US advertising major National CineMedia has published its quarterly and full year results. Q4 was up slightly but the year as a whole was down, in line with box office.
Total revenue for the fourth quarter of 2014 increased 0.3% to $123.1 million from $122.7 million for the comparable quarter last year. Excluding revenue from the Fathom Events division that was sold in December 2013, advertising revenue increased 13.9% from $108.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2013. Adjusted OIBDA excluding Fathom Events increased 22.3% to $72.5 million from $59.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2013. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2014 was $8.1 million, or $0.14 per diluted share compared to net income of $19.0 million, or $0.32 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2013. Excluding $3.8 million in pre-tax costs associated with the proposed merger with Screenvision in the fourth quarter of 2014, the impact of the Fathom business on the fourth quarter of 2013 and 2014 and non-cash impairment charges in 2013, net income for the fourth quarter of 2014 would have decreased to $0.18 per diluted share, compared to $0.19 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2013. LINK
Ticketing software major Vista Group saw sales grow 55% on the strength of major deals in China and the United States, while profits shrank less than forecast.
Net profit fell to $3.99 million, or 5.9 cents per share, in calendar 2014, from $5.71 million, or 9.76 cents a year earlier, beating its July prospectus forecast for $3.44 million, the Auckland-based company said in a statement. Revenue rose to $47.2 million from $30.5 million a year earlier, and ahead of the expected $45.2 million.
“It’s a really good solid performance from our Vista Entertainment Solutions,” chief executive Murray Holdaway said. “There were questions about whether we could grow that business and we’ve shown we could grow it.” LINK
“Fifty Shades of Grey”
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABbBTbB3Bxc[/youtube]UK – Babe up in arms about seeing S&M romance on the big screen. This is what Moms & Babies screenings are for.
A cinema has ‘reviewed’ its baby in arms policy after a young child ‘disturbed’ a screening of Fifty Shades of Grey.
Cinemagoers flocked to the release of the erotic film which has topped the box office for the last two weekends.
The Savoy Cinema, on Bridge Street, Worksop, said it was ‘made aware’ of a young child, thought to be a few months old, with its mother at the 8.30pm screening on Friday 20th February. LINK
UK – Do women really need ‘Dutch courage’ (i.e. a few strong alcoholic drinks) to go and watch “Fifty Shades” on their own?
The Milton Keynes Citizen reported that an unidentified woman, who was apparently intoxicated, began to shit her pants and vomit in her aisle during the nearly sold-out showing. It was impossible to not notice. “She lost control of everything, including all bodily fluids,” said one moviegoer. “The whole cinema stank.”
The theater was then evacuated, and the theater issued refunds to everyone. “We all expected to see Christian Grey gag Anastasia as part of the plot,” the eyewitness continued. “We certainly didn’t expect to be gagging ourselves because of the stench.” LINK
Advertising
Australia – Val Morgan is setting up a new insights and analytics division for its Australia operation.
Val Morgan set to deliver greater insights and analytics with the launch of a new division Val Morgan Cinema Network Managing Director Daniel Hill, today announced the formation of an Insights and Analytics division. The insights and analytics team will provide the business and advertisers with more meaningful insights across both the cinema and outdoor businesses.
The Insights and Analytics team will be headed up by Paul Butler, Val Morgan’s Marketing Director, who now takes the newly created role of Group Insights & Analytics Director. LINK
Technology
UK – A milestone for Unique Digital’s content delivery system.
Unique Digital’s groundbreaking broadband content delivery system Movie Transit has now passed 600 theatre deployments across the UK and Ireland, including every independent cinema in the territory. This brings the total number of Movie Transit enabled cinemas to over 1500. All Movie Transit installations comprise of an eco-friendly, low power consumption content server, firewall security and dedicated broadband connectivity.
Over 70% of Movie Transit broadband installations are equipped with super-fast fibre connections between 50 and 150 Mbps allowing a myriad of delivery capabilities. With assistance of BT, Unique Digital plan to achieve at least 100 Mbps in all sites within 12 months, opening the door to alternative content, live streaming and dynamic programming. LINK
Digital Death Watch
France – Call these the Little French Rural Cinemas That could. Thanks to the tow “full time volunteers.”
The association manages volunteer Act 1901 and for some years the halls of Cabasse, Flassans and Lorgues. Investment tirelessly to save the movie close
They spare no efforts to support the cinema center Var. Far from the big multiplexes showing copied and pasted, Cecile and Alain Foresto are “the rural complementarity bet.”
Each week, the two “full-time volunteers” roam the territory of a room to the other, to ask them their projector and offer the latest releases dated. LINK
Thailand – This cinema has a great history, but it has decided to fade away rather than go digital.
Yet, he, like Angkana, keeps at it. There is an aura surrounding a film projector — a magnificent light. For the 65-year-old Angkana though, it is more about preserving the art of film and the prestige of the name Jaegunyok than about the money. “It is my job,” she says; a job that she can only keep doing as long as there are still people wishing to see the celluloid films that are still available. Although there are some select new movies that are brought out on celluloid for the more remote areas of Thailand, they are few and far between. Buying a digital projector is out of the question; getting one would cost at least a million baht, but Angkana is only making about 3,000 baht per event. LINK
Cinema Opening/Closing
UK – Work to start on Grantham’s long mooted cinema.
The building of a six-screen multiplex cinema complex in Grantham is due to begin next month.
Plans for the £5 million complex were approved in November last year. The cinema, operated by Reel, will have six screens and 1,037 seats – an increase of around 700.
The complex will also feature a food court and office space. LINK
Germany – A new cinema has been give the green light for Freising, which lies just north of Munich’s FJS airport.
The years of struggle for the construction of a movie theater in the Upper Bavarian Freising is on the home stretch: The Construction and Planning Committee of the City Council approved a planning application the Weimar Investors Josef Saller yesterday, Tuesday. Originally this had been hoping for a construction start in autumn 2013. The movie theater should gain entry into a still expanding shopping center in Freising Schlüter halls. With four halls and 500 seats, the new cinema falls from relatively small, however, were from the outset only four to six halls being considered. LINK
Poland – Legionowo will have a new cinema in the proposed Maxim shopping centre within two years, following the city council’s approval.
Today was a session of the City Council, where the majority of Councillors agreed to extend the DH Maxim and leased premises to put a shopping center with cinema.
The investor who realizes this plan is the company PIR sp. The new shopping center will be built on plots available at. Sobieski. Maxim shopping center will be extended, the emergence of more shops and boutiques and additionally in this location will also include a cinema with 4 or 6 rooms. The investor initially declared that cinema can be expected by the end of 2016 years. LINK
Finally
As Odeon’s new multiplex opens in Milton Keynes the UK’s first ever multiplex, located in the same town, closes. Also note BBC’s curious synonym for ‘screening’.
The Point, a pyramid shaped building, is a distinctive landmark in the town.
But, on Thursday it featured the Kingsman: The Secret Service, as its last broadcast.
The Point opened on 3 November 1985 but less than a year before its 30th birthday the Imax at Stadium MK has replaced it.
Several attempts have been made to retain part of its legacy. LINK
