In George Miller's recent Mad Max film “Furiosa”, a red flare explodes and bathes the cinema screen in a wealthy purple cloud.
Just just a few feet away, between the rows of gyroscopic 4DX chairs, clouds of fog roll in, catching the red hue of the screen, as if the sunshine had someway penetrated the fourth wall and entered the cinema. The fog parts, and Chris Hemsworth as Dementus comes into the image, grinning on the audience.
That's the 4DX viewing experience. It's one among many multisensory moments planned for “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” which hit theaters Friday, to immerse audiences in Miller's latest visit to the vast wasteland. And it's a crucial value proposition at a time when theaters are desperately attempting to lure back moviegoers, especially younger demographics.
“We make films differently,” said Duncan Macdonald, director of worldwide marketing and theatrical development at CJ 4DPlex Americas. “We're so different out there, with our motion capabilities and our environmental effects.”
As the pandemic unfolded, audiences became accustomed to shorter movie-going windows and having the ability to access more content from home. At the identical time, pandemic-related shutdowns and production halts attributable to two Hollywood strikes severely limited the quantity of content hitting theaters. As a result, consumers became accustomed to going to the films.
Moviegoers returning to theaters are in search of premium experiences – higher quality picture and sound – and are willing to pay more for those tickets. 4DX is an option within the premium large format market alongside products resembling IMAX and Dolby Cinema. CJ 4DPlex also has the ScreenX format.
“First-class cinema experiences are critical to the health of the industry. And with fewer films on the market on average now than in years past, the importance and significance of a company like 4DX is especially evident,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.
4DX uses motion seats, practical effects and sensory elements to immerse viewers in a movie. Warner Bros.' “Wonka,” the corporate released the scent of chocolate during film screenings.
Don Savant, CEO of CJ 4DPlex Americas, says the experience is a “supplement” to the standard moviegoing experience, noting that 4DX theaters attract younger consumers, primarily those ages 10 to 30, who’re in search of a more immersive movie-going experience.
For consumers, the 4DX experience costs a mean of $8 greater than traditional admission tickets, meaning a ticket can cost between $20 and $30. But the additional cost doesn't seem to discourage audiences.
Last yr, 4DX's domestic locations generated $53.4 million in ticket sales.
“Notably, the higher price of premium movie tickets is not a hindrance to their success, but rather is seen as a solid value proposition for fans seeking the best possible movie theater experience,” said Dergarabedian. “This is good news for theater owners who, with fewer films being released in the market, can increase their revenue per ticket while providing their guests with a great experience that keeps them coming back to the theater more often.”
And 4DX is becoming increasingly popular for major blockbuster titles. Ticket sales for Disney's Avatar: The Way of Water grossed over $83.6 million in 4DX theaters, which is about 3.6% of the film's total box office. According to Savant, it’s currently the highest-grossing film on this theatrical format.
“We want to give our customers a simple reason to leave their homes and visit a local Regal theater,” said CEO Eduardo Acuna of Regal Cinemas. “Premium formats like 4DX offer a movie experience that no home theater system can provide. Each premium format serves a different storytelling purpose, and each enhances the enjoyment of the film in a different and more intense way.”
Acuna noted that the 4DX theaters are “a strong box office draw” for Regal.
Regal is the biggest operator of 4DX screens domestically. 50 of the 62 locations are within the USA and Canada. There are almost 750 4DX screens worldwide with quite a few cinema partners. The largest volume is in Asia and Europe.
Savant says 4DX adds about 25 to 30 screens a yr worldwide, but wants to extend that number to 50 to 60 screens per yr. The company is targeting about 1,200 4DX locations in the subsequent five years. On average, each theater has about 140 seats.
Moviegoers who stand up from their couches and head to a 4DX theater to see Warner Bros.' “Furiosa” will feel from their seats the roar of motorcycles racing through the desert, smell the smell of gunpowder within the air during epic shootouts, and even be hit by a delicate spray of water splashing a personality on screen within the face.
Last yr, 4DX programmed greater than 100 movies for a souped-up viewing experience. About 40 to 45 of those were major Hollywood titles, Savant said. Others included concert content, musical sing-alongs, anniversary titles and native language movies.
Normally, Seoul-based 4DX programmers have two to a few weeks to create the motion and computer graphics, but Savant said they might complete a movie in every week if needed. 4DX can program three titles concurrently.
Both Macdonald and Savant referred to 4DX's programmers as “artists,” describing the method – from the subwoofers within the seats to the fog machines – as different brushstrokes in a murals.
“Every film is different,” Macdonald said. “So we look at the nuances of the different films we have and how they are programmed.”
In some cases, filmmakers will step in and make suggestions about when certain effects ought to be used and the way subtle or bombastic they need to feel or look.
“It is probably the most dynamic approach to see [a film],” said Savant.
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