In the mix

MARC SHMUGER

Vice chairman, Universal Pictures

The boom that masked some of our underlying problems and convinced us of our own genius came to an end. We saw moviegoers spend less time at the multiplex and more time consuming videogames, the Internet and other forms of entertainment. We saw a demand for DVDs slacken and cost pressures press their price to new lows. Things need to change. Studios must make product that’s more original, exciting and relevant and stop over-hyping the promise of the openings so much that they dwarf the movies themselves.

And theaters need to clean up their act – quickly. Some are obscenely cluttered with ads that interfere with the moviegoing experience, along with ringing cellphones, crying babies and patrons providing their own commentary. As it gets harder to make profitable movies and draw consumers in, maybe the number of movies that shouldn’t get made – but do – will drop. It’s a sobering time, but in the next few years, I think we’ll regain our balance.