Which is your preference, Netflix movie night at home, or a trip to the local movie theater for a desired screening? Based on the consumer trend towards instant accessibility demands, personalized sitting comfort, and price considerations, the favored choice is a gathering inside the house to both equate, and transcend, the traditional movie-going experience. This realization of viewer choice exposes the competitive necessity for movie theaters, both independent and chain, to enhance the appeal of their respective offerings. For one chain, there has been numerical implications of successful transition, with the replacement of standard seating with interest-garnering reclining chairs of fair width. The New York Times highlights that AMC Theaters has “destroyed a stunning 64 percent of seating capacity, and yet lifted attendance by 84 percent, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission” (Giridharadas 1). I am in favor of these theater seat developments, which I do not believe alienate the habitual practices of movie viewing to a detrimental extreme. I respect streaming services, allowing libraries of titles to be accessed, as well as the factor of saving time and money for people. It is noted that “people now host "Netflix nights" or "Redbox nights" instead of going to the theater” (Painter 1). Deserving recognition, movie theaters persevere in the social environment that is created. Streaming at home is not meant for large groups–all converging to enjoy the same content. Personally, the inclusion of movie trailers will continue to remain exciting, and even exclusive to some extent–in some cases, specialized sneak-peeks are released only in theaters, alongside a particular movie. In addition, let’s not dismiss the all important category of “… the ticket price — $15 for a regular admission, $19 for 3D — wasn’t much higher than the norm for cinema coach class” at AMC Theaters. (Giridharadas 1). Have I experienced these new seat renovations? Yes I have, and I am pleased with the luxury. I have doubts that either industry, home-viewed streaming and movie-going days, will entirely encompass the other–at least intermediately in time. Undeniably, there is a rise and drop correlation at play, in favor of home-viewing instant streaming. It is advisable that movie theaters continue to employ novel improvements to both physical and tangible experience for viewers, in order to retain and maintain the emotional and behavioral appeal that has existed since the introduction of movie theaters.
Painter, Kristen Leigh . “Cinemas fight declining audiences by wining, dining and reclining them”. The Denver Post. 8 Aug. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2015. <18538/cinemas-fight-declining-audiences-by-wining-dining-and?source=infinite>.
– Frank Since the popularity of Netflix and other streaming sites, movie theaters have been becoming less popular. Another contributing factor of this is the fact that movie theaters are charging ridiculous amounts to get a ticket now. This may sound like one of those usual old people sayings like, "I remember when I was your age, gas was only one nickel!", but I seriously do remember going to the movies as a teenager, not even a kid, and paying $7.50. What happened to those prices? Now with all the streaming sites and Redbox, which allows you to rent a movie for $1, people can't find a reason to go to the movie theatre. Well movie theater companies are changing that with new, humongous recliner chairs. Because these chairs are so big, they remove up to two-thirds of a given auditorium's seating capacity (Schwartzel). This approach seems to be working though since Attendance in renovated AMC auditoriums has leapt 80%, on average, despite the drastic reduction in capacity to sometimes fewer than 70 seats. Although, the company declined to say what the average before-and-after attendance numbers were (Schwartzel). The Wall Street Journal article didn't seem too thrilled about these changes, in contrast to the Bloomberg article which came out 2013, before any of the renovations started happening. Suddath seems more optimistic when she compares AMC to the Southern California ArcLight theaters that have already had recliner chairs and Dine-In services for years (Suddath).
With these new renovations, you can now reserve seats and your tickets say which seat you are and you have to find it accordingly. When I went, I had no idea about the reclining seats and at the register, the worker told me to pick my seat on a touch screen pad that showed the whole movie theater. Needless to say, I was extremely confused, and slightly annoyed. Then I walked into the movie theater and saw the recliners and all the annoyance in my body turned into astonishment and giddiness. I was amazed; I am a frequent movie-goer so this just makes me want to go to the movies even more now. Although, in my research I found out that AMC has not raised the prices of the tickets at the theaters with the new renovations--yet. After about a year this will change and I am very nervous as to what the price is going to be then.This also raises some concerns with me; could this possibly change the process of watching movies? The fact that we have to reserve our seats before hand makes me sort of think of seeing a play. When you go see a play on Broadway you buy the tickets before hand and usually pay more for the better seats in the theater; is this going to happen with movie theaters? I highly doubt it, but it still makes me a little curious. The reason movie theaters have been on the decline so much is because people have been able to pretty much replicate the 'movie theater experience' at home, and people just prefer to be in their own home rather than having to go out and pay extra money.You can buy 70-inch plasmas and on-demand services and Netflix and it feel just like a movie theater, except you don't have to sit in those uncomfortable, screechy chairs, you can cuddle up on your own, cushy couch (Suddath). Ahhh, so this is where the recliners come in to play, now movie theaters are trying to replicate the 'at-home movie experience'. It's quite funny actually.
Schwartzel, Erich. "Now at the Movies: Fully Reclining Seats." WSJ. N.p., 6 July 2014. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
Suddath, Claire. "To Lure Moviegoers, AMC Theaters Installs Recliners." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 17 July 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
--Marissa
To me the perfect movie experience is a nearly empty theatre or crowded but engaged people.I like to have space and I like movie theater that bans food. Cause the worst thing to me is having people eating loudly.I like theatre rooms with their small red seats, the big screen and loud sound-system. I like that once the movie starts everyone stop their current conversation and sit quietly in front of the screen ready to be captivated by the movie atmosphere" 45 percent said the best part of movie theater was the short escape from everyday life"(Gocobachi) and nothing more than a dark and silent room can give you that. But movie theater also means the excitement of premiere, of film expectation. When I go to the movie theater to watch a film I've been waiting to see for a long time, film that I thought about, that I waited for long, the action of going to the movie, to cut myself out of the world for two hours, in a room full of strangers, is the most magical entertainment that i know. I won't say that I'm always up to go to the movie. First, because like every human being, I'm lazy and the second reason would be obviously - the ticket price. The fact that internet now created an immediacy of entertainment tends to make people more and more lazy and this internet immediacy, justify our laziness of any outdoors activities. In consequences, it seems to be that people in North America are not satisfy with traditional movie theater anymore.
The time where movie theater was a fancy attraction, a reason to get together with people is fading away.To remediate to that, movie theater are now trying to get as comfy as our home can be. Why? Because we are now in a society where we want it all. We want our comfort, the last movie picture in a big screen, and comfort food in an esthetic movie theater. Recreating our homy feeling in movie theater so as to attract people still sounds weird to me but apparently not to most americans who are more than satisfy with these reclined seats,"Reclining seats? I don't think I can see a movie any other way now"(Merry). Surfing through the internet you will find pages and pages of top 10 "comfy movie theaters" as now sounds and visual equipment are not enough to satisfy people. On fandango you can even look for a film depending on the "comfortable rate” of movie theater.
America being the country where everyone wants to be able to have access to everything they need, or mostly wants. It is probably the country were the notion of “service” is the most crucial element of the society. If we want something we want to be able to get it in a 10 miles radius from food, to entertainment to digital equipment. And here, movie theater have to provide this quality of services that people expect. And apparently what people wants here in america is, Comfort.
Movie theater are forced to do so, as movie are now seen mostly at home “73% of people surveyed say they prefer watching movies at home”(Masnick). Movie is not seen as an event anymore but more as a regular entertainment. People don't really mind if they have to wait a couple months to watch a film they heard about, as soon as they can see the film in comfortable condition. And this is the reason why movie theater is becoming a replica of our living-room.
