Is the future…arthouse cinema?

We talk to two people about how they developed their taste.

The UK Cinema Association held its annual conference in March 2024 and asked a panel from the charity Into Film to discuss their cinema and film habits. Into Film is a UK charity that uses film and cinema to create learning experiences. There weren’t any expectations about what the panel would talk about, but it took an untypical direction, as all the panellists started talking about the films and cinemas they liked.  They were all unexpectedly indie, and maybe even… dare we suggest… arthouse.  Alongside evidence of under 30s watching more challenging films in cinemas, we were intrigued and invited two of the original guests, Noa Friesen and Thomas Deakin, for a more in-depth conversation. 

Noa is from St Albans and is studying French, Spanish and English Literature A Level. Her favourite cinema is her local, the Odyssey in St Albans, where they show rep cinema, and she goes to the cinema monthly. 

Thomas is in 6th form at Cambridge and studies English Literature, German and History. He goes to the cinema 1-2 times a month and usually goes to the Cambridge Arts Picture House or BFI Southbank.

Mustard: What was the last film you saw at the cinema, and who did you go with? Was it good?

N - Mine was completely unplanned. I was in Liverpool for Easter, and it was raining non-stop, windy non-stop. So we went to the cinema with my younger sisters (age 12 + 8) and my mum, and we went to see Kung Fu Panda 4.  It was pretty good but I’d say the second one is my favourite. I usually go to the cinema with my dad, he is a cinephile, as my sisters and mum aren’t super super into film. We usually go on a Wednesday evening. It was my dad that took me to see my first foreign language film in a cinema environment. It was La Haine which was showing at the Odyssey. That kicked off my passion, and it's now one of my favourite movies. I definitely trust my parent’s recommendations. My dad also showed me The Big Lebowski, (the ultimate dad movie), hilarious, classic, timeless. It's bonding. 

T - Mine was Civil War. I went by myself to celebrate finishing my first A-level. The film was alright, but it was a good experience; the screen was big. I almost always go by myself or with my parents. I occasionally go with friends. They like films, but they don’t like like films the way I do. Actually I’ve been recommending films to my dad, as my taste grows. For example, he thinks The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is one of Sergio Leone’s worst and I think it's one of the best. I’ve also introduced him to Celine and Julie Go Boating, he was expressionless for most of it, but at the end, he turned to me and said it was excellent. But my mum introduced me to Studio Ghibli, I recently rewatched My Neighbour Totoro and I think it's one of the best kids' movies that is equally important for adults. It's about imagination and the whimsy of being a child. 

Not your typical combo.

Mustard: On the panel, you were asked how you choose what you watch. I was struck that you said trailers and bus sides, which are all pretty typical for any generation. I was expecting more peer-to-peer on TikTok, for example. How much does social media play into film choice?

T - I don’t have TikTok or use reels. I think I’m a little old-fashioned. If I use social media, I’ll use it as an aide. I think you need external advertising to help with visibility. But I like how MUBI use social media; their campaign for Priscilla, for example, was great.

N - I’m the exact opposite of Thomas. I use social media all the time. I’ve actually had to remove TikTok from my phone. I follow about 2,000 people and use it for everything. If someone I’m following recommends a film, I’ll add it to Letterboxd. I follow cinemonica and Hideo Kojima (the video game designer who created Metal Gear); if he talks about a film, I’ll make a note because although he’s not a film critic, I trust his judgement. 

Mustard: How long is your Letterboxd list?

T - 3,000

N - 300

Mustard: Does that give either of you any anxiety?

T - No! It gives us hope. 

Q: On the panel there was a cri de couer for more adventurous programming from cinema operators. There are lots of world and rep cinema screenings that don’t get wide audiences, what could we do to improve visibility and access from your perspective?

T - Just integrate rep into the standard programme more, like The Light Cinema is doing and how Prince Charles has been doing it, treating films as if they are new. (The Light Cinemas has introduced strands of rep cinema into their monthly programmes)

N - You need to advertise it as a new modern film. It makes rep cinema more accessible and popular. When I saw the trailer for After Hours, it immediately made me want to see the film. There’s not so much knowledge about rep cinema because all the current films get all the attention, so it's about seeing it more on social media and talking about it more. It needs developing on social channels.

