The cinema industry is in trouble.
That really shouldn’t come as a surprise. Piracy, pricing, and VOD have all played a part in reducing cinema attendees around the world. Now, with the likes of Screening Room – a startup that wants to charge $50 for users to stream new release movies in their homes on the same day it releases in theatres – cinemas fear losing the one thing that still makes them relevant to a high percentage of their customers: exclusivity.
Something has to change. In an interview with Variety a few days ago, AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron was asked how he would better market to millennials. His response was rather stumping.
“Would appealing to millennials involve allowing texting or cellphone use?”
“Yes. 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.
At the same time, though, we’re going to have to figure out a way to do it that doesn’t disturb today’s audiences. 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.”
What? Aron’s statement was certainly confusing, but even worse was the message behind it.
“Would you have a certain section for texting?”
“That’s one possibility. What may be more likely is we take specific auditoriums and make them more texting friendly.”
I’m not sure what makes him think that not being able to use their phones during a screening is why millennials aren’t coming to his cinemas, but it’s indicative of the industry’s incredible inability to innovate in the face of new media and the challenges it represents. Worse still, it represents the failings of businesses who only see art as a product. Such a mindset will always result in failure.
Industry reaction was fast and fierce. A Facebook post from A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night director Ana Lily Amirpour simply read:
Others, like Alamo Drafthouse Founder/CEO Tim League, addressed the issue in more detail.
“I find that to be disrespectful to the creators, those who make the very existence of cinema possible,” he stated, before addressing Aron’s stereotyping of his younger customers.
“Regardless of your age, turning off your phone and focusing on a good movie is much-needed therapy.”
If Aron and his peers really think the answer is herding a bunch of teens into a room where they can watch a movie while playing with their phone, I think they’re in for a nasty revelation.
What do you think of Aron’s statement? Does it make sense to you? Let us know in the comments below.
UPDATE: AMC Entertainment have just issued a press release saying that they will not allow texting in theatres. You can read it here.