When movies first began, the technology was almost unrecognizable compared to today’s methods. Color and sound took a while to develop within the industry, and practical effects couldn’t be replaced by clever computer imaging until many years later. Not only has the change in technology transformed the making of movies, but it has also impacted the way in which audiences consume the media itself. Here are just a few different ways that evolving technology has changed the movie watching experience over time.
Attention Span
It’s a popular bug-bear of the media that younger generations have a much shorter attention span thanks to the immediacy and availability of entertainment and gratification. This is mostly to do with the high-speed technology at everyone’s fingertips. This seemingly shortened attention span has affected the way movies are watched and made. In general, audiences don’t have the patience to view a long scene without much plot or action taking place and, because of online streaming services, can easily skip ahead to parts of the movie with the most interesting elements. It has meant that filmmakers are taking into consideration the grasp their movie must have on their audience, thus forcing them to pack every moment with as much meaning as possible.
4D
When 3D cinema was released, everyone was excited. With the growth of 4D, however, 3D has become almost commonplace. Cinemas with additional equipment to heighten the audience’s physical engagement with a movie are capable of creating new and unique effects that a flat or even 3D image cannot replicate. Gusts of air, water, changing temperatures, and moving textures within the cinema seat are all new ways that make watching a movie a full-body experience.
Virtual Reality
Another extension of the idea that movies are becoming more of an interactive experience is the advent of virtual reality. Experiences such as Huxley 2 VR escape game from Omescape provide cinematic adventures with participants as the characters. This is so far from the original way that movies used to be viewed that it’s almost another art form entirely. Instead of merely sitting and watching the action, you can now become a part of it.
Piracy
A darker side of newer technologies and their abilities is the opportunity for people to take advantage. Much like wildlife constantly adapting to overcome predators and the defense of prey, cinemas are now equipped with night-vision cameras to detect people filming movies in the cinema. However, the internet has made leaked footage and piracy much easier and more pervasive than ever.
CGI
Computer-generated imagery has been evolving for years and has come to a point where digital pictures are sometimes so close to reality that they can’t be detected as replications. Textures, lights, shadows, and movement are all advancing so rapidly that movies can depict almost anything they want. Animals can talk believably, impossible feats of physics can come to life, and actors’ appearances can be altered in any number of ways to convey the story.