‘IMAX is affordable, so there’s been no impact’ on footfalls’

Jim Patterson, director, Aeren R Entertainment, has about 14 years of experience in setting up and managing theatre screens.

He has earlier served as the former vice-president, marketing (south east Asia) of Canada-based IMAX, one of the world’s leading entertainment technology companies. Patterson has worked mainly in Asia and is an expert in putting together cross-promotions in this market. DNA caught up with Patterson when he was in Kolkata recently for the launch of Aeren R’s first IMAX theatre in the city.  Excerpts from the interview:

How many IMAX screens are you planning to put up in India?
Aeren had placed orders for four Imax screens. The Kolkata screen will open in January and in Delhi, by the middle of next year. The two other cities could be Jaipur and Ludhiana.

What will be your marketing strategy?
We will look at co-promotion partnerships. We’ll companies into banking, mobile phones, colas and FMCG sectors. A tough economy works in our favour — if we get partnerships — it helps financially as well as to communicate our message.

Have IMAX screens across the country seen any drop in footfalls lately?
Footfalls have not decreased. Imax is affordable, because, we offer special rates for block bookings. We also do discounting, especially for students. On an average, our base price is around Rs 200. We also operate like a multiplex, doing three different shows targeting three separate audience segments. The royalty levels for IMAX are also flexible. The royalty on 3D classics are half of those for Hollywood films. Also, there are differences between royalty rates for Hollywood and Bollywood films. So, we can offer dynamic pricing.

What is the formula to get things right here?
One needs to do a lot of things right. One must have a good mix of Hollywood and Bollywood films and 3D classics. As far as Hollywood flicks are concerned, we need to tell people why they should see a particular film on IMAX rather than a regular 35 mm screen. After all, the consumer is paying a premium to watch it on IMAX. Very importantly, we need a lot of marketing and promotions, because the market here is yet to mature.

What about the programming?
Absolutely. The programming should be right too. Hollywood blockbusters work in India. The next Harry Potter film will have a 30 minute 3D session for IMAX viewing. We will bring to India some of the 3D classics, which are made for IMAX. In Hollywood, Warner Brothers was the only studio that made films suitable for IMAX viewing. Now, several players — Fox, Universal, Disney — are making such films. The Hollywood outlook for 2009 is 10-12 films will be made for IMAX viewing. Disney alone announced five films last month.

What are the challenges in India?
It depends on the location and how one manages it. If we can do it correctly, then opportunities are big. These screens are 10 times the size of regular ones with 12,000 watts of sound. The acoustics standards are very high. The challenge is film software.

Then, there are monetary barriers. It is expensive to set up an IMAX screen. Investment is also 10 times the cost of a regular screen, at about $3 million. Each screen weighs up to 100 kg and it costs around Rs 20 lakh to forklift them.

What are the areas covered by Aeren R Entertainment’s tie-up with IMAX?
Aeren R Entertainment has an exclusive tie-up with IMAX for northern and eastern India.
 
In that case, IMAX can work with other partners in the rest of the zones. Won’t there be cannibalisation, then?
One does not need huge numbers and can make money with the attendance of 1.5 lakh viewers in a year. We expect five hundred thousand attendance in Kolkata. Hyderabad is experiencing a similar turnout. And, surprisingly, around the world, we have seen multiplexes that have an IMAX screen draw in more footfalls and the regular 35 mm screens do better.