Movie Theaters' Latest Gamble: Ads Mixed in With Trailers (hollywoodreporter.com) 233
H_Fisher writes: Movie-watchers (in the U.S. at least) already have to sit through 20+ minutes of commercials and other advertainment before showtime. Now, two major theater chains are mixing commercials in with movie trailers in a bid to generate more cash. According to the report, "regular commercials will run for five minutes after the lights go off and before the trailers at two of the country's largest circuits, Regal Cinemas and Cinemark Theatres. And one 60-second 'platinum' spot from a top-tier brand will roll before the second-to-last or last trailer." National CineMedia says that other worldwide markets have been watching ads alongside trailers for years, "with no significant consumer backlash." Right now, after the lights go down, Cinemark shows 15 minutes worth of trailers before the actual movie begins while Regal's trailer block runs 15 to 20 minutes, according to the news report.
Increasing Netflix shareholder value (Score:5, Insightful)
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The average moviegoer isn't going to be fussed at seeing 2 more minutes of commercials when they're already seeing 15 or 20 minutes.
This kind of thing gets dander up on Slashdot but won't even be noticed by the average person.
I like trailers (Score:3, Interesting)
I like the movie trailers. If my local theatre had a show of JUST the trailers for every movie coming up-- I'd go. All the good scenes of movies that I am not likely to ever see.
Advertisements, not so much. But some of them are a treat.
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People are now conditioned to treat advertisement as entertainment and look forward to it.
Good advertising is also entertainment. Movie trailers are both. I try to show up at theaters on time so I don't miss them.
If they start running extra non-entertaining ads before the trailers, the obvious solution is to arrive 5 minutes late.
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The average person won't care or even notice because they are using that extra time before the movie to get overpriced popcorn, soda, and hit the restroom one last time before the movie starts.
Re:Increasing Netflix shareholder value (Score:4, Insightful)
The only justification for this crap as that after 20 minutes of waiting people will have gone through the stuff they bought to eat because of their boredom snacking and buy some more.
Better to show up a half hour late.
Re:Increasing Netflix shareholder value (Score:5, Insightful)
You can hang out at the bar for another quick drink before the show actually starts.....
Kinda like blowing off the opening band at a concert....
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Really? Because the way I see it the consumer isn't inconvenienced in the slightest by seeing two ads at the same time instead of one.
Re:Increasing Netflix shareholder value (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Increasing Netflix shareholder value (Score:5, Insightful)
Then why are you wasting that time in a theater at all?
I know, right? It's almost as if some people enjoy the time they spend watching a movie of their choice more than the same amount of time spent watching ads. What a crazy world this is.
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That's the time you spend at the concession stand buying overpriced popcorn and soda... No big deal.
Reasons I stopped going to the movie theater (Score:5, Interesting)
YMMV, but for me...
1. People talking and/or on their phones during the movie. My place is silent.
2. Wanting to get their early to get a good seat (my choice). My sofa and recliner have perfect viewing.
3. Having to sit through commercials prior to movie. I cut the cord years ago and only use Netflix and Prime video, I almost never see commercials. Even the Prime pre-rolls are irritating. I also run an ad blocker. It's pretty amazing how much better you feel life is when you cut out advertising.
4. Having to drive to the theater. Home is pretty close.
5. Ridiculously priced and limited concessions versus anything I want at grocery store prices.
6. Of course I'd have to use the restroom 8 minutes into the movie. I can pause, pee, resume at home.
7. The volume is stupid loud in the theater (presumably to drown out the talkers). I have total control at home.
Doubling-down on #3 won't bring me back. It's possible theaters know the writing is on the wall and the current executive board is just milking the dwindling audience for as long as possible to keep shareholders from leaving. Who knows?
I actually still use the Netflix Blu Ray disc service. I like it because I just add a movie to the queue and forget about it. When it shows up, it's kind of a surprise. It's kind of hard to explain rationally, but it also acts as a reminder to watch something that I considered interesting at some point. I probably wouldn't watch any movies if I only rented them on demand. I'd more likely read something or do some work. The physical discs remind me to do some mind-numbing every once in a while.
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Don't you hate the BluRays and DVDs that have previews that can't be skipped or fast-forwarded through? There oughta be a law against this nonsense.
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That is what DVD and BluRay ripping was invented for. Just rip the main title and the problem is solved. Plus now you can store a cubic yard of silly DVDs and BlueRays on a single little 2.5" hard drive with no loss of quality (actually, only an improvement, since it has now been de-shitified).
Re:Reasons I stopped going to the movie theater (Score:5, Funny)
Lol. It's just that at my age, sometimes the fingers are moving faster than the brain. I offer a deep and heartfelt thanks for taking the time to call me out on my error! It definitely added to the discussion.
