When was the time you saw a movie in a theater? Odds are, it was a good while ago.
Many industries have been impacted by the pandemic. However, the movie industry has been affected the most. There are so many changes currently happening within it and local indoor movie theaters are suffering.
Even before the pandemic began, the film industry was changing due to streaming services growing in popularity. Overall, movie theater admissions were already on the decline.
Leaders in the industry suspect that more people will start to return once they have received their vaccines. Hopefully, that means movie lovers will begin returning to theaters soon. But, until then, how has the movie industry been affected by the pandemic?
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What Has Changed
The pandemic has greatly impacted the content creation process, altering the entire entertainment industry. Film production was paused and many theaters had to be closed for a time. Currently, movies are being produced again, but the process is slower. Remote work is being completed where possible as well.
Overall, the biggest changes come from the consumers. How we watch movies and TV now is quite different. Plenty of people prefer to watch new movies at home, instead of going to the theater. Despite theaters enforcing new cleaning regulations and social distancing measures.
That leads to the most significant change- a large decline in film attendance. Many films have been delayed or moved right to streaming services as well. So, even if you have stopped going to the theater, you can still catch the new releases.
More Streamable Content
Since less people are going to the theaters, movies are going right to streaming services. For example Onward went right to streaming. However, some services are also experimenting with digital renting.
The live action version of Mulan became available to rent on Disney+. It cost $30 to watch and rent until the movie was available for all Disney+ subscribers.
Most people were not willing to pay that much to rent a movie and chose to hold off until they could watch it with a normal subscription. However, Mulan is just an example of how renting and streaming content will change in the future.
Since the pandemic started, online streaming services have seen a huge surge in viewers and subscribers. With most people staying home more, they need more ways to receive entertainment.
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Need For Home Entertainment
Families are now seeking new ways to entertain themselves at home. Gaming, movies, books, TV, and streaming services are seeing growth as consumers rely on them for good entertainment. Plus, individuals are learning new crafts, such as baking or knitting as ways to pass time during lockdowns.
If you need some more entertainment right now, we recommend you check out this article on the Top Caribbean Gambling Destinations. There are plenty of ways to keep yourself entertained and engaged with your hobbies during this time. Industries are also evolving to better meet those needs.
Limited Capacity
Some movie theaters across the country have started to open, with a limited capacity in place. Less people are being admitted, so there are plenty of seats between them. However, this also comes with its own new set of issues for smaller theaters.
If theaters are running at a limited capacity, they can not receive benefits or support from the government, since they are technically open. Most of the funds a theater makes comes from their concessions, then ticket sales. Smaller theaters have been able to survive off of government help, but most do not make enough money from sales with limited capacity to stay open.
Rising Prices
You might have noticed that concessions are expensive- more so now. Ticket costs are going up, but concessions are rising in price rapidly. Why? That is where the theaters make a majority of their money and the movie theater industry has been struggling for years before the pandemic even began.
Plus, films are becoming more expensive to make, meaning they are going to charge more on your ticket to try to make some of that cost back. Each time you buy a ticket, only a portion of it goes to the theater. The rest goes back to the film studios.
Finally, with less people attending, the theaters need to charge more to stay open. Unfortunately, seeing movies is becoming more expensive during the pandemic. The prices will continue to rise as well.
Possible Change in the Future
Theaters are likely to evolve further, so they can survive our new viewing habits and compete with streaming services. Drive-ins are seeing new growth during this time and are likely to become much more popular. Indoor theaters are looking to make their own changes.
Movie theaters are enjoyable because of their “mood”, they all create a certain environment that draws people to them. In the future, that mood is likely to be played up even more, to bring back the audience.
It is likely that people return slowly to theaters, as they see them cleaning often and practicing safer measures. For many, going to the theater will become a special event, as it will probably only happen a few times a year.
Theaters will also possibly invest more funds into their sound and video equipment. That way, you will be more impressed with the quality of the movie- so you will want to experience new films there rather than at home.
Overall, the movie industry has been changing and will continue to do so even after the pandemic is over.
Conclusion
In short, the movie industry has been greatly impacted by the events of 2020. Many smaller theaters were struggling beforehand, making it especially difficult for them to stay open. Less people are visiting the theaters as well, making streaming services see more subscribers than ever before.
If you enjoy films and other forms of entertainment, be sure to stick around our site and check out some of our other articles! We have plenty here for you to read.