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This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
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Author
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Topic: My theatre design idea
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Galen Murphy-Fahlgren
Master Film Handler
Posts: 405
From: Canton, MI, USA
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 06-21-2008 01:57 PM
The only advertising I run is my digital preshow, which is run at a calibrated nonsync about 8-10dB lower than my feature volume. Lights are at full, and the preshow ends at the scheduled start of the movie, commences digital policy trailers, follows with a short (and irritating) alternative content ad, and pops up the start screen (your feature presentation...). At this point, I start the projector, run two, no more, sometimes less, trailers with the lights at mid and the volume set for the feature. This is followed by the attached trailer, for which the lights are cued to dim. No snipes, no rolling stock. If anyone has such a big problem with our advertising that they feel the need to make such a statement as that sign, they should feel free to try and operate their own theater in today's economy without advertising.
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Geoff Jones
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 579
From: Broomfield, CO, USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 06-21-2008 04:47 PM
quote:
If anyone has such a big problem with our advertising.... they should feel free to try and operate their own theater in today's economy without advertising.
quote: Galen Murphy-Fahlgren
...yes, advertising sucks, but unless people are willing to pay more than twice as much at the box office...
A lot of people spend way more than twice as much to operate their own movie theatres... in their homes.
Again, I'm not saying ads by themselves are enough to keep people home, just a part of the equation.
I distinctly remember trying to talk to my wife prior to the last movie I saw, and feeling constantly interrupted & distracted by Regal's pre-show crap.
I myself would gladly pay a premium for an awesome presentation (giant screen, great sound, quiet audience, curtains, etc.) And I always make a point of buying concessions when I visit better theatres.
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Tristan Lane
Master Film Handler
Posts: 444
From: Nampa, Idaho
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 06-22-2008 04:27 AM
Mike,
That is one of the best statements I've heard in response to the doomsday believers out there that think "home theatre" will eventually shut down true theaters.
The logic is perfect.
Although many people could achieve better results in their kitchen at home, they still choose to go to places like Chili's or Applebees and eat reheated crap because it is an experience (albeit a lackluster one). The wealthiest people I know have fantastic kitchens, but are the ones I see eating out the most!
Cooking skills could also be compared to hook-up skills. Sure there's people out there that can't cook, and there's people out there who cant hook anything up or understand the technology they are buying. I still get a kick out of people that fork out tons of money to buy the best TV, Reciever, Speakers etc.... only to go home, and hook it all up using the Yellow, Red, and White cables included with the stuff. So there they sit waching all of their stuff in the home theater on their quality high definition set, with surround sound, and its all played in standard def and stereo. ![[thumbsup]](graemlins/thumbsup.gif)
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Scott Jentsch
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1061
From: New Berlin, WI, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 06-23-2008 01:56 PM
In my view, home theater isn't a room so much as it is a hobby. It's a goal where I attempt to create the ideal movie theater experience, but translated for the home environment. "Home theater" is such a broad term, that it's near meaningless without context.
The primary advantages that almost everyone I know talks about with home theater are control and convenience. Control over the start time, control over the volume and presentation, the convenience of watching what you want to watch, when you want to watch it, and with whom you want to watch it. Anyone with a decent setup is not going to say that it's cheaper than going to the movies, because it's not. It's a much larger expense than one can ever hope to recoup by not going to a movie theater, but the convenience and control benefits more often than not tip the scale.
The comparison to restaurants and home kitchens is not very valid, because while I could reheat food like Applebee's does, I can't make a filet mignon or ôpakapaka as good as a fine restaurant can, no matter how much money I spend on appliances in my kitchen. Even in the Applebee's situation (not fine cuisine by any means), someone is serving me, someone is clearing the table, and someone is washing the dishes. There's a convenience factor, even if the food is only marginally better than what I can do at home.
In contrast, though, it takes relatively little skill to operate a home theater system. If one does not have the knowledge and does not care to dive headlong into the technical side of the hobby, there are plenty of integrators/installers that will come in and take care of you, and all you need to do is press the "Watch movie" button on the remote. After the capital investment, a person can enjoy really high quality presentations in the comfort of their own home. Places like Netflix makes the ongoing costs pretty low as well, because you don't have to buy the movies.
To bring the topic back on topic, the entire movie-going experience is a combination of additions and subtractions. Enjoying a movie is an emotional experience, and it's very much like marketing. Anything that does not add to the experience takes away from it.
Advertising is an example of something that takes away from the experience. People put up with it, and most don't even complain, but I don't think there are too many people out there that consider advertising before the movie (except for the trailers) to be a valued part of the movie-going experience.
So, then it becomes a matter of whether that decreased experience for your customers is worth the money it brings in. The ad money is often so easily gotten for the theater that most don't even think about it. Someone takes care of it, someone else watches it, and they get a check each month. How much easier could it be? ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
The good news, I think, is that it isn't a black and white situation, where there are only two choices. If it's not practical for you to go without pre-show ads, at least separate the advertising from the movie so that in the mind of the customer, it's a separate experience.
In past threads on the subject, the best example of mitigating the negative impact of the pre-show ads is to separate the pre-show from the movie by closing the curtains and re-opening them. Ideally with some fanfare music, while dimming the lights, to make it obvious that the real entertainment is about to begin.
Don't have curtains? That's another one of those things that would add to the movie-going experience that would offset the ads that take away from it. Maybe you should consider buying some curtains with the money that is being made on the pre-show advertising...
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![[rofl]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
Mike, that is absolutely THE BEST line I've heard in a long time! 5 stars!
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