Source: Ifeng Movies on Phoenix.com; Interview: Liancheng Yibriu; Author: Kongshan
The spring of 2022 in Chinese cinemas has almost turned into a cold winter.
This year's movie market is more difficult than the initial stage of the outbreak in 2020, which has basically formed a consensus in the industry. In the past five months, the national movie box office has accumulated only 14.944 billion yuan, a plunge of 34.6% compared with the same period last year. The
movie is afraid to appear, the audience is unwilling to watch it, and the theater is struggling.
Ifeng Films interviewed 4 theater managers in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Jinan, Weifang , and wanted to know what their current situation is, what their difficulties are, what their needs are, and what movies the theaters want to show. As the terminal of the film industry, what are their expectations for the future?
Because the article is long, here is a subtitle for readers to preview:
1. Every month, if you open your eyes and close your eyes, hundreds of thousands will be gone.
2. We want to sell popcorn and coke, can we?
4. Script killing, performances, and live broadcasts cannot save cinemas.
Open and close his eyes every month, hundreds of thousands of dollars are gone came the epidemic. On March 11, Shanghai theaters were closed.
At present, Manager Zhang has been working as a "team leader" in Shanghai for a month, helping the residents of the community purchase food without earning any price difference, and the number of members in the purchasing group has reached 500. Inadvertently, many residents have been developed into potential customers, saying that they will go to Manager Zhang's theater to watch movies after the lockdown is lifted.
Manager Zhang has a feeling about the closing of the cinema: "Close earlier than others, and open later than others." Manager Cao of
Jinan said that the local cinema and catering industry closed on the same day, "but the catering industry can still take out." During the 42 days that
was closed, the important job of Manager Cao's theater was to send the duty manager to the theater to turn on and off the lights every day, because the shopping mall required that the outside lights of the theater must be turned on every day. In the
business area, some movies on show are not very attractive to the audience. Manager Fu from Changsha promotes a domestic female film, "I even help them deliver tickets, but they can't deliver."
in Changsha, with a single-day box office of 200 yuan, the theater can rush into the city's top 20. "We have 10 audiences at noon today, and we are in the top ten."
's business is bleak, the film source is not good, and the number of special halls has been greatly reduced. Manager Fu said bluntly: "The giant screen hall is only lined up after two o'clock (Golden Field), and we will not let the hall open if we can." Due to the downsizing of
, Manager Fu currently has multiple roles, doing planning, arranging films, and recruiting guests. , push the ground, sweep the building, design the P map, promote, communicate with customers and so on. In an interview with
, Manager Fu asked the reporter if there were any customer resources for advertising, and it was difficult to receive orders for pre-screening advertisements in theaters. "Focus (an advertising company) and so on, a lot of them are not picking up now, and they all say that the cost has been reduced." Another theater manager of
said that his theater is completely unable to make ends meet, even if the state reduces taxes, but "Every month when I open my eyes and close my eyes, hundreds of thousands are gone." Rent, employee insurance and wages, are the biggest expenses. Some local studios even stopped paying all wages, and some adopted an hourly wage system.
Weifang Manager Chen's cinema has its own fan group, which has been developed for many years, and even has a group of fans of different types of films, but the fans have no enthusiasm for watching movies. He said, "Let's go and watch a movie!" This kind of behavior is gone, and it becomes "there is a movie" to watch it, and everyone (before buying tickets) will ask very carefully. "
At certain times, fewer people watch movies than show movies.
Therefore, although local entertainment venues have resumed work, Manager Chen has closed down on his own accord and has not opened on Friday. What I see is no longer urging hard disks, secret keys, and release notices, but information on the transfer of a large number of second-hand equipment and movie theaters.
12315 Don't complain too much, being scolded or even beaten
Affected by the epidemic, a large number of theaters have laid off staff.
A theater line manager introduced that some young employees with high education mostly changed careers, and most of those who stayed were old employees. "The whole industry makes everyone feel hopeless." The cinema industry has not only lost personnel, but also experienced talent shortages and loss of high-quality human resources. Manager Chen of
Weifang revealed that the number of theater employees has been reduced to two-thirds of the original. Previously, only one post was dedicated, but now each employee is required to learn multiple skills. With
and the scarcity of customers, the entire working atmosphere and state have changed.
Manager Chen said: "You can't ask them not to bring mobile phones or talk to each other at work. They have to stand-up service and service with a smile. Daily cleaning, no matter what standard, can't be implemented, because not a single movie is shown. ."
