I just read an interesting piece in Entertainment Weekly about a Fix for the Movie Biz. (March 18th, 2011, RX For the Movie Biz in the Feedback Section)
They propose: 1. making the seats wider. 2. Stop giving away all of the movie in the Trailers (duh) 3. Start showing Classic Movies in digital 4. And from a Movie Theatre Employee- Don't blame the concession stand. Skip the butter and have some self control and don't get the large popcorn.
Really? That's the best you can do? Here is my fix for the movie biz.
1. First I agree with the seats being wider and trailers stop giving away everything.
2. You want people to come back to the theatre, start giving them some value or incentive. For example, when they buy a ticket, give them a free candy bar. The customer will freak out, their head will spin around and they'll tell all their friends, who will then show up just to see it for themselves!
3. Don't ask if we want an upgrade. Give it. Stop charging $5 + freaking dollars for 25 cents worth of popcorn. For people who don't want the huge oversized stuff, offer a smaller alternative at a sensible price.
4. A five dollar soft-drink is also robbery. Due to the price of the concessions, I don't even get them anymore. You've out priced yourselves. Get a clue. Lower the price, more people will buy.
5. Hire employees that work. I can't tell you how many teen agers I've seen that are supposed to be working and are doing NOTHING! It's not a baby sitting service. It's a first job, and you are robbing them of valuable life experience by not making them work. Also, fire about 1/3 of the staff as you could probably easily loose that many and still get everything done.
6. Movie studios need to work more with the theatres. Have a gift shop with movie memorabilia, merchandise and the like. And be sure it's reasonably priced. This could be a leased out space to some other business who runs it. Win win for the theatre and the store and the movie companies.
7. Drop 2 of the screens in the multiplex and put in a stage and offer live performances. Movies killed vaudeville (live performances). Watch how a Stand-up comic, variety act or music act will fill ALL the seats compared to the handfull that get filled for a movie, especially a crappy movie.
8. Offer a 'Film Festival' or other special event from time to time. Turn the visit to the movie theatre into an EVENT rather than just something to do to kill time. Imagine if a movie star showed up to sign autographs or do Meet and Greets from time to time. They used to! Maybe it's about time they started to again.
I love movies. I know the industry is struggling trying to figure out the future through a bad economy and lower ticket sales and lower dvd sales and the like. Learn from history and reexamine things that worked in the past. Be creative and try new things. Make a night out at the movies something to look forward to, again.
SLIGHT UPDATE: I just noticed that the column I read in the FEEDBACK section was in response to an article the Magazine wrote called "How To Fix The Movies". I have NOT read that and I'll have to track down the issue. I wonder if any of my ideas are similar to theirs?
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