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Showtime Now Important (Score:4, Insightful)
If I even go to a movie, this will remind me to show up as close to 'showtime' as possible.
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And get a crap seat...
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Re:Showtime Now Important (Score:5, Informative)
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They won't show ads, won't keep me out if I don't show up until actual showtime, or won't get my dollars.
But since going to the movies has become so atrocious, most theaters aren't ever going to get any of my money anyway. I haven't gone to a theater in ages.
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I've never heard of a cinema that doesn't let you in at any point during the pre-show, only after the main film has started rolling.
Re:Showtime Now Important (Score:5, Interesting)
That's Alamo.
Alamo doesn't do traditional previews and ads. They may show "On Reel" previews, but not separate ones when showtime hits. They start "The Reel" at showtime.
Before showtime they have their own in-house mix up on the screen. Before I saw Avengers Endgame there they had a bunch of Stan Lee tributes, interviews with artist, clips from old comic related TV shows, etc.....
Before Ted they showed a bunch of Family Guy, South Park, and Flash Gordon clips.
Going to the movies would be a pleasurable experience again if everyone followed Alamo's model. There's quite a few Alamo knock-offs in Texas, but none that I know of actually go the whole way with custom pre-movie roll and actual on-time starting. They think burgers and beer are all you need to knock-off Alamo, and I'll admit the knock-offs are usually better than normal theaters, but they're not Alamo level.
But you paid. (Score:2)
In that case, I won't got there anymore AND sue them for breach of contract.
I already paid. I am not obliged to give them my brain and time for free! Let alone to deloberately criminally NLP-manipulate it for the sole and only purpose of defrauding me and stealing my money from me by getting me to waste it on inferior crap that is not my best choice!
If they want that... my rate is 10 million dollars an hour. They can take it or fuck off and go to prison in my lawsuit! </in-a-sane-world>
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You are going to sue a theater for breach of contract?
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I mean, he thinks people can go to prison in a civil suit; so he is obviously just an idiot banging away on his keyboard in his parent's basement.
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Reserved seating is sort of a new thing in the U.S. for movie theaters. Alamo does it and I've been to a more traditional theater that does it for certain screens, but general admission is the norm in the U.S.
watch a movie lately? (Score:2, Insightful)
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Crap like what? Some meaningless background noise while you plod away on your phone before the movie starts?
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post to undo mismoderation
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Because I literally don't see ads anywhere nowadays except at a movie theatre. Which makes them glaringly annoying. Especially since I paid directly for the privilege of attending.
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Why does it bother you so much that someone is letting off some steam on Slashdot? It's harmless, and you can ignore it.
Get a life.
Seriously? (Score:2)
Re:Seriously? (Score:5, Funny)
That sounds like a challenge.
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Pro tip:
Your actual start time is the duration between showings, minus the official running time, minus 15 minutes for cleaning, plus the alleged start time.
If your show is at 1:00, and the next showing is at 3:15, and the official running time is 1:45, then:
3:15 - 1:00 = 2:15 duration between showings.
2:15 - 1:45 - 0:15 = 15 minutes after your start time.
1:00 + 0:15 = 1:15 actual start time.
If your showing is not the last showing of the night, then it's simpler to take the time of the next immediate showin
Just trying to kill their (Score:2)
I can save money, have an ok experience, see commercials and stay home. Will be interesting to see how this pans out.
Just my 2 cents
Re:Just trying to kill their (Score:4, Insightful)
You can also save more money, have the same ok experience, see no commercials and stay home. The movie industry should be really careful what they end up getting.
Re:Just trying to kill their (Score:5, Insightful)
You can also save more money, have the same ok experience, see no commercials and stay home. The movie industry should be really careful what they end up getting.
Based on the utter shit the movie industry has been pumping out lately, they should be more careful about what they make.
Five more minutes of ads isn't going to make the movie suck less.
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Putting commercials during the previews isn't crossing the line. As we do not go to the movies to watch the trailers, I am not going to pay $20 (well for where I live it is only $5 small town advantage) to see a 5 minute trailer, which will be on youtube the next day.
I go to the movies to see the movie.
I will say the line is if they start putting commercials during the presentation (and not just product placement).
What are you smoking? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:What are you smoking? (Score:4, Funny)
Clearly, there is substantial cross-pollination between cable and movie theater executives, as they sharing the same playbook on how to run it into the ground in a way that would put Boeing anti-stall software to shame.
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Greedy short-term thinking. (Score:2)
They think more ads will make them more money to improve their theaters.
