The cinema of the future can be a very confusing experience for the first few minutes. Where there used to be a silver screen, there’s now a display, as tall and wide as a block of flats. Where there used to be red curtains, there’s only deep black. And the cinema seats upholstered in red velvet are gone too. A popcorn crumb on the floor recalls the good old days. But sweep all that pessimism about the future aside: films are stories made of images in very rapid succession, and with movement, scent and the now-standard third dimension, you suddenly get a holistic event in four dimensions (even if you do feel a little seasick at first).
It works …
… like this: first you’re wrapped in darkness, with no reflections and no dust particles dancing in the projector beam. Sound comes from every direction. When a spaceship flies out of the picture, brakes just in front of your nose, flies past and disappears off the right-hand edge, you can still pinpoint the thing by ear afterwards. Everywhere, with uncanny precision. Then a star storm blows up, and with the thunder and the comets, the auditorium and your seat shake; crash through the atmosphere and the wind brushes your face; fall through the clouds and water droplets wet your skin. By now, if not before, you’d be well advised to have a raincoat. And when the smell of burnt-out brake blocks rises to your nose, you’ve arrived in the 4D world. Sounds like science fiction, but it isn’t: perhaps not exactly as described above, but following the same principle, cinemas in Austria and Germany are converting to 4D as well. The seats move with the film sequences and the scent in the auditorium is matched to the story. Spray, snowflakes and wind are the icing on the cake.
Films smell…
Scent marketing as part of the overall experience at the cinema may still be in its infancy, but the psychology behind it is unique: olfactory moments have been shown to stay in the memory for longer. The experience itself takes on an emotional note, and the way you feel and empathise with certain situations is triggered. You “experience” the story at the cinema rather than just watching it. Which inevitably raises the question: where can I experience this? In Austria, there are 4D cinemas at the Hollywood Megaplex in the Gasometer and in St. Pölten, at the Metropol Multiplexx in Innsbruck, at the Cineplexx in Graz and in many other cities. For an average of five euros on top of the regular ticket price.
Fragrant events…
Come together, be together - events naturally bring lots of people together. Targeted scent marketing increases how long people stay, their ability to learn and their readiness to communicate. That makes not only the organiser happy, but the guests too. Neuroscience calls this “multisensory enhancement”: each additional, well-integrated sense multiplies the effect tenfold. In other words: one scent, ten times the effect in your head. The impression is positive, the memory stays. Whether it’s a concert, a corporate event or indeed a trip to the cinema.
Fragrant 4D cinema is the future
