Fandango Eyes the Future of Movie Going

Ahead of the Academy Awards this weekend in Tinseltown, PCMag went to Fandango to chat about the future of moviegoing.

Though information technology started in online film ticket sales—it has most threescore meg monthly visitors and covers 28,000 screens in the US—Fandango is also domicile to Rotten Tomatoes, Flixster, picture show-streaming service M-Go (rebranded FandangoNOW), Movieclips.com, as well as Cinepapaya and Ingresso in Latin America.

Founded in 2000, Fandango is no longer a startup, simply the atmosphere at its headquarters feels like one. In the lobby, there'due south a framed fan fine art quote of "Life moves pretty fast" from Ferris Bueller's Day Off and a real-time information feed visualization showing which tickets have just been purchased and where. In case yous're curious, between 09:57 and x:07 a.m. PT on Feb. 13, it was caput-to-head betwixt The Lego Batman Movie and Fifty Shades Darker—mostly concentrated in the Chicago area—which is a securely scary insight into midday moving picture ticket buying impulses in the Midwest.

While well-nigh of Fandango's senior direction team have worked at Disney and other studios, they are by and large geeks who dearest movies rather than Hollywood types struggling to grasp the madness of the digital landscape. President Paul Yanover has a Masters in Computer Science from USC and CTO Braxton Woodham served in the Us Air Force and was Pb Propulsion Engineer for two NASA Atlas missions.

CMO Adam Rockmore sat downwardly with PCMag to talk Oscars, Comic-Con slap downs, and how Fandango is helping a whole new generation understand the mystery that is Keanu Reeves.

Firstly, you joined Fandango in 2022 afterward stints equally an entertainment executive at ABC Television Network and Scripps Networks (Nutrient Network, HGTV). What brought you lot hither?
It was an interesting experience being in the soaps and talk show business at ABC, but information technology was linear TV and I wanted more than of a digital-and-Hollywood slash what's-next role. Plus President Paul Yanover had joined non long before I did and I liked his vision, could see the potential of the brand; not just a 'ticketer' just 'all things movies.'

Isn't information technology true to say that Fandango is also extending movies beyond the mad nuance for opening weekend tickets? We could employ the career of Keanu Reeves every bit an example to illustrate this point.
Why non? You first (laughs).

Gauntlet thrown. Hither goes. Scenario: someone sees John Wick Chapter ii and, apart from the sheer catharsis of the experience, is blown abroad—pun intended—by Keanu Reeves. S/He goes to Fandango…
I similar this scenario already.

...where you lot've helpfully provided an all things Keanu page.
We call it the 'Keanu Reeves Overview.'

Skillful annotation. And so, due to the magic of digital innovation and the ability to query a database linked to a ticketing engine and real-time listings feed, 1 can encounter if anything from his dorsum catalog, like The Matrix, or Bill & Ted's First-class Adventure, is showing at a movie theater near you, or streaming via FandangoNOW. Plus you can also capture intent to see John Wick Affiliate three, rumored to be on the Studio slate.
My lips are sealed on No. 3. Just yeah, we've done a lot of piece of work on analyzing how fans consume picture info, and how to organize our content so they can take a deeper dive right from the first clip preview, eight months out, to opening weekend, and across.

Non certain how to put this, but Fandango is way cooler than information technology used to be. Your on-air talent has been spotted doing on-prepare visits for behind-the-scenes action on location, hanging out at SXSW, and other indie film festivals and then on.
(Laughs) It's truthful. We like to think nosotros've moved across a purely utilitarian transactional phase. Through the Rotten Tomatoes acquisition, nosotros provide reviews and commentary, and as you pointed out, in that location's FandangoNOW. In the past year nosotros've been promoting organic ticketing seamlessly within social streams, via contextual bots, and too inside apps like Snapchat. We too get to say give thanks you lot via special screenings and fan rewards to our Fandango VIP members.

What's the deal with your slap-downs at Comic-Con?
Yes, we do an outcome there chosen 'Your Opinion Sucks,' our Rotten Tomatoes critics on a dais, Grae Drake co-hosting on a podium, instigating violent argue between critics and fans about what'south best in movies. Information technology's proved very pop.

Back to the bots, as Fandango is revealing its geek side, how long earlier you lot first to apply A.I. and predict intent?
You mean suggest movies yous'd like to see based on segmentation and preferences? We're heading in that direction, but I can't tell you anymore than that.

Finally, what or who are you rooting for this weekend at the Academy Awards?
Due to my job, I tin can't play favorites, simply I can tell yous that we work with all the studios and the majority of the Oscar Best Picture nominees are now screening on FandangoNOW, including Arrival.

Good to know. Cheers for talking with the states today, Adam.
Encounter you at the movies.

Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/business/14153/fandango-eyes-the-future-of-movie-going

Posted by: damianoupinedegs.blogspot.com

Share this post