Revenues from live screenings are soaring, but only padding the pockets of a select few big players. Is it time for an Independent Cinema Office, asks Matthew Linley.
Live screenings are becoming an increasingly important part of the programming mix of cinemas, arts venues and indeed other organisations. This weekend the West End show Billy Elliot topped the UK and Ireland box office taking £1.9m, whilst NT Live has reached a global audience of 2.7 million. It’s becoming an increasingly busy market place (tonight I was in the audience of a book launch being beamed into cinemas world wide). There is no doubting the quality of those live and encore streams, nor the fact that it massively extends the reach of those productions. A market has emerged, and it’s one that is here to stay. Earlier this week the Arts Council announced ‘the first’ multi channel network for the arts and Nesta research seems to suggest that the impact of live screenings have had no negative effect on audiences (though the London/regional discrepancy is worth noting).
So why an Independent Screening Office (for want of a better term)?
At the moment the screening power rests with a number of large ‘establishment’ organisations (led by NT Live but incorporating the likes of the RSC, ROH, ENO). It appears very London centric and pretty traditional... Keep reading on Matthew Linley’s Blog
Live screenings are becoming an increasingly important part of the programming mix of cinemas, arts venues and indeed other organisations. This weekend the West End show Billy Elliot topped the UK and Ireland box office taking £1.9m, whilst NT Live has reached a global audience of 2.7 million. It’s becoming an increasingly busy market place (tonight I was in the audience of a book launch being beamed into cinemas world wide). There is no doubting the quality of those live and encore streams, nor the fact that it massively extends the reach of those productions. A market has emerged, and it’s one that is here to stay. Earlier this week the Arts Council announced ‘the first’ multi channel network for the arts and Nesta research seems to suggest that the impact of live screenings have had no negative effect on audiences (though the London/regional discrepancy is worth noting).
So why an Independent Screening Office (for want of a better term)?
At the moment the screening power rests with a number of large ‘establishment’ organisations (led by NT Live but incorporating the likes of the RSC, ROH, ENO). It appears very London centric and pretty traditional... Keep reading on Matthew Linley’s Blog