1. Streaming movies online, illegally, for free - nearly everyone I know does this.
2. The music industry tried to kill Napster, they thought it was just people stealing -- but something else was happening, a revolution of music distribution. This is why we have iTunes and Spotify.
3. Physical media isn't needed anymore. I keep going to buy DVDs but then realise I don't want them taking up my space. Discs are dead.
4. Everyone loves YouTube.
5. People's computer screens are getting bigger. People don't need the giant TV to watch a movie, they can do it on their computer.
6. We harp on about the cinematic experience, but this is not everyone's cup of tea. The majority of people are happy at home.
7. Yes, free streaming and bit torrents do hurt the film business. But we need to start looking at it in a more open-minded way.
8. People are tired of getting conned. The bankers stole, the car insurance went up, and have you seen how much it is to see a film in 3D!?
9. Louis CK sold his new show online for $5 and the people flocked to it, he's made nearly $2million. This is not an anomaly, people pay for things when they're of value. That's why the DVD rental sites did well, they were a good deal.
10. But DVD rental is a thing of the past. People can go to the cinema, spend a days wages in tickets and popcorn, and still the movies suck. Or they can sit at home and stream them for free. They're doing the latter. Why?
a) The cinema is too expensive.
b) They like being at their computers.
c) So many films are terrible.
d) Cinema is changing. People like to stream and now the quality can be amazing.
The industry can go after people, sue them, and try to force them to watch movies in the cinema, but the people don't want to! If they did, audiences wouldn't be in decline and everyone wouldn't be streaming illegally.
There are legal options (not for new releases), we're slowly getting there. There are sites where you can stream films, and video on demand is growing. But the technology isn't fully being embraced. Sure, I'd love to keep the cinema's packed day and night, but that's not going to happen. And who can afford to go?
I never liked the multiplexes anyway. Too much junk that doesn't even deserve an audience. If the big chains died, maybe we would see the resurgence of the independent cinema? A place for community and good films? And sure, people would still come out for the superhero movies, but it'd be more of an event.
SUMMARY
The cinema isn't dying. They still build them and when they advertise the latest big budget let down, the audiences flock.
But something is changing. People are feeling less inclined to leave the home. They like watching films from the comfort of their sofas. The technology is there now. People can stream, illegally, and It's all great quality.
In the modern era, we shouldn't be condemning those who do this, we should be finding a way to give them an incentive to do it legally. And that probably means brand new releases being streamed online legally for a small price.
The studios think people are skipping the cinema and watching films for free on the internet. This is true, but it doesn't mean what they think it means. Most people are happy to pay.
They just want value.
Especially now, people are getting hip to the marketing BS.
And they're tired of the same old movies. You can't remake 'Valentines Day', call it 'New Years Eve' and expect audiences to give a shit.
