Reduce the electricity consumption of cinemas by 10% in 2024: this is the objective set by the national federation of cinemas in France. The Congress of Cinema Operators was held in Deauville this week. Among its participants, José Luis Vinhas: he is the director of the Pathé cinema, located on the banks of the Orne in Caen. He was our guest this Thursday morning.
France Bleu Normandie: The Congress of cinema exhibitors opened this Monday in Deauville and will close its doors this Thursday evening: you are one of the participants, how do you feel?
Jose Luis Vinhas: I would say the morale is quite positive. At the same time, there is a drop in attendance which has been proven for all cinemas, whether large, small or medium-sized. And at the same time, the figures are always encouraging, there are always successes. And then the cinema has gone through several crises throughout the last few years. We are quite confident.
The president of the National Federation of Cinemas, the Norman Richard Patry, announced that the 6,000 cinemas in France were going to reduce their energy consumption by 10% by 2024. Concretely, how do you plan to do this?
JLV: It’s a real subject. We have obligations, as a company we are obliged to find levers to lower our energy consumption. And that is the real subject of this year. How to consume less electricity in cinemas? We’ve been working on it for years by regulating, by trying to install devices that make it possible to turn off the lights on standby, by changing our incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs. In short, it is a long-term job.
Cinemas are also thinking of new types of projectors, with laser lamps, which make it possible to consume four times less energy: is this a solution envisaged to reduce bills?
JLV: We obviously think about it, because in most cinemas, the digital projectors we have are ten years old or more. So we will have to renew this equipment. But these are important investments, they are expensive. The Pathé cinema in Caen will most certainly switch to lasers. We don’t have a date yet, but within the next two years maximum, we will have laser projectors.
Another question concerns the world of cinema, it is the attendance in the rooms, which has dropped in particular since the health crisis. In Normandy, how many spectators have we lost?
JLV: In the Normandy region, the drop in attendance is around 25%, whereas it is 30% nationally. We are therefore less affected in Normandy. It’s also a question of film typology, and a question of cinemas.
Streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime are also threatening cinema in theaters. How do we attract more spectators to the cinema?
JLV: I think it’s a question of quality and cinema is the French people’s favorite cultural outing. Not only because of the quality of the French park, which is truly exceptional in the world and in Europe, but also because it is a real collective experience of sharing. People like talking, laughing together, also crying in a movie theatre, and that, in my opinion, is an irreplaceable experience.
There are also technological innovations such as 3D, 4DX, which can be used to attract more viewers?
JLV: Yes, depending on the types of films. The 4DX was a real success at Pathé, recently with the film Top Gun. It lends itself well to it and the film itself is already a success. So on certain types of films, it allows us to have another cinema experience, which appeals to our viewers.
One of the reasons why spectators come to the cinema less is the price of the ticket: between 8 and 9 euros with reductions, often 12 euros at normal price, even more when it comes to a 3D or 4DX session. ….
JLV: It’s true that people often find cinema tickets too expensive. But it should be noted that over the last ten years, the price of cinema tickets has increased less than inflation. The place has increased by about 5% on an inflation often of 10%. And it’s true that all budgets are constrained and it may be necessary to make trade-offs. Gasoline has gone up, so cinema ticket seems expensive. But there are also tariff operations, to pay a little less, such as the Norman film festival from September 23 to September 25, with the ticket at 5 euros. It is also possible to take subscription formulas or from works councils.