“it’s not normal people vs. cinephiles” Noa

Mustard: How do you feel about marketers grouping generational behaviour? I.e ‘this is a Gen Z film, etc’.

T - I can understand why it happens, but it oversimplifies taste and is reductionist. It doesn’t actually develop film taste, and advertising should be more inclusive. 

N - When advertising is targeted specifically at only one type, then it cuts you off from wanting to explore other kinds of film types and genres. It shouldn’t be normal people vs cinephiles. It's a mixture. 

Mustard: Recently, industry reports have discussed the rise of audiences under 25 finding arthouse cinema. Does that chime with your experiences?

T - Everything, Everywhere All at Once was an example of that. It's not even my kind of film, but the acclaim it got and the awards really showed how it could connect. I talk about Arthouse Revolution, for me, the pandemic was a catalyst for discovering cinema. I set a target of watching 100 animated films in a year and did it in five months. The pandemic was good because it helped people discover and refine their cinema tastes. It's good to see arthouse companies doing so well. 

N - There is also a shift in thinking that film is not just for entertainment but spreads some really important social messages, and in analysing film, giving it the same attention that we do with art or literature.  I was really surprised with the success of Past Lives; it's a quiet film, and you’re not spoon-fed information. It makes me happy there are these types of films in my generation, and there will be more of them. 

T- It only received 2 Academy nominations, which shows that the Academy still doesn’t recognise these titles. However, it was no.3 on the Sight + Sound List of the Year. 

N - During the pandemic, I started a film scrapbook with reviews and drawings and also discovered I really liked anime. 

(What follows is a wide-ranging conversation about anime and animated films about a mixture of films, including My Life as a Courgette (N: ‘It almost broke me’); Watership Down (T: That is not a kids film) and Princess Mononoke, a clever allegory of the environment.

Watership Down. Not a kids film.

Mustard: Do you think streaming services are a threat to cinema?

N - I’d be sorry if streaming means fewer cinemagoers, but it isn’t the same experience. You can’t equate the two - it's not a day out.

T -Yes, I think it is. Streaming can be positive, but I don’t want it to diminish the cinema. I hope that streaming and cinema can have a peaceful coexistence. 

Mustard: What is a good ticket price? 

N - £5-£6. 

T - I’d say under £10. 

Mustard: if we want to know one thing you think is vital to your cinema habits, what would it be?

T - Make it a mixture of advertising different films

N - Ticket prices. Teenagers are paying for tickets themselves, not like kids when their parents pay. 

Mustard: Who are your go-to directors?

Said in mutual agreement and adoration: ‘Celine Sciamma’ 

Then:

T - Nolan, but he has probably peaked at Oppenheimer (it's unlikely he will ever read this, so we’re keeping it in); Prediction - Yorgos Lanthamos will win best picture, Sofia Coppola - best director currently, like her style. Celine Song, Daniels, Jane Campion, overdue a massive success… Bong Joon-ho

N - I’m obsessed with Emma Seligman, I watched her short Shiva Baby and then the feature. I found it very relatable. And then Bottoms. And I love Ayo Edebiri, she has a great Letterboxd account. (Thomas nods vigorously in agreement). Sean Baker also has a great account.

T - Can I also just say, Damien Chazelle and that Babylon was not that bad. (also unlikely that he will ever read this, so keeping it in too).

Honourable mentions also go to Rachel Senna, Jayne Sherenburg, Elliot Page, and Hunter Schafer, and more visibility in trans actors.

Mustard: What about British filmmakers?

N - Molly Manning Walker. I saw How to Have Sex and would watch anything she does. 

T - He recently died, but you can see his film Passing Time on YouTube - Terence Davies. 

Mustard: And finally, what will you see at the cinema next?

T - Dune 2 (Noa gasps: ‘You must watch this at the cinema’), Kinds of Kindness and, with some luck, the restoration of Abel Gance’s Napoleon by The Cinematheque Francaise in Paris. 

N - Love Lies Bleeding, Driveaway Dolls

Thanks to Noa and Thomas for their time and for being such great guests. 

April 2024

Podcast

The UNIC - International Union of Cinemas- People Programme is an initiative that 'recognises that the ultimate competitive advantage of any organisation lies in its people'. We couldn't agree more so we were thrilled to be invited to host the second episode in the People Programme series.

