Cinemas battle flat attendance by installing cushy new reclining seats
Joanne Laucius, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: November 1, 2016 | Last Updated: November 1, 2016 6:02 PM EDT
Cineplex Entertainment is replacing all of the seats in its Carling Avenue multiplex with recliners.
The project to “reformat” the 12 auditoriums started Tuesday. The multiplex will remain open during the renovation, which will end early in the new year with 1,300 extra-wide seats that recline at the push of a button.
The cushy new chairs are just the beginning of a trend that is reshaping the experience of going to see a film. Movie theatres across North America are “reseating” with luxurious and novel sensations to attract elusive audiences as movie attendance flattens in the face of increasing competition from video-on-demand.
An RBC Capital Markets Survey that polled about 1,000 consumers in the U.S., found about 40 per cent would be more interested in going to the movies if full meals were served. One-third said they would be more interested if alcoholic beverages were available. About 60 per cent had been to a theatre with premium seating — and 38 per cent said it made them want to go more often.
“Our guests are telling us they want it to be more of an experience,” said Sarah Van Lange, a spokeswoman for Cineplex, Canada’s largest movie theatre chain.
In March 2015, Cineplex opened Ottawa’s first VIP cinemas at Lansdowne. They offer reserved seating, food and beverage service with menu choices such as calamari, flatbread pizza and salads, as well as beer, wine and cocktails. Two rows of seats also have D-BOX motion, which moves the seats in concert with the action on the screen.
Landmark Cinemas, Canada’s second-largest chain, converted all eight auditoriums in a London, Ont., theatre to recliners in July 2015.
In Canada’s large markets, movie offerings are becoming increasingly immersive for cinephiles. Cineplex has opened three-screen auditoriums in Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto.
“It’s essentially a panorama experience. The format is shot with three cameras,” said Van Lange.
This Friday, Cineplex is opening Canada’s first 4DX auditorium in Toronto using technology developed in South Korea. The 80 motion seats heave, roll and pitch, cued to the action on the screen while moviegoers experience special effects including wind, mist, bubbles, snow and scent.
In Ottawa, there will likely be a small increase in the price of a ticket for reclining seats, but Van Lange said it won’t be substantial. When recliners were introduced in Kelowna, B.C., the price of a ticket went up by $1. As Cineplex renovates its other properties, it will also be looking to upgrade seating, she said.
Movie tickets count for 54.4 per cent of Canada’s $1.7 billion in movie theatre revenues, the market intelligence firm IBISWorld reported. In the next five years, revenue will depend on Hollywood’s ability to draw an audience. At the same time, the consolidation trend toward larger multiplexes is expected to continue.
“As major players such as Cineplex upgrade theatres, add amenities and focus on concessions, independent venues that are unable to compete will exit the industry entirely,” predicted IBISWorld.
Lee Demarbre, the co-owner and programmer of the Mayfair Theatre, Ottawa’s oldest cinema, is only a few blocks from Cineplex’s Lansdowne auditoriums with VIP seating. That hasn’t affected attendance at the Mayfair, he said.
“Ottawa has a huge community that wants to see art house films.”
Demarbre, who goes all over Ottawa and to Toronto to see films, said he’s been in theatres with reclining seats and doesn’t like it.
“When I sit in them, I find I recline too much, and I’m looking at the ceiling. People who are making these decisions don’t watch movies. Everything keeps changing and I like it less and less,” said Demarbre, who prefers a fixed seat and a good-quality 2D picture.
“If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. I don’t want to be distracted by my butt vibrating. I want to watch the movie.”
Still, Demarbre concedes that 3D films that don’t need 3D glasses will be the next big innovation.
“It’s hard to compete with that.”
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http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/cinemas-battling-flat-attendance-with-reclining-seats
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