{"id":2386,"date":"2014-11-25T02:08:15","date_gmt":"2014-11-25T02:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=2386"},"modified":"2016-08-10T16:19:31","modified_gmt":"2016-08-10T16:19:31","slug":"event-cinema-could-save-the-movie-theater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/event-cinema-could-save-the-movie-theater\/","title":{"rendered":"Event cinema could save the movie theater"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ted Bogosian<\/a>, Duke University<\/em><\/p>\n

If Dumber and Dumber To, Interstellar and Big Hero 6 didn\u2019t get you to the movies last week, you weren\u2019t alone: just before Thanksgiving, Box Office Mojo put year-to-date gross receipts at almost $9 billion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This substantial sum is actually not\u2013so-good news for the movie business, since it represents a decline of almost 4% compared to 2013 \u2013 which also saw a box office sales decrease from 2012.<\/p>\n

Is the future of public movie going in jeopardy? What might be its salvation?<\/p>\n

Almost every Main Street had a cinema until mall-based, multi-screen cineplexes forced many local marquees to go dark. Then home video and cable television came along. Theater owners responded by investing in bigger screens and better projection and versioning (2D, 3D, 70mm and IMAX), which kept the box office booming through 2012.<\/p>\n

But now the movie theater business has approached what appears to be a tipping point, where annual box office increases are no longer guaranteed. Affordable home entertainment systems, handheld devices with brilliant displays, and on-demand access to almost any movie ever made \u2013 many of them free \u2013 pose escalating challenges for theater owners.<\/p>\n

Movie theaters still have an appeal. One is better technology. A pristine 35mm print of \u201cInterstellar\u201d or an IMAX 3D Experience of \u201cBig Hero 6\u201d cannot be delivered anywhere except on a big screen. Another is novelty. Many theaters have dressed up their operation, offering full food and drink service in lieu of sticky sodas and buttery popcorn. Watching Dumb and Dumber To inside Showcase Cinemas\u2019 Lux Level<\/a> while eating \u201csucculent steaks\u201d and choosing from a \u201cworld-class wine list\u201d might be a tempting experience for adults.<\/p>\n

But novelties wear off, and audiences need additional incentives before spending their entertainment dollars. After all, why go to the movies when the same shows can be enjoyed \u2013 privately and much more conveniently \u2013 for less?<\/p>\n

Enter The Vatican \u2013 featuring Popes Francis and Benedict XVI \u2013 and something called \u201cevent cinema.\u201d Its arrival happened not a moment too soon for theater owners in need of new content to attract general audiences.<\/p>\n

Last April, in Rome, two of the most iconic Popes in history, Popes John XXIII and John Paul II, were jointly canonized. These dual ceremonies are widely considered to be among the highest-profile public events in Vatican history. To mark the historic occasion, the Vatican embarked on a mission to create a landmark movie and television event as part of the Vatican\u2019s new technological initiative. Sister Susan Wolf, a Digital Media Consultant for Religious Services in the US, explained the initiative on catholicwebsolutions.com<\/a>:<\/p>\n

It is very important for those of us in ministry to learn and adapt to this new digital world, realizing that digital technology is not just a means to an end, but it is creating a new environment.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For the first time an official papal ceremony could be experienced in theaters worldwide in an immersive, 3D environment. 33 cameras were deployed: 13 in 3D, 15 in High-Definition and five in the UltraHD 4K format.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

April\u2019s canonization of Pope John Paul II and John XXIII was a landmark moment for event cinema.<\/span>
\nJeffrey Bruno\/Wikimedia Commons<\/a>, CC BY-SA<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Of the approximately 500 theaters showcasing the event, Italy led with more than 120, closely followed by the Unites States, where more than 100 opted in. Latin America followed with 29. The canonization was shown exclusively in 3D in Colombia, Germany, Ireland, Croatia and the UK. Half of the theaters in Italy offered 3D showings, while none of the American did. There was no admission charge and attendance exceeded<\/a> owners’ expectations in the United States.<\/p>\n

The screening of the canonization was so successful that it has already spawned a theatrical release and a sequel.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Sony, which broadcast last summer\u2019s World Cup in 4K in select theaters across England, announced it is installing upgraded 3D and 4K systems in 400 theaters across the UK, with other countries soon to follow.<\/p>\n

According to a knowledgeable industry source, at least one Major League Baseball franchise tested 4K transmission of a simulated game in a ballpark setting this fall, launching speculation that the team may begin offering games in UltraHD in theatrical settings. Not only could this attract a global fan base and create new revenue streams, but theater lobbies worldwide \u2013 which currently contain little more than ticket takers and concession stands \u2013 could also morph into sports bars and betting parlors. Depending on what\u2019s playing, paying audiences will no longer have to be so courteous and quiet during the show.<\/p>\n

Two weeks ago, an HD broadcast of the current Broadway smash hit Of Mice and Men, starring James Franco, was beamed to 900 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, the first time the esteemed \u201cNational Theater Live\u201d series chose an American play for its popular theatrical distribution. The ticket price? $20, or about one-sixth of its live-show equivalent.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

Broadway fans have been able to see Of Mice and Men, starring James Franco, streamed in HD at movie theaters across the country \u2013 for one-sixth of the price of seeing the play in person.<\/span>
\nVariety<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

As the Associated Press recently reported<\/a>, the landmark broadcast comes at a time when so-called event cinema has exploded:<\/p>\n

When once there was just the Metropolitan Opera at the movie theater, now there\u2019s the Bolshoi Ballet, concerts from One Direction and a steady stream of English plays. Other brands jumping in include The Royal Ballet, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Monty Python and the Big Apple Circus. Movie patrons can even enjoy museum exhibitions, like one on Pompeii from the British Museum.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cContent is King,\u201d goes the time-honored Hollywood adage. And American theater owners are wisely moving beyond Hollywood royalty by including singers, Broadway stars, world-renowned athletes \u2013 and even saints \u2013 in their repertoire, hoping that event cinema may ultimately be their theaters’ salvation.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Ted Bogosian does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.<\/em><\/p>\n

This article was originally published on The Conversation<\/a>.
\nRead the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ted Bogosian, Duke University If Dumber and Dumber To, Interstellar and Big Hero 6 didn\u2019t get you to the movies last week, you weren\u2019t alone: just before Thanksgiving, Box Office Mojo put year-to-date gross receipts at almost $9 billion. This substantial sum is actually not\u2013so-good news for the movie business, since it represents a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":5500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2386"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5501,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386\/revisions\/5501"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}