Let's fast forward to the year 2030, or maybe even later.

How do you think cinema and the movie industry as a whole will change?

I suspect that markets like China will become more and more important, until eventually they become the most important markets taken under consideration by movie studios.

Additionally, while the Superhero Movie boom will continue for quite a while (there are no signs that it'll stop anytime soon), it will eventually be replaced by more adaptations of eastern media. Like Japanese Manga/Anime.

There are already signs of this, if the ever-growing popularity of eastern media in the western markets is anything go to by. One only needs to look at the numbers involved in Alita: Battle Angel's box office to see the trend.

Spoiler

Technology wise, I think they'll eventually learn how to show movies in 3D without the need for glasses, it's just a matter of time.

 

There will be no more movies. We'll just call them "disneys".

 

Widespread use of 4k HDR projectors is definitely on the horizon for the next decade. Dolby is doing it already. Cinemark XD too. Once a good number of theaters have upgraded to UHD and HDR, I suspect most filmmakers will start putting out both 4k and 2k masters.

 

I doubt China will become that much more important for a West film industry than it already is for variety of reasons and mostly involving money.

China doesn't want too many US films to be released in their cinemas and limits them. The studios get a smaller percentage of their earnings there, less than 25% compared to 40% in other countries and 60% in the US.

As for the other side, with the Chinese managing to rule the cinemas in the other countries?

It's possible, but in a distant future. At the moment they simply don't have behind them a century of being a dominant force in global culture that makes American films a default choice when it comes to foreign productions.

 

Everything's going to be part of a damn universe.

 

I've been prepping for the demise of theatres for years. I fucking despise them. Spent 6k on some beautiful Klipsch 5:1 speakers and I'm riding my 1080p Sony projector into the ground - until those UHD ultra short throw projectors become available to the common folk.

At that point, if they don't do the streaming thing and continue to hold onto the 'theatre experience', I'll probably be happy to just wait. The way prices keep going up at the cinema in Australia is fucking stupid and I'm rapidly approaching a tipping point - the only reason I haven't already is I get discounts from my phone provider...

 

It just keeps getting worse for me.

In my local theaters they've switched to the reclino-chairs a couple of years back, which has cut the number of seats down to almost half, which in turn means I never get to sit where I want because the place is so crowded, which in turn means I never get to see the movie when I want, because it's sold out half the time.

On top of the ridiculous prices for popcorn, etc. this means I'm more than likely encouraged to simply wait for the DVD or streaming to watch whatever comes out. I have a giant TV and a decent sound system. I can sit where I want at home, and snacks are virtually free in comparison. On the plus side: nothing is sticky, nobody is taking calls during my movie, nobody sitting next to me stinks, the movie always starts on time without a plethora of commercials, and the biggest advantage to staying at home -- pausing the movie so I can go pee!

With the quality of home entertainment increasing so much it seems as if the only reason I'd go to the theater these days is so I can see the movie sooner.

 

that's interesting. They retrofitted with the huge recliners near me too, but they're still mostly empty. Tbf, if I go to the cinema, I generally avoid fridays and saturdays, and i pre book through my telephone provider 'perks', so i can pick my seats...

Having said that, I legit don't remember what the last movie I saw was. HTTYD 3 I think? (that came out ages ago in Australia)

 

I love the recliners; I've got a bad knee that locks up in normal movie seating so it's basically saved cinema for me. Means I have to preorder tickets but the local theater had super cheap weekend morning showings so I see a lot more film

 

I honestly enjoy the shift.

Preordering means you get to choose your seats before you go. Nothing worse for me, imo, than getting tickets to a movie and when you get there, have to sit in the very front row.

The preordering lets me know what is available for seating and if I need to choose a different time. I agree the food is always ridiculously overpriced (why my fiance sneaks in our snacks in her purse). But, in general, I like the shift. The seats are comfier and preordering seats makes you more aware of what you're getting.