Leadership takes many forms; we’re often used to seeing one kind from TV and films. If you are channelling Leonardo DiCaprio in Wolf of Wall Street as your alter ego, it may be time to rethink.  The next generation of entrepreneurs and collaborators seeks a more equitable working method. As we stand on the precipice of a divided global world, harmony in the workplace should not be underestimated for a sense of well-being with purpose.

In 2023, Mustard Studio worked with Regent Street Cinema in London to deliver a workshop on their values and brand strategy, followed by some shorter targeted sessions. UNIC invited Mustard and RSC to discuss the process on their newly formed podcast supporting their People Programme.

In the podcast, you can listen to how we went about the project, the objectives and outcomes, and what happens in a values session. The cinema’s approach was refreshingly democratic, bringing their front-of-house staff and the Managing Director, so there was a breadth of voices and experiences around the table.

You can listen to how we went about the project, the objectives and outcomes, and what happens in a values session. The cinema’s approach was refreshingly democratic, bringing their front-of-house staff and the Managing Director, so there was a breadth of voices and experiences around the table.

We are offering podcast listeners the opportunity to 'win' an online brand consultation, which includes a pack of Mustard Studio values cards. All you need to do to win is get in touch via info@mustardstudio.co.uk and let us know what you would like to work on. 

Please email us by April 19th 2024 referencing the UNIC People Programme podcast.

Regent Street Cinema

UNIC People Programme

2023. Listed.

We’ve read all the best film lists and decided to do something a little different with the best list of random categories that we have chosen…

We love a themed evening, and our best party of the year goes to (very apt drumroll) the Everyman Babylon party back in a freezing and damp January in Crystal Palace. Cocktails, burlesque, live music and some very cheeky performers created an immersive experience that was a perfect setting for the film. This might be what audiences are looking for when they say they want more experiences in the cinema.

Babylon Preview + Party at Everyman Crystal Palace

The best film moment of the year arrived in Brixton in June when a short film in homage to Wes Anderson wowed the audiences and, in particular, one mum (Mandy). Asteroid Ritzy written and directed by Noah Kean (Mandy’s son, obvs), starring and crewed by his co-workers at their beloved Ritzy Cinema, is an inventive and fun rollick through a Wes Anderson-inspired day at the cinema when a new employee starts work. Shoutouts particularly to actors Alfred Wales and Barney Pike as the barmen, Monty McDade as Mr McPop, Aurelie Diz for her fabulous production design and of course to Noah for creating this brilliant, comic confection. 

The best in conversation was Greta Gerwig in October when she came to the BFI hosted by Jesse Armstrong. She was utterly delightful, and the audience was enchanted with her, preceding most questions with a declaration of ‘Greta, I love you’. A refreshing Q+A that wasn’t about her ‘vision’ or ‘artistic process’ but a genuinely humble discussion about film, art, women and storytelling that left no audience member behind. 

Greta Gerwig in conversation at the BFI Southbank.

The literary adaptation of the year…has to be Bianca Stitger and Steve Macqueen for Occupied City. The film is out on February 9 2024 and is a chilling documentary based on Stitger’s book, which takes a measured eye to the buildings and streets of Amsterdam and goes behind the door to uncover what happened during World War II. With stories of heroism and treachery, this is one of the most compelling and contemporary pieces of work that links our past with the present. 

Occupied City by Steve McQueen and Bianca Stitger.

Best celebrity spot. Hardly a ‘spot’, but this was pretty eye-boggling when the key cast of The Iron Claw - Zac Efron, Lily James, Harris Dickinson, Jeremy Allen White and director Sean Durkin were in London as part of the promotional tour.  

The Iron Claw Q+A, London.

And finally, the best work moment of the year was during the British Library’s Scale Up for Growth programme, supported by the Arts Council, and hearing established, expert consultants tell us that we’ve got a good thing going on with Mustard.

Sometimes, you just need to be told. 

InventaCinema

This is how most people go to the cinema: enter, buy concessions, go to the screen, sit down and watch. And who can blame them if they don’t consider the cinema build?  Such as what materials were used? How energy-efficient are cinemas? How has cinema design changed? And the answers are usually: brick, not very and not much. 

Until now. 

