My friend, Tim Sinnaeve, director of Barco Residential, has a way with words. He also has a passion for private cinema and luxury experiences in general. We share a quest to express both those passions to others to provide more people the opportunity to also share in these pleasures. Tim often quips, “People don’t want to buy a projector from me, they want to acquire what happens as a result of owning that projector.” Tim is speaking of the experience nonpareil found only in a luxury private cinema. The question remains, however, how many truly know that experience?

For those of us in the industry who seek to advance the private cinema, it is a relevant question that we must ask of ourselves. Do we really know that experience? Is our spirit elevated when we participate, be it a demonstration or personal use, in a private cinema experience? Can we effectively share that experience enthusiastically? And what of our audience, the clientele we seek to serve. How many truly understand the advantages and benefits a luxury private cinema can have for them? Without that awareness, it is a tough sale.

A good place to start is with the definition of luxury. A topic covered in my January 2022 Residential Systems column (“Luxury Redux”). To summarize the relevant information, luxury as a designation has become ambiguous. Products and services that bear little resemblance to bespoke, highly developed, and deeply satisfying amenities like a private cinema are commonly referred to as luxury items. Such “pop luxury” items and mentality run contrary to the objective of setting high value on what we do and can provide for our clientele. More tellingly, it runs contrary to what clientele of true luxury will value.

As noted in “Luxury Redux,” true luxury clientele seek a superior functionality (inherent quality), superior experience (elevating, transcendent, inspiring, lasting), and personal significance (deeply and personally meaningful). Such authentic luxury resonates with the true luxury clientele. Conversely, that group will disregard pop luxury as common and undesirable.

True luxury clients are accustomed to making acquisitions of superior quality and expect only such offerings from trusted suppliers. Offering lesser options is not the norm in highly esteemed luxury categories. However, our industry has adopted it as a habit. An often-cited dealer strategy is to offer three solutions — a good option that is likely below the client’s expectations but good enough to get by, a better option that would likely meet those expectations but would not be a stretch, and a third option that is called “best” but is considered by the consultant a “moon shot” and unlikely to be selected.

We have done the same thing in the past but found it to be detrimental when serving true luxury clientele. This “good, better, best” strategy is not effective in helping a client discover what is possible and instead focuses on price. It is not luxury sales.

Many will object to the above reasoning, pointing to conventional sales wisdom of qualifying and budgets. Again, habit has our industry confusing these distinct subjects and restricting not only our opportunity but, more importantly, our clients’ possibilities to a limited set of options.

Let’s talk about qualifying. How are we defining and applying that term? If we mean discovering the level of a client’s interest and his or her perceived value of our services as we provide them, that is a good starting point. If, however, our approach to answering these questions is to determine a budget, the relationship has gotten off to a bad start.

Some will also ask how to get around the budget discussion. The answer is, we don’t. However, to set a budget without adequate information is, at minimum, counterproductive. An honest approach is the best policy. The variables and potential range are too great for any kind of ballpark figure to be accurate, and an inaccurate monetary figure, either too high or too low, is a mistake that many times cannot be overcome. The best answer is to explain that creating the budget to provide everything needed to assure their expectations are met is something you take seriously. You will provide that for them once those expectations are defined. That is done through a process of discovery and conceptual design and is part of your scope. It should never be done without a professional fee. Remember this: our luxury clientele can afford whatever they deem to be important to them. Our job is to help them to understand what that is and make sure we have accurately determined what is required to deliver their satisfaction without fail.

The process of selling true luxury private cinemas to authentic luxury clientele may seem intimidating. It is not the same as sales in any other market. It requires the ability to truly deliver at that level and a commitment to fully serve that clientele. What works in other markets works against us in a true luxury market. In addition, the luxury private cinema category is not well recognized by luxury clientele in comparison to equivalent acquisitions that they customarily pursue. A good example is luxury automobiles. Like the generic home theater, everyone knows what a car is. The difference? There is no confusion between a Prius and a Phantom. Without consumer awareness of the differences, advantages, and value, selling luxury private cinema is more difficult than it should be.

This is why it is so important to build a community of enthusiasts and why I founded The Cinema Connoisseur. It’s well past time to take a cue from our counterparts in the yacht and luxury jewelry industries and do what they do in Monaco and Basel, Switzerland — invite the audience to the show. Luxury private cinema is the experience nonpareil! Imagine how good it could be if the audience could be listening!

This article was originally published on Residential Systems on January 11, 2023.

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It was a great privilege to participate in the recent CE Pro Podcast with Academy Award Nominated Sound Designer Erik Aadahl, Definitive Audio CEO Sean Skelley, Kaleidescape Director of Content Operations Luke O’Brien, and hosted by Jason Knott. Erik Aadahl was the Supervising Sound Editor and Sound Designer for A Quiet Place.

What made it so special is the synergy of kindred spirits coming together to share about what is truly important in what we do. Whether that is creating or curating the art, the environment, or the technology, we share what matters most.

Meaningful and emotionally elevating entertainment and beautiful shared experiences. Once that “fine wine” is experienced, nothing less will do. I invite you all to this lively conversation and then become inspired to “share the wine!”

The post Panel Discussion: The Importance of Sound in Movies like A Quiet Place appeared first on Paradise Theater.

The late Steve Jobs, when asked about the key to Apple’s success, credited their success to Apple’s collaborative culture. Teamwork, trust and combined talent created a milieu of innovation and excellence. A fusion of virtuosity. If we are to offer the best to those we seek to serve, what better model, what better vision? If you are one of those seeking private cinema expertise, what better than a team of maestros to bring your vision to reality?

