Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly - Putting the Motion in Motion Pictures: Movie Theatre Marketing

Episode Date: March 1, 2025

Today, movie theatres have to compete with home theatre systems and streaming services.This week, we look at how cinemas are transforming to attract more movie goers.To survive, theatres now offer restaurant meals and full bar menus.They offer loyalty programs and special theme nights.And many cinemas now offer patrons “atmospheric” movie experiences – where wind blows through your hair, rain falls from the ceiling, and seats not only jolt back and forth, they also emit smells that mirror the action on the screen.It puts the motion in motion picture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi, it's Terry O'Reilly. You may know me as the host of Under the Influence, but my passion is The Beatles. And I'm hosting a new podcast series called The Beetleology Interviews. I get to talk to people who worked with The Beatles and love The Beatles and people who write about The Beatles. And their stories are surprising and so very interesting. The Beetleology Interviews. Give it a listen today. We're going to show you our big news to the Baker Start the car!

Mamma Mia, that's a spicy meatball! What love doesn't conquer, Alka sells her will What a relief! You're under the influence with Terry O'Reilly. Back in 2023, John Cleese made a startling admission. He said he had killed a man. Actually, he and actor Kevin Klein had killed a man together. It happened in March of 1989.

The deceased man in question was a 71-year-old doctor named Ole Benson, who lived in Denmark. He was an ear, nose nose and throat specialist. The fatal blow that killed Dr. Bentsen involved French fries. In March of 89 Dr. Bentsen did what he often did. He went to see a movie. That movie was A Fish Called Wanda written by John Cleese starring Cleese, Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Palin. Dr. Benson was known to have a big hearty laugh. As a matter of fact his laugh was famous in the small

Danish town he lived in. There is a scene early in the movie where Kevin Klein's character Otto tortures Michael Palin's character Ken by sticking french fries up Ken's nose. Well, Ken, I'm going to ask you some questions while I eat my chips. First, who was the philosopher who developed the concept of the Superman in Alza Sprach Zarathustra? No? That's a chip up the nose, I'm afraid. When Dr. Benson watched that hilarious scene, he laughed so much, his heart rate zoomed up between 250 and 500 beats per minute. He laughed so hard, his heart stopped. Many years before that night, Dr. Benson was at dinner at home and made his family a silly

bet. He challenged them to stick a piece of broccoli up their nose and see who could eat the most carrots without the broccoli falling out. So when the doctor saw the scene in a fish called Wanda where Otto sticks French fries up Ken's nose he started laughing hysterically and literally died laughing. Years later, Dr. Benson's son, Niels Benson, met John Cleese. Niels is a professor and has inherited his father's huge laugh. He now gives lectures titled Death and Humor, teaching doctors how to use humor when discussing

death. Niels said, My father could hardly have wished for a better death. When Cleese asked Professor Benson if he had ever seen a fish called Wanda, Neils looked at Cleese and said, No, I'm not ready to die. A lot of unusual and surprising things happen in movie theaters. And with the arrival of home theater systems and streaming services, movie theaters now have to work hard to attract customers. To survive, cinemas now offer restaurants and bars and offer patrons atmospheric movie

experiences. For theaters, it's do or die time. It is crafted from tightly woven fabric with chenille textured yarn featuring a plush backrest, luxuriously thick armrests and wood toned wedge feet. Built with premium materials including carefully chosen sinuous springs and high-density foam, it guarantees exceptional durability and comfort. It is a movie theater's greatest foe. The Sofa With all the streaming options out there

and the bewildering array of home theater equipment, it prompts the question, why bother getting off the sofa to go to a movie theater? According to reports, the average window of theatrical exclusivity, meaning the period of time when a movie is available only in theaters, was just 32 days in 2024, down from 90 days before the pandemic. And a movie must earn over $50 million in its first weekend to get a 32-day theater exclusive. Many movies only get 18 days in theaters

before moving to streaming services. before moving to streaming services. Back in 2023, Christopher Nolan struck a highly unusual deal for his blockbuster, Oppenheimer. 122 days in theater. It was the longest theatrical window of the year. Last year, only Inside Out 2 and Deadpool and Wolverine enjoyed theatrical windows of 67 days each. So if movies move so quickly to PVOD or premium video on demand, why schlep downtown to see a movie in a theater? That question has dogged movie theatre companies for years now. In 2019, over 1.2 billion movie tickets were sold in Canada and the U.S. During the pandemic year of 2020, the bottom dropped out.

