Ster Kinekor cinema profits down 36%

<Q>Strategic priorities for Ster Kinekor include attracting black consumers to cinemas to 26% of the overall audience (the figure for 2005 was 19%, which was up 36% on 2004’s number), and drive the attendance frequencies of traditional moviegoers.</Q>
DID YOU KNOW THEY RECORD YOUR RACE WHEN YOU BUY A TICKET ? INTERESTING.

I, for one, stopped going to Ster Kinekor cinemas for two reasons. Firstly, they were too expensive (could see a movie for half the price at Nu Metro with an Edgars Club card). Secondly because all the Ster Kinekor theatres anywhere near me are located in malls where you have to pay for parking. I usually go to the Waterfront Nu Metro where parking is free. Money talks Ster Kinekor.

I stopped going to cinema's cos it's more uncomfortable than an economy class flight, and R15 for a small popcorn - they can stick-it.

Less seats, more space, cheaper freaking popcorn !!!

stoke said:

I stopped going to cinema's cos it's more uncomfortable than an economy class flight, and R15 for a small popcorn - they can stick-it.

Less seats, more space, cheaper freaking popcorn !!!

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I hear you!

If you want a medium drink and popcorn you have to fork out no less than R20.00. Added to the R30.00+ for a movie, thats R50.00 per person. (Not to mention my pet hate - prices of parking). I feel quite sorry for families.

Um...it could have to do with the fact Numetro is getting all the good titles nowdays and ster kinekor is getting crap which no one wants to see. But then again why bother going to the movies and sitting with 100 sheep making more noise than a metallica concert and paying for it when you can watch in peace at home

Well - you Capetonians should hold local governmint to ransom about the parking situation there. It's freaking rediculous. When I woz there 35% of my salary was spent on freaking parking. OMW. What utter carp.

Before I go into a cinema again, I want a garauntee that if:

1 - The film jumps once.
2 - The sound gets out of sync.
3 - The sound is too loud.
4 - The cinema is too cold.
5 - The cinema is too hot.
6 - The cinema stinks.
7 - There are more than 2 adverts.
8 - People come in after the movie's started.
9 - People make a nuisance of themselves.

Then - I want my money back, but for the entire trip.
That's say R 350 an hour for me and me companion + petrol + fair wear and tear + all other costs.

Oh well - ask for perfection, maybee things will improve.

DFantom said:

Um...it could have to do with the fact Numetro is getting all the good titles nowdays and ster kinekor is getting crap which no one wants to see. But then again why bother going to the movies and sitting with 100 sheep making more noise than a metallica concert and paying for it when you can watch in peace at home

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Thats why I only go to the first show of the day and during the week - I usually have the cinema to myself.

You can't compare watching a movie in the "big" screen to watching on your TV, even if you have a "big" screen TV

I won't go just because I'm forced to buy thier popcorn and cooldrink and people talking to each other and on cellphones.

Hell, in Durban the drive-in is still operational, granted theres no surrond sound BUT it's got a bigger screen, and you get to take a mattress, a blanket, and a little bit more than a cooldrink - if you get want I'm saying. AND it's R10(or there about, can't remember, was full of 'cooldrink') per Car(not number of people) and 2 movies. With armed security patrolling.

So IMHO I'd go there first. But even then would rather watch at home.

Movies are an experience, but can be expensive. I have noticed they have pushed the prices down recently at certain Ster Kinekor Cinemers which now makes it cheaper to go there, only difference is you might have to wait a week or so for it to come out there, but hey at R 12 or something ridiculous without a club card, Im smiling.

For all you guys who have Discovery, you get to pay R 6 and that really something to smile about.

Although I haven't really seen anything in a year (kids do that to you . . .) I must admit the sting is having to fork out R12 for parking at Canal Walk afterwards!

Anyone else had problems booking SK tickets online? I haven't been able to for months, on three different PCs. At the point where I pick seats, I go next and get some silly message about seat allocations not being available.

doobiwan said:

I must admit the sting is having to fork out R12 for parking at Canal Walk afterwards!

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My point exactly. I enjoy movies at Canal Walk but having to pay the extra for parking just makes it too expensive. Thats why I mainly go to movies at the Waterfront now.

If you go to movies at a mall in the States - most offer atleast 2 free hours parking if you have your parking ticket validated at the cinema. I don't see why that can't be done here. Ster Kinekor/Nu Metro simply needs to approach the parking company for a special deal.

My girlfriend and I like going to the movies on Friday nights.. so we do dinner and a movie. We go to Century City.. a normal movie for 2 people (without cooldrink and popcorn) costs R90 (I book online).. 90 bucks for 2 people to see a movie..?! It's madness.

Edit: And, as above, the R12 parking afterwards!

DVD's were invented for families. Our small kids can't be expected to sit still throughout an entire movie.

