The Film Industry Questions - Exhibition

1. How important is the appearance of a cinema in you returning? Use examples from your own cinema visits.

On one hand, it could be argued that the appearance of a cinema is important in one returning. Geographical factors are not necessarily the most important ones for deciding which cinema to choose as many cinemas are easily accessible by means of public transport or other methods of travel. For this reason, the appearance of a cinema can come to be the deciding factor on whether or not to visit it. After all, the appearance of a cinema is what makes the first impression on someone going to see a film at the big screen meaning that they will be strongly influenced by it and it can come to determine the viewer’s outlook on the whole event. Furthermore, cinemas nowadays can have more features than simply a foyer – some have, for example, cafes, meaning the features of an individual cinema are becoming more and more important regarding people’s choices of cinema.

On the other hand, however, the deciding factor of going to the cinema altogether is almost always where films are on. Due to film marketing, most people will go to cinemas with an idea of what they want to watch already in their head – it is simply a question of which cinemas are showing it at the most convenient time. Most big films are now booked online which show how cinemas themselves are not as important as what they show.

All in all, the appearance of a cinema is becoming more important in convincing viewers to return – however, it will never be a deciding factor over the question of which cinemas show which films.

2. How significant do you think 3D and digital projection facilities will be to exhibitors? What will it allow them to do?

The use of digital projection facilities will allow exhibitors to create more screens as using digital technology is cheaper. This as a result will lead to cinemas making a bigger profit out of showings, firstly because they will have more cinemas and secondly because the showings cost less for them now. The use of 3D is also considered to be a strong turning point in cinema which will draw more people into cinemas on the basis of watching a film in 3D given its relatively new transfer into the mainstream. Furthermore, ticket prices are more expensive with 3D showings meaning that cinemas will make even more profit out of them.

3. Find out more about Vue, Odeon UCI and Cineworld cinemas - who owns them?

Vue are owned by the private equity firm Doughty Hanson & Co.
Odeon UCI have come under various ownerships in the last 10 years, firstly to Cinven in 2000, then to a group of private investors in 2003 and then to Terra Firma in 2004 where it was merged with United Cinemas International.
Cineworld is privately owned, though the Blackstone group invested in it in 2004 and currently hold 20% of its shares.

4. Although audience choice was a central part of the success of the multiplex what actually have multiplexes allowed exhibitors to do?

Multiplexes have allowed exhibitors to make more money out of individual Hollywood films - despite the amount of cinemas in many multiplexes it is usually the case that most of them show the same 8-10 core titles which are usually Hollywood films - barely any of the films shown at multiplexes are arthouse. The increase in multiplexes has led to an increase in aadmissions - they doubled in little more than 10 years - between 1985 and 1997 admissions went from 72 million to 140 million.

5. The main arthouse cinema chains are the Picturehouse and Curzon chains. One of the main differences between these cinemas and multiplex cinemas is in the films they show - Curzon and the Picturehouse cinemas often show independent films with Curzon favouring European or world cinema. Hollywood blockbusters are rarely present in these cinemas and arthouse, world cinema films are rarely present in the multiplexes. Furthermore, these chains do not only show modern films but re runs of old films as well, popular or obscure ones.

Arthouse cinemas also often have less screens than multiplexes sometimes only 3 or 4. They are not made with the intention of making as much money as the multiplexes (of course they do hope to seek profits as well) meaning they have less screens.

6. What are the BFI doing to help promote niche films to UK audiences?

Funding niche products in order to secure their creation and large scale release.

7. Exhibitors are the route to customers. All film makers think carefully about how their production decisions affect the exhibition sector. What do you look for in a cinema?

In a cinema I do not look for anything in particular - it is usually the case that I go to see films based on what films are on in which cinemas. However, since I watch a range of films from major Hollywood films to more independent productions I tend to look for cinemas which show a reasonably wide range of films. This is not always easy, however, as there is an increasingly strong divide between Hollywood productions and independent productions.

8. Exhibitors are increasingly involved in promoting independent films locally - where personal appearances by cast and crew can generate good press. How might this affect the production of low budget British films?

This will allow more publicity - particularly good publicity - of low budget British films reaching local audiences, which may in turn increase the production of low budget British films and secure larger scale exhibitions of them.

9. The exhibition sector in the UK has grown rapidly but now is a period of some consolidation. The advent of digital technology is raising some interesting issues for the relationships between producer, director and exhibitor. What do you think might happen in the future?

I believe that in the future, digital technology will be increasingly used by exhibitors due to the fact that most major productions which are making money are being made using digital technology. Even directors who make their films using film rather than digital may find their films being exhibited using digital technology as they are soon to be in the minority of directors using film - due to the increasing use of digital to film, digital to exhibit may become the norm.

10. Do you think independent cinemas will survive in the future?

I think that independent cinemas will survive in the future, as there is still a reasonably strong market for independent, foreign and old films - particularly in the wake of this year's releases. The Artist, for example, was a European production that went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. This may open more windows for European cinema altogether - being a silent film and a throwback to the golden age of cinema it may also convince more people to see the old black and white classic films shown in cinemas such as Picturehouses. The Tree of Life and Drive, both arthouse films (Drive being an independent production by a European director), also recieved major releases, critical acclaim and the former was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.