In the last decade as the entertainment industry has began a
drastic digital transformation, constant claims have been made about how the
theater system as we know it will vanish.
One bold blogger for The Wrap states,
“Movie theaters are going to go away. There are currently about 6,000 theaters in
the U.S. containing nearly 40,000 screens. In 10 years there will be under
1,000 and in 15, under 100. And we won’t miss them… I choose to accept and
embrace the idea that theatrical will be entirely irrelevant for studio films
within 10 years. Especially for blockbusters. With no less speed and much
greater impact than 3D, the coming metamorphosis will not only provide a
superior and untethered AV experience, it will enhance the communal aspect of
‘moviegoing’ to an almost unimaginable level.”
-Mark Lipsky
I call bull. There’s
something people love about the theater as much as the film they are there to
see, and that’s the experience of coming together with 300 strangers to go on a
journey together. In a way it’s like
church – you don’t just go for the message you go for the community. Indeed those messages, or movies, are getting
weaker in some senses (see previous blog on Hollywood crap), but to say that
the home audio-visual experience will be superior to the average theater with a
50-foot projection screen and 6 channels of professional surround sound is
STUPID. In the last ten years the only
change in my home AV experience has been from a ~40” plasma screen in the
living room to a 56” LCD TV that recently took its place. Tell me how in ten years time that situation
could possibly evolve into something better than the movie-going experience.
The next thing Lipsky spews is that this evolution will “enhance the communal aspect of ‘moviegoing’ to
an almost unimaginable level.” I can
imagine a whole lot Mr. Lipsky, so given that I imagine that my TV gets transformed into my own private multiplex
in the next decade, tell me how I’m going to cram 300 of my closest friends
into my living room for a more “communal” moviegoing experience. I’m not.
And neither is the rest of the moviegoing public, not in the next ten
years anyway.
My last
beef with this ignorant splurge is that Lipsky says that theatrical will be
entirely irrelevant for blockbusters and other studio films. In 2012 the box office grossed over 10.9billion dollars… UP 6.5% from the year before.
I’m curious to see how exactly Lipsky sees that number magically
dropping to a number that is “irrelevant” for studios within ten years’
time.
The road
ahead for exhibitors isn’t all roses, but it’s not the complete transformation that
Lipsky paints the picture of above.
Undoubtedly, theaters need to become nicer and perhaps start
incorporating restaurants and bars in them to draw more of a crowd. Sure YouTube, Netflix, and home theaters draw
some mild attention away from the theaters, but I don’t know anybody rushing to
their living room when they want a change of scenery and a show to get their
mind off things.
Comment below!
I definitely agree that premium cinemas (reclining seats, booze, legit food, etc.) are an expanding market, and that the social aspect of moviegoing is one that simply can't be replaced by streaming content on one's laptop...in Portland, the McMenamin brothers have built a massive empire based on refurbishing historic locations and turning them into craft breweries, cinemas, hotels, restaurants, or often a combination of the above. Here in LA, there are so many absurdly gorgeous golden-era movie theatres that are sitting empty in neighborhoods that are economically devastated (but rapidly gentrifying, as in downtown), it strikes me as only a matter of time until someone with a bit of capital and imagination does something similar. And it makes sense, in a way; when those theatres were built, going to the movies was expensive but it was an EVENT. Why not return to those roots? Is the tradeoff of less quantity for higher quality such a terrible idea?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you about theaters providing an experience you can't get at home. Quality home televisions have come a long way in the last five years and have become much more affordable, but they can't rival the large screens in terms of sheer size or even sound quality. Even with the technological advancements and economic recession, movie theaters continue to post noteworthy revenue numbers.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, the commenter above provides an excellent point. If theaters are truly going to not only survive but thrive, the model should probably be upscale cinemas with many amenities. Unfortunately, piracy has become a pressing issue for the movie industry, and theaters need to offer something not necessarily available at home. A run-down theater with uncomfortable seats might have trouble competing with people who want to see the movie but would rather stay home, sit on their comfortable couch, not pay $55 for a bucket of lousy popcorn, and try to illegally download the movie. Meanwhile, upscale theaters offer an experience that matches the price of the ticket. People also get that sense of community and excitement that comes with seeing a movie on the big screen.
I hope movie theaters are here to stay. What will a first date night be without the movie part of dinner and a movie? In addition to incorporating some sort of restaurant or bar aspect into theaters to draw crowds I think that theaters should also incorporate specials and discounted prices for students. The price of going out to see a movie has risen by several dollars in theaters I used to frequent and the student discount only applies to high school kids at a certain time of day and only on certain days of the week. If the movie is easily pirated or can be found for just a dollar at a red box, many of my friends are much more likely to attain it through these means than to spend the 12+ dollars to view a movie at the theater. I agree that people like the experience of going to see a movie; thus movie theaters need to ensure this stays accessible and affordable for audiences.
ReplyDeleteMovies theaters will never go away. Going to the movies is an event and a cinematic experience. Just as going to a sporting event will always be an event. It is much easier to watch a game at home and with new special cameras and HD TVs, it is visually a better experience to stay home. But fans want to see their team and be their to support. In the same way, movie goes are fans of films, actors and directors. The theater experience is exciting for teenagers and nostalgic for adults. This Lipsky character needs to look at history a little more to see that Theaters are not going anywhere anytime soon. The movie going experience my change or be different but theaters will surely be standing strong for the next 20 years.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you that theaters are absolutely integral to the social experience of moviegoing. While the home viewing experience has improved with the introduction of Blu Ray, 3D televisions, LCD screens and so on, it is unreasonable to think that your living room will somehow replace the movie theater. Interestingly, however, movie theaters are attempting to become your living room...only bigger, better, and full of strangers. Theaters like The Landmark in West LA feature couches and arm chairs in some of their theaters while various Cinepolis movie theaters throughout Southern California boast luxury concession stands, deluxe bars, and waiters to serve your every need throughout the film. The downside of all this, of course, is the price. At theaters like Cinepolis, movie tickets can cost upwards of 20 dollars. My question is this: how much are people willing to pay for a luxury movie viewing experience when the option to pirate a film (undoubtedly with much poorer quality) online for free exists? With the expenses of deluxe theaters like this rising, it is likely that ticket prices will continue to climb. This effects of this upon the film and theater industry will definitely be interesting to see.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think movie theaters are here to stay. I think that they should implement a cheaper and nostalgic version of the movies as they are now -- they should have more drive in theaters but with a change: attendees can tune in to the correct local AM radio station and hear the movie as well. A possible downside to such a method though is that the sound is not nearly as good as it would be in conventional movie theaters. Like other commenters said, going to a movie these days is so ridiculously priced, there should be a cheaper option, but one that is better than the pirated version on your laptop.
ReplyDelete