A Movie Theater's Experience (#5)

One of the reasons that movie theaters are still around is because of the experience they create. There are three different experiences a movie-theatergoer has while at a movie theater: immersive, cultural, and social. Each makes the event of going to the movies unique and competitive towards other movie distributers such as DVDs, online distributers, etc.

Immersive: Movie theaters create an immersive experience; viewers watch a movie, in the dark, on a large screen, with crystal-clear surround sound. Not only does it serve the senses by creating a space where moviegoers can focus on the movie they are watching, but it makes for the perfect place to forget about someone's life and focus on the movie and its plot, making it seem like it's happening in front of the viewer. It is something for the viewer to focus on intently and solely during the length of the movie. 

Cultural: Another part of the experience movie theaters create is its cultural experience. Midnight premieres at movie theaters resemble staying up late a particular night of the week to watch a new episode of a show; people want to watch it first. Movies such as the Harry Pottery films have only grown the fanbase originated from the books; the line for a midnight premiere would begin sometime that morning when the first viewers would show up. The cultural experience of movies may not be as obvious to some, but it is definitely a key part of the movie theater experience. 

Social: As long as they have been around, "going to the movies" has been there as well. It's something that you can do with a group of friends and (although frowned upon) by yourself. This is the social aspect of the movie theater experience. It's a tradition for some; maybe a certain group of people go to the movie theater every other Friday or every Christmas. It's something most everyone knows about and something that has been interwoven with American culture and society. 

All in all, the experience a movie theater creates is an experience completely original to movie theaters, making it still a beloved activity despite all the advances in the movie industry.