Watching one of the latest, most compelling movies “Passengers," my first thought was “wow, those graphics are just incredible- it looks so real!” I then realized that in a few years, we will no longer even notice the amazing computer-generated imagery that is shown in the special effects in movies. I wondered how that was even possible, how far movie making has come. So what will become next of filmmaking?
Looking at films made 50 years ago, or even 20 years ago, it was completely different; they were not very advanced, technically, compared to what we are used to. 3-D CGI was first used in the 1976 “Futureworld," and people couldn’t imagine how this new technology could get any better. Yet, here we are in 2017 watching the newest Star Wars movie being amazed by how real the different planets, ships and creative characters look.
The one thing that stays consistent in filmmaking is the content. The genres have stayed the same with differentiating plot lines, but the experiences have changed. Going to the movies is a business that is desperately trying to get people out of the comfort of their own homes to pay 18 dollars to go see a movie with seven dollar popcorn and five dollar oversized drinks. Vanity Fair concluded in an article about movie theatre sales declining that, "in 2016, the film industry is on pace to sell the fewest U.S. tickets per person of any year since perhaps before the 1920s and the fewest total tickets in two decades.” At this point in the advancement of human technology, we have at least three different options to watch films from Apple TV to Netflix to Hulu to Redbox. There has to be another step to resuscitate a dying industry of going to the movies. What’s next?
We basically already have our own living rooms in the movie theater: reclined cushioned seats, gourmet food, the curved screens- it feels a ride at DisneyWorld. Personally, having those signature VR helmets is definitely a contender for taking movie viewing to the next level. Becoming a part of the movie and having a one-way ticket to the setting of the film seems like a profitable idea and would appeal to anyone even remotely interested in movies. It’s all about increasing the entertainment level- it isn’t just watching the movie, it’s being engaged in all aspects of the movie (mostly because our attention spans are that of a squirrel) and feeling like you’re really there about to attack the Death Star or dance with Ryan Gosling. That is the future of movies.