Because now, there is a new concept for a low-carbon, modular neighbourhood cinema called InventaCinema. This build could revolutionise cinema buildings in the UK because it is a pre-fabricated building with modular components that can scale from a 60-seat to 200 capacity with numerous screens. The kit allows for an entrance foyer, sales points, cafe/bar and back of house. Plus, because of the modular design, it could be used to add to an existing cinema or building and create an additional energy-efficient screen. 

Cinema Architect Stefanie Fischer is the brains behind the concept, and we asked her to tell us more about InventaCinema.

Stefanie Fischer.

Can you talk more about why InventaCinema is needed? Our experience of cinema development is that it is often long, costly (think of any Grand Designs project that goes over budget) and with little energy efficiency in mind.

InventaCinema offers a more affordable approach to providing a cinema than conventional development. This is important, given the slim margins on which many cinemas operate.

InventaCinema could be purchased at an established price and delivered on a turnkey basis. This reduces risk on cost and makes the whole process from inception to completion much more straightforward for clients. This is of particular benefit to first-time and one-off developers of a cinema. The modular and offsite pre-fabrication also reduces programme risk. It sets out to reduce the operating cost of a cinema and, in particular, energy costs. This is critical to the continuing viability and sustainability of neighbourhood cinemas. The renewable energy strategy follows a Mean-Lean-Clean-Green approach.

The cinema auditoria are passively ventilated, removing the need for mechanical ventilation and cooling, which can account for circa 70% of a cinema’s energy use. The structural loads of the floor, wall and roof panels that form the structural envelope are transferred to ground screws rather than conventional concrete foundations. As well as reducing embodied carbon, this creates a void between the floor panels and the ground, which can be used to form a labyrinth through which supply air is drawn. It is attenuated to avoid noise intrusion and heated or cooled using heater batteries before entering the auditorium at a low level. The energy source for the heater batteries is PVs on the cinema's roof; battery storage helps to even out demand. The air is then extracted at a high level and similarly attenuated to avoid noise leakage from the cinema to the neighbourhood.

Are there any cinemas that are already low-energy venues, and what are some of their initiatives?

A trailblazer for sustainable cinemas is Lewes Community Screen at Depot, Lewes. They have shown a strong commitment to sustainability both in the design of the building and its operation. In recognition of this, the cinema won the National Creative Green Award 2020, a National Award for sustainability in the arts that recognises the achievement of the creative community in taking action on climate change. 

Lewes Community Screen is a value-driven organisation. They have appointed a Green Ambassador and invested in staff training. They engage and inspire their audiences with promotions and campaigns. They have developed a Sustainability Plan and Action Plan to address the environmental impact of running a cinema. They promote green transport and display live train and bus times in the foyer. They offer customers locally produced high-quality seasonal food and promote filtered tap water. They have developed a waste management plan.

How has thinking about cinema architecture changed in the last decade?

There has been a trend towards cinemas being more than simply a place to watch films. Newer cinemas are becoming active leisure and social hubs in the neighbourhoods in which they are located. The switch to digital distribution and exhibition has allowed new viable models of small screens to be developed in previously underserved rural, small towns and the periphery of city areas. 

There has been an increased focus on seating comfort standards and sound and image quality.  During my career as a cinema architect, I have replaced the seats up to three times in a given cinema to increase seat centres and seat tier widths as expectations of comfort have changed. It is rare now to install tip-up seats in cinemas and more usual to install ‘Club’ seats, recliners, sofas or armchairs. Because of the growing importance of the food and beverage offered in cinemas, integrating bottle holders and small tables with the seating, rather than just cup holders, has become a key consideration for some operators. There is a much greater focus on inclusivity, including meeting the needs of customers with mobility, visual and aural impairments and accommodating the needs of people with dementia. Sustainability has become a headline consideration for operators, partly because of the energy crisis but also because audiences are increasingly making ethical choices about where to pursue leisure pursuits along with how they travel, what clothes they buy and what they eat and drink. There is much more focus on the customer experience of going to a cinema. 

What can audiences do to help?

Audiences can help in many ways, including:

• supporting their local cinema by choosing to watch films there;

• supporting ethical approaches to developing and operating a cinema that reduces their carbon footprint by choosing to view films in a net zero cinema, choosing to purchase locally sourced food and drink, supporting the availability of filtered tap rather than bottled water, collaborating with a cinema’s recycling and waste management schemes and choosing green forms of transport.

