WRITTEN BY DONNIE RUST

Cinema will always offer something more to me than that which 3D home entertainment systems will. Technology is claiming to bring the big screen to the little one but it will never be able to replace the excitement of a truly big silver screen. There is something historic about a gathering of people being entertained together. We used to watch Gladiators and Lions in the Arena, we watched thespians on stage performing, we watch sport this form of entertainment is as intrinsically part of the international culture as anything else.

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“Nu Metro Cinemas

is a progressive

cinema business

with a true focus on delivering

a premium entertainment

experience,” he opens up, “For us

the focus has to be on impressing

the customer and ensuring

satisfaction.”

Nu Metro Cinemas is

arguably one of the most

frequented cinema chains in

South Africa and with good

reason. Representing in South

Africa 20th Century Fox, Walt

Disney Pictures (video), Warner

Bros, New Line Cinema and

Bollywood Films, since their

inception in 1987, Nu Metro has

taken the approach of turning

a movie going experience into

something beyond that of simply

watching a film. Their cinemas

have become a destination of

choice and are always impressive

and stylized, their booking

procedures the most advanced

and up to date. They were one of

the first cinema chains in South

Africa to have a full functioning

website in the early nineties and

the first to open an all-digital

cinema complex at Emperors

Palace in Johannesburg on the

1st December 2001.

The use of social media and

the smart move of incorporating

the latest media news from

affiliate TimesLIVE to keep the

busy socialites of South Africa

on their website www.numetro.co.za has turned Nu Metro’s online

presence into something more than a mere mechanism to view and

book upcoming attractions. It has created a loyal culture of Nu Metro

Fans from the youth of South Africa who prefer it to the other cinema

options in the country. Unique promotions, event hosting and a knack

for knowing what people want is what identifies Nu Metro as the

premier standard of cinema entertainment.

South Africa is well known for approaching the entertainment

industry with a precision strategy of leaving nothing to chance and

Nu Metro is an example of this in action. So much of their approach

occurs behind the scenes and one of the key areas is the training of

their staff and the businesses they choose to work with.

As far as staffing is concerned training is ongoing and eclectic,

drawing on the best training systems available to ensure that all the

staff on the kiosk, the floor and within the cinemas have the same goal

in mind.

Verifying this was our secret customer, Indian Ocean body

boarder and photographer Bryan Paynter who we sent to Nu Metro

Cinemas by Littlegate Publishing on a fact finding mission. This is

what he responded with:

NU METRO CINEMAS

What the cinema industry is doing is updating itself. 3D cinemas were just a come and go fad thirty years ago but the technology has developed and our culture has become more expectant of these advancements to our entertainment. To keep up to date with present movements and to be in the best position to take advantage of the next genre shifting change there was no better person to speak with than General Manager of Nu Metro Cinemas, Luke Roberts.

Endeavour Magazine | 81

projection.

As part of this digital

conversion Barco has also

offered the use of three 3D

sound systems. Called Auro,

these 3 systems are 3 of only

150 in the world and give

you the most unparrelled

immersive sound experience.

Auro is due for installation

at the NuMetro complexes

in Hyde Park Johannesburg,

Pavilion in Durban and at the V

& A Waterfront in Cape Town in

January 2014.

Comfort At Its BestIn addition to these exciting

technology changes, Nu Metro

is introducing a new VIP cinema

concept called Scene. Selected

screens in these complexes have

been refurbished with luxurious

fully reclining leather chairs,

offering plenty of space to watch

your movie in ultimate comfort.

“Our VIP offering, Scene,

is the first of its kind in South

Africa,” Luke explains, “And

is a concept that has worked

extremely well overseas as it

offers that extra value for money

and that extra sense of luxury

and presence.”

Scene also boasts its own

exclusive lounge where you can

relax and enjoy a drink from

the bar ranging from alcoholic

beverages to fresh fruit juice,

tea’s or coffee’s. Delicious light

meals are also available from

our exclusive menu, offering

NU METRO CINEMAS

“It’s always a treat to visit a Nu Metro Cinema as they seem to go

out of their way to make it a big deal that you’re going to the cinema,”

he says, “The staff are helpful and always happy to help. The kiosks

are stocked with a variety of condiments, the seats are comfortable

and well spaced so you’re not sitting against anyone. One of the things

often not noticed until you arrive is how clean Nu Metro Cinemas are,

the air is always fresh and it is as if everything has just recently been

cleaned.”

Attention to detail is something that Nu Metro takes very

seriously.

Entering The Digital EraExciting changes have been happening at NuMetro Cinemas that

will bring a world class cinema experience to all its complexes in time

for the December holidays which falls within the combined Christmas

and Summer holidays in South Africa. This is a time of sunshine, of

frolicking and when family outings serve to create lifelong memories.

By the end of November 2013 all 149 of the projectors at

NuMetro will be 100% digital, meaning their customers will now get

the latest world class sound and visual experience as provided by

their Belgium equipment partners Barco - the world leaders in cinema

specialised, freshly prepared

gourmet sandwiches, burgers

platters and decadent desserts.

For those with a sweet tooth and

an eye on tradition, a wide range

of confectionary popcorn and

soda is still available.

Conclusively, through the

pro-active assimilation of new

technologies and ideas and the

day-to-day focus on customer

satisfaction and communication

through their impressive online

presence Nu Metro will continue

to grow. Their rate of expansion

as exploded over the last decade

rising to 25 cinemas country

wide, with Nu Metro cinemas

appearing in all major retail parks

and malls to position themselves

in the right place to take

advantage of the entertainment-

hungry South Africa. But this

rapid growth has not come at the

cost of customer enjoyment but

rather because of it. And, with

this in mind, Nu Metro is as South

African as takkies, Savannah and

biltong.

“We will continue to innovate

our offering so that South

Africans get the world class

cinema offering they deserve,”

Luke concludes.

rcctrading.co.za // info@rcctrading.co.za

Projector Equipment •

Network & Storage Equipment • Sound

Equipment • 2D Screens • 3D Screens, Polarizers

& Glasses • Confectionary Equipment For All Sizes Of

Cinemas • Displays (Poster Boxes, Etc) • Ice Machines (Scotzman)

“It’s always a treat to visit a Nu Metro Cinema as they seem to go out of their way to make it a big deal that you’re going to the cinema. The staff are helpful and always happy to help. The kiosks are stocked with a variety of condiments, the seats are comfortable and well spaced so you’re not sitting against anyone. One of the things often not noticed until you arrive is how clean Nu Metro Cinemas are, the air is always fresh and it is as if everything has just recently been cleaned.”

NU METRO CINEMAS

0027 11 340 9300

WWW.NUMETRO.CO.ZA

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