Covid-related venue closures and the giant rise of streaming have cost the cinema culture a significant loss in audience numbers, and now with the aftershock of the Hollywood writers’ strike, cinema needs an innovative force if it is to avoid a prolonged decline in viewership, writes Sheryl Hickey.
Future’, which took place at IBC2023.
Experts from technology innovation across the cinema content chain explored the data gathered by research analysts Omdia, and offered insights and solutions to replenish cinema visitor numbers, giving predictions on new ways to engage and entice audiences of the future.
David Hancock, Chief Analyst of OMDIA, emphasised that for cinemas, the most positive effect Covid had on cinema was: “Studios realising that cinemas create value – if you go straight to streaming, where is your money coming in? There’s no money and there’s no hype.”These and other questions around the current cinema culture landscape provided the backdrop to a longstanding partner session, ‘EDCF: Cinema Looks Forward to a Changing...
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