As someone who lives close to the area, I’ve been a regular at Cinemapolis since my high school days. So, when I saw that the Rose Scholars would be given a tour of the theater, I jumped at the chance.

Manager Brett Bossard gave a thorough tour and presentation of the cinema and its inner mechanisms. What I found most interesting was his explanation of the differences between saturated market release and “platforming.”

The saturation method of release would be the method used for movies played in theaters such as Regal Cinemas, in which large film marketing companies invest in advertisement and build up anticipation for a certain movie, an example of one of these movies being Batman vs. Superman. We would see during the week of the release a high grossing box office, but these sales would sharply plummet during the second week. This is due to the movie being designed for mass appeal and not critic appeal and the poor ratings driving customers away.

Platforming is considered to be the opposite of the saturation method, and the movies are designed for critic appeal. They are typically marketed by smaller independent film companies or branches from larger companies specifically designed to find critically-acclaimed movies, such as Fox Searchlight. A film would first be shown to critics in select theaters in larger cities such as New York and Los Angeles and, upon receiving good reviews from the critics and thus garnering buzz and anticipation from the moviegoers, would then be released to other cities, and then to smaller regions like Ithaca. The movies released would be the typical “Oscar-worthy film,” and these are the films shown in Cinemapolis.

As a movie addict, I typically get my fix from what Cinemapolis has to offer.

Last weekend I went to the Cinemapolis tour event. I have been to Cinemapolis a few times during other Rose events, and every time was great, so I was thrilled to hear about the tour.

It was really interesting to learn more about the history of the theater. It turns out Cinemapolis resulted from the merger of two different theaters and became non-profit. Because it is a non-profit theater commissioned by the city, they decided to show foreign films and films from film festivals. There is a division of Fox called  Fox Searchlight that specializes these types of films. The marketing and distribution varies from big commercial films in that not as much money is not spent on promotion before the release, but instead the film is seen by test audiences and critics, and interest is spread by word of mouth.

The presenter also talked about the recent transition in the industry from physical film to digital movies. This has made distribution of movies faster, easier and cheaper. And with it the projectors have also changed. The projectors at cinemapolis can be programmed to play pre-feature programming and the accompanying film at certain times. I was vaguely aware of the switch to digital because I heard that the Hateful Eight movie was on film, but it was nice to really learn about the transition and how it affected an actual theater.

Last weekend I went on the tour of cinemapolis, which was both interesting and educational. I hadn’t realized how recent our conversion from film to digital was – I thought that the film reels that cinematographers had to slice together and run through reels was a thing of the ancient past, something you only saw in a movie about the 1950’s. It surprised me a lot to find out that only in the last few years have companies pushed for a transition to all digital. I had always wondered how the movies in the theater worked, like where the image came from and if someone had to be monitoring a projector. It was really cool to learn that now all someone in the theater has to do is essentially create a playlist and program in times for each movie, which has been previously downloaded, to play. I had never been to cinemapolis before, or really any theater like it, and it was really interesting to see the difference between a nonprofit theater devoted to continuation of an art form and a blockbuster theater that charges you $14 for a popcorn. The tour was very interesting and though I had some qualms about the types of movies they show I was glad I went.

As a big fan of independent movies Cinemapolis has been on my radar since I arrived at Cornell last semester. However, it wasn’t until last weekend that I finally got the chance to not only see a film there but to learn about how the theater works. Cinemapolis is a theater that specializes in independent and foreign films. Due to the way that distribution works for films in general, Ithaca gets many independent films a few weeks after they arrive in theaters that are located in major cities like Chicago or Los Angeles.

From the moment I walked in and saw the posters for upcoming films like Everybody Wants Some!!! or Green Room I was impressed. The theater reminds me of the IFC Center in the village. The even more astonishing thing happened when I saw the projector, which is now completely digital and needs little human interface to work. When manager Brian Bossard discussed how exactly the theater gets its films I realized how little I know about the movie theater business. It’s funny, all these years of practically immersing myself in the world of film and I never bothered to learn how a company acquires the right to distribute a film or how indie film companies work with art-house theaters like Cinemapolis.

I also got a chance to see the film Demolition, directed by Jean-Marc Valee (Dallas Buyer’s Club) and starring Jake “Donnie Darko” Gyllenhaal. While the film is not perfect, it did manage to balance black comedy and drama pretty darn well. All of the performances were good but I still have a bone to pick with Chris Cooper, the actor who plays Phil in the film. For the last few movies I’ve seen him in he plays a New Yorker but still sounds like what people from the Midwest think New Yorkers sound like. Yes, it’s a nitpick but it just keeps getting on my nerves, I know he can afford a voice coach or something. All in all, I give the film a Matinee, Gyllenhaal gives a standout performance and the movie has a decent message about moving on after tragedy.

*The title to this post is not exactly my most creative but I’m tired so it will have to work.

Saturday I went on the tour of Cinemoplis in the commons. I have never toured a cinema before, so it was really cool to have this opportunity. Our tour guide showed us around and talked a lot about the history of the theatre which was very interesting. I didn’t know Cinemoplis was a non profit organization, but it makes sense. Their main goal is to bring new smaller films that have messages and themes to the public. They also encourage use of their theater for educational programs and community use. Knowing this, I will encourage others to see films here and to support our local community.

My favorite part of the tour was seeing the old projectors that were used up until only a few years ago, with the 35mm film. We also got to see the new projectors, and it is amazing how much projector technology has improved! I didn’t know they had a special cartridge now for movies, and I found it interesting how some people were upset that film was no longer used. (According to our tour guide, using film is more artistic). I hope everyone goes out and checks out Cinemoplis sometime before they graduate! The movie I watched on Saturday was hilarious (Hello, My Name is Doris), and the cinema makes an effort to play films that the younger generation would be interested. I will definitely be headed back soon!

Today, I went to one of my favorite Rose Scholar events: a tour of Cinemapolis!

I had been there once, during Hispanic Heritage month last year to see Cantinflas (a Latin American film) and immediately knew there was something special about that place. You walk in and see some cute little tables on the right where you can sit and talk to friends or strangers while you wait for the movie, or even after the movie to discuss it! At what other movie theaters do you see space that promotes interaction and conversation?

Cinemapolis is special for many more reasons. Unlike most theaters, this one is not commercial; it is of a non-profit organization called, “The 7th Art.” When space below the garage opened, there was talk of making it into a movie theater and something like Regal (at Ithaca Mall) was being considered. However, this non profit and community members got together to fundraise and be able to have the space for Cinemapolis and spread the love of cinematography to the greater Ithaca community. They are passionate about the types of movies they show, different from the ones you will find at commercial movie theaters as they get the films from independent distributors. As a non-profit, they make sure to engage community-groups to share the space with them. That’s how I ended up there the first time. 🙂

So next time you’re in the Commons, head on over to Cinemapolis and live out the cinematic experience they have to offer.

Thank you Cinemapolis for bringing together strangers to have this shared experience!