Jinan manager Cao's theater has fired more than half of its employees before resuming work in 2020. The theater installed ticket gates earlier, with the intention of reducing the number of employees at the ticket gate, but now it has to make up for another employee because of the health code check.
Shanghai Manager Zhang's theater will also be reduced to the minimum staffing in 2020. There are currently only 12 people left, and there are no part-time jobs.
employees take one day off and one day off and stand for 12 hours a day. After the epidemic, the extra work includes checking codes, measuring temperature, asking customers to store drinks and food, reminding the audience to wear masks, disinfecting the hall, and repeating several of these tasks. explain.
Film Bureau, Culture and Tourism Bureau, and some street offices will come to check every week, and some theaters will be notified of improper epidemic prevention work.
The audience took off their masks to wipe their tears and snot. If they happened to be found by the inspectors, the theater might also be criticized.
Manager Cao of Jinan felt helpless about the inspection hall, "When the inspection hall saw someone who didn't wear a mask, we said, after saying that, when the employee leaves, he may continue not wearing it again. We have so few people now, it is impossible. Put a person in a hall all the time."
On the other hand, audiences will also blame the theater. Manager Zhang from Shanghai said: "12315, there should not be too many complaints from the cinema. Some guests feel that you will come here for a while and disturb me watching the movie."
asks customers to store food and drinks. scolded and even beaten. Manager Cao of
Jinan also had a similar experience. "A customer was stopped for bringing a drink. He called 12315 and didn't say you wouldn't let it, but said that your theater's attitude was bad." It is usually the theater employee who finally apologized. Manager Zhang of
Shanghai believes that these also objectively destroy the audience's viewing experience and increase the cost and burden of viewing movies.
We want to sell popcorn and coke, can we?
"Can you write a little bit about letting the theaters open popcorn and cola, I don't know if this is okay?" Manager Zhang from Shanghai asked the reporter of Ifeng Films carefully during the interview.
If a movie ticket sells for 100 yuan, after deducting the special film fund, value-added tax, film party share, and theater line share, the theater can get about 50 yuan.
and the sales proceeds will all belong to the theater. The sales of some theaters can account for 10% of the total box office of the theater. Manager Zhang of
said bluntly: "Especially in large-scale theaters, if the products do not sell, they will not survive." Manager Chen of
Weifang revealed that the revenue from sales of theaters is also relatively high, but during the epidemic, there were few customers, and the products were sold. It tends to be simplistic, dare not stock up more, and dare not buy high-priced products. Manager Cao of
Jinan told Ifeng Movies that they have already stopped selling Haagen-Dazs because it belongs to cold chain food, and the local prevention and control was once more strict, and the theater chose to stop selling it.
This makes theaters less profitable during the pandemic.
Manager Zhang recalled that on July 20, 2020, when the Shanghai Cinema opened, the restrooms were not open, and beverages and food were not allowed.
She said: "This also has a great impact on the theater. If you can't enjoy popcorn and Coke in the theater, you will lose your soul."
Manager Zhang hopes that after the closure is lifted and the restaurant opens for dine-in, theater audiences can also Enjoy popcorn and coke.
Script killing, performances, and live broadcasts cannot save cinemas
Under the epidemic, many cinemas have launched new businesses.
Manager Chen once moved a box-sealing performance of a cross talk group into the theater. The seats were packed and the atmosphere was warm.
However, most of them are free tickets, and the real paid tickets are not sold.open. The cost and energy paid by the theater are far higher than the screening of a movie. Manager Chen of
believes that the diversification of theaters will not become a trend, and it is impossible to become in the industry chain. "Unless the theater is rebuilt and remodeled on a large scale. Some people go to the theater to hold events because they think the theater rent is cheaper." Manager Cao from
Jinan has a similar view. She believes that movies are a consumer product for mass entertainment, while script killing and performances are relatively niche, and movies are unsustainable. Why do you think that turning to a more niche field can survive? What's more, script killing also faces stricter scrutiny.
Weifang Manager Chen has also broadcasted the World Cup, the AFC Champions League, the Olympic Games, including e-sports competitions in the cinema. He has never seen so many people in the cinema with raised arms and a standing ovation.
, but these activities were stopped later. First, it involves copyright issues. Second, the theater can theoretically only play movies with " Dragon Logo ". Third, after the theater collects the tickets, it will not split the account. Earnings will not be supported.
