New Year - The Future Of Film

 

2020 saw a big change to the world of entertainment, because cinemas, concert venues, and theatres were closed!

Some films were either given new release dates, or were issued on streaming services, with one film studio even making an announcement that every film on their schedule for 2021 will be issued for streaming on what’s called VOD (Video On Demand), where you make a payment to watch films on their network (I think it’s Warner Brothers with their own HBO Max service, which isn’t available here in the U.K.)

Some people say that it could spell the end of the cinema system, but I’m not so sure about that...

A problem for many years has been that event films have taken control for the most part of cinema promotion and distribution, which is sort of understandable, and causes a problem for smaller less blockbuster style titles.

We’ve seen films like American Animals, Black Mass, Sorry To Bother You, and others that in that world were sidelined. American Animals in particular is a film that is overlooked because it doesn’t feature a huge box office draw actor, director, or producer, and also isn’t a huge blockbuster storyline. However, it’s a great film, with a really good and strong true story to it!

Those sort of films were already having problem with distribution, and now they could possibly have more trouble being released in cinemas, because there are so many blockbuster type of films waiting to be released, that have already finished filming and post-production.

However, on the other hand, there is the possibility at present that they could be released alongside big films, because the big blockbusters wouldn’t want to be released too close to each other, due to what’s called sustainable income, where the idea is that people only have so much to spend on seeing films, and film studios wouldn’t want to potentially lose any audience to a competing film.

Now here is a suggestion...

To a lot of people it’s seen as an expensive leisure activity, and there’s also the fact that a lot of younger people like viewing that fits around their lives, so going into a cinema takes them away from that life.

For people like me, going into the cinema to watch a film is escapism, but to some it can be seen as taking them away from their lives and at a cost.

How about changing up the cost of going to see films, whereby the smaller independent films are at a lower rate, to make them more affordable?

There’s also the idea of having double features, where you have two films on the same listing, with an intermission in the middle of the two films.

That makes it an event, and possibly more inviting and exciting for people.

It’s awful that cinema chains are closing due to Covid, and that there’s a sense of hierarchy in the films that get precedence, but there is hope for the future of cinema.

I still think that watching a film in the cinema is a greater experience than starting up a streaming network and watching at home. It’s the difference between going to a live concert and watching that concert on a DVD or Blu-ray. The magic isn’t there in the home viewing experience that’s there in the live experience!

Take care and stay safe.

Suggested film based podcasts:

Reelblend 

Filmsack

Adam & Craig’s Guilty Pleasure Cinema

Filmbug with Martine Jean

Betamax Video Club

Cineflek

Blockbuster

Film Gold

Full Cast & Crew

Late Fee Cinema

Lost & Found & Rewound

Totally Awesome Films