1x Home Theatre System + 1x Popcorn maker + 2x latest DVDs + 1x kid's DVD == peace + quiet;

Raithlin said:

DVD's were invented for families. Our small kids can't be expected to sit still throughout an entire movie.

1x Home Theatre System + 1x Popcorn maker + 2x latest DVDs + 1x kid's DVD == peace + quiet;

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Home theatre is definately the way to go..

Telkom add

The telkom add with the guy phoning his dogg completely puts me off the movie.

I mean that is science fiction! Telkom are saying that if you don't have friends or family to phone you can phone your dog on and international long distance call and bark like a dog because you are telkom's bitch letting them get away with the rates they charge!

I haven't been to the cinema in ages for the exact reasons pointed out here already, if I do go, it's on a weekday when all the kids are at school.

Being single, I'm happy with my standard 17" computer monitor and surround sound. The fact that I'm sitting 12" away from the screen makes it, to my mind, the same as a big screen because it fills about the same area of my vision.

It's also more comfortable, better quality, I can pause it when I want and watch when I want.

If I wasn't single, I'd definately invest in a large screen TV and hook it up to the PC.

It all depends what you want out of a movie. A person who truly loves the genre views it as a solo experience - you don't want to be disturbed or have anyone talking or making any noise.

There's others who view it as a social thing - usually younger couples and teenagers dating - they go to "make out" or generally hang around the mall.

Then the young family with rug-rats - best avoided at all costs.

I suppose the days of the traditional film buff have changed somewhat, or maybe not - watching the documentary "easy riders, raging bulls" indicates that the film geeks of the 60's became so by watching movies on TV more than anything else.

Now, I guess, it's the turn of the internet to change things around and shake up the big movie studios.

Primedia (owners of Ster Kinekor) is asking for price fixing if you read between the lines.

They want to come to some sort of agreement with Nu-Metro. I am personally of the opinion that if it hurts the competition, squeeze harder! If Primedia doesn't want to be in the movie business anymore, sell Ster Kinekor to somebody who does!

They own so many high income businesses like Highveld 94.7 and most of the billboards next to SAfrican freeways that their bottomline is not determined only by Ster Kinekor.

I agree with people that said:

1. The seats are too small for movie houses that are never filled up anyway!
2. The refreshments cost too much. It doesn't matter that you can afford it. Popcorn can only cost SO much to make!
3. Start negotiating better Ster Kinekor! If Star Wars could not be shown in more cinemas because of some kind of price cap, FIX IT! If not, bring Star Wars straight to DVD...

Compete you buggers!

Good job Nu Metro.

But I have a couple of recommendations for both Nu Metro and Ster Kinekor:

Nu Metro Cinema Prive is cool, keep it up! Ster Kinekor can learn a thing or two from you as far as seat size is concerned.

but

Get projectionists that are not as blind as bats! How difficult can it be to focus a damned movie. I stopped counting the number of times I had to endure a slightly out of focus movie.


Another thing. A movie's sound should not be too soft or too loud. Set a standard for all your movie houses by using a audio level meter and setting the average loudness level of a movie to that. If you can automate this, even better!

Hell get some automatic focus equipment while you are at it!

This is a good source of info: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/movie-projector.htm


Quick howto on focussing a movie onto the silver screen:

It is important to know that a movie projected onto a flat surface needs tuning in a 3D space. You must work the projecter in a horizontal tilt, vertical tilt and push and pull environment to get perfect focus.

Step one: Make sure the aspect of the projection on screen is perfect. In other words, the oposing sides of the projection (there are four sides) should be equal in length. If one is shorter than the other you have a problem!

After making sure the aspect is correct you can simply "zoom" the lens cap to bring the picture into focus. Use small details in a picture as a guide and not large objects because larger objects appear in focus easier.

Don't try and focus on objects that are not the intended focus of the film. You will never get it right! Wait for the movie to focus on something small. Credits are a good example of something small to focus on.

Wait until the movie has been rolling for a good couple of minutes before moving away from the projector to chat with the lady selling refreshments. She can wait. Your money comes from the people inside the cinema! Make sure all is okay and that you havent forgotten to turn off the lights. You do that too often these days! If I have to remind one more person to switch of the friggen lights I will have a fit!

Thanks for understanding
Me

Good article :-

King Kong vs. the Pirates of the Multiplex
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/28/b...7104a6b004e&ex=1140926400&mkt=bizphotocaption

But technological innovations, as always, will still move forward under their own internal logic. And some critics of Hollywood's response to digital piracy say that the film industry is not addressing the broader challenge: a rapid and epochal shift in how audiences watch movies.

"The Internet was designed to facilitate file transfer. That's what it's all about, so whether it's in e-mail, instant messaging, music or films, it's all going to increase as sure as the sun comes up tomorrow," said Mr. Fleischer at BigChampagne. "I think the movie business is in the same place the music business was in 2001 and 2002. They're just sitting it out and not doing much to put legitimate movie offerings online."

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