Soon you may be able to check your Facebook, send a message on WhatsApp or update your Twitter while in the cinema. The CEO of AMC theaters believes allowing phone use during films may be the solution to the problem of shrinking cinema audiences.
The idea could make way for separate screening rooms for those who don’t mind phone use in an attempt to appeal to younger viewers.
Adam Aron, CEO of AMC Entertainment told Variety, “When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don’t ruin the movie, they hear please cut off your left arm above the elbow. You can’t tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone. That’s not how they live their life.”
Controversial choices
Aron believes the way to attract that younger audience into your cinema is allowing for screening rooms that allow phone use, or maybe even specific areas within normal screening rooms where phone use would be allowed.
“We’re going to have to figure out a way to do it that doesn’t disturb today’s audiences” Aron continued.
“There’s a reason there are ads up there saying turn off your phone, because today’s moviegoer doesn’t want somebody sitting next to them texting or having their phone on.”
If AMC decide to enact this within regular screenings it’s sure to prove unpopular with the current cinema-going audience, but if it’s achieved within separate, clearly signposted screenings it may prove popular.
AMC will need to make sure all customers enter a film screening in with the knowledge that phone use would be allowed. It’s already hard enough to enter a cinema and become absorbed by the film without getting distracted by your neighbor checking their messages.
Check out that time we tried on an old age suit.
Source: techradar.com
Top Brands
I disagree, in part.
In the UK, it costs £10.90 for a regular 2D screening. This rises to £13.10 for a 3D film. If you want to add refreshments like popcorn or a drink, that's an extra £5 on top of that.
This may not seem like a lot, but for 2 people that is pretty much £22, or the cost of a semi-decent meal out just for 2 tickets to see a film.
We don't go to the cinema that often because as a couple that £20 could be better spent elsewhere. We go to see the big films only now so that we don't feel like we've wasted our money. Letting us use our phones in the cinema won't change that!
But i do agree that using your phone in the cinema does open up all sorts of piracy loopholes.
I agree with the prices they are a bit exaggerated, especially when you pay for your S.O. which is not my case… ha ha… I'm sad now
But to address your comment, it would be lovely if the cinemas would cut down the ticket prices but I can't really imagine that scenario, especially after what one cinema in Poland did. They made it so you have pay extra for online reservation of some seats (you know, the "good" ones like the ones in the middle row and higher up in the screening room).
And the part about seeing the "big films" and not feeling like the money is wasted on it… TBH I regretted paying another 20zł for watching bvs for the second time 😛
Their censors didn't like my first post,oh well,let's make sure it's all candyland.We certainly don't want to offend anyone by calling stupid as stupid
Actually the ticket prices are not the problem imho, because how often do you go to the cinema? One or two times in a month and done. Here in Poland the tickets go for c.a. 25~30zł (somewhere around £5) which in my case is equal to half a day of work. Now, I go to the cinema twice per month, the price of the ticket doesn't really bother me.
The problem with mobile phones in the cinema is not the fact that people don't want to sit near someone who is checking their FB or replying to a message. The problem is with recording the film! When you allow people to pull their phones out, when will you know that someone is recording the whole film?
Idiots trying to play to an idiot market section that does not go to their venues anyway and it's not because the little morons can't text nonstop,it's because they don't care about a theatre.They'll watch the latest blockbuster on their phone screen,pathetic.well,at least you can get rid of your real customers.To hell with you amc.
No, the solution is to make ticket prices cheaper and encourage Hollywood to make half-way decent films. No-one wants to pay £10+ to go an see a rubbish film. Hence why the 2-for-1 campaigns in the UK have been so successful. People are more willing to take a punt on the film at £4-5 a ticket, but £10 is a bit steep!
Yeah, if I'd have to pay that much for a ticket… YO HO A PIRATES LIFE FOR ME! Even in the scenario that I'd go to the cinema once or twice in a month… no way 😛 But it also seems that the prices are somewhat related to the average earnings in the country because in poland 30zł is not that much but it's also not cheap (same as £16 in UK I guess?). I also agree with the statement that people would most likely go and watch films in cinemas if the prices were lower (and also if the film is worth seeing)
And finally I wholeheartedly agree with you on the discs I'd love to buy them bu the prices are so ridiculous that I don't even bother, I almost always download that stuff :/
It's not a completely reliable system I will agree….the odd film does slip through the net and leave us dissapointed!
Our cinemas here have started charging extra for those middle seats too. Oh, and charging extra for 3D glasses for 3D showings. So the total for a 3D film, with glasses and in the 'best' seats is £16.10 (works out at about 86/87zl) per ticket!
Its a chicken and egg scenario in my view. People don't go the cinema because its too expensive for them, cinema sees this and raises its ticket prices to counteract the loss of people through the door. More people can't afford to come and those people that already couldn't definitely can't now! So the ticket prices go up again to 'protect' the profits.
The cinema chains then blame other factors such as kids not being able to use their phone or streaming services. In my view if ticket prices were lower, people could afford to go more often and there would be much less resistance to people paying to go to the cinema to see the latest films.
Same thing goes for Disc sales. If discs weren't so expensive, more people would buy them and lets be honest, most films are way in to profit before they even leave the cinemas so the extra money from home sales is just greed.
Goodbye amc
Ticket prices and food are a rip off in the UK.
I don't bother with cinemas now as there's nothing worse than trying to watch a film and some moron is talking away, whether it be to their equally thick mates or probably on their dumbphone. These are the same sort of moron who walks around in the street gawping at their phone expecting other people to move out of the way.
Mobiles have no place in a cinema. If the CEO of this company thinks so then he'll only empty more cinemas.