Christmas and Films are a festive combination as old as Uncles and Disappointing Present Choices.
And we couldn't help but notice that this year in Herefordshire that doesn't just mean lying on sofa flicking around the channels until you find a shrieking Macaulay Culkin. The Odeon has the new Grinch animation, there are Home Alone drive-ins and a new boutique cinema in Hereford city screening Die Hard on Christmas Eve.
In fact it’s a pretty good time to be in the Putting Movies On A Big Screen Business. Far from heralding the death of the cinema, Netflix is helping drive the movie theatre business. And this, in turn, has helped a new generation of Herefordshire film fans get their own independent cinema brands off the ground.
Recent stats show that, as well as helping the ...and Chill generation make awkward romantic overtures, streaming giant Netflix and its vast library of content is creating more film fans, people who are 66% more likely to then go to the cinema than your average UK adult, with one in four heading to the cinema at least once a month.
Multiplexes are even borrowing from subscription model - and cashing in. While revenues are slightly down as a result of cinema chains’ unlimited passes, attendances are up by 4% across the UK which means more popcorn sales (and more user data) from its most loyal fans.
Then there’s the whole ‘experience culture’.
Advances in technology have made it cheaper and easier than ever before for enthusiastic amateurs to make it in the movie biz by hosting pop-up screenings, outdoor picnic premieres or opening their boutique cinemas themselves.
Done right, those experience screenings can be commercially and crowd-pleasingly successful. Done well, and they can be the kind of immersive event that stays with you for years.
In the past five years Herefordshire has had sell-out, blanket-wrapped outdoor screenings of Elf, the Blair Witch Project screened in the middle of a woodland and a shedload of the creative, unique hit-every-one-of-your-senses events that have made MASH Cinema one of the most in-demand companies in the UK when it comes to doing cool stuff with film screenings.
To find out more about this Herefordshire trend we spoke to the owner of Loft Cinema on West Street (opening Wednesday December 19), the boys from MASH, and Mo Davies who’s running a double feature of drive-ins at Hereford Racecourse this Christmas with his pop-up cinema business Open Air Screen And Chill - Hereford.
Why do you think people are straying outside the multiplex for their film-going experience?
Nick Brown (MASH Cinema): There’s a place for all kinds of cinematic experiences. Multiplexes offer quite a traditional and somewhat predictable environment for film watching and some people love that. They know exactly what to expect and they are comfortable with those surroundings. Other audiences are looking for more unique experiences that take them to places they wouldn't normally go or have access to.
That’s what excites them, the venue, film and additional entertainment (a bar, live music) become more of an event and it’s exciting to be a part of that. Knowing that a limited amount of people will have that experience is what makes it special. There's also some bragging rights attached….if you miss it then there's no opportunity to revisit.
Mo Davies (Open Air Film + Chill): We think that people crave more from their film experiences. It’s okay going to a cinema and watching a blockbuster movie for £10 or £12 but coming to an event like our open air screenings, we try and give the customer a unique experience that truly is magical and memorable with a feel good factor.
Fiona Bain (Loft Cinema): Supporting local is also a big focus at the moment with so many business being lost the community have really started to take notice and vote with their feet for what they don't want to see disappear. It's that community feel too not unlike a local pub or community centre. People want to feel part of something and be recognised for their loyalty.
How much overlap is there between 'People Who Go To The Cinema To See The Latest Blockbuster' and 'People Who Go To A Pop-Up To Watch A Cult Classic'?
Nick: There's a huge overlap! People want to experience film and media in lots of different ways. There's nothing to say that a person who goes to see a big blockbuster at a multiplex one weekend won't be at a pop-up the next weekend watching a cult classic. In fact some films lend themselves better to being shown in different environments.
For us, we get excited about using unique spaces and thinking about what content will work well in that environment. Once we have a venue and know what we want to show/play we think about what else we can do to make the audiences experience memorable and special.
Fiona: Between new releases and cult classics I think there is some overlap – some people just love film and that is how they’d choose to spend their leisure time. Saying that, new releases have their own demographic and while some only want to see something they haven’t seen before, there are people who don’t want to fork out for something with the potential of it being rubbish.
Also, not everybody has seen the cult classics or weren’t of an age to see them in a cinema so it is a new experience in itself. And with the fast progress in remastering and upscaling to 4k these films are looking all shiny and new!
Mo: A cult classic like Rocky Horror would only attract a minority who like that sort of thing but the Greatest Showman which I know is not a cult classic, but it obviously got a large attendance from people seeing it in the cinema then coming to experience it outside.
How much of these alternative screenings' popularity is tapping into nostalgia? How do you know which films are going to pull on those strings?
