4DX is gaining popularity in the moviegoing market with its immersive experience that includes shaking seats and fog.

• Cinema-goers are now prioritizing premium experiences with enhanced picture and sound quality, and are willing to pay a premium for these tickets.
• The movie "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," which opened in theaters Friday, is immersed in viewers through the use of motion seats, practical effects, and sensory elements by 4DX.
• Despite costing an average of $8 more than traditional ticket prices, the 4DX experience doesn't seem to deter audiences.

In the new Mad Max film "Furiosa," a red paint flare erupts and fills the theater screen with a vibrant crimson haze.

In the cinema, among the rows of gyroscopic 4DX chairs, fog rolls in, catching the red hue from the screen. The fog parts, and Chris Hemsworth as Dementus comes into focus and grins at the audience.

The 4DX viewing experience is one of the many multi-sensory moments designed for "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," which opened in theaters on Friday. It is a crucial selling point for cinemas looking to attract younger audiences, particularly at a time when they are struggling to entice moviegoers back.

"CJ 4DPlex Americas' head of worldwide marketing and theatre development, Duncan Macdonald, stated, "Our movies are different due to our unique motion capabilities and environmental effects.""

Due to the pandemic, audiences became accustomed to shorter theatrical runs and more content being available at home. However, pandemic-related shutdowns and production delays caused by two Hollywood strikes significantly reduced the amount of content being shown in theaters. As a result, consumers stopped going to cinemas.

Premium movie experiences are in demand among returning moviegoers, who are willing to pay more for higher-quality picture and sound. In the premium large format market, 4DX is one option, along with other premium formats such as Dolby Cinema and ScreenX, which is owned by CJ 4DPlex.

The importance of a premium movie theater experience is crucial to the industry's health, and with fewer films in the marketplace, the significance of a company like 4DX becomes more evident, according to Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

During screenings of "Wonka," 4DX employed practical effects, sensory elements, and motion seats to fully immerse viewers in the movie.

Don Savant, CEO of CJ 4DPlex Americas, describes the 4DX experience as "complementary" to traditional moviegoing experiences. He notes that 4DX cinemas attract younger consumers, aged 10-30, who are looking for more experiential viewing options.

The 4DX experience costs an average of $8 more than traditional ticket prices, with tickets ranging from $20 to $30 each. Despite the additional cost, audiences are not being deterred.

In the previous year, 4DX's domestic locations generated $53.4 million in ticket sales.

"According to Dergarabedian, the higher cost of premium movie tickets is not a hindrance to their success but rather viewed as a valuable proposition for moviegoers seeking the ultimate cinematic experience. This is beneficial for theater owners, who, with fewer wide-release films available, can increase their revenue per ticket while providing their customers with a superior experience that will encourage them to return to the multiplex more frequently."

The popularity of 4DX is increasing, as ticket sales for "Avatar: The Way of Water" from 4DX screens reached $83.6 million, which is about 3.6% of the film's total box office revenue. This makes it the highest-grossing film for the screen format, according to Savant.

"Regal Cinemas CEO Eduardo Acuna stated that the company aims to provide customers with a convenient reason to venture outside their homes and visit a nearby Regal theater. Premium formats such as 4DX offer a unique movie-watching experience that cannot be replicated by any home theater setup. Each premium format serves a distinct function in enhancing the storytelling experience, and each adds a new level of immersion to the movie-watching process."

According to Acuna, 4DX auditoriums have been successful in generating revenue for Regal.

In the U.S. and Canada, Regal operates the most 4DX screens, with 50 of the 62 locations. Globally, there are nearly 750 4DX screens, with many theatrical partners. The highest volume of 4DX screens is in Asia and Europe.

Savant aims to increase the number of 4DX screens worldwide from 25 to 30 per year to 50 to 60 screens per year, with a goal of having 1,200 4DX locations in the next five years. Each theater has an average of 140 seats.

Those who leave their living rooms and enter a 4DX theater to watch "Furiosa" will experience the thrill of motorcycles racing through the desert, the scent of gunpowder during intense battles, and a gentle spray of water on their faces as it's splashed in the direction of a character on the screen.

In 2020, 4DX programmed over 100 films for an enhanced viewing experience. Approximately 40 to 45 of these were major Hollywood films, according to Savant. The remaining content included concerts, singalongs, anniversary titles, and local language films.

The 4DX programmers in Seoul typically have two to three weeks to create motion and special effects, but they can complete a film in a week if necessary. They can program three titles simultaneously.

Both Macdonald and Savant characterized 4DX's programmers as "artists," likening the creation process, including the subwoofers in the seats and fog machines, to different brushstrokes in a work of art.

"Macdonald stated that every film is unique, so we analyze the specifics of the various films we have and how they are presented."

Filmmakers may offer suggestions to filmmakers regarding the use of certain effects, including their level of subtlety or bombast.

Savant stated that it's the most dynamic way to view a film.