What every movie theatre should have

One of the most common things to do on a weekend, whether it’s a date night with your significant other, a family outing, or a group hanging out, is a trip to the movies.  Everyone loves going to the movies with a few friends, finding the ideal seat for the best experience, with your theatre style popcorn in hand, just enjoying the next couple hours.  

No matter if the theatre is huge and new, or smaller and a bit older, there are a few basic things that every theatre should have.

Concession food and drinks

Before you even check which theatre number your movie is showing in, you should always be greeted with a concession stand with a myriad of foods and drinks. Because at the end of the night, what’s a movie without popcorn? As soon as you walk into the building to buy your tickets, you’ll be greeted with that sweet buttery aroma.  What’s a large popcorn without the large drink to pair with it to keep you refreshed during the movie. Most, if not all, cinemas now even offer other types of beverages and snacks. So don’t be surprised if you see specialised low-maintenance machines churning out your favourite frozen drinks. As these drinks are fast becoming popular amongst movie goers, prompting theatre owners to have more than one machine available. Watching a movie is never complete without buying snacks and refreshments; any movie buff will tell you that!  

Big screens and crisp video

Once you’ve got your popcorn and drinks, you’re going to head into the theatre where your movie is playing. The first thing you’re always going to notice is the screen.  And this is one of those cases where bigger is better. Because let’s face it, you went to the movies to watch it on the big screen. If you didn’t, you could just be at home streaming a movie with some microwave popcorn. No, you wanted the full experience. With such a big screen, a theatre requires you to have the best, crispest projector to be able to ensure the quality of the visuals translates to the screen. A poor visual experience can easily be detrimental to a moviegoers night.  

Booming audio

Hand in hand with the visual experience is the auditory experience.  Having an audio system in place to provide all the moviegoers with a sound that reverberates through them is an experience like no other. The visuals are one thing, but sound brings the experience to the next level. This is seen through many movies and movie genres, as the sound plays integral roles in providing the right amount of tension in a horror or suspense movie. An action movie would have no impact without the boom of every explosion. Not to mention the countless epic scores that many movies provide you. The sound system in the theatre has to be able to translate that perfect audio and compliment your visual excitement.

Comfortable seating

The best theatres have the best seating.  It’s not only about the right chairs, but there are multiple factors that go into having a great sitting experience. If the movie goes doesn’t notice the chairs aside from comfort, then the theatre has done its job. You want to have a theatre that understands the right height for each row in position on the screen. Some theatres that have sub par sitting arrangements don’t quite have that right level of elevation and you may more often than not end up spending a good part of the movie watching the back of someone’s head. Spacing between seats is another issue. Theatres want to maximise the amount of patrons at their establishment, but in doing so, may sacrifice leg room. This is not beneficial to anyone as the last thing you want while watching a movie is having someone kick the back of your chair, unintentional or not. Comfortable seats that also consider height and leg space will give some theatres the leg up on their competition.

Bonus features

Some extras that theatres should have in the modern era are 3D films, reserved seating, fancier food varieties and inclusive of those with disabilities.  

3D

3D films have taken off with new and modern technology and is a great option to have.  3D movies are great for animation and with computer technology advancing as far as it has, these movies can make you feel even more a part of the action than ever before.  

Reservations

Reserved seating ensures people with their desired seating so you don’t have to feel rushed coming from that dinner before your movie. These reserved seats can also help people feel comfortable about going to a movie spontaneously if they can see what seats are available passing by or checking through their mobile device.  No more cranking your neck because you didn’t get there early enough to reserve your seats.  

Date night options

Speaking of dinner and a movie, there are some theatres that take a date night to the next level, providing patrons with menus that have a variety of choices. This takes the bar and table with you to your seat, giving you the options for things like nachos or burgers with beer and wine, all brought to your seat.  This truly gives you the dinner and a movie experience.  

Accessibility

And lastly, having the technology to allow as many patrons to enjoy films should be a must nowadays. Things like closed captioning devices for subtitles and headphones for hearing impaired benefits ensures everyone can enjoy the new movies without having to wait for DVD and home access. It is important for modern theatres to give everyone the same opportunity for a great night out.

If you’re looking to head to the movies soon, check to see if everything you want is offered by your theatre. Some theatres have more options in terms of screens, audio systems, even down to the food they offer. At the end of the day, if the theatre does it right, you’ll only be focused on what’s on screen and can focus on having a great night.

The editorial unit