Either way, Building The Best Team will provide valuable insight as to what your “A-Team” will need to succeed!

A Hui Ho,

Sam

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Oh, I understand.  Not every prospective client who comes our way is asking for the very best.  Even those who can afford it.  So we carry on offering the conventional wisdom of budget consciousness and competitive value as responsible business owners and service providers of home entertainment services.  Uh, did this last sentence bore you as much as it did me?

We are stumbling down a ramp of commoditization to a predetermined destiny of mediocrity! Wake up!  It does not have to be that way!  Other passion investment industries lead with luxury and reap the rewards.  These have created for themselves and their clientele a superior state and are living that dream destiny today!  It is a future entirely within our reach.  But only if we are willing to live for it.

I hope you enjoy the article, are challenged, and choose to join me in living an audaciously excellent destiny we create. 

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In home theater, as in much of life these days, that type of transformative experience is all but abandoned.  Why?  Likely because it is unavailable or at least hard to come by.  Instead, our movies vie for our attention with cooking, commotion, phone calls, and the like. Just another way to consume time in a multi-tasking world. 

Maybe if stories about those private cinema owners who have discovered the joys of sharing such transformative times with loved ones were told, the value of dedicating their theater space, as well as their attention and time to the purpose of creating special moments with loved ones would be appreciated.  

There is a lot to appreciate about a great private cinema.  There is a lot to appreciate about the movies.  But the greatest benefit is shared by both.  The movies, it is said, are the art form best appreciated because of their effect on the audience.  A private cinema’s effect is in bringing that audience together.  An admirable effect indeed!

Read about Cinema Connoisseur®, a community that will share and inspire the stories that will restore the romance of the cinema, and bring it home.

The post Romancing the Cinema appeared first on Paradise Theater.

My point?  Where would a private cinema enthusiast go to share their passion?  If that enthusiast were an integrator, the answer is CEDIA.  If a film industry pro, producer, director, sound designer, or engineer, working in the production of theatrically-released motion pictures, there is the Academy. Rare air indeed!  But where would one who has or is interested in a fine private cinema go to share a passion and explore possibilities?  For now, there is no such place.  Many tell me it isn’t feasible.

The quote? “If you build it, they will come”. In “Field of Dreams” it was about baseball. They came for the love of the game. They did come. For us, it is about our own community. A community filled with passion, talent, and excellence. It’s time.  Let’s come together, build a real community of enthusiasts, share our passion, and raise our game. Let’s remember that great private cinema and excellence are worth the effort. Then let’s share it with the audience, while they’re still listening. 

A Hui Ho,

Sam

The post Building A Private Cinema Community appeared first on Paradise Theater.

For private cinema and the movie industry, there are parallels and deviations.  For the movie industry, upheaval rules the day.  Theaters have been closed, the public is hesitant to go, the cineplex experience was already not very good and streaming (and other competing entertainment options) has taken a big bite out of the pie.  Private cinema, aka “home theater”, suffers from a bad case of mistaken identity, where in extreme cases a personal communication device serves the purpose and in most cases, the experience falls far short of even the most basic cineplex.  However, on the upside, there has never been greater potential for the best cinematic experience ever in our client’s homes.  The important similarity is that the stage is set for significant change and the opportunity exists for great improvement and resurgence of public interest. 

If we as professionals or consumers are going to experience this residential cinema renaissance (and possibly a reawakening of the romance of cinema in general!) we need to make good choices.  The linked article “A Residential Cinema Renaissance” outlines those choices and serves as an encouragement for movie lovers to embrace a truly great experience for themselves and their families and an exhortation to professionals to be modern-day influencers heralding a residential cinema renaissance through an uncompromising commitment to excellence.

Aloha,

Sam

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I am no JS Bach, but one theme I am committed to is the pursuit of perfection.  At Paradise Theater we call it “Excellence Always”.  My latest riff on that theme is the article “Planning in the Pursuit of Perfection”.  The prompting for this article is twofold.  First is the continuation of clients and consultants asking us, “When should we contact Paradise Theater?”  Unfortunately, this question is often asked after the ideal stage in the planning process.  The next reason is a continuing trend, specifically in our industry, to ask our clientele to choose between convenience and performance.  Truth is, there is no reason to choose.  Planned properly, a private cinema will provide the greatest convenience and the Experience Nonpareil! 

I hope this little ditty inspires some perfect choices!

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In this article, I had the opportunity to interview a number of colleagues who share a belief that we don’t have to settle for a diluted form of the cinematic experience.  That in fact, getting the good stuff is worth extra effort and, yes, investment.  That settling for compressed formats on small screens (anyone see the iPhone ad that touts movie downloads?  “How is that possible?” she says.  “Why is it possible?” we should all ask!) and tiny speakers is like hearing Mozart in an elevator, drinking a Château Lafite Rothschild wine-cooler in a paper cup and viewing the Sistine Chapel on your phone.  

We stand at a crossroads.  One path leads to an industry that delivers excellence and an audience that desires quality, the other road is to a place where neither is recognized.   

The post Quality Content is the ‘Fine Wine’ of Private Cinema appeared first on Paradise Theater.

I hope you enjoy this article and it spurs many of us to action, doing what we can to keep the excitement of the cinematic experience alive and the quality of that experience high, both at home and ultimately back in the public theaters. And in the art form itself, inspiring the film industry to push the art to continue producing works that will be worthy of extraordinary private cinemas and premium public cinemas!

See you at the movies!

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