Gocobachi, Pamela ,. "Adults Prefer Staying Home over Going to the Movies, Survey Says." Entertainment Weekly's EW.com. Time Inc, 10 Jan. 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Masnick, Mike ,. "People Don't Like Going To The Movies Any More | Techdirt." Techdirt.Floor 64, 17 June 2005. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Merry, Stephanie. "Is This the Most Comfortable Movie Theater Seat Ever?" Washington Post. The Washington Post, 06 Dec. 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Shedde, Meenakshi ,. "The Social Experience Of Going To The Movies." Forbes India Magazine -. Network 18, 4 Oct. 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
For one chain, there has been numerical implications of successful transition, with the replacement of standard seating with interest-garnering reclining chairs of fair width. The New York Times highlights that AMC Theaters has “destroyed a stunning 64 percent of seating capacity, and yet lifted attendance by 84 percent, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission” (Giridharadas 1).
I am in favor of these theater seat developments, which I do not believe alienate the habitual practices of movie viewing to a detrimental extreme. I respect streaming services, allowing libraries of titles to be accessed, as well as the factor of saving time and money for people. It is noted that “people now host "Netflix nights" or "Redbox nights" instead of going to the theater” (Painter 1). Deserving recognition, movie theaters persevere in the social environment that is created. Streaming at home is not meant for large groups–all converging to enjoy the same content. Personally, the inclusion of movie trailers will continue to remain exciting, and even exclusive to some extent–in some cases, specialized sneak-peeks are released only in theaters, alongside a particular movie. In addition, let’s not dismiss the all important category of “… the ticket price — $15 for a regular admission, $19 for 3D — wasn’t much higher than the norm for cinema coach class” at AMC Theaters. (Giridharadas 1).
Have I experienced these new seat renovations? Yes I have, and I am pleased with the luxury. I have doubts that either industry, home-viewed streaming and movie-going days, will entirely encompass the other–at least intermediately in time. Undeniably, there is a rise and drop correlation at play, in favor of home-viewing instant streaming. It is advisable that movie theaters continue to employ novel improvements to both physical and tangible experience for viewers, in order to retain and maintain the emotional and behavioral appeal that has existed since the introduction of movie theaters.
Works Cited
Giridharadas. Anand. “The Screen Is Silver, but the Seats Are Gold: AMC Theaters Lure Moviegoers With Cushy Recliners”. The New York Times. 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/movies/amc-theaters-lure-moviegoers-with-cushy-recliners.html?_r=0>.
Painter, Kristen Leigh . “Cinemas fight declining audiences by wining, dining and reclining them”. The Denver Post. 8 Aug. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2015.
<18538/cinemas-fight-declining-audiences-by-wining-dining-and?source=infinite>.
– Frank
Since the popularity of Netflix and other streaming sites, movie theaters have been becoming less popular. Another contributing factor of this is the fact that movie theaters are charging ridiculous amounts to get a ticket now. This may sound like one of those usual old people sayings like, "I remember when I was your age, gas was only one nickel!", but I seriously do remember going to the movies as a teenager, not even a kid, and paying $7.50. What happened to those prices? Now with all the streaming sites and Redbox, which allows you to rent a movie for $1, people can't find a reason to go to the movie theatre.
Well movie theater companies are changing that with new, humongous recliner chairs. Because these chairs are so big, they remove up to two-thirds of a given auditorium's seating capacity (Schwartzel). This approach seems to be working though since Attendance in renovated AMC auditoriums has leapt 80%, on average, despite the drastic reduction in capacity to sometimes fewer than 70 seats. Although, the company declined to say what the average before-and-after attendance numbers were (Schwartzel). The Wall Street Journal article didn't seem too thrilled about these changes, in contrast to the Bloomberg article which came out 2013, before any of the renovations started happening. Suddath seems more optimistic when she compares AMC to the Southern California ArcLight theaters that have already had recliner chairs and Dine-In services for years (Suddath).