Mo: When it comes to what films will be popular I take the time to speak to most customers that come to the outdoor cinema. We’ve got a great social presence online and I make it very easy to contact me personally and I’d be happy to talk to people to take the time to understand their needs.
Fiona: There is definitely a sense of nostalgia involved and with the wealth of films out there we plan to use Facebook polls and customer suggestions to show what the audience want as much as possible. Different weekly genres to cater for different fans, and tailoring to special occasions throughout the year will all be considered in the film selection as well.
Horror and sing-a-long musicals are enjoying success in the multiplexes at the moment. Obviously some of that of that is down to the brilliance of films such as Get Out, but how much of it is down to bringing back a communal experience of cinema going?
Mo: I think that pop-up cinemas are changing, or should change. The outdoor shouldn’t be a case of 'It’s just a cinema without walls and a roof'. The outdoor cinema (I know ours does) gives you an immersive feeling. A feeling that you're part of something and we are all there together, living the experience.
Nick: Are you saying Mamma Mia is a horror? ‘Special’ screenings like sing-a-longs aren't anything new but they do offer audience a different way to experience film. Being given permission to sing and quote-a-long with your favourite movie can be a really fun experience for some. But on the other hand there are audiences who run a mile from those sorts of events. There have been some fantastic horror/thrillers which have really challenged audiences eg Get Out and A Quiet Place, but again we don’t think these are responsible for bringing back the communal experience of cinema-going. Did that ever go away?
Fiona: I LOVE Get Out! I watched it three times the first week I saw it. I think you’re dead on though much like at the theatre, audience participation is what has seen sing-a-longs and the like have their resurgence in the multiplexes. Discussing films like Get Out and its complexities also brings people together, helps us to feel part of something.
What kind of faces do you see in your audiences?
Mo: We see all types of faces from young kids watching The Lion King to a 78-year-old couple celebrating their wedding anniversary. Statistics show that the majority of our audience is aged 40+ and female.
Nick: It really depends where we are and what we’re doing. In our home town (Hereford) we have our regulars that know what we do and support us no matter what we throw at them. At other events in other places it’s always interesting to see who comes and it’s always a really diverse group of people. It’s often down to the venue and the film/content of the event. It is, of course, nice to see faces we recognise at our events and it’s equally exciting to see new people coming to see what we’re offering. We know that what we do isn’t for everyone and demands a leap of faith from our audience so we really respect anyone that ventures out to try something new or unexpected.
Fiona: It’s an educated guess at the moment, but I would hope for some real film buffs to be part of our crowd. At the certificate 15/18+ films I’d expect our audience to look something like a mix of over-30s who are revisiting their favourite films and younger adults who didn’t get a chance to see it at the cinema first time round. On Sundays we’ll be tailoring to a crowd who miss those old Sunday afternoons - a western, a classic war film or an old romance showing on the big screen and we’ve done a fantastic deal with The Stables to be able to supply a mid-movie Sunday dinner too.
The rest of the weekday afternoons will be geared towards families, aiming for a more relaxed atmosphere where the parents can settle with a hot drink and an area will be available for some film-related colouring because children just aren’t always designed to sit still for 2 hours!
We hope special nights like a monthly film quiz incorporating the screen, and theme nights where the food, drink and decoration fit the theme (e.g. Big Lebowski with White Russians and a bowling alley) will give us that fun element too and The Loft will really redefine what people expect of a cinema.
We also aim to get into the showing of films from local film-makers and film students. We have a space and would love for people to use it – bringing together local people and businesses is a big part of what we have planned for The Loft.
How do you promote your events to get people off their sofas and out the house?
Nick: It’s a big ask, especially in the winter. We use the usual mix of print and social media but we also like to be quite secretive about some of the elements of our events and not give too much away in the advertising so there’s intrigue. We also try to tempt people who are interested in particular themes for example at the Horniman Museum we showed a selection of short films about taxidermy so that attracted an audience with that particular interest. We try to incorporate live elements where we can too, whether that's music or performance these additional things can attract a wider demographic. It’s a fine balance!
Fiona: Getting people off the sofa is key – what can we offer that you won’t get at home? We’re close to the centre of town and I think that’s important; we can be part of a larger night out or visited after work. Being able to offer alcoholic drinks served straight to your seat and hot food from local restaurants during a mid-movie interval we hope will set us apart. Having a smaller audience than a multiplex no doubt makes this easier for us and the intimate, comfortable setting adds to the feeling of a somewhat VIP experience. If people are making the effort to come to us, we want to reciprocate that effort and give them an something to remember.
The Odeon in Hereford, for example, has a Costa built in, and apparently you can buy a beer there now. It seems like multiplexes are almost coming full-circle, copying features that have led to success of independent cinemas across the country.
