ADVERTISING INITIATIVES
Exhibitors are keen to expand advertising revenues but must do so in ways that do not diminish tl1e theater experience. Revenues are generated from advertisements both on- and off-screen. Off-screen advertising such as promotional videos, lobby events, and sponsored concession promotions bring in 9 percent of revenues. The majority, 91 percent, comes from on-screen ads for companies, upcoming releases, and products that play before the feature presentation. Both exhibitors and advertisers seek ways to make on-screen ads more palatable to audiences. Many ads are produced in 30 with a production quality rivaling a studio release. Theaters are also incorporating innovative technologies. Such as crowd gaming into ads where the movement or sound of tl1e audience controls on-screen actions.ln October of 2008. Audiences in the UK attending Disney's Ratatouille "drove" an on-screen Volvo XC70 through an obstacle-laden course, waving their arms while scoring points for avoiding
Obstacles.Results was ranked in real-time to audiences in other theaters. The equipment required? A wireless video camera placed above the screen, a web-enabled laptop containing the game li11ked to the developer's web site, and specialized motion-sensing technology. These were linked to the tl1eater's digital projector.