09/01/2003

Set up by France’s National Film Centre, Webcinédi, an online cinema attendance monitoring system, has got off to an excellent start.
Around one third of all French cinemas and almost all the major exhibitors, as well as distributors, now use the system because it allows them to analyse market trends virtually in real time.
Prior to Webcinédi, the CNC relied on something like 600,000 attendance sheets where the amount of money that the exhibitors’ support fund owed each single exhibitor were compiled manually causing huge delays. So the decision was made to go for Webcinéma.
The system really took off in a big way during the second half of 2002 after the UGC circuit signed on in May, followed in October by EuroPalaces, who manage all Gaumont and Pathé theatres. Webcinédi was also adopted by theatrical programmers Sagec-Ciné 32, an umbrella organisation that represents 167 exhibitors and 277 independents in 2,200 theatres. Currently around 60 per cent of all attendance sheets are dealt with through the Webcinédi system.
Distributors soon realised the significance of Webcinédi: it meant instant analysis of any given film’s performance; screening-by-screening and at different ticket prices.
In July 2002 Gaumont Buena Vista International began a series of tests to see how best Webcinédi could be integrated with BVI’s IT system. Bac Distribution, Mars Distribution, Opening Distribution and SND announced they intend combining Cinédi with Global Movie, the film distribution management system they use.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

(Translated from French)