3D movie sales on the decline

[Mac H.]

Originally Posted by 1mper1um

IMO, the way to get bums on seats is to stop pricing people out. If I pay £8 for a film that's crap I am going to be pissed. Even a great movie is hard to justify £8. Chuck in the overpriced concessions that the chains are forced to jack up because they get such poor returns from actually showing the film and that's £15

Err... nobody is forcing the poor cinemas to charge exorbitant amounts for their food.

They do it because it makes them a hell of a lot of money. Instead of them keeping 50% of the money (like they do with ticket sales) they get to keep > 90%. (Yes, the post mix cola is really cheap to buy)

I went to a talk on cinema returns by the Commercial & New Business Director for the cinema chain 'Hoyts' a while ago, and they were very up front about it. He did mention that there 'might be `a perception` that the food is overpriced' which got a huge laugh from the audience!

Anyway - in a multiplex I'm sure plenty of audience members are just buying tickets for a non-3D film at around the same time and then just accidentally going to the wrong cinema. After all, by now all the regular cinemas goers have dozens of the 3D glasses.

Mac

[KWhit]

Originally Posted by one seven spectrum

Because when the audience realised 3D didn't mean "better story", they realised it is all a gimmick.

I don't think any audience ever thought that 3d would add to the story. I mean that just doesn't make sense.

People originally bought into 3d because it was a new technology and they thought it would add a lot to the visual experience of the movie. But they are finding out that even in the best of circumstances it really doesn't add too much to the visuals, and in some cases can actually detract from the experience. People don't want to pay extra for that.

[1mper1um]

Originally Posted by Mac H.

Err... nobody is forcing the poor cinemas to charge exorbitant amounts for their food.

They do it because it makes them a hell of a lot of money. Instead of them keeping 50% of the money (like they do with ticket sales) they get to keep > 90%. (Yes, the post mix cola is really cheap to buy)

Cinemas have to charge for the concessions because the returns on ticketing are so low. It's the only reason. The 50% argument is not true but just an accepted round about figure that makes discussions such as these easy (the same goes for how much a film needs to make to break even with the accepted figure being 200%). Truth is the percentage of revenue varies on the film, the studio/distributor, the length of time it's been showing and, most of all, how much the studio/distributor expect it to make before it's even released.

There will always be over charging when there is a captive market but with studios and distributors playing hard ball, chains are on the back foot more and more with putting the costs onto the consumer the only alternative. Hence the rise in VIP seats and what not.

But my point was a wider one. 3D is the studio response to less bums on seats. The solution is to make a night out at the cinema a cheap proposition rather than illegal download or the very legal option of buying a DVD for £20 and save £60 on a family night out at the cinema. The by product of which is that more people pay for the films and studios need to do recoup less money if they slash their budgets.

[1mper1um]

Originally Posted by KWhit

I don't think any audience ever thought that 3d would add to the story. I mean that just doesn't make sense.

People originally bought into 3d because it was a new technology and they thought it would add a lot to the visual experience of the movie. But they are finding out that even in the best of circumstances it really doesn't add too much to the visuals, and in some cases can actually detract from the experience. People don't want to pay extra for that.

QFT.

[dog678]

Potter IMAX 3D, I'm there with bells on.

[1mper1um]

Whatever happened to virtual reality? Remember those big, head covering devices of the mid 90s? VR was supposed to be the future of film and gaming.

[Slappynipsy]

Originally Posted by 1mper1um

Whatever happened to virtual reality? Remember those big, head covering devices of the mid 90s? VR was supposed to be the future of film and gaming.

Some mentally disabled gardener tried to use it to take over the world so everyone gave up on it... too dangerous.

[asjah8]

that was the lawnmower man wasn't it? trying to recall...

[1mper1um]

Jeff "where is he now?" Fahey.

[Terrance Mulloy]

Originally Posted by KWhit

People originally bought into 3d because it was a new technology and they thought it would add a lot to the visual experience of the movie. But they are finding out that even in the best of circumstances it really doesn't add too much to the visuals, and in some cases can actually detract from the experience. People don't want to pay extra for that.

Agree with this 100%