Of course, if it actually would, there would be no reason to improve.
In the long term, the strategy is reversed.
But compulsive gamblers always run behind the short gain, even if it is a long-term loss.
Blockbuster movies only (Score:2)
I only go to the theater for blockbuster movies that I want to be able to talk with my friends and co-workers about. I have a fairly nice theater at home already. They are seriously pushing the boundary where that won't be enough incentive any longer to go at all.
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They're learning from the DVD makers who try to compete with rips and streaming services by adding unskippable ads and previews before you can actually watch the movie.
What really blows about this is when you watch the movie about a year after you got it and already know that the movies you have to watch previews for suck. That sure adds to the "experience"...
Reserve seats (Score:2)
My preferred theater lets you buy tickets and pick your seats online. For a reasonable extra charge I can drop in 15 minutes after "showtime" and save 40 minutes of waiting around for the feature to start.
Wait, you pay extra for that? (Score:2)
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Show up on time and wait in line to buy over priced popcorn and soda until the trailers and ads are about done.
Re:Reserve seats (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Reserve seats (Score:4, Funny)
Next up, Ads in the movies (Score:2)
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"Let's all go to the lobby!
Let's all go to the lobby!
Let's all go to the lob-eeee!
To get ourselves a treat!"
Prior art
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Bringing back intermissions doesn't seem like a bad idea. Especially since the theater wants to sell you $6 sodas while decent movies range between two and three hours.
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The plus side to this would be an opportunity to use the bathroom, or get more food or drink without missing the movies. I wouldn't be totally against a 10 minute break in the middle of a movie if it were done in a non-disruptive way, much like plays.
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Two words: Product placement. (Score:2)
Like ads, but super-effective.
See? Even you don't consider them ads, given your assumptions that movies don't contain ads.
No backlash? Really? (Score:5, Insightful)
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In Canada, they've been doing this for a while now (Score:2)
I was surprised to see this article. We're regularly subjected to ads for cars, gum, Coke, whatever with the trailers. The one I can't believe is the theatres offering to have movie popcorn and drinks delivered to your home via Uber.
Nobody seems to be complaining - but, then again, we're Canadian.
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I live in Canada too, and I VERY seldom go to the cinema anymore, precisely because of advertising. I have a policy of NOT paying to be advertised to - trailers are OK, but car ads and shit like that are non-starters. Strict enforcement of this policy isn't possible, but between the ad blockers in my browser and my avoidance of movie theatres I do pretty well.
never go on opening week [Re:No backlash? Really?] (Score:3)
Other than I only rarely see movies in theaters anymore. When I do, I don't go during opening week
I'm with you on that: I make it a policy to not go to a movie on the opening week.
Opening week is all about the hype, which is manufactured by the production companies. I'd rather hear what people say after the opening week, then go to the movie.
, I go during weekday matinees and I show up 10 or 15 minutes after the reported starting time so
But I'm not with you there. I like the trailers-- they're often the best part of the show. (And sometimes the trailers for movies I didn't expect to be likely even make me want to see them.)
yet another (Score:2)
yet another reason to stay home
I thought they already did this (Score:2)
I can't remember when but I could have sworn I saw real ad a in major theater about a year or two ago.
I hardly ever go to theaters anymore though, I might be mis-remember something else as an ad.
they can do whatever they want! (Score:5, Informative)
....I mean, I'm not going ANYWAY. It's not like I can go less.
stop hitting yourself (Score:3)
sit through 20+ minutes of commercials (Score:5, Insightful)
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Why do commercials bother you so much? When I was a kid, we watched Saturday morning cartoons. They were filled with commercials, and we loved them.
What is this new fad/bandwagon trend to be disgusted by commercials? If that's really the worst thing you have to endure in life, you should consider yourself blessed.
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Cinemas in UK (Score:2)
I miss the timetables of the cinemas when I used to live in UK. Three points in time where specified, sort of the following:
18:40: Doors open, advertisement.
18:49: Trailers.
19:03: Movie begins.
Common elsewere (Score:3)
Sometimes is ads for local companies or even shops. Other times is the same ads you see on TV but usually longer versions that is shown on there. So it seems ads are much cheaper in the theaters. Of course, there's still trailers and the mix is somehting like 2/3rds trailers 1/3rd ads. Popcorn is still very expensive anyway.
Wrong approach (Score:2)
Instead of making the experience more like home TV (or youtube) they need to be making the experience more exceptional.
We always just came in later. (Score:2)
If you know the minimum time of the ad block (yes, trailers are ads too), you can always come in during the last trailer.
We always did this. And like life without an ad blocker, I would rather not go there thn to have it any other way.
