07 Building design

The EU endorses the UN standard rules and requires that disabled people are included in all programmes and mechanisms of the Commission and are considered in all Directives on standards set by the Union. All citizens of the EU are entitled to freedom of movement and employment across the European States and will expect equality of access to places of entertainment – even if some of the venues are very old. There are 80 million disabled people in Europe.

The Disability and Discrimination Act and Equality Act 2010

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 enveloped now by the Equality Act 2010 but still relevant, makes it unlawful for service providers such as cinemas to discriminate against disabled people. Both Acts require service providers to make “reasonable adjustments” to the physical features of their premises to overcome physical barriers to access. In broad terms new or refurbished cinemas, including staff areas, box offices and projection rooms, should be constructed so that people with a range of disabilities are not discriminated against and can gain easy access to the cinema. The Equality Act 2010 similarly lays out legal obligations for organisations to treat all customers and staff equally regardless of their age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race, marital status, religion or beliefs. Specialist advice is available from the UKCA, Shape and Business Disability Forum as well as your architect.

Funding

The Arts Councils and other major arts funding bodies such as the BFI, and the Heritage Lottery Fund will only award Lottery funding and other key funding for venues where access policies are in place which treat disabled people no less favourably than non-disabled people.

Commercial considerations

Audiences with disabilities are a large market and cinema operators cannot afford to exclude any audience in the increasingly highly competitive environment of film exhibition.

Many venues used to be equipped with the barest minimum of facilities that include: disabled parking, an adapted toilet, a lift, a hearing induction loop fitted in the auditorium and a minicom in the box office.  Now all digitally equipped cinemas in the UK have English language subtitle and audio description facilities.

The number of subtitled screenings in UK cinemas has risen dramatically as a result of digital technology adoption. More than half of all cinemas now regularly have screenings for audiences who are hard of hearing or deaf amounting to roughly 1000 screenings a week. These tend to be screenings of the most popular titles. New technologies may make screenings even more accessible to this audience and UK exhibitors are currently looking to the USA and Australia where systems adopted there include displaying subtitles on wearable glasses or small seat-mounted displays.

Although much attention is paid to restricted mobility audiences, and certainly you should make provision for wheelchair accessible performances within your programme, the needs of hearing and sight impaired audiences, as well as guests with sensory or learning disabilities such as autism are often given less attention.

A considerable number of people who are hard of hearing attend cinema and can benefit greatly from a properly installed induction loop system and/or an infrared-based system. The infrared systems can also be used for audio described performances for people who are blind or partially sighted.

Sign interpreted screenings

A sign interpreted screening will offer people who are Deaf access to a film. British Sign Language is a language in its own right and many Deaf people use it as a first language and English as a second language. People who are Deaf are often willing to travel further than most if this facility is on offer although it is probably too costly to offer on anything except an occasional basis. Try also to reserve the seats which have the best view of the interpreter for your customers who and Deaf and contact local Deaf and hard of hearing groups to let them know your schedule of sign interpreted screenings. Contact Action on Hearing Loss, British Deaf Association and National Deaf Children’s Society for further information. The ICO has a resource dedicated to providing for Deaf audience members here [INSERT LINK].

Subtitles

Although, as already mentioned, for most people who are deaf, English is their second language, there have been major technological developments brought about by the wide adoption of digital projection with new systems for ‘soft’ titling (subtitles projected onto the film rather than being ‘burnt in’). Now widely adopted by festivals and event screenings as well as some cinemas with digital projection, subtitling for people who are hard of hearing has become far more accessible and widespread.

Audio Described Screenings

Audio description works by providing a commentary on the action in between the dialogue of a film. People who are blind or partially sighted are given a headset at the start of the screening and the information is relayed either live by an audio describer or from a recording which is synchronised with the film. With the advent of digital cinema, audio description for films has become more widely available and available on a broader range of titles. The description is impartial and highlights aspects such as, for example, the colour of people’s clothes (many people with a visual impairment can still see colours and shapes).  3D presentations can pose problems for some people due to sight issues so if possible, make arrangements to have some 2D screenings of the film. Guide dogs should be welcome in all cinemas. Contact Action on Hearing Loss for further details.

