How about ads and previews before movie showtime?

[Admiral Beez]

In the UK in 2007 I saw a movie in the UK and was pleased to experience, IMO, how the movie going experience should be. The movie was scheduled to start at 4:30pm. I arrive in the theatre at 4:20pm, and noticed that the previews and advertisements had already started. At 4:30pm the feature movie started right away.

This makes for a far better movie experience than what I see today in Canada, where a 4:30 screening really means a 4:50 screening following 20 minutes of previews and cellphone commercials.

Somehow the theatre in the UK is able to make enough money with this model, so how about it Toronto, can we start movies when they're scheduled and show us the ads and previews beforehand? If we want to see them, we'll come early.

 

[Cast_Member]

Somehow the theatre in the UK is able to make enough money with this model, so how about it Toronto, can we start movies when they're scheduled and show us the ads and previews beforehand? If we want to see them, we'll come early.

Big cinema chains like Cineplex and Empire would like to increase profits by adding more ad spaces, its their goal to make more money like every big business. If more people asking for this British model, I think the cinemas chains would listen.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Ads are already shown before showtime. The advertisers who pay the premium for the captive "4:30" screening likely wouldn't want their commercials moved back 15 or 20 minutes before most of the audience has even arrived. It's a culture difference, commercials before films was a common and acceptable practice in the UK far before they were tested on this side of the pond. Moving them back here so that the actual movie starts at the advertised time would confuse and anger people and I suspect take a long time to shift people's movie-going arrival times and would result in loss of ad revenue so it won't happen.

I worked at the Eaton Centre cinemas when the company tested the very first commercial before the movie began (after the trailers) in spring or summer of 1985, prior to that only trailers for coming attractions were shown, except for Drive-In's. I won't mention the company but I'll say the first commercial shown on Canadian movie screens was for a brand of running shoe. Audiences revolved, garbage and concessions were regularly thrown at the walls and screen, people would boo and shout obscenities, seats were cut and some came out and angrily demanded their money back refusing to pay for a movie and have to sit through a commercial. The company persevered and the commercials stayed. The competition fought back with a "no commercial" policy in their newspaper ads in defiance. Then came the "pre-show" program which began with ads on Kodak carousel slides half an hour before showtime which is now done via video projection and that generated ad revenue. Commercials followed by the late 90's at the cinema chain that held out for so long. Curtains that used to cover the screen and only open when the trailers began were no longer installed in newly built cinemas, there was no need for them anymore.

 

[picard102]

Is this really a problem? Do you have somewhere to be within 20mins of the movie ending?

I appreciate that the commercials give you an extra buffer if you're running late.

 

[wonderboy416]

Trailers also give you that buffer.
I don't mind commercials before the scheduled showtime (although i'd prefer trivia or just a blank screen) but after that scheduled time, show some trailers, then the feature thank you.

 

[Team Me]

I just returned from seeing Avatar, and I'm pleased to say there were absolutely no commercials OR previews. It was so unexpected that I actually was tuned out for the first minute or two of the movie as I just assumed it was a trailer for something.

I did, however, get to see a ridiculous 5-minute, 90s rave-inspired laser light show before the movie started.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I just returned from seeing Avatar, and I'm pleased to say there were absolutely no commercials OR previews. It was so unexpected that I actually was tuned out for the first minute or two of the movie as I just assumed it was a trailer for something.

I did, however, get to see a ridiculous 5-minute, 90s rave-inspired laser light show before the movie started.

That laser show was kind of fun the first time, but gets old quickly.

The regular (non-IMAX) 3D Avatar screenings have both 3D and non-3D commercials and trailers before the feature.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Trailers also give you that buffer.
I don't mind commercials before the scheduled showtime (although i'd prefer trivia or just a blank screen) but after that scheduled time, show some trailers, then the feature thank you.

I'd fully support anything they want to show such as previews or commercials before the showtime, but at 4:30 or whatever show time is, the feature film should begin.