Traditional Cinema Research Articles

Chinese Cinephiles in the Post-Pandemic Pandemic Era: Comparing the Transition from Traditional Theatres to OTT Platforms

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped film consumption patterns in China, driving a notable transition from traditional theatres to over-the-top (OTT) platforms. This study investigates the factors influencing post-pandemic cinephile preferences, particularly the interplay between OTT platforms and traditional cinema-going platforms. The surge in online streaming, boosted by pandemic-induced restrictions, has been critical with regional giants such as iQIYI restyling Chinese entertainment traditions. This research aims to uncover the determinants guiding cinephile choices by analysing demographic variables, technological advancements and consumption patterns. Through a survey in Tier II cities, data from 656 participants were analysed to determine the OTT platform and cinema usage. The findings reveal nuanced trends: females slightly favour OTT platforms, while males prefer traditional cinemas. Young adults aged 21 to 25 years are the most active users of both platforms, with education level slightly affecting usage. Smartphone usage is widespread, with 70% accessing OTT platforms via mobile. While 40% view OTT platforms as challenging traditional cinemas, 65% view OTT platforms in the future. Key factors influencing future cinema-going include OTT platform accessibility and time constraints—over 80% expressed satisfaction with their cinema experiences, with peak seasons significantly impacting ticket prices. Comedy, drama and action genres were most popular among cinemagoers, each with over 60% preference. These findings imply that the future of film consumption in China will likely be shaped by the balance and integration of OTT platforms and traditional cinema experiences.

Tracing The Cinematic Female Gaze Through Textual Film Analysis of Something Useful (2017)

It is essential to investigate what constitutes the cinematic female gaze to discuss the potential differentiation in films directed by female directors from traditional cinema. The concept of the female gaze, frequently brought to the forefront in recent years, remains a subject of ongoing academic research. This study aims to contribute to the definition of the cinematic female gaze by examining how it is constructed in cinema. For this purpose, the film Something Useful (2017) directed by Pelin Esmer, was selected and analyzed using a textual film analysis method that prioritizes visual, auditory, and thematic elements. According to the findings, the look, sound, perspective, emotions, thoughts, feelings, and inner state of the female character in Something Useful, briefly the qualities that nourish her subjectivity—are conveyed to the audience or are made to be felt by the audience, through various cinematographic, editing, and mise-en-scène tools. The subjectivity of woman is also thematically emphasized by her interaction with social life, relationships between women and a curiosity to understand and define life. The film diverges from mainstream cinema codes by having process-orientedness and passionate detachment. When these features are considered along with other studies in the literature, it becomes possible to propose a potential definition for the construction of the cinematic female gaze.

Swifties Experience: Examining Taylor Swift The Eras Tour (2023) Movie as Concert Mediatization

This research examines Taylor Swift’s concert documentary movie called The Eras Tour (2023) that created a shift in audience’s cinema experience by not customarily watching a movie but emerge themselves which resulting in a ‘concert-feel- like’ activity. This study shows an alternative and complement live performance and streaming technology that previously researched by Scherzinger (2019) as music distribution method. Using Hjarvard’s concept of mediatization and Harvey’s theory of the production of space, I analyze how this movie concert influences audience interactions which create a new social space within cinema. Data were collected through interviews and social media documentation to examine the watching experience of The Eras Tour (2023) movie. This research finds that this mediatized concert acts as an incomplete substitution for live performances, positioning cinema as a concert space due to the implications of mediatization. Additionally, the research reveals that audience interactions beyond merely watching the movie demonstrate an amalgamation process that fosters solidarity within the fandom. Interestingly, this phenomenon generally ‘breaks the rules’ of traditional cinema logic due to the amalgamations that occur. Thus, this research shows that the mediatized concert acts as an incomplete substitution of live performance, which contribute to modern practice of mediatization in media and music industry.

Impact of over-the-top video providers on viewing satisfaction and its effect on watching a movie in cinema: Bridging preferences and challenges

Netflix, Disney Hotstar, Amazon Prime, and VIU are projected to abolish cinema due to fierce competition. Traditional cinema businessmen blame the COVID-19 pandemic for exacerbating cinema's collapse. Streaming services are more like websites than TV and movie theatres in terms of distribution and accessibility. Streaming platforms provide users more control over content selection and consumption, changing how they watch TV and films. This study compares OTT video provider viewing pleasure to cinema viewing satisfaction. Satisfaction is essential to understanding customer decisions and entertainment. Analysing and comparing both mediums' satisfaction levels will reveal what influences viewers' tastes and entertainment choices. This survey-based investigation was quantitative. OTT users and cinemagoers in Greater Jakarta (Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Tangerang-Bekasi) were surveyed. June 2024's survey. This study compares OTT and cinema viewing satisfaction. 148 respondents were used in this investigation. This study sheds light on the changing dynamics between OTT video providers and traditional cinema experiences. The research will also help industry practitioners understand viewers' preferences and optimise their offers to increase satisfaction and competitiveness. This study compares OTT video providers' viewing satisfaction to cinema experiences to better understand viewers' leisure preferences. The findings will help industry players decide on content generation, distribution, and user experience improvements. This study contributes to the discussion over entertainment consumption's future and customer pleasure.

