Photo courtesy of Tima Miroshnichenko, via Pexels.
With improvements in streaming, physically going to the cinema has become rare, limiting the need for theaters.
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By Andrew Miller
TAMPA, Fla. — For almost one hundred years, Americans have enjoyed going to the movies. But now more than ever before, because of the comforts of streaming directly on our at-home devices, theaters are struggling to keep their doors open.
According to a Harvard Gazette study, 75% of Americans choose to stream rather than see a film in theaters.
Many factors suggest this decline, with the largest of all being comfort. If audiences have already subscribed to these streaming services, it’s easier to watch a film from home, as opposed to making time and traveling to the theater.
But why does going to the theater matter?
Gabe Valle, a junior film major, explains that there will always be a unique viewing experience attached to watching a film in theaters, including doing so alongside a live, responsive audience.
“It’s a very unifying experience to watch a film with others, no matter if it’s for the first time or not,” Valle said. “When I watch a film at the cinema, it’s going to be a different, stronger experience than if I watched it alone every single time.”
Valle’s comments don’t apply only to film, but to all art forms. Anyone who’s heard a musician live, seen a play, or experienced any performance art can agree that it’s about connecting and feeling a unified response with those around you. A good or bad audience can greatly influence an experience.
James Lemming, a film professor at UTampa, reminds us that although streaming is convenient, the film industry first existed with the sole purpose of screening films in cinemas.
“Streaming is effective, but movie-making is designed to be seen in a theater,” Lemming said. “We can’t turn our backs on where we have started.”
Streaming is not the natural flow for film. The product is not intended to be watched in the comfort of your own home. Movies used to be an event, like a play, and not a common commodity.
Streaming is, by all means, a great alternative to the movies, but we almost owe it to the industry to support these theaters, especially small, local ones that are still fighting to give customers a unique viewing experience.
Colin White, a junior film major, emphasized that there is actually a difference in quality from cinema to film, and that cinemas offer better, more equipped methods to watch movies.
“Film files are broken down and sent to the projector to be rebuilt through the laser, as opposed to streaming,” White said. “The quality is going to be a whole lot better in the theater.”
What keeps 75% of Americans at home is the idea that they are getting the same experience in the comfort of their home as they would in the theater. White discussed the quality of the film difference, but this doesn’t account for the surround sound system these theaters are equipped with as well.
Streaming is for sure alive and well, but if you’re looking for a unique, quality viewing, stick to the theater.