New Zealand Newspaper Tries 3D Issue To Get People To Pay More Attention

from the experiments dept

As various newspapers continue to think about new business models, Adam points us to the news of a community newspaper in New Zealand that experimented with a special 3D issue, including various 3D images and (of course) special 3D glasses. The idea is to get people to spend more time looking at the newspaper. While it does seem like a neat gimmick, it doesn't seem like it is a sustainable idea on its own (they expect to do it again, but probably not for another year, due to the effort it takes). But, of course, no single gimmick needs to be sustainable by itself. It's neat to see publications recognizing that they at least should be trying out other things to add value that people will appreciate.

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Whisper It, But Maybe Movie Theaters Are Grasping The Need For Change

from the sticky-floors dept

There have been several signs over the past year that movie theaters are beginning to understand that they need to change their businesses if they are to stay in business -- for example: bigger and better screens, more luxurious environments, richer technology like 3D, even making the pre-show ads more entertaining. While we're skeptical about some of these enhancements -- particularly when they're really only used as justifications for higher ticket prices, it does reflect that theater owners have recognized they have to change. One idea that's getting more and more attention is that theaters don't have to limit themselves to just movies. It's become common for theaters to show special events like concerts, or the Metropolitan Opera, that are well outside the typical fare of Hollywood films. This week, a number of theaters nationwide will show the BCS college football title game, hoping to draw some viewers away from their couches or sports bars. That might seem like an exercise in futility, but the theaters can offer something more: the game will be in 3D. Movie theaters used to be relevant because, apart from waiting for movies to show up (if ever) on TV, they were about the only place to catch films. When home video came on the scene, their position began to erode, and it continues to do so as home theaters get better and better. As a result, many theaters offer a comparatively poor movie-going experience. In addition to improving that experience, theaters will do well to un-pigeon hole themselves as movie houses, take advantage of their unique offerings, and diversify their content.

Carlo Longino is an expert at the Insight Community. To get insight and analysis from Carlo Longino and other experts on challenges your company faces, click here.

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More Reasons To Go To The Movies: Next Iron Man In IMAX And 3D

from the can't-get-that-at-home dept

We've been pointing out how the movie industry appears to finally be realizing that they need to give people a reason to go out to the movies, now that they're competing with home theaters, and many are doing that by making use of things like IMAX technology that simply can't be reproduced in the home yet. Now, Parker Mason notes that the next version of the movie Iron Man is supposedly going to be in both 3D and IMAX -- again, trying to give people real reasons to actually go out and see the movie as a social experience. It's nice to see the industry recognizing this, though it would be better if the rest of the industry stopped freaking out about piracy and DRM and put more resources into giving people reasons to pay.

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