Film as a Form of Cultural Medium: Trends of the Film Industry

As an important form of entertainment, this paper delves into global cinema, analyzing the significant factors that have shaped the patterns people watch and evaluate films in recent years. The paper focuses on three primary dynamics: the COVID-19 pandemic, the diminishing qualities of movies themselves including the proliferating numbers of remakes and sequels, a perceived decline in film quality attributed to Hollywood's emphasis on political correctness, as well as the emergence of streaming services and short video applications. The epidemic has greatly transformed the conventional practice of seeing movies in theaters, expediting the transition to digital platforms. Simultaneously, there is widespread discontent among people over the current standard of movies. The emergence of streaming and platforms for short-form material has caused the audience to become more divided, providing a wide range of options for viewing and posing a challenge to the traditional cinema model. The complex interplay between these forces and their collective influence on the future of film as a cultural and entertainment medium.

The Evolution of Film Technology in the Streaming Media Era: A Comparative Analysis of Traditional Movies and Internet TV Series

With the rise of streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and others, there has been a profound transformation in the landscape of visual storytelling. The emergence of streaming media has ushered in a transformative era for the film and television industry. This essay conducts a comparative analysis of traditional cinema and internet television series, unveiling the evolution of film technology and its impact in the era of streaming media. This study examines the distinctions between the traditional film production process and the innovative approaches adopted by Internet TV series. Traditional film production is characterized by its reliance on theatrical releases and linear narrative. It also investigates the role of advanced digital tools and technologies, as well as the impact of streaming algorithms on content recommendations and audience engagement. Furthermore, this essay is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the ever-evolving landscape of film technology in the era of streaming media. It underscores the creative autonomy and adaptability offered by internet television series, as well as the challenges and opportunities they encounter.

The Rise and Bypassing of Streaming Media

With evolving societal lifestyles and changing popular perspectives on film consumption, online streaming has gradually supplanted the traditional cinema experience. Amid the rapid rise of the streaming era, this paper focuses on the emergence, market competition, and future prospects of streaming media. Taking Netflix as a case study, this platform has leveraged big data to reshape the downstream positioning of streaming media within the industry value chain. Comparative analysis of historical data reveals intense competitive confrontation among streaming platforms launched by other major entertainment corporations, shaping the landscape of the streaming market. It is observed that to thrive in this fierce competition, a marketing approach combining cinema with the concept of the Metaverse has demonstrated promising preliminary results and substantial developmental potential. The narrative structures of online films are better aligned with the dissemination patterns of streaming media compared to traditional theatrical releases, rendering streaming media a more preferred choice for audiences and continually expanding the user base of the streaming market. Investigating the future prospects of streaming media development not only supports the burgeoning film industry but also paves the way for a more diversified and enriched cinematic landscape.

User Attitudes and Preferences Towards Real-Time Interactive Gamified Movie Experiences

This study explores user attitudes and preferences towards real-time interactive gamified movie experiences, combining elements of traditional cinema with interactive gaming and advanced technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). The integration of these technologies aims to enhance audience engagement, emotional connection, and overall satisfaction. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, using both qualitative and quantitative data collected through surveys, interviews, and focus groups to analyze user preferences, engagement levels, and the impact of personalized interactive elements. Findings reveal a strong preference for interactive and gamified features, with users desiring more control over storylines and appreciating personalized content tailored to their preferences. Additionally, immersive technologies and real-time feedback significantly enhance user engagement and emotional responses. However, challenges such as technological limitations, accessibility issues, and ethical concerns regarding data privacy were also identified. The study concludes that while interactive and gamified movie experiences hold great potential for transforming the entertainment industry, addressing these challenges is crucial for their successful adoption and widespread appeal. Future research should focus on exploring new technologies, ensuring inclusivity, and developing ethical guidelines for data use.