 

My local theater choice just doesn't leave much of an option. We have three spread along the coast, two of which are in the middle of very busy portions of the cities, so they're out. The last one is busy virtually all the time, for every show, all week long. It's freaking amazing the business this place does. So if I want to see a new movie I'll wait until the second or third week after release. By then it's slowed enough to get a decent seat during the time I want.

Uh... I forgot they started serving alcohol last summer. That may have something to do with it. Anyway. Yeah.

 

Do they not allow preordered seats? I mean, I understand it might be slightly a hassle, but if you preorder the day it is available you get first pick usually. Just requires a different mindset to going to the movies.

 

Yeah, there's no way I can go back to not having an assigned seat now. There's a theater literally two blocks from my house here that I refuse to go to because it's still the 'old style' and first-come, first-serve for seats.

I'll gladly go to the next town over to hit up the assigned recliners.

 

All of the recliner theaters near me are also high-end dine-in theaters, which I hate. The servers are constantly moving around and taking orders during the movie and it is distracting as fuck.

 

Yeah, if they served alcohol at my cinema I'd probably never go again, lol

 

Dine-in theatres? What the fuck? How is that remotely conducive to watching a film?! Snacks, yes, and I've been known to take in a packed lunch or something if I'm pressed for time, but a server coming round during the film itself...

I'm a recent convert to the idea of reclining seats, as my home town just got a new cinema at the end of 2018. Prior to that, we only had a small, old cinema that didn't have working heating, had one screen with decent legroom and two others where you were fine in aisle seats, but bent double if you weren't, and had a poor range of films. I do have some nostalgic fondness for it, but I'd never choose it over a modern multiplex.

The new cinema doesn't seem to do much 3D, but it does have a dedicated 'isense 2D', which...I'm not entirely sure what it is, tbh. High def, maybe? It certainly hasn't seemed to add anything the couple of times I've been in, and I wouldn't choose it over a cheaper, standard 2D.

 

You're forgetting to take into account my absentmindedness. If I remember to do it, yes. I'll even go so far as to write it on a calendar or set up an alert when tickets go on sell, but inevitably I'll be notified and be right in the middle of something, then promptly forget to order after I'm done.

It's just not important enough to me. So, I wait a week or two then go.

 

I tried dine-in (gold-class here) before, was a fun novelty but not something I would repeat mainly for the price. Wasn't many people in it so it was pretty enjoyable but everything is overpriced, even more than your normal movie experience which is already overpriced to the max. And it did serve alcohol, apparently you are only allowed 1 drink every 30 minutes :/

Overall I rarely even go to the movies anymore unless there is a movie I must see. There are alot of movies I would like to watch but I am now more likely to go 'I'll just stream it later.'

Going to the movies itself can still be enjoyable experience more for the nostalgia than anything else.

On a side note I've tried watching a few movies/shows on my VR headset with a massive screen inside that akin to a cinema screen, was pretty neat but you get sick of having a headset on after awhile. However as VR becomes more comfortable, wireless etc I could definitely see that being a go to cinematic experience if you're watching by yourself.

 

Something that I've noticed about the last two movies I've seen.

You know the SFX trick they use when they aren't sure about whether or not they pulled the scene off well enough to be believable and not obviously CGI? They make everything darker or they make everything move so quick that they miss it.

On the big screen it's just... a mess. On the big screen at home, the lighting is perfect in my living room and with the HD I can actually see what is going on. It was especially annoying that half of Captain Marvel was in filmed in the dark or really low lighting.

Yet another reason to stay home and watch it on HD.

 

I've rarely had the issue. The dine-in theatres here are nonstandard enough that I enjoy them for what they are, and the servers usually do discreetly for me. Even alcohol hasn't been an issue. Admittedly I don't go often, but I'm not much a theatre person otherwise.

I do miss the recliner seats. There was one theatre in Austin that I really liked for the seats and food. We don't have that here, but... as I said, characteristically indie setups with archive-quality prints.