Autism-Friendly Screenings

Guests with sensory or learning disabilities and those on the autism spectrum can often find cinema environments challenging. Changes to the environment that help can include:

• The lights being kept at a low level
• Lower sound levels
• No trailers or adverts, just the main feature
• Allowance for increased levels of movement and noise

One of the most important things with access provision is consultation and this should be from the outset. Contact your local disability arts group and get information on their needs. This will help prevent you from making assumptions and embarrassing mistakes. Disability arts groups can offer disability awareness training for your staff. You may want to set up a disability advisory group to help with access issues. To market your venue to people with disabilities you will need to find out which publications and other media they access, as there are many specialist ones available.

Your publicity materials should be available on a range of accessible formats such as the spoken word, large print or an online Word document that can be easily zoomed and written in ‘plain English’ (straightforward, basic English with a lack of complicated language or difficult words).

Websites also need to be accessible and you will need to consider the design.  There are recommendations in Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 to make content accessible to a wide range of people with disabilities. For example online pages using structured semantic or Cascading Style Sheets (CSS2) and images with ALT tags are all far more accessible.

There is a national scheme, the CEA Card, developed by the UK Cinema Association (UKCA – formerly the Cinema Exhibitor’s Association) and overseen by the UKCA’s Disability Working Group that included people from key cinema chains, film distributors, independent exhibitors and national disability charities such as Action on Hearing Loss and the RNIB.

The scheme, which was introduced in 2004, supports cinemas and their disabled guests in ensuring that cinema environments are accessible to all. The card ensures that guests with a disability, who need someone to go with them as a result of their disability, are entitled to a complimentary ticket. Further details about the scheme are available here.  Cinemas have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments for guests with a disability and cinema staff should make every effort to do this.

Outreach work and direct contact are often the most powerful publicity tools. Print and online marketing and information should also carry detail about access.  Your Local Cinema is a well-known cinema listings website for subtitled and audio described screenings throughout the UK and is sponsored by key organisations such as the BFI, UKCA and the FA.  Always make sure your staff, particularly your box office and bar staff are properly briefed so they are confident in providing assistance to disabled customers.

An illustrative specification

An illustrative specification for a well-equipped 3-screen cinema centre could be as follows (many of the facilities, shown with an asterisk below, could be shared if a combined cinema and performing arts centre is developed):

Essential facilities

• Cinema seating capacities: 180-250, 100-140, 70-110 (aiming for a total of approximately 400-500 seats)
• All screens equipped with wall-to-wall screens, digital and 35mm projection, adjustable screen masking, and multi-channel high quality sound
• Stadium seating (stepped rake) with high backs and generous legroom (1.0 – 1.2 metres back to back, 550 or 600mm seat width)
• Access, toilets and seating for wheelchair users
• An inductive loop and an infrared system to assist people with hearing difficulties
• The largest auditoria to have a small raised stage area capable of lecture and business presentation uses. This auditorium should have good quality video projection capable of cinema and data/computer uses.
• Foyer with box office, information displays, sales kiosk and/or shop *
• Bar and/or cafe facilities *
• Staff offices *
• Energy efficient design for the whole building *
• Illuminated external displays and poster areas *

Desirable facilities

• A range of film projection formats
• Internet / new media / information centre with public access *
• Youth area (e.g. juice bar, internet facilities, games machines, music) *
• Flexible space for children’s parties or other leisure and business uses *
• Meeting/education room *
• Gallery capability within public spaces such as bar/café or corridors *
• Media production and post-production units (some available to let) *
• Film dump/store for general use and especially for festivals
• Commentary/sound control booth in at least one cinema

Other building issues

Public areas and sales points

The ancillary facilities – toilets, box office, sales kiosk, display areas and so on – are similar in both single screen and multi screen designs. These areas set the atmosphere for the visit to the cinema and can range from the funfair approach of some multiplexes to a relaxed, almost hotel foyer approach with sofas and plants and a lack of strident marketing. Many cinema foyers now also include a vibrant café or restaurant often frequented by people possibly not even watching a film.  If the cinema has to accommodate a range of audiences, especially young and old, then distinct areas should be created where each audience can feel comfortable.

