The movie watching experience has changed dramatically over the years. I remember before cinemas were a thing, people would have to physically go out to video stores to browse for movies to rent and play on their DVD player. Then there would be a specific date you would have to return it, without getting a fine. Doing this was such a pain, as it always took such a long time to select a movie and if you chose one you didn’t like, you’re stuck with it (Rodriguez, 2018).
(Pinterest, 2008)
Over the years, the amount of people visiting cinemas has declined despite an effort to attract more customers with the addition of new screens (Groves, 2018).
Torsten Hӓgerstrand identifies 3 constraints which limit an individuals’ ability to carry out activities;
- Capability constraints; the limits on human movement due to biological and physical factors, like how we cannot be in two places at once.
- Coupling constraints; restrictions due to having to be in one place for a specific amount of time
- Authority constraints; limits that are put into place in an area by specific people, which determines whether you can or cannot access (Corbett, 2001)
Thinking back to the first time I went to the cinema, these constraints were evident. It was 2013, I was 13 years old, and really wanted to see a movie for the first time. Walking in and smelling the popcorn, it got me excited. I remember I saw Fast & Furious 5 with my older sister and brother. During this time, I was in high school, so a capability constraint encountered was me not being able to be at school and at the cinema at the same time. In order to be able to watch the movie, we picked a time not long after school had finished. It was inevitable that I fell asleep halfway through.
(IMDb, n.d)
Coupling and authority constraints were apparent when having to decide on a time to view the movie. Fast & Furious was a popular choice, which left limited times and dates to choose from, so we chose a time slot which was pretty tight and worked around it. In the end, we selected a good time as there weren’t too many people and we were able to sit comfortably. Additionally, we had to choose which cinema we were going to visit. Being from Fairy Meadow, it was obvious that we were going to choose the closest location. Luckily for us, the Wollongong Greater Union was playing it there.
Nowadays, individuals are watching and streaming movies over the internet instead, with the use of Netflix for example. With cinemas competing with online streaming services, it’s surprising how they are still making money. Now, people prefer to be in the comfort of their own home, watching a movie with friends and no distractions around them (Rosso, 2015).
(Pinterest, 2019)
References:
Burleson, A 2019, Best Movie and TV Streaming Sites of 2019, image, Pinterest, viewed 7 August 2019, <https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/153896512255072245/>.
Corbett, J 2001, ‘Torsten Hӓgerstrand, Time Geography.‘, UC Santa Barbara: Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science, p. 2.
Fast & Furious 5 n.d., image, IMDb, viewed 7 August 2019, <https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596343/>.
Galocha, C 2008, why do bad things happen to good people, image, Pinterest, viewed 7 August 2019, <https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/82612974393621822/>.
Groves, D 2018, Ticket sales are flat-lining but distributors and exhibitors keep the faith, if.com.au, viewed 7 August 2019, <https://www.if.com.au/ticket-sales-are-flat-lining-but-distributors-and-exhibitors-keep-the-faith/>.
Rodriguez, A 2018, Twenty years ago, Netflix.com launched. The movie business has never been the same., Quartz, viewed 8 August 2019, <https://qz.com/1245933/twenty-years-ago-netflix-com-launched-the-movie-business-has-never-been-the-same/>.
Rosso, J 2015, A new golden age: how cinemas are surviving in the age of Netflix, ABC, viewed 8 August 2019, <https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/archived/finalcut/are-cinemas-dying/6377650>.
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