In relation to the media area you have studied, discuss
the ways audience consumption has changed over time.
Audience consumption for film has changed drastically. Most
would say it is for the better. But some ways have some negatives for the way
we get to watch films nowadays. Viewers now have options to watch movies in
several ways. The main way is through streaming services on the internet.
The first films were named magic lantern shows. People came together in small rooms, pay a few cents and watch moving pictures
through slides using machines like The Praxinoscope. Films blossomed in the
1920s, as silent films were the predominant part of film history. In upperclass
movie theatres, moviegoers could hear pianos or even an orchestra playing along
with the film. Eating popcorn during a movie didn’t become a luxury until 1925
when the first electric popcorn machine was invented. In 1931, movie theaters
got a little fancier with the advent of the types of chairs used in the
cinemas. Now instead of regular theater seats, chairs were designed so that the
person seated could move back when someone else needed to get up to use the
restroom. Though movie theaters were standard across the country by the 1930’s,
it wasn’t a pleasant viewing experience for all American citizens. If there was
no cinema specifically for people of color in the South they were forced to
skip the “white only” box office and head up the stairs to the balcony for the
designated colored section. As you can see, the way audiences consumed film was
extremely different decades ago.
The way we have been watching Films has affected our lives
in many different ways. Films such as Black Panther have been given to us in
2D, 3D, and IMAX according to case studies. Movies are premiered in different
ways due to the advancement of technology. Movie theaters have expanded all
over the world. Now we can see movie theaters on almost every main road. At
retail stores like Walmart and Target, sell DVDs of movies such as Fantastic
Beast according to case studies. There has been a transition in history
with movies. We can mostly watch them at home now through a variety of
streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, etc. People do not go to movie theaters
as much as they used to. There are also illegal sites that I’ve been on to
watch the latest movies that came out. It might not be the same quality but it
is better than spending money on overpriced ticketing at theaters.
Overall, audience consumption has changed significantly due
to the fact that the internet is becoming more popular as the years go on and
theaters are having less of a purpose because of the improvement of technology.