Even so, for the cinema, the income from any channel is very valuable. Manager Fu in Changsha wanted to try script killing and performances, but the layout of the cinema was limited, so he could only continue to pull some from insurance companies, communities and shopping malls. chartered field.
recently successfully organized 5 private viewing events for "Captain Everest", which brought nearly 10,000 yuan in box office to the theater.
In addition, in order to divert the flow of the theater, Manager Fu put some video of shop exploration on Douyin , and many young people were attracted. Zhang, manager of
Shanghai, is also developing the script killing, but she said that the business scope of the theater must be changed first, and the operation can only be legally operated after obtaining the approval of the Culture and Tourism Bureau. The outbreak in Shanghai has put this work on hold.
However, theater managers generally believe that these activities cannot last for a long time. Manager Cao of Jinan said: "The theater still relies on movies to make money, and everything else is an expedient measure." Producer Fang Li kneels down to beg for the film, and existing movie bloggers kneel down and beg for the film. The video of
, a film blogger who has worked in film distribution for 10 years and is well aware of the plight of the theater, has been widely reposted and CCTV Movie Channel also reported.
However, a few days after Winter knelt down, the three "520" films "Can You Don't Leave Me", " Secret Love · Orange Life Huainan ", and " Love Dog Romance " were withdrawn one after another. Fang Li, who once knelt down, also withdrew the film "Broken Bridge" from the Dragon Boat Festival.
The number of newly finalized videos recently is 0.
In the first weekend after the May 1st gear this year, there are not even any new films released. Manager Fu from Changsha said that after 6 years of working in the industry, this is the first time she has experienced a weekend without new films. According to
Ifeng movie statistics, there are only 111 films to be released in 2022, with an average of 3.8 films per week, of which 48 have been set (not withdrawn), 27 have been set but withdrawn, and 36 are pending.
talked about what movies the theater wanted to show, and a theater manager was emotional: "A lot of one-day tour movies are called movies? Not only are we insiders unsatisfied, will movie fans be satisfied? I haven't seen movie fans watch it for a long time. I left the stage halfway through." Manager Fu of
Changsha felt that there were too few comedy films, and some comedians who could carry the box office were overdrawn. Difference. Manager Cao of
Jinan thinks that the types of films are too single, especially the top-grossing films. "If there is only one genre that sells well, it means that there is a problem with this market, and it cannot be sustained." Manager Chen of
Weifang believes that the market needs real high-quality commercial blockbusters.
"" Yaobai " has brought a craze for the whole nation to watch movies. Because there are also young people, middle-aged people, and even the elderly, when everyone walks into the theater, the movie-watching craze really arrives. If only young people People, that's useless, they have limited spending power. When two people watch a movie, they don't have the form and thinking of family viewing. Therefore, if a really good movie is cast, I think older people are the main movie watchers. "
In addition, Manager Chen believes that there are national stars, such as Shen Teng , Ma Li , is also expected to detonate the market, "Let me sum it up, it is the ultimate commercial film." Manager Cao of
Jinan believes that is only short of good movies.
"The audience never forgets the cinema, never forgets the movies, as long as a few particularly good films come in, they can be restored immediately, and the audience will go immediately. Because the cinema is a social place after all, not the same as the Internet. At least talk about People who are in love, you can't say that I will go to your house to watch a movie, right?"
In two or three years, the movie market will not be able to recover. The film is released, and the second is that the epidemic situation is stable.
"If today (the market ) sells for 5 million, the day after tomorrow it sells 1,000, the day after tomorrow it reaches 12, and then just in time for the holidays, it expands to about 2,000, I think this trend is a benign, upward trend. , will consider resuming work, instead of having to wait until 40 million or 50 million, then the opening point will be missed, we must go through a certain market preheating, not have to wait for the next "Yao Bai" or "" "Changjin Lake"."
's three-day box office last weekend was 13.5 million, 34.64 million, and 29.44 million, and the operating rate was close to 70%. During the interview with
, although "Broken Bridge" has not been withdrawn (it has now been withdrawn), Manager Chen said to Ifeng Film: "I don't think the Dragon Boat Festival will be a very good schedule."
He also believes that, Blowout movie-watching craze or retaliatory movie-watching will not occur. "Everyone must first satisfy their own food, clothing, housing, and transportation, and live happily before they can enjoy the entertainment life. After the epidemic, everyone's enthusiasm for consumption and movie viewing has been tightly suppressed, and there has never been a good release point."
