Academy Award winner Christian Bale.

Batman has been absent from Gotham for the past eight years after accepting responsibility for former district attorney Harvey Dent’s crimes at the end of The Dark Knight. Now Bruce Wayne must return as Batman to confront the brutal terrorist Bane who is set on the destruction of the Dark Knight and Gotham.

Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman are all returning to reprise their roles as Batman’s few allies. They are joined by new comers to the franchise Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard, most of which have already worked with Christopher Nolan before in Inception.

Tom Hardy plays Bane who represents an entirely new challenge for the Dark Knight after Heath Ledger’s Joker. An icon in the comic book world, known as the man who broke the bat, Bane is an entirely different animal altogether - a hulking mixture of both brawn and brain that will prove a formidable enemy for Gotham City.

FANTASTIC FACTS This is the fifth film in a row that Christopher Nolan has worked with Michael Caine.

The other films were Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, and Inception.

Tickets for the film’s premiere midnight IMAX screenings in New York sold out six months in advance.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

July 2012 Could Bane prove to be Batman’s ultimate challenge? Hardy has reportedly gained an impressive 30 lbs of muscle for the role.

Hardy isn’t the only one to feel the burn during filming. Anne Hathaway has described Selina Kyle, who comic book fans will know was anti-heroine Catwoman, as her most physically challenging role yet. She has even studied with a choreographer to bring an almost dancer like quality to the character’s slinky movements. Kyle’s motivations are less clear than Bane’s ideas of mass destruction but as she warns Bruce to batten down the hatches, things are looking ominous for Batman.

Much mystery surrounds the characters of Miranda Tate and John Blake, played by Cotillard and Gordon-Levitt respectively.

We know that Miranda Tate is a Wayne Enterprises employee and Blake is a Gotham City policeman but, beyond that, their roles in the film have been kept tightly under wraps.

The production, with an estimated budget of $250 million, is a globetrotting affair with shooting taking place in Romania, India and Pittsburgh, with the location of Gotham moving from Chicago to New York, including a show down on Wall Street.

The Dark Knight Rises will no doubt be the perfect summer blockbuster. An intriguing and action filled plot, full of terrific set pieces, JJ will be enthused to see the Batman trilogy come to a close while Billy will appreciate the darker, more gritty take on the superhero genre. The Palmer family may even brave the films dark tones for some superhero action this summer while the serious subject matter will put off Jane and friends.

KNOW YOUR STUFF Genre: Action/Superhero Director: Christopher Nolan Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman Movie Recommendations: Inception Iron Man The Amazing Spiderman

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