3 Ways The Movie Industry Won’t Raise Audience Attendance

The movie industry has a problem – how to get audiences into theaters. It’s not a new problem. This battle has been waging for almost as long as movies have existed. Right now, the question seems more pressing – maybe even dire.

You’re probably waiting for me to blame the pandemic. A lot of things are getting laid at that door at the moment. The movie industry’s current situation is not wholly related to the pandemic.

We would have gotten to this moment regardless of COVID and the related closures. Expanded access to movies (read streaming) and perpetual increases to ticket prices were doing a good job as it was. The pandemic was the match that lit the powder keg. 

To say the industry is throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks is an understatement. Here are my top three strategies they have deployed that aren’t going to cut the mustard.

Popcorn to the Rescue

Sound familiar? That would be because it is.

During the Depression, movie theaters threw themselves a life preserver by investing in popcorn poppers. The lure of the novel treat brought folks into the theater. Which, in turn, brought in ticket sales that went to the movie studios. The copious popcorn profit was left to line the pockets of the movie theater owners. 

Viola! The movie ecosystem equilibrium saved! I’m surprised no one’s released a movie about popcorn’s triumph. The cheap but delicious snack gets no respect!

If you’ve ever bitched about the cost of a bag of popcorn, the high price tag for such a cheap-to-make food item is to ensure the physical theater sees a profit. The money generated by ticket sales mostly goes to the studios producing the films, not the theater itself. 

Concession options have expanded since the 30s and 40s, so my subtitle may be a little misleading. Popcorn isn’t going to be the Lone Ranger this time around. It’s got a whole posse with it this time, which is only expanding with this latest crisis.

Rolando Rodriguez, National Association of Theatre Owners chairman and Marcus Theatres senior advisor, stated, “The American consumer now is really demanding more than just a popcorn and a drink or nachos or candy. They’re really looking for experiences that they’re having for meals associated with watching the films. The expansion … on the food and beverage is absolutely a must.”

This line of thinking is not unique to this one decision-maker/influencer. Regardless of the owner, concession options are more varied than ever, such as dine-in theater options and alcohol. I recently took my Dad to a movie for the first time since the pandemic. He did a double take when a pre-movie ad for the beer and cocktail concession options came on screen. He leaned over and asked if they really had a bar at the theater. We had gone to a matinee show before noon, so the bar was closed when we went in. All the same, I said, just about every theater has alcohol now. He shook his head and laughed.

We never went in for most of the concession options as a kid: popcorn and a soda to share. Movie theater pricing for candy was above our price point. Especially since Mom always had a “pocketbook” with plenty of space for Jujy Fruits and Raisinets bought on sale elsewhere. This is a practice I use even today because the cost, or markup, is still prohibitive.

Have I indulged in the dine-in and beer options? I’m a millennial; of course, I have. 

Is it something I do every time? No.

And there are many reasons for that abstinence in making it a ubiquitous movie-going ritual. The biggest reason is that the execution of the concession expansion Rodiquez talks about is only sometimes quality-based. It’s a cool idea to walk into a movie theater and have a full menu of options available to me. But the quality of the food and beer options usually doesn’t match the price point. 

There are exceptions to that rule, but they are few and far between.

I get that they are out to make a profit, and I can’t sneak a bacon cheeseburger in my purse. Not saying someone couldn’t do it. But, frankly, I like my purses too much to attempt. But, that said, they have to understand that they have to earn consumers’ hard-earned money. I will not spend $8.50 (before tax) on fried pickles when the breading barely stays on when I touch it, and there’s more pickle juice than pickles, especially with three restaurants in the same plaza that offer a better quality option.

Leaning on popcorn and other concessions to bail out the industry alone in its current state will not be the fruitful endeavor it was in the 1930s and 1940s as a stand-alone solution. There would have to be more of an investment on the theater’s part to make concessions and the overall experience more attractive to consumers.

AMC Sightline and Other “Value-Based” Programs

In February, AMC announced a soft rollout of a new pricing scheme to grab “more price-sensitive consumers,” per CEO Adam Aron. Translation – you’ll get a two-dollar discount by sitting in the first three rows of the theater.

I’m sure there are people who like watching movies from the first three rows. I don’t know any of them. I haven’t been to many shows where I’ve seen those seats electively sat in. So, I will keep with the assumption that this accounts for a tiny percentage of moviegoers. 

I like a bargain as much as, if not more, than your average person, but this isn’t a bargain. The meager discount isn’t a benefit so much as it is a punishment for thinking movie ticket prices are exorbitant.

Aron, in defense of this program, noted this pricing is common place at live venues and European cinemas. Using live venues to justify this program is an apples-to-oranges comparison. There is value in being in the first three rows at a live venue. Proximity in a live setting gives consumers a heightened experience. They’re almost reaching distance from their favorite act, player, etc. 

The only thing sitting in the first three rows of a movie theater gives you is a crick in the neck. I can do that at home for free. I don’t need to pay $17 for the experience. Wait, sorry; it would be $15.

As for the European cinema comment, I assume he was referring to the UK setup. They have tiered ticket pricing, but I recall that the scheme was based more on the physical seat you were sitting in rather than its location in the theater. The fact of the matter is we are not Europe. The last time we were like Europe was about the late 1700s. It seems unreasonable for modern consumers to swallow that reasoning and be happy about it.

AMC Sightline is an insult to moviegoers. It is a program with only one possible result – to highlight and underscore the class disparity. Which, in case anyone is paying attention, is counter to its reported goal of bringing people back to theaters.

Celebrity Thank Yous and Prodding

During the Oscar season, I try to watch every best picture nominee. This year included Top Gun: Maverick. I wasn’t thrilled about seeing the necessary sequel. The toothy-smiled thank you from Tom Cruise only exacerbated my feelings.

Fast forward to Oscar night, within the first 90 seconds of his monologue, Jimmy Kimmel was appreciative of the opportunity to host, yet aimed moviegoers, “especially this year when the world finally got out of the house to see the films.” He also referred to Nicole Kidman’s AMC commercial touting the magic of movies and the big screen. Yet, another attempt to remind audiences to get back into the theaters.

Fast forward again to Dungeons and Dragons release, and we have yet another thank you for showing up to the theater. With the cumulative talent of the cast, you’d have thought the delivery would have been better. But I got the distinct impression this was a part of the contract, and they were all reading off cue cards.

Shading moviegoers for caution in the wake of the pandemic isn’t a good look. Actors phoning in thank you messages isn’t either. Pre-movie ads reminding us of the glamour of movie theater attendance is a joke. This isn’t a feudal system relationship.

We do not owe movie theaters and studios attendance. This must be earned. And these strategies aren’t going to win moviegoers hard-earned money.