Only 200 million tickets were sold. In the US, over 3,000 movie theaters closed their doors for good. Last year, just under 800 million tickets were sold. While those numbers have not fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels, 800 million tickets is still nothing to sneeze at. But movie theaters had to get creative to generate those sales. The key is to make the movie-going experience much more interesting than sitting at home on your comfy couch, in your sweatpants, watching a movie on your swanky home theater system. And that ain't easy.

Movie theaters, of course, have always been at the mercy of Hollywood blockbusters to survive, which explains all the superhero sequels and, occasionally, an Oppenheimer and a Barbie sneak through. But since the pandemic, theaters are relying less on Hollywood and are now more aggressive with their own marketing strategies. As a matter of fact, the CEO of AMX Theaters,

the world's largest cinema chain, said his company will no longer depend on, quote, "'What's always worked before, noting that the pandemic pushed the industry into uncharted waters. Those turbulent waters are sometimes expensive and sometimes incredibly simple. A chain of US theaters called warehouse cinemas doesn't have the deep pockets of its bigger rivals so they use social media to invite patrons to special evenings. The CEO calls it event-i-sizing. For example, they offer special daddy-daughter date night films.

When it was showing the movie Unhinged, which revolves around a road rage incident, the theater hosted a car-smashing event. Customers who bought tickets could take a swing at a car to vent their frustrations. That led to an uptick in ticket sales. At a cinema chain in Australia and New Zealand, they began welcoming knitting clubs to special nights. People buy tickets to watch the movie while they knit. A theater chain in California offers self-care Sundays. Patrons are given soothing, hydrating under eye patches, and each showing has a 10-minute mindfulness meditation to relax patrons before they enjoy the film. As another way of generating revenue, many cinemas have started marketing live event

streaming. Some stream NFL games, others show live streams of concerts, some stream Sunday religious services and still others show filmed Broadway theatrical productions. The New York Metropolitan Opera broadcast live performances in over 2,000 cinemas, selling 2.4 million tickets. Some larger chains have transformed smaller screens into bars or bowling alleys, so patrons can linger longer after or before the movie. or before the movie. Some theaters will have double feature nights, like showing Home Alone and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, so parents can introduce their kids to the hilarious world of John Hughes.

Cineplex has rented their screens to gamers. Twelve players can have the theater with its gigantic screen and thunderous sound. Gamers can bring their own games or use one provided by Cineplex. Some theaters even arrange special Dungeons and Dragons events for the gaming community, where fans can come and watch simulcasts of the role-playing campaign which spans hundreds of episodes, some four or five hours long. Tickets sold out within an hour. More than 100 years after its founding, AMC Theatres did something in 2021 that it had never done before.

Advertise on television. AMC spent $25 million on a multimedia campaign featuring Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman. Traditionally, theaters rely on the studios to advertise with movie trailers. But again, the AMC CEO said it's business as unusual now. In the commercial, Nicole Kidman walks into an AMC theater, sits down, and watches a montage of great movie scenes because AMC wants us to fall in love with movie theaters

again. We come to this place for magic. We come to AMC theaters to laugh, to cry, to care because we need that. All of us. That indescribable feeling we get when the lights begin to dim. And we go somewhere we've never been before, not just entertained, but somehow reborn, together. Dazzling images on a huge silver screen, Sound that I can feel. Somehow, heartbreak feels good in a place like this. Our heroes feel like the best part of us. And stories feel perfect and powerful.

