![]() ![]() The economic model of alternative programming gives theaters a lot more options to experiment, and slowly build audiences.īow-Tie Cinemas in West Hartford started offering live screenings of Stephen Sondheim plays. “It is beyond its infancy, and it has a lot of room to grow.” “The economics of running alternative content has gotten to the point where the concept is going to get a lot bigger,” Devine said. Niche programming - such as the “Tekken Blood Vengeance 3D” video game event on July 26 at Buckland Hills IMAX - doesn’t need to attract a huge crowd to be profittable, said Jeremy Devine, vice president of marketing for Rave Motion Pictures, which operates the Buckland Hills theater. Cinemas no longer rely on the much more expensive process of shipping in reels of film and setting them up in a projector. “People are surprised they can see something for $18 that would cost them $60-70 to see in New York,” plus the travel cost, Corcoran said.īecause of digital streaming, movie theaters can screen anything that can be digitized, including live broadcasts of sporting events such as college football bowl games and concerts such as Foo Fighters and Phish. The ticket prices for these events tend to be higher than most movies - the Shakespeare showings cost $15 in Connecticut - but people get to watch events they otherwise couldn’t have seen. With 3-D and live streaming, theaters can screen events in new ways, Corcoran said. ![]() More than half of all movie screens nationwide are now digital, said Patrick Corcoran, director of media and research for the National Association of Theatre Owners. The movement has gained more momentum in the last couple of years after more and more movie screens have been converted to digital. By 2010, that grew to 74 events in 600 theaters across the nation. By 2005, it was streaming 15 events per year. NCM first started offering alternative programming in 2002. “It was a challenge to generate awareness for this type of programming,” said Michelle Portillo, NCM Fathom spokeswoman. The NCM Fathom programming has included the ballet “Giselle” streamed in 3-D from Russia, four William Shakespeare plays streamed from London’s Globe Theatre, an opera series including “Madame Butterfly” from the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, and live sporting events in 3-D such as soccer’s World Cup and the Wimbeldon tennis finals. Starplex operates 32 theaters and 324 screens in a dozen states.Instead of targeting the same crowd during the week and hoping a few stragglers buy enough tickets, popcorn and soda to generate a profit, Connecticut’s cinemas are enticing new groups of people by screening events they could only see otherwise by traveling to far-off places.Ĭolorado-based National Cinemedia Fathom offers a variety of alternative programming to theaters around the nation, including the Buckland Hills 18 IMAX in Manchester, the Branford 12 Stadium, the Connecticut Post 14 Cinema De Lux in Milford, and the North Haven 12. Rave sold the theater in Berlin to Dallas-based Starplex Cinemas in early May. The five Connecticut theaters that the company operated, plus a sixth location in Berlin, Ct., were all acquired from National Amusements. In addition to the five Connecticut theaters, the deal with Rave gives Cinemark two additional locations in western Massachusetts.ĭallas-based Rave Cinemas was founded in late 2009. "With this addition, we will extend our presence into new markets."īefore the acquisition of Rave Cinemas, the only theater that Cinemark had in New England was in Hadley, Mass., at the Hampshire Mall. "The Rave theatres are well positioned in their markets and include multiple patron amenities, including expanded food service offerings and premium large format screens," Tim Warner, Cinemark's chief executive officer, said in a statement. There are unconfirmed online reports that the Rave location in Southington on the Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike was not part of the Cinemark acquisition and will be closed, but Cinemark officials weren't immediately available for comment Friday. Rave had five Connecticut theaters, including one on Universal Drive in North Haven and at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford. Justice Department to divest itself of three theaters in Kentucky, New Jersey and Texas. As part of the deal, Cinemark is being required by the U.S.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |