New technology has affected the way in which we consume film over the last few years more than any other time previously, shown by Figure 13.2 that although cinema going is still high at 11.1%, new technologies that enable the recording and storing of film on the television have meant that film viewing has increased on that platform.
The internet is a major part of new technology and has meant that young people have increased viewing both on the internet and the cinema due to the accessibility of film and cinema via the internet. However, Figure 15.4 shows that elderly people tend to consume film more through TV and less through the internet, mainly due to lack of knowledge or access to it.
The use of 3D films as a new technology, with “28 3D films being released in 2010”. This shows that because there is the accessibility via the internet, film companies have had to compensate by adding something new and exclusive to the cinema as with a standard film some people may just wait until the DVD or TV release as the time between the theatrical and DVD releases is so short.
Also, the places where we consume film have changed, shown by Figure 10.2. It shows that the use of traditional cinemas has decreased slowly from 1,134 in 1999 to 904 in 2010, this shows people are using traditional cinema screens less and less. However, this is backed up by the fact that multiplex cinemas have increased significantly from 1,624 in 1999 to 2,767 in 2010. This shows the high increase in people using commercial cinema over the last 11 years.
Furthermore, the use of video, DVD and Blu-Ray means that film is now much more accessible to everyone and can be consumed in many ways. Figure 11.1 shows that from 1999 to 2004 there was significant ride in both the volume of video sales and the value of the retail, from 96 million volume and £878 million value in 1999 to 234 million volume and £2,478 million value. However, from 2004 to 2010 it shows a fluctuation in both volume and value. This shows that the use of DVD and video is still prominent, but people are consuming film in different ways, such as on the television and internet. It also shows a slight drop in the profitability of the video industry, this is mainly due to new technology and internet piracy.
Figure 11.5 shows the significant fall in the video rental market. Over a nine year time period (2001 to 2010), the transactions have fallen from 198 million to 63 million and the value has fallen from £494 million to £183 million. This is mainly due to a change in technology from video to DVD then the technology of recordable TV came along enabling people to consume film in their own homes without having pay any extra to rent the film. Also, the internet has gained popularity over those years and in-tern caused the video rental industry to deplete due to the ease of internet piracy and consumption of film via the internet.
The statement that “6.2 million DVD players were sold in 2010, and 1.1 million Blu-ray stand-alone players were sold” shows that the consumption of film via the new technology of DVD is still increasing and also that “92% of households own at least one DVD player”, which shows how prominent this technology is and how it has affected us in the way in which we consume film. It also shows that the even newer technology of Blu-ray is becoming more and more popular, mainly due to people wanting more from their film viewing experience now that the new technology of High Definition Television is around; people now want ‘HD’ film too and the fact that “8% of households own a Blu-ray player” proves this fact that it is becoming a more significant way of consuming film, as people want High Quality, Cinema-style film, but in the comfort of their own home.
As we can see by Figure 12.4, the ‘digital multi-channel’ industry has increased fairly significantly over the 10 year gap shown, whereas the ‘subscription film channels’ are on a slow decrease. This is because people no longer need a specific channel to view film on because the multi-channel television packages sold now-a-days are much more efficient, giving people the choice of many channels, including feature films. Also the new technology of recordable TV has enabled Television companies to push their technology and show the ease and convenience of having multiple channels and the technology of being able to record anything and watch at a later date.
The internet is a main factor in why new technology has changed the way in which we consume film. Figure 13.1 shows that Online-based VoD (Video on Demand) increased from a value of £6.2 million in 2008, to £41.2 million in 2010. This shows that the relatively new technology of the internet has meant that television companies, such as the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, have been able to put their media onto the internet for their viewers to consume at any point. Meanwhile, the value of TV-based VoD has increased also, with the use of ‘+1’ channels and being able to consume and/or record film or television wherever or whenever.
We can also see that television is a major part in the change of film consumption, shown by Table 15.18. It shows that while on 4% of people consume film via the Cinema, 80% consume film via the television. This shows that the new technologies of multi-channel, recordable and storable television have enabled new ways of consuming film. The use of the cinema has decreased mainly due to that people can get the same, or near to, experience in their own home, either legally, by recording or watching it via the television or illegally (piracy), by downloading it via the internet. This has made is a lot harder for cinemas to make an profit on a film and the main reason for why 3D has been so heavily used over the last year or so, to get people back into the cinemas rather than at home.
To conclude, new technologies are affecting the way we consume film by the simplicity, ease and convenience of them. The convenience of having a television that can record and store hours upon hours of feature films only a few months after the theatrical release is appealing to people. Also the ease of internet piracy has meant that the film industry has had to try to change it tactics by offering something that your home entertainment can’t, 3D. Although the new technology of the internet does have a negative side, it also has a very positive side, as internet marketing for a film is very cheap and also extremely effective by ‘word of mouth’ and ‘sneak peak’ trailer advertising on websites such as YouTube and Facebook. However, this does mean that people may just wait until the DVD release or try to illegally download the film. As piracy is impossible to police, it means that the film industry have to just admit defeat and perhaps find a way in which they can embrace it.
Overall, the ways in which we consume film will always be affected by new technologies, in this case the internet has caused VoD to become more popular, piracy to be in the increase, but also cause an easy way for film makers to get cheap advertising. The main way new technology has affected the way in which we consume film is television. This is because television is very accessible to the public and can be consumed in your own home, making it very appealing, by being able to view a film without going out to the cinema. So, new technologies have affected the way in which we consume film by making it easier to consume film in our own home, this means film companies have to do more to get people out of their homes and into the cinema, things such as promotional offers and 3D technology, which is not yet available, easily to everyone.
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