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InventaCinema is a net zero carbon-negative cinema developed through a collaboration between InventaCinema Ltd and Agile Properties and Homes. For more information, go to www.inventacinema.com

Business plans. Painlessly.

Oh man, writing a business plan is hard work. It is a well-known fact that 99.9%* of people put off writing a business plan until the very last moment. You know you're going for a good, weighty piece of work but once completed, may never read it properly again.

Well, we have some good news for you. 

No, we’re not going to write it for you, and no doubt there is already an AI programme out there that will. So maybe check that out. 

Katherine Hepburn with good life/business advice.

But, we do have a way to approach it that we like. So, you can’t get out of writing one because they are necessary; you have to know your business inside and out, and if you’re going for investment, then you need to be able to answer every gnarly question, which you’ll be able to because you put the work into your business plan. 

To help you get there, we suggest breaking it down into chunks; this is where the strategic business vision comes in. We work with many organisations with a long business plan but find that they don’t reflect on it or even refer to it, and we believe that breaking it down can often help the team approach it in a way that will make it more memorable. Sometimes, this can be used for documents outside of the mother business plan and can be helpful to test out projects. 

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PURPOSE - What are your vision, mission and values? These guiding principles for your purpose and help shape the decisions you will make later on.

GOALS - Usually, we work on around four of these to keep the vision on track. Any more than four can feel overwhelming, and the principle idea of an SBV is to make your outcomes manageable.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS - Quite simply, what does success look like? If you aim to create better business processes, your critical success factor might be some operational how-to’s. 

STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING OBJECTIVES - What will make the goals happen? More resources, or if you’re a solopreneur, is it coaching support?

SWOT - Always a good idea to look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

Finally, (nearly there) - KPI and IMPLEMENTATION - What performance indicators help you know you’ve achieved your goal? And what is the timeline for implementation?

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The beauty of SBVs is their ability to be versatile and nimble, which businesses need. Keeping a topline document like this means that you can review it regularly. 

There are lots of examples online for SBVs, and you will find that you can create them for every department, which can also be helpful if you are building up your business with a team of people. 

Good Luck!

*Not a scientifically proven fact. 

I Live in Cinema.

I Live In Cinema - thank you, Agnes Varda, for your wonderful quote. We Live In Cinema too!

KINO WOLF, BERLIN

Berlin has a long cinematic history from the 1920s when it was the scene for film artists such as Fritz Lang and Ernst Lubitsch who created powerful and timeless classics. For a recreation of that time check out Babylon Berlin, the German neo-noir TV series set in the latter years of the Weimar Republic. 

Cool is as cool does. Wolf opened its doors by blending a mix of great films, a cute very Berlin cafe and music events. Founded by Verena Von Stackelberg, it’s also one of the rare cinemas that is run by a woman.

RIO DALSTON, LONDON

The Rio has a rich history stretching back over 112 years.
The original building was an auctioneer's shop owned by a pioneering businesswoman called Clara Ludski. She converted it into one of London's very first cinemas in 1909 and called it the Kingsland Palace of Animated Pictures, this early silent cinema was designed by a young W.E. Trent, who went on to be the in-house architect for Gaumont Cinemas. The new fad for moving pictures proved so popular in Dalston that Clara bought up the properties on each side of the building and commissioned the architect George Coles to design a spectacular purpose-built picturehouse.

No stranger to the Best Cinema in London lists, the Rio is a genuine institution. It’s the kind of place where you end up making friends by watching cult films and then staying up until 2 am to talk about it.

METROGRAPH, NEW YORK

Metrograph NYC, is an independent movie theater opened in 2016 at 7 Ludlow Street focusing on rare archival screenings (35mm and digital), special premieres, and Q&As. Metrograph NYC includes a restaurant, The Commissary, bookstore, and Candy Store.

Loved from afar, we had already fallen for the consistent branding, the sense of purpose, a beautiful Instagram account and the Jack Lemmon salad on the menu but what’s really gotten our attention is the faultless attention to the programme. Their picks are inspired from the classic to the unexpected and obscure. A film lover’s treat. Where do we sign up for Metrograph in London?