Cinema managers are also generally pessimistic about imported films. Manager Chen of
said: "There is a huge demand for overseas blockbusters, but I don't think many films can be imported in the later stage." Manager Cao of
Jinan revealed that before the release of a Hollywood blockbuster, many colleagues in the industry believed that this was the only rescue at that time. works, "But it didn't come in in the end, so what's the use of it?" Manager Cao of
admitted that he could not see any hope of the film industry going up, "I don't think I can see it from top to bottom." She believes that at present Strict censorship, single type of film, and lack of money in the industry all affect the film market, especially the lack of upstream funds inhibiting the production capacity of .
"In 2018, when tax evasion and tax evasion occurred, the midstream and upstream film and television companies were hit with a stick. Coupled with the epidemic in 2020, the upstream is now seriously short of money." Filmmaking can be balanced by reducing quantity and improving quality, but the industry is clearly not doing that. "I originally thought that the epidemic would make more people pay attention to content, but I found that in fact they just want to make quick money." Manager Chen of
also felt the same way. He believed that theaters, as industrial terminals, could not continue to produce box office and send them to the upstream, which led to the whole The closed-loop industrial chain is damaged.
Recently, he was checking the inventory and new films of major film companies. The more he checked, the more depressed he became. He felt that there was no hope in sight, but he had to persevere.
He predicts that within two or three years, the movie market will not return to a healthy state. This year's Spring Festival movie theaters harvest audiences with high ticket prices, which will also cause great harm to the market.
Manager Chen said helplessly and calmly: "Movies are not just needed."
asked the filmmakers to stop relying on schedules, and asked the government to support
In April this year, Beijing Ciyun Temple Suning Cinemas closed, and the seats in the theater were placed in The photos by the road are embarrassing. Manager Chen from Weifang said, "It's like a tombstone." At this time, it has been seven years since the rhetoric that " Suning will open 200 theaters within 5 years". Manager Chen of
said that it is difficult for theaters to transform. At this stage, they can only increase revenue and reduce expenditure, and do not make hard investments. How can the
industry save itself? The biggest appeal of the
theater manager to the filmmakers is not to group releases together and not to rely too much on schedules. Manager Cao of
Jinan believes that, in a sense, the schedule no longer exists. "The schedule is not safe. This year's May 1st stall, especially the Qingming stall, has less than 50% of the theaters opening. Is there still such a schedule? If you say that you resume work to 80% outside the schedule, you will insteadIf there is no film, do I have to wait for the schedule? Is this logic correct? "
She specifically mentioned two films " Bouquet of Love " and " I'm Waiting for You at the End of Time ", the former won 92.65 million box office in the deserted market in March this year, and the latter is in the early stage of resumption of work in 2020 When it was released, the single-day box office surpassed "Eight Hundred". Manager Cao of
said: "The market will always have opportunities, it depends on whether you have the courage. "
Weifang's manager Chen believes that gathering schedules also greatly increases the cost of advertising and distribution, resulting in waste. "Announcement and distribution are accustomed to spending money at a certain time point, such as buying data, or even buying sessions, which is also problematic. Regarding the
policy, Manager Cao hopes that movie-related consumer coupons can continue to be issued. Manager Chen believes that subsidies should not be directly distributed to fans, which may lead to a situation where "the strong stay strong and the weak stay weak". Some soft Small and medium-sized cinemas with missing hardware may not be able to receive subsidies indirectly. Manager Chen of
hopes that it is best to directly subsidize the cinemas according to the actual situation of each region, and then the cinemas will give back to the audience. Manager Cao believes that every seat in Jinhua Cinema in Wenzhou will be subsidized directly. The monthly subsidy of 25 yuan is more scientific and effective.
At the same time, Manager Cao hopes that the special funds for movies (5% of the box office) and the value-added tax (3.8% of the box office) can be reduced or exempted, including the rent that accounts for the most. It can be reduced a little.
But after the whole year of 2020, she does not have much hope for the help brought by policy support, and the theater still has to rely on the movie, the creator and the audience.
Now the movie has been withdrawn, and the creator is struggling Work, audiences are locked at home, and there are no movies to watch. The Dragon Boat Festival is about to fall, and the 2022 progress bar is about to pass halfway. When will the theaters come back to life? Who is the movie that
can really recall to the audience?
it When do you dare to come and when can you come?
Spring is over, can the next season be summer?
