The Rising Of The Machine

The rise and fall of technology is constant in our economy. Because movie theaters are constantly in some form of the public eye, technology's impact on the art and delivery of motion pictures is profound. Similarly, technology has also brought a paradigm shift in movie-making. From how the movie is shot to post-production and editing to distribution and marketing, the technology provides change and disruption to the business that is the movies.

Right now, the Writers Guild of America is on strike, attempting to control the implementation of artificial intelligence in movies and television. But, unfortunately, producers seem willing to let the writers stew in their juices.

The cinema experience has been evolving continually for the past three decades. Cutting-edge technology and the digitization of movies mean that this change is constant. On top of the new dcp projection, changes followed, like 4DX theaters. Products like Buttkicker and D-Box are being implemented. Motion is being added to theater seats. Strobe lights, smoke, fog, and scented airflow are also being added when you attempt to enjoy the moviegoing experience. Distracting if you ask me.

Screen X is gaining momentum. Using five projectors to create a 270-degree moviegoing experience, which uses the screen area to play on all the side walls. The computer blends the images and attempts to provide an immersive experience. Other than the genre of sci-fi and action-adventure titles, I need to see where this appears in a traditional commercial theater. Again, this is another example of moviegoing becoming focused on spectacle and not on storytelling,

Innovative seat manufacturers are building the next generation of seats with built-in USB ports for gaming and phone charging and integrating on-call menu systems. In addition, maintenance issues are being addressed, and the seat is beginning to be considered a modular appliance.

Technology providers are starting to ensure that they implement technical capabilities into the theaters for alternative programming and attractions. For example, I have been told that a developing gaming console is embedded into your auditorium seat. The controller and input devices are about the size of a pack of cigarettes and will enable each seat to have the capabilities of an XBOX or a PlayStation.

There are also plans to create a streaming service that will act as an industrial Netflix and on-demand programming offering that often fills empty auditoriums with alternative content. For a base fee of $499 a month per auditorium, exhibitors would have the ability to stream content directly into the theaters and not have to share box office whatsoever. For emerging ethnic markets, music, and alternative content, this could be an exciting service that could redefine the utilization of auditoriums. At some point, studios will look beyond the false constraints of movie security and will say to themselves. If I am streaming 4K into the home right now, why can't I stream my repertory titles into theaters and bars, restaurants, senior citizen complexes, campus dorms, etc. It may provide some methodology for training the young to watch movies collaboratively.

The integration of VR/AR and AI will bring drastic changes to moviegoing as movies use movies to offer a more profound and immersive experience. The audience's reception and adaptation will begin to shape the future of the movies. Beloved actor Tom Hanks has stated that he will allow his image to be used in creating movies using AI long after he is dead and buried. Not only does this create a financial annuity for his descendants, but it also foretells a time when John Wayne may be seen on the big screen again, or Marilyn Monroe will again cause a stir at the movies. As technology provides deeper toolsets, the creator's imagination receives both liberation of concepts and constraint with execution. Movies might start being produced in a vacuum. Movies at their best have always been a collective effort. The cinematographer's skill meets the art of the edit, the composer's musical talent, the director's perspective, the writer's vision, and the actor's emotions combine to form a compelling piece of art with many perspectives. If all movies started to be formed from a singular source, that would significantly stifle the art form.

The co-founder of Intel, Gordon Moore, who first observed that computing capacity grew exponentially, was talking about the density of transistors in integrated circuits and may later have reshaped the "Law" to refer to the growth of processing power compared to cost. At one time, it was thought that every 18 months, computing power doubled. It is thought now that this computing power has slowed to 4%. Many would be shocked, but if we look at the numbers behind the supercomputers that power the cloud, Moore's law still applies. That said, as cloud computing grows and takes shape, the applications that are driven by them, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence, will also grow. As these emerging technologies touch movie-going more and more, it will become imperative to incorporate them into the business model of the theater.

Theaters are full vessels of change; I look forward to where collective viewing of VR leads us; audience pre-show tools courtesy of AI, and incorporating AR tools on-screen and integrated into mobile theater ads.

It's a brave new world and could be a lot of fun.