18/04/2016 An experience to write home about
Like a few other people around the world, I went to see The Jungle Book this weekend, helping to deliver a roaring $240M at the worldwide box office.
But seeing this movie at the historical El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood was a genuinely unique event and one that reminded me of that feeling you get when a business understands its customers and gets it just right, delivering an authentic experience that exceeds every expectation you had when you walked through the door. With an actual fanfare.
(I’m actually in the middle of writing a round-up of things I learned at CinemaCon last week – the annual conference for the film and cinema industry – about the importance of the Theatrical movie-going experience and seeing films at the cinema. My Jungle Book experience this weekend couldn’t have been more timely.)
Once a film begins playing it’s very hard for cinema operators to differentiate the experience they offer. It’s the staff, the foyer, the food and drink, the ticket prices, the technology and the quality of the seating which separate one cinema from another. Many chains around the world are working hard to innovate and create distinct experiences but the most special part of my evening at the El Capitan was the ‘pre-show’ (the bit that happens once you’ve sat down; before the film begins).