With these new renovations, you can now reserve seats and your tickets say which seat you are and you have to find it accordingly. When I went, I had no idea about the reclining seats and at the register, the worker told me to pick my seat on a touch screen pad that showed the whole movie theater. Needless to say, I was extremely confused, and slightly annoyed. Then I walked into the movie theater and saw the recliners and all the annoyance in my body turned into astonishment and giddiness. I was amazed; I am a frequent movie-goer so this just makes me want to go to the movies even more now. Although, in my research I found out that AMC has not raised the prices of the tickets at the theaters with the new renovations--yet. After about a year this will change and I am very nervous as to what the price is going to be then.This also raises some concerns with me; could this possibly change the process of watching movies? The fact that we have to reserve our seats before hand makes me sort of think of seeing a play. When you go see a play on Broadway you buy the tickets before hand and usually pay more for the better seats in the theater; is this going to happen with movie theaters? I highly doubt it, but it still makes me a little curious.
The reason movie theaters have been on the decline so much is because people have been able to pretty much replicate the 'movie theater experience' at home, and people just prefer to be in their own home rather than having to go out and pay extra money.You can buy 70-inch plasmas and on-demand services and Netflix and it feel just like a movie theater, except you don't have to sit in those uncomfortable, screechy chairs, you can cuddle up on your own, cushy couch (Suddath). Ahhh, so this is where the recliners come in to play, now movie theaters are trying to replicate the 'at-home movie experience'. It's quite funny actually.
Schwartzel, Erich. "Now at the Movies: Fully Reclining Seats." WSJ. N.p., 6 July 2014. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
Suddath, Claire. "To Lure Moviegoers, AMC Theaters Installs Recliners." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 17 July 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
--Marissa
To me the perfect movie experience is a nearly empty theatre or crowded but engaged people.I like to have space and I like movie theater that bans food. Cause the worst thing to me is having people eating loudly.I like theatre rooms with their small red seats, the big screen and loud sound-system. I like that once the movie starts everyone stop their current conversation and sit quietly in front of the screen ready to be captivated by the movie atmosphere" 45 percent said the best part of movie theater was the short escape from everyday life"(Gocobachi) and nothing more than a dark and silent room can give you that. But movie theater also means the excitement of premiere, of film expectation. When I go to the movie theater to watch a film I've been waiting to see for a long time, film that I thought about, that I waited for long, the action of going to the movie, to cut myself out of the world for two hours, in a room full of strangers, is the most magical entertainment that i know.
I won't say that I'm always up to go to the movie. First, because like every human being, I'm lazy and the second reason would be obviously - the ticket price.
The fact that internet now created an immediacy of entertainment tends to make people more and more lazy and this internet immediacy, justify our laziness of any outdoors activities. In consequences, it seems to be that people in North America are not satisfy with traditional movie theater anymore.
The time where movie theater was a fancy attraction, a reason to get together with people is fading away.To remediate to that, movie theater are now trying to get as comfy as our home can be. Why? Because we are now in a society where we want it all. We want our comfort, the last movie picture in a big screen, and comfort food in an esthetic movie theater.
Recreating our homy feeling in movie theater so as to attract people still sounds weird to me but apparently not to most americans who are more than satisfy with these reclined seats,"Reclining seats? I don't think I can see a movie any other way now"(Merry). Surfing through the internet you will find pages and pages of top 10 "comfy movie theaters" as now sounds and visual equipment are not enough to satisfy people. On fandango you can even look for a film depending on the "comfortable rate” of movie theater.
America being the country where everyone wants to be able to have access to everything they need, or mostly wants. It is probably the country were the notion of “service” is the most crucial element of the society. If we want something we want to be able to get it in a 10 miles radius from food, to entertainment to digital equipment. And here, movie theater have to provide this quality of services that people expect. And apparently what people wants here in america is, Comfort.
Movie theater are forced to do so, as movie are now seen mostly at home “73% of people surveyed say they prefer watching movies at home”(Masnick). Movie is not seen as an event anymore but more as a regular entertainment. People don't really mind if they have to wait a couple months to watch a film they heard about, as soon as they can see the film in comfortable condition. And this is the reason why movie theater is becoming a replica of our living-room.
--Ingrid