Few things piss me off more than paying for someth (Score:2)
Probably an unpopular opinion around here, but... (Score:3)
I actually enjoy watching the trailers, partly because I watch so little advertising elsewhere that I'm often not aware of what movies are coming out next. I don't want ads during the trailers, but a few minutes of them before the movie begins is not that big a deal to me. I don't go to the theater very often, but when I do, it's usually for the big-screen, big-sound experience that I can't get at home. (I had a great time at Blade Runner 2049 in the theater; watching it in my apartment while trying not to bother the neighbors with the sound wasn't quite as impressive.)
If they start interrupting the movie to show ads, that's my red line. I don't go on opening night, so I can show up a little late and still get a good seat while missing some of the ads. But there's a reason I don't have cable... and if they turn the theater experience into cable but on a big screen, I'm out.
I will finally start showing up late (Score:2)
How? (Score:2)
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Trailers are ads for movies. There's three types: Teaser, Coming Soon, and Coming Real Soon.
Ads are ads for everything else.
What's new is that these two companies want to play ads, then trailers, then more ads, then maybe one more trailer, the policy snipe, and on with the show.
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Trailers are ads for movies. There's three types: Teaser, Coming Soon, and Coming Real Soon.
Sometimes there's also "Playing on the next screen to your right" trailers, too.
Hey look, one more reason to stay home (Score:3)
Between the sticky floors, the chance of obnoxious patrons nearby and already getting 10 minutes of ads blasted at me before the trailers start and getting hosed on the price of drinks and snacks vs with my home having a massive TV with a decent surround sound system, snacks from the grocery store at reasonable prices, no obnoxious patrons and the ability to pause for a pee break - I really can't see a reason to go to the theaters any longer.
This doesn't help change my mind.
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You're not the target audience. The target audience is the people who can't afford a good TV and a "home theatre" setup. They're also the kind of people who buy those 6 dollar drinks and 10 dollar snacks to "treat themselves". Who are of course also the exact target audience for impulse buy ads.
Which is usually also the reason they can't afford that home theater setup...
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I'll concede the behavior is partly true, but it's not like you can't get 80% of the way to an OK home theater for real cheap these days.
There are acceptable 720p projectors on Amazon for less than $150 these days. You can find a decent used receiver and a set of speakers at most Goodwill/Value Village/ (insert local thrift shop here) locations for another $50-$100. Put it all together and for a couple or a few friends that's the cost of a handful of movie outings.
Plus, watching hockey on a 120" screen wh
Yet another argument... (Score:2)
Or, not arriving at all. At home I have better snacks than most theaters. (There are some exceptions.)
This isn't new (Score:3)
They've already been showing ads for years, the last time I went to a theater was over 2 years ago and I remember seeing a car ad. That was the straw that broke the camels back for me -- I just wait for movies to come out on streaming or I just buy a used DVD or Bluray (which is usually cheaper than a single movie ticket).
My home theater experience (with 5.1 surround sound) is much better than the movie theater experience -- when kids keep talking through the movie, I can tell them to get out and come back when they can be quiet, I have unlimited snacks/beverages including any alcoholic drink I want to make, and if I need to use the restroom, I can pause the movie.
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You got triggered by a car ad...
No, I got triggered by having to watch an ad to consume a product I ostensibly already paid for. It turns out that it's pretty easy to avoid that situation, and it saves me money.
Precisely why I watch DVDs (Score:4, Interesting)
I don't have to deal with people chatting on their mobiles, children who are disruptive, trash left behind by patrons, high priced snacks/drinks, or sticky soda spills on the floor.
I'm never going back to theaters, they have ruined the experience. The last straw was sitting through twenty minutes of ads before the feature film starts.
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Unskippable crap is one of the reasons I rip my dvds onto a nas and play the actual title track from there.
Regal was already annoying enough that if I actually deigned to go to a theater, I avoid *those* theaters. Just more reason to avoid anything but *my* theater.
An industry on its way out (Score:2)
They just don't get it (Score:3)
"Now, two major theater chains are mixing commercials in with movie trailers in a bid to generate more cash."
They just don't get it. NO ONE wants to see commercials, and that goes triple for people who've paid money to see a film in a theater.
All it'll do is make people hate the advertiser and will probably result in people seeing fewer movies.
Seriously, fuck all you greedy shitbag marketers who won't stop trying to sell me shit. If I go to a movie and see your product in a commercial, I'll never fucking buy it.
Pfft. (Score:3)
Well... that's it, I'm done! (Score:3)
Time for a bigger flatscreen. Luckily, I have a local theater in my town that probably won't pull this horsepucky, but this is just diabolical.