Concession sales of ice cream, soft drinks and confectionery are highly profitable (popcorn yields notional margins of 10,000%!) and it is essential that the cinema foyer includes a good retail space or food and drinks offer providing a range of refreshments to accommodate the preferences of differing audiences. It should be noted however that high concession prices have attracted criticism from cinemagoers and margins may decline in the future. A number of independent local cinemas include product ranges from local or independent suppliers and even popcorn has gone upmarket now with artisan ranges – apart from supporting local businesses, these products can help distinguish the local cinema from the national multiplex chains.

Transport and parking

With the exception of some city centre cinemas, the great majority of cinemagoers arrive at the cinema by car. The free and plentiful car parking at out-of-town multiplexes has proved popular and, conversely, cinemas with poor parking are sometimes criticised. Adequate, safe and nearby car parking is a basic requirement for most successful cinemas.

Government policies (there are a wealth of Local Transport Strategies and policies which are constantly being revised and new strategies introduced) aim to reduce the number of leisure journeys made by car and instead emphasise public transport. For most cinemas this means local bus services but all too often these services fail to provide a suitable evening service. In rural areas the cost of bus services may also create a barrier to cinema attendance. If a cinema is planned in an area with low levels of car ownership then the quality of local bus services should be investigated.

Expansion potential

Leisure trends change rapidly and cinema design is no exception. There are few certainties but one is that a cinema built today will be due some refurbishment and perhaps modification within 5–10 years. It is important that sites for new cinemas make allowance for future changes.

Many of the problems facing existing cinemas are due to a lack of expansion potential.

Digital cinema

Digital cinema technologies have transformed the way films are made, edited, distributed and projected.

Since 1999, when the first public screenings of digitally projected mainstream feature films took place in selected cinemas worldwide, the digital revolution has continued to gain momentum and is now firmly part of the UK cinema landscape.

In the UK, digital projection is now the norm (98% of screens are now digital) and many film distributors release their films only in digital format.

The DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) approved digital cinema format has replaced conventional 35mm film projection as the principal format used in professional film distribution and exhibition. Most commercial cinemas and independents have made the transition to digital, installing digital projection in all their screens.

The capital cost of purchasing and installing even one digital projector has been seen as an investment in the future by commercial cinema operators, but remains out of reach for a lot of independent cinemas without additional funding sources.

The UK Film Council’s Digital Screen Network (2006-2011) was a publicly funded intervention that established a base of 230 digital screens in the UK in both commercial and independent cinemas. No further national public sector finance has been made available to take the transition to digital a stage further. New business models have however evolved within the industry, most notably around the Virtual Print Fee.

The Virtual Print Fee (VPF) model has been developed as a mechanism for sharing the financing of digital equipment. In the film process chain, the main economic beneficiaries of the transition from 35mm to digital technology are film distributors. With digital, print costs especially are substantially reduced, with a cinema-ready copy of a standard feature film costing as little as £50 as opposed to £500 – £2500 for a 35mm print. The VPF model is designed to reflect this by bringing contributions from distributors towards the financing of digital equipment. Under a VPF agreement made between the cinema, distributor and an equipment supplier or ‘integrator’, exhibitors lease the digital equipment from the supplier, who then receives an agreed fee from the distributor – the virtual print fee – every time the cinema books a film on its release date. Over the term of the agreement, it is hoped that the cumulative fees, added to the cinema’s leasing fees, will amount to the capital costs of the equipment.

Digital access to film has challenged traditional film distribution systems.  Films, particularly the smaller independent titles, are being released on multiple platforms at the same time as they are in cinemas disregarding the traditional ‘windows’ – in the UK a film’s cinema release would normally be followed by the DVD and VOD release 16 weeks later. It is anticipated that this trend will continue.

