WILLIAMEDIA

We are in new age of media development and enjoyment. From smaller and thinner screens to media companies totally frazzled by their consumers choices. No one can doubt how many things have changed and you know things have changed because the major media companies have been suing their customers for the last decade. Course beyond the law biting of the topic is one thing that has separated the modern millennium teen from the baby boomer grandfather, screen size.

Screen sizes have been increasing for years now and all of a sudden Apple pushes video onto its popular music player, the iPod and people are craving 2.5 inch movies and music videos. What backwards world we have evolved. Even beloved Hollywood elders rant at the movie watching public for even thinking they could enjoy a feature film on screens even at the iPhone’s screen size of a 3.5 diagonal widescreen. A reasonable answer can be found in the Hollywood legends opinionated words if you just look deeper into what David Lynch is suggesting in the articles version. Past his respect for the purity of film and his admittance of the required ability of a director to tell a story through film without a director’s commentary is something we are all willing to admit. The experience of the theater is unmatched by the iPod and/or iPhone. As David talks about how the number of people who will “see [the] films on computers and phones and they will think they saw the films” he realizes for himself where the advantage lies but he worries in its ability to maintain the same audiences. One thing I have learned in my personal experience with film is that those who watch a film on a iPhone or Computer screen don’t necessarily watch films on the big screen. For instance I watch movies I already have in my DVD collection on my iPhone. Or I might watch a cheap teen flick on iTunes rentals that I have less interest in as a full sit down and expand my mind theater experience. Sure there are people who will see a film entirely on their phone and never watch it again but are those people really lost from enjoying the film when they don’t have enough interest to sit on their couch and fully envelope themselves in the movie. That person might have not seen and spent the money on the film in the first place if it hadn’t been available to them in the manner they wished to consume it. David Lynch’s respect for film is great but he seems too in love with what he does best to realize alot of people just don’t care or need that movie magic to watch everyone of them in large screen theater, nor the patience to listen to the audience chatter during the film. The person that enjoys film knows how they like to consume it and they realize the advantages of a larger experience over the smaller earbud version. I propose that the rise of small screens has amplified the chances for studios to profit from their films because I can finally download that High School Musical film in private and watch it on the train in the morning instead of just ignoring it entirely. I would rather spend my quality large screen time and money in front of a film like Marie Antoinette with its large colorful atmosphere and expansive panning camera shots than wasting that quality time on the latest Disney teen flick. Some films deserve the small screen leave that decision up to the consumer. People who want to enjoy that latest action flick know that the best way to enjoy it is with surround sound and a larger than life screen.

This is a hard fact to swallow especially for the studios cause they see each sale of a small screen version of Juno on iTunes as it could have been a potential DVD sale which has tremendous markup for them, but its simply just wishful thinking on their part. While there are a number of people who purchase DVDs willy nilly most don’t and only purchase the films they love and enjoy repeatedly. Others who have a passing interest can now rent through iTunes and pay the studios for their slight interest in a films marketing buzz. Before those customers would have not put forth the effort and money to go to a local theater, they might even make the decision to wait until it comes on local cable television if that. Plus the films are now closer to younger audiences reach because they don’t have to know how to drive to see them. Parents today are giving their kids iTunes allowances and now those precious rapid not responsible money making decisions children make can go towards a studios pockets. Disney was iTunes first movie partner when Steve Jobs announced that movies would be available on the iTunes store. This makes since, now stuck at home mothers can do what they always do and drop the kids in front of the TV connected to an apple TV and load up a Disney flick with a few clicks and get back to what ever they are doing around the house.

There has been a theory since DVDs came out about releasing DVD’s of movies in the theater right after people come out of the cinema-plex. That way the people who kinda liked a film would now be more likely to drop their dimes on the exspensive DVD sooner rather than later in 6 months when they have to make the effort to remember to pick it up at the store. Usually by the time that the 6 months period has passed those same people are less enthused about why they liked the movie and are less likely to purchase the exspensive DVD for said movie. Maybe the studios could sell smaller digital versions to the movie watching public at the theaters and those who still love the film in some realm might purchase it on a DVD or in a made available higher quality digital version. People have the ability to watch many more films in their lives than ever before and the studios should see this as a expansion of there potential customers not as a shrinkage by any train of thought. People still enjoy the traditional theater experience but are only willing to spend time for it if the movie is of interest to them. People who would truly envelope themselves in a films wonder on a large screen are still gonna do it but don’t let them leave the theater without considering a instant purchase of the film in some form and don’t discount the value of the small screen as an alternative audience for your film that you may have never sold your film to if you hadn’t made it available to them in the first place.

In the end some will respect film as a large screen experience and will continue to put it on that pedestal and all the while others will passively enjoy film in some other form factor. My advice is to make sure you cultivate the dedicated fan or hybrid fan that will purchase their favorite piece of cinema in multiple forms like the digital small screen versions as well as the larger DVDs version with all the extras. Support the consumer who wants your film is passing as he/she wouldn’t otherwise and your bound to curve piracy by those who simply wan the media when and where they want it. Whats you ideas on this subject I am interested in other translations of this or David Lynch’s comments on smaller screens and smaller digital versions of film.

Top photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vlastula/450642954/