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This topic comprises 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6
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Author
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Topic: The Psychology of Showing DVD/BluRay
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Scott Jentsch
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1061
From: New Berlin, WI, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 11-08-2010 11:44 AM
I think the title of this thread is quite apt. With catalog releases, it really is all about the psychology of the experience. If people never wanted to see a movie in a theater that is available on DVD, then we'd never see theaters run film series, such as holiday classics, Hitchcock film festivals, and the like.
If done right, I think that a theatrical showing of any movie of interest can be successful.
Going to a movie is a psychological experience to begin with. It's the idea of making time to go out and do something, it's going into a group environment, where those in attendance can be an integral part of the enjoyment, it's having someone else do the work and letting the viewer just enjoy the show.
The trouble is that I think it's quite challenging to have the experience hit the right notes with the majority of attendees. Picking the right movie, setting the right tone, and the uncontrollable variable of the crowd, can impact how enjoyable the experience is.
Yes, there's always going to be a few people that are going to get hung up on the technical details, but I don't think that's able to be avoided. Within reason, I don't think I'd care if it was DVD, Blu-ray, 35mm, or Digital Cinema, as that's a small aspect of the overall experience.
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Pravin Ratnam
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 844
From: Atlanta, GA,USA
Registered: Sep 2002
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posted 11-09-2010 11:13 AM
I can tell you that as a consumer who does enjoy watching older movies in a cinema, there is no freaking way I am paying money to watch a DVD projected on a screen. Hell, with BluRays and HD beiing common, I have a tough time watching DVDs projected in a home theater these days. Imagine how much worse it looks on a real big screen.
I think the whole theater experience means a lot different to the current era. In the old days, we had VHS and no HD in the home exhibition business. Right now, home choices are a lot better. So a theater is not the only option one has to watch a good big presenation of a classic movie. The social aspect counts for some, but with youtube and other outlets, people are making their own shared aspect of moviewatchine - live or through collective comments.
To each his own. If enough people liked that sort of thing- DVD on a big screen, I guess more power to them. But I undersstand why people would voice their dissatisfaction with watching something they own or can have acccess to at thome on a big screen in the same format.
I know many people have poor video perception(cant even tell the difference between a square and a rectangle). But I would assume the average person could tell something is off if they had to watch a DVD projected on a big screen.
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Tony L. Hernandez
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 158
From: Windsor, CO, USA
Registered: Dec 2005
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posted 11-18-2010 09:59 PM
I have found that there are two kinds of people interested in classic movies. There are those who will drive up to 100 miles to see any kind of celluloid print on the big screen and there are those who would not go see "The Sound Of Music" on 70mm in a theater even if it was right across the street from them because "they own it on Blu-Ray and it looks just as good in their home theater". Needless to say, the former expects film. The only gray area I have fond is the crowd of grandparents and late-in-life parents who saw a certain movie on the big screen 40 years ago when it came out and want to share the experience with their young children and grandchildren. These folks usually don't care what format it is shown in so long as the image is projected on a big screen in a theater full of people, just how they remember. This crowd, however,is usually only 10% of your audience.
I had one instance where I had a modern French film come into one of my arthouses that had 3 big, green emulsion scratches right down the middle. It was so bad that the distributor sent a back up DVD. On the night of the show, I set both the 35mm up as well as the DVD & digital projector. Before the show, I went before the audience and announced the abysmal condition of the 35mm print and took a "show of hands" vote on which they would rather see. Out of the 70 or so people, only one person wanted to see the DVD instead. We ran the 35mm and still, the people were happy with their choice despite the condition.
Another case was last December when I wanted to book a classic Christmas film for the 3-plex mall cinema on the western slope of Colorado that I had just reopened. I tried for a 35mm print but they were all taken by larger venues. My options were a DVD of any film I chose or a very old 16mm print of "Miracle on 34th Street" in excellent condition. I went with the 16mm print of "Miracle" and installed a temporary 16mm projection system in the largest house along side the 35mm. The first day I ran the film (we ran it every day for the week leading up to Christmas, free of charge) there were only about 45 people in the audience and ironically, the film broke above the gate about 3/4 thru the show. Needless to say, this interrupted the show and brought to the audiences attention that it was an actual film print. Being a small town, word spreads quickly and the next day, my audience was tripled. I had about 25-30 people come up to me and say how they were not planning to come since "Miracle" plays all the time on TV that time of year but when they found out it was being shown "from an old projector-film reel" (as many of them called it), they could not miss the chance to see it and/or have their children experience it.
We can all debate the quality issues all day long here but when it comes to the classics, people want to see what they can't see anywhere else : "an old projector -film reel" on the big screen. They can buy a DVD at Wal-Mart and watch it whenever they want. Like many others have said, this thread's title is very pertinent...it's all about the "psychology".
I do not condemn anyone who has to run DVD/Blu-Ray in their theater. I have to do it from time to time myself as some classics simply are not available or some of the low-budget film makers cannot afford prints (in the case you run an arthouse). I simply think we need to be mindful of our customers by advertising the format, if possible and sympathizing with their concerns.
Steve Guttag, you do not stand alone. I would take a 16mm over a DVD or Blu-Ray any day of the week. While DVD has been a godsend for homes,churches and small classrooms, I believe it has no theatrical value. Blu-Ray may have some argument but still, it is not film or even DCinema. I too have asked for refunds when I have gone to see a classic on the big screen and been "surprised" with a DVD blow-up.
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