Scrambled Brains and Bacon.
So, you guys remember how I was bitching about the horror that was opening night Spider-man 3, yes? Anyone who's been in a movie theater will likely agree that my experience wasn't very unusual these days. So why are the movie theaters not getting a clue that the reason why numbers are down is partially their fault? Granted Hollywood really hasn't been putting out much good stuff lately, but with theaters raising prices to make up for lost ticket sales without actually improving the movie viewing experience, anyone with a brain should know that theaters are twisting the knife that's killing them.
So, why hasn't anyone started a campaign to slap the movie theaters in the face, get them to get a clue on how to fix their ticket sales? Why isn't there anyone loudly and publicly boycotting theaters until they figure out they need to be selling and marketing a good theater going experience, not just selling tickets to cattle call seating for movies that people can't see any other way yet?
The theaters of old, they were the only way a lot of people could see any of the films, news and cartoons they showed, but those people who set up the theaters realized that they'd get more business if they included perks like air conditioning, plush seating, and overall a comfortable and inviting environment. These days, the movie theaters may still have the advantage of the bigger screens and better sound systems, but they've forgotten what their forefathers knew when originally starting the business, the perks fill the seats, they get people to find the ticket prices closer matching the actual value of the product.
I've been reading Tech Dirt (via an LJ syndication account: techdirt) and they've been going on about supply and demand, how to include free products into an economically viable business model, and other related things. One of the things they've been talking about a lot lately is the horrible experience in movie theaters, and how theater owners really are not understanding their market. So I'm wondering why so many people are fed up with movie theaters but are doing nothing about it, and why the only people actively picking on the movie theaters are the people who write for a geeky blog.
The internet is the land of opportunity, and it's the easiest way to get a message out these days. So, how long would it likely take to get an interactive website up and running to coordinate a campaign against the theaters and educate them? Would it be possible to buy ads near theaters to remind people they can fight the poor treatment and poor service of the industry by simply not giving it money. To convince people to take the time to call theaters and tell them why they're losing customers. Also, maybe even convince Hollywood to start releasing DVDs at the same time as the movie hits the big screens, so that the theaters will be forced to improve their business model or die out. Raising their prices wouldn't be enough to fix it if enough people just stop going to movies, or only support the theaters which give us a good viewing environment for our money.
So, anyone interested in helping start the campaign, or at least joining/supporting it once it's rolling? If I do this, I'd like to have some sort of interactive website to coordinate from. I can make a website look all shiny, but I don't know enough to get the underpinnings for the interactivity working. I'd probably start with a forum and a mailing list for the interactivity, and later on upgrade the site as the movement grows and people can be attracted to help. I'm also unsure what I'd call it, but I figure step one is to pull together the message and the site. I can get a name and a domain once everything else is working.