Because here... they are. AMC Theatres. We make movies better. In order for people to fall in love with movie theaters again, cinemas have to go well beyond the screen. In South Korea, some cinema chains have recreated bedrooms and forest scenes in the theaters. In Bangkok, there are luxury cinemas that offer you reclining daybeds and cozy cocoon-like seats. You get a pillow and a blanket,

mini bar, snacks, alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, a hook for your bag, a place to charge your phone, and a button to call for butler service. In Greece, a cinema actually offers double beds instead of seats, complete with sheets and night tables. There are mobile apps now that can detect audio messages from the screen, so advertisers can offer patrons

special deals before and after the movie. BMW recently invited male theatregoers aged 25 to 44 a chance to take a simulated lap on the BMW test track using their mobile phones, which was triggered by a big screen BMW ad. The lap times were posted on a leaderboard and the top scoring patrons were offered the opportunity to win a test drive of each new BMW model on a real BMW test track. And that was all before the movie began. When we come back, fine dining in the dark. One of the biggest innovations in the movie theater experience over the past decade has

been fine dining. Stale popcorn and flat soft drinks just don't cut it anymore. AMC opened 50 dine-in theaters between 2009 and 2020. At AMC Dine-in theaters, we're mixing up the way you see movies. Kick back in our extra comfy seats and when you're ready to order, press the button and your server will appear. It's just like magic, only better. Mouthwatering appetizers, entrees and desserts are prepared fresh when you order.

We bring it all to your seat so you can enjoy the show with a side of something delicious. It's a movie theater and restaurant rolled into one only at an AMC Dine-In Theater near you. Larger chains have installed commercial-grade kitchens. They now have executive chefs preparing dishes like lobster rolls, hot pepper-fried calamari, turkey sliders, pizza topped with smoked bacon and goat cheese,

and truffled Parmesan popcorn. There are gourmet snacks like artisanal cheese and charcuterie plates, hummus and nachos, and healthier gluten-free options are popping up. There are a variety of decadent desserts prepared by an in-house baking team. Afternoon showings at some cinemas offer brunch, with options like caramel brûlée, French toast, fried egg BLTs and mimosas. In many cinemas, patrons can order their food via a mobile app,

or there are call buttons at their seats to alert staff that you're ready to order. Cineplex offers VIP lounges with separate entrances, complete with reserved seating, appetizers, a three-course dinner, and dessert. Then there's the drink menu. One theater chain in Arizona offers 25 different local beers to choose from. Not long ago, a cinema in New York offered a special cocktail to go with the showing of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

The cocktail was called a Sandworm Slayer. It was a sky blue vodka cocktail with a foam float and a crown of gummy worms perched on top. Cost? 25 bucks. How about a vanilla passion fruit martini? Or a spicy blackberry margarita, or a feisty little cab sav?

All this and more is available at your local Cineplex. Another cinema in Arizona offers a rooftop terrace where people can enjoy beer, wine, and cocktails and talk about the movie they just watched. For the non-alcohol drinkers, there are honey milkshakes, apple cider and coconut water. Many theatres have loyalty programs offering perks in return for continued patronage. Benefits may include discounted or extra free tickets, free popcorn, snacks or drinks, exclusive screenings and special events, early access to new releases and birthday rewards. Some loyalty programs let you earn points for every dollar spent on tickets, and some give subscribers unlimited access to 2D movies, with no restrictions on how many you want to see or when you want to see them.

Research shows effective loyalty programs increase customer lifetime value by 200 to 300% on average. Members visit theaters more often, spend more per transaction through concessions and upgrades, and interestingly, are less sensitive to higher prices. Back in 1973, The Exorcist hit theaters. Audiences were stunned by scenes in the film. Theater staff had to learn how to help traumatized patrons. My experience with this movie has been incredible, especially with people fainting. Halfway through the movie, it starts, the movie starts getting quite violent and people get quite unusual reactions.

