EVENT Cinemas (SKYCITY Cinemas)

Event Cinemas (previously SKYCITY Cinemas) wanted to provide a fast, convenient method of online ticket purchase, while providing better options to choose or compare session times and viewing options.

The range of different viewing experiences, from Bollywood to Baby-on-Board, needed to be promoted in a way that communicated the experience to viewers. Options to buy food in advance with tickets, loyalty and other clubs, detailed cinema descriptions, configurable locations, and many more features made this an extensive project. The website integrates with the Vista Entertainment System to provide ticketing and session information from the Cinemas. Rebranding from SkyCity to Event Cinemas in June 2010 was a straightforward process thanks to the flexible design of the site. Images shown in this case study show the original SKYCITY branding.

A customer survey identified several different ways that people use the site, from browsing and printing session details, to making a quick ticket purchase to guarantee seats or avoid queues.

User testing showed that people preferred a movie oriented view initially to a cinema oriented view, so the home page shows all movies by default, and allows the user to filter them by rating or cinema.

We wanted to make the most important options easily available from the home page, without allowing it to become cluttered or confusing.  A neutral colour scheme with a white background was chosen to work with the bright colours of the site-specific advertising and movie posters. Promotions for the Gold Class, Digital 3D, and other Experiences were treated in the same way as the latest movie details, with bright colours and dramatic images.

Fast online ticket purchase

The Quick Tickets module is prominent in red at the top left of the page, so those people wanting to book tickets in a hurry can do this immediately. Using Quick Tickets, the user can quickly either buy tickets or compare the sessions available at different cinemas within a specified date and time period. Ajax controls make this interactive module quick and responsive.

Quick Tickets updates as the user selects movie, cinema, date, and time. If the user has chosen a single cinema and time, the Book Now button allows them to buy tickets immediately. If they have chosen to compare sessions, the final choice can be booked directly from the results.

Events and Experiences

Part of the brief was to make the special experiences which SKYCITY Cinemas offer more prominent and easier to book. Experiences such as Gold Class, Digital 3D, and IMAX are now listed with standard movies, with the sessions highlighted for easy identification.
Each of the Experience pages were designed to convey the excitement and enjoyment of that particular experience. Phosphor designers worked with SKYCITY Cinemas Marketing Team to choose and commission photography which was then heavily treated to add more impact and to suit the design of the site.

The Events and Experiences presented are based on the location of the user, which is automatically assigned and confirmed on first entry to the site. The user can change their city at any time to view Experiences available in other locations, and National Events are also listed separately.

Detailed cinema descriptions

Detailed cinema descriptions are are available to allow for easyaccess to information, location maps, and cinema specific offers and events.

The Result - a successful website

Ticket purchasing on the site is now fast and easy. Experiences and Clubs are attractive and easy to promote, so customers are now aware of the wide range of choices. Cinemas employees and the general public have said great things about the site and usage has increased.