Cinema Survival: Compare the ways in which cinema city and Vue/Odeon attract audiences.

Cinema Survival: Compare the ways in which cinema city and Vue/Odeon attract audiences.

Over the past decade, cinema has had to change and adapt in order to survive. Cinemas, and the cinema experience, have had to become more attractive to audiences in order to compete with the new ways of consuming film that have become available to the public.

The availability of DVD has been a major competitor of cinema as it offers another way to view films other than visiting the cinema. Its ease makes it a more comfortable option for viewers, as they are able to view the films they want to view in the comfort of their own homes and as many times as they want. Often people will choose to, instead of visiting the cinema to watch a film upon release, wait until that film is released on DVD and buy it. My research supports this as it showed that a large number of people prefer to wait for the DVD release to enjoy the comfort of watching a DVD, than watching the film at a cinema. This increasing availability in DVDs means that cinema has to adapt in order to compete with DVD and attract audiences.

One example of adaptation to tackle this problem is the new partnership that Vue Cinemas has with ScreenSelect.co.uk. This particular partnership has been made to tackle the effect that DVD availability has on audience for cinemas, as it combines marketing activities from both companies in order to increase both cinema attendance and DVD rental, thus benefitting both companies. Vue has launched a new online DVD rental service called ‘Vue At Home’, involving promotions such as vouchers for 5 free DVD rentals at Vue At Home, to customers of Vue cinemas. This method has been introduced in order to increase attendance at Vue cinemas, working with DVD instead of against it.

Another competitor of cinema is the availability of film on the internet. It offers a fast way to view films after their release, and like DVD it offers the ability to watch the films in the comfort of the viewer’s home. As well as this, the films can often be watched anywhere, given an internet connection. This new technology offers an advance in the freedom of film, no longer confining it to cinema and home viewing.

They have also needed to increase their viewing experience. A lot has been done in order to modernise the cinemas. Independent cinemas have installed digital projection in their cinemas. They have done this to enable benefit from small distributors being able to distribute more copies of independent film digitally, rather than using and copying 35mm prints. This brings costs of copying down and makes it much faster and simpler.

Mainstream cinemas have also installed digital projection into their cinemas, however, in contrast to independent cinemas, they’ve done this is order to keep up with the 3D revolution. An example of this technological advancement is Vue Cinemas’ deal with Sony to install 4K projectors in its network of cinemas. The 4k projectors offer four times the resolution of full HD, thus delivering the best cinematic experience possible, giving audiences another reason to get out and visit the cinemas. More 4k projectors mean that more of Vue’s screens are able to show 3D films, giving audiences a greater choice of film.  Odeon cinemas, too, have begun the transaction to a new generation of digital projectors, in preparation for new 3D film releases. The mainstream film industry is upgrading the projectors so that viewers can watch 3D films, with a greater cinema experience, and also so that they can charge more for the 3D tickets.

It is not only mainstream films, but opera too that are requiring 3D screenings at cinemas. By introducing opera to the cinemas, a wider range of audiences can be attracted. With this increase in viewers, more money can be made as tickets often more than double in price.

Cinemas have needed to adapt their venues, to increase comfort and keep their cinemas modern. Cinema City is also an example of an independent cinema that has increased the number of screens in order to keep up with the demand for more showings, so as to attract more audiences to visit the cinema. The cinema now has 3 screens, so more people can see the films, that along with upgrading to digital projection, installing comfortable seating, the restaurant and bar, and the selling of alcohol, increase the cinematic experience for the visitors. 


Because of these features, Cinema City has an older, more mature target audience. The schedules of independent cinemas have adapted to suit audiences. Although Cinema City is part of the PictureHouse chain, it controls its own schedule. By doing this, it can mould which films it shows and when to show them around the local area. Cinema City does this because it knows more about local audiences and what they want to see. This gives the benefit of attracting the local audiences, and specifically the older target audience that the cinema has.