Film audiences have new choices as to where they consume film. The Video On Demand (VOD) market continues to increase and is likely to continue to do so as more people have access to content on devices through downloading or streaming via the Internet. Certainly with these new platforms film could make a wider cultural contribution, encouraging a renewed interest in film generally.

In terms of making films, a growing number of young filmmakers continue to work with camera and computer equipment purchased from high street stores to produce very low budget films many of which have achieved successes both critically and at the box office and which can be projected successfully in digital cinemas.

Not all new technological developments are likely to sustain their initial successes and this could apply to 3D. According to the BFI Statistical Yearbook, in 2013 43% of digital screens in the UK were 3D-capable and UK film distributors continue to increase the number of 3D films released. The current industry indications are that, given a choice of 3D at a premium price against 2D at the regular price, families are splitting 40/60 in favour of 2D. This may change but currently the logistics of glasses handling can be problematic and expensive for the cinema, plus smaller children often don’t like wearing them.

The key advantages of digital cinema

• Programming – wider access to a broader range of content often much earlier, particularly with commercial or crossover-specialised titles, as the cost to the distributor of producing multiple copies of a film is greatly reduced. It is also more economically viable to distribute minority interest films and to provide subtitled or dubbed versions.
• Ability to screen alternative content – live cultural events such as opera, sport, music, exhibitions and theatre – offers a good revenue stream, as ticket prices for this ‘event’ type cinema are 30-50% higher than for traditional film. Some cinemas are reporting revenues 200% to 400% over regular film screenings.
• Reducing long term operating costs – the technology is relatively easy to use and could impact on many aspects of the cinema operation and economics particularly staffing costs. 1 digital projector in a projection box can simultaneously feed other auditoria so long as architectural design supports this.
• Supporting local filmmaking talent – digital is now the most common format adopted by students and other filmmakers. A range of mediums including laptops and cameras can plug directly into digital projectors for screenings of films not already within the traditional distribution arena.
• Maintaining a competitive edge – digital projection delivers high quality picture and sound which audiences come to expect as standard. Cinema environments are important to audiences and they will migrate to one they consider to offer a superior package although this is not limited purely to projection quality. The picture and sound quality will always be as good as it was at the première. No scratches, jumps, dirt or flicker to disturb the viewing experience.
• Localised advertising tailored to the particular audience will be possible
• Additional smaller auditoria become viable and provide greater choice for local audiences. A local digital cinema – a digital mini-plex – may have one or two large auditoria (150 to 250 seats) and three or four very small ones (30 to 50 seats). There are now many examples of this type of cinema in the UK and the rest of Europe.
• Subtitled performances for deaf audiences are increasingly popular. New systems using digital cinema projectors have overcome many of the previous problems with limited availability of prints with these subtitles. The new approach involves projecting subtitles on to the screen and does not require a special copy of the film. The flexibility of this approach opens up the potential for multi language versions of films to suit a variety of local audiences.

Summary of key points from Chapter 7

• Cinema design is changing and greater emphasis is being placed on providing a high quality viewing experience along with better social and catering facilities
• The quality of a building can make a considerable difference to the successful marketing of a cinema
• Few new cinemas are built with just a single screen, or even 2-screens. Even in smaller communities there are good commercial and programming reasons for providing at least two screens
• Digital cinema technology is having an impact on the way that films are presented, and the design of auditoria. Some digital cinemas have their control rooms located remotely from the projector.
• New cinemas can be constructed to allow for a range of community and educational uses
• Concession sales of confectionery, ice cream and soft drinks play an important part in the economy of cinemas. Sales areas (and associated storage) should be designed to allow this income source to be realised
• Full disabled access is required under current legislation. Provision for hearing and sight disabled customers should also be incorporated in the design of the cinema
• Safe and plentiful car parking is required for most cinemas. It is advisable to ensure that public transport is also available
• Cinema design and leisure requirements are changing rapidly. A new cinema development should therefore have some capacity to expand or change in response to future demands.