HOYTS Australia
My Kitchen Rules' Manu Feildel is the man behind the Hoyts Lux menu.
Kiwi cinemas are going upmarket in their battle for our entertainment dollar.
The rise of Netflix and other streaming services are just the latest competition for the more-than-century-old movie screening business and to combat them multiplexes and boutique cinemas across the nation are putting their money into revolutionising the audience's experience. Seating is being upgraded and menu offerings refined to offer more choices than just the traditional holy trinity of soft drink, popcorn and ice-cream.
While New Zealand's big trio of Event, Readings and Hoyts cinemas have all boasted premium options for some time (Event and Readings have Gold Class cinemas, while Hoyts has it's Lux brand), recently there has been an uptick in activity. Event has unveiled a new look at its Albany complex, Readings now have dine-in cinemas at their Auckland and Dunedin locations and Hoyts introduced the Lux concept to the South Island for the first-time with the opening of the state-of-the-art, inner-city EntX building in Christchurch last year.
READ MORE:* A first look inside Christchurch's new Hoyts EntX cinema complex* At the movies: Celebrating New Zealand's best cinemas* At the movies: The argument for and against noisy cinema-goers* CuriousCity: Behind the curtain at a modern movie theatre
Multiplexes and boutique cinemas across the nation are putting their money into revolutionising the audience's experience.
Hoyts NZ operations general manager Paul Wood says they are "exceptionally proud" of their latest addition and delighted with how locals have embraced it since it opened in late September.
"Movie theatres have always faced challenges from competitors, from DVD, back to video and TV, but I think the point-of-difference has always been the experience that we can offer that you just can't replicate at home. And that's what we are particularly focusing on now."
The more-than-900 seats throughout the seven-screen complex are all faux-leather electric recliners, something that Wood says wouldn't have even been contemplated a decade ago.
Then there's the $30-a-ticket, 40-seat Lux cinemas, which offer culinary delights – at additional cost – dreamed up by My Kitchen Rules' celebrity chef Manu Feildel .
"Having him on board has been phenomenal for us," says Wood. "He's fully onboard in what we're trying to do with Lux – creating a one-stop shop for entertainment. Whereas before, you would have gone out to eat separately, now you can come for dinner, dessert and the movie all in the same place."
IAIN MCGREGOR/STUFF
Hoyts' flagship New Zealand cinema opened in central Christchurch in September 2018.
Wood says the Lux concept (which Hoyts also currently offer at Auckland's Botany and Sylvia Park and Hamilton's Te Awa locations) has proved popular with a range of age groups. "Older audiences like the idea of having a little space with good food and good drink, while those in their 20s and 30s see it as a treat so they can watch that must-see movie they've been hanging out for in the best environment possible."
He also confirms that a lot of thought goes into watch movies play in the Lux cinemas. "As well as using historical data of what has worked best, we also work collaboratively with the film distributors on a weekly basis. They do like it when their movies play there because it helps with a title's profile."
Hoyts have also embarked on a programme of upgrading their existing sites as well. EntX's Christchurch sister complex Northlands has recently been refurbished. Electric recliners now grace all the auditoriums, while the ticketing and candy bar area has been upgraded "to improve customer flow", says Wood.
"We don't want to take away human interaction, but you can now pre-order your tickets and beverages, pick them up and head straight to the cinema, bypassing the traditional queues."
Hoyts introduced the Lux concept to the South Island for the first-time with the opening of the state-of-the-art, inner-city EntX building in Christchurch last year.
Of course, it's not just the big players who are adapting to increased competition and audience demands for "an experience". Opening in 2011, Wellington's Roxy Cinema not only attempts to evoke the aura of a 1930s picture palace, it also boasts a top-class onsite restaurant CoCo.
A popular destination for "young professional couples and middle-aged women", the two-screen Miramar complex have built a reputation for offering "unique experiences", believes Roxy's social media manager and marketing co-ordinator Kaitlin Laing. One example is their regular Eat The Film programme where a screening of a cult classic is accompanied by an in-cinema degustation where each dish and drink is inspired by the scene on the screen. Recent titles have included Pulp Fiction, Point Break, The Wicker Man and Evil Dead II. Fans of the oeuf (or indeed oeuvre) may want to reserve their spot for February 3's Cool Hand Luke session.
"We block off every second row for service and bring in each dish to attendees as they are watching the film," explains Laing.
"It's the perfect night for any self-professed film buff or foodie and takes place seasonally to launch our latest CoCo menu. It became a staple after an immensely popular Wellington On A Plate event."
ROSS GIBLIN and ROBERT KITCHIN/Fairfax
The Roxy Cinema, a restored art deco theatre in Miramar, was purpose-built in 1928 to play silent films, but now shows everything from $1 mystery movies to film classics.
The Roxy have also set their sights on movie-loving families, recently introducing a Happily Ever After programme. "It's a tea party and film event based around the release of children's films. We most recently did one around The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. Attendees were invited upstairs and greeted by ballet dancers and a decorated lobby with lands of ice, flowers and sweets. For each land, there was a different dressed table covered in themed sweets.
"Meanwhile, for Wellington on a Plate last year, we hosted a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory screening where we turned our Grand Lobby and cinema into Wonka's factory. There was candy everywhere and it was a really magical afternoon for everyone involved.
"We plan to continue to host more and more of these themed events to create a better experience for cinemagoers. With the increased consumption of online streaming services we have found we need to be really creative and to create events that are unique and you can't get anywhere else."
Roxy Cinema
Miramar's Roxy Cinema hosts a regular immersive dining experience Eat the Film.
However, acutely aware of their suburban surroundings, Laing says the also try to offer affordable experiences so the whole community can get involved. "It's important to us to not just be seen as a cinema with luxury experiences, but also a place where the locals can come and feel welcome for a coffee or cinema screening."
In another part of the capital, Empire Cinema and Eatery's general manager Nick Payne says he's definitely noticed people changing their perception of a night out at the cinema.
"They want more than the multiplex offerings of a candy bar and not much else. We have regular diners for brunch and dinner before or after a film."
John Nicholson
Island Bay's Empire Cinema and Eatery opened in 2015.
Offering a mix of blockbuster and art house viewing fare, the fully-licensed, three-screen, independent Island Bay cinema, which opened in 2015, boasts two-person couch seating and also has everything from cabinet food to Italian-inspired small plates.
"We also don't have screen advertisements and keep our trailers under 10 minutes so you're not waiting a lengthy time for the feature to start," Payne says.
Back at Hoyts, Wood says Wellington (whose main inner-city multiplex Readings Courtenay Central is currently out of action) is a market "we would like to be in, but who knows?". The Australian company used to have two CBD locations – Mid-City and Regent on Manners – the last of which closed in 2009.
"It has to be the right location to allows us to build the right kind of cinema that we hope and believe customers are looking for now."
Stuff
0 comentários:
Postar um comentário