The advent of digital projection in multiplexes across the UK has made cinema advertising a much more dynamic space for agencies to make use of. This week, MEC attended a presentation hosted by Pearl & Dean and Tangibal, looking at some exciting new innovations for the medium. 

It’s a sad fact that traditional 35mm film is now largely becoming a thing of the past. Cinemas up and down the country are upgrading their projection systems, putting the last nails in the coffin of a technology that has been with us for decades. This streamlined format has not been kind to career projectionists either, as many are now finding their craft being replaced by something much more automated – and therefore requiring less manpower and skill to operate and manage.

However, while there are inevitably going to be purists who are sad to see the back of 35mm, there are tonnes of benefits to this new, high tech digital technology. In addition to better image and sound quality, cinema chains and film festivals are no longer lumbered with the expense and impracticality of huge reels that can only be used by highly trained professionals.

But in addition to lower transportation costs, lower training requirements and a better viewing experience for cinemagoers, the format is now much more attractive to advertisers thanks to its ability to be adapted and developed. Digital projection means faster turnaround times, lower overheads and more flexibility – not to mention all the exiting things that can now be applied to the theatre experience that make use of interactive motion sensor technology.

And so, it is this reason we find ourselves here at the AMC cinema in Manchester’s Great Northern complex. Pearl & Dean have been working closely with Tangibal on a series of projects aimed at encouraging engagement with moviegoers, using technology they are becoming increasingly familiar with thanks to developments in the computing, gaming and mobile phone sector. The Nintendo Wii, Xbox Kinect and Apple iPad and iPhone are now everyday items which have changed the way we interact with media – and through interactive floors, touchscreen hubs and in-theatre motion gaming, the pair have come up with some very interesting concepts.

First off, Pearl & Dean talk us through some of the changes in the sector and how digital and 3D have seen phenomenal success and high revenues. Despite a low volume of 3D content, it is noted, the new system accounts for a large chunk of 2010 profits and this is something that is only set to continue this year (sorry purists). This has created a demand for more high tech content and more effective use of the average 18 minutes of ‘lobby time’ cinemagoers usually have ahead of the feature presentation.

Interactive floor technology in the foyer gets the kids running around on a white place mat with a digitally projected image from above that reacts when their feet hit items being shown. Balls can be kicked around, items brushed aside and effects created like water ripples – all of which have a clear attraction to inquisitive kids. More importantly though, it’s the curiosity of the onlooking parents being dragged over to see what is effectively display advertising that creates the engagement (although embedding floating McDonalds logos in the child’s mind can’t hurt either!)

Elsewhere, Tangibal’s ‘Hub’ system gets users playing with touchscreen technology to watch trailers, take quizzes, shop for bespoke Fiat 500s and much more, with the possibilities of what might also be offered to clients limited only by a creative team’s imagination.

But it is our final presentation that might be of most interest to certain punters, marketers and creative agencies. Motion sensor gaming is at an all-time high at the moment thanks to the continued success of Nintendo’s Wii console and Microsoft’s latest Xbox peripheral – Kinect. The idea of using your body to operate a game is now familiar to people of all ages, but mass motion control is something that is only just being put out there. The system we’re shown offers a range of opportunities for all kinds of demographic, from the obviously child-centric to the considerably more adult – and all we have to do is wave our arms in the air.

O2 used the technology to create a game in which the crowd is asked to navigate a damaged spaceship through an asteroid belt by using left and right sections of the audience, who must wave at the right time to steer the ship back on course. Lynx, on the other hand, used magazine pin-up Keeley Hazell and Inbetweeners star Blake Harrison to tell the story of one gawky guy’s adventure snagging the woman of his dreams – the catch being that we the audience have to ‘vote’ on his decisions.

Cinema is changing, from digital projection to a mass influx of 3D, and it is not only Hollywood that needs to cater for this new demand. It seems Pearl & Dean and Tangibal believe they have seen the future of the moviegoing experience and are keen to share it with advertisers. Will this new way of engaging audiences work more effectively than traditional cinema ad slots? Well, perhaps with some audiences… but it will be certainly interesting to see how this new format is integrated into the media buying space and if it can really inspire some creative thinking.