And we have a lot of people throwing up and a lot of people shuddering. But the thing that really surprises me is people faint. I mean, I've never in my life known a movie where people would faint. I mean, it's hard to make people faint. In some theaters, staff had to help patrons restore their consciousness. Well as soon as they faint, I get out to smelling salts and most of them, once they fainted,

they don't go back into the picture. Ambulances and police were on hand to help in the event of larger medical emergencies. Imagine what would have happened if theaters back in 73 had the remarkable technology that is available today. Because if there's one aspect of movie going that theaters have revolutionized, it's the immersive experience. Once there was 3D, now there's 4DX Motion Effects Theaters. Developed in South Korea, these theaters are made to stimulate all five senses. They put the motion in motion pictures. Cineplex offers seven 4DX cinemas in Canada right now. First, the seats are comfortable loungers, so that's nice. They

heave up and down in sync with the action on the screen. They roll left to right. They sway and twist, pitch forward and back. So good luck holding on to that premium martini. Four DX theaters generate wind, so your hair blows back. If you have hair, it can generate fog. Strobes simulate lightning bolts and flashes. The theater walls can release bubbles into the air and sprinkle snow onto the audience. There is a tickler at your feet. Fun if you're watching a horror movie.

The seats vibrate and can spray you with a fine mist. Water effects roll off the screen as the theater can shower rain down on the audience. Seats emit scents that link to the storyline, and all the seats are heated to correspond to warm scenes on the screen. Add to all this ScreenX. It's a multi-projection wraparound screen that appears on three walls, giving you a 270-degree panoramic viewing experience, which can extend all the way to the back of the theater in India a leading movie theater company is using 3d

270 degree on screen commercials Hmm, maybe you do want to stay home When we come back movie theaters use AI to determine dynamic pricing. Movie theaters are also employing AI in their marketing. Like Netflix, theaters are leveraging AI algorithms to suggest films based on past viewing habits. So if you used your phone or computer to buy the tickets, AI grabs your data, analyzes it, and can send you personalized marketing messages, which leads to increased ticket sales. Like Uber, theaters are starting to embrace AI dynamic pricing to optimize ticket sales

by adjusting prices based on demand, time of day, and even seating preferences. Like your car, theaters are using AI for equipment maintenance. By monitoring the performance data of projectors, bulbs, and sound systems, AI can predict when maintenance is required. Theaters are also using AI as a crowd management tool. AI surveillance systems analyze foot traffic and crowd patterns to enhance safety at peak times and optimize staffing. So, AI is not only being used to make movies, it's now being used to manage movie-goers. From the dawn of the first movie palaces, theaters have had to battle the march of technology. First there was radio.

People could stay home and listen to soap operas, variety shows and exciting detective serials, especially during the Depression. Then came television, the ultimate king slayer, a universe of channels in the comfort of your own living room. Next came a little gizmo called a remote control. Now you never had to leave your lazy boy or your home to enjoy a night's entertainment. As technology kept evolving, the VCR appeared in our homes.

Now you could tape shows and watch them on your schedule. And if that wasn't enough, enter the home theater system. Surround sound in big screens became more and more affordable over time. Now there are streaming services, arguably the toughest rival yet. Endless movies and TV series, all available for the cost of a single movie ticket every month. Then the world was blindsided with a pandemic, shutting cinemas down all over the world for an entire year. But through it all, theaters have always fought back. They have become restaurants and bars and atmospheric pleasure domes.

Theaters don't just want you to come to the movies, they want you to be part of the movies. They want to shake, rattle and roll you, send wind through your hair, tickle your feet and send you home soaking wet. That's an experience you probably won't get in your living room. When you're under the influence. I'm Terry O'Reilly. This episode was recorded in the TearStream mobile recording studio. It doesn't tickle our feet, but it does move. Producer Debbie O'Reilly, Chief Sound Engineer Jeff Devine. Under the influence theme by Casey Pick, Jeremiah Pick, and James Aitin.

Tunes provided by APM Music. Hey, let's be social. Follow me at TerryOInfluence. This podcast is powered by A-Cast. See you next week. Fun fact. Hi, this is Piers Hemmingsen from Toronto. In 1952, a TV remote called the Blab Off

was invented to turn the sound down on TV commercials. Not one television station would run ads for it.