Opinion: Visit Movie Theaters – Pepperdine Graphic

Transparency Point: The Outlook section of the chart consists of opinion-based articles. This is the opinion and point of view of the writer.

I have always loved watching films in the cinema. I remember the first movie I saw in a theater was Ponyo, and the whole experience instantly overwhelmed me.

Picking out candy, popcorn and a fun drink and then walking into a large dark room with comfortable seats was unlike anything I had ever experienced at the impressionable age of seven.

I have to admit that coming from a family involved in the film industry may well have created a preconception about the importance of cinemas that I might not have received if I had different parents. I am very grateful that they conveyed this important message.

Films have an incredible impact on the minds of viewers. It is almost impossible to overstate how filmmaking and moviegoers have shaped our society.

The ability of a film to have a significant emotional impact was not something I knew educationally until I began studying film as a student at Pepperdine, but somehow – and perhaps this was the case all along while I was growing up in cinemas – it didn’t shock me at all. a piece.

I find this metaphor very useful in explaining the movie experience: theaters act as portals. They take viewers to places that don’t actually exist, that happened a long time ago or hundreds of years in the future.

Movies give us the opportunity to consider perspectives we hadn’t thought of before, give us a glimpse into the psychology of real people who existed at a certain point in time, or show us a world we want to be a part of.

The desire to explore new perspectives is at the core of filmmaking, and depending on who is behind the camera these days, it often remains the goal of the film. A hundred years ago, films were created and intended for the screen.

This was the only way to consume cinema, and so the filmmaking process was adapted to suit this. Now, with the advent of televisions and streaming, the way people watch movies has changed radically.

According to statistics, 54% of people prefer to watch movies at home, 22% have no preference and only 13% prefer to watch movies in theaters. This worries me a lot.

The advent of streamers, tablets and computers has changed the way we watch movies and thus is slowly but surely changing the way movies are made.

One example of this is that many directors and cinematographers choose to shoot their films digitally rather than on film (as in reel), firstly because it is easier logistically, but also because how a movie looks in terms of pixels is pretty insignificant when you’re watching a movie on a small screen.

Even a platinum TV has nothing in common with a cinema screen in size. In my opinion, shooting on film adds a certain magic and texture to a film.

It adds style and can bring a sense of nostalgia because many of our favorite classic films were shot on film because that was the only technology 50 years ago. In the digital age, we are losing this essential aspect of cinema.

Additionally, an important element of the theater experience is the social aspect. I’ll never forget watching Little Women (2019) with my family in the theater and hearing another girl in the audience gasp loudly when Laurie, played by Timothée Chalamet, confessed his love for Jo, played by Saoirse Ronan.

This girl in the audience said what we were all thinking, and it made everyone in the audience laugh. It reminded me that movies are meant to bring people together, literally and metaphorically, and sharing the experience of experiencing emotions based on what you watch is a unique and special opportunity.

The shared viewing experience brings together the mutual humanity that everyone possesses and shows us that we can all be on the same page: Timothée Chalamet professing his love is a heartbreaking sight.

We nearly lost movie theaters due to COVID-19, and many of us who are passionate about movie theaters have fought tooth and nail to keep them open. It was exciting to see how many people came out to support theaters this summer thanks to the talented Greta Gerwig and the brilliant Christopher Nolan.

Even though Barbie and Oppenheimer’s theatrical releases are coming to an end for now, that doesn’t mean people should stop going to the movies. It’s a great way to spend the day with a friend, go on a first date, or even take some time for yourself.

The magic of cinema simply cannot reach its full potential without the necessary help of a good old movie theater.

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Contact Fiona Credon at fiona.creadon@pepperdine.edu.

or on Instagram: @Fiocreo