The art of film-making has undergone a massive transformation since the time of its inception. Not all that long ago, viewers were famously jumping out of the way of an oncoming train- dazzled by the ‘high-tech’ innovation of moving pictures. It’s a little harder these days to get such a reaction from cynical crowds who have ‘been there, done that’ a thousand times before. So what can film-makers and cinema bosses do to keep their screens packed with punters?
The Rise of 3D
3D film technology has been around for a while now but has only just made it mainstream onto our screens. Many movies do, indeed, lend themselves well to this technology- beautiful, high-definition, computer-generated movies such as Avatar work particularly well and the technology adds a literal new dimension to the viewing experience. Some, more artful and independent features, however, do not lend themselves that well- in a hilarious mismatch of understated dialogue, cinema ‘craft’ and images jumping out of the screen. So, it just goes to show that 3D isn’t for everyone or for every film- some even accuse it of covering up poor writing with overblown graphics.
Cinema – The Rising Prices
Not even twenty years ago, cinemas were packed with customers all wanting to see the latest features and oftentimes the theatres would be approaching eighty or ninety percent capacity for most of their runs. Nowadays, people are able to stream online content so quickly and easily and have unprecedented access to home movies via DVD, Blu-Ray and even VHS which makes a trip to the pictures more of a luxury than a necessity.
Because of this, cinemas have, in general, decreased their ranges whilst increasing their prices- many theatres will only deal with Hollywood blockbusters or films from certain studios which hampers the decision making of bosses. Lots of people will still go to the cinema to watch a good release but this is becoming more and more of a rarity- so we can expect prices to rise even more than they have been.
4D
The next logical and numerical step in the series is 4D- but what is it? Now that viewers have high-definition monsters jumping out at them, you’d think there would be little else to keep them on their toes and in their seats. 4D takes this idea one step further- like the MK808B with Bluetooth did for android tv- and introduces an entire range of ‘experiences’ for the viewer. You may be treated to a blast of wind, a spattering of rain or mildly toasted in a raging inferno. Such technology will surely drive prices through the roof and turn many traditional theatres into theme park rides but it’s a sure-fire way of keeping people entertained.