Be a part of the narrative: How audiences are introduced to the “free choice dilemma” in the interactive film Bandersnatch

The first major interactive film on Netflix with live-action scenes was Bandersnatch, released in December 2018. Bandersnatch offers viewers a unique viewing experience distinct from traditional cinema, as it provides the viewer with multiple choices within the narrative trajectory. Digital interactive media technologies have become increasingly popular due to public demand for interactive engagement and a democratisation of text control. There is a social desire to deprive the author of total control over the story; to co-create stories using imagination while adhering to formal limitations and structures; to play with the text as an incomplete form; for the ability to rearrange the story’s order, alter its quality, and other such things. These meet the audience-creative user’s needs and satisfaction (Cover, 2004). Where personal emotions can be invested and free choice can be exercised in cyberspace, the emergence of interactivity as a kind of audience engagement is a robust culturally rooted desire. This article attempts to understand and analyse the uses and gratifications experienced by the audience during the interactive viewing process. However, digital participation proves to have limitations. Through a case study of the interactive film Bandersnatch, this paper explores how the interactivity and the features of video games can be used to give users so-called “free choice,” but that can actually be frustrating and ultimately offer only the illusion that the audience has any significant control over the story. In the end, the decisions made by the audience offer some relevant affordances to the interactive user but eventually proceed to reinforce the ideological control from the production team.

VR in French Cinematography:

In my research I am trying to establish the relation between Cinema and VR. The cinematic approach to VR has been particularly strong in France, as a lot of professionals from the world of cinema have been investing themselves over the past decade into fi nding a way to make VR movies, and in that way to move beyond the limitations of traditional cinema and approach the holy grail of the pioneers of the cinema, defi ned by Basin as “total cinema”. In my text I propose to analyze some example/s of French VR movies, such as in Alteration, Eternal Notre-Dame, I Philip, and Notes on Blidness.

Evaluating the viewer experience of interactive virtual reality movies

Significant advances in virtual reality (VR) technology have called into question the traditional methods of cinema storytelling and dissemination. New VR devices, such as the Meta (Oculus) Quest, have expanded the possibilities for viewing movies. The purpose of this study is to compare the emotional and cognitive impacts of VR and traditional 2D movies. In this study, sixty volunteers were divided into two groups and presented a movie (Gala) in 2D or VR format. We employed a multimodal method to assess the cognitive and emotional effects of the film both during and after watching. Our technique combined self-reports, interviews, questionnaires, and objective heart rate and EEG brain activity data. After quantitative and qualitative evaluation, it was discovered, that regardless of media, there was a substantial influence of the movie on the emotional state of the participant’s mood. Moreover, compared to the traditional 2D-movie, the VR movie led to more consistent and robust positive effect on all aspects of self-rated affect. The difference in self-reported mood was corroborated by reduced EEG amplitudes in the beta frequency band, indicating higher levels of positive affectivity, which was only observed for the VR movie. Lastly, the VR movie also leads to overall higher self-rated immersion and engagement than the 2D version. Our results highlight the potential of VR movies to engage and emotionally affect audiences beyond traditional cinema. Moreover, our study highlights the value of using a multidisciplinary method for analysing audience impacts.

The Influence and Fusion of Online Films with Traditional Cinema: A Case Study of the Netflix Platform

The Influence and Fusion of Online Films with Traditional Cinema: A Case Study of the Netflix Platform

Shared cinematic experience and emerging technologies: Integrating mixed-reality components for the future of cinema

The enduring appeal of traditional cinema viewing in the face of alternative experiences, including streaming services and emerging technologies, such as extended reality, is rooted in its esthetic, cultural, and social significance. While the psychological appeal of shared cinematic experiences has gained attention in scholarship, there is a need to further explore the potential enhancement of these experiences through the integration of immersive technologies. The communal nature of cinema fosters social connection, especially in a post-pandemic context marked by widespread social isolation. This study highlights the psychological benefits of shared cinematic experiences and emphasizes the next phase of cinematic evolution, which integrates mixed-reality components while retaining the traditional communal and focused viewing experience. By merging physical and virtual elements, mixed reality offers a unique avenue for exploring the intersection of technology and psychology in the context of cinema. In addition, this article addresses practical applications for filmmakers and industry professionals by outlining technical considerations for integrating mixed-reality elements throughout the filmmaking process, from production to distribution and viewing. The integration of mixed-reality components represents a significant step in the evolution of cinema, providing valuable insights into its potential implications for the research community and the film industry.

