How I'd Improve Moviegoing
Answering Ted Hope's April 30th Challenge
Theatres are in real trouble, and while I vehemently disagree that we’re headed towards the “death” of movie theatres, they have some serious ground to make up if they want to retain culture relevance.
I loved going to the movies as a kid. I loved the danger of sneaking into movies that were age-inappropriate. I loved getting to eat snacks that we didn’t have at home. I loved hanging out with friends afterwards and reenacting memorable scenes from the movie we’d just watched. Repeating jokes, playing out action sequences, feeling like we had a shared secret language whenever we quoted Ace Ventura or Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I love the idea of giving modern generations a taste of that communal fun. Below are 5 possible solutions aimed at bringing audiences back to the big screen:
Double down on community - This is a big one, and while Ted mentioned this one in his post as well, it bears repeating. The U.S. is suffering from an ongoing loneliness epidemic, particularly among youths. Movie theatres used to be places where young people congregated, socialized and made out awkwardly. Now, it seems like theatres try to get people in and out of there as quickly as possible. I’d love to see more space allocated for people to loiter before or after the movie. Some theatres have bars, but that’s not super common, and doesn’t really work for minors. Give people a place to gather and gather they will.
Host events - This ties in closely with Solution 1 because people will show up for events if it means getting to be part of a community. We must - must - acknowledge that the average moviegoer in the middle of the country isn’t 1/4 as passionate about cinema as the Filmstackers who are responding to Ted’s challenge, but the good news for theatre owners is that these events do not have to cater exclusively to cinephiles. They can be anything that will get the local community excited to go to the theatre: Sack races, beer pong tournaments, a big-ass ball pit… If you can think of a good way to tie it in with the movie, great. Otherwise, focus on what you think people in the area would be interested in. They could also dedicate a screening or two per week to playing a film from the 80’s, 90’s or early 2000’s to appeal to different demographics. Eventize it, advertise on social media, and get people to show up to watch a classic movie from their childhood.
Hire young people (and not just in concessions) - Gen Z knows how to speak to Gen Z. Millenials know how to speak to Millenials. Hire people from these age groups to help figure out marketing strategy. And I’m not just talking about marketing the movies themselves. Bring them into the broader conversation of how to get people back to watching movies on the big screen. You can’t expect to attract a particular demographic to theatres if that demographic isn’t represented when strategizing how to do it. There’s an added benefit to this too: By bringing young people into the conversation, they will feel personally invested in the mission and personally responsible to spread the gospel of cinema to their friends and neighbors.
Make theatres more hospitable to indie features - I feel strongly that in order to reestablish a thriving cinema ecosystem, we need to start at the bottom. Mission: Impossibles and Minecraft movies will always have a home at theatres, I’m not worried about them. I am worried about small independent creators who got into this business to see their work played on the big screen. Theatre owners should be motivated to give them that opportunity. Paranormal Activity, The Blair Witch Project and My Big Fat Greek Wedding all started as limited releases that gained wider distribution as a result of strong word-of-mouth and grassroots campaigns to release the film nationwide (and worldwide). Obviously these movies are exceptional examples, but I think theatres have a lot to gain by opening their screens to underdog films. Not only can they lay claim to discovering a hit before it was a hit, but they can also say they supported independent creators when no one else did. People love that shit.
Cheaper tickets - I don’t know how the economics of this would work, but people don’t want to spend $30 per person for a movie night. My instinct is that increased volume would make up for lower revenue-per-person, especially if you added some other incentive (perhaps from one of the suggestions above) to get people to show up. Really it’s a math problem. Figure out how to attract more people to the theatres and volume does the heavy lifting.
That’s it. I hope these ideas aren’t too redundant of other peoples’ responses. I can’t imagine they’re the most unique responses, but maybe that’s okay. Maybe we all want what’s best for features and the entertainment industry at large, and maybe the right answer on how to do that is right in front of us.
We just have to give it a try.
Stay tuned,
Jon
What I’m reading:
had an amazing conversation with Amplify Pictures’s Joe Lewis that really spoke to me. Joe talked about multiple subjects that are close to my heart, including indie TV, the concept of creative arbitrage and mentioned not one but two books I’m reading / have read. I feel like we’re maybe kindred spirits?? Would appreciate an intro by any of my Amazon contacts plz and thx. on the new indie film scene powered by a Creator mindset:
A piece by
that is at times earnest, heart-rending and actionable. (My heart goes out to you, Audrey): posted his own answer to Ted’s challenge in his post on how to make moviegoing cool again. We had a little overlap here, but Ellis also posed some thoughtful suggestions like allowing phone use in screenings (strategically) and partnering with local talent to make the experience less homogenized. A+ read:
Who wants to be a multi-millionaire?
explores how creators are leveraging different revenue models to out-earn Hollywood talent.
$5 Tuesdays and movie clubs make tix more affordable, but people still aren’t going. I honestly think it’s a content issue. You mentioned Minecraft and Mission Impossible. Don’t forget that George Lucas was an indie filmmaker who self-financed The Empire Strikes Back. Despite these movies being HUGE properties, studios don’t invest in young and fresh filmmakers anymore. It’s the same old tired execs making the same tired content and asking themselves why young people don’t go to the movies. It’s because they’re not making them. We need more Goonies, John Hughes, and Spielbergs. It’s like the studios completely forgot who their audience is.