How do you make your screenings feel special and unique experiences?
Fiona: At The Loft we have aimed to be stylish, atmospheric and comfortable. The lounge is open and airy with tables, chairs and a large counter so there shouldn’t be a sense of queueing, and the cinema itself is dimly lit and packed with squashy leather sofas and small tables to have your orders served to. The Loft Ninjas will collect your orders and serve with no interruption to the film. The interval will ensure you aren’t hampered by needing to visit the toilet for two hours, or if you need to stretch your legs or have a smoke you are able to do so without missing a chunk of the film.
What are the biggest challenges you face getting an event off the ground?
Mo: The biggest challenge we face is getting hold of the film license. The studios are getting more picky whom they give licenses too and require more details and can have a six-week process.
This one's for MASH. Your recent B2 Film Festival screenings in Hereford combined film with music and art. How can collaborations like this elevate cinema events?
Nick: We [Dan and Nick Brown, the MASH Cinema founders] come from an art college background so for us collaboration is incredibly natural. We try and surround ourselves with talented people and try and work with artists and organisations we admire and respect. Of course we have the bonus of accessing different audiences through these collaborations. By working together we can achieve things that we wouldn't be able to do on our own.
A good example of this would be our ongoing and irregular collaboration with Jamie Jackson/Praxis/Herefordshire New Leaf who we worked with on one of our 15th birthday events at The Old Market in Hereford in 2017.
We’ve produced several events together under the name ‘Static’ which saw us putting on a one-night festival at the BT Communication Station in Madley in Herefordshire, installations and performances in various shops. We’ve also worked on projects together projecting moving image work onto Senate House in London for the Being Human and Bloomsbury Festivals and we even got invited to show work at a street art festival in Belgium together many years ago.
Young people are going out less now, we’re told. How can ‘experience culture’ break through that trend? And are creative people running curated cinema companies better equipped to cater for that than multiplexes?
Nick: This is an interesting question. Are young people going out less or are they going out to place where they’re not ‘seen’ as much? Perhaps they’re being more selective in what they spend their time/money on?
The bonus of a pop-up or non-traditional screening venue is that it can offer a social space that a lot of multiplexes can’t. Sure some chains have bars and restaurants as part of their offer now but the main ones are still pushing the usual snack and drinks with no communal areas to chat after the film. The other challenge is that big releases are available on streaming services quite quickly now so if you miss something in the cinema you know you’ll be able to watch it at home or on the bus in a month or so.
Pop-up style events can provide exciting, experiential and social spaces where people can enjoy films and audience can share their experience on social media instantly.
When you’re putting together an event, how important is location (and dressing that location)?
Nick: Location is key and one of the first thing we consider. For example, we really wanted to use Maylord Shopping Centre for an event, so once we’d chatted with the staff and got their support we decided to screen Dawn Of The Dead (a zombie movie set in a shopping centre) as part of the recent B2 Film Festival. That film was just a natural fit for that space, then came the conversations regarding dressing the venue, talking to actors and prop makers to completely transform the screening environment. It’s a real buzz to see it all come together and for all the elements to fit.
Mo: Absolutely essential. The little touches are what make us different and give customers a unique experience. For the Halloween experiences we put on, we encouraged people to bring candles to make the atmosphere and it worked a treat.
How often do you go to the Odeon? Do you/have you ever considered one of their Limitless passes?
Mo: We go and research the latest films to see what their like and how much we love them.
Nick: The Odeon is great for Hereford, and there is definitely a market for the Limitless pass, we just don’t have the time. Happy for you to get us one for Christmas though.
In your opinion, where does the cinema business go next?
Mo: We are always looking to be diverse in our approach and are always looking for new and innovative things. I think we always stay ahead of the game and this year are excited for the LED screen we have which gives us the capabilities of showing films in daylight so The Lion King, for example, can be shown before the main event.
Nick: We were very fortunate to be part of the Development Forum for This Way Up conference for UK cinema exhibitors recently and this was a big part of the discussions there. For us we don’t see much changing. The main chains are committed to building more and more cinemas in the UK, so they’re clearly profitable. Meanwhile there's a rise in event cinema and pop-ups challenging audiences to try and see film in a different way. There’s talk of communal VR films coming to cinemas but that seems to go against the purpose of VR being an individual bespoke experience. For us we’ll keep putting events on in unexpected spaces and hope that audiences continue to have an appetite for that kind of experience.
The B2 Film Festival took place across Hereford city in October 2018, with pop-up screenings at the Left Bank, Hereford College of Arts, The Old Market's glass kiosks and Maylords Shopping Centre. A spin-off from the established and rurally expansive Borderlines Film Festival, which takes place every March, you can take a look back at the 2018 programme here.