The Construction of the Narrative of a War of Independence Film (Zafer Yollarında) in Traditional Cinema Historiography and The Historical Truths

Ulusal bayramlarda televizyonlarda, Kurtuluş Savaşı belgesellerinde, internet ortamının değişik mecralarında İstiklal Savaşı içerikli sinema görüntülerine sık sık rastlanır. Milli Mücadele ve Cumhuriyet’in ilanı (1919-1923) sürecinde çeşitli kurum ve kuruluşlarca İstiklal Savaşı içerikli kurmaca olmayan (belge/aktüel/mizansen) filmler alındığı iyi bilinen bir olgudur. Ancak, üzerlerine ayrıntılı bilimsel çalışmalar yapılmadığı gibi, bu filmlerin tam bir envanteri dahi henüz çıkarılabilmiş değildir. Söz konusu filmler hakkında bildiklerimiz bugün hâlâ çok sınırlıdır. Dahası, Türkiye’de 1940’larda başlayan sinema tarihi literatüründe bu konu gayet karmaşık bir görünüm de arz etmektedir. Çok sınırlı kalmış olan bu literatüre, kısacık olmasına rağmen belirsizlikler, tutarsızlıklar ve hatalar hâkimdir. Söz konusu filmlerin en tanınmışlarından biri Zafer Yollarında ismini taşır ve okumakta olduğunuz makalenin odağında da bu sinema filmi bulunmaktadır. Makalenin biri sinema tarihine diğeri sinema tarihyazımına ilişkin iki temel amacı mevcuttur: Birincisi, yaklaşık 80 senedir hakkında neredeyse hiçbir yeni şey söylenemeyen Zafer Yollarında filmini birincil kaynakların ışığında aydınlatmak ve hakkındaki anlatıyı, içerdiği yanlışlardan arındırarak yeniden kurmak. İkincisi, Zafer Yollarında’ya ilişkin historiyografinin 1940’lardan günümüze izini sürerek sinema tarihi içinde spesifik bir anlatının inşa sürecinin bir anlamda anatomisini çıkarmak. Bu mikro takip ve analiz, Osmanlı/Türk erken dönem sinemasını konu edinen tarihyazımının genel (makro) bir manzarasını vermek bakımından bir model işlevi de görecektir.

Building Social and Political Awareness through Cinema: The Case of Dahan

Feature film holds a significant position in Bangladesh filmscape. However, only a few of these films are aimed at raising social and political consciousness among the audience. One such film is Dahan (Affliction), directed by Sheikh Niamat Ali in 1985. Employing the theoretical lens of the Third Cinema, this study investigates how this film contributed in social and political awareness building. Therefore, this article examines the content and stylistic features of the film and concludes with the note that by providing a few alternatives to the traditional cinema techniques, the film successfully delineated the then socio-political reality of Bangladesh characterized by inequality, injustice and intellectual bankruptcy, and sought for social and political emancipation that helps audience enhance their social and political understanding. Social Science Review, Vol. 39(1), June 2022 Page 125-140

Analysis of top box office film poster marketing scheme based on data mining and deep learning in the context of film marketing.

With the development of science and technology and the continuous changes of social environment, the development prospect of traditional cinema is worrying. This work aims to improve the publicity effect of movie posters and optimize the marketing efficiency of movie posters and promote the development of film and television industry. First, the design concept of high grossing movie posters is discussed. Then, the concept of movie poster analysis based on Deep Learning (DL) technology is analyzed under Big Data Technology. Finally, a movie poster analysis model is designed based on Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) technology under DL and is evaluated. The results demonstrate that the learning curve of the CNN model reported here is the best in the evaluation of model performance in movie poster analysis. Besides, the learning rate of the model is basically stable when the number of iterations is about 500. The final loss value is around 0.5. Meanwhile, the accuracy rate of the model is also stable at the number of iterations of about 500, and the accuracy rate of the model is around 0.9. In addition, the recognition accuracy of the model designed here in movie poster classification recognition is generally between 60% and 85% in performing theme, style, composition, color scheme, set, and product recognition of movie posters. Moreover, the evaluation of the model in the movie poster style composition suggests that the style composition of movie poster production dramatically varies in different films, in which movie posters focus most on movie product, style, and theme. Compared with other models, the performance of this model is more outstanding in all aspects, which shows that this work has achieved a great technical breakthrough. This work provides a reference for the optimization of the design method of movie posters and contributes to the development of the movie industry.

