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 linked to the developer's web site, and specialized motion-sensing technology. These were linked to the theater's digital projector.