Immersive movies: the effect of point of view on narrative engagement

Cinematic virtual reality (CVR) offers filmmakers a wide range of possibilities to explore new techniques regarding movie scripting, shooting and editing. Despite the many experiments performed so far both with both live action and computer-generated movies, just a few studies focused on analyzing how the various techniques actually affect the viewers’ experience. Like in traditional cinema, a key step for CVR screenwriters and directors is to choose from which perspective the viewers will see the scene, the so-called point of view (POV). The aim of this paper is to understand to what extent watching an immersive movie from a specific POV could impact the narrative engagement (NE), i.e., the viewers’ sensation of being immersed in the movie environment and being connected with its characters and story. Two POVs that are typically used in CVR, i.e., first-person perspective (1-PP) and external perspective (EP), are investigated through a user study in which both objective and subjective metrics were collected. The user study was carried out by leveraging two live action 360° short films with distinct scripts. The results suggest that the 1-PP experience could be more pleasant than the EP one in terms of overall NE and narrative presence, or even for all the NE dimensions if the potential of that POV is specifically exploited.

Research and dynamic analysis of interactive methods of film in the context of new media

Since the 20th century, art has undergone a radical change in both concept and form under the influence of technology. With the mutual integration of modern technological means and artistic thinking, new media art came into being. Its birth and development is a remarkable novelty, and its rapid development in turn pushes the innovation and transformation of traditional media art, opening a new window for the development of film art. Interactive cinema has grown rapidly based on new media technology, and its all-round interactivity has had an almost revolutionary impact on traditional cinema, thus attracting widespread attention from many researchers in the field of film art. As a new form of image, interactive film has an irresistible charm for audiences. Interactivity, as one of the essential features of interactive film, is also increasingly prominent in terms of expressiveness, and interactivity has become a higher level of interactive film development. The interactive intervention shifts the image narrative from linear to non-linear, and the creative approach from closed to open and diversified, in addition to which the audience deeply experiences the drenching sound of viewing. The interactivity of interactive movies transforms a person sitting passively in a theater quietly enjoying a movie into a person or a group of people actively participating in the creation of the movie, making the movie a real entertainment object for people to manipulate and play with.

Gazing or glancing? Mapping student engagement when film studies moves online

This article presents the findings of a study undertaken by a team of three film studies teacher-researchers working with undergraduate students in a course titled ‘Histories of Film Theory’. In the context of the transition from face-to-face to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors observed that students’ approaches to understanding relevant film theories became increasingly inflected by their experiences of contrasting methods of course delivery, such as that between the cinema theatre or home viewing environment. To investigate this effect, the authors conducted a study of student experience across the 2020 and 2021 cohorts; the purpose was to understand how the shift to online learning shaped students’ engagement with set film texts, by analysing the behaviour exhibited when accessing film texts remotely. The study is grounded in the observation that there is an existing body of film theory on screen spectatorship that has potential significance to a scholarly understanding of the pedagogical complexity of online learning and multimodal literacies. This scholarship ranges from analyses of ‘traditional’ reception environments (Baudry 1974), to accounts of the differentiation in modes of attention introduced by new media (Ellis 1992, Cavell 1982), to analyses of the multiplying second screen practices of the digital era (Casetti 2011). A governing distinction highlighted in the results is between ‘gazing’, the mode of spectatorship associated with the traditional cinema experience, and ‘glancing’, the mode associated with home viewing and second screen use. Were the students in the course gazing or glancing, and how did this affect their encounters with films and characterize their remote learning experience more broadly? In asking these questions, the article demonstrates how the intellectual resources of film studies might be applied to contemporary digital pedagogy scholarship to reveal a complex scenario in which remote learning practices both hinder and enhance learning experiences, sometimes simultaneously.

Using Cinematic Virtual Reality to Get Acquainted with the Metaverse

Abstract This paper discusses the opportunities for using cinematic virtual reality (CVR) to enhance our understanding of the imagined metaverse – the recently emerged new digital age phenomenon. The paper approaches the concept of the metaverse from an interaction point of view, which is one of the more common characteristics used to conceptualise the metaverse, approaching it as a phenomenon involving the convergence of real and virtual worlds, but also humans and machines. The article investigates the possibilities of using the relatively unexplored phenomenon of CVR, which facilitates the desired interaction while requiring the least prior knowledge and skills from the user, and thus might ease our acquaintance with the imagined metaverse. The difference between virtual reality (VR) and CVR lies in the generation of the VR world: traditional VR is typically generated through 3D graphics processing and audio triggers in real time, whereas CVR exclusively uses pre-rendered pictures and sound elements. Thus, the main difference between the two lies in the textual content and intended way of consuming it without dissimilarity in technology. With reference to three drama genre cases, the aim of this paper is to explore one of the crucial components of CVR—namely, through the established convention of the viewer perspective in traditional cinema (first-person, second-person and third-person perspective).